Hi guys,
I'm right now in an internet cafe, near the flat that I'm sharing with a friend and his friends (about to be my friends too).
Just arrived about 6 hours ago. At the passport control, I was directed to the Health Control because I was intending to stay for 6 months. At Health Control, the nurse asked me if I did any X-ray. I said I did, and spent about 3 mins digging up the X-ray, which was, incidentally, 4 years old.
At first the nurse looked it over and said I had good paperwork done. I told her the X-ray was done a couple of years ago. She wanted a date, so I pointed to at date ".../01". She was like "Its 5 years old! What's the point of showing it to me? You have to get another X-ray done!"
"Okay", I said.
"That means that if you don't pass the X-ray, you can't get into UK, and you'll not be able to work!"
"I didn't know I was required to take an X-ray. And I shouldn't have any problems with my chest X-ray."
"It is a requirement. Next time tell your company that. And don't say it too early, there was this other guy that had to be turned back because of his chest X-ray."
I was like, WTF? Take X-ray take lar! Why go and scare me like that, as though there's another way out? So evil, this woman.
After that I was led into a room, told to take off my shirt. And I waited in the room, with my 15kg carryon bag and a suit bag.
Then I heard moaning. It was faint, but I heard it. I wondered what could be happening, what could make a woman moan so... So I thought it was sex. But then the moaning became louder, and more painful.. GASP, rape? Then I heard sobbing together with the moaning, and it got quite unbearable. I was thinking, "What are they doing to this poor woman?"
Turns out the woman was pregnant, flew in to London seeking for asylum.
Anyhow, I took my X-ray and was scooted out of the Health Control a few minutes later. Got my suitcase (which was 30kg) and boarded a bus to Hatton Cross tube, and then took the tube to Tower Hill. The journey took me 1 hour plus, and a lot of effort. Travelling alone with so much baggage isn't fun, especially when you have to walk quite a distance, and climb up and down staircases, buses, trains etc.
At Tower Hill I got the key to the apartment from my friend. He's undergoing training, so no time to stay at home or fetch me from airport. sigh, so sad. After I got the key I got on the tube to my final destination (which will remain secret, in case some readers decide to send me a bomb).
By the time I arrived at the flat, it was already 4pm. Rested a little (5 mins?) before I left the flat, went to duplicate my key, and then bought my bedding stuff from Argos. I had to buy pillows, duvets, duvet cover, pillow cover and mattress cover. Argos was about 20 mins walk away from my place, so try to imagine a guy carrying such bulky stuff down the street, for 20 mins. uh huh, not fun right?
My flatmates aren't home yet. I'm hungry. Think I'll go grab something to eat.
Found a huge health/fitness center near my flat. Wow, damn impressive la, better than california fitness x3. Just the treadmills already got 2x the california fitness one. some more got swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa and all that. win already. the price? also win already. at 92 pounds a month, plus a 50 pound joining fee, AND a minimum membership term of 12 months, its really stretching my budget. put it this way, even if i go there everyday, it works out to about 3 pounds a day. ey, i somemore complain the singapore national sports council gym that charges 2.50 singapore dollars as expensive.
Here in London everything is usually more expensive. But! Surprisingly, internet at internet cafe is DAMN cheap! its only 1 pound an hour. in case you all dunno, the rates in singapore is about 6 dollars an hour. and the connection speed is very slow.
Ok la, I spent the last 25 mins on this blog entry. Somebody do the maths and tell me how many pence is that ok?
Miss Singapore already. No, i mean i'm missing singapore already.
take care you guys.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Friday, August 26, 2005
She's got a nice personality...
I was watching "Guess Guess Guess", a Taiwanese variety show on TV about 2 hours ago with L and her bro, Hunn. There was this segment where 5 girls who are musically talented come on the screen ... *pause for effect* .... I mean, they show themselves to the audience and talk a little about themselves before finally playing a song on an instrument of their choice.
The third girl that came on sent shivers through our spines. She was so "act-cute"!
Hunn described her very well, "She's the type that has 450 friends on friendster".
We all burst out laughing. You know, those kind of girls where the take the picture at an angle, from the top, thus making their face look slimmer and their eyes look bigger?
I understand you people quite busy, so I took the effort to look for a "case-study". Here's an example:
I won't link to her, lest she finds out and bitches about me like XX bitches about people who use her photos. She has 356 friends, by the way.
Anyway, after we finally gotten over the goose-bumps and the shivers, Hunn said the punchline, "I'm sure she's nice la".
We burst out laughing again.
Ladies, I'm sure you know what that really means. Guys are a little less subtle, so I'll explain with the following experience L told us:
She said she was playing taboo with her friends. Its a game where you're supposed to get your team members to say a particular word, without saying some taboo words and the word itself. For example, the word might be "Grass", the taboo words may be "green, blade, ground, plants, hay". So you can say something like, "A cow eats ..." And hopefully someone says "grass".
One person said, "She's got a nice ..."
"Butt". Nope.
"Ass". Uh-uh.
"Chest". *shake head*
"Breast". *sigh*
"Eyes". Uh uh.
"Face". No.
Finally, someone said "Personality". Which isn't the answer, but that isn't important. The important lesson here is the order in which the words came out.
Moral of the story: Use the words "I'm sure she's nice" as a joke, never as a compliment. =)
The third girl that came on sent shivers through our spines. She was so "act-cute"!
Hunn described her very well, "She's the type that has 450 friends on friendster".
We all burst out laughing. You know, those kind of girls where the take the picture at an angle, from the top, thus making their face look slimmer and their eyes look bigger?
I understand you people quite busy, so I took the effort to look for a "case-study". Here's an example:
I won't link to her, lest she finds out and bitches about me like XX bitches about people who use her photos. She has 356 friends, by the way.
Anyway, after we finally gotten over the goose-bumps and the shivers, Hunn said the punchline, "I'm sure she's nice la".
We burst out laughing again.
Ladies, I'm sure you know what that really means. Guys are a little less subtle, so I'll explain with the following experience L told us:
She said she was playing taboo with her friends. Its a game where you're supposed to get your team members to say a particular word, without saying some taboo words and the word itself. For example, the word might be "Grass", the taboo words may be "green, blade, ground, plants, hay". So you can say something like, "A cow eats ..." And hopefully someone says "grass".
One person said, "She's got a nice ..."
"Butt". Nope.
"Ass". Uh-uh.
"Chest". *shake head*
"Breast". *sigh*
"Eyes". Uh uh.
"Face". No.
Finally, someone said "Personality". Which isn't the answer, but that isn't important. The important lesson here is the order in which the words came out.
Moral of the story: Use the words "I'm sure she's nice" as a joke, never as a compliment. =)
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Roti Prata at Casuarina Road
Met up with some of my very good friends for roti prata yesterday. I guess some of them would be wondering, "why roti prata? again? at casuarina? why?". The answer is "L wants to eat roti prata, can or not?"
The SMS that I sent my friends on Tuesday went like this, "Weds supper at Casuarina Road, 10pm. Best deal, last chance to see L and me". I sent the SMS to seven people, yet only three replied.
One reply was "Ey, I thought you leaving end august? why last chance?"
Another was "When are you going back?"
And another was "Har? So late, so far?"
And the others ignored my SMS! Dun like that la, when people invite you, you must RSVP! refer to quote about punctuality, "respect for others". Common courtesy, like when somebody asks you a question, you don't look away and ignore them! Bad bad bad.
One of the three who replied couldn't come, but luckily at 9.55pm another friend replied. Whoa, thanks lor. Fortunately, in the end, three of them could come. Had quite an enjoyable time with them, again.
C, one of them who turned up, told me that I had twice written about CT but never about herself. So C, here's one entry about you ok? Shall I write another entry about how your comics made your way to Singapore from the USA? Then there'll be two entries about you too!
