The Mystery of the "Tok... Tok... Tok..." Sound

It was 2+am in the middle of the night. A middle-aged lady security guard was walking her rounds around the various blocks in Hall 11 as usual. Although the corridor was brightly lit up, it was very quiet as most of the residents are asleep. She could even hear the sound of her footsteps.

 

In the midst of her rounds, she heard a series of strange sounds:

 

"Tok... Tok... Tok..."  Around 10 second later, the same series of strange sounds. "Tok... Tok... Tok..."

 

Curious, she walked towards the source of the strange noise. It was a room, and the noise is the sound of something hitting against the door. Without further thoughts, she knocked on the door. A young man opened the door to greet her. She asked,

 

"Why are you knocking on the door in the middle of the night? It is very noisy leh. I can hear you from far away."

 

The young man replied disgruntedly, "Sorry aunty, disturbed you ah?"

 

Trying to find out what was happening inside the room, the lady security guard continued to probe, "Why you knocking on the door? Very noisy leh."

 

However, the young man ignored her question and said,"Ok ok." Then he closed the door. It was obvious that he was trying to hide something.

 

Yet, the lady security guard could not to do anything else. With her questions unanswered, she could only continue to make her rounds. Still, at the back of her mind, she simply couldn't help thinking what was happening behind that door. Why would anyone knock on the door in the middle of the night??? However, after a while, she resigned to the fact that some questions in the world can never be answered, some mysteries in the world can never be solved. And she went back to her mundane task of patrolling the Hall.

 

Little did the lady security guard know that, a while after she left, the strange errie sound began again...

 

"Tok... Tok... Tok..."

 

 

(This is not based on a true story. This is a true story. Can anyone solve the mystery?)

 

 

I Dont Want to Do a Thing

Yesterday when I was walking back hall from Can A,  a song suddenly pops up in my head. It goes something like this:

 

I just want to close my eyes

I just want to fall asleep

cos I hate you babe

and I dont want to do a thing...

 

(sing to the tune of Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing)

 

I dedicate this song to all my presentations, reports, and lastly, Michael Heng.

 

Lust, Caution

I watched Lust, Caution by myself yesterday. Too lazy to jio friends watch movies these days. Not that I prefer to watch alone. Just that films have become a spur of the moment kind of thing for me. Anwz back to the topic: Lust, Caution.

 

The film is based on Zhang Ai Ling's novel, directed by Ang Lee. The story's setting is in 1940s' Shanghai, when Japan invaded China.  It's about a undergrad Wang Jiazhi (Tang Wei) who was willing to sacrifice everything she had, education, love, sanity, etc. to kill her country's traitor, Mr. Yee (Tony Leong, my idol).  It is a very powerful film... how a person could sacrifice everything for her country... how she could transform from a carefree school girl into the role of Mai tai tai, a spy in Mr. Yee's family. Yet despite the things she did, all the sacrifices she made, and the fact that she acted perfectly in the role of Mai tai tai, in the end, in her heart, she was still a simple school girl who craves for Love (objectified in this story as the diamond ring).

 

 

Btw I don't really recommend this film since it may be a bit arthouse to most people's liking, most people like me. Haha! (Most arthouse films got this common characteristic of being very 'slow' and 'draggy' because they portray in very minute details the characters' emotions and character. But in this case Lust, Caution is slow but not that slow la.) However, it is a very powerful film which can impact or touch you emotionally.

 

PS. Btw I forget to mention to mention another important cast, Kuang Yu Min (Wang Li Hong). He was Wang Jiazhi's senior in the drama society and the leader of the society.  It was him who planned the assassination of Mr. Yee. But instead of protecting the woman he loved, he dragged her in to help him in his foolish and selfish ideals. I look down on him. Pui!

 

PPS. Hmmm I don't know why this film / Wang Jiazhi resonate so much in me leh. Maybe is the students were as passionate in drama as I am? Or maybe I'm actually as lonely as and as empty inside as Wang Jiazhi... because I'm watching the film alone?? Haha! (Next time better jio me for movies.)

 

 

I am a Black Monkey...

@_@ |||

 

 

 

 

You are Black Monkey, whose character is cheerful, amiable and simple.
You possess both smartness and gracefulness.
Your appearance is youthful, and no matter how old you get, you will always have a young heart.
You don't worry much about someone being late with appointment, or your subordinates making mistakes.
Nevertheless, you tend to be proud, so when you face troubles that hurt your dignity, you suffer a great shock.
You tend to be rather faddish.
Even if you are talking with someone you don't like, you can show smile on your face, and actually inside, you are being hard on your preferences.
You hate to lose.
You put in great effort not to get behind others.
You have a tendency to show yourself big, by saying that you know things, even if really, you don't.
In the atmosphere where you can relax, you show great natural sense of humor, and amiableness.
You have a huge dream, and will work hard to make that come true.
You will not get in a rush, and will follow your own pace.
You are good at handling numbers.
You can persuade other by using data, and therefore, you tend to have a bottom-line thinking even in private matters.
You are not good at reading deeper thoughts.
If you can overcome this weakness, you will have far greater chance of success.

 

http://world.doubutsu-uranai.com

Ambigram

Check this out! Can you dicipher what these words are? (Should be kinda common sense.)

 

 

Haha! The interesting part is that the word below is flipped over from the word above!

 

http://ambigram.matic.com/

 

My Blog Rating =)

 

Should we be 'politically correct'?

I posted this in my Human Resource Management module's discussion board:

 

**************

 

Came across this passage while I was reading a book called The Big Questions: How Philosophy Can Change Your Life by Lou Marinoff in a cafe -

 

"What's on trial here today is political correctness. Now, political correctness is the idea that assumes that the worst thing we can do is offend somebody. Well, a lot of people were offended when Galileo suggested that the earth was revolving around the sun. A lot of people were offended by Picasso because in his portraits the eyes weren't where they were supposed to be. ... You see, everybody is offended by something. A joke, a TV show, a song, an idea...And offending is very different from hurting...Political correctness tries to protect us from ourselves, but what do we have to give up for it? WE give up our sense of humor, our sense of romance, our sense of play. We give up the courage to be different, to think different. "

 

- Alfred Molina in the TV series Ladies Man

 

The above passage certainly made a very good case that we shouldn't be politically correct, at least most the time. Professor Michael Heng encouraged us to 'SHOOT' and 'KILL' our fellow schoolmates during presentations. Professor Patrick Chan told us to tell the person beside us - "I'm going to EAT you!!!" during last lecture.

 

So, the question is:

 

"Should we really be politically incorrect some of the time? If yes, when?"

