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

The world pushed me to my knees....and i realize that i am in the perfect position to... pray

Never had i been stretched to my limits like this before..
So much turmoils, so much problems, legal issues and so much reflections.
the mountain told me that i can conquer if i just focus.
the heartless relatives of the deceased man told me what kind of a muslim i should live as.
the last minute doubts of the bride told me what i should look for in a partner
the legal tussles told me to be clear and concise of what i expect
the house shiftings told me to brace up for changes..

and just when i thought i can't take anymore and fell to my knees...
i realized all i had left to do is just lean further and submit..

Don't tell me that you are incapable of lighting even a single candle...

highest point in my life...13, 500 feet

It's funny.. I wanted to document every little emotion i experienced when i ascended the mountain but i simply can't. I wrote a few drafts of this posts and as i read it , i realised that no matter how descriptively i wrote or how simply i put my thoughts across...it just doesn't cut it. Neither can i describe the view up there, not even pictures can depict the tear jerking sights that i saw up at 13,500 feet. Everything is out of this dimension, the geography, climate, flora and fauna.. everything.

I fully stand by the saying that the journey is just as important as the destination.
It exposed me to a very long overdue metamorphosis. It was a test of everything. Strength, stamina, will power, spirit, mental fortitude and of course team bonding. I am going to keep this entry short for no amount of words could express fully what i saw and experienced by God's creation.

I learnt who i am and what i am capable of , how far i can go even when my physical being has given up on me. My capabilities and capacity had been stretched to non-existence. But the most valuable lessons i learnt were of Allah S.W.T's mysterious ways of working.. It was just like fasting but on a more short and intensive scale. Just like fasting , the ascend purged me of my bodily capabilities.. Never been this exhausted in my life and my limbs never this rebellious. Its only at the point where my body "died", my mind took over. i had never been this focused in my entire life before. Never this iron willed. I never knew where i got the pockets of strength and energy to take the next step. It simply baffled me.. and then it hit me.... Not everything conforms to logic and reasoning. There are things beyond what we can comprehend.

I urge who so ever be reading this. Go climb a mountain.. know more about yourself.
I also would like to take this opportunity to say a few words to my team..

Julie - never knew a person can have as much energy as you. You were the teams jukebox running on energizer.Glad to have met you on this trip

Izat - we never really had the opportunity to get that closely considering that were seperated during our ascend. thanks for the chocolates and raisins which kept me going. Loved going overboard with you on the raft.

Rauff- Bro, thanks for the water you shared with me at the timely moment near low's peak. if not for that, i dun think i would have reached the summit.

Faizul - Bro, think your ass is still imprinted on my shoulder haha.. nice bonding with you over the ascend and i am seriously impressed by your will power despite your screwed up knee.

Nisa - the babe with the smile that warms me up even at 13,500 ft. Glad to have had you by my side along the route, and really babe, thanks for making this trip happen. You opened me up to wider horizons.

points to ponder on....

It's said that it is impossible to fathom all in the universe. These are just 10 of the many questions in my universe.

1) If i wrote a book about failures and it doesn't sell in the local book stores.... is it a success?

2) Why do i get darker when i am in the sun, but my hair seems to be getting lighter?

3) If con is the opposite of pro, is congress the opposite of progress?( overheard a bunch of guys trying to impress a girl in the bus)

4) Who the first first person was to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"

5) Why people say they "slept like a baby", when babies normally wake up every two hours? (readers digest)

6) Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but has to check when you say the paint is wet?

7) Why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, while dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons? (gotta give it to Brian for his astute observations)

8) If there is such a thing as love at first sight.... why do they say that love is blind?

9) Why do we keep pushing the elevator/traffic light button faster? Does pushing the buttons make it arrive faster?

[My all time favourite]

10) Why do the girlfriends bite their boyfriends? for no rhyme or reason... i am serious... just ask yourself this question if you are the girlfriend.. have you bitten your boyfriend?... and if you are the guy.. ask yourself.. were you ever bitten by your girlfriend who claimed that she bit you coz she had nothing to do?

Race by SIM ICC

Vettaiyadu Velaiyadu

Date: 18/June /2007

Targeted Participants: Local Polytechnics and Universities

What 2 expect: Exciting & challenging activities & lots of fun

Prizes: $1000 worth of cash prizes to be given away

Contact: Ali @ 93831699

Further Information: http://www.simicc.blogspot.com

Registration deadline: 8/June /2007

The "Ooru kaarae"(Indian nationalle) in all of us...

Disclaimer: Portions of this entry may or may not seem racially insensitive. If it does, kindly forgive me for the inappropriate use of the English vocabulary to express the intended light hearted humour behind the jokes. If it doesn't seem offensive... laugh along with me.

Phew.... didn't know writing a disclaimer can be this tiring..It's been a very long time since i last wrote disclaimers...Writing disclaimers kind of boosts my ego; makes me feel as if i am writing something sensational and controversial.

Anyway, coming back to the topic. Often times, i avoided Little India and all in its vicinity during the weekends ( friday evening to sunday evening), simply because of the crowd (majority of whom are Indian nationalle). It is one place where traffic laws and their enforcers lose their authority. Loud and occasionally drunk men are the kings of the roads.Its a place where they find the bush near the void deck so interesting that they want to snap a picture with it and send it back to India. Its a place that would show you the literal meaning of standing shoulder to shoulder(its that crowded). It's basically a place where a typical Singapore bred Indian will get a concentrated culture overdose, or is it the lack of.. and if you happen to pass by race course lane ... take off your sunglasses. Trust me. You won't need it when the huge expanse of the green pitch opposite apollos is covered with.... er... hmmm.. Indians having a picnic.Good luck to you if you have to cross over to KK hospital..

