Of expectations...[ from a socially dependent perspective]

Expectations... it's ubiquitous and exists in myriad forms. It's infused in everyone's lives. Its difficult to acknowledge and impossible to avoid..

I have always encountered a fork in my road to individuality. Often times facing dilemma between being the perfect son /brother/ friend/ colleague and being simply me. I am just exhausted giving so much thought to making decisions from the mundane to the monumental. It is difficult to just be myself when i feel as if every decision i make paves my expressway to perdition.

Just be yourself. Live for yourself. You only have one life. Live happy and die happy[ sounds like a corny Chinese movie] . It's your life. I have had heard enough of these and people's every other twisted rendition of Bon Jovi. To you all out there, cut the crap with me.

I have to a certain extent, managed to live by my own terms and be ignorant of societies expectations. Sadly, you can only paddle so much when you are in choppy waters before simply succumbing to the currents. Funny thing is i tend to rebel again after catching a breather in the name of surrender.

I wanted to play computer games, instead i was expected to build websites. I wanted to pursue College, instead i was expected to pursue Polytechnic. I wanted to parachute off from a plane with my friends, instead i am expected to head on down to the coffeeshop by the rubbishchute with my friends. I wanted to scuba dive, instead i am expected to buy a bath tub and a rubber duckie. The list will go on forever. The irritating thing however is that i will not be denied in my face.. its always a subtle and diplomatic procedure.. Often times the situation is such that i would be the non understanding and selfish party in the negotiations.
" I will not forbid you from jumping off the plane if thats what that matters more to you than us"... How la like this...

Imagine you got an opportunity to do something that you always wanted, and your partner/loved ones is/are like " i dun like it.... if you really want to go then its really up to you". How is one to achieve what he/she sets out to do when he/she does not have the encouragement and blessings of his/her loved ones... Even if i decide to go solo on my mission, the guilt of hurting my loved ones to achieve something that i like, doesn't go easy on me.

I am not saying that my achievements and aspirations are dictated by others around me totally. In fact i can post a longer entry when i view these issues from an individualistic perspective. Neither am i saying that all that i am is what society has made out of me...i am merely saying that expectation is like the wind that acts as the resistance when we are trying to break the land speed record..

Forgive, maybe.. Forget, sorry...

Went to bed with high hopes that i might finally surrender to fatigue and the soporific outcomes of a hearty dinner. Guess i was wrong. Throbbing behind my eyeballs and the relentless tossing and turnings wouldn't let me.. Imprecating my conditions didn't do me any good either. So i did what i always do best...

Decmeber 14.. Memories were flooding back uncontrollably, as vivid as yesterday even a year later..
Forgive and forget they say... when its just easier to hate her..

I will forgive for its only human for him/her to err ... but i will not forget for putting these issues behind me will not protect me from recurrences in the future.

I will forgive to let him/her know that i hold no grudges... but i will not forget for i will make references to this event if the argument calls for it.

Iwill forgive for it is divine .... but i will not forget for i am just a human....

Selfish? Immature? Really? I merely mentioned out what everyone does... even the most noble will practice what i mentioned to a certain degree. I will say that its impossible to forget for we are all experiential learners

How can one forget the day the partner called for a break off... Even if he or she was to come back in all promises and potentials... Whats the guarantee that, that which happened once would not happen again?

How does one forget the day that he or she found out that the spouse was cheating? You may be able to forgive... but will you ever forget?

How does the abused child forget the thrashing he/she got from his/her parents?

How does a rape victim forget the torment she endured? she may be able to forgive but forget? I doubt so.

How does one forget being burned by love for the first time?

Get my drift? So how is it possible to forget? Does simply not mentioning the incident constitute to forgetting? If thats the case, then we are all hypocrites who intend one thing and say something else. Simply put, just think of all the times you got hurt and almost instantaneously you will be able to remember every detail of what happened to you. Now, does the phrase forgive and forget hold any relevance ?

Playlist's Top 6

Found myself relating to these songs, not sure why though. Its a strange and humbling feeling when some weird tune unlocks memories stored away in the deep crevices of your brain. Memories that you never wanted to face again. From nostalgia to nightmares. Whats in the note?

