Three down, one to go. But the one left could be the hardest of all. As they always say, the worst is yet to come. Couldn't describe my lifestyle now with other words other than dull, boring and mundane. With the examinations spread out over a span of eight days, I avoided sports and exercise for fear of getting burned out. Like how I told my mum I should not train right before the MICE paper yesterday in case I didn't have the energy to write the paper afterwards. Okay laziness could be another logical reason. Cannot wait for the semester to be over and hopefully receive good grades to rescue my pathetic cGPA. 

And the dream of learning either the drums or the violin just disappeared again, considering my paltry seven days of vacation before the start of SIP. "Studied" for a short while earlier. Described in inverted commas because it was of zero effect. Scumbag brain can only concentrate with full serenity, peace and quiet. Attempted to switch on the player for some classical music of Richard Clayderman but realised I lost the disc. Yes, third-world me is still using a compact disc. Reduced to using the boombox radio but failed to search for any classical radio stations and 98.7 was too noisy. In the end, I gave up studying altogether. Friday's paper is possibly the last major examination paper that I have to undertake for the next few years, can you believe it? And after that, hopefully we are going ahead with the planned food trail on Friday! Imagine Katong Laksa, CMC Confectionery, Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice, Beancurd Salad and Pork Ribs Soup all in a day! That procrastinated diet would have to take the backseat.  

Shall end this post with an inspiring picture (with a quote from Harvey Dent):

Completely no evidence to prove that Lance Armstrong had used dope to improve his race condition. And the association had absolutely no authority to remove his seven Tour de France titles. Do those 500+ tests that he underwent not mean a thing? Even if he was innocent, the incessant accusations were more than enough to break his spirit. A person is innocent until proven guilty. Regretfully, the authorities thought otherwise.

Worked at anf for the first time in almost two months. Was reminded of how much I abhor the incessant continuous routine of folding clothes. Trust me, I don't even fold my own clothes at home. Hurl them into the wardrobe and they will be magically folded into stacks. Thanks noble mum. Was transferred to womens floor fitting room and had to be a prepper-runner-door opener. Yes you read that right, the stupid system of locking the fitting room doors, only available for access via the key. Why can't they simply utilise the "Vacant-Occupied" methodology? Cue the thankless task of opening doors while people are changing because I forgot which rooms are occupied. And yes, even though I worked only for five hours, it feels like I have aged ten. Finally ended work at almost 3pm, collecting my AAAs right after. Visited steph, sherri, zhiqi and shin at their flea over at Scape. Stayed just for a short while and grabbed burger king before heading out straight to basketball.

Fast-forward to today because yesterday was too boring to be worth a mention. Finished up my notes for LSO and MICE and felt majorly accomplished. That's the procrastinator in me. And he wins all my internal debates all the time. Went for a run to clear my mind. Really feels good spending some alone time out with nature, trees and nothing else. Did some pull-ups causing blisters to form on my palms. Stupid bars. Made a life-changing decision. Hopefully the willpower to sustain it will remain and may I have no regrets. 

Current state: Sick.

Absolutely no idea how I caught the virus but yeah, I'm sick. Always at an inopportune moment of time. Shall describe the intense day of crazy eating today which I could only taste slightly due to the annoying cold.  Went to Geylang Lorong 27A for fried doughsticks, onion pancake and soya bean early in the morning. The standard seems to have declined since the last time. And the food has become so oily. Mother had salty beancurd. Who in the world orders salty beancurd and expects it to be fit for consumption and even taste good? Apparently no one, since she gave it up three mouthfuls later. Walked around for a little while and wound up at Astons Specialities where I had my Hickory BBQ chicken. Dad was crazy enough to order the Prime Sirloin at medium doneness, which he regretted not long after. To think he ordered the dish without foreseeing his inability to chew the tendons. So that all went down my gullet as well. Bought a smoked duck a la carte over at Cold Storage for dinner. And that concludes my episode of "How I Got Labelled As A Pig."