[the part where the title of the blog was derived from]
You see i always thought, how the hell could they just sit like that and have a picnic on a pitch that reads.. "state land, enter at your own risk". why can't they be a bit more civilized.. BUT today, it all changed.. i just came back from my re-education. i just came back from... Vivo City. Dudes... kindly go to the top floor gallery of Vivo City.. i was just plain surprised to see "our people" (local Singaporeans)sitting along the water ponds(mere metres apart), doing everything imaginable under the sky. There were even Malay families having the typical family picnic.Radios, kids, soccer ball, the food... i won't be surprised if i even found the fishing rod set up somewhere along the roof. There were Chinese couples snapping pictures of themselves with their "tweece" poses or "act cute" poses.. Some of the them were having a pot luck by the stagnant water front.[*slapping my forehead] Then there were the couples desperately trying to perfect their french kisses...You should have heard the moans they let out when they were exchanging enzymes passionately... i thought there were frogs in the pond suddenly. It was like info overload.

Here i thought that the Indian Nationalles were bad enough..guess we are a few steps ahead of them..We do it Singapore style.. Multi-racial.. all races are encouraged to join in the fun.. and thats exactly what i did.. Dun worry,i wasn't practicing my french kissing in a Cina threesome.. i just sat beside one. haha..

...Off the road and into the... postcard

Simply put.. went for the Ducktours.. which has been around for quite some time.. yet i have never gone for it. It's kinda funny to know that a tourist, someone who resides elsewhere would have gone for such rides compared to us.. but i wont blame us.. the ride is like crap.. Only thing i would be thankful for going to this ride is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the water spout.

...of leapords in tudung and the world wide web..

there is a saying in tamil, which (when loosely translated ) means, the persistence of the ant can even wear out the rock on which it is crawling upon. I thought i might try my hand at it and introduce the leapord in tudung to the unfathomable world of blogging. I only realised much later that i was not crawling on a rock but on a granite fortress. tried.failed.unsatisfied.... but i am going to keep on trying. Just curious to know how this leapord thinks beneath its tightly tied tudung.

I always believe that people have multiple faces (i am not insinuating that people are two-faced)and the face we all see on each other is the one meant for public scrutiny, perceptions and judgments. Then, there are the faces that come out when you want express something. There is a face for every moment you feel.Yet beneath all these layers of different faces.. there is this particular one that is the "real" you. The one which has no guards or false representations or any regard for another.. The one that thinks solely with the heart and not with the mind at all..The one that puts you in the front in all decisions made. hmmmm.. lets give this "real" face a name.. lets call it the "jingaaro".....

It's always fun to see the Jingaaro of someone..anyone. Lately i got very fascinated in my attempts to see the jingaaro of the leapord in tudung ( quite a mouthful).. The leapord in tudung always came across to me as an upright, no nonsense, succinct and firm.... yet it was kind and compassionate and at times (just at some times only) kinda guided me.. this contradictingly cool persona just fueled my curiosity on how its jingaaro would look like.. One day i will succeed. i think. shall see..

try it.. stand infront of the mirror and see the jingaaro..

The Signs... that our society is getting old...

You know that the population is getting old ......

1.When you realize that majority of the Mcdonald service crew are senior citizens.

2.When you see employment propaganda by the Govt. shifting sides from the young and dynamic to the wise and experienced.

3.When physiotherapy equipments replace the plastic playgrounds where children once played.

4.When parents are actually old enough to be your grand or even great grandparents.

On the other hand , you have to give it to our younger generation for responding to this aging problem promptly.

1.They waste not even a single precious moment researching on various lead ups and methods of procreation regardless of where they are.

2.They contribute to the increase of the national birth rate as soon as possible.. presumably in their teens.

3.They also enter the workforce early in their teens to contribute to the GDP, and also to keep our senior citizens companied and also to buy milk powder for the child they had in the process of contributing to the increase in national birth rate.

Epitome of the Singaporean culture...... THE MRT.

It sums up pretty much every or almost, every aspect and characteristics of a Singaporean living in.... well, Singapore.

You have to love the way, the MRT always rushes us to where we need to go. So much so , that we too always rush to .... pretty much everywhere. The MRT door opens , and we rush in to get seated. The Cinema door opens and we rush in also ( despite having allocated seats this time). We rush to the food stalls during our lunch breaks, rush through our meals and then rush back to our work. We also rush when the shopping centres open during a sale. We also rush to buy "Hello Kitties". We rush for the primary one registration and we rush for the free copy of TODAY to read in the MRT. We rush for the mundane to the monumental. Just like how the MRT does not stop mid way to catch a breather, so do we. We have forgotten that the journey also matters as equally as the destination that we are rushing to reach.

Is it the system? like how the train rushes to reach its designated stations within the stipulated time, we only rush to attain the preset goals within the stipulated milestoned age ? find a job by 25 , find a spouse by 30, buy a house by 33.25, have a kid by 35...etc. How one views my point is subjective so i shall not elaborate further.

The MRT has often served as a reflection point in my life. Questions were often asked and answered whilst standing inside the over crowded and claustrophobic cabin.. Where have i been? where am i going? Countless rhetorical questions just churning in my mind.

At times when its not my life in reflection, i see the rebarbative nature of my fellow Singaporeans in the mirror. We almost seem incapable of caring for none other than ourselves. Despite so much visual cues ( which i find embarrassing) to be polite and considerate, there are people who are adamant not to give up their seat for the eldery/disabled/pregnant. Some pretend to be asleep, some pretend to be stressed and angry and there are the classic ones who will clutch their knee or their thighs and occasionally let out a grunt as if they were in pain. Thanks to these dimwits, those who are geniunely injured or asleep get the brunt of the cranky and pissed off eldery/pregnant and disabled.

Just as i thought that all hopes are lost with my fellow Singaporeans, i came across a ray of hope in the form of a pregnant lady whom i met enroute to Dhoby Gaut on the NEL. She was the anti-thesis of my usual fellow Singaporeans. I was seated and fast asleep ( really). When i reached clarke quay, i just happened to open my eyes, i saw this pregnant lady( in her most irritated expression) with her friend. i was still groggy you see and the moment i saw her tummy, i just got up i tugged at her hand and told her to have my seat at the same time i also apologized for not offering her earlier. I proceeded to the edge of the door and leaned on it. Just then the pregnant lady came up to me and apologized..I was abit puzzled.. She said that she thought i was just pretending to be asleep and she was cursing the shits out of me to her friend... i didn't know how to react and i simply smiled and said its ok.

