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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

McDonald's milkshake is back! Comes in chocolate/strawberry/vanilla, one size fits all (ie no choice of size), S$2.20. Only available at certain McDonald's with dessert kiosks, which is 14 branches altogether. Don't be sad if your nearest Mac isn't selling, cos the milkshake makes you want to vomit milk.

What about this....



Lunchbox: Salute to Sting

Woohoo! That's my fifth Lunchbox in the row! Today's Lunchbox at Esplanade featured The Ocean Band, a group of 5 guys from all around the globe. They played pieces by British singer Sting and his band The Police. As usual, the concert hall was packed to the brim, and this time round there were lots of school kids. (ain't I a school kid myself? =P)

I'm not familiar with Sting's songs, but I must say Shape of My Heart and Englishman in New York were nice! The rest of the pieces seem too wild too handle.

Something comical happened. The lead singer brought along 2 bottles of coke, and in between songs he would take a sip of it. Then when he finished the first bottle, he opened the second one and guess what, the coke sprayed out!! I don't recall seeing him shaking the bottle... hmm must be Esplanade's sound system.. tsk tsk...



quote of the day

Tutorial is you dunno how to do then you go.
If you know how to do all the questions, then you go tutorial gum lan?


(only applies to Faculty of Engineering and when attendance is not compulsory)



Monday, February 27, 2006

blogfest finalist


Surprise surprise. I was checking my tracker and saw that so many visitors came from http://nusartsclub.org/blogfest/finalistcreative.html

ARGHH this crappy blog got into finals of the NUS Blogfest 2006!

I'm not going to dress in white and go around shake hands kiss babies, but if you like this blog, do vote for me!

  • The voting period is from 27 February to 27 March 2006.
  • You may vote once every 24 hours in each poll. (ie everyday...)
  • Every vote must be accompanied by a valid email address. And don't try to use multiple email addresses.
  • To vote, you must register yourself HERE, then proceed HERE to vote!


  • For more information, please go to http://nusartsclub.org/blogfest/



    stinko climbing shoes

    On a few climbing days Meder was asking me whether I wash my climbing shoes, cos his pair stinks and he can't seem to get rid of it.

    Firstly, I don't wash mine. Secondly, mine stinks too.

    What I've done now is to stuff dried tea leaves inside. It works! I couldn't quite believe it but after a few days the smell is gone, wonderfully. Yes I stick my nose in and there is no smell, N-O NO... (and my nose isn't blocked, anyway if it stinks, then it doesn't matter whether your nose is blocked. It will unblock itself)

    It isn't that much of trouble finding tea leaves for me since my family makes one pot of Chinese tea every morning. For simplicity you may recycle used tea bags. Just don't add in 200ml of hot water into your shoes.



    anybody sitting

    The group of us were looking for seats during CS lecture. Hong Jun saw this seat with a bag on it, so he asked its owner if the seat was taken. The guy replied that he was reserving it for someone. No choice, we had to split up for the lecture.

    Hong Jun was sitting next to that "reserved" seat for the whole 2 hours, and apparently the seat was "reserved" for that guy's dearest bag. Didn't know nowadays people refer their school bag as "someone". Or imaginary friend? Eek.



    Saturday, February 25, 2006

    sharing your love

    I dunno, but nowadays everyone is like carrying Nalgene/Nalgene-look-alike-aka-fake-Nalgene bottles everywhere. I can't help feeling a little sad, it is like someone has snatched your love away, or someone just got his/her dirty fingers on your love.... that sort of things. Well, thanks to Sports Connection I must say. And no, I don't like Deuter cos it has become a fashion statement more than an outdoor equipment. (Sports Connection is the distributor of Deuter backpacks)

    SOMETIMES I feel equally sad when I see people hanging fake carabiners on their bags for decoration. Ermm at least it is printed explicitly "NOT FOR CLIMBING". How lame. Not really, some water is not for drinking afterall.

