My Korean Vocabulary

Prior to the 20th of November, it was limited to:

Kimchi - Preserved Cabbage
Ahnyonghaseyo - Hello
Kamsahamnida - Thank You
Saranghaeyo - I Love you
Gochujang- Chilli Paste
Weyo - Why?
Yeboyo - You're pretty
and erm..Shiban - !@%$#^

From 20th November till 4th December, thanks to Oh Yim Boon and Caroline:

Ganseogogeori ( This was our home for 2 weeks and I took hours to get that name into my head)
Ye/Ne - Ok/Yes
Aniyo (although some folks prefer to cross their hands ala ultraman)  - No
Chokeyo Moori Juseyo - Excuse me, Water Please?
Ohmalaeyo - How much?
ManWon - 10,000 won
Toboki - Spicy Rice Cake
Ajushi - Uncle
Ajuma - Auntie
Chingoo - Friend
Yeoja Chingoo - Girlfriend
Namja Chingoo - Boyfriend
Wekudae - What!
Benchanayo - It's alright/No Problem
Bangkapseumnida- Nice to meet you
Hamasho? - One shot/Bottoms Up
Soju - Rice Liquor
Maegju - Beer
Somaeg - Rice Liquor + Beer
Makgeolli - Rice Wine
Noraebang - KTV
Jijibang - Communal suana thing
Aashhhi.... - #@^...
Ahnyonghi kasayo - Goodbye (both parties parting ways)
Ahnyonghi kaysayo - Goodbye (to person staying)
and... Oh Yim Boon - Food for 5 persons

Procrastination...

..rears its ugly head again...
I've only managed to muster up 2 posts in November?!
Goodness... even though I could give myself the excuse that I was in Korea for 2 weeks.
I could have just blogged about my daily (mis)adventures right?

Well, I still have 10 days left for this year.. gambatte!!

My SuperHero!

What happened to my blog?

Where have all the pretty flowers gone? *boohoo

Cogito Ergo Sum ~ Descartes

 Our deepest and most valuable thinking requires a calm and attentive mind. If you exist in a perpetual state of distractedness, you'll never tap into the deepest sources of human insight and creativity - Nicholas Carr

Everyday Heroes

Hero as defined on Dictionary.com:

 

he·ro

 /ˈhɪəroʊ/ Show Spelled[heer-oh]

–noun,plural-roes; for 5 also -ros.

1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. 
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child. 
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc. 
4. Classical Mythology.

a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.

b.(in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.

c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.

Since young, the concept of heroes would refer to superheroes of the animated nature. It started from Superman, Spiderman of the Marvel and DC Comics family to Teenage mutant ninja turtles and Power rangers and Pokemon?!

My favourite would be Charlie’s angels, very much like Powerpuff girls eh? Kickass hot babes that could take on 10 men and still manage to look fabulous in a skin-tight suit.

Robin Hood from the medieval times wouldn’t have thought that being an outlaw just doesn’t cut it in this day and age anymore. You need to be a superhero with supernatural powers or super weapons.

 

Isn’t this just the remedy for what’s lacking in humanity right now? A Superhero of sorts, to remind us that there is hope and man is not selfish by nature.

Even if someone were to just rob from the rich to give to the poor, I’d applaud and admire him. But we have this reality check called the Law. Defiance will put you behind bars and might even cost you your life and no intervention will save you, there’s no Sherwood forest where you can thrive with your Merrymen and live happily ever after.

 

That might the reason that (if) Robin Hood existed then, because anarchy and corruption was rampant.

So what purpose does the Law serve? Whose interests does it protect? The people? Or the State?

The Law justifies punishments for wrongdoings, morally and ethically. Yikes… it is not my place to state an argument on this.

 

Back to heroes, I’m inspired because of a simple gesture by Sebastian, which I believe that every average Singaporean would have faced during their daily commute.

He told a passenger on the train to give up his seat for a pregnant lady.

I think the common scenario during peak hours is everyone crowding at the train doors and when it arrives, everyone rushes to alight and to board, simultaneously.

Once in the train, the competitive ones zoom in for the empty seat and aunties are the best at this, they are ruthless.

I think it is only in this country that there are designated seats for the elderly, disabled or pregnant ladies.