What she did really took me by surprise. She had no need to do what she did.. but she did.. Guess there are still some people with calibre and character around.

Snippets from V.. (the stylo ones)

V's Introduction

The Dominoes

The Climax Fight

	Winner, “Best Documentary Feature” at the 77th annual Academy Awards, 2005. In the dark underworld of Calcutta’s overcrowded red light district appear a group of unforgettable children. Feisty, courageous, and wickedly funny - they are the children of prostitutes and drug addicts, and whose futures have so far been dictated by their surroundings. By a chance encounter, these children embark on a transformational journey with New York based photographer Zana Briski, who, over the course of three years, teaches them photography. The results are life-changing. BORN INTO BROTHELS is a humorous and life-affirming true story of the resilience of children and the power of art to transform even the most unlikely of circumstances.

[taken from GV ]

F.Y.I

i have been asked too many ridiculous questions too many times by the same too many people... so heres to answer some [ which i deem, not sensitive] of them

People: Din, you indian muslim ah?
Din: yes.. i am

People Oh, i have been thinking you are an Indian.
Din: Yes i am Indian.

People: Then how come you muslim?
Din: Coz i am a muslim.... Indian is my race and islam is my faith/religion... Its ok to be a mix , the world wouldn't end.

People: Eh, you pure indian ah?
Din: err... i pure indian

People: oh i tot you had Mongolian blood..
Din: What?!

People: Do you know Shah Rukh Khan... ( apparently, my last name has a khan)
Din: No i do not.

People: How many kids do u have ah?
Din: i will tell you after i have them...

People: Oh, still planning ah...(.... last time when my husband and me.........)
Din: [my goodness] ya i still planning, must get a girlfriend, marry her and impregnate her... etc.. a lot of work la...

People: Din, how old are you ah?
Din: 24

People: I tot you married already , haha
Din: err.. no la i am not... still young la.


People: Eh, got girlfriend or not?
Din: Why do you ask


People: Just ask only la..
Din: No i don't have..


People: Dun bluff bluff...
Din: Why should i ? you think i am still 16 to lie about all these ah.


People: then who da gal i saw with u in [a variety of places]
Din: Frend la... aiyo... friends. whats wrong with you people?


People: Din, you must be very rich rite?(monetarily)
Din: No i am not...


People: Indians must be very good in maths ah?
Din: i am not.


People: Eh, you know the ministers ah?
Din: No i do not..

People: you must know people with strong influences...
Din: where ever u got that idea from... i only know my frens and family.

Din: Give me a break la...

training woes and my dinner date.

Sometimes i wonder, what have i gotten myself into...
Paying so much money to go and climb out of all things, a mountain. Sacrificing quite a number of weekends on training. Spending quite a bit on the return journey home( which is often by cab).
Tormenting my already strained knee. Is it all worth it in the end? Well if it feels like today's training session, then it really is worth it... It has been such a long time since i perspired like this... I was drenched a quarter way through the trail. I got re- affiliated with my army boots.. Brought back so much memories as well. I must admit, i have toned my butt to an extent where i do not see one where it used to be at all...All my pants are flat at the back, think i need to invest in a buttsimizer pants... But on a serious note, it feels so good to feel so tired and worn out...

~~~~~~~~~

On a lighter note, i had a very wonderful date on friday even though i was dead beat after work... I went shopping with her at Vivo City, then had a wonderful (cheap and well under budget) dinner at harbourfront. Caught up alot, then we proceeded to the quiet and dimly lit harbour side... we took a short walk before we sat down along the habour side.. we talked for hours.. i didn't realize the time flying when i was with her, totally amused by her antics and her cute gestures and her totally tortured articulation in Tamil... must admit she does look much better now thanks to her ....errr.. mass enhancements ( she doesn't like it if i say that she has extra flesh now) ...well.. if i could only get close enough to her to.... squash her ........ nose like i always do.... wouldn't you scream at me Shalini V? like you always did back then? haha.. anyway sha, we gotta do this catching up more often.

~~~~~~~~~
too tired to type already gonna knock off...

I just do not get it.....

"TODAY"- 25/04/2007

I just really do not get it.. seriously..holistically i have to pay more for my basic provisions and amenities while i get to pay lesser for a car that i do not own and for petrol that i am not going to purchase.

It's like, you know, a poor man goes into a clothing store, begging for clothes to safe guard his modesty but gets slammed in the face... But when a celebrity who can afford all the clothes in the world walks in, he/she gets the entire purchase F.O.C....

PS: i am not anti government( i love my country :) ), simply put i just do not understand how this works.. thalae... care to explain this to me..

The Race

Mount Faber Run 2007

Pre-Run State of Mind:

18/4/2007 : - " looking forward to the weekends.... need my well deserved rest... i need to laze around"

19/4/2007 : - " need to do my i.e.ps.... need to submit my projected goals... damn... 5 more weeks din... hang in there...."


19/4/2007 : - "what movie shall i catch on sunday.. who shall i call??"

20/4/2007: - " i am so tired... i need a massage... "

20/4/2007: - " din.. put away the paperwork.. get a life da.. go out... "

20/4/2007: - " blank........"

21/04/2007: - [early in the morning] " twiggies... i want twiggies..."

21/04/2007: - [phone rings] " din u up for the run tomorrow? i haven't yet train leh.. can make it or not ?"
- [reply] "can can no problem.... [hung up] "

21/04/2007: - " twiggies... i want more twiggies.."

21/04/2007: - "SHIT!!!! I GOT A RACE TOMORROW."

21/04/2007: - " hmmmm... twiggies"


Post-Run State of mind :




Yours insincerely, Raascal.

New Design ... again...

