Showing posts with label Rant and Emo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rant and Emo. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2012
Merry Doomsday
To all my blog readers: Congrats for surviving the doomsday!
I suppose quite a few of us have been waiting for this 'special date' to come, ever since we heard about this 2-3 years ago (?). There was a lot of hooha about this date as well, with couple of theories which seem to agree that doomsday will occur on this very date.
There is even a blockbuster disaster movie about 2012 as well. Can you still remember? Lol.
This must be the biggest doomsday prediction ever made in mankind. There are lots of people worldwide, from Asian to Western countries, who are going crazy over this date. You won't probably find someone on the street who doesn't know about this day.
But alas, as the clock struck 12 midnight and the date changes, everything is just...normal? Lol. What a disappointment. Not a public holiday somemore =( , though I'm sure there might be some groups somewhere in the world that will gather together and countdown for this date.
The day will probably come and go peacefully without a hitch. It's just another working day for me. It would probably be another rainy day for SG.
Maybe it's too early to say now since it's only 1am in SG. There is also the problem of time difference across the world, with all the GMT, UST, or Mayan time, Mexico time etc whatever. When exactly will doomsday happen?
After this very 'fateful' date, I guess no one would ever believe in doomsday anymore. I mean, few years ago when this rumour spread, it seemed pretty real and believable isn't it? (Recall that documentary in youtube) After today, the hardcore doomsday believers would probably get a big...HUH?
Non believers can probably immerse themselves in Xmas or 冬至 mood lol.
But anyway I admit I was eagerly looking forward to this date to some extent. Not to witness doomsday, but to see what silly hardcore people will do on this day. Sell all their assets, rampage the streets etc.
Let's look forward to the news tomorrows. =p
I suppose quite a few of us have been waiting for this 'special date' to come, ever since we heard about this 2-3 years ago (?). There was a lot of hooha about this date as well, with couple of theories which seem to agree that doomsday will occur on this very date.
There is even a blockbuster disaster movie about 2012 as well. Can you still remember? Lol.
This must be the biggest doomsday prediction ever made in mankind. There are lots of people worldwide, from Asian to Western countries, who are going crazy over this date. You won't probably find someone on the street who doesn't know about this day.
But alas, as the clock struck 12 midnight and the date changes, everything is just...normal? Lol. What a disappointment. Not a public holiday somemore =( , though I'm sure there might be some groups somewhere in the world that will gather together and countdown for this date.
The day will probably come and go peacefully without a hitch. It's just another working day for me. It would probably be another rainy day for SG.
Maybe it's too early to say now since it's only 1am in SG. There is also the problem of time difference across the world, with all the GMT, UST, or Mayan time, Mexico time etc whatever. When exactly will doomsday happen?
After this very 'fateful' date, I guess no one would ever believe in doomsday anymore. I mean, few years ago when this rumour spread, it seemed pretty real and believable isn't it? (Recall that documentary in youtube) After today, the hardcore doomsday believers would probably get a big...HUH?
Non believers can probably immerse themselves in Xmas or 冬至 mood lol.
But anyway I admit I was eagerly looking forward to this date to some extent. Not to witness doomsday, but to see what silly hardcore people will do on this day. Sell all their assets, rampage the streets etc.
Let's look forward to the news tomorrows. =p
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sudden Death
When tragedy strikes, it is often sudden and unexpected.
After more than a decade of using the computer, my hard disk failed on me for the first time. Was watching videos online when the BSOD suddenly appeared, which shut down everything, and the computer was unable to boot up anymore. The clicking hardware sound only meant harddisk death. The bewildering thing is, my com has been doing fine for the past several months. No sign of crash at all...sigh.
That means all my data is lost...
Luckily I did an unintended backup last year, while shifting from Windows XP to Windows 7. Unfortunately those files were deleted. I'm in the process of recovering these items now, though some might become corrupted. Hope everything goes fine...
However that doesn't change the fact that I've lost data after this period.
Luckily it's still the start of the semester and there is no ongoing projects yet. Would go crazy if my harddisk crashes in the midst of FYP or any major projects.
Other than purchasing a new harddisk, one thing I can do psychologically now is to convince myself that those files I've lost are not very important and needed.
Photos: It's the experience of being there that counts. Being able to see something with your own eyes is what that matters, rather than just capturing the image with a camera. I don't often look back at the old photos anyway.
School documents: The past semesters are over, so who cares? It's the grades that will follow me along throughout. I've no juniors to hand over my stuff anyway.
Misc pictures/music/videos: I can always download them again through the net. I hardly listen to mp3 (or other music files) anyway.
Misc documents: There are probably important ones within, like records, resume etc. But if I can't recall, they are probably not that important after all...
It's time like this when I realised there are lots of saviors around me, which helped to protect and preserve my files.
Camera: Although it gets really annoying when you are snapping away and the memory card becomes full, it was a good decision to have kept the important photos in the camera and not deleting them even after transferring them into the computer. Those that I've deleted can't be recovered, but at least I can still re-transfer the remaining ones to my new harddisk again.
Blogspot: Photos of my overseas trips uploaded in blog posts can be retrieved from the google albums. I wonder if there is any convenient way to archive our entries easily into the hard drive without using the brute method...just in case blogspot were to shut down for some reason or another.
Facebook: Uploaded photos remain there. Like blogspot, I wonder if there is an easy way to download all the photos in my album, as well as tagged photos, at one go.
Email: Attachments in sent and received emails can be re-downloaded again. I don't usually delete mails unless necessary (eg. mailbox full).
File sharing sites (Dropbox etc): Documents shared during projects among members can still be found, although there is little meaning in downloading them again...
Youtube: It feels pretty weird to download my own videos. The quality won't be there anymore, as compared to the original. (As if my videos are high-quality right from the start...)
Thanks to all these online storages, I could retrieve a significant portion of my lost files. But personal/private documents and photos are probably lost forever...
This incident kinda reflects how unpredictable things can be. Maybe one day I would meet with an accident and die just like that.
After more than a decade of using the computer, my hard disk failed on me for the first time. Was watching videos online when the BSOD suddenly appeared, which shut down everything, and the computer was unable to boot up anymore. The clicking hardware sound only meant harddisk death. The bewildering thing is, my com has been doing fine for the past several months. No sign of crash at all...sigh.
That means all my data is lost...
Luckily I did an unintended backup last year, while shifting from Windows XP to Windows 7. Unfortunately those files were deleted. I'm in the process of recovering these items now, though some might become corrupted. Hope everything goes fine...
However that doesn't change the fact that I've lost data after this period.
Luckily it's still the start of the semester and there is no ongoing projects yet. Would go crazy if my harddisk crashes in the midst of FYP or any major projects.
Other than purchasing a new harddisk, one thing I can do psychologically now is to convince myself that those files I've lost are not very important and needed.
Photos: It's the experience of being there that counts. Being able to see something with your own eyes is what that matters, rather than just capturing the image with a camera. I don't often look back at the old photos anyway.
School documents: The past semesters are over, so who cares? It's the grades that will follow me along throughout. I've no juniors to hand over my stuff anyway.