Next time I come back, I'll make sure I don't meet up with friends too often. Then there's the novelty of meeting up, and then I'll get to meet more people. When I first came back, everyone I smsed replied.
Hmm, and then I might even lie about my flight. I'll say "I'm flying off tomorrow, last chance already!". Hahah, just joking. I don't lie you know.
The SMS that I sent my friends on Tuesday went like this, "Weds supper at Casuarina Road, 10pm. Best deal, last chance to see L and me". I sent the SMS to seven people, yet only three replied.
One reply was "Ey, I thought you leaving end august? why last chance?"
Another was "When are you going back?"
And another was "Har? So late, so far?"
And the others ignored my SMS! Dun like that la, when people invite you, you must RSVP! refer to quote about punctuality, "respect for others". Common courtesy, like when somebody asks you a question, you don't look away and ignore them! Bad bad bad.
One of the three who replied couldn't come, but luckily at 9.55pm another friend replied. Whoa, thanks lor. Fortunately, in the end, three of them could come. Had quite an enjoyable time with them, again.
C, one of them who turned up, told me that I had twice written about CT but never about herself. So C, here's one entry about you ok? Shall I write another entry about how your comics made your way to Singapore from the USA? Then there'll be two entries about you too!
Next time I come back, I'll make sure I don't meet up with friends too often. Then there's the novelty of meeting up, and then I'll get to meet more people. When I first came back, everyone I smsed replied.
Hmm, and then I might even lie about my flight. I'll say "I'm flying off tomorrow, last chance already!". Hahah, just joking. I don't lie you know.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Soccer Khakis
CT invited me to play soccer on sunday. yippee!!
Honestly, I was feeling a little down that day. I can't really put a finger to it, but I think its because I've not been very productive these few weeks. Everyone I meet has been asking me, "So, what have you been doing?".
I'm sure they wouldn't want to hear what I've really been doing - fetching my mum to work, meeting with some friends, sitting in front of the computer writing blogs/emails, reading my textbook that my future boss asked me to read, and loads of other mundane things.. you know, like eating, going to toilet, and stuff like that.
So I said, "I'm slacking...". Which is true to some extent. And which is probably why I've been feeling a little.. unfulfilled, if ya know whadye mean.
Naturally, after I got CT's sms for soccer, I was really quite happy. AND AND AND, Arsenal and Chelsea were playing that night! We could all watch it together and comment on how the players play, how the referree referrees, and how some of the audience looks. It was going to be an awesome match, given that Arsenal and Chelsea are the top two finishing teams of the English Premiere League and they are known to be rivals for the longest time EVAR.
***
On Sunday though, our PM Lee Hsien Loong was giving a talk, the National Day Rally, at NUS(btw, I wonder, there's probably a group of computer savvy people dedicated to trawling the net for "sensitive" issues that might compromise our national security.. and they might actually search for our PM's name, and my blog might actually come up! In that case, name dropping might actually boost the popularity of my blog, whadya think?) So when I drove down to NUS, an entrance along Clementi Road was blocked. I stopped there and a policeman asked me if I had a "Y Permit". Huh? I don't have lor, so I went to another entrance.
Phew, the entrance wasn't blocked, so I drove in. But halfway in, there was another blockage... win already. I got diverted to some winding road, and drove along it for some 5 mins before I reached a dead-end at some School of International Policy. Finally I found my way out... to Pasir Panjang Road...
I wanted to get to the Sports and Recreation Centre, so I went all around to the entrance at NUH. Luckily it wasn't blocked... but the carpark that's nearest to the SRC was closed. In the end, I had to park illegally.
At this point, I'm considering whether you're bored stiff of my parking adventures during the National Day Rally at NUS. I may decide to delete this paragraph and the other three paragraphs above it.. but then again, I may keep it, given that I've just put in about 10 mins of my time on them. hahaha..
***
The past few times that I've been playing soccer, I've been getting injuries like 30% of the time. Once, I fractured my foot. Once, I sprained my ankle. Many times I've been tackled to the ground. And as much as it seems like I play soccer to get injuries, I'd really much rather prefer to be injury-free.
when i get injured, i go through a phase of Denial, Anger, Sadness and finally Acceptance. Sometimes the Denial part is gone damn quick, because its bloody (pun intended) obvious I have an injury. Sometimes I can't get over the Anger, especially when its somebody else's fault. And though I act civil and don't sprout vulgarities, my mind is constantly humming the words "C-B". Horh, so now you know, you blady CB who blady kicked my legs WITHOUT getting the ball, causing me to sustain an injury on my delicate chin, and resulting in people wondering why the hell I have a goatee to the side of my chin. Now you know that I haven't forgiven you, you blady CB.
Luckily, on Sunday I didn't get injured, and enjoyed the game quite a bit. We then had mixed grill at Beauty World that one of them recommended. Fwaaa, the serving is very generous la. And it came with a thick slice of bread with butter. We had a friendly competition trying to finish the food. The food was good, but a little oily and besides baked beans and cucumbers, there was (were?) no other vegetables.
So anyway after dinner we watched the match, and the result isn't important. If the result was important to you, you probably already know it, so what's the point of me writing it down? sigh...
I've been thinking though, that I've only met some of my soccer khakis like 10 times in my entire life. And I've never talked much to them since, you know, what sort of conversation can you have while playing soccer. Yet strangely, I feel good hanging around with them, and they seem closer than just aquaintances. I guess they are nice people who share a common interest, so its easier to make friends...
I'll probably not get a chance to play with them one last time this coming sunday, since I'm leaving for London pretty soon. So CT, if you're reading this, thanks for jio-ing me for soccer and giving me the opportunity to meet these people.
Honestly, I was feeling a little down that day. I can't really put a finger to it, but I think its because I've not been very productive these few weeks. Everyone I meet has been asking me, "So, what have you been doing?".
I'm sure they wouldn't want to hear what I've really been doing - fetching my mum to work, meeting with some friends, sitting in front of the computer writing blogs/emails, reading my textbook that my future boss asked me to read, and loads of other mundane things.. you know, like eating, going to toilet, and stuff like that.
So I said, "I'm slacking...". Which is true to some extent. And which is probably why I've been feeling a little.. unfulfilled, if ya know whadye mean.
Naturally, after I got CT's sms for soccer, I was really quite happy. AND AND AND, Arsenal and Chelsea were playing that night! We could all watch it together and comment on how the players play, how the referree referrees, and how some of the audience looks. It was going to be an awesome match, given that Arsenal and Chelsea are the top two finishing teams of the English Premiere League and they are known to be rivals for the longest time EVAR.
***
On Sunday though, our PM Lee Hsien Loong was giving a talk, the National Day Rally, at NUS(btw, I wonder, there's probably a group of computer savvy people dedicated to trawling the net for "sensitive" issues that might compromise our national security.. and they might actually search for our PM's name, and my blog might actually come up! In that case, name dropping might actually boost the popularity of my blog, whadya think?) So when I drove down to NUS, an entrance along Clementi Road was blocked. I stopped there and a policeman asked me if I had a "Y Permit". Huh? I don't have lor, so I went to another entrance.
Phew, the entrance wasn't blocked, so I drove in. But halfway in, there was another blockage... win already. I got diverted to some winding road, and drove along it for some 5 mins before I reached a dead-end at some School of International Policy. Finally I found my way out... to Pasir Panjang Road...
I wanted to get to the Sports and Recreation Centre, so I went all around to the entrance at NUH. Luckily it wasn't blocked... but the carpark that's nearest to the SRC was closed. In the end, I had to park illegally.
At this point, I'm considering whether you're bored stiff of my parking adventures during the National Day Rally at NUS. I may decide to delete this paragraph and the other three paragraphs above it.. but then again, I may keep it, given that I've just put in about 10 mins of my time on them. hahaha..
