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!

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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.

Monster!

What's this freak? It's so hideous!



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...

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Talking abt children, below are instructions on how you shld handle your baby next time.



Very useful eh?

A Simple Look; A Simple Life

Haven't introduced my new template yet haha. After all the custom designs, it's back to blogger defaults again. Agree that the previous template was too kiddy and I'm lazy to change to another design. Dealing with HTML is really a headache for me, esp when editing the sidebars. Now this is much much easier for HTML-noobs like me haha! I guess plain and simple may look nice too. =)

'Himajin' is a Japanese word. (Google the meaning yourself =p) This name came from the fact that I'm jobless currently hehe. You probably want to know why I chose to remain jobless while others plunged into job-hunting right after ORD:

After entering Uni, most ppl will switch into the 'mugger mode' and after graduating, the 'working' mode. There will be hardly any time to do things we enjoy. Hence the period between ORD and Uni would be the best time to enjoy life without any pressure from both study and work. Of course, upon setting up a family in the future, personal time would be virtually non-existent. In other words, this is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Furthermore upon completing our studies, we will probably spend the next 40 years in the working society all the way till we retire. In that case why situate yourself into the working life so early when we have plenty of time to work next time? Heard many ppl have lost their lifestyles as they venture into adulthood, merely alternating between their work and family. Even friends start to stray off after that. Quite a scary phenomenon I shall say. Thus I would hope to cherish my lifestyle now, enjoy my carefree moments, and live without regrets.

Currently I'm busy watching several dramas (including the Korean period-fantasy drama 太王四神记), engaging in my Japanese language studies, playing XBox, RPGs, games I've yet to complete, exercising, etc... So 'busy' that I hardly update my blog now, even though I'm jobless/school-less/NS-less haha. Do you think I will have the time, energy and mood to do all these if I were to take up a job? NO! Weekends would become terribly crammed.

It has been 3 weeks since I ORD-ed and yet I have never, at any single moment, felt bored at home. So unlike many others who require a job to kill time haha. Can gladly claim (for my case now) that I USE time, not KILL time.

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Back to my blog introduction. Looking for song MP3s is such a hassle (esp new songs), and I dun think anyone ever clicks to listen to them except myself when my radio is down =p. Therefore this time I will just list down my recommended songs under the side column. Want to listen go search yourself...hah. Or at least it can let you know this song ever exists and is on play now.

Added forum links too. Those are the online forums I usually visit. Have learnt a lot of things from there. Gained lots of insights and came to several realisations from others' experiences and various views & opinions. These are things you can't learn in school. (sth like 学校没教的事 from 我猜) Filtering threads/posts is necessary though cos some are really pointless =P.

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Some interesting stuff to share:

This is how you cross a road in India (the traffic is scary):




One of the theme songs for Beijing Olympics [北京欢迎你]. Comprises 100 singers! Can you identify all of them? Dun worry if you can't, cos I can't too haha. Stefanie's in this too, and her voice is one of the more recognisable and unique ones.



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Just to test water: Would anyone like to go for Gary's concert in July with me? Haha...

The Sense of Money

As we grow up, our perception on the value of money seems to be dropping. During primary school, a $2 note in our wallet was deemed as a luxury, as most of the transaction in the canteen only involved coins. Needless to say, hardly anyone brought a $10 note. We would try to avoid buying anything above $50 on our own.

Now, a lone $2 note in our wallet is almost nothing to us. Most even ditch coins claiming that they only make the wallet heavier. $5 is probably considered 'no money'. $10 is perhaps 'spend when necessary'. $50 is 'can afford a little' while $100 is 'chiong ah!'.

When we approach adulthood and working life, of course it will 'level up' such that $10 becomes 'no money'. We will also start saving up and splurging on more expensive stuffs too.

Usually we would consider if we hadn't bought a particular item before, the cost amount will be saved. Looking closely around my house and thinking back at all the things I've bought for the past 10 years, I probably would have saved a bomb. Noticed lots of white elephants gathering dust or being put away in storage. Most of them were not utilised well before they were 'condemned', which is quite a waste. Wonder why did I buy those things in the first place...

Such includes:

- My humongous Lego collection (三分钟热度)

- Electronic keyboard (Same model as the Chinese High ones.)

- Entire McDonald's Hello Kitty plush set (The thing abt following blindly...)

- Encyclopedia sets (Used to be commonly publicised in bookfairs. With free online resources like Wikipedia now they have become almost unnecessary.)

Of course there are things I din regret buying:

- Jigsaw puzzles (If you've been to my house you shld have seen them in almost every corner.)

- Console/PC games (Contrary to what most adults think, I feel playing games can be educative in a certain way. For eg, I learned lots of vocabulary from it.)

- Contact lens (The feeling of walking ard without specs is great! For a very specs-dependent person like me.)

- Price of my driving license (The course was ex, TP test was ex, haven't driven for a very long time but I still think it was a worth investment =p)

- Entire Japanese learning package (God knows how much I've spent altogether for my lessons, materials and tests for the past 2+ years.)

- I-Weekly (One book per week for 10 years, you can do the sum.)

Do you have anything you regretted or did not regret buying? Feel free to share on the tagboard!

