1. What is/was your form teacher's full name?
Primary school: Mrs Toh, Madam Lim Chor Hoon, Mrs Lynn Siew
Secondary school: Mr Chua Chor Loon, Mr Wu Jiong, Mrs Shahilla Sundararaj
JC: Mrs Bernice Yong
2. Ever been late for school?
Many times during JC . . .
3. For how many times
I can't remember the accumulated amount . . . once, 12 times in a term until Mrs Yong threatened to call my parents . . .
4. Ever been punished?
Lots of times . . . duh . . .
5. What did you do?
Late-coming
6. Detentions?
Yes, once in Secondary Two for being late. However, nobody came to supervise us, and we scrammed about four o'clock, one hour earlier than the stipulated time
7. Did you do anything to shame yourself in?
No . . .
8. What is/was your principal's name?
Primary school: Mrs Pang Hong Tin
Secondary school: Mr Yang Chi Kay, Mr Yue Lip Sin
JC: Mrs Lim Lai Cheng
9. Do you always hand in your homework?
Yes . . . but never on time, especially in JC
10. Ever been counselled in school?
No
11. Why?
Because I don't have major psychological problems lah, duh . . .
12. Did you top your whole class?
Yes, in Secondary Three and Four.
13. What do you like in your classroom?
The lockers! Our lockers were inside the classroom, and I deliberately chose a seat next to a locker so that I could access to it easily.
14. What is the punishment for latecomers?
Detention . . . but there was one time the detention room had no supervising teacher for the whole afternoon
15. Liked any teachers before?
Became friends with some of the teachers after graduation
16. How is the food in the canteen?
Expensive with measly proportions
17. What do you always buy in the canteen?
Cold cheng tng
18. CCAs you took part in?
Chinese Orchestra . . . scriptwriter for English Drama Club, but never got a single script put up before . . . anyway my writing sucks lah . . .
19. Been together with anybody in the same school?
Such an ambiguous question . . .
20. How was it?
. . . That I can't even answer it . . .
Name:
August Lum
Piercing:
Not applicable and none
Tattoos:
As above
Height:
About 1.75m
Shoe size:
US Size 11
Hair colour:
Black
What are you doing:
This quiz, obviously!
Last song you listened to:
"Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim, as performed by Dwayne Tan and Bang Wenfu.
Last CD you bought:
Sibelius and Goldmark Violin Concertos - Esa-Pekka Salonen/Joshua Bell
Last person you called:
The staff at UAN to book a seat for the forum on 21 January
Do you have a crush on someone:
Not at the moment . . . and I don't wish to have a crush on anyone.
Do you wish you could live somewhere else:
I'm quite happy in my current home: it's a five minute walk to the MRT!
Have you thought about suicide:
In the past, yes. Stress . . .
Do you believe in online dating:
I only believe that it creates a lot of social problems . . .
Do others find you attractive:
They find me mad and eccentric
Do you want more piercing:
I have said so and I shall reiterate: I don't have piercing and I do not intend to have any.
Do you like cleaning:
What choice do I have? Either I do that or I get fucked . . .
Do you write in cursive or print:
Italicised cursive . . .
HAVE YOU EVER . . .
Cried over a girl:
This is such a silly thing to do . . .
Cried over a boy:
So gay . . .
Lied to someone:
I can't remember who I've lied to . . .
Been in a fistfight:
No . . . thankfully I can stay out of trouble by minding my own business . . .
WHAT . . .
Shampoo do you use:
Fa (in camp); St Ives (at home)
Are you scared of:
Heights; loud, deafening noises; being ignored by others; getting knocked down (in both contexts)
NUMBER OF TIMES . . .
You have been in love:
Never before
You had your heart broken:
Lots of times . . . in crushing defeat and humiliation
Your name appeared in the newspaper:
Never before
FAVOURITE . . .
Five-letter word:
MUSIC!
Cereal:
Post
Chewing gum:
Wigley's
Colour(s):
Black, Blue, Brown
Day(s) of the week:
Saturday and Sunday
Least favourite day:
Monday
Flower(s):
Orchid
Special skill(s):
Being able to improvise at the piano
Summer/winter:
Summer
Gone out in public in your pyjamas:
I never attended the Ikea pyjama party . . .