***
The past few times that I've been playing soccer, I've been getting injuries like 30% of the time. Once, I fractured my foot. Once, I sprained my ankle. Many times I've been tackled to the ground. And as much as it seems like I play soccer to get injuries, I'd really much rather prefer to be injury-free.
when i get injured, i go through a phase of Denial, Anger, Sadness and finally Acceptance. Sometimes the Denial part is gone damn quick, because its bloody (pun intended) obvious I have an injury. Sometimes I can't get over the Anger, especially when its somebody else's fault. And though I act civil and don't sprout vulgarities, my mind is constantly humming the words "C-B". Horh, so now you know, you blady CB who blady kicked my legs WITHOUT getting the ball, causing me to sustain an injury on my delicate chin, and resulting in people wondering why the hell I have a goatee to the side of my chin. Now you know that I haven't forgiven you, you blady CB.
Luckily, on Sunday I didn't get injured, and enjoyed the game quite a bit. We then had mixed grill at Beauty World that one of them recommended. Fwaaa, the serving is very generous la. And it came with a thick slice of bread with butter. We had a friendly competition trying to finish the food. The food was good, but a little oily and besides baked beans and cucumbers, there was (were?) no other vegetables.
So anyway after dinner we watched the match, and the result isn't important. If the result was important to you, you probably already know it, so what's the point of me writing it down? sigh...
I've been thinking though, that I've only met some of my soccer khakis like 10 times in my entire life. And I've never talked much to them since, you know, what sort of conversation can you have while playing soccer. Yet strangely, I feel good hanging around with them, and they seem closer than just aquaintances. I guess they are nice people who share a common interest, so its easier to make friends...
I'll probably not get a chance to play with them one last time this coming sunday, since I'm leaving for London pretty soon. So CT, if you're reading this, thanks for jio-ing me for soccer and giving me the opportunity to meet these people.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Lunch at Pizza Hut
Met an "army" friend for lunch. One of my closest friends for the whole duration of my National Service. I wanted to meet at Toa Payoh, since he lives there, but obviously I didn't know where to go. He suggested meeting at Crystal Jade instead.. so ok lor.
Then we decided to go somewhere else to eat after we met. Because might have to wait some time before we could seat down and eat, and I was really quite hungry then. Then I saw sizzler, so I thought maybe can have lunch there. then i saw the prices and got put off quite a bit. My goodness, everything was like more that $15 can? Even for lunch? And I'm currently unemployed can?
So we went next door, pizza hut. honestly hor, at that time i really didn't feel like eating pizza. actually, i don't think i'll feel like eating pizza for another 2 years. Its fat, its oily, its cheesy, and its very fattening. and has very little nutrition. and its mostly just bread, tomato puree and cheese. but somehow we still went in and ordered a set meal for 2 - 2 soup, 2 coke, and 1 medium "volcano 3 cheese stuffed crust pizza". whoa, just short of naming the pizza "tornado x-treme super cool name quadraple cheese stuffed crust with supreme super cool topping pizza"
The food was pretty good la, I have to concede. The soup was tasty and the pizza was really not bad. The bread was soft, the stuffed crust part was nice, the toppings were quite generous... And the both of us couldn't finish it. And I thought I was hungry... Well, I finished my share at least. so it was he who couldn't finish it.
Yeah, thats all to this rather boring entry.
Then we decided to go somewhere else to eat after we met. Because might have to wait some time before we could seat down and eat, and I was really quite hungry then. Then I saw sizzler, so I thought maybe can have lunch there. then i saw the prices and got put off quite a bit. My goodness, everything was like more that $15 can? Even for lunch? And I'm currently unemployed can?
So we went next door, pizza hut. honestly hor, at that time i really didn't feel like eating pizza. actually, i don't think i'll feel like eating pizza for another 2 years. Its fat, its oily, its cheesy, and its very fattening. and has very little nutrition. and its mostly just bread, tomato puree and cheese. but somehow we still went in and ordered a set meal for 2 - 2 soup, 2 coke, and 1 medium "volcano 3 cheese stuffed crust pizza". whoa, just short of naming the pizza "tornado x-treme super cool name quadraple cheese stuffed crust with supreme super cool topping pizza"
The food was pretty good la, I have to concede. The soup was tasty and the pizza was really not bad. The bread was soft, the stuffed crust part was nice, the toppings were quite generous... And the both of us couldn't finish it. And I thought I was hungry... Well, I finished my share at least. so it was he who couldn't finish it.
Yeah, thats all to this rather boring entry.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Thongs...
I met up with TJ and F yesterday, at Essential Brew at Holland Village. I think its quite a nice place to hang out and waste time. At the second story, the seating area is on the floor. There are mats and cushions and low coffee tables. They also have magazines to read if you want.
You have to take off your shoes and place them on a rack if you wanna sit at the second floor. There's a toilet on that floor too. And they thoughfully placed slippers outside the toilet so that you can slip them on to go into the toilet.
It is a nice place to hang out because the environment is relaxed and air-conditioned. it isn't a high end restaurant, so you don't have to dress nicely, speak softly, or keep up whatever appearances. and i like sitting on the floor with cushions. can lounge around, lean back, slouch, whatever. and they serve quite nice desserts and drinks.
So anyway, after we were done with dinner, TJ and I were engaged in conversation, and didn't notice F went to the toilet. As we were still talking, F came back and announced:
"I don't like thongs."
You have to excuse me. I, like most guys, am particularly sensitive to the various names of ladies underwear and anatomy, and anything with sexual connotations. And this is my line of thought when she announced that.
***
Ah, F doesn't like thongs.
Why doesn't she like thongs?
Could it be because its uncomfortable?
Maybe...
Wait, F just went to the toilet.
What? F is wearing a thong?
Too Much Information!! TMI!!
***
All those thoughts occured within a fraction of a second. I said "Huh?", just to make sure i didn't hear wrongly.
She repeated it, "I don't like thongs".
"Did you say thongs?"
"Yeah, the slippers outside the toilet. I hate it because of that thing that goes between your toes."
Ahh.. I think I made an erroneous conclusion.. She meant slippers. Just to make sure, I asked again, "How to you spell thongs? t-o-n-g-s? t-o-g-s?"
I think she got my confusion. Its really the same word that I thought it was, T-H-O-N-G-S.
Then she started laughing. We all started laughing.
"Did I say it very loudly?", she asked.
Well, I'm sure if other guys around had sensitive ears to certain words like I do, they would have heard it. hahaha...
In case you also never heard it before, check out the dictionary. She's correct, it can either be a type of underwear or a type of sandal.
Wow, you learn something new everyday.
You have to take off your shoes and place them on a rack if you wanna sit at the second floor. There's a toilet on that floor too. And they thoughfully placed slippers outside the toilet so that you can slip them on to go into the toilet.
It is a nice place to hang out because the environment is relaxed and air-conditioned. it isn't a high end restaurant, so you don't have to dress nicely, speak softly, or keep up whatever appearances. and i like sitting on the floor with cushions. can lounge around, lean back, slouch, whatever. and they serve quite nice desserts and drinks.
So anyway, after we were done with dinner, TJ and I were engaged in conversation, and didn't notice F went to the toilet. As we were still talking, F came back and announced:
"I don't like thongs."
You have to excuse me. I, like most guys, am particularly sensitive to the various names of ladies underwear and anatomy, and anything with sexual connotations. And this is my line of thought when she announced that.
***
Ah, F doesn't like thongs.
Why doesn't she like thongs?
Could it be because its uncomfortable?
Maybe...
Wait, F just went to the toilet.
What? F is wearing a thong?
Too Much Information!! TMI!!
***
All those thoughts occured within a fraction of a second. I said "Huh?", just to make sure i didn't hear wrongly.