MY Friend(MF) and Me.. [Part 1]

[The following entry comprises of snippets from various conversations with various friends. Conversations that makes me think about the kind of friends i have accumulated over the course of my life.. haha]

[In the bus ]

MF: Din, i just had an enlightenment.
Me: What is it?
MF: (with so much conviction) If pre-marital sex is evil, and evil is sin. Since sin is forgiven , so sex is in....
Me: How did you end up as my friend?


[30 mins after my friend arrived at Earls Swensen]

MF: Shaniz, i have been wanting to tell you something for quite some time now...
Me: What?
MF: Not sure if you noticed it but ever since i met you, i am unable to eat or even drink da......
Me: Why?
MF: I am broke.. so be a darling and foot what i am going to order.


[Near Ngee Ann cafeteria]

MF: ( while taking a puff) It feels so good to drag a puff.. makes me warm inside.
Me: Just get it done quickly , you're not to be smoking here...
MF: Relax will you... I don't even have to run if the warden chases me...
Me: Let's see.
MF: Dei. hold the stick for me while i tie my laces...
(at this point of time, the warden catches me and my friend is no where to be found.)


[while driving my friend to labrador park at 1 am]

Me: Aren't you even a bit scared that i might molest or rape you?
MF: Nah you won't. I trust you.
Me: Are you sure that you know me that well?
MF: It is a feeling..
Me : What feeling?
MF: Gutt feeling...
Me: Can't believe your stomach trusts me more than you do.

Me: Do you find me too pushy...
MF: nope. you are just a washy washy ( or is it wishy wishy? wushy wushy? wishy whushy? swishy sushi? can't remember what she said but apparently it is an accepted term in english.)

[During lunch in Ngee ann poly]
MF: i want to start up a internet porn site.
Me: there are already so much, how are you going to be noticed...
MF: Simple, use an established brand as endoresement.
Me: Which brand.....
MF: Aiyah... StarBucks la....
Me: Huh?
MF: StarBucks already has a seductive female in its logo.. all i have to do i is just change the "B" in starbucks to "F"...
Me:..........

Finisher of 42.195Km

What drives thousands of people to wake up at ungodly hours of the night and scramble down to the Esplanande just to subject themselves to hours of gruelling torture just to cover 42.195km?

A distance at this day and age, too ridiculous to even contemplate and furthermore to cover on foot. Then why? What is the need to pay them 55 dollars to for a placing in this torture? I can't answer that question for there were 40,000 reasons behind the 40,000 participants.. Some ran for the love of running, some for friendship, some to accompany their loved ones and some, just to kill boredom.

I had my own. I have covered half marathons... I needed to know my physiological capabilities and limits. I needed to know that my heart and will is much stronger than my body. I needed to know that i won't quit unnecessarily. I needed to know that i won't be supressed that easily. ... I needed to know that who i am is not confined to being flesh and blood.

Valuable lessons were learnt.

Wheather was merciful, I thank HIM for that. Had a good start and a smooth run till the 27th km. I was happy about running non stop till 27... the longest i ever ran nonstop was 20km. That is when my knee started to cave in. Wanted to continue running but pain was getting sharper. I decided to stop and walk. Contemplated throwing the race but i couldnt. I started something and i wanted to finish it. Badly. Never had so many bad cramps on my muscles before.. I never had a cramp on my toes, i do not even know how to stretch my toes.Can it even be stretched?

The run taught me more than what i had expected. I ran with pride, with my head held high.. Exhaustion taught me to be humble when i could no longer keep upright and i walked with my head towards the ground. I wanted to finish the race in the shortest time possible but the daunting distance taught me patience and perseverance. I learnt the value of sharing for hadn't the stranger shared his power gel with me, i would have struggled on with more pain. I learnt the value of helping when another stranger helped me to stretch my calves. I was taught that a kind word can go a long way ( thanks Anthony for spurring me on). I learnt the value of bond when strangers were encouraging one another to keep at it. The run taught me to focus on the task at hand and not be distracted. Preparing for this run taught me the value of dedication .I learnt that pain is temporary but achievement is forever.

Most importantly i learnt that nothing is possible without HIS blessings.... perfect wheather in the month of December, cool breeze , miraculous sustenance of knees , to put it short and sweet, EVERYTHING.....

Now tell me, wasn't all these worth the meagre 55 that i paid?

Exercise in frustration...

The 70 km/h speed limit on KPE , the ridiculous waiting period for a doctors appointment, the ridiculous paperwork in the name of administration. What do they all have in common?

