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In this sophisticated world, one often finds oneself in a struggle with power, fame, money, attention and many other unnecessary entities of life. I seek to find a simple life, uncomplicated yet meaningful. A lot more important elements of life are waiting to be discovered. Live your life to the fullest.

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Monday, July 28, 20089:28 pm
Free Loader No More!

The following piece of information, please read it and forget about it.

I finally received my first pay!

And I have proudly contributed to the household income for the very first time. Finally joining my brothers in giving my mum some token of appreciation, now I am no longer a free loader. This is something good, but as I have said, just read and forget k?

For the first time, my dad actually drop some hint for me to get a gf soon. You know, it goes something like: your eldest brother is getting married soon, then followed by your second brother, then it will be your turn, so please do something about it.

I am trying dad, but nice and SUITABLE gals don't just fall from the sky. I emphasize on the second adjective because I think there are a lot of nice gals around me but not many are suitable. Or maybe it is just because I don't dare to try.

Well a lot of my friends tell me: Just Do It, Nothing Is Impossible, you got to find Your Right Partner, Think Different, Reach Out and Touch Someone, You Have Come a Long Way Baby, and you have to be Always Moving Forward.

I get the point, let's just leave it to fate.

Was having lunch with my seniors today. Most of them are married with kids and naturally they will talk about marriage, commitment, raising a family etc. Hence, I get quite a good insight to how my life could be in the future. They were surprised when I told them I am still single.

They go like: Isn't there tons of gals in NUS? You seems like a very active person, should know a lot of gals right? Should find one while studying la, once you start work very hard to find.

I am not going to address those questions here. One thing I did discover is that we liked mambo songs! They liked their generation's songs and I liked oldies. Just nice.

Anyway, I think friends are more important now. Like a mind test I did with my colleagues, I placed friends in front of almost everything.

Aren't you glad that you have me as your friend?

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Wednesday, July 23, 20089:55 pm
Interesting Things

These pictures came a bit late, rather I only uploaded them now. An outing to Sentosa last Friday with my fellow colleagues - The SMP Ocean 13. So just enjoy the photos.






The babes...



The hunks.. those not wearing shirt. I am wearing one FYI.



Just what are these people trying to do?



So embarrassing...




Either the weather is too hot....



... or I am too hot. The paparazzi just can't stop snapping me. I was just relaxing myself reading a book and they have to take a picture of me doing that. Where is all the privacy?



Ended the day with a few drinks at Cafe Del Mar.







Some interesting things I have discovered so far...

On the first day of work back to my department, I actually found out that Adrian, my fellow departmental colleague was born on the same day and month as me! This is so coincidental. We were under the same prof for our FYP, are in the same SMP scheme, same department and now same birthday. Interesting?

Imagine what you can do with a Samsung 32 inch LCD TV. You could invite your friend over for a soccer match? Watch a golf competition and laugh at the players when they can't find the ball, when obviously with the LCD TV, the ball is just there. Yes, just at the corner. Why can't they find it?



Now imagine again you have yet another Samsung 40 inch LCD TV in the house. What will you do?

You have to be very careful when you are using the remote control. The signals just bounce all over the place and you might end up switching on the wrong TV!

Ok, I don't understand why I have two such TVs in my house.

My toe nail is taking a very long time to heal. I hated it.

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Sunday, July 20, 20081:18 am
Things I Do When I am Travelling

What are the things you like to do when you are travelling? I mean within Singapore, travelling from one place to another.

Last time, when I am still studying, there are three things I will always do. Sleep, read notes, listen to mp3 or a mixture of two. Yes, I know reading notes is just such a nerdy thing to do. Well, I have my image as an engineer to keep up with you know.

Someone once remarked: When you are at your deathbed, you will wish that you have not spend so much time on work.

Now that I am not studying, reading notes can be strike off the list.

Sleeping is still the top choice. It used to be called daydreaming but I thought that would really make me a real loser so I have decided to change it to mediate. Hmm ok, so now, mediating is my top choice.

Listening to mp3 is also a must. Sometimes I do mediation and mp3 together. Seems ironic right? But that is actually a higher level of mediation. Mp3s are meant to distract me, and forces my mind to concentrate amidst the noise.