There’s even the latest jingle by the dim sum dollies, train is coming, which was cute at first but it started to get grating when they blasted it way above comfortable volume.

The give-up your seat jingle is worse, I actually felt embarrassed listening to that, what has our society come to? That we need these constant reminders to be more gracious and considerate. Isn’t this within our inate ethical framework that need not be part of public education?

 

Back to Sebastian, most selfish brats would just feign sleep to claim ownership of their seat when obviously someone needs it more than their fat butts.

Many a times I did want to just tell them off, especially foreigners. But I did not.....

Sebastian did the right thing, most Singaporeans are just afraid and selfish, afraid of getting into trouble, afraid of inconvenience, afraid of looking you in the eye, afraid of being noticed, afraid of losing out to others, afraid of everything.

 

There seems to be this personal bubble of space, I think, that everyone creates to surround and exclude themselves from the environment.

If you come too close to someone's personal bubble, he/she might just move away and they carry their bubble along. So they're not affected, as long as nothing happens within their (tiny) bubble, they'll get on with their life.

In our society where fear is a deciding determinant in the way we conduct our life, standing out from the masses and just pointing out something which isn’t right, even when it means inconveniencing ourselves. That is an everyday hero, we need more of that.

 

Aloysius told me about Meng Hua, who witnessed a dirty old man harassing a young helpless girl on the train, yes it was in public on a crowded train, such audacity! The girl was too afraid to retaliate and the perpetrator just took advantage of her weakness. Meng Hua saved the girl and ran after the molester who tried to get away and dragged him to the authorities. Meng Hua might be petite but she's an impressive lady.

 

Everyday heroes don’t need superpowers or a costume, they just need to believe in what is right and what is wrong and that something needs to be done.

 

David Bowie sang ... We can be heroes.. (even if it’s) just for one day...

 

 

Market Liquidity

MIT vs GLP

 

Let’s do a little number crunch here…

 

$0.93 vs $1.96

 

$1.19mil* vs $3.9mil* (funds to be raised)

 

38 times vs 12 times oversubscribed

 

$20.1bil vs $2.2bil application monies

 

Temasek Holdings vs Government Investment Corp.

 

High market liquidity with low interest rates results in cash-flow from banks to greener pastures.

“ The balloting results of the GLP applications also threw up some startling numbers. It showed that there were 22 successful applicants from the public who had initially applied for at least one million shares, coughing up at least $1.96 million upfront.
They were eventually allotted 10,000 shares each. “

Funny story, I applied for GIC but I didn’t have my CDP number while at the ATM.

Then I realized I could have done in the comfort of my home via ibanking duh?!

But I was afraid that I would have to sell the shares on trading day 18^th Oct, luck has it that I didn’t have my CDP online account activated, thus I wouldn’t be in time to receive my statement from CDP on my allocation results *holding my breath*

So 14^th Oct 10 am came and went….

Time to focus on MIT then, I gleefully applied 20 lots (CPF and CASH) but I was afraid to hit the submit button.

So I upped it to 30 lots, but it got rejected twice, stating an error with my CDP account number.

I even checked with my broker, I can’t be that bad with numbers right?

I tried again for 15lots in CPF and it went through. Yay I thought, then I tried again with Cash, apparently everyone is allowed 1 application…

Coincidentally, I figured out that I could have checked my application results thru ibanking as well, so much for missing out on GLP.

What about the fears of the recession rebound you say? Be damned! All that worries these folks is where to park their cash! 

Anyway MIT was hotcakes, obviously I got zilch out of this whole fiasco……. *grumble

Lesson learned on how to apply IPOs, and to just go straight for it, you only live once! You'll get refunded anyway..

Memories from my mischievious sweetheart birthday bash

Just a couple of choice shots from the night of the perfect feet =D

Hahaha we all know why this is hilarious!

Groupies!

My masterpiece tadaa!

Jacuzzi Deck view..wooo

Groupies again!

