I love Jack Johnson's Flake!!

Flash Mob in Raffles Place.

Never knew Singaporeans can be so cool!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

A great 2 week vacation...I love UK!!

I'm suppose to be studying right now. But I am not. I'm taking a break. (hehe...a long break it seems.) I could go downstairs and practice my guitar or watch Gossip Girl but I chose to come online to brag about my wonderful UK trip that I took in early October.

Okay, outdated news I know. I'm always over 2 weeks too slow but HECK..better late than never...(damn...where have I heard this phrase before...Oh yah...marcusson's wedding. *shudder)

Anyway, I spent my great 3-0 birthday in London. I'm telling you that I totally love that city...I love that country and had such a great time there. I would totally want to work or live there. I LOVE UNITED KINGDOM!!! okok...there there...calm down.

Here is Part One of Two synopsis of my trip (useful if you were also considering to make a trip to UK. I mean everybody is going UK nowadays isn't it?) and I probably would follow up by sharing photos...if I ever get around to it.

Day 1: Friday (Oct 2nd)
1) Took Emirates from Singapore, transit at Dubai then straight to London Heathrow. (What's cool: First time I took Emirates and first time on A380. Beam!)
2) Went to Four Season's famous Duck Rice at Bayswater
3) Went for the Ghost Walk with Richard and lost my Oyster Card!! (stupid)
Day 2: Saturday (Oct 3rd)
1) Joined Golden Tours to Stonehenge, Salisbury (saw the Magna Carta), Bath
2) Had great English chicken stew and apple pie in English pub
Day 3: Sunday (Oct 4th)
1) Went to Covent Garden Flea market and did some shopping (bought 2 hats and cool leather boots)
2) Walked to Leicester Square (pronounced Lester) and bought tickets to Lion King
3) Met friends at restaurant at Trafalgar Square (Malaysian food!!)
4) Did a short tour in National Gallery and then....
5) LION KING musical!! (MUST WATCH!)
Day 4: Monday (Oct 5th)
1) Went to Picadilly Squre to get our London pass and had breakfast at a small cafe (yummy steak with guiness stew...)
2) Took the train to Hampton Court and spent the day there
3) Headed back to London and walked along Thames with great view of London Eye, Parliament House, Big Ben
4) Spent our credits at Namco
5) Dinner at Bayswater Golden Mine (if that is the name)
Day 5: Tuesday (Oct 6th)
1) Breakfast at hotel then spent morning at Tower of London
2) Walked over to Tower Bridge
3) Spent time on warship HMS Belfast
4) Went to London bridge and joined the London Bridge and Tomb Experience at Toole Street. (Highlight - The Squeeze!)
5) Heard the choir at Southwark Cathedral and got my very own catalog. (Beautiful gothic church)

That's all folk! I just realise that my synopsis is totally NOT doing justice to the many things I've done in London but hell, its time to head back to my books.

Windsor Castle

Rainy Day and it was really quite chilly but totally loved my visit to Windsor Castle. More posts on UK trip coming soon!!!


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Blue Man Group Megastar World Tour

Went to the Blue Man Group Megastar World Tour performance at Taipei Arena last night and really had a great time. The Taiwanese are really a fun-loving bunch of people and with just a little warming up, they were all set to have a great time at the get-go. Sandwiched amongst the crowd, I couldn't help but be brought into the mood as well.

The Blue Man Group, which features 3 bald and mute men covered in blue paint and dressed in black has become a global franchise amd I especially love them in their Intel advertisements. (Watch below) They are in town as part of the 2009 Deaflympic's Art Program and they were originally going to perform for only 5 shows but they held an extra performance on Thursday afternoon, donating all ticket sales to the Red Cross for the victims of Typhoon Morakot. Blue men with heart. Awwww...

The gist of the blue man program last night is their strive to become rock stars by following a purchased on television "step by step" user manual which includes hilarious instructions on how to gyrate their hips and lip-sync. With their innocent and curious by nature persona, they were able to draw laughter and screams as they engaged the audiences with "rock-inspired" actions. The audience were also treated to high tech laser light shows and a great many pieces of nice soothing "hilarious" songs played by a supporting group of band members (dressed in white) and accompanied by the blue men's specially designed percussion instruments which include PVC pipes, drums that spit out paint and an old grand piano that's flipped on its side with the mallets exposed and struck like a bass dram.