She repeated it, "I don't like thongs".
"Did you say thongs?"
"Yeah, the slippers outside the toilet. I hate it because of that thing that goes between your toes."
Ahh.. I think I made an erroneous conclusion.. She meant slippers. Just to make sure, I asked again, "How to you spell thongs? t-o-n-g-s? t-o-g-s?"
I think she got my confusion. Its really the same word that I thought it was, T-H-O-N-G-S.
Then she started laughing. We all started laughing.
"Did I say it very loudly?", she asked.
Well, I'm sure if other guys around had sensitive ears to certain words like I do, they would have heard it. hahaha...
In case you also never heard it before, check out the dictionary. She's correct, it can either be a type of underwear or a type of sandal.
Wow, you learn something new everyday.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Punctuality
I see punctuality as an essential virtue. It is necessary for a gracious society. It is a reflection of a person's respect for others. It also shows the importance of the activity to the person - Jeremy Lim, 15, Young Ambassador for NKF
I admit that I am late sometimes. I understand that something unexpected can happen. But I hate being late and I try my best not to be late.
I have a friend, who's usually late. I've tried explaining to her why it is sooo important to be punctual. To reiterate, its a reflection of a person's respect for others. After some years, she seemed to have improved. But I don't know for sure since I met her only a few times, and she really seemed to have valid reasons...
So yeah guys and girls, quote of the day: "Punctuality is a reflection of a person's respect for others". Don't be late!
Clerk - Klurk or Klark?
A couple of weeks ago, I was with my friends when somebody mentioned the word, "Clerk". She pronounced it as "klurk". Everyone understood her, but I had another friend that corrected her - should be pronounced as "klark".
Everyone else agreed that it should be "klark". I didn't know, so I made a mental note that clerk should actually be clark.
Until one day I was watching a TV show, and then I heard them pronounce the word as "klurk".
So, should it be "clerk" be pronounced as "klurk" or "klark"?
I looked it up on dictionary.com, and though I don't have speakers, its stated clearly: klurk; British klark. So US is klurk and UK is klark. Given that in Singapore we follow the British English, we should pronounce it as klark. Question answered.
There are numerous other words that have this kinda problem. For example, should "tomato" be pronounced as "tomayto" or "tomahto"?
Should "America" be pronounced as "Air-merica" or "Ay-merica" or "Er-merica"?
Sigh... people should just invent an easy language...
Everyone else agreed that it should be "klark". I didn't know, so I made a mental note that clerk should actually be clark.
Until one day I was watching a TV show, and then I heard them pronounce the word as "klurk".
So, should it be "clerk" be pronounced as "klurk" or "klark"?
I looked it up on dictionary.com, and though I don't have speakers, its stated clearly: klurk; British klark. So US is klurk and UK is klark. Given that in Singapore we follow the British English, we should pronounce it as klark. Question answered.
There are numerous other words that have this kinda problem. For example, should "tomato" be pronounced as "tomayto" or "tomahto"?
Should "America" be pronounced as "Air-merica" or "Ay-merica" or "Er-merica"?
Sigh... people should just invent an easy language...
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Unwanted pregnancy...
I saw this blog on tomorrow.sg. The description of the blog was:
I read the whole blog because I very kaypoh, the blog had only 3 entries, and it's probably not going to be updated anymore. Cindy actually wrote about this scenario a couple of days ago...
I feel really sorry for her after reading her blog. It made me sit up straight (not literally, since I ALWAYS slouch) and think seriously. It is also perculiarly unsettling that her profile is so close to my circle of friends. My friends probably know a friend who knows this person. Heck! My friends probably know this person (I probably don't know her, because according to her, she emailed everyone she knew, including his friends). She (and him) went to JC (like most of my friends), got educated in the states (like some of my friends), and got a double degree (like a few of my friends).
It is unsettling not because I may know her, or my friends may know her. It is unsettling because this is not some case of a teen/pre-teen unwanted pregnancy, nor is it some uneducated woman trying to tie down a husband with a future. No! This is a case where a couple, both with bright prospects in their future career, both with a full set of loving parents, who both know the risks, really have an accident/mistake.
After cursing and swearing at the irresponsible boyfriend/father of the unborn child in my mind for the duration of the blog-reading, and perhaps another half hour after... lets take a step back from all of that and see what we can learn.
One. Guys like LX (the F*&%ing B^%ST$&D) just give all other men a bad name. These kind of guys that get their gf pregnant, then break off and shirk away are worse than cheating husbands. At least cheating husbands take care of their children.
Two. Contraception is VERY important. If only if they'd use a condom, this wouldn't happen. Remember, don't get pregnant/impregnate unless you really want to!
Three. Guys like LX should just get their heads chopped off.
Four. If and when you really get pregnant, should you abort or keep the baby? I guess this is the crux of the issue, and the main point of this post. * I have a really long intro huh?
I personally find myself a pro-choice kind of person. I'm all for voluntary euthanasia, passive or active. I'm also all for organ donations, and i think legislation such that all people will donate their organs by default, unless they opt out, is a very good idea. I'm also pro stem-cell research, and can't really comprehend why so many are against it. In fact, if you've been reading my blog, I even think Iran and North Korea have a right to building their nuclear weapons. Hah. So naturally, I think abortion should be legal.
But just to clarify my stand, in case it ever gets questioned... I think it is ok to do whatever you want, as long as you do not impose your will onto others, and do no harm to others.
So, back to the point. I think abortion should, without a doubt, be legalised. But should the person in question go for the abortion?
If I were her, I'll abort it.
But then again, I'm a guy, so its too easy for me to say...
My ex-boyfriend and I had been dating for months. On our 8th month anniversary, he broke up with me when I told him that I was pregnant with his child. This blog records my thoughts, reflections and feelings of dealing with this unwanted pregnancy
I read the whole blog because I very kaypoh, the blog had only 3 entries, and it's probably not going to be updated anymore. Cindy actually wrote about this scenario a couple of days ago...
I feel really sorry for her after reading her blog. It made me sit up straight (not literally, since I ALWAYS slouch) and think seriously. It is also perculiarly unsettling that her profile is so close to my circle of friends. My friends probably know a friend who knows this person. Heck! My friends probably know this person (I probably don't know her, because according to her, she emailed everyone she knew, including his friends). She (and him) went to JC (like most of my friends), got educated in the states (like some of my friends), and got a double degree (like a few of my friends).
It is unsettling not because I may know her, or my friends may know her. It is unsettling because this is not some case of a teen/pre-teen unwanted pregnancy, nor is it some uneducated woman trying to tie down a husband with a future. No! This is a case where a couple, both with bright prospects in their future career, both with a full set of loving parents, who both know the risks, really have an accident/mistake.
After cursing and swearing at the irresponsible boyfriend/father of the unborn child in my mind for the duration of the blog-reading, and perhaps another half hour after... lets take a step back from all of that and see what we can learn.
One. Guys like LX (the F*&%ing B^%ST$&D) just give all other men a bad name. These kind of guys that get their gf pregnant, then break off and shirk away are worse than cheating husbands. At least cheating husbands take care of their children.
Two. Contraception is VERY important. If only if they'd use a condom, this wouldn't happen. Remember, don't get pregnant/impregnate unless you really want to!
Three. Guys like LX should just get their heads chopped off.
Four. If and when you really get pregnant, should you abort or keep the baby? I guess this is the crux of the issue, and the main point of this post. * I have a really long intro huh?
I personally find myself a pro-choice kind of person. I'm all for voluntary euthanasia, passive or active. I'm also all for organ donations, and i think legislation such that all people will donate their organs by default, unless they opt out, is a very good idea. I'm also pro stem-cell research, and can't really comprehend why so many are against it. In fact, if you've been reading my blog, I even think Iran and North Korea have a right to building their nuclear weapons. Hah. So naturally, I think abortion should be legal.