Celebrated sherri's birthday last friday. Korean BBQ at Ssikkek over at Novena. Chomped down on beef, pork, chicken and whatnots without even identifying the meats. Did not fulfil my fullest potential due to the impending sick state. Played games over at the Revenue House as usual. Reminiscing the olden days where we used to play games and talk in one big circle. Should be roughly 2 years back. Embarked on a journey back to pasir ris on bus 21. Funny to see mark trying to maintain because of a full bladder since the bus arrived right when he wanted to visit the washroom. 

Examinations coming right up. But time is flying and soon, internship will commence. Can't wait for the meet-ups and activities planned out. Especially the korea and taiwan trips in March/April. Totally stoked to travel with close friends.

Had my birthday.....and it's gone. Finally twenty. Somehow the number in words sounds much tamer than "20". And with the Olympics happening right now, I can't help but ponder. Some people have already achieved an Olympic gold medal at the tender age of 16. What have I done with my life? 

Started off the day with text messages streaming in right from midnight. However, I have to say that I only read them at 87am because even though I turn 20 the next day, I still have to adhere to my 8-hr sleep rule. Which means I slept at 11pm. Waited an hour to reply those messages in case they were still asleep. Met zhiqi at the interchange. Attended MICE tutorial and had to present the advantages of Vancouver as an incentive travel destination. Had MICE interview right after and it went well I guess. All of us had butterflies in our bellies but they miraculously disappeared right after we stepped out of the interview room. Skipped F&B lecture because we were already almost 45mins late. Proceeded to Sugarloaf for lunch. Had the lamb briyani. Returned to library for project. Since I have already started proofreading the report for our very last project, I am trying to ascertain that there will be minimal mistakes. As a result, I ended up rewriting and paraphrasing the entire report in my own words, thus the slow rate. Went to macs after almost 5 hours of reading. Although we were having dinner after that, I could not resist having a mcchicken meal. Waited for sherri, steph and weichong before we proceeded to Tampines to meet the Avengers™. As I settled down and was having my delicious and tantalising hot peri-peri chicken, the fried penguin gang came to surprise me. Trust me, I was really surprised. My face was like :O They sat down to chat for awhile before going over to Sushi Tei for dinner, claiming that Nando's was expensive. Hello you think Sushi Tei one piece 20cents is it? Finished our meals and took a photo which looked like we were at a club. And nope, I still have not made my maiden club voyage and I intend to let it stay this way.

  

We talked at Wendy's for awhile. Makes me remember this picture:

And I have come up with a new martial art called Hok DnomYar. It consists of a combination of punches, hooks, kneekicks and elbows. After an intensive training period of 5 minutes, you will transcend the masses and be conferred the title of a "hok-er" or hawker, and you will be able to display the certificate such as the one shown below:

Parted ways and went to find the Fried Penguins™ at Tampines Mall. Talked for awhile at Mos Burger before we started to go home. Chaos ensued when I tried to get wesley to quit smoking. I know it is hard but it can be done. Returned home for another celebration with my family. And there will not be any pictures of them at all because they did not want to have to change clothes or comb their hair just before sleeping. Funny people. Just a small celebration at home without any fanfare but the setting was comfortable. But since the womens singles table tennis semi-final match was broadcasting at the same time, they quickly sang the birthday song and went back to the sofa, only returning after it ended. 

Pardon my blank look because I was really tired already at that time. Who in the world celebrates their birthday 15 minutes before it ends? Enjoyed myself thoroughly and loved the presents.

Present from The Avengers™

Present from Fried Penguins™

Really appreciate everything that everyone has done. Especially the planners. I have no idea what went behind the scenes but certainly the effort is commendable. Thank you for all the well wishes and for making my 20th such a memorable one.

Now Playing: B2ST- Beautiful Night

This is hard. I know the last post was almost two weeks ago but I still have no inspiration to write anything. Excessive thinking will only cause more white hair to sprout. However, according to some Straits Times report, it is supposedly an "indicator of good health". Take that you critics. But the hypothesis was based on wild boars. So I am one too. Rawr. 