Cried during a movie:
Yes, during Kung Fu Hustle . . . it was so funny tears rolled down my cheeks
BEEN TO:
New York:
No
China:
Yes
Canada:
No
Mecca:
No
Hong Kong:
Yes
Japan:
No
What time is it now:
2248
Apples or bananas:
No preference
Blue or red:
Blue
WHAT . . .
Are you going to do after this:
Either write blog entries or compose
Was the last thing you ate:
Fried Yee-Mian
What do you do when you're bored:
I'm never bored, because my travelling companions are my writing materials, manuscript book, novel and FM Receiver
Last noise you heard:
Toilet flushing
Last time you went out of state/province:
2002
Do you want kids one day. If so, how many:
No
To you, what is most important in relationships:
Be faithful to one another, compromise, communicate often, be honest with one another, weather through thick and thin, take your partner for whom he/she is
The thing you dislike about yourself the most:
Procrastinating, narrow-minded, lazy, heck-care type of person, unsociable
Worst feeling in the world:
Being ignored by other people. I'm not implying that I want to b in the centre of attention all the time, but I hate it when I try to join in a conversation and people ignore me.
Been so drunk that you blacked out?
No . . . I am alcohol intolerant
Missed school because it was raining?
No way! My folks will never accept that!
Ever put a body part on fire for amusement?
No . . . that's mad!
Got hurt emotionally?
Of course
Kept a secret from everyone?
Lots of them
Had an imaginary friend?
No
Cried during a movie?
Kung Fu Hustle . . . so funny that tears rolled down my cheeks . . .
Had a crush on a teacher?
I don't have such fantasies
Ever thought an animated character was hot?
I don't even find real-life people hot
Had a New Kids on the Block tape?
What the heck is that . . . or WAS that?
Been on stage?
Yes
Cut your hair?
Yes
FAVOURITE
Shampoo
I don't know . . . I just use any one
Soap
No preference either
Colour
Black, blue, brown . . . basically all the dark colours
Day or night
Night
Summer or winter
Summer
Lace or satin
I can't tell the difference . . .
Favourite animation
Those hand-drawn cartoons
Favourite food
Anything except cheese and dairy-products
Favourite movie
The Phantom of the Opera, Kung Fu Hustle
Favourite ice-cream
Chocolate, Coffee, Macadamia nuts
Favourite subject
Music! Art, English, History
Favourite drink
Teh-O!
Favourite people to talk to online
Proko, Beez
RIGHT NOW
Wearing
A pair of pyjamas long pants
Hair is
Short
I'm feeling
Neutral
Eating
Nothing
Drinking
Plain water
Thinking about
Answers to the questions on this quiz
Listening to
Gold 90.5FM
Talking to
No one
Worn a skirt
No
Met someone new
Just this afternoon!
Cried
Yes
Cleaned your room
Yes
Done laundry
Yes
Drove a car
No
DO YOU BELIEVE IN
Yourself
No
Your friends
They have to prove to me that they are worth believing
Santa Claus
No . . . he's only a commercial gimmick
Tooth fairy
Definitely not
Destiny/fate
Some sort of
Ghosts
Yes
UFO
So-so, not as much as I believe in the supernatural
FRIENDS AND LIFE
Who's the loudest?
Fabian, Yong Hai, Lee Seong
Who's the weirdest?
So far none . . . me lah!
Who do you go to for advice?
Benson, Gerald, Alvin
Who do you cry to?
No one
When you cried the most?
That incident in September last year . . .
What's the best feeling in the world?
Getting an engagement to compose/arrange music, conduct and play the piano
Worst feeling
To be ignored by other people.
What are the things that you want to do?
ORD! Finish up the musical, finish up the admission portfolio for Yong Siew Toh Conservatory, write up those blog entries that are long overdue . . .
THE MERLION IS A JOKE! A BLOODY JOKE!
That's the gist of a letter published in the forum of today's copy of TODAY. The author had friends come to Singapore, and they toured Sentosa. Now, as everybody knows, Sentosa has the Merlion Tower which has the ability to shoot laser beams. Well, the author states that her friends began laughing when they watched the Merlion shoot to death some evil "creatures" as if a Star Wars episode was taking flight. But it was darn embarrassing for her.