    If you are wondering why my dearest Nalgene bottle has no markings (it has, at the bottom and on the cover), well you can try bringing it on expeditions, place it inside a fibre glass kayak, or just have it with you long enough.

    Its scratch-marks are like old buddy's wrinkles.



    9 рота

    Just finished watching the war movie 9 рота (9th Company in Russian), about a band of Russian soldiers serving in the Soviet military operation in Afghanistan in the 1980s. It is a very sad story cos the guys were holding a position on a mountain top, then they were swarmed by millions of mujahideen guerrillas, and their own reinforcement came just too late. Only one guy from the Company survived the onslaught.

    There are a few emotional moments. When the guys were at basic training, their instructor drilled them like madness. But when it was time for them to go to the frontline and their instructor couldn't go with his men, sorrow was written all over his face when he gave them his last salute cos he was so eager to fight with them. In another scene one guy got shot in the legs and chest, then he pulled the ring of his grenade and died with dozens of enemy swarming him. At the last moment, the last man standing reported to the reinforcement commander that his Company accomplished its mission of fending off the enemies. Sigh...

    Russian movie is rare enough, and it has broken the taboo of the Afghan war. Although it is said that the movie is inaccurate in narating the incident, but still it's good. Box office record ok!



    boxer uprising

    In 1900, the Boxer Uprising took place in China.
    In 2006, another Boxer Uprising is taking place in Singapore...

    There is this guy in my lecture group that comes to school everyday in his super tight-fitting boxer shorts... checkered, with his shirt fully tucked in and super retro Chinatown-style slippers on his feet, he just reminds me of a farmer. *cough cough* hardworking what! Hmm hmm so we must learn from his good example.

    Sometimes I see guys showing off their boxer's elastic band.. hello? Showing off your Crocodile or Renoma is not quite the same as girls showing off their Triumph or Wacoal (oops!)

    (*fumbling with pH colour chart*)



    Friday, February 24, 2006

    spider web on bus

    I was taking SMRT bus service 67 on Wednesday, and saw this row of seats in front of me with spider web across it.

    Either the seats haven't been taken for too long, or dear spidey just shifted in.



    elevator button

    Was taking the elevator at Computer Centre this morning with a man. He entered before me, and pressed the button 3 and 4. How did he know that I was going to 3rd floor? Couldn't I go to 2nd floor? I guess it was a sign of... goodwill? Or maybe he was too lazy/shy to ask me which floor was I going.

    That reminds me of those old elevators in old HDB flats. I remember my block used to have those antique lifts with only 3 buttons: 1, 6 and 12 (obviously there were the open, close and alarm buttons -_-"), then people always press both 6 and 12 when they were sharing the ride up with others.

    That saved the dunno how many joules of energy for asking.



    Wednesday, February 22, 2006

    saltysweet memories

    Is there something known as saltysweet memories?

    Smart me mistook salt for sugar, and happily sprinkled it onto the wok of veggie...

    Even smarter me added lots of water and corn-flour trying to dilute the saltiness.

    It worked.

    Wonder if people should take memories with a pinch of salt. Too salty? Dilute it.



    finished watching wataru

    Just finished watching the 45-episodes cartoon Wataru. I call it cartoon and not anime cos it really is a cartoon, suitable for kids. Animes usually have undesirable scenes...

    The story is about a Primary 4 kid Wataru tasked with the sacred mission of defeating a devil, and he has to go through 7 levels of a hill before the ultimate showdown.

    The previous time I watched it was when I was 7 or 8 years old. It is good to watch cartoon cos it is really simple and innocent, and it brings across important values such as justice and friendships.

    Like I said, there is a kid in everyone of us.



    liquid coffee

    I realised that Japanese coffee is not the one that I want. Sunday after climbing I actually went to Sembawang to buy that can of UCC Coffee. With great expectation and excitement I pulled the ring, took a sip, and realised..... too milky!! I remember Pokka's canned coffee taste the same. But then the thought of it is still nice.