 

I mean, look, some of our (ex) opposition leaders had been politically incorrect, and where does it gets them? Does it pay to risk offending somebody, say, in a workplace? 

 

On deeper thought, does the fact that this problem exists reflect a flaw in our education system? By right, the education system should help us cultivate an internal sense of our own moral worthiness. However, most of us were brought up from young in the exact opposite way, restricting our speech and even thought for fear of offending someone. This way we end up rendered (as Singaporeans) somewhat defenseless against and scared of making any "unsanctioned" thoughts or words.

 

I don't know whether what I said made any sense or if it is correct or not. I also don't know the answer to the question in the bigger font. ('I don't know' - most politically correct answer... I hope. Haha! =P) What do you think?

**************

Hmmm after an incident with a friend recently, I think it will be better to be politically correct most of the time. Ermm... by "most" I mean 99.99% of the time.

 

Plans for Recess Week

Watch 881 ....................................................................... checked

 

Finish writing hall production script ..................................... checked

 

Buy latest issue of Fables during Kino's 20% discount .......... checked

 

Study for Data Mining module ............................................ checked

 

Study for Multimedia module .............................................. -

 

Do HRM report .................................................................. -

 

Watch Tosca ..................................................................... checked

 

Watch Azur and Asmar ...................................................... checked

 

Buy David Copperfield, World of Wonder tickets ................... checked

 

Update my N73's firmware ................................................. checked

 

Buy a dart board and darts ................................................. -

 

 

Still left one weekend to do the unchecked stuff. Hmmm. Sianz.

 

 

 

Quote from Ratatoullie

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."

 

-Anton Ego

3 Phases of Every Galactic Civilization

"The history of every major galactic civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases... Those are Survival... Inquiry... and Sophistication. Otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases. 

 

The first phase is characterized by the question How can we eat?

 

The second by Why do we eat?

 

The third by Where shall we have lunch?"

 

 

- The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Comic Version (One of my favourite novel of all times.)

 

 

Trivia - One Way Mirror

Did a little research on one-way mirrors from Howstuffwork.com. How do one-way mirrors work?

 

One-Way Mirrors

Just about everyone has seen a television show or movie in which a criminal suspect is questioned while detectives watch from behind a one-way mirror. How does a piece of glass manage to reflect light from one side while remaining clear on the other?

The secret is that it doesn't. A one-way mirror has a reflective coating applied in a very thin, sparse layer -- so thin that it's called a half-silvered surface. The half-silvered surface will reflect about 50% of  the light that strikes its surface, while letting the other 50% go straight through. So why doesn't the "criminal suspect" see the detectives in the next room? The answer lies in the lighting of the two rooms. The room in which the glass looks like a mirror is kept very brightly lit, so that there is plenty of light to reflect back from the mirror's surface. The other room, in which the glass looks like a window, is kept dark, so there is very little light to transmit through the glass. On the criminal's side, the criminal sees his own reflection. On the detectives' side, the large amount of light coming from the criminal's side is what they see. In many ways, it's the same as if people were whispering in one room while a loud stereo played in the other. The sound of the whisper might carry into the room with the stereo, but it would be drowned out by the intensity of the music.

If the lights in the room with the mirror are suddenly turned out, or the lights in the observation room suddenly turned on, then the one-way mirror becomes a window, with people in each room able to see those in the other. You can see this effect in any mirrored office building at night -- if the light is on in an office, you can see into the office just fine.

 

- From Howstuffworks.com

 

 

I hope I will have a chance to play with One-Way Mirror soon. =)

 

 

Random Updates

Random...

 

Getting slack current-affairs-wise these days, seldom go Channel New Asia website anymore. Only when I go MrBrownShow.com then I found out this piece of interesting (old) news:

 

Guard duty personel AWOL go Orchard Road with his SAR21 rifle and bullets.

 

WTH! Haha! Anw, this is MrBrownShow's podcast on the above incident. Damn funny!

 

 

Random...

 

"If at all possible, encounter a tree. It is unique, beautiful, fractal, solid, flexible - and very much alive. It has no prejudices or opinions. It knows no terror. It takes root, and hold down the very soil. It draws water from earth. It fashion a leafy canopy, sun- drenched above and shady beneath. It breaths. It is wondrous to behold. It harbors and shelters many other life forms. Its sap flow. It bears fruit in its season. After benefiting its environment, it returns silently to its origins. Can any human aspire to more?"

 

-The Big Questions. How Philosophy Can Change Your Life. Lou Marinoff.

 

 

Random...

 

Playing a lot ('a lot' is an understatement) of games these days from www.reflexive.com. Recommended: Risk II, Gish, Astral Masters, Jets n Guns, Democracy, Off Road Arena, Grimms Hatchery etc etc. Recently I've read an article arguing that playing computer games is good for developing your IQ. So, yup, my IQ has increased alot these days. (Like real! Haha!)

 

Anw I think is true la. You need to strategise when you are playing games. Train your reflex too!

 

Btw if you are playing games from Reflexive, message me. I have what you need. *Wink*

 

 

Random...

 

Watched 2 dramas and 1 movie since I last update: If There Are Seasons, Enchanted Tales, Ratatouille. I heard my JC friends said that they don't like If There Are Seasons that much because of the plot. But I personally feel that the plot is ok... I was touched towards the end. But the plot is secondary. Just listen to them sing is already worth the ticket price.

 

Ratatouille is another show that touched me. Must watch!

 

 

Random...

 

Projects. Although this semester is only 13 AUs, Human Resource Management is enough to make me die! The project aim is to apply Blue Ocean Strategy (an overhyped business thinking model these days) to a company you choose. So, you need to interview the company's boss, interview 30 customers, interview the company's competitors, interview the competitors' customers, interview non-customers... compile everything, think of new strategy to innovate the company, present to class wearing formal with tie (with tie!), ganna attacked during presentation.

 

STRESS!

 

One of my classmate even fainted on the day of presentation. Scary. Two more HRM presentations to go this sem.

 

 

Random...

 

Read alot of comics these days. Highly recommend Lucifer and Astro City.

 

Lucifer, by Mike Carey, is the same Devil who met Sandman in... Sandman. Highly interesting character! (Those who read Sandman before will know how interesting he is... =P) But NLB don't have the complete set, and I've been reading individual book here and there. Still, I loved it! As good as Sandman and Fables.

 

Astro City, by Kurt Busiek, is a city/story of/about superheroes. Marvel and other comics usually portray its heroes from a third person's (reader's) point of view. Astro City portray its heroes from a first person's (the hero himself) point of view or from a Astro City resident's point of view. Fresh perspective. Interesting stories. A good read. =)

 

 

Random...