Went for medical check-up last Thursday and luckily my second medical test result was fine. The first time I took the test, I was told I had excessive proteins in my body. "Au Naturel" protein. Unlike those buff guys at the gym who consume protein powder to appear more muscular. Absolutely no offence. But I wouldn't want my body to sag when I stop exercising during old age. But alas, we live in a superficial world where looks appeal more than substance. Met up with huiying, wesley and benjamin for dinner after my check-up. Haven't met the latter in almost a year. Although the meet-up was short, it was good fun. 

Met up with groupmates for project at the URA gallery on Friday but things went awry. Was supposed to meet a consultant but it turned out that we had simply booked a slot to visit the library, which was free for all entry in the first place. Left early to meet gale and yiinshin together with stalker weiling for dinner at Liang Court. Why is she a stalker? Because she knows so many of my secondary school friends. Not stalker then what? Tasted escargots aka snails for the first time in my life. Not advisable for a retry. Succulent but too gross to the thought. 

So the examination timetable is out. Can say it was rather lenient to us. 4 papers spanning 7 days. Not bad already, can't complain. Imagine that, just one project, two tests, two presentations, one interview and four examinations to go. No stress, none at all. Can't wait for March!

Cutting Down the Tree

How true of our education system. Where everybody is judged by their ability to replicate a set of motions, which in this case refers to a permanent non-changing syllabus. You don't expect me to fly when I am made to swim, right? The above analogy reflects the true nature of our society. How superfluous it is and how superficial we can be. I understand the general basis of education. It mirrors our attitude, character, personality and makes us a better person. The positive aspects end right here. Anything further is a competition of effort. He who puts in more effort will be rewarded. But it isn't the case sometimes. Effort does not necessarily equal to reward. I find it better to adopt an unorthodox solution. Which in the above scenario, would mean chopping down the old pine. That way, we succeed in our goal together, not as an arrogant, all-despising individual. Which sparks the fury in me. Why do educated individuals always have to be such arrogant and egoistic people? Is this what the education system here has imparted to them? The need arises for them to understand that the world does not revolve around them. Their destiny beckons in the face of true reality. What good is all that IQ without an ounce of EQ? How zombified we must be to go with the flow. A democracy it may be, but a dictatorship it may strangely seem. In today's context, fairness is extinct.

Time Check: 12.09am.

I am having an internal debate whether I should scavenge for food in the kitchen, or plonk on my bed and sleep like a log. The second option seems more sensible and feasible, given that basketball was cancelled today and I gobbled like 10 kilograms of snacks while watching Superman Returns. Nothing really exciting, or maybe I'm just that boring. Settled my internship placement like finally. It's hard to give up osip but I had no choice. My dreams of a beach holiday in Mauritius or winter in China all dashed. But maybe remaining in Singapore has its perks too. I get to stay connected with my family, really can't imagine being away from them for 5 months. I can already picture myself missing all the food here in Singapore. How typical, always food on my mind. Projects have been stressful as usual. Going back to school on a Sunday afterwards. Not the first time though. Okay really blank in the mind now. Zoning out.

When You Really Need A Good Laugh

Jongkook's flying kick.

And last but not least:

The soundtrack of the season.

Laugh: Check.

Work undone. Check.

This shall be a short post since I am starving. Not the first time I'm sure. Okay my updates are long overdue, and this being the last day of vacation before we transition into the "hell"(sorry there's no better word) period, I shall commemorate it with a post! Take that, you stalkers! Hmm where shall I begin? Okay got myself a new laptop. Massive big ticket item. Burnt a big hole in my savings. But it's alright since it's practical. Shall not elaborate on the specifications as it will bore everyone to sleep. But I'm banking my trust on Asus, please do not fail me. 

This vacation was crazy. Met up almost everyday in school, emphasise on "EVERYDAY". Seriously no joke. According to our minutes of meeting, we met for a grand total of 20 times! Which means it's like everyday for a month not including weekends. But I'm glad it's over. Tried to submit just now but couldn't find a way to the TCA office. Abandoned the "ninja-parkour" thought since there were cameras around. Later make it to STOMP then someone will get free $50 voucher. 