I can tell you, I'll laugh in the same scenario. For God's sake are we trying to sell the Merlion to George Lucas' company or what!?
Anyway why on earth are we harping the Merlion as some cultural symbol? It's just a shitty little cartoon character created for the then Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. You know, so that they can put it somewhere with the other world icons, such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Mount Fuji (with the bullet train running in its foreground) and the Statue of Liberty. Something to call our own. The Raffles statue would have been too pro-British . . . anyway the British downplayed him and he died in poverty, so I have no idea why they even bothered to give him a knighthood in the first place . . . we can't possibly have a lion because we all know that lions only live in the grasslands, and not dense forest as in Singapore. Which means Sang Nila Utama could have seen a TIGER instead. But the Tiger is represented by Malaysia . . .
Therefore the best possible choice is to piece the tail of a fish and the upper body of a lion together - the fish representing the fact that Singapore was once a fishing village.
And there you have it: something that Disney should have taken and dipped into "The Little Mermaid".
Hmm . . . it would make an interesting story: the Merlion trades its water-spitting capabilities for legs to roam the grasslands of Africa . . . and what does Ursula do with the tail? Sell it to some seafood restaurant. Fame and fortune, you know. The shop could proudly proclaim: "The one and only Merlion's tail . . . sold here!"
Oh, and not forgetting Austin Powers: the Pizza Boy rocket runs into trouble, so Dr Evil takes the chance to upgrade to the Merlion. After all, it is air-conditioned, has a lift, has laser-shooting capabilities and has a look-out tower which he can cover with a glass-dome.
Perfect.
And perhaps the genius in Dr Evil could modify the tail such that it can move mechanically, and whack any enemy spacecraft hovering about near it into smithereens.
Or, it could be the focal point of a movie called "Liontopia", where the lions can talk and co-exist with humans.
Therefore, on the other hand, the Merlion really does wonders for our tourism industry - not to mention the film industry too. See how much we can CAPITALISE on it! Look up, Singaporeans, we're going to get rich!
Singapore's hospitals can sometimes be really screwed up.
My hospitalised friend Cedric calls me to ask how things are in the army. He's been warded for dengue fever. Initially we were scared that he'd contracted it in camp, as there have been a few dengue cases in the unit in the past few months, till the higher authorities were nearly considering declaring an outbreak - which means we'll get quarantined in camp as consideration to the civilian public.
From what I hear, Robbie, our platoon medic, sent him to the Changi Geneal Hospital on Sunday. But the orderly sergeant during the weekend says that he was sent to Singapore General Hospital (SGH). I ask Cedric about it. "Yes - but now I've been transferred to the CDC."
CDC? The Communicable Diseases Centre? What the heck would dengue patients be found there? As we all know, the CDC made its name during the SARS crisis in 2003.
Apparently Cedric had been admitted to SGH. The hospital, it seems, was quite filled, so they put him in a ward full of cancer patients. Literally the entire ward was dedicated to the care of cancer patients. It freaked him out. There he was, the only dengue patient, with all those old people wheezing and coughing and who knows when they're going to die. His parents, equally paranoid that their son might catch some cancer shit, moved him to Tan Tock Seng.
And then the people at Tan's Hospital threw him into the CDC, where he currently "resides" all alone in one room, with nothing but a phone. He's literally bored to death. He stares at the wall all day long. It's almost comparable to the mental hospital.
Come to think of it, the whole thing's pretty fucked up. How can patients be put into wards that don' cater to their illnesses? That's very dangerous. If there is really a lack of space, then for God's sake build more hospitals. The people living in the north can benefit from a general hospital, like Changi in the east. I doubt the West needs any more: there are already Alexander and the National University Hospitals. However, the North lacks one. The nearest is probably Tan Tock Seng. Even so, it’s still a great distance for people living in Woodlands and Sembawang and Yishun.
So who's going to be responsible if someone catches a new disease when he's there to be treated after he is thrown into any Tom, Dick and Harry ward?