 

Hall Production. Idea -> Script -> Find actors and backstage crew -> Preparation / Rehearsing -> A Performance. I'll participate at every stage even though I'm in my final year. The fire of passion is still burning stong in my heart. Love production.

 

Those who never joined Production will never understand the Magic of making an idea blossom into something beautiful, a work of art... even though the beauty only last for two days.

 

You will be surprise how many seniors feel the same way.

 

 

Story of a Pencil

I read this from Paulo Coelho's Like the Flowing River. My favourite author never fails to inspire me. =)

 

Once upon a time, a grandmother told her grandson,

 

"I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up."

 

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.

 

"But it's just like any other pencil I've ever seen!"

 

"That depends on how you look at things. It has 5 qualities that will make you a person who is always at peace with the world."

 

"First quality: You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a always a hand guiding your steps We call that hand of God, and He always guide us according to His will."

 

"Second quality: Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards he is much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pain and sorrows, because they will make you a better person."

 

"Third quality: The pencil always allow us to rub out any mistakes. This means correcting something we did isn't necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice."

 

"Four quality: What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you."

 

"Finally, the pencil's fifth quality: it always leave a mark. In the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be concious of your every action."

 

 

Hall XI FOC 07

Frankly speaking, I'm not the type of person who would enjoyed FOC activities (I don't like to cheer, go without enough sleep, talk to alot of pple at the same time, run around, get wet and get dirty). But somehow, I have still joined FOC for 4 years consecutively, while many of the pple same batch as me had stopped joining years ago. I guessed I enjoyed making new friends with youngsters and interacting with existing seniors and juniors, though I tend to avoid the above-mentioned activities in brackets. (I've stayed in room and slept / played DOTA through some of the dirtiest games haha! =P)

 

Yup, I've enjoyed this year's FOC.

 

This year's FOC has significantly less activities than previous years. The City Hunt route is shorter. No more dance. No more freshies pulling the truck. No Hall 11 cheer. No Banner cheer. No field telematches. No more candle fight game. No watergun wargame. No competition for Best OG. (I think my OG ZESTO should win this year!!!)

 

Less excitement but definitely more relax. I think it is quite good la. Haha! (Though I feel that some traditions should be retained.)

 

Anw this year, the freshies are good, the yr 2,3 seniors are good, friends are made, friendships are renewed. Felt more gum to the freshies compared to last year. Maybe that's because I'm not doing Ghost Walk this year ba, so got more time to interact with them. Haha! Glad I managed to siam helping in organising Ghost Walk again this year. (I'm sorry, Soonguan and Chanfan. =P)

 

After FOC comes the different hall activities. I've decided. I'm only joining Inter-Block Games (bridge, weiqi, darts, chinese chess etc etc...), Inter-Hall Contract Bridge (no, not as captain again...damn Tangning, where r u??), Hall Drama Production... as Props Subcom... and maybe maybe write another script for the FOC Ghost Walk '08.

 

Another exciting year in hall ahead! =) 

 

 

The Sandman Review

I've finally finished reading The Sandman (book 1 to 11) by Neil Gaiman. Now I'm reading The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender. I guess The Sandman will be the only the comic that I have to/ am willing to read a guidebook to fully appreciate the story. Anwz I'll give a brief synopsis of what the Sandman is all about.

 

Basically, the Sandman is all about... the Sandman himself, and the people around him. Sandman, also known as Dream, Morpheus, King of Stories etc etc, is one of the 7 beings who are known as the Endless. He, together with Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium, was there before or soon after the Universe is created, and are older than the Gods themselves. (The real reason why he is created so early is because Neil wanted to put in all kinds of stories, ancient or modern, alien or human, into the series.) The 7 of them are siblings and needless to say, each have their own functions.

 

The story starts in 1916 with an English magician trying to imprison Death, but caught Dream instead. Dream was trapped until 1988, when he escaped and dealt out some punishments. Later he set out to recover his artifacts and reorganised his realm (which had fallen into disrepair) and hunted down some rogue dreams. (Book 1 - 2)

 

After Sandman got everything in order and a heart to heart chat with his elder sister, Death, he prepared to go to Hell to release his former lover, Nada, whom he had condemned ten thousand years ago, from her torment. However to do this, he gotta go through the ruler of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar, who hates him. Will he succeed? (Book 4)

 

300 years ago, Destruction left his realm, his responsibiltiy and his family to travel the world. No one has seen him since. Delirium, youngest in the family and missing her brother, begged Dream to help her find him. Dream patronisingly agreed. Nobody can seek Destruction and come out unscathed. What will happen? (Book 7)

 

Interposing between the main storyline are collections of loosely related short stories, stories about... the bargain between Dream and William Shakesphere; a world where cats once hunts humans like mice; the 1st and last emperor of the United State of America (Joshua Abraham Norton really existed!); an ancient king of Baghdad trying to preserve his city's glory in dream; the adventure of a faerie ambassador etc etc... I loved these short stories... (Book 3, 6, 8)

 

Book 9 The Kindly Ones is one thick book showing the full repercussions of the decisions Dream made in Book 4 and 7. It is the climax of the story. But I think it is abit too confusing.

 

Book 10 The Wake is the aftermath of the climax and the conclusion of the entire Sandman story.

 

Book 11 Endless Nights is the last book of the series, showcasing 7 short stories, 1 for each of the Endless... 2 of which I totally don't understand. But the rest is super nice.

 

 

The Sandman is one comic that is unique from all other comics. If you like interesting stories, this is a must read. Sometimes it may be a little draggy and boring and hard to understand, but mostly it is highly entertaining and it makes you think. You will get through those 'arghhh' parts in no time. Haha!

 

P.S.  I like Fables better. At least I don't have to read guidebook. (There is no guidebook on Fables also la.) =P 

 

 

P.P.S. By the way, I found this: The 7 little Endless!!! 

 

("They didn't even look remotely human. None of us did, back then." commented Cain to his brother Abel, who was telling a little baby a story about Dream and Death when they were young.)  

 

 

 From the left: Desire, Despair, Delirium, Dream, Matthew (the bird), Death, Destiny and Destruction.

 

  

Three Little Red Riding Pigs

This little story is from a very interesting book which I borrowed from ADM library called Ideas Have Legs by Ian McMillan and Andy Martin. It goes like this:

 

 

THREE RED LITTLE RIDDING PIGS

 

A pre-teen mini novel combing two of your favourite stories. Hear two at once then you'll have more time for the video nasties.