Yup it is a new design for raascal ... again.
dunno why.. changing the designs acts as a form of stress relief for me.. so anticipate more changes on this site..

current d-sign is pulling in extreme and mixed reviews. some say that it looks great... some, just feel it is too boring and repulsive... well guess what this is my blog.. you will only see what i want to see.

anyway, so many things coming up.. case conferences, mizuno run (this sunday) and the much awaited Mt K.

Have not trained a bit for the run.. partially my knees are giving problems and as well i was never taking it competitively. just in it for the t-shirt... as the same for ali, safi, rafi, val and etc.

lets see the outcome on that day.. till then.. sha, dunt expect a post from me.

into the indebted world ...... loans....

It is disheartening and often times, painful and burdening.. But no one can escape it.. with the exception of the filthy rich.

Loans.. loans and more loans..

Every single thing seems to have loans appending it. My entire life seems suffocated with loans. Not that i am bankrupt or anything (place your hands on your head and say "touch wood"). Lets just reflect a bit here.. It is a enormous vicious cycle. These examples are just the tip of the ice berg as to why you are going to need a financial loan.

• If you want to study (dip or deg) - study loans.
• When you want to settle down and buy a house - housing loans
• When you want to buy a car - Car loans
• When you want to start being your own boss - Business loans, Bank loans
• When you are in need of urgent cash - James loans, POSB loans (any bank loans) or our favourite loan sharks.
• Even when you want to read something - Library book loans...

Ok, maybe the last one does not count. Then there are times when you are forced to take a loan even if you do not want to. Like as in paying for my Diploma with my dads CPF.. i am forced to pay him back even if he does not want me to do so.

It is very disheartening to know that a graduate is going to start his life with a huge debt.
It is painful to know that you do not really "own" the car that you drive.
It is burdening to start a family with housing loans burning your income ..
Loans have removed the joy from living.. instead we are plagued by constant insecurities and paranoia as to whether we can sustain our incomes to settle the loans. What do we really own then... when even the 6 feet deep grave seems to be loaned to us .... sigh.

Common Healthcare woes.... the bloody knees.

i got to face it.. i am getting old.. enough of living in my glory days.. "when i was 18 i was like this, like that... yadda yadda yadda...." .. now i do not even dare to charge for the ball without thinking about the possible outcomes of my agile stunts... often times i get off with a few crack sounds from my knee.. I just hope the day when my knee gives a "pop" sound never comes. If i had only been a little bit more mindful of my body when i was in NS... i wouldn't be suffering so much right now.
what is done.. is done.. anyway just some posting for all my other friends with knee problems..
and also for those without any knee problems too...

Knee Problems
- Brief intro on what else??? KNEE PROBLEMS..

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00555.html
- some readings on knee problems.

Indian to the core... haha

Guys we gotta do this ....come on...


I Want A Curry And Rice Girl - Amazing videos are here


One of my favourite ads.


Peugeut 206-Sculpteur - Click here for more free videos

the balance i guess..

Why gifted children don’t become eminent adults

March 22, 2007 in Smartkit All Posts, Creativity, Genius by Dr. R.L. Kaplan

Why is it that the majority of highly talented kids never go on to become eminent adults in their field of giftedness?

Came across an interesting article on the Northwestern University website that discusses some of the personality characteristics of those who do actually go on to become eminent adults; here is a summary:

• Preference for solitude which typically begins in childhood
• Lack of concern with conventionality, especially social conventions
• Extraordinary ability to cope with tension. History of stressful
  childhoods with tense and even traumatizing family situations
• High drive and energy. Workaholics. Many forego marriage, children and other normal joys of life because they fear it will detract from their dedication to their work

Another interesting factor mentioned in the article, which I’ve heard before, is that many eminent individuals lost a parent in childhood or adolescence

Article is from http://www.smart-kit.com/s466/why-gifted-children-dont-become-eminent-adults/

Child's Brain Teaser

i got this wrong the first time round.... try doing this and post it in the comments pls...
u can try googling for the answer as well.

One day a truck delivered a box of new animals to the pet store. Hannah needed to count the number of animals. When she peeked in, she saw many snakes and tarantulas all mixed up! She counted 18 heads and 64 legs.

How many snakes were in the box and how many tarantulas?

All I asked...

All i asked.. was to be strong, and HE gave me obstacles.

All i asked.. was to be wise, and HE gave me challenges.

All i asked.. was to be patient, and HE denied me my rightful opportunity.

All i asked.. was to be understanding, and HE gave me complexities.

All i asked.. was to be at peace with myself, and HE gave me insecurities.

All i asked.. was to be fair, and HE threw me in the middle of conflicts.

All i asked..

I almost gave up.. but just in the nick of time.. i realised that HE had given me all i had asked. just not in the manner that i was expecting.
Through overcoming obstacles(emotional, physical and mental), i became stronger. Plying through the challenges, i had become wiser than i was the day before. By waiting for my seemingly missed opportunities, i had learnt to be patient for my day to come. Tackling one complexed issue at a time, i gained understanding. By overcoming my insecurities one by one, i learnt more about myself thus becoming at peace with myself. Trust me, to subdue situations that involve conflict of interests.. you have to be fair minded.

Through all of these problems i realised one thing.
Life is made of obstacles, challenges, opportunities, complexities, insecurities, and conflicts. It is up to us how we are gonna handle it i guess. see the cup as half full or empty? Learnt so many lessons through my prayers...

Know what to ask and how to ask....
Ask not to be strong... instead, Ask for a donkey to carry your burden.
Ask not to be rich... instead.. Ask for others to be poorer than you.
Ask not to be wise... instead.. Ask for other to be dummer than you.
Ask not to be understanding.. instead.. Ask for the answers straight away..

get my drift? haha.. good nite all.

Kiasu..

'Kiasu' Added to Oxford English Dictionary!
Posted on Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Topic: Community Announcements

Quietly, and just like a Singaporean citizen, the humble Singlish word 'kiasu' migrated from its original home in the Coxford Singlish Dictionary to the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary - alongside other words like 'wiki' and 'ta-da'.