Difficult to fathom – yes and no . . . depends if I'm in one of those
Thinks forward – can't really say that
Unique and brilliant – unique yes, brilliant no
Extraordinary ideas – not really
Sharp thinking – not really
Fine and strong clairvoyance
Can become good doctors – eek, no!!!
Dynamic in personality – more like when I'm at the piano or on the podium, or simply having to do anything with music
Secretive – yes and no, depends
Inquisitive - yes
Knows how to dig secrets – through research; I'm only interested in secrets of historical people, not of those around me.
Always thinking - yes
Less talkative but amiable – I'm only more talkative to my closer and better friends and friends who share the same passions and interests as me.
Brave and generous – the first, no; the second, yes.
Patient – no
Stubborn and hard-hearted - yes
If there is a will, there is a way - yes
Determined – depends on whether I'm passionate about the thing I'm doing
Never give up – as above
Hardly becomes angry unless provoked - yes
Loves to be alone – DEFINITELY!
Thinks differently from others – a bit . . .
Sharp-minded – depends
Motivates oneself – in things that I like
Does not appreciates praises – okay lah
High-spirited – in things that I like to do
Well-built and tough – NO!!!
Deep love and emotions – only in music-making
Romantic - never
Uncertain in relationships – very . . . anyway I'm not about to get myself into a relationship
Homely – I only like my bed, computer and piano
Hardworking – in the things that I like to do
High abilities - music
Trustworthy - yes
Honest and keeps secrets - yes
Not able to control emotions – depends . . . sometimes I am able to hide what I'm really feeling deep down inside
Unpredictable – quite so . . . I have mood swings
1. Laughed?
Yesterday, after hearing Sergeant WH make jokes about the way Big Fucks behave.
2. Talked to yourself?
I can't remember . . . I always talk to myself unconsciously.
3. Watched the telly?
Last Sunday: Howard Goodall's Great Dates.
4. Got a hair cut?
I think that was the Sunday before Christmas, before a RSM parade that was eventually cancelled.
5. Hugged someone?
Last year February . . . that person hugged me so I reciprocated.
6. Swept the floor?
Last Friday . . . I'm a toilet cleaner, so I don't specifically sweep the floor.
7. Talked to a friend?
Yesterday, on the way to the MRT Station from Nee Soon Camp
8. Fought with someone?
Argued, never fought physically.
9. Went out?
Last Saturday, with the Pipilanders
10. Sang?
Yesterday morning, while marching to the cookhouse and back for breakfast
11. Said 'I love you' to someone?
NEVER! Oh, for god's sake, never!
12. Played an instrument?
Yesterday night - played my beloved piano.
13. Wrote a testimonial to someone?
Long time ago last year . . . haven't had time to write these stuff
14. Bought something?
Yesterday night: a cup of teh-o
15. Made a prank call?
Never. Okay, accidental calls, when my mobile is not locked and then I accidentally dial somebody's number . . .
16. Raise your voice at your parents?
Long, long ago, although I nearly did yesterday
17. Dreamt of your girlfriend or boyfriend?
I don't have a girlfriend
18. Cleaned your room?
Never before. I clean my toilet and my bunk so much that I'm sick of doing it over the weekends.
19. Met up with a friend?
Last Saturday
20. Cut your nails?
Last year December, perhaps before the block leave.
THE FIRST TIME YOU . . .
21. Had golden hair?
Never before
22. Played an instrument?
K1
23. Wrote a testimonial?
Two years ago, when I first opened my Friendster account
24. Cried?
Last September . . . damn I was really upset.
25. Laid your hands on a Gameboy?
Never before.
26. Said something?
This is a stupid question.
27. Had a pet?
I think somewhere in Kindergarten
28. Had chicken pox?
Primary Six, near the mid-year examinations.
29. Had your own mobile phone?
2002 – the Motorola model which came free with some $6 promotional plan from SingTel. I tell you, the whole damn thing is a fraud. $6, but it comes with so many off 'perks' – you pay for incoming, outgoing, SMS . . . whatever shit stuff they have. To hell with $6. Anyway didn't like the phone either: buttons too small and cramped that I couldn't SMS properly. So I got rid of the phone in April and had my beloved 3310 for the next three years.
30. Had your own computer?
Primary Four. I still remember it was a Compaq. Model . . . I think an early Presario?