They are all, as the title suggests, an exercise in frustration. More like a heavy work out i would say. Being patient is one thing, but getting transferred around and referred to countless unrelated workstations seems to do just the otherwise.

The recent addition to this growing list would be the automated telephone answering systems in govt. agencies and some major private companies.

Thank you for calling the (e.g) property tax hot line.[ followed by a re-run of it in Chinese] .Press 1 for english, Press 2 for Chinese. [After pressing 1] For inquiries on property tax press 1, for application for tax exemption, press 2, for updates on revision of taxes press 3, this contiues till 9 i guess. By the time i spent 3 to 4 minutes listening to all the options, i would have forgotten what the first option. After choosing the option that i wanted, i had to enter my IC number before having to choose further sub choices presented to me again by the same computer generated voice. After goin through so many sub levels just to find out that there is no choice that best describes my needs, there comes the final option. To talk with operator , press 0.... Why can't they just give this option earlier? The best part, i have to spend another 5 to 10 minutes listening to horrible MIDI renditions of Tchaikovsky before the operator answers... and all my inquiries gets settled in a min.

15 mins of hanging on the phone for a 1 minute long conversation.

True Drama Mama(s)

I just realised that we Singaporeans severly lack imagination and creativity ... and a bit of culture too..

Not going to talk about anything serious, just that i was watching Sun TV (channel 29) on cable. I was seriously impressed by the amount of research, scriptwriting, casting, graphics effects and editing that goes into their advertisements. It's so damn creative. The ads are actually more entertaining then Captain Vijayakanth's movies. I am just going to tune in to that channel just for its ads. Our local ads are nowhere near in comparison. I dun understand why our local ads could not be of this calibre.. have we become so boring and unimaginative in the process of saving cost and airtime? Even then the duration of airtime of the indian ads isn't that much longer compared to local ads.hmmmmm... i hope we dun lose it in the name of progress, productivity and efficiency.

have fun watchin the followin clips.

Why guys like slimmer girls..... a logical explanation..

Its been long time since i laughed like this.. i found myself rooting for the woman..


WHY MEN PREFER SLIM WIFE??????? - The best bloopers are a click away

The VISA Conundrum

First it was Richard Gere using his VISA to swipe the ass crack of a Rajastani bird seller when trying to impress a girl simply wanting to buy 5 birds for her brothers journey.Now it's the Beijing Olympics.

The VISA ads seem to be sarcasticly ambiguous. Especially when Asian countries are involved. India was portrayed like a third world country desperately in need of the MNC's economic rescue.

In the latest ads by VISA... the one thats being aired with Jackie Chan trying to win a pair of tickets to the Beijing Olympics..there is also some subtle message... i shall point out some key scenes from the ad.. and you try to figure out the meaning.

Jackie purchases a Ping Pong bat.... the bat breaks while a training session and he resorts to using his hand. Next, he purchases a soccer ball... but during training, the ball bursts when he kicks it... Then , he leaps of a spring board during gym training only to be overcast into the window... the list goes on..

Still don't get the moral of the story? Simple! Don't buy things that says.... MADE IN CHINA... Hahaha... In case if VISA, Jackie or any Chinese govt agencies are reading this.. don't sue me... it's just a tongue in cheek humour and i seriously can't afford a legal tussle.

Rhetoric's Wish List

1) Complete the long overdue Documentary on Indian Muslims
2) Complete the Documentary on Special Ed.

doctors on the other side.

Made my occasional visit to my work place last week. As a tour of duty, i started from my class and ended with the OT Rooms. Crapping with the OTs always tends to seize the apprehensions about my job and my seemingly bleak prospects.They give me the "Dun worry, all will be alrite" feel.Anyway, one of them informed me of the contemplations to seek medical treatment in a foreign country ( which by the way is a growing trend now days) and as usual this set me off thinking.

Singapore, a nation with accreditations in medical breakthroughs and R&D. Young, vibrant and on par with first world countries. Yet why do i see more and more people seeking medical attention for their ailments in other countries.... what's lacking here?

A pseudo survey with friends and two coffee(s) later at the coffee shop, i managed to collate their enthusiastic replies.

1) It's too expensive to seek treatment for major illnesses in Singapore. The middle class people seem to be the most affected. Not rich enough to afford the expensive treatments and not poor enough to qualify for any subsidies. This predicament acts as a push factor to fly to developing nations where treatments can be sought for much lower fees thanks to difference in currency.