But just to clarify my stand, in case it ever gets questioned... I think it is ok to do whatever you want, as long as you do not impose your will onto others, and do no harm to others.
So, back to the point. I think abortion should, without a doubt, be legalised. But should the person in question go for the abortion?
If I were her, I'll abort it.
But then again, I'm a guy, so its too easy for me to say...
Friday, August 12, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Heartlands, Heartlander
The word "Heartlands" was mentioned during the NDP parade no less than 30 times. The narrator/compere/MC would always say something like "And from the various Heartlands..." or like "Tampines Heartlands" or like "Lets have a look at the celebrations going on in the Heartlands".
Oh my god. Everytime I hear the word, I wince.
So the word "Heartland" has replaced the word "New Town"? i.e., instead of Ang Mo Kio New Town, its called Ang Mo Kio Heartland? Pasir Ris New Town becomes Pasir Ris Heartland?
In case there are some non-singaporeans reading this, the government (or was it Lee Kwan Yew?), in a bid to reduce congestion in the city area, decided to construct several self-sustaining neighbourhood "towns". In each of these "towns", there would be hawker centers, restaurants, all kinds of shops, movie theatres etc, so that people need never leave their neighbourhood.
And now these towns become known as Heartlands. And a "Heartlander" is a person who lives in these towns.
But, here's what the word "Heartland" means in Google:
Why has the word taken on an entirely different meaning in Singapore?
Oh my god. Everytime I hear the word, I wince.
So the word "Heartland" has replaced the word "New Town"? i.e., instead of Ang Mo Kio New Town, its called Ang Mo Kio Heartland? Pasir Ris New Town becomes Pasir Ris Heartland?
In case there are some non-singaporeans reading this, the government (or was it Lee Kwan Yew?), in a bid to reduce congestion in the city area, decided to construct several self-sustaining neighbourhood "towns". In each of these "towns", there would be hawker centers, restaurants, all kinds of shops, movie theatres etc, so that people need never leave their neighbourhood.
And now these towns become known as Heartlands. And a "Heartlander" is a person who lives in these towns.
But, here's what the word "Heartland" means in Google:
- identified by the British geographer Halford Mackinder (1904) as the zone in East-Central Europe, control of which would be a key to world domination. The term has since been appropriated by Latin American geopolitics.
- the central region of a country or continent; especially a region that is important to a country or to a culture
- Geopolitical term, used to refer to a central area of Eurasia that is remote and inaccessible from the periphery. The term Heartland has a particular importance in the works of Sir Halford Mackinder. He believed that the Heartland was the strategic region of the foremost importance in the World.
Why has the word taken on an entirely different meaning in Singapore?
Monday, August 08, 2005
Happy Birthday Singapore!
On Singapore's 40th birthday, I'd like to express my feelings about Singapore. Even though:
I am still very happy to be Singaporean because:
Hmm.. I thought I got jaded/disillusioned.. Turns out that I still love Singapore very much and I still am proud to be Singaporean. To think I only realise that on National Day. hahahaa..
Once again, Happy Birthday, Singapore!
- The government is composed overwhelmingly of a single party
- The salary is low
- The prices of property and cars are very high
- The law can be very strict at times
I am still very happy to be Singaporean because:
- The food is the bestest and the cheapest in the world!
- You can find food at anytime in the day
- We are truly a multi-racial society
- The public transport is efficient
- The government is not corrupt
- The environment is clean and green
- And its safe and secure. Can go out at anytime of the day
Hmm.. I thought I got jaded/disillusioned.. Turns out that I still love Singapore very much and I still am proud to be Singaporean. To think I only realise that on National Day. hahahaa..
Once again, Happy Birthday, Singapore!
Going nuclear
I've been watching the news for the past two days, and the North Korea talks and the Iran talks keep coming up. The issue is that both North Korea and Iran want nuclear capability, but the "rest of the world" doesn't want that.
To me, it all seems to me like bullying. There is no fairness or justice. It's like "hey, I can use electricity. But you have to continue using wax candles, because who knows, you might hurt yourself or others with electricity".
So the way the western world works is like this: Go and colonize other civilizations. make them work for you. hey, why not bring back some of them to work as slaves? oh, you need wood? chop these trees. what about those people already living there? Chase them away! Relocate them, kill them, whatever! The land is mine! I bought it from the British/French/Spanish. And then they build their land and wealth, and impose their governance on the natives...
Now, in present day:
"You're practicing slash and burn? Don't do that! You're killing off a large proportion of the world's forests! Think global warming!"
"We should set limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. Lets attempt to cut emmission by 50%! Since we're already emitting 100 billion tons of CO2, I'll cut it to 50 billion. You're only emitting 10 million tons? Oh you have it easy then, you'll only need to cut it by 5 million."
"hey you know what? over the years, i've lent you a lot of money, and grain, and food, and medical aid. but I'm rich, you're poor. So, I will write off the debt you owe me. See, I'm so nice."
and with regards to nuclear weapons? "Please disarm! You're causing a lot of tension in this area! I mean, what if you fire your nuclear weapons at us? I have nuclear weapons too? I'm different, I have them as a deterrent! I won't fire them at anybody unless somebody fires at me first!"
There's this sense of double standards, injustice that I am so pissed about. First they develop nuclear weapons, then coerce everybody else NOT to create nuclear weapons. in my opinion, if they want the whole world to not possess nuclear weapons, then they should disarm, first of all.
And anyway, it makes perfect sense for ANY country to develop nuclear weapons. First, you can create a powerful deterrent so that you probably won't need to spend much money on other defense systems. Second, you gain a powerful bargaining chip: "you want me to disarm? sure, give me 10 billion dollars, Free Trade Agreements, peace treaties, and other concessions.". Third, you create a very strong sense of national pride. Just imagine la, if Singapore manages to build its own space program and sends a man to the moon. I tell you there'll be 10 days of celebrations, and the current party in power will be re-elected for the next 10 generations.
In conclusion, I think that it is unreasonable to expect Iran and North Korea to scrap their nuclear plans. No wonder the talks are not making any progress...
To me, it all seems to me like bullying. There is no fairness or justice. It's like "hey, I can use electricity. But you have to continue using wax candles, because who knows, you might hurt yourself or others with electricity".
So the way the western world works is like this: Go and colonize other civilizations. make them work for you. hey, why not bring back some of them to work as slaves? oh, you need wood? chop these trees. what about those people already living there? Chase them away! Relocate them, kill them, whatever! The land is mine! I bought it from the British/French/Spanish. And then they build their land and wealth, and impose their governance on the natives...
Now, in present day:
"You're practicing slash and burn? Don't do that! You're killing off a large proportion of the world's forests! Think global warming!"
"We should set limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. Lets attempt to cut emmission by 50%! Since we're already emitting 100 billion tons of CO2, I'll cut it to 50 billion. You're only emitting 10 million tons? Oh you have it easy then, you'll only need to cut it by 5 million."
"hey you know what? over the years, i've lent you a lot of money, and grain, and food, and medical aid. but I'm rich, you're poor. So, I will write off the debt you owe me. See, I'm so nice."
and with regards to nuclear weapons? "Please disarm! You're causing a lot of tension in this area! I mean, what if you fire your nuclear weapons at us? I have nuclear weapons too? I'm different, I have them as a deterrent! I won't fire them at anybody unless somebody fires at me first!"
There's this sense of double standards, injustice that I am so pissed about. First they develop nuclear weapons, then coerce everybody else NOT to create nuclear weapons. in my opinion, if they want the whole world to not possess nuclear weapons, then they should disarm, first of all.