Misc pictures/music/videos: I can always download them again through the net. I hardly listen to mp3 (or other music files) anyway.
Misc documents: There are probably important ones within, like records, resume etc. But if I can't recall, they are probably not that important after all...
It's time like this when I realised there are lots of saviors around me, which helped to protect and preserve my files.
Camera: Although it gets really annoying when you are snapping away and the memory card becomes full, it was a good decision to have kept the important photos in the camera and not deleting them even after transferring them into the computer. Those that I've deleted can't be recovered, but at least I can still re-transfer the remaining ones to my new harddisk again.
Blogspot: Photos of my overseas trips uploaded in blog posts can be retrieved from the google albums. I wonder if there is any convenient way to archive our entries easily into the hard drive without using the brute method...just in case blogspot were to shut down for some reason or another.
Facebook: Uploaded photos remain there. Like blogspot, I wonder if there is an easy way to download all the photos in my album, as well as tagged photos, at one go.
Email: Attachments in sent and received emails can be re-downloaded again. I don't usually delete mails unless necessary (eg. mailbox full).
File sharing sites (Dropbox etc): Documents shared during projects among members can still be found, although there is little meaning in downloading them again...
Youtube: It feels pretty weird to download my own videos. The quality won't be there anymore, as compared to the original. (As if my videos are high-quality right from the start...)
Thanks to all these online storages, I could retrieve a significant portion of my lost files. But personal/private documents and photos are probably lost forever...
This incident kinda reflects how unpredictable things can be. Maybe one day I would meet with an accident and die just like that.
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Liberated Holiday
Hmm am I slow or something? After reading the papers last week, I realised that Children's Day is no longer 1st October from this year onwards.
Apparently this change came after parents complained that their children cannot enjoy the holiday, which always falls during the exam season. This is especially so for Primary 6 students taking PSLE.
Therefore Children's Day has been scheduled on the first Friday of October, which is 7th October this year. This is to let students (and probably teachers too) enjoy the long weekend. The PSLE exams this year have been pushed forward before this date too.
This is true for Teachers' Day, which will fall on the first Friday of September. Primary school students can look forward to two long weekends during this period.
This would mean that Children's Day and Teachers' Day will no longer be remembered as a fixed date. More importantly, my birthday is not Children's Day anymore. =( Though it's still China's National Day (for eternity perhaps).
Well, it's not that holidays without a fixed date isn't the norm anyway. Mothers' Day (2nd Sunday of May), Fathers' Day (3rd Sunday of June), and Youth Day (1st Monday of July) follow such system too, though they are often confused with other weeks. Ethnic and religious public holidays like Hari Raya Puasa/Haji, Deepavali, Vesak Day, Good Friday, as well as the coming Chinese New Year, do not fall on a fixed date, though some are more predictable than others. Non-holiday festivals like Mooncake Festival, Dumpling Festival, Thaipusam, etc are easily forgotten, while special ones like April Fool's Day and Valentine's Day are still very much remembered as a fixed date.
In generations to come, Children's Day won't be associated with October 1st anymore. There is still a small chance it will fall on that date. Ok at least the chance is larger than Mooncake Festival falling on that date.
Other than childhood memories I had for this special Children's Day, I guess it doesn't hold any much significance for me anymore. Whether it falls on which day, is no longer a great concern to me.
Then why am I still writing this entry? Haha...so contradictory.
Apparently this change came after parents complained that their children cannot enjoy the holiday, which always falls during the exam season. This is especially so for Primary 6 students taking PSLE.
Therefore Children's Day has been scheduled on the first Friday of October, which is 7th October this year. This is to let students (and probably teachers too) enjoy the long weekend. The PSLE exams this year have been pushed forward before this date too.
This is true for Teachers' Day, which will fall on the first Friday of September. Primary school students can look forward to two long weekends during this period.
This would mean that Children's Day and Teachers' Day will no longer be remembered as a fixed date. More importantly, my birthday is not Children's Day anymore. =( Though it's still China's National Day (for eternity perhaps).
Well, it's not that holidays without a fixed date isn't the norm anyway. Mothers' Day (2nd Sunday of May), Fathers' Day (3rd Sunday of June), and Youth Day (1st Monday of July) follow such system too, though they are often confused with other weeks. Ethnic and religious public holidays like Hari Raya Puasa/Haji, Deepavali, Vesak Day, Good Friday, as well as the coming Chinese New Year, do not fall on a fixed date, though some are more predictable than others. Non-holiday festivals like Mooncake Festival, Dumpling Festival, Thaipusam, etc are easily forgotten, while special ones like April Fool's Day and Valentine's Day are still very much remembered as a fixed date.
In generations to come, Children's Day won't be associated with October 1st anymore. There is still a small chance it will fall on that date. Ok at least the chance is larger than Mooncake Festival falling on that date.
Other than childhood memories I had for this special Children's Day, I guess it doesn't hold any much significance for me anymore. Whether it falls on which day, is no longer a great concern to me.
Then why am I still writing this entry? Haha...so contradictory.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
An Email from Someone
Yesterday I received an email from someone very very familiar. It was unexpected yet expected. It was a pleasant surprise nevertheless.
The following is an e-mail from the past.
It was written on December 19, 2005, and sent into the future (now the present) through FutureMe.org.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear FutureMe,
Are you still reading mangas and watching animes? FMP:Fumoffu was hilarious! How abt your PS2? Still working? My next game is Wild Arms Alter Code F and Suikoden Tactics. Still listening to Chinese (or English) pop music? The first in 933 chart is Lian Ai -ing by Mayday, followed by Yan Lei Cheng Shi by Stefanie Sun and Fa Ru Xue by Jay Chou. Meimei is so annoying, still learning how to speak. She likes Guo Mei Mei's Lao Shu Ai Da Mi and Bu Pa Bu Pa. That's all folks!
From Past Me, (dated 19 Dec 2005, just finished A lvls at home zuo bo, waiting for damn NS letter)
P.S. Are you shocked to receive this letter?
P.P.S. Have you found a nice company of friends yet?
I wrote this 5 years ago and sent it to myself 5 years into the future. I sort of forgot about this matter already. Didn't expect this email to be actually sent. I thought it was some kind of a bogus site.
Yea this is a span of 5 years, from then to now. It feels like a long time as so many things happened in between - enlisting in NS, going through the 2 years, enrolling in NUS, and now in the midst of Year 3. But then again it seems to pass very fast too if you try looking back at it.
I remember writing more than one email into the future. The next one should be much much later. I think I asked silly questions like 'Are you married with kids?' or something. Let's see how I'll reply next time.
I wish I could reply and let my PastMe read it. Since it's not possible I will reply to myself in my own blog:
---
Are you still reading mangas and watching animes? FMP:Fumoffu was hilarious!
Manga nope, but animes maybe. My previous anime was just a few months ago. I'm more into Japanese dramas now. Yup Fumoffu is one of the funniest anime I've ever watched. =)
How abt your PS2? Still working?
I guess it's still working but no one plays PS2 nowadays. It's the generation of PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, etc
My next game is Wild Arms Alter Code F and Suikoden Tactics.