So I worked last Friday. I think it's time to jump ship. Although some managers are really nice, the management really cannot make it. Understaffed, yet not giving people shifts, yet still hiring. #yousiao

Yesterday was extended family barbeque. As you can infer from the photograph below, I am yet again cooking. Hello charcoal face. Since the barbeque pits at Pasir Ris Park were fully-booked, we attempted BYOP (Bring-Your-Own-Pit). 

And yet again after staying at the fire for so long, I didn't have much appetite as usual. It's the same routine, cook, drink water, stone. Repeat cycle. It really irks me when people are so unhelpful towards their own family members. My cousin's new boyfriend especially. He looked around my age and had tattoos all over his body. But that didn't help take away the "gay" tag labelled on him by my three aunts. Haha yes I just sat there listening to all the gossip. Because he did not even lift a finger to help and simply sat there on the mat. Even when they called him over, he declined. Even my cousin helped, with her thick makeup and fake eyelashes and all. I was afraid they would melt under the heat. 

Really cannot take it anymore. Have to get food. Will update again when a miracle happens.

Have been thinking too much recently. What an irony, considering that I am always the one telling others not to read too much into things or let their mind wander. But considering that I will soon be spending approximately 5 months in foreign land for OSIP, I guess I am entitled to. Provided I secure the placement as well. Sourcing for laptops online, reading customer reviews and comments because the "G" and "H" keys on my keyboard are faulty. Took me ages to get this post out. But strangely enough, it is behaving itself now. Maybe it knows that if it doesn't, a new one will take its place. But this beloved companion has already stayed with me for 2 years 4 months and counting. Don't worry brother, I will continue to support you till your last breath.

Plans for basketball today were cancelled at the last minute when I was already at the bus stop! #rage Cannot stand people who are constantly late, or cancel plans at the last minute(Not your fault today wes). The meeting time for yesterday was 5pm but the first person that reached after me came at 5.20pm. I know it's just 20mins, but what about the rest? If I make the effort to be early and you don't, does it mean that your time is more precious than mine? And to cater to the persistent latecomers, I have even violated my own principles of punctuality and arrived late on purpose on certain incidents. I know people may say patience is a virtue, but definitely, respect and consideration weighs more in this sense. (Sidenote: My blackberry just lit up all by itself. Scary.)

Some of you say my posts very abstract is it? Now write like that primary school mindset okay?

It is finally the last week of school. I don't really have feel for blogging so I shall just type nonsense. Went to school for boring dpd lecture and some useless survey which earned me a $10 NTUC voucher. Tess say can buy one week supply of vegetables. I think I should buy three packets of doritos. After the test, Winson fetched us home even though he resides in the opposite end of the island I think. How nice of him. Maybe a teeny weeny bit of me wants to learn driving now. Came home to a feast due to mum's adventures at the food fair at Singapore Expo(Wanted to put as SExpo but I think we all agree it looks misleading). Shall not describe my feasting because I'm starving as I type this.

Yesterday was ahdan birthday. It was quite epic for about 20 people to squeeze into his bedroom and shock him when he was sleeping. Note to self: Never sleep in the buff. His parents were so nice also, asked us to make ourselves at home. Glad he enjoyed it, plus got kfc and pizza, how not to enjoy? Met my parents at IKEA Tampines for dinner and I stuffed myself till exploding point. The fact that I couldn't even eat ice cream describes the state of my stomach. Went over to Courts and my parents bought me a camera because I'm going for osip in September. Funny how they have confidence that I will surely succeed in getting the placement and thinking so far ahead. Hope pray wish I get in, if not I will be very sad.

Just finished my article review so I rewarded myself to computer games until I fall asleep. I think it is fair that 2 hour of work equals 5 hours of play. My logic.

