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.