Suikoden Tactics is really fun, but I bet you can't complete Wild Arms. Don't get too addicted into videogames!
Still listening to Chinese (or English) pop music? The first in 933 chart is Lian Ai -ing by Mayday, followed by Yan Lei Cheng Shi by Stefanie Sun and Fa Ru Xue by Jay Chou.
I've given up on English music but listening to Chinese pop is still my main leisure. These top 3 singers are still popular now, but I wonder if the younger generations know who is Stefanie Sun or not...
By the way the 1st in 933 chart is Chou Jue by Gary Cao, 2nd is Ta Shuo by JJ Lin, 3rd is Qing Ge Mei You Gao Su Ni by Fish Leong. You should know these singers in your time.
Meimei is so annoying, still learning how to speak. She likes Guo Mei Mei's Lao Shu Ai Da Mi and Bu Pa Bu Pa.
Soon you'll be annoyed because she talks too much.
Just finished A lvls at home zuo bo
You'll score really well for A lvls I'm sure =).
Waiting for damn NS letter
Don't worry, someone will come and help you with this.
P.S. Are you shocked to receive this letter?
50-50
P.P.S. Have you found a nice company of friends yet?
YES! ^_^
The following is an e-mail from the past.
It was written on December 19, 2005, and sent into the future (now the present) through FutureMe.org.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dear FutureMe,
Are you still reading mangas and watching animes? FMP:Fumoffu was hilarious! How abt your PS2? Still working? My next game is Wild Arms Alter Code F and Suikoden Tactics. Still listening to Chinese (or English) pop music? The first in 933 chart is Lian Ai -ing by Mayday, followed by Yan Lei Cheng Shi by Stefanie Sun and Fa Ru Xue by Jay Chou. Meimei is so annoying, still learning how to speak. She likes Guo Mei Mei's Lao Shu Ai Da Mi and Bu Pa Bu Pa. That's all folks!
From Past Me, (dated 19 Dec 2005, just finished A lvls at home zuo bo, waiting for damn NS letter)
P.S. Are you shocked to receive this letter?
P.P.S. Have you found a nice company of friends yet?
I wrote this 5 years ago and sent it to myself 5 years into the future. I sort of forgot about this matter already. Didn't expect this email to be actually sent. I thought it was some kind of a bogus site.
Yea this is a span of 5 years, from then to now. It feels like a long time as so many things happened in between - enlisting in NS, going through the 2 years, enrolling in NUS, and now in the midst of Year 3. But then again it seems to pass very fast too if you try looking back at it.
I remember writing more than one email into the future. The next one should be much much later. I think I asked silly questions like 'Are you married with kids?' or something. Let's see how I'll reply next time.
I wish I could reply and let my PastMe read it. Since it's not possible I will reply to myself in my own blog:
---
Are you still reading mangas and watching animes? FMP:Fumoffu was hilarious!
Manga nope, but animes maybe. My previous anime was just a few months ago. I'm more into Japanese dramas now. Yup Fumoffu is one of the funniest anime I've ever watched. =)
How abt your PS2? Still working?
I guess it's still working but no one plays PS2 nowadays. It's the generation of PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, etc
My next game is Wild Arms Alter Code F and Suikoden Tactics.
Suikoden Tactics is really fun, but I bet you can't complete Wild Arms. Don't get too addicted into videogames!
Still listening to Chinese (or English) pop music? The first in 933 chart is Lian Ai -ing by Mayday, followed by Yan Lei Cheng Shi by Stefanie Sun and Fa Ru Xue by Jay Chou.
I've given up on English music but listening to Chinese pop is still my main leisure. These top 3 singers are still popular now, but I wonder if the younger generations know who is Stefanie Sun or not...
By the way the 1st in 933 chart is Chou Jue by Gary Cao, 2nd is Ta Shuo by JJ Lin, 3rd is Qing Ge Mei You Gao Su Ni by Fish Leong. You should know these singers in your time.
Meimei is so annoying, still learning how to speak. She likes Guo Mei Mei's Lao Shu Ai Da Mi and Bu Pa Bu Pa.
Soon you'll be annoyed because she talks too much.
Just finished A lvls at home zuo bo
You'll score really well for A lvls I'm sure =).
Waiting for damn NS letter
Don't worry, someone will come and help you with this.
P.S. Are you shocked to receive this letter?
50-50
P.P.S. Have you found a nice company of friends yet?
YES! ^_^
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Brusifee
When you're busy, you'll yearn for free time. And when you feel that there is too much time to spend, you'll hope for a job to earn some keep as well as to learn some stuff at the same time. Somehow I feel myself alternating between these two states for the past 2 years. Even if there is any 'in-between', it won't last for long.
It has been a week since work started and it's pretty smooth so far. I believe the real challenge will come next week, when I'll have to exercise my communication and reporting skills. Of course I should expect some unpleasant things to come along as well...
Have to thank my fellow intern for providing such great assistance and being a buffer from the arrows.
Time goes slow at work and passes extremely fast at home. Now I can understand how working adults feel, the significance of 'work-life balance', and the meaning of 'no time to do this and that'.
Most importantly I can better appreciate being a student, though the enormous workload and the merciless examinations are equally dreadful as well.
Since most work can be done during office hours, there is no homework and such to worry about. That means I can totally relax at home. (and dread waking up the next morning) Reminds me of NS haha.
With the 5.5-day week, there is no such thing as TGIF. In the blink of eye, I'll find myself back in the office again the moment I thought I've just left to enjoy the weekend. Have to manage my weekends more carefully from now on.
Looking at others, the craving to fly is coming again.
It has been a week since work started and it's pretty smooth so far. I believe the real challenge will come next week, when I'll have to exercise my communication and reporting skills. Of course I should expect some unpleasant things to come along as well...
Have to thank my fellow intern for providing such great assistance and being a buffer from the arrows.
Time goes slow at work and passes extremely fast at home. Now I can understand how working adults feel, the significance of 'work-life balance', and the meaning of 'no time to do this and that'.
Most importantly I can better appreciate being a student, though the enormous workload and the merciless examinations are equally dreadful as well.
Since most work can be done during office hours, there is no homework and such to worry about. That means I can totally relax at home. (and dread waking up the next morning) Reminds me of NS haha.
With the 5.5-day week, there is no such thing as TGIF. In the blink of eye, I'll find myself back in the office again the moment I thought I've just left to enjoy the weekend. Have to manage my weekends more carefully from now on.
Looking at others, the craving to fly is coming again.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
A Step into Reality
I've no plans to go overseas this coming holiday. I thought it would be good if I can continue to go for a trip abroad every school holiday, but things can't be that smooth and perfect. I've got to spend more time and work hard for the things I wish to enjoy. It's not just a simple twice-a-year affair.
Especially when I'm so busy this semester, it's really tempting to give myself a big break and slack at home until the next semester starts. However I've already had my share for the past two years. Time to get down to work!
The freedom might seem enjoyable for the first few days, but it gets boring when you realise that you've so much spare time on your hands. This is so unlike the school holidays during secondary school or JC days, where holiday assignments and preparation for tests, and most importantly CCA participation, never fail to keep us busy throughout. Holidays were never sufficient haha.