    Saw this cartoned coffee at Bishan's NTUC. I think I've been attracted by the nice packaging of Japanese goods, but then if they spend effort on packaging, isn't it something worthy? Judging books by its cover huh... hahaha!



    quote of the day

    I need your crappiness
    --- Alex



    memories at old ford factory

    Yeah! A new museum is in town! The Old Ford Factory gallery was opened on 20th Feb 2006. If you have studied a teeny weeny little bit of Singapore history, this is the place where Lt General A.E. Percival surrendered Singapore to General Yamashita, making it the biggest blunder for Britain of all time. (some may argue otherwise...)

    Really want to visit it some day. It is free admission for 2006, and S$1 for AV screening. More information can be found on its website

    The picture blends well with my blog header right?



    surveying pest

    I swear I wanted to Baygon him.

    Was at Bishan MRT station the other day and there were those swarms of survey people. (are they called survey administrator?) So there was this guy who approached me as if I am some HK movie star, asking me for autograph, no i mean to do survey.

    "Do you mind doing a short survey?" No thanks.
    "You don't look like you are rushing right" None of your business.
    "(something along the line of doing good deed)" Wow, so if I don't do then I'm evil.
    "Why not?" WHY YES?

    The most pissing off part is he sound as if I owe him the bloody survey, and it is my social/moral obligation to help him do it. Please, it doesn't work that way.

    The other time I was at Hong Kong International Airport, waiting to board the flight back to Singapore. Then there was this guy from AC Nelson wanted to do a survey with me regarding air travel. Tape recording, questions... blah blah. I was foolish enough to expect a token of appreciation. Hey it happened before! I did a survey with a middle age lady and she gave me a nice phonecard!

    Just a few days ago the newspaper was talking about roadside survey... I know how it feels like to give survey, but at least don't be such a pest lah!



    Tuesday, February 21, 2006

    turkey will survive

    Saw this funny parody from American Greetings.

    http://www.msn.americangreetings.com/view.pd?i=382219626&m=1652&rr=y&sou

    My favourite I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor now sung by a turkey... what the...



    hermit crab

    Was at Bishan Junction 8 yesterday and saw this stall selling pet hermit crab. Interestingly cute exotic pet.

    Look at the price tag: S$25 for one hermit crab. Ermm... I have no idea how much does it cost to buy fresh Sri Lankan meat crab, but I do know that it doesn't cost as much to buy crab that comes cooked with black peper and chilli. Below the number 25, is the number 65. One crab home package costs S$65 which includes one normal transparent pet tortoise container, some decoration... and they are selling colourful shells for the hermit crab!

    I read somewhere that those colourings produce a smell of paint, and it makes the shell rougher, making life more tougher for the crabby. No doubt they look nice.... alright you just visit their website and you shall see more interesting things, such as vacation food, gourmet treats, detergent....

    When I was small I did play with salt water hermit crab. Well, I dunno, maybe keeping any kind of pets is cruel.



    Monday, February 20, 2006

    quote of the day

    He who puts out his hand to stop the wheel of history will have his fingers crushed.

    Lech Walesa

    Polish president 1990-95, Gdanacsk shipyard worker, leader of trade union, Nobel Prize for Peace in 1983

    The wheel of history keeps on turning, but after one rotation, will it reach back the same spot? Should it?



    uiaa world climbing championships 2005 munich

    Since our gang is moving into lead-climbing inclined, I thought it would be good to share some climbing clips. The UIAA Worldchampionship Weltmeisterschaft Klettern is arguably the biggest sports climbing event in the world, with teams from all over the globe competiting.

    womens lead quali
    womens lead final
    womens boulder quali
    womens boulder final

    Why am I only including the womens category? I think that the mens category is more like using brute strength, whereas the womens' are more of techniques, which is something that we should learn. No no this is not like Sports Illustrated.

    My palms sweat buckets... have this feeling that those girls can crush pebbles with their fingers.



    Sunday, February 19, 2006

    fun with atc-xp

    In case you are wondering, ATC-XP is not the latest operating system by Macrohard. It is the latest variable friction belaying device by Black Diamond. Not the usual timing but today I climbed with Nicholl and Meder in the afternoon.