Check it out here at the OED's quarterly update site.
Hidden within the list of new entries somewhere 3/4 down the page (use the search function in your browser) is the word "kiasu" - n and adj. You can also do a 'search' on the OED's main page.

Which means that the word is now officially English too and we should be able to use it everywhere in our media with impunity.

Take that, you colonized, potato-eating monkeys of the Speak Good English Movement! Hopefully this isn't a belated April Fool's joke... if so, we'll be damn lau kwee. But then, it'd also be a cool prank! Either way, it puts a smile on our face.

For those of you hiding under a rock for the past 40-plus years, here's what 'kiasu' means (according to our very own Coxford):

KIASU (kee-ah-soo)
Hokkien adjective literally meaning, "afraid of losing". A highly pejorative description beloved of Singaporeans. Possibly our defining national characteristic. The nearest English equivalent is "dog in a manger", though even that is pretty mild in comparison.
"You went to get a handicapped sticker just to chope a parking space? How kiasu can you get?"

Thanks to Xuan You for pointing this out to us। Well done!

© http://www.TalkingCock.com 2001-2003। All rights reserved.

What's Next?

world's fastest supercomputer

What's the world's fastest supercomputer used for?

by Julia Layton

Protein molecules are the building blocks of the human body.

The world's fastest supercomputer will probably never be known as the world's fastest supercomputer. RIKEN's MDGrape-3 is the first machine to break the petaflop barrier -- that's 1 quadrillion calculations (floating-point operations, to be specific) per second -- and it's three times faster than the currently ranked fastest computer in the world, IBM's BlueGene/L. But MDGrape-3 is so specialized that it can't run the software used to officially rank computing speed. What it can do is determine the effect of any chemical compound on one of the most intricate systems in the human body in a couple of seconds.

MDGrape-3 is designed for pharmaceutical research, specifically molecular dynamics simulation. In developing drugs, pharmaceutical companies have to analyze thousands on thousands of chemical compounds to find out how they'll affect the protein-bonding structures in the human body. Protein structures called enzymes are the building blocks that do all of the work within a cell, and the way these proteins bond with any drug compound introduced into the human body determines the body's response to that drug. MDGrape-3 produces simulations of these molecular interactions. What takes most computers hours or days to analyze takes MDGrape-3 a few seconds. This functionality is invaluable in drug research, and it could drastically cut the research time involved in the development of new cures. A subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck has already booked time on the machine.

Structurally speaking, MDGrape-3 is a parallel computing system consisting of two main sections: a primary server unit and a specialized-engines unit. The latter component is a cluster of 201 engines running proprietary chips developed by Riken specifically for MDGrape-3. It's this huge set of engines, running 24 MDGrape-3 chips each, that does the heavy protein-analysis lifting. Each chip has a maximum processing speed of 230 gigaflops (one billion operations per second). The primary server unit manages the engine cluster. This parallel server setup runs two different types of processors: 65 servers run dual-core Intel 5000-series Xeon processors, 256 per server; and 37 servers run 3.3-GHz Intel Xeon processors, each with 2 MB of level 1 cache, at 74 processors per server. This hardware structure enables the 1-petaflop speed, which is the machine's theoretical maximum for certain processes.

MDGrape-3 took $9 million and about four years to build. And it's actually very efficient -- a total cost of $9 million breaks down to about $15 per gigaflop. The slower BlueGene/L cost about $140 per gigaflop to build.

BlueGene/L, which tops out at a theoretical 360 teraflops (trillion calculations per second), is also a biotechnology-specific machine. The advances in speed marked by these two supercomputers is indicative of a general trend in technology toward biologically-slanted systems. Some say the trend really started with the successful mapping of the human genome in 2000. Regardless of what spurred the current biotechnology race, most experts agree that the logical end of the surge is a state of DNA-based medicine. In several decades, we could make an appointment with our doctor for a quick DNA analysis to find out what diseases we're at risk for and pop a single, gene-targeting pill that eliminates all of those foreseeable risks.

time's forgotten oaths

Kutti's birthday meet up set me thinking for sometime now. So much has changed.So much..

Rushing back home after a long school day, dumping the school bag at one corner and sending my Bata's flying to the other.. Just to change and rush down to play catching at the playground with friends.

Forging parents signature on my report card when my grades nose dived.

Skipping terawih prayers to sneak into the darkness of the then crescent field ( now safra mt faber) to light up the first salem.

joining a uniformed group for the first time. Marching in our uniforms and thrusting our chest to the skies. At the same time buckling down on our own weight and licking the floor in the name of push ups.

Jumping over the fence and catching True Lies at Bukit Merah.

The first testosterone driven fight under the void deck to defend the brotherhood.

Forging brotherhoods and partnerships in crime including vandalism, public nuisance, miniature rioting, theft of automobiles (almost), Chroming , smuggling, getting arrested... my goodness...

So much has happened. So much has sculpted us in our growing process. But most of the times its always the bad experiences that teaches lessons of life and tests the fortitude of friendships by melting them in a crucible. The purities glow, while the impurities vaporize. After all is said and done, there remains a few of us torn, tattered.. tried and tested but still hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, brother to brother. Hence an unsaid oath is taken.. to be brothers for ever in the unshakable faith that nothing can pull us apart.... but life has other plans... adulthood.

Adulthood; priorities change, lifestyles change, times change. Friends change. Its sad to see that the friendship that withstood the battering obstacles of growing up, was succumbing to the subtle influences of adulthood and was diluting away day by day. The great adventures we had back then has now reduced to coffeeshop table top talks or sms'... pathetic. But beggars can't be choosers. i am getting tired.. can't keep it together anymore.i accept defeat. No one wrote rules as to how to live our lives and yet we conform ourselves to a mould.. a mould which no one wants to break.

Then, there is the other sort. The "phasers", people who categorize friends accordingly to the phases of life.. Once the phase is over, so is the friendship. What so difficult in keeping the old friends when making new ones? Anyway its none of my concern anymore..