And thus, I applied for VIP (Vocation Internship Programme) during this semester break and went for the interview. Yup I was accepted. =)
This will be my first proper work experience, so I'm actually kind of nervous. (NS vocation and tutoring don't count right? Haha) Hopefully by exposing myself to the outside industry, I can better observe how harsh the world is...
A mere 12 weeks of little exposure. Then I shall return to the greenhouse again.
Need to start purchasing some office attire, though I'm quite reluctant to do so haha. Hope the company isn't that strict about dress code.
Even when typing all these, I'm beginning to appreciate being a student. =) But why do projects and exams have to spoil all the fun. >_<
Especially when I'm so busy this semester, it's really tempting to give myself a big break and slack at home until the next semester starts. However I've already had my share for the past two years. Time to get down to work!
The freedom might seem enjoyable for the first few days, but it gets boring when you realise that you've so much spare time on your hands. This is so unlike the school holidays during secondary school or JC days, where holiday assignments and preparation for tests, and most importantly CCA participation, never fail to keep us busy throughout. Holidays were never sufficient haha.
And thus, I applied for VIP (Vocation Internship Programme) during this semester break and went for the interview. Yup I was accepted. =)
This will be my first proper work experience, so I'm actually kind of nervous. (NS vocation and tutoring don't count right? Haha) Hopefully by exposing myself to the outside industry, I can better observe how harsh the world is...
A mere 12 weeks of little exposure. Then I shall return to the greenhouse again.
Need to start purchasing some office attire, though I'm quite reluctant to do so haha. Hope the company isn't that strict about dress code.
Even when typing all these, I'm beginning to appreciate being a student. =) But why do projects and exams have to spoil all the fun. >_<
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Unconditional Effort?
(A weak attempt in response to a particular entry)
Feels like I've finally surfaced after being in the water for a long time. Actually not really so, but bulk of the work has already been completed.
Makes me wonder why I faithfully adhered to the schedule when I've much leeway to procrastinate and leave it to maybe the last few weeks to clear up everything.
Not trying to boast or anything, but I wonder why I was willing to sacrifice my weekends on dull and mundane stuff. Why I took the effort to attempt optional stuff. When the optional stuff is not needed, it feels like a waste of precious time. I guess most of us want to spend our effort in doing things that can beget direct rewards and benefits.
'Homework don't need to hand up one, just for self practice.'
'Then do for what?!'
'Tutorial no participation points.'
'Then don't need to attend already. Got solutions uploaded anyway.'
'You know this lecture got webcast?'
'Oh ok, that means you won't see me here at this time anymore.'
'This topic not covered in exams...'
'Ok SKIP!!'
Study smart, not hard...
...since when have we adopted such a mentality?
Feels like I've finally surfaced after being in the water for a long time. Actually not really so, but bulk of the work has already been completed.
Makes me wonder why I faithfully adhered to the schedule when I've much leeway to procrastinate and leave it to maybe the last few weeks to clear up everything.
Not trying to boast or anything, but I wonder why I was willing to sacrifice my weekends on dull and mundane stuff. Why I took the effort to attempt optional stuff. When the optional stuff is not needed, it feels like a waste of precious time. I guess most of us want to spend our effort in doing things that can beget direct rewards and benefits.
'Homework don't need to hand up one, just for self practice.'
'Then do for what?!'
'Tutorial no participation points.'
'Then don't need to attend already. Got solutions uploaded anyway.'
'You know this lecture got webcast?'
'Oh ok, that means you won't see me here at this time anymore.'
'This topic not covered in exams...'
'Ok SKIP!!'
Study smart, not hard...
...since when have we adopted such a mentality?
Monday, March 15, 2010
人间有奇迹？
The past few weeks have been so dull that I don't know what to blog about. But since I don't usually blog about my own activities or outings, this is just an excuse haha...
Let's talk about 人间有奇迹, I mean 魔幻视界 haha. Have been following this series so far but sad to say that I still prefer 一切完美, which has more touching themes. I also find some episodes a little boring, and most magic performed in the show didn't arouse my interest. Probably because it's a drama, which can be edited easily, the magic doesn't seem very real and convincing, although the scenes were shown in one continuous take. Ok I know the focus of the drama is not about the magic, but well...
The central theme of the drama can be summarized into one phrase that we never fail to hear in each episode. But I feel that the phrase was over-iterated, to the extent that it has lost the impact, at least on me. Anyway right from the start I don't believe in miracles. That's why I was slightly pleased when the 人间没奇迹 thingy appeared. Let's be realistic everyone.
Rather than 奇迹, I prefer believing in 运气. Miracle is defined as "an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause". Hmm, I won't count on this. At least luck has a proven and known chance of happening, though the probability might be low. When the secrets behind miracles are discovered, it would then be deemed as rare occurrence or coincidence eventually.
If one day I were to strike Toto 1st prize (provided I even start buying in the first place), I would attribute it to luck instead of calling it a miracle. After all the point of Toto is to award prize money to winners. What's a miracle when the outcome is already confirmed and definite? It only depends on luck whether the winner could be yourself.
人间有好运！Doesn't sound very right to me haha. 好运 sounds very personalized whereas 奇迹 sounds like it could benefit the masses. Moreover we all know that luck is always present, though it might not fall upon us. However we don't know whether miracles do really exist or not. Would you rather believe on something that exists, or something whose existence we don't even know?
To avoid sensitive issues regarding you-know-what, I think end my point here haha.
Let's talk about 人间有奇迹, I mean 魔幻视界 haha. Have been following this series so far but sad to say that I still prefer 一切完美, which has more touching themes. I also find some episodes a little boring, and most magic performed in the show didn't arouse my interest. Probably because it's a drama, which can be edited easily, the magic doesn't seem very real and convincing, although the scenes were shown in one continuous take. Ok I know the focus of the drama is not about the magic, but well...
The central theme of the drama can be summarized into one phrase that we never fail to hear in each episode. But I feel that the phrase was over-iterated, to the extent that it has lost the impact, at least on me. Anyway right from the start I don't believe in miracles. That's why I was slightly pleased when the 人间没奇迹 thingy appeared. Let's be realistic everyone.
Rather than 奇迹, I prefer believing in 运气. Miracle is defined as "an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause". Hmm, I won't count on this. At least luck has a proven and known chance of happening, though the probability might be low. When the secrets behind miracles are discovered, it would then be deemed as rare occurrence or coincidence eventually.
If one day I were to strike Toto 1st prize (provided I even start buying in the first place), I would attribute it to luck instead of calling it a miracle. After all the point of Toto is to award prize money to winners. What's a miracle when the outcome is already confirmed and definite? It only depends on luck whether the winner could be yourself.
人间有好运！Doesn't sound very right to me haha. 好运 sounds very personalized whereas 奇迹 sounds like it could benefit the masses. Moreover we all know that luck is always present, though it might not fall upon us. However we don't know whether miracles do really exist or not. Would you rather believe on something that exists, or something whose existence we don't even know?
To avoid sensitive issues regarding you-know-what, I think end my point here haha.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Forgotten Holiday
Just a short entry to show that I'm still alive haha.