EVANGELION "FLY ME TO THE MOON"

This is how my love-affair with jazz and bossa nova started, from the manga Evangelion's ending credits, which I can hardly recall watching though haha

balmy bartley

The air became still
Passing vehicles send the fallen leaves crackling against the tarmac
Merciless beacons of heat beat against any exposed surface

Across the road from me is a jungle (with a tombstone or 2)
Surrounded by old houses...on my right
a new christian church... behind me
a catholic high school (with chinese rooftops) ... on my left (and SPCA beyond that)
and an indian missionary institute further down the road with sprawling grounds that looks pretty surreal amidst the vicinity...
There was hardly any commotion save for 2 pooping puppies dragging their poor babysitter along...

This is a strange spot which you can scarcely find in our metropolis. Sandwiched between the rural and industrial, it's familiarity is only due to those that often passed through to get to the highway.

How did I get myself in such an unhip location?

Kitty kitty kitty!

Ahhhh, how could I have missed this when it was launched in July?
It was the pairing of my best-loved cat and favourite mascara!
I could give myself a kick right now! (  I strangely feel that I've let HK down somehow..ermm haha)

Any good samaritan willing to help me?

Afterthoughts....

I really liked the view ;)

Tottering in my heels along the walkway towards One Marina Boulevard with my scrawny arms struggling to hold on the bulky notebook and steel-chained Chanel-inspired (brimming) bag slung over the other shoulder.
I was huffing and puffing and trying not to fall while maintaining a steadfast pace as my feet can take me but my stride was limited by the hem-width of my dress. -_-"
Mag texted me last night to reach at 0745 instead... arghhh and Aloysius' bedroom window happened to be facing the funeral held at the adjacent block. It wasn't a peaceful night.

The reason for my attendance was because I was appointed to attend the SME Development Conference organised by DP Information Group. DHL being a co-sponsor has a booth (right in front of the buffet table) and this was supposed to be a opportune avenue to showcase our Ecommerce Solutions to the attending SME representatives.

It was definitely not the kindof crowd I was expecting, there was an interesting mix of folks. They were from all nationalities and wardrobes haha. Well, SMEs does refer to small-medium enterprises.

As I was stationed at the booth, I did not attend all the talks except during the panel discussion. I must say I'm proud of "Mr DHL" haha. One of the panelists christened Herbert as such, which I believe he wasn't impressed. But it did provide a light-hearted moment to the otherwise dry topics earlier.
The objective of this discussion was to address the challenges that SMEs face to establish their business and also to field the questions that participants posed.
The panelists were seated on the stage with an audience of 400-odd. I thought only Mr C.S. Liew and Herbert were more prominent in their presence and responses. Mr Liew had a wealth of experience for starting his own company, which was evident by his age, he gave very clear and thoughtful answers. Herbert was impressive being somewhat the odd one out, country manager of a logistics MNC. He was able to give insightful and informative responses despite being impromptu.

Maybe I was being prejudiced, I've always been intimidated by Herbert's confidence and intellect.

I'm still a far way off from that stage, there's alot to learn and time is running out.

Intervention

Procrastination....
and Inertia.....
Must.
Break.
Free.
From.
This.
arghh....

1. SME Conference tomorrow which I'll have to showcase our solutions to the participants.
2. Software Upgrade (again) next week and I'm appointed to oversee the smooth transition.
3. Dilemma over GLP and MIT IPOs, apparently they are deliberately scheduled to clash. Not exactly spoilt for choice unless you're one of them high-net worth individuals. One look at the prospectus (GLP) makes my eyes roll and the radio ads starts to get grating.
4. Shoes, I think I'm close to the point of overkill. I need rehab, yes yes yes...I think I have more shoes at Aloysius' place than him.  That my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg. Carrie Bradshaw I'm not

I need Intervention, any volunteers?

15.01.09

I managed to salvage this from my (now-defunct) blog:

Lifelong learning, the folks in white emphasis on this in hope for our nation to cultivate our most abundance resource...the familiarity of the 'iron-rice bowl' is a passe concept in today's society...even more pronounced at such perilous times...
From the first moment of conciousness, we start learning, our brain... simply its like a sponge...our eager minds learn from every sensory experience..
It starts at an exponential rate and plateaus when we reach young adulthood...the fundamental techniques of acquiring knowledge is supposedly from reading and writing..
"To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries."
Writing is a form of expression, of creativity to evoke emotion, social influence, to immortalise a thought or an event...in essence, writing allows us to apply our knowledge and our ability to express ourselves in any agenda..
Reading was (and is still is) something that I truly enjoyed, I'm the classic geek, who was introverted, shy, soft-spoken (do not snigger) who would rather make-up excuses not to be out with my friends and curl-up in bed with the latest fiction.. reading fuels my imagination...its my own private paradise where i can envision the characters in my head and play out the scenes of the story...when in secondary school, i took up the opportunity to express all the ideas in my head like fish to water... when i was writing...everything just flowed... my mind was running with a multitude of ideas and scenes... it was overwhelming, i was penning 1000+ words essays when the assignment only called for 500 haha
Throughout childhood, we continually learn everything, how to walk how to run, the associated cause and effect teaches us the expected response to every situation, anything that's deemed 'bad' is associated with pain and displeasure anything that's deemed 'good' is linked to approval and rewards...
From the cherubic wide-eye 'angels' we were...gradually our distinctive personalities are manifested...and yet the stereotypes are endless...the rebel, the clown, the nerd, the easy-going one, the freak etc... i shall not continue with how we progress to our eventual self, as it will take a lifetime... literally
we branch out only to be compartmentalise and categorized...the Americans readily embrace the notion of inidividualism, thus harbouring delusions of grandeur evidently in the American Idol franchise...
Don't you agree that a person views himself or herself through others' perceptions in society and in turn gains identity. The self is the result of the concept in which we learn to see ourselves as others do. One will never stop modifying their self  throughout the entirety of a person’s life unless all social interactions are ceased
The question is, how do we define ourselves?
Are we conditioned socially from young, so our eventual selves is a sum of all the external agents?
Is there an intrinsic self that is autonomous from our making into our passing of this phenomenal world?
Is our physical and psychological-being mutually exclusive such that if our psychological self were to inhibit another physical being, we will be the same? having the same thoughts, same feelings, same neuroses...
A self that is not defined by others and not affected by externalities...
Otherwise, is there a definition for the self? what makes us special or different from others? if we're born as a blank slate, awaiting to be written, by whim, chance, luck, not within our control? what makes me.. me? if 2 babies grew up in the exact same conditions, will they turn out the same? save for their genetic makeup?
We started out in our lives, thinking that we're special and different... then as our social network expands, we realise that there's a whole new world out there and an array of personalities that are similar and opposite from us...we get drawned to someone similar or someone who complements us (but that's another argument for another day)
If we're defined by our personalities...which is the defining trait that we can claim ownership to? The answer is doubtful, as somewhere out there, there will be someone else who exhibits that similarity...
We are all different and the same? Therein lies the paradox...
That.. my friends... is the question that was posed to us in 1999.. after 3 years and 25 grand, it still baffles our minds...
What a morose and fatalistic thought to throw at young and eager students striving to the future of our nation (go MOE!)
Insightful indeed, it makes one take a step back and think of the big picture, perceiving the world through the looking glass... it takes cynicism to a higher level...
It was overwhelming for little me to bear, the decison was to detach myself and take an objective stance and continue with my life with hope, faith and delusion...

............................If God was a DJ.....................

Life is a dance floor
Love is a rhythm
You are the Music...

I dreamed a dream in time gone by.....

There can only be one Fantine...

Hello Kitty Brownies

I was inspired to make brownies as prelude to my potluck party this weekend.
I've gotten this from smitten kitchen (using Alice Mendrich's recipe). I think I'm kindof rusty from adventures in the kitchen, many a time I have been wanting to make those famed World Peace Chocolate Cookies, however procrastination and sloth got the better of me... aahhhh :S
Strangely, each time I try a recipe for the 1st time, I would fret and fumble but it would eventually turn out to be wonderful, somewhat like a first kiss. Thinking that I would do even better the second try after learning from the virgin attempt, I'm always disappointed. Sigh...
I somehow tweaked the recipe a little, reason being that Aloysius had a 'health-scare' recently. Which serves as a reminder not to take our body for granted and to treat it like a temple ;D
In an attempt to make brownies less sinful, I reduced the butter (by 10-20 gm?) and sugar (1/4 cup less).
Apparently though, the texture seems to have been compromised a little.
The recipe calls for 2 large eggs as well, and by American Standards, large would probably equate to extra-large in the local context. But eggs only come in 1 size here!
I could always heed the wise words of Marty and head to the famed Tanglin Mall Marketplace where you can get everything American.
Lastly, I left the brownie to bake while I took a shower, although I set the timer to slightly less than 20 minutes.
My personal verdict is that it wasn't as moist as the fudgey little brownies I made a few X'mases ago for the office party.
But this one is definitely cuter :D yay!