 

 

Pigs. House. Sticks. Huff. Puff. Wolf. Big face.

See you with. Pigs. House. Straw. Huff. Puff.

Wolf. Big nose. Sniff you with. Pigs. Bricks.

House. Granny. Woocutter. Eyes. Bricks.

Pigs. Wolf. Confused. Wolf. Identity crisis.

Wolf. Psychiatrist. Pigs. Granny. Woodcutter.

All happy. Psychiatrist is R. R. Hood.

Surprise ending.

 

 

Quote of the day

"The first time I see a jogger smiling, I'll consider it." - Joan Rivers

 

I saw this at the Quote of the Day on my blog, after I just jogged in the morning. Kinda amusing, haha! Gotta smile when I jog... but I think very hard la. Anw school is starting soon, hopefully I can still continue this good habit of exercising even when I'm busy studying.

 

********

 

Anw I discovered this chinese website that helps you see whether your name is good or not. Can try check it out. http://life.httpcn.com/sm/index.asp?gourl=name_test.asp 

 

This is my report (partial). It says that I will be lonely before I reach 36 (my 地格) . Sad... cannot find gf le... T_T

   

对三才数理的影响：您的姓名三才配置为：木火木。它具有如下数理诱导力，据此会对人生产生一定的影响。http://www.httpcn.com

得上下惠助，顺调成功发展，基础强固，境域安泰。子孙繁荣，心身健康而获得幸福及长寿的配置。　　（吉）

→ 详细解释： 1、总论：运限大致良好，但只能小成功，性情过急容易误事，交际较差，应从事人际关系较单纯的工作，减少精神负担，中年以后财运慢慢减弱。 2、性格：外表乐观，内心多苦闷，待人诚恳，但喜怒无常，感情较极端，待人热心积极而常为他人所累，耐心处事终有所得。 3、意志：意志坚定，思想正确，可依自己的理想奋发，早年稍有发展，中年后欠佳。 4、事业：事业运平凡，在稳定中求发展，一生运徒尚称如意，中年后防意外失败。 5、家庭：夫妻同心协力创造家庭，但感情稍有些不满。 6、婚姻：男娶个性稍强之女性为妻；女嫁谦恭之夫，但喜欢支配丈夫，表现才干。 7、子女：男孩多于女孩，都能孝顺父母，在社会上有所成就。 8、社交：待人诚恳，乐于解决别人的困难，想；培养人际关系但常为他人所累。 9、精神：事业虽能顺利，但总有些莫名其妙的事情，带来精神上的困扰。 10、财运：虽有财运但不丰，注意受亲友之拖累。 11、健康：有皮肤病或外伤、高血压。 12、老运：精神寂寞，财运平凡，生活尚称安定。

对基础运的影响	境遇稳固，能得部下之力，地位，财产均稳定妥当。　　（吉）
对成功运的影响	受上级长辈的照顾关心，能顺利成功发达。　　（吉）
对人际关系的影响	感情敏锐，善于社交，明朗活泼，善于改造根基，有出类拔萃的活动能力，家庭生活快乐。三才良善者大吉。　　（吉 ）
对性格的影响	性急进。血气旺溢，手腕灵敏，富活动力。名利心甚重，智谋才略具备，感情锐猛，有如燃火之气魄。但也有气狭者。大都富有成功运，盛名一时。但也可能中途多生出支节。 http://www.httpcn.com

人格23有以下数理暗示	首领运（智慧仁勇、立上位、能领导众人） 吉祥运（表示健全、幸福、名誉等）
地格22有以下数理暗示	凶数运（表示逆境、沉浮、薄弱、病难、困难、多灾等） 孤独运（妻凌夫或夫克妻）
总格33有以下数理暗示	富贵运（多钱财、富贵、白手可获巨财） 吉祥运（表示健全、幸福、名誉等） 艺能运（富有艺术天才，对审美、艺术、演艺、体育有通达之能）
外格11有以下数理暗示	吉祥运（表示健全、幸福、名誉等） 温和运（性情平和、能得上下信望）

 

总评及建议：    你的名字取得不错，如果与命理搭配得当，相信它会助你一生顺利的，祝你好运！

姓名五格评分：89

JJ family outing

Went out with a bunch of guys JC friends yesterday. Went out with a bunch of gals JC friends today. Both gatherings ended up in Raffles City. Anwz nothing much to blog abt the guys... we are still our same old crappy selves, talking cock the whole night. Lets blog about the gals.

 

Somehow, gals of the same age as me are all very accomplished career-wise at this point of time. One is comtemplating to change job already, one is writing policies in Ministry Of Health (albeit they are all not approved), one is studying for her Masters and getting paid at the same time, one has just graduated from Medicine School and is now HO (House Officer) in some hospital... (better record all their job status down before I forgot, wait they accuse me of forgetting again... haha!)

 

...and all the while I'm still a undergrad and slacking around and doing bo liao things such as going Sungei Buloh watch birds tmr. I really feel quite young and a bit ignorant compared to them. Actually I rarely feel young these days... Nice hanging around with you all, sisters, haha!

 

Btw I stress to you sisters: ordering a scope of chocolate ice-cream in a class resturant and a cup of kiwi juice at Mix is not 'boring' ok...

 

Sometimes the best things in life lies in its simplictiy.

 

Haha!

 

 

Photo koped from Shirong's blog.

 

Irritating habits of good people

Recently I've been going out with friends alot, to meet up for movies, meals, party or to do project. I found that some people have very irritating habits despite their inherently good nature. I guess maybe I should put up a discussion here to see if I should be irritated with those habits. Maybe I'm wrong to be irritated with them. Maybe those habits are the social norm? So lets see...

 

Being Late

 

Normally I'm ok with people being late for 5-10 mins, though I'll not be very happy about it, esp those people who are punctually late for 5-10 mins. But still, it's ok. I admit I do that sometimes also.

 

BUT, for those people who are always more than 15mins late, without fail... I think this is being irresponsible. You may think it is no big deal. However, do you know that you are wasting other people's time, other people's life!!! Moreover, you are not keeping your promise, not only that, you are habitually breaking promise again and again! Also, it shows that you couldn't care less about the person you are meeting with. He/she/they are nothing to you. You don't give a damn that they are waiting for you. Would you be late to a VERY important event, such as your job interview? Lastly, if you can't do such a simple task as keeping on time, what will other think about your capabilities?

 

You may think it is a small matter, late only ma, so serious meh? However, that is what other people think of you when you are late, esp when you are late everytime. So friends, for your own sake, please kick the bad habit of being late. What's wrong with reaching the place earlier abit? You die die must make other people wait for you meh???