Watched The Avengers last Thursday and can't get enough since. So I caught Captain America for the second time on Sunday, and borrowed the disc for The Hulk to watch during the weekends. And I tried to source for action figurines online but they are really so expensive! No choice but to wait till I start earning real money. My favourite hero is Captain America. Although he can't be considered a superhero, as he has no special powers, he was biologically-engineered to withstand blows and his regeneration rate is double that of an average human. Which means he sprints, heals and fights twice as fast. Not to mention that indestructible vibration-absorbing shield made of vibranium.

 

The next phase is known as transparency. In both action and thought. It is not worth the effort to invest the time and energy anymore. You will only be invulnerable when you do not allow others to penetrate your personal sphere. People's words and actions in a spate of anger or mischief can actually reflect their true intent. In recent times, I have found myself to be out of topic, out of activity, and soon to be, out of mind. This may infer how out of sync I have become with organic beings. For instance, my ability to sustain conversations has declined drastically. I understand that happiness is self-sought. However, I do not believe in it any longer. Any lingering acts of happiness can be attributed to the influence of endorphins. The rest are simply farcical.

Reality is scary sometimes.

This span of almost 2 months could be said to be a period of intense stoning and reflection. Seriously, as I spent so much time cooped up in my room, I was crazily procrastinating every single thing. For example, I had planned to go for a swim and catch "Battleship" at Ehub earlier this morning but I abandoned those plans because of a slight elbow sprain. Sometimes I think I am too lenient with myself, which attributed to a total lack of self discipline. Okay enough about myself. Since classes were revealed yesterday, I shall touch on that.

I have been classified into 3H03. Being the third time changing classes throughout my poly route, I have become accustomed to meeting new faces every round. The scary thing is that project groups have already started forming within the class. Hope this new semester will be another successful endeavour.

Mind's totally blank now, so for now, that's all.

My Second Dream Car

My first dream car would still be the Mini Cooper. Can totally imagine sending my son to school in a jeep though. How cool would that be? And I suddenly have the spark to call my future son "Lance". Like the dragon trainer of the Elite Four in Pokemon.

Just returned from a family trip to Bandung, Indonesia. Either I am too stealthy or something because when I tweeted that I'm heading to the airport soon, people started asking me whether I was going overseas when the fact is that I'm already on my way back! Overall, I must say the trip was rather enjoyable. Partly due to the currency exchange rate. The rate of S$1 to IDR7,250  made us instant millionaires upon receipt of their currency. Previously, I haven't even heard of this place before. But this place is really filled with factory outlets! But it takes a keen eye to spot a gem of a clothing. It was easy to buy clothes for my brother because we wear the same size. So I just took it as though I was buying for myself. Anyway, we just take clothes from each other's wardrobes nowadays. 

However, it was a real headache choosing clothes for my dad. Let me tell you how difficult is it. Firstly, it must be white as he only wears white. Secondly, it must fit his frame. If it's too loose, he won't wear it. ( He steals clothes from my wardrobe too, even with that tummy of his. Hahaha sorry dad. ) Thirdly, he has a knack of not wearing clothes that have a certain coloured threading on the shoulders. Fourthly, the collar must not be loose-fitting. Fifth, the design must fit his age. Totally like a small kid right!

Alright shall go through my itinerary for the three-odd days. My hotel is designed along a rather kinky theme, although it is a family boutique hotel. The bathroom and bedroom are separated by just a transparent glass panel. No joke. 

Luckily there was a blind or my cousin and I would have to bathe at the lobby.

Soaking our feet in the sulphur spring made our feet really smooth. What for?!

The crater of the extinct volcano.

The tour guide told us to fit ourselves into the hollow tree trunk.

Picking strawberries at the farm. Just IDR70,000 for 1 kilogram!

  

Slacking at the airport on the return route.