So much trial and tribulations. So much lost in the past decade. So much hurt. But if not for all these, i wouldn't have known who were the real deal. Thus i would hereby take this opportunity to let you know that i am truly honored by your friendship, Chanthi, Ali and Shan.. Here is my Oath of friendship to you.

Oath of friendship

When you are sad....I will get you drunk and help you plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

When you are blue...I'll try to dislodge whatever it is that is choking you.

When you smile...I'll know you finally got laid.

When you are scared...I will rag you about it every chance I get.

When you are worried...I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be and to quit whining.

When you are confused...I will use little words to explain it to your dumb ass.

When you are sick...stay the hell away from me until you're well again. I don't want whatever you have.

When you fall...I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

PS: A good friend will be there to bail you out of jail. Your best friend will be the one sitting next to you saying, "That was f***ing awesome!"

PS 2 : For those also close friends of mine( alot of close ones out there) who are not mentioned... this is not an academy award॥ so dun come and hound me as to why i didnt list your names.. you know that i love and cherish you all the same...and have shown you my affection in one way or another.. so shut up.... ;)

PS 3 : PS 2 is not a diplomatic and damage controlling statement to appease the unmentioned heroes and heroines of my life..

Kinabalu 2007

At 4000 plus metres above sea level.. What have i gotten myself into?

From Talkingcock.com

Stressed. Felt as if i was going mad. Clicked on Talkingcock to unwind. Guess what i found to read.

SEOW LEOW! Signs We’re Going Gila Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 Topic: We, The Citizens

by Kway Png & K.K.Cheow According to the State’s Times, 1 in 4 Singaporean teens and young adults could develop psychological problems and mental diseases like schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, psychosis, personality disorder, paranoia, delusion and hallucinations. 25%! Seow leow! That’s a lot! TalkingCock.com presents a list of signs to help us Singaporeans recognize if we’re going gila: 1. You speak in different accents depending on who you’re talking to 2. You’re always looking over your shoulder whenever you complain about the Gahmen, in case ‘others’ eavesdrop and report you 3. You copy down the license plate numbers of cars involved in accidents because you believe others’ misfortune might bring you good luck 4. Not so long ago, you were even copying down numbers you thought you saw on the bodies of fish 5. You suspect there’s one man controlling your life from behind the scenes 6. You have the inexplicable urge to urinate in lifts 7. Your mind is full of contradictory notions – for example: a. you think people are inconsiderate when they don’t leave their table immediately after eating at the food court but think you have every right to take 25 bites to finish the last red bean in your ice kachang. b. you insist on enrolling your kids in Speech & Drama classes, and then pray they won’t go into the arts when they grow up c. you think that giving the poor a lot more money will discourage hard work, but paying politicians million dollar salaries will not 8. You think food tastes better when eaten by a longkang 9. The stuff you see depicted on local TV doesn’t seem to bear even the slightest resemblance to real life as you recognize it 10. You thought you saw your MP dancing hip-hop recently 11. You’re scared to walk around naked even in your own flat 12. You elected a guy even though he’s rumoured to have slapped someone 13. Why can’t you believe that the reporting in newspapers is unbiased? 14. You lash out with lawsuits even over the slightest criticism 15. You whack people over Hello Kitty 16. You’d rather drink your own pee than pay other people more for water 17. You see Men in White everywhere 18. You still haven’t emigrated Got any more signs? Let us know!

© http://www.TalkingCock.com 2001-2003. All rights reserved.
(If you're circulating this by email to your friends, please include this attribution. It's only polite, leh!)

In the heat of saturday night fever.

Quite a number of events occurred so getting to the gist of matters.

18 march (sunday) 5.50am outside hougang plaza.

struggling to stay awake while dragging my feet to the MRT station.. what am i doing there in the wee hours of the morning on a sunday? You may ask.. Well, i was on my way to Bt Timah for the weekly train up.. anyway coming back to the point.. i was walking past a group of teenagers seated on a bench and sobering up after their saturday night out i guess (and some of them, obviously still drunk).. so as i was walking past them, i heard one of them shouting out, "Eh Keling!"

Something just shot up my spine. i do not take well to racist remarks you see.. and i take it a bit more violently when the dumb ass is a bloody teenager..but i just continued walking, trying my best to avoid any form of conflict and screw up my beautiful morning. But NO... those rash punks could not let it rest. a few of them just came across my path and asked if i was deaf or what. To which i forced out a small smile and said excuse me. At this point of time another scantily clad and barely sober girl in a sweat drenched white tube top staggers into the group confronting me and asks them to knock it off.. i was quite impressed with her drunken sobriety and subtly said, please take your friends sound advice before anything gets out of control. concurrently some of them were back stepping already, except for this one dumb ass who was really fated to get it today. He asks me "Eh C*** B** Keling, you think you bruce lee ah.. you wan go 1 on 1 or not.. i mah bok also can take you down..etc." the soberly drunken girl comes back to drag him off to which i simply smiled at her and thanked her. Our hero cannot take it already.. he grabs my t-shirt and asks " you dare to smile at her!?" [ i dare to do more than that and i do not need to be bruce lee.. dimwit. i am a pissed indian thats enuff.. Keling is it... dun worry you definitely will hear "Kling" when i am done ]

Anger had already consumed me beyond control.. Pride has enraged me beyond rationality... and Ego has empowered me beyond restraint. so in return, i grabbed his windpipe and gently* pushed him a few steps back. Suddenly i found a bar stool in my hand and i realised instantly that that stool look much better on his face then in my hand. so i decided to put it in its befitting place. I took out my phone to call my buddies that i will be late to the hike but i guess they thought i was calling them down to hougang.

After that the entire bench came running to him.. and a few of the other guys simply apologized and ushered me away. i humbly requested that i wanted to call the police to resolve our differences but they chose to be magnanimous and simply give in to my views.