Glad that it's about halfway through the exams. And hurray to those who have finished theirs. =)
This morning I woke up and was surprised to see my parents at home. At first I thought I've mistaken a Sunday as a Friday. (Oh I fastforward 2 days ahead of time?!)
Things are still realistic - days and hours will still have to pass no matter what. Despite being told before, I had totally no awareness, anticipation or whatsoever about this public holiday. This is probably a reflection of student's life, where the impact of school holidays or exam periods override national holidays. On the other hand I'm sure most working adults look forward to this long weekend.
The only time when I really anticipated and was truly aware of public holidays much in advance was during NS...haha.
Glad that it's about halfway through the exams. And hurray to those who have finished theirs. =)
This morning I woke up and was surprised to see my parents at home. At first I thought I've mistaken a Sunday as a Friday. (Oh I fastforward 2 days ahead of time?!)
Things are still realistic - days and hours will still have to pass no matter what. Despite being told before, I had totally no awareness, anticipation or whatsoever about this public holiday. This is probably a reflection of student's life, where the impact of school holidays or exam periods override national holidays. On the other hand I'm sure most working adults look forward to this long weekend.
The only time when I really anticipated and was truly aware of public holidays much in advance was during NS...haha.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Huge Family Tree
Saw the obituary notice of my grandpa and was surprised by the long list of names present. All along I knew that my maternal-side extended family is huge, but it's only this time when I realised the sheer size, and exactly how big it is. The list contains a whopping 104 names! My little name is hidden somewhere around the middle.
My grandpa had lived till a ripe old age of 93. He was labelled as 五代大父 in the obituary though I could only count up to four generations. My grandpa has:
- 13 children (6 sons, 6 daughters, 1 adopted)
- 29 grandchildren (one of them is deceased but I've totally no idea who is he...)
- 24 great-grandchildren
Counting in all the sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, whatever-in-laws, the entire family tree easily amounts to almost 100 members.
That means, from my perspective, I have (maternal side only):
- 22 uncles/aunts (叔，舅，姨，婶，丈)
- 26 cousins (out of which 15 are already married)
- 24 second-cousins once removed (aka my cousins' kids)
(in other words I'm an uncle to 24 kids...I feel so old)
The funny thing arises when I try to look from my 6-year old sis's perspective. She's an aunt to 24 kids, who have around the same age as her and some many years older than her. No matter how I think it just doesn't feel very right haha. It's like having a nephew or niece much older than you. And that older person has to call you uncle or aunt...
My oldest once-removed (one generation down) cousin is of the same age as me. (thankfully) If they are older than me, or even married, or even have kids already, then the relationship will indeed become extremely skewed...
Btw one of my cousins is almost the same age as my mum...go figure.
It can be rather a spectacle when this whole big group of family come together. In the first major ritual, everyone was told to line up according to their 'rank' (son comes before daughter, internal comes before external). The person-in-charge was calling out the numerous positions in order: 孝男，孝媳，孝女，女婿，内孙男(+媳)，内孙女(+婿)，外孙男(+媳)，外孙女(+婿)，内曾孙男，内曾孙女，外曾孙男，etc and the list goes on.
*Through mathematical thinking, you would know that the number of 内 will drop by a degree, while 外 will increase by another degree, as you move down from 孙 to 曾孙 level (and to 玄孙). I've learnt a lesson regarding heredity...*
And thus the line became really really long. Stretching until the extent that I couldn't see what was going on at the altar clearly. It seemed like I was 'out of action' though I was supposed to be part of the prayer. As for the group of kids, trailing right to the back of the long line, they were playing among themselves within their own world, not knowing what was exactly going on at the front. Oh ya, they looked like some bunch of kindergarten kids lining up for class...lol. But very cute lah haha.
I belong to 外孙男, and so my 'queue number' was somewhere near the median. Then we began to walk in circles around the altar. A huge circle had to be formed to ensure that the line doesn't entangle itself.
This is when I started to observe who belongs to which side, and had a better understanding of the entire family structure. Before this, most of them seemed like strangers to me. Of course with such huge extended family I can't possibly identify each and every one of them, especially my cousins, most of which already have their own family. We rarely talk to each other too. I don't know their names, neither do they know mine.
Thanks to my hardworking mum, who is the planner for this funeral, I hope my grandpa can rest in peace, and feel blessed with having such a huge family. And hope my grandma can live long enough to see her great-great-grandchildren (though it's not very likely).
My grandpa had lived till a ripe old age of 93. He was labelled as 五代大父 in the obituary though I could only count up to four generations. My grandpa has:
- 13 children (6 sons, 6 daughters, 1 adopted)
- 29 grandchildren (one of them is deceased but I've totally no idea who is he...)
- 24 great-grandchildren
Counting in all the sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, whatever-in-laws, the entire family tree easily amounts to almost 100 members.
That means, from my perspective, I have (maternal side only):
- 22 uncles/aunts (叔，舅，姨，婶，丈)
- 26 cousins (out of which 15 are already married)
- 24 second-cousins once removed (aka my cousins' kids)
(in other words I'm an uncle to 24 kids...I feel so old)
The funny thing arises when I try to look from my 6-year old sis's perspective. She's an aunt to 24 kids, who have around the same age as her and some many years older than her. No matter how I think it just doesn't feel very right haha. It's like having a nephew or niece much older than you. And that older person has to call you uncle or aunt...
My oldest once-removed (one generation down) cousin is of the same age as me. (thankfully) If they are older than me, or even married, or even have kids already, then the relationship will indeed become extremely skewed...
Btw one of my cousins is almost the same age as my mum...go figure.
It can be rather a spectacle when this whole big group of family come together. In the first major ritual, everyone was told to line up according to their 'rank' (son comes before daughter, internal comes before external). The person-in-charge was calling out the numerous positions in order: 孝男，孝媳，孝女，女婿，内孙男(+媳)，内孙女(+婿)，外孙男(+媳)，外孙女(+婿)，内曾孙男，内曾孙女，外曾孙男，etc and the list goes on.
*Through mathematical thinking, you would know that the number of 内 will drop by a degree, while 外 will increase by another degree, as you move down from 孙 to 曾孙 level (and to 玄孙). I've learnt a lesson regarding heredity...*
And thus the line became really really long. Stretching until the extent that I couldn't see what was going on at the altar clearly. It seemed like I was 'out of action' though I was supposed to be part of the prayer. As for the group of kids, trailing right to the back of the long line, they were playing among themselves within their own world, not knowing what was exactly going on at the front. Oh ya, they looked like some bunch of kindergarten kids lining up for class...lol. But very cute lah haha.
I belong to 外孙男, and so my 'queue number' was somewhere near the median. Then we began to walk in circles around the altar. A huge circle had to be formed to ensure that the line doesn't entangle itself.
This is when I started to observe who belongs to which side, and had a better understanding of the entire family structure. Before this, most of them seemed like strangers to me. Of course with such huge extended family I can't possibly identify each and every one of them, especially my cousins, most of which already have their own family. We rarely talk to each other too. I don't know their names, neither do they know mine.