Right under my nose....

 

01 Oct Friday, Citi was hovering around 4.03 - 4.04. I was exhausted so Q-ed to sell at 4.05 then went to bed.

Come Saturday morning Citi touched 4.1 and closed at 4.09... diddly-darn! Arghhh....done deal at 4.05...

Eat Pray Love

The media ads were everywhere, so I decided to Google on this movie; turns out it's based on a memoir (Italian twins.. oh my *giggle) of a woman's journey to attain physical, emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
Now I'm intrigued...

Isn't this what every women seeks at the turning point in her life?
Not everyone has the privilege to acheive this during their lifetime, although it should be pretty easy to attain gastronomical satisfaction in this food paradise we call home hehe

I might be envious of her experiences but considering her trying situation it wasn't a bed of roses. Her position is such that she has a choice: either to be a victim of circumstances or to rise above the adversities and give life a second chance.
She has found a way to happiness despite a road marred with winding twists and turns.
Isn't it so that the journey makes the end more rewarding?
Remember my recent post on Maslow's Hierarchy? Indeed her story spans the entire spectrum from bottom to the top... well done... well done *claps
Only someone like me would have noticed that material gratification has scarcely any significance in her life-story.
Ohh what about Chanel 2.55? Every lady deserves one! Ahh that's a story for another time...

Self-fulfillment seems to be the de rigueur way of motivation mostly for individualistic societies such as America.
To put words into perspective:
Let's compare to an Indian woman who will (probably) meet her husband to be for the first time just days before the wedding.She will have to live with this (almost) stranger for the rest of her life; although divorce rates in India are significantly lower than in America (by 10 times).

An American woman would go up in arms and protest over this common practice (in India) of arranged marriages. Any ideals of self-fulfillment would be shattered when one doesn't even have the choice over her life partner.
What about human-rights, personal-liberty and female empowerment?
Apparently , family takes precedence over all else in Indian culture.

This is just one of the many stories of women around the world

Is it true to say that it is a consequence then of modernity and globalisation that women have autonomy and independence to take their destiny in their own (manicured) hands?

A typical Singaporean woman then should feel blessed considering her regional counterparts may not enjoy the freedom and resources at her disposal to achieve personal and social successes
Are we doing enough to be what we can be?!
Procrastination and Inertia prove to be stubborn obstacles to progression.

For the protagonist (Elizabeth Gilbert) in EPL, her safety net and comfort zone was threatened, thus she ventured out on a quest for new direction in her life.

Couple both optimism and determination then arm yourself with a mentality that the world is your oyster, you'll be more than ready to embark on your quest for world-domination hehe...
Sigh.. wouldn't the world be a better place :D

The world will keep progressing at an exponential pace but if we choose to live in our own shell of self-denial then eventually there will be no place for those that lag behind.

We often hear inspiring stories of exceptional individuals, indeed that has piqued our curiosity briefly before getting distracted by other sights and sounds... haha maybe it's just me.

How do we step out and step up and grab life by the reins?
Miss Elizabeth Gilbert started a journey to seek herself and she ended up finding someone. Abandon all your reservations and inhibitions (while keeping your dignity and modesty), don't be afraid if the pieces don't seem to fit; eventually the puzzle will still be completed.

You only live once! Don't stop believing and start doing! Get that leather jacket :D (It's the LBD for Apocalyptic Fashion, you read it here first!)

I believe soon enough, we'll see for ourselves that Mankind has overstayed our welcome on this planet. Look around you, what have we done to the Earth? *sigh

While we're still breathing, Live Life with Love, Faith and Conviction and have no regrets :)

High-larious Animals

The Human Condition : Of Char Siew and the Universe

The experience of being human, understanding ourselves and our place in the universe…

I was briefly a student of the school of existentialism and metaphysics… ( in the previous millenium)

What constitutes the experience of existence and reality?