    Lead-climbed lane 1 white as warm-up (and it was drizzling during my climb, made the holds slippery for me. Both of them lucky baskets), then the two freaks dragged me to lead-climb inclined red! It has been close to 2 months since I last climbed, so can forget about having any form. Nevertheless made it to the top after having... 5 rest? Lastly did lane 5 white up and down for endurance.

    Nicholl was calling Meder "super-soaker" cos his perspiration soaked the rope. Wonder what it is like when someone lead-climbs and bites the rope with his/her teeth. -_-" Meder can clear lane 3 blue with ease! That makes me kinda sad about myself, can't accomplish anything, or in Meder's new-learned words, cannot make it.

    Well well... ATC-XP is cool, the user can easily lock the rope by pulling the rope against the teeth of the device. However I find the feeding not that smooth compared to the ATC. *shrugs*, what can I say, some people still use figure-of-8, some use stitch plate, guess it's all personal preference. But if you don't already have an ATC, go for the ATC-XP.



    Saturday, February 18, 2006

    quote of thursday

    hindsight is 20/20
    -- Associate Professor Brian P. Farrell



    skin wrap metal

    I was on bus 151 with Choon Wai on the way to school, talking about learning how to drive or to ride bike. When the bus was at the road junction near Clementi, we saw a motorbike skidded and the 2 guys got thrown off. -_-" On the opposite side of the road the traffic was about to turn right into the lane... luckily nothing worse happened, the bikers scrambled back onto the pedestrian pavement. Guess the motorcyclist and his passenger were alright. Ok I think they were trying their luck with the yellow light, then they jammed brake cos the light turned red... but that was horrible sight.

    Ok Choon Wai decided better not to learn bike riding.



    hasta la vista, baby

    Was at Changi Airport this afternoon and saw the combined armed patrol by Army and Police Force. Both me and my brother's reaction were the same: act seh.

    Why did we say so? The SAF soldiers were wearing sunglasses. I have no idea what sort of cutting-edge technologies were embedded in those glasses, but from the look of it they look real cock.

    Hmm... but they(the patrol, not the glasses) do serve as a form of deterrence and assurance to the people, both tourists and locals. We even saw Police K-9~! The doggy was quite cute, must have sniffed lotsa marijuana, heroin or TNT during training...



    johari window

    http://kevan.org/johari?name=chillycraps

    Just now Alex sent me this interesting psychology toy. Called the Johari window, named after its inventors Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingram, it is a metaphorical tool intended to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. Basically it groups qualities into 4 boxes, divided into 2 axis: known to self, not known to self; and known to others, not known to others.

    It is quite an interesting way to self-discovery. Would you like to help me discover myself?



    salutare

    It's a waste to throw away friendships just like that right? Isn't it better to have more friends than enemies?
    --- Hong Jun


    God bless you.
    (that's a cauliflower by the way)



    Friday, February 17, 2006

    lottery

    It is like buying 4D or TOTO, no matter how hard you think, you still may not get the right choice.

    I really feel like telling my family I don't want to study anymore.



    easier way out

    Do you know why current flow through the short circuit?

    Cos it's the easier way out.

    Demoralised. Disheartened. Dejected. Deceived. Discouraged.

    This semester I worked hard. I still couldn't do the test. My mind blanked out. I had to punch the calculator 2-3 times just to make sure pi/6 = 30 degree. I studied. I revised. I did all my tutorials. I attended lecture. I attended tutorial classes. I couldn't answer.

    Why doesn't output = input? Who said there is conservation of energy?

    Sad. People can skip lecture and do well. People can play Little Fighter on their laptop in lecture and do well. People can surf Soccernet on their laptop in lecture and do well. People can sit there in the lecture without notes or books and do well. People can sleep in lecture and do well.

    Where is the incentive to do better? Where is the motivation? Why am I trying? Maybe I'll lead a happier life if I turn into a scumbag, kill people burn houses rape woman rob bank.