Thanks to my hardworking mum, who is the planner for this funeral, I hope my grandpa can rest in peace, and feel blessed with having such a huge family. And hope my grandma can live long enough to see her great-great-grandchildren (though it's not very likely).
Thursday, October 08, 2009
The Time of the Year
I know it has been a week or so already, but thanks to everyone again for all your wishes, either by person, by SMS or by Facebook. With so many things happening recently, I regret to say that it's not a very enjoyable one this year.
There are 365 days a year and there will be many other days when I could be much happier. Maybe I should stop putting my stakes onto this time of the year and thinking that 'I must be nothing but happy', 'I've the right and deserved to be happy', 'It's unfair because it's supposed to be an happy occasion and yet I'm not'. After all there are only 24 hours in a day, and phew..., everything will be over in an instant. It's just another normal day, except that people will send more messages to you than normal.
Like 2 years ago, I'm once again surrounded by grief and sorrow. Before you start being curious and bugging me about what has happened, check my archives around this period 2 years ago and you'll know why.
I'm not particularly sad or anything, so need not console me or whatsoever. I just dislike being engulfed in such an atmosphere and existing in the state where being cheerful is deemed to be wrong and inappropriate. When everyone is upset, I've to follow suit. When everyone is feeling down, I've to make myself feel down too. No choice of emotions.
Apologies for any inconveniences caused. Stay at your normal style and tone please. I hope you get what I mean...
There are 365 days a year and there will be many other days when I could be much happier. Maybe I should stop putting my stakes onto this time of the year and thinking that 'I must be nothing but happy', 'I've the right and deserved to be happy', 'It's unfair because it's supposed to be an happy occasion and yet I'm not'. After all there are only 24 hours in a day, and phew..., everything will be over in an instant. It's just another normal day, except that people will send more messages to you than normal.
Like 2 years ago, I'm once again surrounded by grief and sorrow. Before you start being curious and bugging me about what has happened, check my archives around this period 2 years ago and you'll know why.
I'm not particularly sad or anything, so need not console me or whatsoever. I just dislike being engulfed in such an atmosphere and existing in the state where being cheerful is deemed to be wrong and inappropriate. When everyone is upset, I've to follow suit. When everyone is feeling down, I've to make myself feel down too. No choice of emotions.
Apologies for any inconveniences caused. Stay at your normal style and tone please. I hope you get what I mean...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Blargh
Felt so lethargic today. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the air. Smells especially hazy too. Didn't have the mood to do anything, just felt like killing time and passing the day quickly.
For the first time, I forgot to bring my tutorial sheet. Thanks to ZY I was still able to learn something rather than stare at the screen blankly.
Totally wasted my 3 hours break today doing useless stuff, since I didn't bring enough materials to study. Luckily time passed faster than I thought.
LRT broke down on my way home. Left the station and took a bus instead. Reached home 30 minutes later than expected. Very hungry.
When I reached home, news reports about several natural disasters around the world flashed. How depressing.
Not to mention my 2 mid term exams for the next 2 days.
Maybe I should go and sleep now...
*4 MSN chat windows are blinking blue now...can I just close them?*
For the first time, I forgot to bring my tutorial sheet. Thanks to ZY I was still able to learn something rather than stare at the screen blankly.
Totally wasted my 3 hours break today doing useless stuff, since I didn't bring enough materials to study. Luckily time passed faster than I thought.
LRT broke down on my way home. Left the station and took a bus instead. Reached home 30 minutes later than expected. Very hungry.
When I reached home, news reports about several natural disasters around the world flashed. How depressing.
Not to mention my 2 mid term exams for the next 2 days.
Maybe I should go and sleep now...
*4 MSN chat windows are blinking blue now...can I just close them?*
Thursday, August 27, 2009
What's this....
This happens for both IE and Firefox. No autosave, can't preview, and the option to upload photos has even disappeared... This shall be my excuse for not blogging these few days. Haha.
Let's not talk about how facebook looks like in my browsers...
Let's not talk about how facebook looks like in my browsers...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Filled or Empty?
This is the time which I've been looking forward to, perhaps since the start of the semester early this year. But when the time really comes, it doesn't feel that great after all. When it's finally over, I'll start to look back and think about it, hoping to return back to time. Is this so-called "we tend not to cherish what we currently have"?
Anyway there are several trivial things which I'd like to accomplish by this holiday. But I just can't settle down and work on them properly. Maybe I need the presence of more crucial tasks like schoolwork haha.
I'm wondering if I should search for a job. This holiday may seem long but it's only 12 weeks. 1 week is almost gone already. Unless I start work immediately, I don't think I'll be able to satisfy the 3-month commitment required for most admin jobs. On the other hand, recently there are many temperature-taking assignments which don't require long commitment. However the working hours are relatively longer, might have to work on shift or weekends. For someone who is not in desperate need of salary, such odd jobs that contribute little to my future resume probably isn't worth sacrificing my time for. Okay I'm so pragmatic.
How I hate looking for tuition assignments! Females seem to have the upper hand in this aspect. Every parent just wants a female (patient and gentle) tutor to teach their kids. So much for gender equality, stereotypes are still ever present in the modern society.
I can foresee I'm going to spend lots of money this holiday...
Anyway there are several trivial things which I'd like to accomplish by this holiday. But I just can't settle down and work on them properly. Maybe I need the presence of more crucial tasks like schoolwork haha.
I'm wondering if I should search for a job. This holiday may seem long but it's only 12 weeks. 1 week is almost gone already. Unless I start work immediately, I don't think I'll be able to satisfy the 3-month commitment required for most admin jobs. On the other hand, recently there are many temperature-taking assignments which don't require long commitment. However the working hours are relatively longer, might have to work on shift or weekends. For someone who is not in desperate need of salary, such odd jobs that contribute little to my future resume probably isn't worth sacrificing my time for. Okay I'm so pragmatic.
How I hate looking for tuition assignments! Females seem to have the upper hand in this aspect. Every parent just wants a female (patient and gentle) tutor to teach their kids. So much for gender equality, stereotypes are still ever present in the modern society.
I can foresee I'm going to spend lots of money this holiday...
Friday, September 05, 2008
It's snowing?
What's wrong with the weather nowadays? It has been raining everyday for the past 5 days and recent nights have been unusually chilly, to the extent that I need not turn on the fan to cool my stuffy room. It's really a rainy August - it rained during NDP; it drizzled during the fireworks display. Whatever the case, rain came whenever it was most undesired...
Thankfully there are no major outdoor event during this period. Can't imagine how it might be ruined by the downpour.
It's really frustrating when you are just about to leave the house and it rains. To make it worse, the rain pours heavily when you are under the umbrella and the moment you step into the shelter, the rain subsides. This phenomenon indeed describes my experiences this week.
The only day when it didn't rain in the morning is Wednesday, but it happens to be my rest day too so I didn't manage to take advantage of the good weather.
However it did rain heavily on that afternoon. Was taking a sweet nap when I was rudely awakened by the earsplitting thunder. It made my head involuntarily jerk and my body uncontrollably curl up. >_< It was like my heart had just undergone an electric shock. Just in case if you're wondering, I'm normally not afraid of thunder. But yes, I'm weak against loud sudden noises. Being unaware of the lightning I couldn't anticipate the thunder which followed. And it happened to strike when I was in the most unconscious state, how despicable!