Cogito Ergo Sum

I think therefore I am – Descartes

The Sameness VS the Other

Does an absolute, intrinsic self exists with complete autonomy or is the self achieved by the identity of the other?

Objective VS Subjective

Is there a fundamental self that exists both in the phenomenal and transcendental realm?

Is the self (x) determined by our emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts (EART), but if there exists someone else (y) with the same EART, is it true that x=y?

If not, then surely the self equates more than the sum of all parts? How about our physical attributes?

Then can we say that x with the same EART as y but with different physical appearance are essentially very different?

Based on my hazy memory the ongoing theme though was the paradox of duality…

There I was mulling about which class to attend next or should I make a detour haha.. and my lecturer suddenly hurls me into this metaphysical abyss?!

I look around me at everyone going about their business and I wonder what’s the point? Oh my … why do we worry about the next bus and what’s for lunch and doing my homework hehe when we couldn’t even answer the fundamental question of our existence… the horizons of my mind has expanded.. and yet I felt a little sad…

Eventually though, pragmatism took precedence and halted this journey of self-enlightenment…if you ever try to turn your back on reality, it will bite you back and there’s no escape!

Recently, I had a moment while savouring the best charred bits of char siew at Guan Chee Roast Duck stall in Hougang… I imagined myself a speck in the solar system with all the mighty stars and planets revolving in their glory… part of the milky way galaxy.. this infinite mass of vacuum that encompasses all life forms…

In the limitless scheme of things.. I am inconsequential… how is char siew part of this universe? How did the majority of my senses be numbed by the finger-licking glistening black bits of pleasure that exploded in my mouth while there are bigger matters of contention…

Illustration of Brain Cells distribution:

Without the answers do we simply dismiss our lives so far as trivial and just sit and ponder?

We may be just beings passing through time but isn’t it so that how we live our lives determine the experience…how do we make the most of this experience?

What a man can be, he must be!

But……… what about my char siew?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (see below):

Before we can achieve self-actualization and contemplate such lofty questions on the human condition… all our other needs have to be met and mastered…

Based on this, Char Siew would occupy a huge chunk at the bottom of this hierarchy…

Such is my dilemma…

My Team Snapshot

Who's In And Who's Out?

Naughty Citi

MM what he said...

Mm that he only meant well.... Mm what he said... Mm that's all for the best...

Haha... I seriously couldn't help it... Just run a google search on my post title and you'll catch it...

Mm said much.....which never fails to attract both critics and bootlickers, be it homegrown and across our shores as well...
Most (with the exception of a few brave souls) are nothing more than armchair critics that lurk behind the facade of online anonymity...

It's undeniable that Mm is the key figure in building this nation to our present success. Mm is definitely irreplaceable and  we are all indebted to him.

Recently though, reports of the prosecution of certain individuals came into light. I shall remain discreet on naming names.

With the impending GE looming ahead, every move they make seems to be under public scrutiny and skeptics are just waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Indeed the MIW have the interests of the country at heart, though their paternalistic intentions seem to be bordering on paranoia?

There are 2 sides of the coins on this take...On one hand, they have tried to up their hip quotient by reaching out to grassroots and younger generation via social networking sites and openly accepting the Pink community even rapping and whatnot...
On the other hand, they are fast and furious to clamp down on the slightest whiff of dissent (regardless of geographical or virtual location)

Those of you who think that cyberspace is a free-for-all anarchy... watch out because it's a double-edged sword...venture at your own risk... leave no cookie crumb trails behind...

Those fatcats seem to think that by giving us an inch...we'll ask for a foot... and somehow chaos will ensue...

Indeed our island is in a very precarious position...from the inside out... if ever someone manages to disturb the balance, who knows if history (1964) will repeat itself or worse since the demographics have changed drastically....

We've been a peace loving tropical concrete island for more than 40 years and counting... but sipping coconuts and laying in the hammock ain't for us... we gotta work hard for the money...

Look at what we've achieved! Rolling at the roulette table, zipping in Ferraris, just hop onto the Circle Line to Promenade everything is there.. How about abolishing the taxes and give everyone a Lambo and hey we're living in Monaco! hehehe
Hello World, check us out!