    Giving up seems to be the easier way out.



    Thursday, February 16, 2006

    fate is playing with me, again

    When you miss someone so much, it is so difficult just to have one look of her.
    But when you don't even want to think of her, you bump into her twice in a day.

    Why can't our brains work like recycle bin? Don't want then just press delete, empty recycle bin, and forget about pressing Ctrl + Z.



    上一次流泪

    One of the older and more meaningful Cantonese songs by Sammi Cheng
    Click here to listen. (I'm not embedding the song here cos there are complaints that it slows down loading speed)

    那天 不小心洗去你口訊
    才有欲哭的冲动
    认清生疏了的情人 再也无权令手机接通
    我应该 不记得为何你吸引 饶恕自己的不幸
    但当我想到你的传闻 这双手竟再震

    *人都分开了 唯有亲手自己治疗
    如发洩是生理需要 为何眼泪会缺少

    如能为你哭 哭得出眼泪
    失眠 至少能睡
    想起你如何不对 怎么我还要追
    原来上次哭 哭不出眼泪
    感情 不进則退
    感激我们成熟了 应知道流泪有罪
    承受任何是非都能捱下去
    我都想假裝只得一岁 为你当街的出走也说得过去*

    这一刻 不小心想到你的吻
    难过地安守本份
    为一个不爱我的坏人
    我早得到教训
    Repeat*



    Wednesday, February 15, 2006

    touch me not

    I slowly open up myself,
    hoping to find a beautiful world out there.
    The warm morning sun, the fresh air, the smell of spring.
    Along came a foot that strikes agony deep inside me.
    The pain reverberates throughout my body.
    My nerve, my vein, my heart.
    I close my heart,
    lock myself from the outside world,
    not wanting to be hurt again.
    Not again.
    Touch me not.



    tuition fee hike


    Do you know why NUS has to increase its tuition fee?
    Cos there are 500-seats freezers around campus.



    fill in the blank

    小别胜新婚
    永别胜___


    答案: 离婚



    Tuesday, February 14, 2006

    school team

    How will you feel when you see a fat guy with pot belly and saggy breast wearing your school team's shirt?

    Didn't know they compete in Trim & Fit (TAF)



    valentine's day on a wall

    Went to NUS rock gym for half an hour. Half an hour was more than what I needed to clear one 30-hand-holds endurance route. Feel good, cos it was my first time clearing endurance route, since I usually do fun routes. Youjie commented my footwork is good~! Graceful ok! =P

    *Sigh!* Has been quite a while since I last climbed at SAFRA Yishun, Meder just told me he has cleared lane 3 blue route... I feel like I'm jogging on the spot, or worse, standing on the same spot.

    Anyway can't wait to try out Meder's new toy: ATC XP. =)



    Monday, February 13, 2006

    ear rings and bus driver

    Waited for 151 for 15 minutes. It gets pretty annoying when you see dozens of other buses whizz by. Recurring numbers of 95, 96, A1, B. But not 151. What's new?

    Finally boarded the bus and saw this half-funky looking driver. He's male, wears SBS Transit uniform, at the driver's seat, and with 2 ear rings on his left ear. I have nothing against males wearing ear rings (or maybe I have), but... it just doesn't seem right. Imagine army soldiers having ear rings while at a parade; imagine policeman in uniform with ear rings; imagine members of parliament with ear rings; imagine politicians with ear rings (I've never seen one with ear rings though) ; imagine lecturers with ear rings; ... ...

    I must say those who wear ear rings may not be bad guys, while those who don't may not be good guys too.

    In a fight I know where to pull where it hurts.



    Sunday, February 12, 2006

    coffee legend spotted

    Now this is the legend of canned coffee. First appeared in 1969, the UCC Milk Coffee is considered one of the greatest inventions of Japan. (I always thought Pokka came out first, but apparently UCC was earlier by 3 years)

    Spotted at Giant Sembawang, ~$1.50.