This morning it rained and I had to get my umbrella wet for the nth time this week. It was only 5 minutes since the rain started falling, when the pavement was already flooded. (the result of heavy rain and poor drainage) Wet socks, yucks!
On the way home, I discovered that one of the trees, along the path I usually walk, has been uprooted and fallen, with debris of branches strewn around......
---
Yay! Today I borrowed my very first (and second) book from the library in 8 years! Projects and assignments are gradually coming along and I have to adopt the 'bookworm' mode. Dreading it.
Okay I think I'm whining too much...
Thankfully there are no major outdoor event during this period. Can't imagine how it might be ruined by the downpour.
It's really frustrating when you are just about to leave the house and it rains. To make it worse, the rain pours heavily when you are under the umbrella and the moment you step into the shelter, the rain subsides. This phenomenon indeed describes my experiences this week.
The only day when it didn't rain in the morning is Wednesday, but it happens to be my rest day too so I didn't manage to take advantage of the good weather.
However it did rain heavily on that afternoon. Was taking a sweet nap when I was rudely awakened by the earsplitting thunder. It made my head involuntarily jerk and my body uncontrollably curl up. >_< It was like my heart had just undergone an electric shock. Just in case if you're wondering, I'm normally not afraid of thunder. But yes, I'm weak against loud sudden noises. Being unaware of the lightning I couldn't anticipate the thunder which followed. And it happened to strike when I was in the most unconscious state, how despicable!
This morning it rained and I had to get my umbrella wet for the nth time this week. It was only 5 minutes since the rain started falling, when the pavement was already flooded. (the result of heavy rain and poor drainage) Wet socks, yucks!
On the way home, I discovered that one of the trees, along the path I usually walk, has been uprooted and fallen, with debris of branches strewn around......
---
Yay! Today I borrowed my very first (and second) book from the library in 8 years! Projects and assignments are gradually coming along and I have to adopt the 'bookworm' mode. Dreading it.
Okay I think I'm whining too much...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Evil Blue Moon
Last night my graphics card caught fire...ya with a luminous flame. It was really unexpected.
Was playing Cabal when the comp suddenly shut down unnaturally. No blackout lag or anything, just immediate shut down as if there was a power failure in the house. Then some creaking noise was heard and a strong burnt smell started to diffuse. Looked through the transparent panel of my CPU casing and to my horror, my graphics card was burning. It was a traumatizing sight, resembled what we normally see within an incinerator. (it was crucial moment so no pics)
Fortunately the fire died out soon after the mains was cut. Can't imagine what the situation will be if there wasn't a transparent panel for me to look through. Will the fire unknowingly spread throughout the entire CPU and create a big fire/explosion? To think I just changed the casing last week...
Thanks to the spacious casing, the rest of the parts were unharmed. If the fire were to occur within my previous mini-casing, it would be a disaster.
For such a rare occurrence to happen, I wondered if I had pushed my comp too hard. Leaving it switched on for more than 14 hours per day, watching tons of videos, stretching its graphics by watching TV and playing graphics-intensive games like Cabal. Hopefully after University starts I can be more disciplined in my computer usage.
Despite ventilation, the burnt smell lurked in my room throughout the night. Becos of this I think lifespan has been shortened by a few months.
Was playing Cabal when the comp suddenly shut down unnaturally. No blackout lag or anything, just immediate shut down as if there was a power failure in the house. Then some creaking noise was heard and a strong burnt smell started to diffuse. Looked through the transparent panel of my CPU casing and to my horror, my graphics card was burning. It was a traumatizing sight, resembled what we normally see within an incinerator. (it was crucial moment so no pics)
Fortunately the fire died out soon after the mains was cut. Can't imagine what the situation will be if there wasn't a transparent panel for me to look through. Will the fire unknowingly spread throughout the entire CPU and create a big fire/explosion? To think I just changed the casing last week...
Thanks to the spacious casing, the rest of the parts were unharmed. If the fire were to occur within my previous mini-casing, it would be a disaster.
For such a rare occurrence to happen, I wondered if I had pushed my comp too hard. Leaving it switched on for more than 14 hours per day, watching tons of videos, stretching its graphics by watching TV and playing graphics-intensive games like Cabal. Hopefully after University starts I can be more disciplined in my computer usage.
Despite ventilation, the burnt smell lurked in my room throughout the night. Becos of this I think lifespan has been shortened by a few months.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Losing Steam
If anyone notices at the archives bar there is number bracketed beside each month. That represents the number of blog entries I have in the particular month. Last month saw the lowest number of entries I've written, though before this there was also one month which has achieved that. Guess my himajin life is too mundane to blog about. Or rather nowadays I tend not to blog about the things I did, and the outings I've attended.
Looking at the archives bar again, was shocked to see the record for the highest number of entries is 28, clocked in November 2005. This is almost an average of 1 entry per day! Wow, can't believe I was in such a blogging mood last time. Heh, it was actually during my A levels period, the time when most students were studying while I was here blogging away haha. Went to look at those entries again and felt that those are the most creative entries I have produced in my whole blogging life. Interested parties may go revisit those entries =p.
I doubt University life will be that fulfilling and eventful for me to blog as rigorously as last time.
Of course the rate of churning blogger entries could not compare to that in my 'Old Servbot's Corner' (yea, the unstylish myriad of colours) Those were the times when I churned out at least an entry everyday. Though almost every entry was long, wordy and descriptive, it seemed like junk haha. Junk that is only meaningful for the blogger to read but not for the blog readers, which made it very reading-unfriendly. But it really showed how eventful my life used to be, compared to now. Wonder how I managed to write so much...
一山还比一山高. 'Old Servbot's Corner' is not the period when I wrote the most. Used to keep a personal diary back in 2000-2002. (Some of you might have seen it) Made a point to write an entry every night, until I got bored haha. It really takes a lot of determination and motivation to pen down thoughts and incidents on a personal diary DAILY. Not an easy task at all.
Sorry for the lack the content this entry. I have already planned on what to write for the next one. Inspired by XH =).
Looking at the archives bar again, was shocked to see the record for the highest number of entries is 28, clocked in November 2005. This is almost an average of 1 entry per day! Wow, can't believe I was in such a blogging mood last time. Heh, it was actually during my A levels period, the time when most students were studying while I was here blogging away haha. Went to look at those entries again and felt that those are the most creative entries I have produced in my whole blogging life. Interested parties may go revisit those entries =p.
I doubt University life will be that fulfilling and eventful for me to blog as rigorously as last time.
Of course the rate of churning blogger entries could not compare to that in my 'Old Servbot's Corner' (yea, the unstylish myriad of colours) Those were the times when I churned out at least an entry everyday. Though almost every entry was long, wordy and descriptive, it seemed like junk haha. Junk that is only meaningful for the blogger to read but not for the blog readers, which made it very reading-unfriendly. But it really showed how eventful my life used to be, compared to now. Wonder how I managed to write so much...