2) Quite weirdly, some felt that the medical services here are over-rated. Some of my conspiracy theorists buddies felt that for every high-profile medical breakthrough published on national newspapers, there are many screw-ups that are swept under the rugg and kept out of mention.

3) This seems the most logical to me... Red Tape. Our doctors have become intuitive when treating the common colds and knee injuries but they tend to lack confidence and knowledge when they are dealing with potentially fatal illnesses. They want to play safe and follow protocols when diagnosing these illnesses. Though i welcome this move, i just feel that our doctors have become too caught up with procedures and playing safe that they sometimes over look the fact that certain illnesses are time critical.

Classic example would be Cancer. When detected in its earliest stages, can be treated to full recovery. But somehow i just do not understand why the doctors schedule the scans months away... Don't they realize that the waiting period itself is sufficient to mature the cancer? Why does one have to go through so many check ups ( and these are ordinary check ups where the patient is told to wait a few weeks before returning for another check up) before being sent for a scan. Just to be told that he/she has cancer.

But who is really to blame for this ridiculous practice. The doctors? or us, the Singaporeans? Have we become so accustomed to complaining and being picky about even the slightet mistakes that we left the doctors no choice but to follow all these ridiculous procedures.They are human too. They are not born doctors or specialists. If we do not provide the room for them to learn, how are they going to improve?

I feel its a vicious cycle actually but i will elaborate on it in the next entry.. now too tired to continue.

Multimedia Computing... Whats that?

Meetings with Hong Bin always bring unwarrented enlightenment. This time, he chose to shed light on the redundancy of the Diploma that we had slogged to attain in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Diploma in Multi-Media Computing...a lodestone to tech savvy teenagers of 1999. A cash cow in the eyes of parents who want their children to hitch a ride on the IT wave at the end of the 20th Century. It's a course that promised a good foundation in multimedia skills and computer programming. Basically I should have been a master of anything that starts with e- .

However, thanks to Ah Bin's wisdom of the second, I just realised how far off target i fell thanks to Multimedia Computing (MMC). Instead of becoming Masters of the trade, we became the Jack of NOT too many trades. Simply put its Chapalang Course. They took a bit of everything and cramped it in. We got quantity but where the hell was the quality?

The irony was that i was getting outdated even as i was progressing to my second year in the course. I studied Flash 3, six months later ALI ( my junior of 1 year) was studying Flash 4. I can't believe that i enrolled into this course to keep up with the times.

Anyway coming back to the point, a pseudo reality check in the hallways of SIM, confirmed that neither Ali, Hong Bin nor myself had pursued a job or further studies in relation to our field of study. Further information came from the Guru of the second (Hong Bin), that more of my classmates were dropping this field as they were squeezed dry but paid peanuts...

It just makes me wonder at times, how many of us really pursue what we had studied. From the housewives with PhD to the Post-Grad Prata Man. Have we hit a saturation point that the degree doesn't count anymore? Are the tongue in cheek jokes of the coffee shop ah pek about requiring a PhD to sweep the roads going to become reality?

Where are we really heading? There is an E-Theory. That the ever growing internet would one day grow so big that everything will crash. I know that my analogy does not make much sense but i just needed to justify my diploma in MMC... anyway yeah, have we pusued the degree so much that we even require it do a physically skilled job?

When the courses provided doesn't meet the market expectations, it becomes a disillusionment to the students who fork out ridiculous amounts of cash to study it.
I fear that education has become too commercialised and true knowledge has become buried deep beneath wads of cash and cheques. How ah, like that?

when the dot matters.... really!

Fasting for some reason hasn't been easy on me this time round. I feel alot more tired and lethargic compared to the previous years. Maybe its due to my extra active life style of the past few months.

Anyway, recently, just returned home after breaking fast at a fast food restaurant. Realizing that there was no one at home ( all went terawih prayers), i decided to sit back and relax. I quickly freshened up, poured myself a cup of tea and heated up some left over samosas. Thought of watching tv but a cd labelled " AR Rahman" caught my attention. It's been quite a long while since i last listened to AR Rahman music. (AR Rahman is a genius composer who created most of my fav songs). So i loaded the disc into the high fi system then, i set the ambience. I dimmed the lights, set the fan on me and tiredly slouched back into my couch. My player has this tendency to play all songs very softly, so to counter it i would normally crank up the volume really high. Placed my feet on the coffee table with my tea in one hand, a plate of samosa on my tummy ( i am slouching you see) and the hi fi remote in the other hand.
I pressed play. threw the remote onto the other couch adjacent to me and picked up a samosa.