    Tempted.



    Saturday, February 11, 2006

    when hot choc dates coffee

    This time round coffee has that icy-cold look while hot chocolate doesn't feel like she is hot chocolate anymore...

    Steph treated me a cup of mocha freeze!! We were fighting with each other in front of the cashier over who was going to pay, and the Coffee Club Xpress lady was grining... What do you expect? Whoever wins, the stall still wins.

    My heart aches, cos at $3+ per drink it is not the normal kind of spending for her (nor me, but anyway...) And yes they are out to earn, +50cents for honey, +60cents for syrup, if I go supermarket I can get a whole jar of honey at $6. You get my point?

    Steph's hot choc tasted more like chocolate milk than hot chocolate. It was so different from the one from Spinelli. We were saying the auntie accidentally poured too much creamer and oopz!

    Canteen coffee and milo next time.



    Friday, February 10, 2006

    osin isuck massage chair

    For 2 hours in LT12 yesterday, I was having hell of a massage on the Lecture Theatre seat. Don't ask me how he did it, this freak sitting behind me kept pushing his knee onto the back of my seat, and occasionally sandwiching my shoulder with his knees. Being a nice guy as I am, I only shot him a look once... not wanting to miss any bit of the History lecture.

    I just don't understand, how did me manage to do that? Was he slouching to the extent that his head was resting on where his butt was supposed to be? At 179cm I am not really a short guy, but I could still keep my beautiful legs within my territory. Is there an inverse relation that short guys usually stick their legs to beyond their row?

    For a free back massage, go to LT12 at Faulty of Arts & Social Science, NUS. Many seats available.
    (Arts Fac really gives me bad experience)



    bombs away

    I was on my way to the bus stop this morning and was quite amazed when I saw an old man spat and his phlegm landed on a puddle of water the size of a tennis ball.

    Precision aerial bombing... Did he serve in the RAF?



    quote of tuesday

    siu hang: How to climb?
    jansen: Just hang on for your dear life.
    siu hang: *BOOM* (fell off from wall)...



    Thursday, February 09, 2006

    lunch at olive cove

    Went to the new Olive Cove for lunch today. What I say is, if you don't mind paying food court price, then the place is actually quite nice.

    So funny, I only had lessons at Arts today, then walked all the way back to Engin to eat... hmm... ordered sliced beef rice, which comes with a bowl of tom yam soup. I'll say it's nice.

    Not too often though. By the way you must return the tray and utensils. Alright back to canteen then.



    quote of the day

    You know why no one from chem engin commit suicide? 'Cos we have no time!
    --- Ming Keong



    Tuesday, February 07, 2006

    fuel for thought

    That's Spinelli Coffee's motto. Indeed coffee is a fuel for thought.

    Physics lecture wasn't boring, trust me, but I just couldn't concentrate. From within LT7 I could even hear the sound of C-130 flying overhead -_-" I think there was just too much information for us to digest, and saturation point was reached. So I was dying for a cup of coffee during the 5 minutes break.

    I was looking suspiciously at the antique dispenser machine behind LT7. Hmm... if I choose coffee, will it spurt out greese or some nuclear waste?? Better safe than sorry, so I went to the newly opened Olive Cove. Wow, $1 for a cup of Boncafe, I remember the dispenser at Arts Fac sells at 40cents. So I wandered off to Block EA to the welcoming sign of a coffee dispenser. 40cents~

    Ok this time round it's hot coffee, not cold coffee with ice ~_~" But it's Boncafe, not Nescafe. I have something to say: even cold 50cents Nescafe tastes better than hot 40cents Boncafe. Brand does matter afterall.

    Well, guess I needed caffein more than the good taste (or just the name "coffee" strikes fear among Zee monsters) I stayed awake for the rest of the Physics lecture, but what's the use? I didn't understand the first part, how to connect it to the second half?