一山还比一山高. 'Old Servbot's Corner' is not the period when I wrote the most. Used to keep a personal diary back in 2000-2002. (Some of you might have seen it) Made a point to write an entry every night, until I got bored haha. It really takes a lot of determination and motivation to pen down thoughts and incidents on a personal diary DAILY. Not an easy task at all.
Sorry for the lack the content this entry. I have already planned on what to write for the next one. Inspired by XH =).
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Thicker Blood
Humour aside, it has been a long time since my entire family sat down together for a meal. Reunion dinner? My grandma's funeral? It's only during these 'special' events which kind of forces everyone to eat together, otherwise I dun think a family meal would be very possible nowadays.
Pathetic right? If you were to come to my house and observe during dinner time, you would probably notice some abnormal habits. The whole family dun sit together for a dinner at all. My bro and I eat in our individual rooms, my sis eats in front of the TV, and as for my parents, whoever comes home first will eat first (though normally they come home ard the same time).
For most families, as what we usually see on TV, eat together at the dining table. Sometimes they will go to the extent of waiting for another member to return home first before digging in the warm sumptuous food. Sadly this has never happened in my family, at least from when I could remember. I eat with my friends, eat with my army mates, eat with my colleagues, but I dun eat with my family...
From small, my bro and I have the habit of eating away from the dinner table. Long ago we used to sit in front of the TV having our meals, munching away while gluing our eyes on the TV. (the TV can't be seen from the dinner table) After we have grown out of TV watching, we started to eat in front of the computer. Ya, both of us are Spiderman (becos we 一整天都挂在网上). Our computers used to be in the same room until we splitted.
My parents return home at irregular times. Can be very late sometimes. Thus no one will wait for each other. Those who are hungry will just start eating first. Yup that's the norm. This feels so normal that getting everyone together at the table will not be a possible sight at home.
That's probably the reason why we dun usually share our personal life with each other. I rarely talk with my parents and brother regarding things that happen in school, in camp, or whatever things I've experienced. Same goes for my bro, I hardly question him about his personal life. Dunno whether he got any gf or not, but I think for a 宅男 like him confirm dun have one hahahaha. He told me once abt his future plans and I think I might end up in the same fate as him haha.
When I went to eat out with my parents last Sunday, I also realised it has been a long time since I followed my parents for an outing. If my bro were to be present too (which is highly impossible), it would have become a rare family outing! One good thing abt family outing is I dun have to pay a single cent haha. Thanks to my mum, we over-ordered food and I really had my fill!
-----
For the first time in history, Mediacorp is going to hold a charity gala not for any charity organisations, but purely for the Sichuan Earthquake victims. Following Hong Kong's and Taiwan's fund raising concerts, Singapore has decided to hold it too. This impromptu event will be held this Sunday night. Details abt the programme are not known yet, but confirmed guests will include JJ, Gary, Kelly, Tanya, Harlem, etc...
Just finished watching 太王四神记! The first Korean drama I have ever watched from start to end. The story is really captivating. Bae Yong Joon's acting is superb, but heard that he was injured badly during filming. Which is probably the reason why the ending felt rushed and wasn't very satisfying though the plot and characters were very well developed. This show will debut in Channel U this Sunday too! As much as I would encourage watching this, the fact that it will clash with the charity event means it might not be very well received.
Just got a 22-inch widescreen monitor! Now the screen feels terribly huge haha. I can even put two full browser windows side by side. Enlarging video into full screen really looks like watching TV haha. The downside is the fonts have become tinier and most webpages appear to have too much plain space.
I guess most of you would already have heard this song, composed by JJ within 2 days for the earthquake victims.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Monster!
What's this freak? It's so hideous!
Give me free I also dun wan...
-----
Last week I went shopping and was asked by a shopkeeper if I am a local. Erm, do I not look like one? I guess with the increase of foreigner population in Singapore, it's probably common to be mistaken. Maybe the way I speak or my actions gave the wrong impression I dunno. But as a true-bred Singaporean, I wish to be identified as a Singaporean. =)
Have you ever been mistaken as a non-local? (for locals obviously) That feeling sure feels weird. I think that means you have done or shown something atypical as a Singaporean, which gave the wrong message.
In that case what is a true Singaporean behaviour? Speaking Singlish? Rushing to board MRT/bus in a disorderly manner? Being rude and impatient? Isn't it quite sad that we are condemning our own behaviour, putting bad labels on ourselves? This phenomenon is especially evident in Stomp. Reading some of its articles can really make your blood boil haha.
However I think in a few decades time, things will probably start to change. For the good or worse it's uncertain. The younger generation is maturing in a different environment as the mid generation (eg. our parents) due to the sharp progress in technology at the end of the 20th century. The current teenagers are born under the age of embracing computers, internet, handphones, cameras, etc. Hence their lifestyle habits and practices will definitely differ from that of their parents.
When it becomes our turn to replace the elder generation, we might probably be able to witness things that we will never expect to see today: Ah Ma sms-ing intently on their keychain-dangling phones. Ah Gong plugging earphones and playing handheld games. Senior citizens' corner becoming a cyber cafe/Lan shop. All elderly can understand, speak and write English (as opposed to what we deem elderly now as only able to understand their mother tongues or dialects). Hmm, imaginations running wild alr? Haha.
Then our children would be indulging in their era technology. Something that we probably can't really appreciate...
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Talking abt children, below are instructions on how you shld handle your baby next time.
Very useful eh?
Give me free I also dun wan...
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Last week I went shopping and was asked by a shopkeeper if I am a local. Erm, do I not look like one? I guess with the increase of foreigner population in Singapore, it's probably common to be mistaken. Maybe the way I speak or my actions gave the wrong impression I dunno. But as a true-bred Singaporean, I wish to be identified as a Singaporean. =)
Have you ever been mistaken as a non-local? (for locals obviously) That feeling sure feels weird. I think that means you have done or shown something atypical as a Singaporean, which gave the wrong message.
In that case what is a true Singaporean behaviour? Speaking Singlish? Rushing to board MRT/bus in a disorderly manner? Being rude and impatient? Isn't it quite sad that we are condemning our own behaviour, putting bad labels on ourselves? This phenomenon is especially evident in Stomp. Reading some of its articles can really make your blood boil haha.
However I think in a few decades time, things will probably start to change. For the good or worse it's uncertain. The younger generation is maturing in a different environment as the mid generation (eg. our parents) due to the sharp progress in technology at the end of the 20th century. The current teenagers are born under the age of embracing computers, internet, handphones, cameras, etc. Hence their lifestyle habits and practices will definitely differ from that of their parents.
When it becomes our turn to replace the elder generation, we might probably be able to witness things that we will never expect to see today: Ah Ma sms-ing intently on their keychain-dangling phones. Ah Gong plugging earphones and playing handheld games. Senior citizens' corner becoming a cyber cafe/Lan shop. All elderly can understand, speak and write English (as opposed to what we deem elderly now as only able to understand their mother tongues or dialects). Hmm, imaginations running wild alr? Haha.
Then our children would be indulging in their era technology. Something that we probably can't really appreciate...
-----
Talking abt children, below are instructions on how you shld handle your baby next time.
Very useful eh?
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