And anyway, it makes perfect sense for ANY country to develop nuclear weapons. First, you can create a powerful deterrent so that you probably won't need to spend much money on other defense systems. Second, you gain a powerful bargaining chip: "you want me to disarm? sure, give me 10 billion dollars, Free Trade Agreements, peace treaties, and other concessions.". Third, you create a very strong sense of national pride. Just imagine la, if Singapore manages to build its own space program and sends a man to the moon. I tell you there'll be 10 days of celebrations, and the current party in power will be re-elected for the next 10 generations.
In conclusion, I think that it is unreasonable to expect Iran and North Korea to scrap their nuclear plans. No wonder the talks are not making any progress...
What have I been up to?
I've made several small accomplishments so far, so feeling slightly better, despite my stupid foot that's irritating me.
BTW, please, my name is Wally. I don't have a surname. This blog is meant to remain semi-anonymous - in that people who know my identity already know me, and people who don't know me WON'T know me. There's been reports that bosses now look at their employees blogs to learn more about them. I don't want my boss to look here. OK?
- I've installed another light. Wasn't able to do that previously because I didn't have a drill. But then on Sat when I was trying to drill a hole into the ceiling, the drill bit didn't go through the ceiling! It went in like only 5mm. That's not enough, because I had to insert a plastic plug before the screw goes in so that the light can be held firmly in place. After a lot of effort, I discovered that there's a metal plate hidden under the cement. Why there's a metal plate there I couldn't understand. How the light was originally installed, I also didn't know. I drilled many holes all around the area but to no avail; I couldn't drill through the metal plate. In the end, I used the same hole which the previous light had been installed with. sigh... A bit sad that I had to compromise with that.
- Then I managed to complete painting my room. No surprises there.
- And I got the water heater replaced. No I didn't do it myself. I had the help of the classified ads and $350 dollars.
- And I bought a textbook on Options, Futures and Other Derivatives. I emailed my future boss that I had all the paperwork done and was all ready to start work. And stupidly asked if there was anything else to prepare. He asked me to read up on a textbook by Hull. sigh.. Now I gotta study.
BTW, please, my name is Wally. I don't have a surname. This blog is meant to remain semi-anonymous - in that people who know my identity already know me, and people who don't know me WON'T know me. There's been reports that bosses now look at their employees blogs to learn more about them. I don't want my boss to look here. OK?
Friday, August 05, 2005
No smoking please
Hooray! Singapore is going to ban smoking in coffeeshops/ hawker centres next July, and pubs and discos by 2007!
Finally, being able to eat roti prata without being chased away by smokers. Being able to just hang out at pubs/ discos without suffering from second-hand smoke.
Cheers!
Finally, being able to eat roti prata without being chased away by smokers. Being able to just hang out at pubs/ discos without suffering from second-hand smoke.
Cheers!
An accomplishment
I worked around the house yesterday, even though I am still suffering from a sprained toe. Kinda suspect it isn't really a sprained toe, since its still slightly swollen, and its affecting my walk (limping around).. But i refuse to put my foot in a cast again. or sit in queue for 2-4 hours, or take an x-ray. no thanks, i'd rather limp around, thank you very much.
I'm so proud of myself. I removed six bolts from a wall, using a pair of pliers and twisting and pulling it similar to how a dentist might pull a molar out of your mouth. Then I patched the holes up with plaster, and I went around the whole house looking for holes/cracks to patch... like a pro plasterer.
Then I changed my ceiling light. Hooray! It was my first time actually removing and installing a brand new light. Eh, I can be a light technician already!
And then I covered a section of the house with newspaper and got to work painting the ceiling. whoa, painting is a tough tough tough tough tough job. cannot stress that enough. for that small section of a ceiling, I spent almost 3 hours painting. For the first few minutes, it was really tough, but it got better as I got more efficient - being able to roll the roller with the right amount of pressure and paint. But even then its still super tough. Have to paint a couple of layers. cannot la, next time either i enlist some help or i pay a professional. i give up, painting is NOT the profession for me. light tech still can =).
after I had a shower, i saw this show "while you were out" on TV. there was this interior designer and carpenter and a few other people redecorating a room. and i saw the designer applying wallpaper to the wall and I thought, "wow, so cool! I also want wallpaper!" hahha.. luckily it isnt "I also want to be a wallpaperer" hor?
and thats it. i'm going to continue painting the other parts of the house tomorrow.
*** Photos as promised ***
The original hole in the ceiling. After the leaking pipe was repaired, the ceiling came crashing down.
Repairing the ceiling in progress. This first board is already in place. The second one was still being cut by the SDG.
Finally, the ceiling repaired. SDG did the plastering to patch the cracks between the boards and the screw holes.
And its painted! By me. can see the paint isn't really even. But i'm working on it. =)
I'm so proud of myself. I removed six bolts from a wall, using a pair of pliers and twisting and pulling it similar to how a dentist might pull a molar out of your mouth. Then I patched the holes up with plaster, and I went around the whole house looking for holes/cracks to patch... like a pro plasterer.
Then I changed my ceiling light. Hooray! It was my first time actually removing and installing a brand new light. Eh, I can be a light technician already!
And then I covered a section of the house with newspaper and got to work painting the ceiling. whoa, painting is a tough tough tough tough tough job. cannot stress that enough. for that small section of a ceiling, I spent almost 3 hours painting. For the first few minutes, it was really tough, but it got better as I got more efficient - being able to roll the roller with the right amount of pressure and paint. But even then its still super tough. Have to paint a couple of layers. cannot la, next time either i enlist some help or i pay a professional. i give up, painting is NOT the profession for me. light tech still can =).
after I had a shower, i saw this show "while you were out" on TV. there was this interior designer and carpenter and a few other people redecorating a room. and i saw the designer applying wallpaper to the wall and I thought, "wow, so cool! I also want wallpaper!" hahha.. luckily it isnt "I also want to be a wallpaperer" hor?
and thats it. i'm going to continue painting the other parts of the house tomorrow.
*** Photos as promised ***
The original hole in the ceiling. After the leaking pipe was repaired, the ceiling came crashing down.
Repairing the ceiling in progress. This first board is already in place. The second one was still being cut by the SDG.
Finally, the ceiling repaired. SDG did the plastering to patch the cracks between the boards and the screw holes.
And its painted! By me. can see the paint isn't really even. But i'm working on it. =)
I did a good deed!
Actually, I did that good deed about 2 hours before I fell into the drain. The fall simply erased whatever satisfaction and good feelings I had after I helped a lady (eh, actually auntie, but I'm no longer that young ah, so lady sounds better) carry a can of paint. but then the feeling of resentment and anger towards the drain subsided, and surprisingly, I still feel good about helping her, so i'm going to talk about it.
i went shopping about two/three days ago. Went to buy plaster, scraper, paint, paint roller, paint brush, ladder, and two ceiling lights. had to visit three shops to get all i needed. along the way, while i was in the paint shop, there was this auntie that bought two cans of paint. she also had a lot of other stuff (brushes i presume) in another plastic bag. she seemed to be struggling with the paint. the shopkeeper, also an auntie, obviously wanted to help, but she had to look after her shop. so i offered to help her carry the can of paint to the taxi stand.
*** out of point warning ***
that reminds me of an incident, about two years ago when I was in London, I witnessed a mother with a baby cart, trying to get into her home. there's a flight of stairs before the main door. I said "Can I help?", intending to hold the door open for her while she carts her baby in. She eyed me suspiciously and didn't answer me. So I thought it would better if I left her alone... i guess i didn't look decent?
***
so they say people who do good things usually have good things going for them. but wtf? i fell into a drain!
perhaps if i didn't do that good deed something else would have happened? whoa...
and that brings me to.... another point. unprovable (and hence cannot be proven to be untrue, and hence can only be debated, but not dismissed) theories..