A good few seconds passed and i was beginning to wonder why the song hasn't begun... and then the speakers screamed/blasted out " BISMILLAHIRRAHMANIRRAHEEEEEM!!!".

I was drenched in tea, the sofa was stained with the oil from the samosa, the plate was in pieces. I was clambering over the couch to get the remote and shut my damn hi fi off. Once the hi fi was off, i just had to sit down and catch my thoughts..and my breath. I took out the disc to see what went wrong, and there it was. It wasn't a comiplation of A.R. Rahman but its a compilation of the Surrah AR RAHMAN ( a chapter of the Qur'an). I didn't know a small dot can cause me a heart attack.

I spent a good 45 min cleaning up after that... by then the entire gang had returned. hmmmmm.

just the way i like it....

The pictures from the birthday.. tot of posting another one of my thoughts.. but i realised i have gotten a tad too serious recently.. so am just gonna hang loose and relax on this one. Enjoy the pics....


thanks guys for making it happen... really loved the simplicity of it all...

Mocha Frap... and the Cafeterian Muslim.

Each sip was cooling every inch of my parched throat. The fluffy sofas were very much appreciated after a long day of an uneventful shopping spree. Stretching backwards and hearing the cracks coming off my back was damn shiok man. I just love the lounge setting and the ambience of Starbucks at The Cathay. It has been a very long time since i last came here. Too long.

I always go up to the counter to choose on a drink..and i will be going like "hmm, this...nope... hmmm ...that... nah... its ok...." and finally i would settle upon a choice which happened to be the same one i had made the many times i had visited Starbucks before.

The Mocha Frappucino - A delightfully sweet and creamy combination of coffee, milk and chocolate, blended with ice, topped with whipped cream.

It was while waiting for my coffee to be served that my mind started wondering off... You see, there was this short queue at the collection point. Before me was a an indian muslim guy(i know he is indian muslim from an earlier incident) and his malay girlfriend who was very provocatively dressed.. To be honest, she did look quite hot, and she can easily tugg at one's primal instincts. It didn't help at all when that they were smooching either. I was growing very uncomfortable and all i wanted to do was just take my drink and proceed back to my seat.

My seat, gave me a panoptic view of the coffee house, and i was able to observe everyone seated there. Sipping on my frap, i noticed another muslim (enough of this Indian or Malay segregation) couple. Girl was very tudung and the works, guy was very decent looking. All seemed ok except that they seem to be glued to each other.. The guys hand was over her shoulder and stroking her side. All these kicked off my analytical train of thoughts.

What was wrong with the picture that i just saw? Hmm they were Muslims and they all had broken some code of conduct according to Islamic laws. It's only when i was desperately trying to make sense of what i saw, the cafe's menu board came into perspective. Earlier i walked over to the menu board, of everything that was provided, i selected what i wanted/ preferred and simply gave a blind eye to the rest. To options that i could have alternatively taken, i came up with some "nope and Nah's"...

Likewise , of the doctrine that Islam has illustrated to us. Absorb and practice only those particular laws that seem feasible and doesn't conflict with our interest... the rest, just simply overlook. Or when confronted come up with some theories.."I only kiss only wat.. not having his baby or anythin rite" , " I am going to marry her wat so wat if she is pregnant now??" , " Does it mean i am a bad muslim if i wear fashionable clothes? its the intention that counts wat..." etc etc etc. There is a myriad of explanations for being very cafeterian about Islam ..

As a guy born into a modernistic Singapore, i can truly accept the provocatively dressed gal or the touchy couple...But when comparing and contrasting it with the Syariah, i am really at a loss for words..
1) Simply because the Quranic text still holds its relevance to the current date.. and not even a single word has been changed in all its existence.
2) I myself belong to the cafeterian muslim, simple example.. i am to be covered from the navel to knee at least (aurat) , and yet i only wear a singlet and a running shorts when i go for my routine run... my rationale being... the comfort and etc...there are alot more flaws that i can tell about myself ... but i rather you relfect upon your own...