31. Went overseas?
K1 – Langkawi and Penang
32. Rode a ferry?
Kindergarten – the old habit was to take a cable car there, and back by ferry. Sad, the ferry is no longer in operation . . .
33. Ate sushi?
Can't remember . . . late Primary school level. Used to buy from Edo Sushi at those NTUC branches.
34. Banged onto a wall?
Lots of times . . . the careless me
35. Hit someone?
My brother, because he whacked me
36. Had a crush?
Last year . . . oh come on, it's common to have such feelings right? Anyway it stimulates the mind for composition.
37. Had a boy-girl relationship?
Never before
38. Fell into a drain?
I haven't fallen into a drain yet
39. Broke something valuable?
Can't remember when, but I can remember what – it's crockery! Well, what's so surprising about breaking crockery anyway?
40. Performed something on your own in front of other people?
Kindergarten, I think. I had to sing a song as part of my test for JMC at Yamaha Music School in front of the whole class. Yeah, that was my first and last solo attempt at singing . . . thereafter I swear to be the fellow at the piano accompanying only.
The knowledge that I'll be going for block leave this week
2. What made you sad this week?
Knowing that I have to book in on Friday morning just to play games . . . what the fuck? Going all the way to the north-western side of Singapore for a few hours, and then commute home again!
3. Are you contented with your life?
Not really . . .
4. Has someone or somebody hurt you lately?
Yes
5. Does he or she know that he or she has hurt you?
No, obviously not . . .
6. What do you plan to do to him or her?
Ignore them . . . carry on with whatever I'm doing
7. Did he or she make an effort to ease the pain?
No
8. Are you missing someone?
No
9. How are you feeling at the moment?
Fucked up
10. What or who made you feel that way?
So many things to do . . . MDC audition, arrangements and compositions to settle as much as possible before I go back to camp . . .
11. Are you the type of person who easily gets hurt?
I doubt so . . . half-thick-half-thin skin . . .
12. How do you cope up with the hurt?
Indulge in things that I like
13. Do you cry?
Not until I'm hurt very, very badly.
14. Have you ever been to a point in your life that you can say you got lost?
I think so . . . ?
15. How did you go about that part of your life?
I don't really no . . . perhaps with music?
16. The last movie you watched?
The Phantom of the Opera
17. The last TV show you watched?
The special one-hour programme documenting the past four years of Channel U
18. The last song you heard?
Dance sequence from CATS
19. The last thing you bought?
One bottle of Pokka lemon tea
20. The last place you went?
Victoria Concert Hall
21. The last food you ate?
KFC takeaway
22. The last thing you heard from your parents?
"Close the windows . . . the neighbours are damn inconsiderate . . ."
23. The last thing you said to your parents?
"Not hot meh?"
24. The last thing you said to one of your friends?
"Bye"
25. The last thing you read?
My email
26. The last person you called?
I can't remember
27. The last person who called you?
Benson . . . to tell me that the meeting time has been changed to 3:00pm . . . it's 2:30 and I'm still not bathed . . .
28. The last person you messaged?
It's "people" - those who were absent on Friday - to tell them about the book-in time and date: Alvin, Cedric, Darren, Ronald and Zhiwei.
29. The last person who messaged you?
Sabrina
30. The last person who said you're handsome/pretty?
Never before.
31. The last person who gave you a testimonial?
Edwin Lee
32. The last person who messaged you?
Refer to "The last person who messaged you?"
33. The last person you're with?
Wrong, it's people: if you say "last" it has to be: Bee, Miyaka, Philip and Tomiko
34. The last person you kissed goodnight?
My mother . . . almost a decade ago.
35. The last person you kissed goodbye?
My grandmother, last Friday.
36. The last person you think of before going to sleep?
Nobody . . .
37. The last thing you're going to do before going to sleep?
Switch off my laptop and speakers.
Yes... mugging... mugging and greed for prestige are the original sins...
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 08:02:00 pm 0 comments
The members of Pipilanders who are present at the gathering, taking a photo with Mrs Lau just before we leave. Philip was anxiously trying to avoid Mrs Lau, who had asked him, "Are you the boy from the next class?" when she arrived.