    (I got a paper-cut from my Physics notes... that is like so freaky)



    no string attached: rock gym revisited

    Today was my first time stepping into NUS rock gym in 2006, and god-knows-how-many weeks since I last climbed. To my dear climbing kakis, sorry not climbing for at least 2 more weeks, having tests on Saturdays. (*grumble*) One less belay slave for you.

    I only stayed in the gym for 1 hour cos I had to rush home for dinner. Jansen and Youjie came later. Erm.... don't expect too much from someone who hasn't climbed for aeons. But then completed one route at the potato, attempted 3 other routes but mostly filled with disappointment. (not really disappointment, afterall I suck at bouldering.. I suck at climbing!!) Dunno how my right knee hit the wall when I fell off, sounds impossible but it happened. Surprisingly it was my left shin that hurted a bit, too long didn't climb so the bone is not used to supporting load. Also impossible, cos I only used my right leg to sit-in, I didn't even stood on my left leg.

    That one hour was enough. For now.



    mathematical induction

    If B pisses A off and C pisses A off, then the whole world pisses A off.

    Illogical, but happens all the time. If not, why would a person looks as if the whole world owes him/her? Of course the whole world can't owe him/her, chances are not everyone in the world knows that person.

    In another example, a person says he/she is sick and tired of this world. How can that be possible when he/she has not seen the whole world? No stone unturned? And if not this world, then which world pleases him/her? (err... another world maybe)

    Like I've said, emotion is illogical.



    Monday, February 06, 2006

    wrong button, wrong coffee, wrong feeling

    We had 2 hours of Programming lecture today. How interesting can it be? Boredom plus freezing temperature made me want to drink coffee. So during the 10 minutes break after one hour, I went to the dispenser machine at Block E3A for a hot cuppa coffee.

    So with gleaming eyes I was happily looking at the choices like an excited kid in front of the toy shop's window display. Insert coin, finger dancing around the buttons, "cream and sugar", press.

    Hot did I say? Something was not right when I took out the cup. Wasn't it supposed to be hot? The cup didn't feel hot at all, and when I looked inside the cup, to my horror I found ice! (I always have this feeling the machine is constantly exposed to rain, so the drink will actually contain rainwater -_-") My finger backtracked and it ended up at a button below the big words "COLD"

    I convinced myself that it was still coffee, and what's more there were ice bits for me to chew... Halfway through the second half the lecture I was already feeling like vomitting.

    The correct button was just inches away from the wrong button. Isn't life and death separated by just a thin line?



    Saturday, February 04, 2006

    bus, buzz

    Taking bus can be so fun.

    Yesterday on my way to school, this 151 was crawling at dunno how many nm/h. (nm/h = nanometre per hour), and still it could miss a stop -_-" Someone pressed the bell before SIM and the driver just simply crawled past. Amazing. What's more, later on another 151 overtook ours (ahem, obviously), the overtaker entered the bus stop, no one pressed the bell in my bus, and my bus still got the cheek to follow the overtaker into the bus stop. For goodness sake, who would want to squeeze onto this sardine can when the overtaker was like so empty! Still bother to enter the bus stop...

    Today... it's 74's turn. This time round it's the passenger, not the driver. You know on an air-con double-decker bus, towards the back of the lower deck there are these 2 long rows of seats facing each other. So I was seated quite far back, then along the way 2 women boarded the bus and sat down on opposite sides directly facing each other, crossed their legs and stick them out. I was thinking of longyamen (龙牙门) in early Singapore history, or the flippers in pinball game. I really felt like knocking them down with my backpack (oh yeah then it is game over for pinball, ball went past the gate what)

    When I alighted, I just stared at them. (their heads, not their legs) Insert coin my ass.



    Thursday, February 02, 2006

    sandwich theorem

    If you guys happen to see me munching on some cheapskatty sandwiches in campus...