I realize that there are 3 types of people.
1) there are those who do not know and do nothing about it.
2) there are those who know and did something about it
3) there are those who know and did nothing about it.

Which one are you? guess everyone have their own demons to fight.

Happy National Day ... and some random thoughts.

*disclaimer : ideas, statements, suggestions and comments made in the following post are purely the personal opinions of the author. no disrespect is intended towards anyone. I love my Singapore!

Happy National Day!!!! Everyone! A toast to everything we have endured so far and for everything else we are going to endure together as fellow Singaporeans.


Its nice be a student once again. Having fun doing tutorials ( yes i know it sounds weird) and discussion forums. Planning to make the most of it since its only going to last me a few months.


Quite weird to note how everyone is so anxious to see me get married off. Am i such a threat to your daughters, girlfriends and sisters? Even the "Qadi" is advocating me.


The "in" words around me lately are 5rm valuation, HDB Grants, Housing loans and CPF deductions.

and last but not least is it me or is it that this years NDP Logo looks like as if "someone" is pointing the middle finger at me.haha .. take a look for yourself.

The Occasional truths in email FWDs

Let's face it, we all get e-mail FWDs with loads of general philosophies, half-truths and whole lies. The advice ranges from personal reflections to public propoganda.

The truth is , i never really paid any attention or gave two hoots about these mails. In fact i deleted mails which arrive in my inbox with subjects starting with a FWD.

Anyway getting to the point. Recently managed to catch up with an old polymate. He is also one who practices the art of deleting FWDs without even reaching the half way mark (sometimes we don't even bother opening the FWDs.). While gorging down our burgers at BK(PS),as a topic opener , i asked him regarding one of his MSN nicknames... which went something like "Don't make someone a priority in your life, when you are just an option in theirs". He simply laughed and said that phrase was from a FWD, i should have known from it's corniness. Then he went on to elaborate about the experiences he had with a particular girl, from the chase to courtship to condemnation. Really felt sad for him for i totally understood his predicament( giving a zen look haha).. We were silent for a few minutes then it kind of hit us, that phrase makes absolute sense.
To ensure trust, i disclosed some recent updates from my life... and the best part was that we were laughing at ourselves for the idiots we have been. It is kind of funny that it doesn't hurt like it used to a few years back. Maybe i have gotten numb or maybe i am just growing out of my foolishness. I mean, what was i thinking? Subjecting my/our lives to a monocracy by the girl for whom we would have laid down almost anything for, when all i am , is just another option in her relentless pursuit for her ideal man .

It seems that a lot of people had advised my friend that he needs to win her heart by showing or treating her differently from what normal friends might do. In other words, show her what he can offer so that she can choose him over the others. Logic seems pretty ok till you take a back seat and see the full picture. I simply told him to forget it... It seems that she said to him "i don't know" when he proposed, so i just asked him to listen to the inner meaning of the last word..."NO".

Just out of curiosity, when did courtship become so commercialised , " invest my money in the bank that gives me the most returns". What happend to the intrinsic value of courting. Hmm..would a girl like to be subjected to this kind of treatment , being asked to prove what she can offer before the guy decides to say a yes or a no? where is the respect for the girl? like wise for the male counterparts.

Again the funny thing was that we were having very serious conversations with plenty of sudden hilaraious outbursts, laughing at ourselves. Guess that was our way of dealing with it.
Time came for us to part ways. We gave each other the "brother brother" handshake topped up with a closed fist bang to our chests and a peace sign before boarding seperate trains.....yeah rite.

A humble request to my friends

Guys
1) Don't think too much, just ask and find out
2) Don't make the girl a priority in your life till you know that you are one in her life( if you do, you might tend to lose the ones who always had been there for you.)
3) Be straight forward about what you expect

Girls
1) Please, respect the fact that the guy worked up the courage to propose, and give him a yes or no answer. (saying "i don't know, puts the guy in a flux, to pursue or not to pursue?)
2) Just say what you feel as it is.. don't worry about hurting the guy.

Ps: i am not trying to be a love doctor here. just wanted to share my opinions on this matter.

The vanishing Saturdays...

All week, after eagerly waiting for saturday, it feels rather disappointing that saturdays couldn't stay longer. I feel cheated.. All i did was to go for hike at 9 am, complete it at 3 pm. then i went for the national day preview from which i came back only a while ago and thats it. My day is over. Saturday has just gone by.