The inhabitants of this tiny island are proud but not proud of our nation...why?
A Mr J says that the locals are 3rd class citizens living in a 1st class country..... Mr J got flame-grilled big time...
The lady doth protest too much,me thinks...

True enough, you can never please everyone...

Ahh.. my lips are sealed and my hands are tied...

This article will lead to nowhere and have no conclusion that is till the day our society has (if) attained truly liberal democracy, we will just have to exercise caution and restrain on our actions within the public sphere.

Yatta!

Pop Quiz

You are driving through a desert and you see:

1. the love of your life
2. your saviour whom you're indebted to
3. an injured man who needs immediate medical attention

You have to make a choice out of the 3, what do you do?

I dread questions like these..not another one of those cliche personality quizzes..
Over analytical me thought, what would happen to the other 2 that I didn't choose?
How much am I indebted to my saviour? Which desert? Am I decked out in the latest safari trends? haha

As much as my conscience tells me to do the right thing and repay my gratitude towards 2, I decided that I couldn't live with myself if I were to drive away with 2 and abandon 1.
So..... I would choose to be with 1 and let 2 to drive 3 to seek help.

This turned out to be one of the SIT test questions conducted in the army for BMT recruits to determine if they qualify for OCS. Apparently, this was the best answer given by 1 guy out of the entire platoon.

Aha! I'm officer material *smug grin*

eat my dust boys....

1 + 2

In the world through the eyes of Kitty Kuan, there are only 2 different types of people that matter to me and deserve my respect, no questions asked:

1. Genuinely good-natured
2. Intelligently admirable

Aloysius = 1 + 2 + everything nice :D

Aloysius Mum = AM ≠ 1 or  2

She’s strangely the catalyst to his desire to fight for a better life that they can only dream and be envious of…

Incidently (definitely unintentional), she’s the one that constantly reminds me to appreciate those around me (especially my mum) …. willing devil’s advocate?

Every now and then, she’ll do something to keep this in check… no doubt she is conscientiously consistent

This is what happened : Sunday morning, we’ve decided to go for a jog to enjoy the benefits of serotonin and detoxification… it was sweltering at 31°C…

We came back sweat-drenched… admittedly I’m quite a pampered (overgrown) child, if I were at home I would just dump my sweaty attire in the laundry, socks and all, for my mum to clean it up…

However I was at his place so I hand-washed my clothes and my socks ( those poor little hands won’t be soft anymore) and hung out to dry…

Fast forward to Monday morning as we were rushing for work, she confronted him while I wasn’t there and told him that I couldn’t wash my clothes anymore in this house anymore due to increase in water and electricity consumption and his father being the sole-bread winner etc…

 

Initially I was miffed, it wasn’t the 1^st incident that she directed her unreasonable nature towards me….

I’m naïve in the sense that I believe that everyone I meet is good-natured or wants to be… but reality tells a different story..

 

Previously, during the 1^st incident I was shocked and even teared and Aloysius was pissed… it was ugly… she achieved her objective… and we learned another a valuable lesson…

 

This time I was ever so slightly pissed, considering that we were both groggy and my muscles were still aching.. but then I told myself that I couldn’t be bothered….although I was concerned about Aloysius… and I didn’t want to put him on the spot… he’s really a wonderful boy and he doesn’t deserve this… (all the years of ‘child-abuse’ she has subjected him to..pains me..)

 

Only someone like him can turn this to his advantage and grow stronger out of this…a lesser being would crumble and erm… start foaming in the mouth ahah…

Forgiven but not forgotten… I won’t get petty or vindictive about this but I won’t forget …

In time to come she will realise… and we won’t even have to make any effort…

 

Then we can all say… Adios Amigoes……la ku ka raaa cha!… laku ka raaa cha!… dididadadidida

Madd Chadd

...........................Ode to my Boots..........................

in a shade of Caramel

buttery Suede inside

Bonded with Laces of leather

like Summer in the City

Cool ....a little Rough round the edges

A tale of two kitties...

Irony aside considering my namesake, however the origins of mine have no relevance to this phenomenon.

If you have managed to piece together the clues, this is about the eponymous Kitty of the Hello Kitty movement/brand/religion.