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I think the Internet is really a great tool to save money. Ever since I became Internet-dependent and online-surfing became an important part of my life at home, I have been spending lesser money. Or rather, it saved me lots of money from buying things I could obtain easily through the net. Used to download dramas and animes but now I dun even have to. Thanks to online video streaming sites like Youtube and Crunchyroll, I was able to watch a variety of shows *for free* =p. Most are not available in the market anyway. Ppl who invent things like this is indeed a genius haha.

Hardly rely on solid books nowadays. *glances at Harry Potter* For fiction books, I have no habit of reading them anyway. As for references, information and resources can be found easily in the net. Money saved!

My dose of music and songs mostly comes from the radio so money is not really a problem here. If I really want a song that much I can always resort to downloading or listening at music sites. Good thing is Chinese songs can be found very readily haha. Haven't bought an album for a loooong time. The last one IIRC shld be Stefanie Sun's 风筝 muhahaha...

The Net has also become my main source of news and current affairs. Sometimes I get info faster than the TV/radio news, or even news that weren't reported at all. Can save up on newspapers alr haha.

If weren't for the Net, I could have spent much more money. =)

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Personally I feel I'm quite a thrifty person. Unlike my bro, I dun spend much on games (leeched most games from him haha) and computer components (dun really require a highly powered com). I dun engage in expensive hobbies like model collecting, photography, sports, etc. Neither do I go shopping often (though I have an urge to do so recently), nor intend to own a car or live in a big house in the future. Quite reluctant to purchase a laptop for uni too, esp when I'll be going home everyday.

Regret

Do you have anything regrettable in your life? If possible do you wish to return to the past and redo things once more?

This came into mind when I watched the thought-provoking and touching story of Proposal Daisakusen (Chi:求婚大作战, a recent Japanese drama). It talks abt a guy who regretted his lover's wedding with another guy, and went back to the past to attempt salvaging the situation, but in the end nothing much changed.

The guy was given many chances to time travel, but none were really successful to reverse the wedding, though the girl's impression on him improved slightly after every time travel.

The moral is, never leave any regrets in your life until it's too late to salvage. Cherish your family. Cherish your friendships. Cherish your partner if you really love her/him a lot. Dun take it for granted that they will be there with you forever. Sometimes it only takes one small mistake to snowball into something severe. On the other hand a little initiative taken may actually make things much better.

Unlike in the drama, we can never return to the past and redo things. BUT if we were really given such chance, pls treasure the opportunity greatly!

Proposal Daisakusen is one of the best dramas I've watched this year. Some parts almost made me cry. The theme song is really touching too.

My NS Statistics

Duration: 210406 - 200408 (180408)

Leave Taken: 29 days

Off Taken: 40 days

MC: 0 (!)

Medical Appointment: 8 times (6 of which went during my own off)

Report Sick: 2 times (for my skin condition)

Highest Rank: Corporal First Class

Total Pay: $9760 (Avg $407/mth) *Yucks that's terribly low*

Appointment:
BMT Recruit (Apr 06 - Jun 06)
Auto Tech Trainee (Jun 06 - Sep 06)
Auto Tech OJE (Sep 06 - Nov 06)
Mechanic (Nov 06 - Jul 07)
Admin Clerk (Aug 07 - Apr 08)

Courses:
BMT
Basic Technician Training
V200 Technician Course

Camps Visited:
Chong Pang Camp (Perm)
Ayer Rajah Camp (Technical Training)
Sungei Gedong Camp (OJE)
Palau Tekong BMTC
Nee Soon Camp (NDP/FFI)
Lim Chu Kang Camp II (NDP)
Sembawang Air Base (PC Events)
Paya Lebar Air Base (RSAF Day)
Tengah Air Base (NDP)
Pasir Laba Camp (ATP/BBCDT)
Depot Rd Camp (CMPB)
Gloucester Camp (Guard Duty)

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Blog song changed!
Heard this really nice song by 伍家辉: <虽然我愿意> But can't seem to find it anywhere... His vocals are really O_O

Servbot's Corner wishes Relf a Happy 21st Birthday!

A Heavy Downpour

So it happened that I got caught in the heavy downpour yesterday at Orchard Rd. Never seen such heavy storm in the shopping district before. So heavy that I felt my plastic umbrella was on the verge of breaking, blown out of it's normal shape. Though I was still drenched from shirt bottom and my entire feet was soaked, thanks to the strong winds and deep puddles, at least I was luckier that those without an umbrella, who became stranded under the buildings.

This made me notice how Orchard Rd, Singapore's major shopping belt, was so vulnerable to rain such that shoppers were unable to get from one shopping centre to another, even to the nearest MRT station, without getting wet. Pity those well-dressed ppl and tourists having to get drenched.

Spent close to 200 this weekend again. Becoming a spendthrift liao. The feeling of buying something is great at first, but becomes a pinch shortly after. It's worse if you discover that the item you bought is not that useful after all, and the money spent can be used to buy a more useful item instead.

Shall continue this topic with a long entry when I have the time...

Share with you all some funny comics regarding blood types:

http://bbs.onlylady.com/thread-310113-1-1.html

Wonder how true is it, some dun match with me.