On the other hand , the hike was very good. Covered quite a substanstial distance. From Bt.Timah to Macritchie, though the sign board states the distance apart as 10.9 Km , we know for sure that we covered a whole lot more with all that detours and "bashes" through the vegetation and yes of course the golf course visits, the Long Kang explorations and a myriad of monkey businesses. Good company and lots of goofing around made it all the more worthwhile sacrificing my sleep on a sat mornin.

As for the NDP Preview, to be honest, the only segments that captured my attention and admiration was the display of the latest additions to the uniformed groups arsenal and of course the fireworks. It always had my admiration coz i simply had to admire the fact that people who are particular about donating a few cents to a charity organisation, seem to clap and cheer out aloud when they tax money is being blown into oblivion from the tops buildings and barages...hmmmm...

Anyway getting tired.. shall continue tomorrow.

It's been some time...

I can give a myriad of reasons justifying my absence in the past few weeks...but i'll give it a pass.

Alot of things seem different now.. Profession, family, friends, myself. There is some element in all of these factors that seem rather peculiar in the recent times. Not really sure where or to what the changes are gonna lead to.. but i shall let time reveal it to me. i realize that i have begun to stop expecting anything out of (almost) anyone... and a wise friend told me that its not a good sign and i said [ in an indianised Al-Pacino accent] " Good or bad depends on the perspective of the subject in question" hopefully he understood what i said.. Heck, i dun't.

Anyway, on the other hand , my then favourite past times seemed to have gotten a revival.. am just glad that i could maintain the consistency and ya thanks to Arshad of course... always picking me up at every Sat,8am for our 10 - 12 Km run.
I couldn't believe the shape i was in when i first started.. 10KM in 1 hr 20 mins with alot of walkin in between. Then it progressed to 1hr non-stop and today it was 47 mins.. Kayaking completed the over all body work out.. feels really shiok to sweat like niagra falls.

Only regret i have is not attaining proper training when i was younger.. i could have avoided alot of knee problems i am facing now... guess its better late then never... SC Marathon... here i come. INSHA ALLAH.

just for fun.....

Not into believing that my birthday determines my character... but when a friend of mine forwarded me a page about my star sign... i couldn't help but to sit back and laugh in cynicism as well as continue reading in disbelief at the accuracy of *some points mentioned.. i wonder who writes about all these stuff...

Virgo

Your element: Earth [ i figured ]
Your ruling planets: Mercury [ i rule mercury?]
Symbol: The Virgin [ No!!!! i don't want to be one all my life]
Your stone: Sapphire [ So i can just walk into a jewellery shop demand all the saphires?]
Life Pursuit: To do the right thing [ If i had any clue about it]
Vibration: Compassionate and caring [ my vibration is compassionate and caring? what am i vibrating?]
Virgo's Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return [ YES!!! and finally my symbol can finally change!]

Description:
Virgos are often put down badly by many astrologers and written up as being fussy and narrow-minded. But when a Virgo shines, there is practically no sign to match their inner light. An in-tune Virgo is a treat to meet. When a Virgo is confident within themselves they are the most successful, structured and creative of all the signs.

Many Virgos can be found working in the "service to others" industries, ranging from welfare work, doctors, school-teachers through to practising natural forms of healing like massage, herbal remedies etc. One of the most magical characteristics of the Virgo is no matter how many times life or romance turns sour on them, they still manage to maintain faith in others, refusing to become cynical. There is ingenuity around this sign, a kind-heartedness, which unfortunately is sometimes played upon by others for their advantage. Virgos can often become victims of relationship power-games, where they are mistreated.

Creative and sensitive, Virgos are delicate people who, like rare and special orchids, require individual treatment to fully blossom into their true unique beauty. Shy, they are happy to allow others to take centre-stage and often generate their time and energy into making those they love happy or successful.

Virgos are givers and when the chips are down and you need a friend, the one available during those testing times when you need advice or companionship the most, is likely to be a Virgo. Virgos understand human frailties better than most, because they are so deep and reflective themselves. With a Virgo in your life you have someone who understands and cares and any romance or friendship based upon these qualities is certain to be mutually rewarding.

taken from : http://www.psychicguild.com/horoscopes_zodiac.php