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 08:01:00 pm 0 comments
A shot of Khan, Bee and Rach, with the food in the foreground. Notice the contrast of colour: bright pink, yellow and green in the front; black and white at the back. Interesting. Can we pick out any conspiracy theory from this? What on earth is Khan doing???
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 08:00:00 pm 0 comments
Benson showing the photos of his trip to Australia to three very impressed girls :)
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 07:58:00 pm 0 comments
The three guys from Pipiland: Myself, Philip and Benson aka the Chancellor. Now, this is what I call UNITY. White shirts, dark-coloured (blue-black) pants. Glasses. One an Armoured Engineer, one a member of the staff at the Ammunition Depot, one a Navy Officer Cadet, soon to be commissioned.
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 07:57:00 pm 0 comments
35/02... we're unified? Ha! It's just that the boundaries that seperate each clique are not obvious, that's all...
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 07:55:00 pm 0 comments
This is the feast spread out for us, courtesy of Rose... behind the table is me (on the left) and Philip aka the King (on the right). Pardon the blur on the photograph...
Posted by Hello
¶ 1/01/2005 07:51:00 pm 0 comments
The idea of a class gathering is optimistic. However, things don't go that hopefully as thought of.
Yeah, the majority of the class turns up. Not all the teachers, though. Only Mr Bala and Mrs Lau turn up.
Unfortunately the separation of the class into cliques is as strong as ever. You can tell: the boys (Philip, Benson and myself) sitting on the floor at a corner; Bee, Tomiko and Miyaka side by side on chairs; Jolene, Andy, Carol, Alexis, Carol, Su Ching and Rose mainly stick together in one group. SY, Sandy and Kenny join in anywhere. Yes, there were polite greetings, but very difficult to start up long conversations. The girls ask the boys: How's army life? What are you doing? Then the questions become: So what are you doing in university? (That's for the girls.) For the guys: So what are you going to do in university?
A little bit of elitism is the order of the day: the You-know-who's talk about scholarships and faculties . . . all those academic shit again. You just can't help trying to stay out of it. Honestly, I wouldn't like going to a party and find the talk all concentrating about grades and future careers and how you can get a good life and all that crap. I mean, they've done this one year ago. Now, they're still the same. I'm very disappointed. I come to the gathering thinking, hey, perhaps people might have changed. I mean, others cajoled me to come with this kind of mindset. I was initially pessimistic about coming. I'm sorry to say, people wear the same clothes one year on. The only thing looking forward to is meeting those friends I really click with and whom I can really talk with. Somewhere I guess Mr Bala can't stand the continuous blabber about universities that he comes to talk with us - the three pathetic guys hiding in the corner of the room. Well, not really three - it's almost Philip and I are the ones loitering about this little secluded place throughout the event.
It's a good thing Wangui had something on and can't come. Otherwise she'd been badly traumatised by this.
* * *
It's the first time I'm tasting wine. Benson makes me drink it. He says he's going to teach me how to drink alcohol. I'm a teetotaller. Alcoholic drinks make me sick. Even before I consume it, the smell puts me off. I suck my breath as I take the first sip. As the first drops flow into my mouth, I sense grape juice. Jeez, I think it's going to be sweet.
Wrong. A horrific bitter flavour engulfs my mouth. It's like Chinese medicine, only worse. I want to spit it out, but I can't. It's not feasible; neither is it nice, to do so. I have no choice but to swallow it.
Yet the after-effects are extremely gratifying. You feel a sense of warm gradually spread over your body. It's really nice if drunk on a cold day. The only obstacle is getting over the smell and the taste of it.
* * *
I am eating my mini packet of M&Ms leisurely when Benson decides to try something. Not really a game, but you could call it that way. We're supposed to empty the contents of a pack of M&Ms in one mouth. I'm on with it. I'll do it with the packet I'm currently consuming.
"No, get a new one."
"But I'm halfway-"
"Never mind, just get a new one."
I open a new packet. I tear the packaging off in its entirety, in case it hampers the movement of the candies. "Okay? On the count of three. One, two, three!"
