Saturday, January 01, 2005
--- I ---
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!
¶ 1/01/2005 04:01:00 pm 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!