 

 

Being Late (Part 2)

 

IF, you are already late, or you already know you will be late, please, as a basic courtesy, inform those people you are meeting that you will be late, and give an accurate timing what time you will arrive. Here I stressed - ACCURATE timing. Nothing is more irritating than the fact that you come even later than the new, already late, timing that you gave.

 

Last Tuesday, a friend and I arranged to meet at 12pm in Dolby Ghaut.

 

At 11.20pm: she SMS me that she will reached only on 12:15pm. I was already on the train.

 

11.55pm: I reached.

 

12.15pm: she called and told me she will reach at 12:30pm.

 

12.40pm: she arrived, finally.

 

 

If you were me, how will you feel? What will you think of that person, esp if you don't know her?

 

(Despite what you all think, she is a very nice girl la. =P)

 

If you can't estimate your time when you reach properly, just tell your friend your whereabout. Let your friend do the estimating. DO NOT, I stress, DO NOT give an inaccurate timing!

 

 

***********

 

The above are my personal opinion. Am I wrong? Is it ok that pple should be late? Or it is ok for gals to be late? Maybe it is my habit of being punctual that is wrong, because a surprising number of people like to be late. Point out to me, then I will change my habit accordingly. =)

 

 

Not Replying to SMS

 

The problem here isn't not being prompt in replying SMS. You may not have seen the SMS at the time when it is sent to you. Or you are too busy to reply the message. You may even forget to reply the message afterword. But eventually, you reply. Maybe a day later, or even 2 days later (which is sometimes VERY irritating also). But you replied. So, it is ok.

 

The problem here is: You do not reply to SMS, at all.

 

So, in what situations do you not reply to other people's SMS?

 

Case 1) When you didn't receive it.

 

Ok, sometimes it happens, once in a blue moon. But it definitely will not happen to every SMS that I sent.

 

Case 2) When the SMS is forwarded.

 

I personally don't reply forwarded SMSes, though I appreciate them.

 

Case 3) When the SMS is stupid or lame or insulting. 

 

I don't send those kind of SMS, I think. =p

 

Case 4) When you don't give a damn to the person who sent you the SMS. This person is not even a friend!!!

 

Hmmm...

 

 

***********

 

 

Let us take one example, just to see what you all think. A simple well-wishing message :

 

"Hi XXX, Happy Birthday!"

 

Will you reply? Yes, no, maybe?

 

For me, I may not reply if I feel lazy. But most of the time I will reply "thank you". Basic courtesy.

 

 

What about:

 

"Hi XXX, Happy Birthday! How have you been?"

 

To me, this one is a must reply message, 'cos it is a question. Anyone think otherwise?

 

 

So, what if you msg this to a good friend and the person didn't reply? What will you think?

 

You will think it is Case 1: The person didn't receive the message right?

 

 

What if you SMS your good friend THREE times and the person didn't reply??

 

Case 4??

 

***********

 

I don't know if this is a bad habit. If it is a bad habit, it is a Friendship-Killer bad habit, to me at least. Hmmm... maybe I'm too serious abt it? Can someone convince me it is ok to ignore other pple / friends' SMS?

 

 

(Actually I may have this habit... Hopefully I didn't kill any friendships this way. I hereby say that I'm sorry to all friends whose SMSes I didn't reply for one reason or another.)

 

 

Being Uncontactable During Critical Period

 

Actually there is no right or wrong for being uncontactable, people sometimes gets uncontactable from time to time. However, if you picked up your handphone and see 100 miss calls and 100 unread messages... please understand that your friend is not very happy with you and the least you can do is say that you are sorry, even though you are not wrong. Apologise won't die.

 

***********

 

I always apologise. Those who are close to me like Soonguan, Richard, Jiahong, Yongren etc they all will know. Actually the word 'sorry' is extremely easy to use and apporpriate for most circumstances, for example:

 

"Jiahong, you are NOT thin. I'm sorry."

 

Simple? LOL!

 

 

Disclaimer: The above bad habit has nothing to do with Jiahong. He is just an example in the sentence constructing.

 

 

***********

 

To end off, nobody is perfect. Everyone got a bad habit or two, including me. They say a good friend is like a mirror: they point out your mistakes. Nowadays mirrors are hard to find. I hope this entry can serve as a mirror, for me as well as you. Hope you can become a better person, friend. =)

 

 

Psychological Tests

Koped this from an old entry of PF's blog since a friend asked me if I know any psycho tests today... (PF, you won't mind right? =P)

 

WHY DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE?

** 1 9 5 0 **

What is your first thought when you saw the above number?

1) Year

2) Phone number

3) Money

4) Combination code in a locker room

 

HERE IS THE ANALYSIS :

1) You think he/she is very smart one....you love his/her brain.

2) You love his/her personality....Everything he/she does is beautiful.

3) Let's face it......you love his/her money.

4) You love his/her appearance....you like a good looking person .

 

THE CAVE YOU WANT TO VISIT....

You decided to go for a cave tour. What kind of caves do you want to visit?

1) Cave with a narrow entrance but a wide exit.

2) Cave with a same space of entrance and exit.

3) Cave with a wide entrance but a narrow exit.

 

HERE IS THE ANALYSIS :

The philosophy behind this test indicates how you spend your money......

1) You easily spend your money much more than what you earn.

2) You keep balance between the money you can earn and the money you spend.

3) Stingy you! Though you have earned a lot of money but you hardly spend it off.

 

A NEW PLANT....

Noticing a new plant pop up from the ground, what is your first thought?

1) Glad and want it to grow quickly.

2) Be careful.Don't step on it.

3) Oh!Will it give flowers?

4) Thank God!Many thanks to you,God,for its growth.

5) All right! No more watering!

 

This test indicates your attitude towards your parents....

1) You don't want your parents to interfere whatever you are doing.

2) You feel grateful to your parents for bringing you up and making you a nice person.

3) You rely on your parents so much and want them to be always close to you.

4) You have your sincere thanks to your parents.

5) You want to be self-survived as soon as possible.

 

WHAT KIND OF CHAIR DO YOU PREFER? :

Your selection of the chair can tell you the type of person you are.

1) Cloth covered

2) Leather covered

3) Wood

4) Cushioned

5) One with a built-in massager

 

HERE IS THE ANALYSIS :

1)You want your partner (girlfriend/boyfriend) to be together with you always, no matter when or where.

2)You want your partner (girlfriend/boyfriend) to be more open with you about himself/herself..