I pour every single candy into my mouth. I close my throat tightly lest one of the little pills accidentally slip into the oesophagus and choke me to death. Ha, it's actually easy and fun. After that, I finish up the half-eaten packet. Then I go to the kitchen sink to gulp down tap water to cool down the heat from the overeating of chocolates.
Oh shit. My stomach feels weird. I regret doing it. Now I’m going to feel sick, and then waste away my long weekend. Perhaps if I hadn't eaten so many Ferro Roche chocolates in the first place things wouldn't have been so bad. I love chocolates, but now, they put me off.
What the heck, I still love chocolates. Once a sweet tooth, always a sweet tooth.
* * *
After the gathering, we head for Starbucks for a drink, while Philip, Miyaka and Tomiko consider what movie to watch, and where to watch it.
I'm a total idiot when it comes to ordering drinks from such high-end coffee houses. They have shitloads of coffees and teas that you have to know what is what in order to purchase something that doesn’t put you off in the end and you feel you've wasted something like four or five dollars. See, your neighbour coffee shops are so much more convenient and less fussy. Coffee and tea come either as "--kosong", "-o" or "-si". The first means "empty" in Malay, that is, nothing goes into the drinks. "O" means sugar only. "Si" means with milk". Si - I mean, see? So easy! No fussing around with stupid names like whatsoever "-chino" or whatever "-cha". I remember going to Coffee Bean in 2003 with Philip and Benson after we went collecting old newspapers as part of our CIP. I looked at the menu, and decided to order the cheapest drink available. Something called "Espresso". It cost $2.90. Everything else was three-something and above.
What happened next was I received a miniature cup on a saucer. There was some black coffee inside. Looked like kopi-o. I was given a cup of water - either that or I was asked to get some water. And I thought, wow, so little coffee, not worth the money. I sat down, and was about to drink it in one gulp, when the guys warn me, "Hey, drink sip by sip!" When I asked for the reason, they said "will die". Do you know, espresso is thick, strong brew - the most powerful coffee. Once drunk you're apt not to sleep. That amount that I got was good enough. That's what they explained to me.
Oh shit. What if I can't sleep tonight . . . ? (Luckily I was still schooling, because during the free periods, I could go to the music room to sleep.)
Thank goodness this time they offer descriptions of the drinks. I choose this tea made out of fruits or something . . .
--- II ---
You have to go into Stephen Chow's films with an open mind, and know that you are going to spend two hours with slapstick jokes and antics. That's what makes "Gong Fu Hustle" such a pleasant work to watch. You simply go inside and forget about everything, and let the clowning of Stephen Chow and gang bring you along. Simple storyline, but developed with the help of comedy. I shan't talk much about it, because I don't want to reveal the joys of the show. Go and watch it for yourself! I cried at some portions until tears rolled down my cheeks, and they were stuck there after I got out of the cinema.
So far, this is the only movie I've seen that doesn't have a prominent love theme in it. Sure, there's a girl who almost seems to go along with the hero in the end, but the purpose of putting her there is to show how Chow has changed from a bully and a loser into someone who has a good heart and is now morally upright. The main events are the fight scenes. There are lots of them, right from the beginning of the film, but they don't tire out, because every battle is different, and the fighters ham it up all the way. They're really something to look forward to. The physical appearances of each of the characters do well to aid the humour.
Again, I shall stop myself from revealing all the details. Really, all of you should watch it. But watch it with an open mind and a light heart. This is not an art film, for God's sake.
* * *
Take note: there's a comedy starring Will Smith who acts as an adviser helping those loser men who cannot hitch (that's the title of the film) women. However, the man himself is such an absentminded and careless freak that he can't woo the woman he desires himself. I think you'll laugh like mad. So will I.
--- III ---
A very nice entry I see in Friendster, a testimonial submitted by Anthony to ClassicalMusic:
Piano... $4000
Piano books... $100
Piano lesson fees...$340
The pride of being able to enjoy your own music...
------------------PRICELESS-------------------
--- IV ---
I heard from Kenny and Philip that people are classified medically fit and who are in non-combat vocations must downgrade before they ORD, or else they will be transferred to a combat vocation before than date, and thereafter during their reservist, they will return to that combat vocation. Is this true or not? Anyone who can clarify or confirm, please drop me a message. Thanks!