My point is that if you believe in any of them, there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't believe in the others. of course, there's also no reason why you should believe in them.
I'm talking in riddles huh?
i went shopping about two/three days ago. Went to buy plaster, scraper, paint, paint roller, paint brush, ladder, and two ceiling lights. had to visit three shops to get all i needed. along the way, while i was in the paint shop, there was this auntie that bought two cans of paint. she also had a lot of other stuff (brushes i presume) in another plastic bag. she seemed to be struggling with the paint. the shopkeeper, also an auntie, obviously wanted to help, but she had to look after her shop. so i offered to help her carry the can of paint to the taxi stand.
*** out of point warning ***
that reminds me of an incident, about two years ago when I was in London, I witnessed a mother with a baby cart, trying to get into her home. there's a flight of stairs before the main door. I said "Can I help?", intending to hold the door open for her while she carts her baby in. She eyed me suspiciously and didn't answer me. So I thought it would better if I left her alone... i guess i didn't look decent?
***
so they say people who do good things usually have good things going for them. but wtf? i fell into a drain!
perhaps if i didn't do that good deed something else would have happened? whoa...
and that brings me to.... another point. unprovable (and hence cannot be proven to be untrue, and hence can only be debated, but not dismissed) theories..
- "God only helps those who helps themselves." Brilliant quote. The person who first said that deserves to win a Noble prize. Unprovable because you never know if God did help the people, since they obviously helped themselves.
- TauSuan Theory. Read about it there for more information. Its unprovable because you will never know if there are indeed admirers that you don't know about.
- Retribution theory. "Hao ren you hao bao" (good men have good rewards?) or something like that. Again, unprovable.
My point is that if you believe in any of them, there's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't believe in the others. of course, there's also no reason why you should believe in them.
I'm talking in riddles huh?
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
I fell into a drain.
Call me unlucky, call me blind, call me clumsy.. whatever.
I fell into a drain about 4 hours ago, and I think i sprained my toe and suffered a few small cuts/abrasions on my foot and knocked my shin. Its painful but not crippling. at least i can still walk when i have to.. about my painting project, hmm.. maybe have to hold it for a few days.
how the hell did i fall? well, it happened like this, i went to a coffeeshop with my mum and bro. they're the kind that don't like to walk a lot, so they asked me to park right outside the shop, at the double yellow line. and while we were waiting for the food to come, two traffic police came on a motorbike.
"quick! move the car!" my bro exclaimed to me.
i turned around, saw the police, and hurried to the car, which was like 2 metres away. suddenly, i was shorter by a meter or so.
*ouch*. damn painful can! i discovered myself with my leg in a drain. i quickly clambered out.
the policeman saw all that and said, "eh, don't worry, take your time"
i didn't get a ticket, but i learnt an important lesson. well, actually a few important lessons...
my foot is starting to swell a little. i had to cancel my appt with TJ because i didn't feel like moving. i'm so sorry, TJ.
i think its a sprain, not a fracture, because the pain is not severe and i can walk. and the pain is at a joint. but its a sprain because i can't really bend my toe.
sigh... reminds me of the time when i broke my foot.
i should take better care of myself.
i'm NOT going to park by that double yellow line again. EVAR.
I fell into a drain about 4 hours ago, and I think i sprained my toe and suffered a few small cuts/abrasions on my foot and knocked my shin. Its painful but not crippling. at least i can still walk when i have to.. about my painting project, hmm.. maybe have to hold it for a few days.
how the hell did i fall? well, it happened like this, i went to a coffeeshop with my mum and bro. they're the kind that don't like to walk a lot, so they asked me to park right outside the shop, at the double yellow line. and while we were waiting for the food to come, two traffic police came on a motorbike.
"quick! move the car!" my bro exclaimed to me.
i turned around, saw the police, and hurried to the car, which was like 2 metres away. suddenly, i was shorter by a meter or so.
*ouch*. damn painful can! i discovered myself with my leg in a drain. i quickly clambered out.
the policeman saw all that and said, "eh, don't worry, take your time"
i didn't get a ticket, but i learnt an important lesson. well, actually a few important lessons...
- Don't park at double yellow lines
- especially when there's a drain just next to it
- and even when there's an urgency, look where you're walking
- do not be distracted by something that is obvious. look around yourself to check for other problems/issues/oppotunities
my foot is starting to swell a little. i had to cancel my appt with TJ because i didn't feel like moving. i'm so sorry, TJ.
i think its a sprain, not a fracture, because the pain is not severe and i can walk. and the pain is at a joint. but its a sprain because i can't really bend my toe.
sigh... reminds me of the time when i broke my foot.
i should take better care of myself.
i'm NOT going to park by that double yellow line again. EVAR.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Ceiling repaired
*I'll post some pictures soon*
Today my ceiling got repatched. The "boss" that came down a couple of days earlier and gave me a quotation was a chinese speaking, fair skinned, and a little bit plump guy. He was nice and gave a fair price, so we settled on him.
I wasn't exactly expecting him to be doing the repairs, but I thought he'd be working together with his men. Well, today he brought a guy, small sized (about 1.62, 55kg?), dark skinned and looks fit. well, he looks like a construction worker.
They came together. The big fair guy (BFG) and the small dark guy (SDG). After the BFG showed the SDG where the problem is and what he's supposed to do, the SDG went to work. He took off his shirt, then tore down the roof while BFG went to get the replacement ceiling boards. After that, while SDG was measuring the dimensions, BFG went to sweep up the mess. And then after SDG cut the boards to fit, BFG helped to hold the boards in place before SDG screwed them in.
And then BFG said (in chinese) "So you'll just plaster the ceiling yeah? I will go off now?" SDG nodded. So BFG turned around and told me to give SDG the money when he's done. and then he left! hmm.. i'm thinking how's SDG going to go home?
anyway, with his shirt off and his arms always raised above his head while he was plastering, i got a good view of his body man... not that i'm gay la, but i really think he's got a good bod. slim and fit, and agile, and dark. and his muscle definition is just nice lor, not too huge to be intimidating, but of a size to get respect and adoration.. hahaha.. wah, i feel guilty looking at him like that. man, i need to get a tan (and also hit the gym more often ahahahaha).
ok, back to the point. after he finished plastering and i paid him the money, he basically just packed up his tools and left on his motorbike. his tools fit into just a small cloth bag. the bag of plaster he just threw away. its amazing, all he needed was a saw, a powered screwdriver, screws, those metal tools for plastering, a container for the plaster and a bit of other tools and he's basically a fully functional, mobile construction worker! all that BFG did was to provide the boards and the plaster.
anyway, i can understand how his muscles came about. imagine plastering a ceiling above your head for 2 straight hours. and climbing up and down a ladder every minute. wah low, if construction workers are paid better, i think i'm going to look for a change of jobs. its fun constructing/building/repairing because you get a sense of satisfaction, AND you get to exercise. how cool is that?
Thinking of that, I'm quite envious of a boyfriend of a particular friend of mine. He's a civil engineer but he does a lot of hands-on work himself. Maybe I should have done civil engineering too. Or maybe just be an apprentice to a carpenter. or a plasterer.
Anyway, back to the topic. While my ceiling is patched, it is not painted. I think I'm going to paint it myself, since i have nothing better to do, and its more fun painting it than watching people paint it. And I can pretend to be a full-time painter. Not the arty kind of painter... the construction kind of painter. =)
Today my ceiling got repatched. The "boss" that came down a couple of days earlier and gave me a quotation was a chinese speaking, fair skinned, and a little bit plump guy. He was nice and gave a fair price, so we settled on him.
I wasn't exactly expecting him to be doing the repairs, but I thought he'd be working together with his men. Well, today he brought a guy, small sized (about 1.62, 55kg?), dark skinned and looks fit. well, he looks like a construction worker.