I totally enjoyed myself and would recommend it to anyone who has a chance to watch this show. Tickets were sold between NT$400 to NT$4,000 in Taiwan.

Blue Man's Group Official Site

My new Wordpress Site!

After months of procrastination, I've started another blog (with wordpress) that is meant to cover my "technical" exploits and findings. If that is your cup of tea, please feel free to visit this site here . (Though its currently only about 4 posts strong, I think). :)

I would also like to introduce you to another brand new blog The Art of Living Deliciously written by a dear friend who is currently living in NYC and by the looks of it, having the most insanely busy and wonderful time there. (And everywhere she goes). Nothing has changed! The author was one of the smartest and most fun loving person I've ever known. :)

Anyway, these 2 links have been added to My Blog List on the right for future reference.

Thanks for reading.

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Taipei Times - Backroom cyber warriors search the Internet in hunt for extremist threats

News Article taken from the Taipei Times 17th August.

BATTLEGROUND:: Five analysts at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies are keeping a close eye on radical Web sites to see what their next move will be

Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin spends several hours a day trawling the Internet, but she is not your typical young surfer.

The 24-year-old Singaporean research analyst is constantly on the lookout for bomb-making manuals, video clips of Islamist militants in training and fiery extremist chatter that could hint at an imminent attack somewhere.

From her computer, she enters a world where young Muslims openly volunteer to fight against US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan or learn how to make explosives out of everyday materials.

It is a place where al-Qaeda terror network chief Osama bin Laden is venerated and the three Indonesian men executed for their role in the Bali bombings of 2002 are held up as poster boys for would-be recruits.

“This whole thing is worrying,” she said in an interview, referring to a growing trend of individuals imbibing radical ideas online.

Nur Azlin is one of five research analysts at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who monitor extremist Web sites daily to get a sense of an emerging battleground in the fight against terrorism.

All of them happen to be women and their collective skills include knowledge of Arabic, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia — and geopolitical issues.

“After you sit down, think about it and do a trend analysis, you say ‘Oh my God! this is really happening,’” said Nur Azlin, who works for the school’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.

“You can see the radicalization process unfold online,” she said.

There are between 5,500 and 6,000 Web sites worldwide peddling extremist ideas, said the researchers, who work from a spartan office in a suburban university campus.

Nur Azlin is tasked to monitor and analyze Web sites in Southeast Asia, a region that hosts notorious organizations such as the Jemaah Islamiyah movement and the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the southern Philippines.

She estimates that there are around 192 extremist Web sites in the region, many of them individual blogs which have mushroomed since early last year when Internet blogging became popular.

Singapore, a staunch US ally and international finance center, considers itself a prime target for terrorist attacks like last month’s deadly hotel bombings in Jakarta aimed at symbols of Western influence.

Singaporean Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng (黃根成) has warned that “self-radicalized” individuals have emerged as a new security threat.

In 2007, Singapore announced the arrest of five suspected Islamic militants, among them local law lecturer Abdul Basheer Abdul Kader, who allegedly planned to pursue jihad in Afghanistan after getting radical ideas from the Internet.

When analyst Nur Azlin started monitoring the websites in early 2007, most of the content was in the form of articles urging Muslims to fight back against perceived oppression, she recalled.

They were usually accompanied by photos like a child allegedly maimed during an attack by coalition forces in Afghanistan or by Israeli troops in Palestine.

In late 2007, computer hacking manuals started to appear on Southeast Asian Web sites, uploaded by individuals in online forums, she said.

Forum participants, some of whom identified themselves as undergraduate students from Indonesia and Malaysia, urged each other to hack websites they considered to be promoting liberal Muslim views.

“By early 2008, we started to see bomb-making manuals and bomb-making videos,” Nur Azlin recalled.