    Well it can't save me much money, so that reason is out. In fact sandwiches can be expensive, with Science canteen topping the rank selling branded Four Leaves sandwiches, followed closely by Engin canteen selling @$1 and the most economical of all is from Arts canteen @70cents. 'Cos Arts faculty teaches Economics. -_-"

    Scientists at Georgia State University advise active people to eat frequently (about every three hours) to accelerate metabolism and maintain steady energy levels throughout the day. In another article, published in British Medical Journal, says that six or more meals/snacks each day have beneficial total and LDL-cholesterol lowering benefits when compared to those that consumed two or fewer meals each day.

    Lazy to find seats, lazy to queue up for food, lazy to find people to have lunch with... sandwiches seem to be my lazy solution. Why not?

    (by the way there was once I bought 4 sandwiches from Engin canteen, then I walked to Science faculty for lesson. I ate 2 while walking, then when I reached Science fac I was still hungry, so I finished the remaining 2, and still felt hungry. This diet doesn't work everyday)



    Wednesday, February 01, 2006

    seats of opportunity

    Opportunity is like finding seats on a bus.

    First you board the bus, you see one empty seat near the front, and an empty 2-seater slightly further back. So common sense is that people will want to have the 2 seats to ourselves, so you go for the 2-seater. But as you near the seat, it was taken by the people in front of you. You turn around, and discover the one empty seat is taken by someone behind you. With no empty seats left, you have no choice but to stand for the rest of the bus journey.

    So what is the moral of the story? Take taxi.
    You started with no seat, but you want to take the big seat and give up the small seat, so in the end you are back to zero with no seat. Opportunity comes and goes, so grasp it. (at least this is not as bad as you already have a seat, then you want to change seat but someone took it before you got your lazy butt onto the other seat... blah blah blah)



    uncivilised civilisation

    (Now I'm back for some serious crapping)
    Went to Chinatown for Chinese New Year countdown last Saturday, and understand how stampede can occur.

    We were walking along Pagoda Street which is a narrow street lined with stalls on both sides. Stalls plus crowd made perfect bottle neck, and so it was. Following the flow already took some effort, then along came this group of mainlander Chinese who sort of sticked themselves up in one big lump and came rolling down the street. Imagine swallowing one big piece of meat and feeling the food forcing its way down your throat and oesophagus... Taking refuge in the stall didn't help, and a lot of others almost lost balance. Some people did tell them things like "don't push" or "cannot like that". No effect.

    Then closer to the main stage where the performance and firecrackers were at, things were worse. Most people were waiting for the firecrackers and fireworks while some were like molecules at their excited states, heading nowhere in particular or just bumping into others. (talking about zig zag motion huh?) The worst was that they forced their way through those who were waiting for the countdown. Why couldn't they just join in the countdown? If you lost your balance, that's it for your precious flesh and skin (and maybe brain juice) Oh well, most of the uncivilised were the mainlander Chinese. (mark this: it's very different from saying most of the mainlanders were uncivilised. Think.) One of the earliest civilisations that has existed on earth and yet one of the least civilised to date. Older but not wiser huh? How I wish I could have a rugby team, a phalanx of Greek hoplites or a wall of riot police.

    Talking about the polce, hmm what were they doing? Zer0 crowd control. Didn't even demarcate lanes for human traffic nor zones for audience. Didn't even direct congestion. Busy catching drink-drivers huh? It's not the first time such events were held, didn't they learn something from previous years? In terms of event management, Singapore Armed Forces does a far better job. How do I know? 'Cos my unit holds big event almost every 3 months.

    The next thing that disappointed me was the press. Not a single bit of the chaos was mentioned in the newspaper, only talked about the firecrackers and the politicians and just any crap that a bipedal creature can think of. Minus the bad things. When can the press really take a neutral stand on things? Yeah reporting ONLY the good stuffs makes a happy society, no wonder some radio station says "hear only the good stuffs" Wow. No wonder in some countries blogs are replacing newspaper as the news media. Well we can't say the local papers are not reporting the truths, just that they omitted it. It is like when you tell people you have eaten a plate of chicken rice, you won't tell people you drank the soup as well.

    Lots of grumbling.
    "Hey, what a way to start a year ahead. Heya!" (army song)




     
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