3)You want your partner (girlfriend/boyfriend) to take more care of his/her dress and manner.

4)You want your partner (girlfriend/boyfriend) to be a little bit more relaxed, calm and composed.

5) One with built-in massager. You want your partner (girlfriend/boyfriend) to do more for you.

The message behind the question:

A chair is for sitting on. If you choose to sit on certain chair,you have no suspicions or distrust towards it. This is the same psychology present in our relationship with the people we like. In other words, the qualities you look for in a chair are similar to the qualities you look for in a partner.

 

THE THIRD EYE :

If you could have the third eye on your body, where would you put it on?

1) your head

2) your heart

3) your back

4) your hand

 

HERE IS THE ANALYSIS

1) You have no respect to your lover, instead, you often exploit him/her. As far as love is concerned, you are too QUICK. You easily fall in love with someone and leave him/her right away when you get bored.

2) Since you are scared of being cheated by the others or not wanting to be disappointed again, you, therefore seem to be contented with your unrequited love.

3) It takes you a long time and big effort before falling in love with someone. But, once you are in love, you will love him/her with all your heart,sincerely and forever

4) It is hard for you to get deeply involved with someone.Most of your relationships are just more than friends but less than lovers.

 

WHEN WILL YOU GET MARRIED?

There is a cake with plenty of room to put many more candles on it. How many more candles do you want to put on the cake?

1) One

2) Two

3) Three or four

4) More than five

 

 

HERE IS THE ANALYSIS :

1) Wow! You seem wanting to get married as soon as possible.You may get married at the age of 20 or right after you have finished your education.

2) You want to be married a little sooner than the other.However,you want your marriage to be agreed and pleased by the others.

3) You want to enjoy your youngster life as long as possible.So you don't want to be married too soon. You may get married when you are over 25 even you already have your steady loved one.

4) You are full of curiosity. You are curious about everything.You want to travel and accumulate your experience more and more.You want to prove yourself with the challenging work.You may enjoy your unmarried life until you are 30 or over even you have had so many lovers by then.

 

Luck

Luck is such a fickle thing.

 

I lost $60 on roulette on the cruise.

 

Bad luck.

 

My industrial attachment result got an 'A'.

 

Getting 'A' when you worked hard is one thing.

 

Getting 'A' when you are playing games in the office... most of the time... is another thing. (Haha!)

 

Good luck.

 

I picked up $2 on the road today. (=P)

 

My 'A' costed me $58.

 

Hmmm.

 

 

Create, Innovate, ?

Remember that I said in my previous entry that Americans are Creative, Japanese are Innovative? Look at this headline:

 

China keen to learn from Singapore's experience in water technologies

 

Now then I remember there is a third part to the story. Chinese...

 

Copy.

 

Haha!

 

 

Cruise (Angel and Devil)

Spent 3 days 2 nights on cruise last week, lost more money and eaten more than planned (I was... ). If the previous weeks are slack, last week was pure fan4 jian4. It really feels like the Devil is on board the ship, telling me throughout the journey...

 

"Gaamble isss goood, ggo casssinoo gaamblee... loook, yyoour frriends haave earnned so mmuchh mooneyy..."

 

"Eeat, yoou havve allreaddyy paiid forr itt... it'ss freee, jusst eatt..."

 

 

Then you can hear the Angel said,

 

 

"Don't gamble. You can't win against the casino. Don't try!"

 

"Don't eat too much. You are getting damn fat. Damn it!"

 

 

In the battle between Angel and Devil, the Devil won. Shit.

 

 

Besides eating and gambling, we went snorkel, play cards, looking at babes, swim, jacuzzi, steam bath, hot bath, spa, sauna, watch live shows (dance, magic, acrobatic), enjoyed sea breeze blah blah blah... and eat, and eat. Enjoyable, but duo4 luo4.

 

Next time if I ever go on cruise again, I won't go with gamblers. (Damn Jiahong, Yongren, Richard!)

 

 

Ubin

Spent 3 days 2 nights in Ubin this week, 1 night and 1 day more than planned (I was persuaded/forced). Getting more slack in an already very slack life... so much so that even a slack person like me can't stand the slackness of such a slack vacation. Hmmm I still can't enter the zen-like peacefulness of doing nothing for long. Guess I'm still an action person. (haha like real! =P)

 

Did nothing much in Ubin. Cycled and trekked and explored the entire island in 3 days. Talk cock, play games, watched tv, jacuzzi-ed and catch up with 3 of my old JC friends at the chalet. A relaxing trip.

 

Anw now is a good time to go Ubin, cos it is durian and rambutan season! If you are lucky you might still kapo a few fruits before the locals kapo all of them away. Enjoyed a few free durians there. Song! =P

 

And btw, if you are going Ubin, be sure to find and see the Guan1 Yin1 Stone. It is along the road between the jetty and Marina Country Club Chalets. It is a huge natural formation of rocks that looks very much like Guan Yin and she overlooks the quarry lake. Legends (an old man who lived across the road told us) says that the 'statue'  suddenly appeared one day and 2 trekkers discovered it first. He said that once, many pple died in the quarry lake and their ghosts wandered around Ubin. However after Guan Yin appeared to save their spirits, haunting incidents were not heard anymore. And from then on, no one else has died in the lake. 

 

Well, I don't know whether it's true or not. But the rock formation looks really like Guan Yin and if you noticed, it is of a different colour (white) from the surrounding rocks (grey). And it is really huge (it's across the lake from where we saw it), I guess nobody could have carved it. No matter whether it is man made or natural, it is worth a look if you go Ubin. =)

 

Something that is off topic. A friend told me of an interesting Haiku while we were at Ubin. A Haiku is an ancient 3-lined poem from Japan whose syllables follow the pattern 5-7-5. Here is the one he told:

 

 

Haiku is simple;

It does not mean anything.

Refrigerator.

 

 

=P

 

 

 

 

Enjoying

 

My long-awaited holiday started 2 weeks ago, life have never been more enriching and interesting.

 

(This is going to be one hell of a super long duper entry. Sorry for the user unfriendliness.)

 

Right after the end of my attachment on Friday, my dad brought the whole family for a weekend stay in Melaka, together with my aunt's family, in a holiday condo by the seaside. Nothing remarkable in Melaka actually, just walked around its town's 2 shopping mall and pasar malam. It is a nice retreat though.