I like to play Sudoku too. I can usually solve a normal puzzle during the to and fro trip. Difficult level I have not succeed yet, other than on paper, and using 100% concentration.

Recently, I found myself another past-time-thing-I-can-do-on-the-bus-or-train. The Rubik Cube!

This seems to be everywhere I go. I keep seeing it. Dunnoe why. I used to have one, and I can solve up to a maximum of 4 sides on my own without any algorithms. That was when I am quite young. I kinda of break it one fine day.

Anyway, I got myself one after seeing how aska keep bringing it out of her bag and showing off her skills. I got it for less than 6 bucks. Quite cheap.

It took me about an hour to solve it the first time. I used the online algorithm of course.






The pictures were taken in order. (I am not so bo liao to bluff you).

It will probably takes me a few days to memorise and solve it without referring to any algorithms.

Lets see how fast I can go.

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Friday, July 18, 200811:22 pm
Into The Wild

I wonder if anyone has watched the movie Into The Wild or read the book. A fantastic show recommended to me by tanzy. You can catch it here if you like.

Into the Wild (1996) by Jon Krakauer is a bestselling non-fiction book about the adventures of Christopher McCandless.

Chris McCandless grew up in Annandale, Virginia, and died at age 24 in a wilderness area of the state of Alaska. After graduating in 1990 from Emory University, McCandless ceased communicating with his family, gave away his savings of $24,000 to OXFAM and began traveling, later abandoning his car and burning all the money in his wallet.

In April 1992, Jim Gallien gave McCandless a ride to the Stampede Trail in Alaska. There McCandless headed down the snow-covered trail to begin an odyssey with only ten pounds of rice, a .22 caliber rifle, a camera, several boxes of rifle rounds, some camping gear, and a small selection of literature—including a field guide to the region's edible plants, Tana'ina Plantlore. He took no compass. He died sometime in August, and his decomposed body was found in early September by moose hunters.

McCandless survived for approximately 112 days in the Alaskan wilderness, foraging for edible roots and berries, shooting an assortment of game—including a moose—and keeping a journal. Although he planned to hike to the coast, the boggy terrain of summer proved too difficult and he decided instead to camp in a derelict bus. In July, he tried to leave, only to find the route blocked by high water. Toward the end of July, after apparently remaining healthy for more than three months, McCandless wrote a journal entry reporting extreme weakness and blaming it on "potato seeds". As Krakauer explains, McCandless had been eating the roots of Hedysarum alpinum, a historically edible plant commonly known as wild potato (also "Eskimo potato"), which are sweet and nourishing in the spring but later become too tough to eat. When this happened, McCandless may have attempted to eat the seeds instead. Krakauer theorizes that the seeds contained a poisonous alkaloid, possibly swainsonine (the toxic chemical in locoweed) or something similar. In addition to neurological symptoms such as weakness and loss of coordination, the poison causes starvation by blocking nutrient metabolism in the body.

You can google more if you are interested. But the show is simply great! A bit extreme though, and I don't think anyone, at least for me, would try to repeat what he has done. Nonetheless, it gives an insight to how one can just cut himself off from this intoxicated world and wander into the wild. Unbelievable.

Do what you feel like doing. Isn't that a bit hard in the context of the society now?

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Thursday, July 17, 20082:53 pm
Failure

Every event has a purpose and every setback its lesson. I have realised that failure, whether of the personal, professional or even spiritual kind, is essential to personal expansion. It brings inner growth and a whole host of psychic rewards. Never regret your past. Rather, embrace it as the teacher that it is.
Y.K.

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Wednesday, July 16, 200810:43 pm
Claustrophobia

I am feeling claustrophobic. Not literally but I am feeling the sense of being confined to within my own world. The feeling is akin to losing all your friends, family, hope and belief which ultimately leads to an empty shell. And as I struggle to break out of the enclosure, it just leads me to another dimension which sees no light. I panicked, unsure of how long this is going to last. I hated the thought of not being in control, and especially, being blinded to what lies ahead of you. Maybe I have lost the confidence to break free, to love, to embrace and to believe? I am after all, all alone in my little world.

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Saturday, July 12, 20086:10 pm
Commencement 2008

It is the annual Commencement once again. And this year, I am one of the main lead. Let's take a look at some of the pictures taken using my camera.