Entire ordeal lasted 20 mins, i got so mood out that i just wanted to turn back home and sleep it off. but considering the amount of effort Nisa puts into organising all this training sessions and considering that Faizul and the rest all took the trouble, i decided to go ahead anyway. But it was a good call had a wonderful time there. All of them were gung ho and on form. It took my mind of things.

BEST STUNT OF THE YR - TAMIL MOVIE - The best video clips are here

the imperfect perfectionist.

tried to rectify the problems with the columns and spacing in the previous black template.. all i did was to further mess it up.. the funny thing is that i got it perfect the first time round.. just that i was not happy with it.. wanted to further improve it.. one thing lead to another and voila.. a freaking bloody mess.. so i decided to take the easy way out and do another theme from scratch.

The Victim and the Villain and a whole load of V's

"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V...."
[Goosebumps break out]
The opening lines of V, introducing himself to Evey in the dark alleys of London. V for Vendetta, a movie that i have grown to love and watch over and over again as and when time permits me.

Today was a blessing in a way. Drizzling and cold outside, no ones at home, and i just returned after a tiring day at work.. The refreshingly cold shower was very much welcomed after getting spat on and smudged with mucus. Out of my stinking sports gear and into a nice comfortable "sarong" and a singlet with a nice warm cup of "teh tarik" in my grasp.. The entire house is to myself... Dimmed the lights in the hall, turned on the fan to a nice gentle breeze blowing at me. Puffed up the cushions on my couch, set my comforter in place and proceeded to the DVD player and inserted... what else ... "V for Vendetta" before finally chucking myself into the couch..and the show begins...
It's a movie that i do not get sickened of despite having watched a dozen times. A movie that constantly questions man's integrity and his right of freedom of speech and thought; A movie that experiments with the multitudinous perspectives of the single word "Ideas". A movie that forecasts the fate of the developed nations in time to come. A movie that awakens dormant principles within me. Anyway enough praises about the movie, i know it is getting fulsome.

As i watched the movie, time and again i get confronted with this question in my mind.
" if you can make the difference.. would you?"
it is a simple question that bears different messages to different people.. it is subjective.. I know.
But welcome to my perspective.
We often lose ourselves whilst searching for that forever eluding better life. In the midst of the search, we lose our moral values, conscience and integrity.. If we do not lose them, we alter them to flow with the already guilty population. We lose our identity and we become sheep that follows the herder blindly.

It is a simple question that we often face in our everyday lives, but it is a damned difficult one to find an answer to. So difficult that at times, we choose to turn our backs on it hoping that that which is out of sight will be out of mind. A habit we Singaporeans[assumingly a majority] have honed to perfection with so many social problems as excuses or alibis.. We have become so self-centered and every little deed that is done, is done so in the expectation of a profit/certificate/favour/recognition/etc.

When was the last time you gave up your umbrella to someone who needs it more than you?
When was the last time you stood up for a colleague at work without worrying about the potential damage it can do to your career?
When was the last time you gave your lunch to the old woman silently begging at the entrance of the MRT station?
When was the last time you did something for another without getting anything in return, when was the last time you placed others before yourself..

I am equally guilty of the banes that i just mentioned which is why i used "we" to a large extent.. but i must thank God of presenting an opportunity to salvage some bits and pieces of my already degenerating humanity. salvage.. salvage the old school loyalty, sacrifice, service, brotherhood and camaraderie.. we are Singaporeans la dei... wake up your ideas... already the country so small, why u wanna segment it further?

think abt it la..." if you can make the difference.. would you?"

That's Life...

Just came across my journals.. Funny that i adopted a few philosophies to life over the past years..

- Where you end up isn't the most important thing. It's the road you take to get there. The road you take is what you'll look back on and call your life.

- We are all born originals. Why is it so many of us die copies?

- If life gives us rocks, it's our choice whether to build a bridge or a wall.

- All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better

and my all time favourite.....

- You never get bitten by an elephant. It's the mosquitoes that eat you alive

Excuse me ... are you a model?

Its been quite some time since i last encountered weird conversations with weird people..and in the weirdest places..

I was returning home from NUS today. As usual i alighted at Hougang Mrt and for some strange reason decided to drop by Hougang Mall to see how deserted it looks like.. except for a hang ten outlet, the rest were closed for the festive holidays.After spending 10 mins looking around the only open outlet i was heading for the exit.. It was at this point i heard someone yelling out EXCUSE ME!!! the following was a brief conversation i had with him.
[ lets just say that the guys name is kenny or .. kenny it is..]

Kenny: Excuse me!!
Din: [after lining myself up with the corridor wall] Oh sorry, here u go..
Kenny: Hi, Excuse me....
Din: Er.. i just did wat..
Kenny: Sorry.. i meant to say "can i ask you something?"
Din: Er, go ahead..
Kenny: Are you a model??

[a pair of squinted eyeballs and cringing eyebrows appears on my face]
Din: Er.. No..
Kenny: thats good. would you be interested in modeling?
[ not that i am vain or what but i said yes. you see,i am a person who is keen to try new things in life.]
Kenny: thats great.. can i have your number please..
Din: Er.. why not you give me a namecard?
[After caressing his extremely short and pocketless silk shorts..]
Kenny: sorry i forgot to bring la..
[Ya rite]
Din: great.. at least tell me which company are u from?
Kenny: i am from Superstar.. [ Corny but i will close one eye.. u see this is the chance of my lifetime to become a .....er.... superstar model]
Kenny: we source out for great looking people..
Din: should i choose to accept, wat will i be modeling?
Kenny: Sports wear and Gym wear [ i assume he is referring to tights and crotch grabbing spandex]...You got a nice height and a good build.. may i know what are u working as..
Din: [Reluctantly]teacher..
Kenny: how is it that You P.E teachers always have a great bod.... [he was freakin me out]..
Kenny: anyway , my company will give you a free portfolio [wateva that means]all you have to do is come down for the audition.
Din: Can i think about it? can i have ur number or wat.. [ He gives me his number]... so i shall make a move..
Kenny: btw way can i take a look at ur arms..
Din: See la... but dun u dare touch them..
Kenny: good.. can u pull up ur shirt a bit, just wanted to know how toned ur abs are..[ why not i kick you in the groins to let u know what u are missing]
Din: Nah not a good idea.. not that i am shy or wat [even if i take off my shirt he will onli see a second layer of thick black hair on my belly] .. but i dun think he can handle the overdose of manliness considerin he has a severe lack of it.

i just needed to get back home and bathe as soon as possible.. i started to have goosebumps all over.