 

Bought a nice little book in Melaka called The Monk Who Sold His Farrari, by Robin S. Sharma. I will talk a little about it here. It is a story about a very successful lawyer who have every material thing he wanted in life. However, one day, he had a heart attack the middle of a pack courtroom and almost died. Upon recovering, he sold all his material possessions and went off to India. During his travels, he met a group of sages who taught him the secrets of happiness and fulfillment. After he finished his learning, he proceed back home to teach his protege in law, the author, the secrets. Here are some quotes from the book:

 

"The secrets of happiness is simple: find out what you truely love and direct all your energies towards doing it. Once you do it, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are filled with ease and grace."

 

"Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment, is a gift. Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else."

 

"The Universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you to a magical place with magnificent treasures."

 

 

It really feels different when you are reading while facing the great blue sky and magnificent sea from a twenty storey high condo. Only finish the book a few days ago.

 

*************

 

Back to the topic. Monday, after sending a friend off to Taiwan in the morning, I went Kushinbo @ Suntec to eat buffet together with my fellow IA mates. We ate from 12pm to 3pm. The food is really very very good. The $20++ is well spent. Satisfied. Recommended: Kushinbo Lunch.

 

Then I got a temp job on Tuesday: counting pple in vehicles going out of Biopolis. Working hours 7am to 10am, 5pm to 8pm. Pay is good, $10/hr, though it is kinda boring when you are doing it alone. In fact, it is VERY boring when you are doing it alone. It is frustrating staying in the same spot for 3 hours doing a very mundane job. However it is a very good exercise i guess. After the 2 hours in the morning I shifted from the roadside to a small green hill overlooking the street. Sitting in a lotus position, I tried to empty my frustration and boredom from my mind through 'meditation' to achieve a peaceful Zen-like state. As the wise man in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari said, it is important to keep negative thoughts away from your mind and meditation is one of the exercises to do that.

 

I almost succeed before the time's up. Almost. Haha!

 

Anw went to watch Ocean 13 (nice show) with a hall senior to pass time until 4.30pm, then back to work again. The evening shift is much more bearable. Switched place with a junior and had a heart to heart talk with the hall senior at the side of a little used street at the back of Biopolis. Turned out that he likes a girl and don't know whether to tell her or not... same problem I encountered about a month ago. I believed that it is not the crime to love somebody, why do you need to hide it? So I encouraged him to tell her straight. I feel that if everyone can declare their love openly without any fear, ie, father to son, daughter to mother, brother to sister, friends to friends, senior to junior, stranger to stranger, the world will be a much better place! Haha! A quote from Manual of the Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho:  

 

"For the warrior there is no such thing as an impossible love. He is not intimidated by silence, indifference or rejection. He knows that, behind the mask of ice that people wear. there beats a heart of fire... A warrior never gives in to fear when he is searching for what he needs. Without love, he is nothing."

 

I got rejected about a month ago. T_T  But strangely I felt light-hearted because I've finally ease my burden. The world is still beautiful. (Though most probably I'll stay single my entire life cause no one likes me. Sad. Haha! =)

 

*************

 

Wednesday I watched Wong Kar Wai's Dream with my favorite theatre khaki SY. It is an abstract show about a woman dreaming of the famous director Wong Kar Wai making a film of her. In her dream's film, she dreamt of herself (hmm) becoming a horrible lonely old woman who had the same routine of going to work, go home, watching tv, sleep, going to work over and over and over everyday. In fact, there is 2 version of her, one present and one future (the old woman), each being "each other's worst nightmare", and unsure of who is dreaming of who.

 

In retrospect, watching the show is like... Dreaming. It is as if we are living in one big dream. I guess the director is trying to tell us to

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAKE UP YOUR IDEA!

BREAK OUT OF ROUTINE!

STOP WORKING!

TAKE A BREAK, DAMN IT!

LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!

 

 

 

Ironically, when we stepped out of the theatre, our minds are so muddled and confused after watching such an abstract dream-like show that I guess it is equally possible that the director is trying to tell us that life is but a stupid dream. Lets just go back to sleep. =)

 

The one thing I like a lot about this show is that there is collection of quotes from Wong Kar Wai's films in its programme booklet. Share with you guys this one from Chungking Express, uttered by Jin Cheng Wu:

 

"Somehow everything comes with an expiry date. Swordfish expires. Meat sauce expires. Is there anything in the world which doesn't?" 

 

I wonder if friendships have an expiry date? How many of your friendships had expired, or expiring soon?

 

*************

 

(To be continued…)

 

 

Life

 

Thursday... blogged about it in the last entry. Kinda a free day. Started my exercise regime, finally, after 2 years. A good friend of mine has always been a very positive influence on me. She tells you your bad points straight in the face. Who in the world will tell you you have bad dress sense after only knowing you for less than a month? Of course she didn't tell me I've bad dress sense, she only tell me to buy more clothes, which basically meant the same thing... ermm... haha! Anw she also encouraged me to exercise and join Christianity. It is kinda hard to find a true friend who tells you your faults these days. (Or is it I have too little faults for my friends to tell? =)

 

Have been running 5 times for the past 2 weeks. Only very short distance, around 2km or less. But it makes me feels alive... cos it makes me feels like dying every time. Anw, I am going to shrink my spare tire!!!

 

Also I have started preparing for my Final Year Project. Btw for those who don't know, my project is to convert speech to sign language 3D animation for hearing impaired children.  I'm learning how to create animations using animation software such as Poser and 3ds Max. It's quite fun, but now I'm troubled about how an input can called out an output of 3D animation. Hmmm... programming... anyone can point me in the right direction?

 

Yup, I've also decided to listen to my cousin's advice to update myself daily with the latest news by making Channel News Asia's website my homepage and scan for headlines for a minute or two every time I on my comp. Though I've no great interest in news, I'm going out into the society in a year and I guess I can't be too ignorant of the current affairs anymore. Another minor improvement for me. =)

 

*************

 

Friday I met up with 2 friends. One of them worked in Mediacorp's News Division for her internship, which makes her very knowledgeable about how artistes make up to look good in front of the camera. She said my face's most flattering angle is 45 degree. Next time don't be surprised if you see me kept facing away when taking photos. =P Watched Fantastic Four with them. An enjoyable show which don't engage you intellectually.

 

*************

 

Monday is the start of my Special Sem's Elective, which takes place every Mon and Wed from 6.30pm to 10pm. The name of the module is Eco-Architecture in an Urban Environment. It is about different ways to build sustainable or even self-renewable buildings in Singapore. Quite interesting. Came across this very Tao-like statement which I like alot in the lecture:

 

"Change is the only constant."

 

How true! We mustn't forget to constantly improve and renew ourselves in this constantly changing environment. Do not get stuck in a routine. We need to think out of the box!  Be creative! Innovate!