The only blemish on this trip was that our plane flight was delayed for 4 hours. And we are stuck at the airport with just IDR9,000, which amounts to about S$1.20 because we spent almost everything else. Although AirAsia took the initiative to provide a complimentary lunch as compensation, I must say that their customer service was largely insufficient as their announcements were mostly made in the malay language, rendering us illiterate at that moment. All updates regarding the delayed flight could not get across to us, due to the language barrier so I felt that there is room for improvement there. Furthermore, the state of their plane is simply outrageous, with trash left behind by the last passenger in the seat pockets. I understand that it is a low cost carrier but a certain standard or expectation still has to be met right? 

I foresee a future of LEGO-like body parts.
So that we can remove the parts that hurt and replace them when they heal.
Can you see the countless possibilities in this?

Work yesterday was totally a drag. The managers are venting their pent-up frustrations at the impacters due to the low staff count. Like they would criticise us for not doing our job properly, and keep saying how much it irks them to see the rooms so messy. For the record, our current job scope involves running, prepping and maintaining, not to mention backstock and the occasional size-checking. And if you expect the store to be perfectly tidy on a Sunday with only 3 or 4 staff running the show on each level, you must be crazy. And so, one of the managers even called all of us to the back for a "meeting" where she unleashed her fury, even using profanities. At least through this episode, we made new acquaintances via supper at macs. The thing is that everytime we work, there will always be new faces. The system has made it so difficult for us to get shifts, much less work with someone we know.

Slept at 4am this morning due to two incidents. Firstly, a flying beetle circling the lights was making so much noise with its wings and irritating me to the point that I took a badminton racquet and attempted to smash it like a professional badminton player. To my dismay, I smashed the light bulb instead and it exploded with a loud bang, enveloping the room in total darkness. And the thing is, I'm sure the beetle is still out there somewhere. After this heart-pounding ordeal, I suddenly felt the "Ultimate Hunger Pangs". Seriously, I felt extremely ravenous that I rummaged the kitchen and started gobbling up biscuits, buns, barbeques pork and finished half a litre of chocolate milk.

Shall end this post with a song on my playlist on repeat:

And so the holidays have been badly anticipated but horribly boring. What was meant to be a period of serious saving of cash for university education has backfired to excessive overspending day by day. After seeing how much Ryan needs to pay for his university education is crazy. $30,000 for tuition fees plus $14,400 for living expenses. These do not even include transport expenses or hostel accommodation yet. No wonder he seldom goes out nowadays. And witnessing his current predicament is a constant reminder that my time will come in 3 years. Regardless of whether I want to further my education, I think it's better to make it an option rather than having no choice at all. And I'm sick of hearing stories about other children demanding money from their parents for education, or parents wanting this money back from their children after they start work. I mean, isn't a family supposed to stand united and be transparent in terms of monetary financing? Tens of thousands is no small sum, so it's not a given that parents must sponsor their children's education. There comes a time when their kids must gradually grow up and become more mature in their thinking. Although my parents have said they would sponsor my education to the best of their abilities and do not expect me to return this sum of money nor provide them with living expenses even after I have established my career, I still find it imperative that we still possess the motive and mindset that we must provide for them in future. And this just means that I have to start saving up immediately. Not being scheduled for work for extended periods of time is not helping at all.

Yesterday was an impromptu gathering of the usual secondary class. We went cycling at Pasir Ris Park, dinner at jusacia and finally basketball at night. I returned home aching all over, with a cramp in my left calf and a sprain in my right ankle. But overall, it was still worth it. Especially the coconut episode.

Time to do some cooking of my own before I set out for work afterwards. Finally.

Due to my abundance of free time nowadays, another 50 days of slacking and lazing around to be exact, I shall update more often. Firstly, my plans to run/swim/gym/ball were ruined this morning due to the rain. In the first place I didn't have the determination to proceed with these plans anyway. I think I'm a level 100 master procrastinator by now. 

Celebrated Zhiqi's birthday for the second time yesterday. The first time was not really a celebration, more of a meet-up only. So we surprised her under her block, proceeded to MOF at Nex for dinner and watched "This Means War". The movie was really epic. Till now, there has been no movie that has been deemed "5-star" from me, but I would grade it 4 stars.