Balance - The Grey Area.

It's a wonder what long and lonely train rides can make me think about..i was in the mid section of the train on the NEL. The train was pretty empty at 11 pm.. i looked to my left and saw the 1st carriage then looked to my right and saw the last carriage and somehow i realised that i was in middle of 2 extremes. Like i was the balancing point of the entire train. Now i got my thought triggering word... BALANCE. Once i started pondering about balance, words such as "extremes" and "opposites" and 'grey area" all follow suit. Something was conjuring up in my head...and the events occuring around me in the train helped to shape my thoughts..i realised that there was a purpose for the existence of extremes. extremes help us to achieve our balances in life..i am not trying to sound profound at all.. in fact let me state a few real examples that demonstrates balance in human nature.

Firstly ..
a couple was (play )fighting in the train.. not that i was eavesdroppin but it was occurring right infront of me so couldn't help it.
Basically the boy was requesting his girlfriend to drop certain habits as he could not accept it but the girlfriend said that he had to accept her for who she is ( an individual). Boyfriend tries to coax her into compromising but to no avail.. Boyfriend states that she is being self centered..Girlfren continues with her set of rebuttles. where is the point about balance and extremes u may ask.. You see the "extremes" are the idea of being an INDIVIDUAL( who i am is who i am.. take it or leave it) and being compromising ( i am willing to change if it makes ppl happy).. the question is where do u stand? be an individual who does not care about anyone but himself or an over-sacrificer who loses his identity along the way?

Individual<---------------------where to stand--------------------->Compromise

Secondly,
the following is a popular topic, especially among my biker friends. Often times i had asked my frens that isn't riding a bike like signing a death warrant? and often times i get a philosophical answer. " If u gotta go, u definitely will go" or "wats the point of living carefully when we all die in the end"... guess they chose to see the cup as half empty whereas i chose to see it as half full.. cos i believe that life is the most precious gift to Man and in at least my religion, it has been highly advocated to take care of it in what ever means necessary.... so where is the balance?

Live for the moment <-------------------where to stand------------->preserve urself

Thirdly the all time favourite...

love is blind<-----------------where to stand----------------> love at first sight


i have come to understand that there is really no one answer to any prob.. what is an answer today , becomes the problem tomorrow.. We and our decisions are determined by the situation and circumstances that we are in at that period. This is where the extremes act as a gauge to help us make a decision..

anyway very drowsy now.. need to log.. off

I got served.... in about 2.5 hours.

I went to get to an MC as i got a strained knee ligament. After my consultation, i came back with the same strained knee, an acute lower back pain (sitting on a hard chair waiting 2 plus hours in total for a check up) and bag full of .... PARACETAMOL.... did i mention my consultation lasted a mere 3 to 4 mins?

I just do not comprehend one small observation i made today at the polyclinic. there was relatively not much crowd there at the waiting area. the thing is all of us waited an average of 10 to 15 mins before the Que number changed..the corresponding number walks in and in about 5 min.. he or she comes out.. and then it takes another 15 mins before the next patient is called up..

Its not my intention to condemn the doctors or anything.. if not for them i wouldn't have gotten my MC( which i need badly).. I am just curious as to what happens in the 10 min lapse after the patient leaves? any doctor buddies or bloggers chancing upon this site.. please enlighten me...are they bogged down with follow up paper work on the patient that they just treated.. or are they just taking a stress break for the 5 min consultation? or am i looking in the wrong direction... is the waiting problem beyond doctors and due to administration?

PS: ever noticed that despite the notice that que numbers may not appear in sequence.. u know, they follow the number sequence until the next turn is urs.. then the number jumps off to the moon.. u know ... 7041..7042..7043.. 7044..7045...9036 ??

life's a journey...

It's been a damn long time since i last blogged.. some how i never managed to find the time to sit and accumulate my thoughts and type them down.. anyway too many things have occurred to list out in any order so i am cutting it short. some happy things, some sad things,some irritating things, some calming things and some short bubbly doe eyed cute things have also happened to me.. basically on a roller coaster ride of my life right now.. my exterior is cool, calm and composed.. my interior is a controlled chaotic firework display..I find reason and rage in everything. i find fear in my happiness and doubt in my pleasures.. can it really be? is it too good to be true? Ego seems to be crippled... thoughts are confusingly clear.. i think i sounded profound enough.. haha.

anyway.. the hiking (10th Feb 2007) was a grand success.. million thanks to Arshad, Durga, Yasmin, Tahira and Shanthini for gracing the event despite the last minute dwindle in the numbers. Covered an estimated 20 km.... Macritchie.. Jelugong Towers.. HSBC Tree Top trail.. Rifle Range... PUB water catchment... Bt Timah.. BKE.. Ngee Ann Poly... Al-Ameen ...
Quite surprised that my legs are still in tact.. More suprisingly, the gals hanged on.. they lasted the entire distance despite zoning out and considering to seduce the ah pek for a lift in his pick up.

the hike reminded me of my NS days. it's quite frightening to know the effects of age. 4 years back i was able to run the entire distance in under 2 hours.. now i gotta pray my knees hold up though i am just walking.. sigh.. one more goal added to my new year resolution.. get back to my former fitness glory..who am i kidding.. most probably my resolution will go down the drain the moment i log off.. i need someone to keep pushing me.. my buddies are out.. they worse of then me.. fitness instructors are too expensive.. signing on is not an option... wait a minute i know wat to do.. .... ..... .....

shall write abt it after i have done it..