If my memory serves me well, my first encounter would have been a little pouch give by my parents (or auntie?). It was red and palm-sized and I probably used it to keep my trinkets. The memories were slightly hazy, I recall being enthralled by the Sanrio section in the department store at my childhood ‘hangout’ at (now defunct) Thomson Yaohan  and Plaza Singapura.

My mum would bring both my brother and I for these weekly excursions where he would be attending his music lessons while my mum and I would be window-shopping. It was a mixture of covetousness and fascination as I try to imagine now how Hello Kitty and Friends appeared to me when I was a young and innocent. A rose-tinted world covered with fairy-dust and basking in a warm glow, every little thing seemed so preciously adorable and tagged with a very dear price. Hello Kitty purses and notebooks and glittery stickers, plush toys, I would feel it and pick it up and admire every piece that caught my eye and reluctantly put it back but not without taking a second look.

As much as I hope that I was a little princess (by birth/accident/coincidence), like every little girl wishes to be - courtesy of Disney cartoons and fairy tales; my family hasn’t an inkling of royal blood or deep pockets to indulge in my whim. Oh how grand it would be living in a Hello Kitty palace filled with all that is pink and feline! My socks to my teacups will be adorned with the Hello Kitty silhouette.

The fantasies and being unattainable fueled my fascination for HK (we shall use this abbreviation from now, with no less respect the cat of course).

Adolescent started to creep in and as all of us has gone thru teenage angst and the rage of hormones. This whirlwind of our life was bordering on excitement, boredom, anger, confusion, and cluelessness and possibly downright suicidal. All of us were trying to fit-in and shrug our childhood and parents. Cutesy gave way to cool nonchalance.

HK had to take a hiatus from my life until I re-discovered her in my early adulthood. I had just embarked on my working life thus I was on the cusp of financial-autonomy. Thankfully I wasn’t a blind HK fan, I was selective in my collections. Without a word of warning though, McDonalds decided to launch the HK Wedding Toy Dolls (gasp!). I tried to be cool when I learned about it, I wasn’t one of those that hunted every Mac outlet or camped overnight to get their hands on the prize (I mean toys). Singapore was launched full-forced into an island-wide frenzy, even my mum got more excited than me, she kept egging me to get them and if I didn’t she could get it for me (she maybe stern but I know she loves me). I eventually got a set of the spacesuit Kitties which I thought were the cutest.

Blood was spilled, fists were unleashed, tears fell and it’s as ugly as a Singaporean can get. Everyone ate, drank, breathed HK (McDonalds). What super size me? Be-damned! What ever happened to the innocent little kitty who couldn’t even talk to save her life? Thankfully it was over but there were still random HK toys that were launched with the Happy Meals. I probably have quite a collection of these though. My best purchase so far? A T-shirt in collaboration with Public Library, a cult-brand from the U.S. It costs more than twice of top you would find in a mid-priced store. I absolutely love it till today although it’s gotten a little of worse for wear.

That day didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped; I had tried my luck again at the SIA interview. I tried to look as bimbotic as possible but apparently I’m still lacking the appeal that the fat-cats (those middle-aged fat bozos sitting in their armchairs) were looking for. Then again, age could have been a factor… After the whole fiasco, I was feeling lousy. I called Aloysius and I told him what happened asked if he could meet me in such short notice. The eager young boy was keen and we were strolling along town and I came across a corner shop in the Heeren and guess what caught my attention? My eyes twinkled and I smiled, my day wasn’t so bad after all! She was decked in a Chanel suit in the lightest shade of pink and gray along with accents of gold. It was perfect! My heart sang and I jumped around in the shop trying it on with the sweetest pair of jeans with stars on my bum haha. Dear Aloysius complimented me and from then on, till this day he’s still mesmerized by how I look(ed).

I fear that there will be no end to this story. I can hardly explain the rationale behind my (controlled) obsession with HK. Her appeal seems limitless and she’s omni-present (almost), she can be found in convenience stores, fast-food outlets, supermarkets, toy stores, mass-media, the list goes on…. Girls and grown-women alike have gone gaga over her and men have pulled their hairs over their partner’s incomprehensible obsession.Age has proven to be not to be a deterrent to HK, on the contrary it seems to have magnified.

I’ll always have abit of her with me, be it a little purse or my trusty MAC blusher. Hail the Cat!