Adrian, zichao and me.



Me and xiaolu.



Julius and me.



Me and Nelson.



Me and Kelvin.



Me and weiya.



Baolei and me.



Yanjun, me and yaliang.



Desmond and me.



Lin lee and me.



Guan hong and me.



Dave and me.



With Darryl and co.



Darryl and me.



I realised how tan I was after looking at the pictures.

As usual, Commencement is boring. I didn't even touched the food.

Took photos with a few of my friends. I am happy that all are doing well now. I will probably miss Lin Lee when she leaves for MIT. And then Steven when he leaves for Japan. I think the picture with Steven is in his camera. Got to get it from him.

What can I say now? Hmm.. no more student meals from now on I guess...

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Wednesday, July 09, 20089:58 pm
Long Service Award

Today I received a call from my army camp saying that I need to collect my long service award. It is awarded to NS men who has served at least 4 years of reverist. I had only served 3 but I guess they were expecting me to go back for the last one which I did not. Anyway, the poor NSF has been arrowed to give out those medals not yet being collected, at the expense of his own time.

He wanted to meet me in Sembawang mrt since he knew from my profile that I lived near Yishun. I didn't want to make life difficult for him by asking him to come Yishun instead. So i agreed, at once. Yes, I am such a considerate person.

My mum called me later that day to say that we are going out for dinner. I have a urge to ask her if my bro is in Sembawang too. His new flat is there and there is a tiny chance that he is there to oversee the renovation. (To get a free ride fyi). I thought again and concluded that the chance is too small and I better just take a train down to Sembawang. Yes, I am being considerate again.

When I reached Sembawang, the NSF asked which Ang I am because he is meeting another Ang too. I told him my name and got my medal. Take a look.





Kind of a farewell present for me? How timely can it get. I needed some motivation right now.

I left for home and when I was about to reach my house, my mum called me and said: Did you just collected some medal from Sembawang? Your bro just did too!

Yes, I know which Ang the NSF is meeting now.

I guess that's life.

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Monday, July 07, 20085:55 pm
Off on a Monday

Finally I get to rest after starting work last Tuesday. Today and tomorrow. I feel so tired today when I woke up. Went to my brother's new house in Sembawang early in the morning. Came back home and had lunch. Initially, I wanted to go gym after resting. But I fell asleep! No discipline.

Anyway, I have a lot of movies I wanted to see: Wanted, 21, Hancock, Red Cliff etc. Should be watching Red Cliff with ch and gang. Anyone wanna see the other movies do let me know yea.

Work has made me a healthier person, as pal aska had mentioned. I sleep early and wake up early. When I have time, I exercise. When I am on off, I play harder. That's life I suppose.

Argh, I got a weekly report I need to write. First homework of the career?

Anyway, I am going out for dinner. Ciao!

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Thursday, July 03, 20088:29 pm
Open Communication

It has been a few days into my first job. I wonder if it can be called boring. Basically, normal orientation stuffs and lots of lectures. I am trying to keep myself awake, especially those lectures after lunch! When the real work start, I think that's when the real boredom comes into play. All right, maybe I will be enthusiastic for the initial stage. I hope I will have the passion to continue burning the fire.

Please people, no names.

Finally, I have started my next stage in life. Yea, I am so looking forward to pursuing it.

No more pondering...





Going after my STAR..



I will be working this weekend. Yes, when I am working WEEKEND, some others will be working WEEKDAY. But I am totally fine with it because I am having Monday and Tuesday off. Think I will go for the $6 bucks MOVIE. Hmm, maybe will go for the HALF PRICE Gelare on Tuesday? Or maybe I will go shopping on the less crowded weekdays? So many activities waiting for me. Anyone wants to change with me? Rah...

I am already planning how to spend my first paycheck. If you are reading this, I am sad to inform you that you have no part in it. Just too bad.

After CPF, money to my parents, money for insurance, transportation, daily spendings and my targeted saving for a month, I think I will have a tiny bit of money left. Will buy something for myself. Maybe a belt? Levis? Then I can show off in the office. Haha, no I won't do that. I must practice humbility, adding to the already large volume within me!

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