 

A question from the lecturer: What is the difference between 'creative' and 'innovative'?

 

Answer: An innovation is a small improvement on an existing product. Creation is the making of a new product. The time needed to make an innovation is much much shorter than creating something new. The reason why Japan got back so quickly after WW2 is because it takes America's products (which takes years to develop) and make lots of small innovations on them. As results, Japan end out having superior products.

 

A little food for thought. =)

 

*************

(To be continued…)

 

 

,

 

Tuesday was an interesting day. Met up with my JC classmate for a hike in MacRitchie to the Tree Top Walk. Actually the Tree Top Walk is just a short 100m wooden bridge suspended over the canopy of the forest, nothing much. But the hike itself was fun. We walked for 4 hours, from MacRitchie until Bt Timah Nature Reserve and came out of the forest at Dairy Farm. Tiring, but fun.

 

At one point of time, we were quite lost in the Reserve. It makes me thought of a passage from The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. In the story, a foreign couple asked Athena (the 'witch') how to get to a tourist spot. She gave them very precise but totally wrong directions. After they left, she explained to her boyfriend:

 

"It doesn't matter. They'll get lost, and that's the best way to discover interesting places. Try to fill your life again with a little fantasy... Forget everything you've ever learned about the stars and they'll once more transformed into angels, or into children, or into whatever you want to believe at the moment. It won't make you more stupid - after all, it's only a game - but it could enrich your life."

 

We did get lost to one of the higher and more scenic spot in Bt Timah Hill, but we almost died after climbing hundreds of steep steps... And I think I will be very du lan if someone purposely give me the wrong directions. Haha!

 

Later we bathed in Hwachong (a nostalgic place =) and proceed to meet another old friend to go Mind's Cafe for some mental stimulation after physical exertion. Had a good guys' day out.

 

The day end off with us visiting a newly opened magic shop in Orchard. Always love visiting magic shops 'cos the shopkeeper will always perform a trick or two. And this time, surprisingly, an old friend / my shi fu from anther shop in Shaw Tower was manning this shop! Turns out that he has quit to become a full time hypnotist and is now doing part time there. Anw he showed us his new trick which blown us all away! It is quite rare to see a magic trick that impress me these days and it really feels good to see a good trick... the feeling of amazement... Life needs some surprises once in a while.

 

Actually I also know a trick or two with a deck of cards, feel free to ask me to show them. I love to amaze people too. Haha!

 

*************

 

Friday evening I met a friend to visit Singapore Art Museum. One very interesting thing you can do while looking at the exhibits is to guess what are the exhibits' name. This is to see whether you are at the same frequency as the artists.

 

Sadly, I got none correct. =( Guess I'm not a very artistic person.

 

Before I met my friend, I bought a book while shopping at Raffles City. It is called The Meaning of the 21^st Century by James Martin. The book's first paragraph is this:

 

"At the start of the 21^st century, humankind finds itself on a non-sustainable course – a course that, unless it is changed, will lead to catastrophes of awesome consequences. At the same time, we are unlocking formidable new capabilities that could lead to much more exciting lives and glorious civilization. This could be humanity's last century, or it could be the century in which civilization sets sail towards a far more spectacular future. Decision that will lead to these wildly different conclusions have to be made soon."

 

Whatever I do makes no difference. So, heck la, I cannot be bothered.

 

(Are you thinking this way?)

 

Frankly speaking I think that way most of the time. But I think since I'm going to be an Engineer in future, I gotta stop thinking that way...

 

*************

 

(To be continued…)

 

Throughly

 

Saturday is a xiong day. I watched 2 theatrical dramas and listened to 1 talk in one day! The 2 shows are Beijing Ren, scripted by Cao Yu and directed by Li Liu Yi, and Mabou Mines' Dollhouse directed by Lee Breuer. (News report) The talk is one given by Lee Breuer on theatre and is very thought provoking.

 

"Everyone has an idea in their mind on what the show is going to be, everyone has a script in their head… the bad guys are going to die, the good guy is going to win, the couple will be together etc etc…  You think you are paying money to see my show? No! You are paying money to see YOUR show!"

 

"What is important in theatre is surprise… When you are driving you can drive with half of your mind shut down. However when a dog suddenly runs across the road you become very alert, because you are surprised. An activity which only uses thousands of brain neurons suddenly requires millions of neurons. That is what I want! I want my audience to watch my shows with millions and tens of millions of neurons!"

 

Yup, as I said, life needs surprises once in a while. If not, you are not using your brain. =P

 

Beijing Ren shows the decadence of an once rich family (in Beijing) to total breakdown. The characters inside were all under the 'control' of money and society and were unable to pursue that they really wanted. They were wondering what is the meaning of living this way. All these are in stark contrast with mankind's ancestor (those cavemen), Peking Man or Beijing Ren, who lives simply, without guile and worries.

 

Actually the theme of Beijing Ren is also quite similar with that of Dollhouse, in which all characters are 'controlled' by a predominant male society like dolls/puppets, which in the end, leads to a tragedy. (Of course the director treat this old 1879 tragedic play the comedic way, which is another discussion for another day.)

 

Getting out of the stories, aren't we all also like puppet dancing to the strings of society and money?? Which of our action are really our own? Why do I want to study engineering? Why do you want to be nice to me, or your family, or your colleagues? Why can't I say or do what I want? WHY???

 

Can we live like our ancestors, the innocent and free Beijing Ren ?

 

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Sunday, yesterday, I can't help myself and bought another book on impulse. As you see, the title of the book is very attractive (to me at least): How to Cheat at Everything, A Con Man Reveals the Secrets of the Esoteric Trade of Cheating, Scams, and Hustles by Simon Lovell. Attractive har? =P

 

I will share with you this little trick I found in the book which you can use to cheat your friends and family. =)

 

Shuffle a deck of cards. Tell your friend that the two of you will take turns turning over the card. The first one who turn over a picture cards loses. Suggest betting on it, as big as possible, since you can't lose!

 

Whenever you turn over a card peek at it before you turn it over. Don't hide this, in fact make it quite obvious. If it is not a picture card, turn it over.

 

Carry on with the game. If your friend turn over a picture, you win. But what if you peek a picture before they got one?

 

If you peek a picture card simply place it face down onto the pile and peek the next card – if this is a picture card place it face down on top of the first. Keep doing this until you reach and non picture card and turn it face up.

 

Your friend, disconcerted by this, will reach for other face down cards and flip them over. He can claim you cheat all he wants but you still win the bet.

 

You see, he turned them face up, not you!

 

Be prepared to run at this point!

 

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Life is simply enjoyable. =)