They came together. The big fair guy (BFG) and the small dark guy (SDG). After the BFG showed the SDG where the problem is and what he's supposed to do, the SDG went to work. He took off his shirt, then tore down the roof while BFG went to get the replacement ceiling boards. After that, while SDG was measuring the dimensions, BFG went to sweep up the mess. And then after SDG cut the boards to fit, BFG helped to hold the boards in place before SDG screwed them in.
And then BFG said (in chinese) "So you'll just plaster the ceiling yeah? I will go off now?" SDG nodded. So BFG turned around and told me to give SDG the money when he's done. and then he left! hmm.. i'm thinking how's SDG going to go home?
anyway, with his shirt off and his arms always raised above his head while he was plastering, i got a good view of his body man... not that i'm gay la, but i really think he's got a good bod. slim and fit, and agile, and dark. and his muscle definition is just nice lor, not too huge to be intimidating, but of a size to get respect and adoration.. hahaha.. wah, i feel guilty looking at him like that. man, i need to get a tan (and also hit the gym more often ahahahaha).
ok, back to the point. after he finished plastering and i paid him the money, he basically just packed up his tools and left on his motorbike. his tools fit into just a small cloth bag. the bag of plaster he just threw away. its amazing, all he needed was a saw, a powered screwdriver, screws, those metal tools for plastering, a container for the plaster and a bit of other tools and he's basically a fully functional, mobile construction worker! all that BFG did was to provide the boards and the plaster.
anyway, i can understand how his muscles came about. imagine plastering a ceiling above your head for 2 straight hours. and climbing up and down a ladder every minute. wah low, if construction workers are paid better, i think i'm going to look for a change of jobs. its fun constructing/building/repairing because you get a sense of satisfaction, AND you get to exercise. how cool is that?
Thinking of that, I'm quite envious of a boyfriend of a particular friend of mine. He's a civil engineer but he does a lot of hands-on work himself. Maybe I should have done civil engineering too. Or maybe just be an apprentice to a carpenter. or a plasterer.
Anyway, back to the topic. While my ceiling is patched, it is not painted. I think I'm going to paint it myself, since i have nothing better to do, and its more fun painting it than watching people paint it. And I can pretend to be a full-time painter. Not the arty kind of painter... the construction kind of painter. =)
Monday, August 01, 2005
Funny thing about Singapore $50 notes...
You've probably noticed this anomaly, but dismissed it immediately because its so commonplace it seems almost natural...
First of all, take out any Singapore 50 dollar bill you have. Fold it into two.
...... Don't look further until you've done what i said ........
Now, did you fold it such that the face of Yusof Ishak is inside the fold, or outside?
If you folded it such that the face is inside, well, you're one of 99% of people that folds it this way. The other 1% that folds it the other way probably has some vision deficiency. hahaha.. just joking. seriously, if you folded it the other way, i'd like to know why. drop a comment will ya?
Why do people fold the notes the same way? Is it because everyone else folds it like that, so the notes are already folded in one direction and therefore its easier to fold it the same way? but if so, why do people also fold NEW notes the same way? habit? and, why is this more prevalent in $50 than in $10, $5 or $2 notes? it cannot be easily explained, hence i call it an anomaly...
I've never noticed the same thing with American Dollars or British Pounds.
First of all, take out any Singapore 50 dollar bill you have. Fold it into two.
...... Don't look further until you've done what i said ........
Now, did you fold it such that the face of Yusof Ishak is inside the fold, or outside?
If you folded it such that the face is inside, well, you're one of 99% of people that folds it this way. The other 1% that folds it the other way probably has some vision deficiency. hahaha.. just joking. seriously, if you folded it the other way, i'd like to know why. drop a comment will ya?
Why do people fold the notes the same way? Is it because everyone else folds it like that, so the notes are already folded in one direction and therefore its easier to fold it the same way? but if so, why do people also fold NEW notes the same way? habit? and, why is this more prevalent in $50 than in $10, $5 or $2 notes? it cannot be easily explained, hence i call it an anomaly...
I've never noticed the same thing with American Dollars or British Pounds.
National Skin Center
Some of you might know that I have little warts on my right hand. it isn't really bothering me, and most people won't notice - but i've been having it for some time now, and it seems to be increasing in number...
My mum asked me to put some salicyclic acid on it. its supposed to "burn" the warts away. but i've been putting it faithfully for 2 weeks now, and it isn't getting any better.
So I thought its best to burn it away with liquid nitrogen or something. my mum told me can just walk into the NSC, see a doc, and get it burnt away immediately.
This morning, (no, actually, i woke up at 1pm, which was considered "morning") I left for the NSC, went up to the reception, and was politely informed that I need an appointment. Can either pay "fifty-four, sixty eight" for consultation for an appointment, or go to polyclinic for referral. haiz, she scared me with that "fifty-four, sixty-eight", so i decided to go to the polyclinic.
i went down to Geylang Polyclinic. I took a queue number for registration, then walked out to get a sardine puff and teh-ping for "breakfast". came back and waited for another 15 min.
after registration, was given another queue number for room 51. Hmm.. this time the queue numbers are not called in order, so I didn't know how long it'll take. I went upstairs and saw that there were another 150 patients to be seen, so I decided to take another walk.
I came back in 30 mins, and there still were another 75 numbers before my turn. Finally, after another 20 mins, I was seen. I didn't want to waste the doc's time, so I got straight to the point. In the end I was out of the room in 2 mins. btw, ever notice how almost ALL docs have very very simplified signatures? some docs just write a single letter. there are some docs that just write a tick mark. hahaha.. understandable i suppose, given that they prob sign a thousand signatures a day. hahaha..
so after about 2 and a half hours later, and eight dollars poorer, I had my appointment at NSC on 2nd Sep. "what? i'll be gone by then!"
"oh don't worry, just call this number to change your appointment"
i managed to change the appointment, fortunately, so don't worry.
I'm just wondering, will my doctor friends be able to help next time? can i get a referral just by calling? or must i still sit in line at the polyclinic?
My mum asked me to put some salicyclic acid on it. its supposed to "burn" the warts away. but i've been putting it faithfully for 2 weeks now, and it isn't getting any better.
So I thought its best to burn it away with liquid nitrogen or something. my mum told me can just walk into the NSC, see a doc, and get it burnt away immediately.
This morning, (no, actually, i woke up at 1pm, which was considered "morning") I left for the NSC, went up to the reception, and was politely informed that I need an appointment. Can either pay "fifty-four, sixty eight" for consultation for an appointment, or go to polyclinic for referral. haiz, she scared me with that "fifty-four, sixty-eight", so i decided to go to the polyclinic.
i went down to Geylang Polyclinic. I took a queue number for registration, then walked out to get a sardine puff and teh-ping for "breakfast". came back and waited for another 15 min.
after registration, was given another queue number for room 51. Hmm.. this time the queue numbers are not called in order, so I didn't know how long it'll take. I went upstairs and saw that there were another 150 patients to be seen, so I decided to take another walk.
I came back in 30 mins, and there still were another 75 numbers before my turn. Finally, after another 20 mins, I was seen. I didn't want to waste the doc's time, so I got straight to the point. In the end I was out of the room in 2 mins. btw, ever notice how almost ALL docs have very very simplified signatures? some docs just write a single letter. there are some docs that just write a tick mark. hahaha.. understandable i suppose, given that they prob sign a thousand signatures a day. hahaha..
so after about 2 and a half hours later, and eight dollars poorer, I had my appointment at NSC on 2nd Sep. "what? i'll be gone by then!"
"oh don't worry, just call this number to change your appointment"
i managed to change the appointment, fortunately, so don't worry.
I'm just wondering, will my doctor friends be able to help next time? can i get a referral just by calling? or must i still sit in line at the polyclinic?
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