With the appearance of these manuals — taken from Arabic Web sites — the reaction from forum participants got more virulent, as they goaded each other to take action rather than stay passive supporters or sympathizers, she said.

In one of the exchanges, participants tried to organize arms training, but some said they did not have money to buy AK-47 assault rifles, Nur Azlin said.

A group called Indonesian Airsoft Mujahideen stepped in and offered to facilitate their training using air rifles and paintball machines, which are widely used for play sessions at corporate training seminars in Asia.

“They would rent the place much like a team-building activity,” Nur Azlin said. “They used this training in the meantime that they don’t have their AK-47s.”

Jolene Jerard, 26, a manager at the center, said the analysts compile a monthly report about their findings.

The extremist videos they download — now in high definition and professionally taken compared with the grainy amateurish clips of the past — are put into a database, one of the biggest collections in Southeast Asia.

The center shares its findings and analyses with the relevant government authorities and foreign diplomats visit the school for briefings.

“The cyberdomain is an area where governments have been gradually moving into,” Jerard said.

“It’s a changing threat landscape. I think it is increasingly becoming important and governments are definitely enthusiastic about countering it and putting enough resources in place,” she said. 

Cheers to Jolene Jerard, Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin and all the people who are working behind the scenes to help weed out these misguided thoughts before they blossom into unspeakable atrocities . It has always been my desire to contribute in something as meaningful as this (hehe, since young, I've always wanted to be a police woman and as I grew older, I changed my mind to Computer Forensics/Crime Unit) but alas it was not meant to be. I guess I'm destined to contribute in other ways but who knows....maybe one day.

Note: I chanced upon another blog that I would like to share. Its quite gruesome especially the section on beheading. Do not visit if you have a weak stomach.

http://infidelsunite.typepad.com/counter_jihad/

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I'm getting a LapDawg!!! (well sorta)

I'm getting a LapDawg!!! A Taiwanese/Chinese made one that is. But it still cost me a cool NTD 1850. But I think that's 75% of the internet price (excluding shipping).

I was mulling over it at work and introduced it to my colleague. She decided that she was going to get one too!! Now we are going to get it from Yahoo. Ahhh..I love online shopping.

http://www.lapdawg.com/index.html

Happy Birthday Singapore!

For some reason, I've been looking forward to this year's National Day Parade. More so than the previous years. Figuring that I would be in Taipei by August 9, I took the trouble to check out beforehand where I could catch the live webcast. Homework done!

However, fate has it such that Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan over the weekend and my flight was delayed. Therefore, I went with my parents to Batam for some shopping and massage. No worries, I was going to make sure I get back to Singapore by Sunday and so I was. Alas! A cruel twist of fate, my watch was on Jakarta time and therefore being one hour behind, I missed the first part of the program!!!

Anyway, at least I was in time to watch part of it and if I wanted, can always watch the repeat telecast online. In a nutshell, I thought it was very well done and at certain points of the show, I had this warm fuzzy kind of feeling and maybe became a little nostalgic of primary/secondary school days.

I admit I love my country...I'm very patriotic. When we talk about how much I love my country, my Malaysian friends wonder if we go through some major brain washing since young for Singaporeans to love our country so. Okay, maybe we DO go through some kind of social conditioning since young but you have to admit it, Singapore has come a damn long way from the time we were booted out from the *arhem* other side.

Although I always kid that I'm allergic to my own country because I always get into these sneezing fits whenever I'm back, (I think its because of the humidity or the trees...who knows!!), but I'm damn proud of some really crazy and stupid things about Singapore.

Yes...even if our wanton noodle is sweet and not salty and we are such a small small small country with no natural resources. Some call us a pimple on the world map. You know what...whatever...this is still the place that I call home.


So what were you doing at 8.22pm? Were you at marina bay or surrounded by a group of people at the supermarket persuading you to say the pledge together. Or were you like me...surrounded by othe nationalities..and resorted to secretly mouthing the words to our national pledge?

Yes, I admit it. I may not be the pioneer generation that helped built Singapore from the post WW2 years but I'm geeky enough to proudly proclaim I love being a Singaporean and my country. (minus the sneezing fits and don't mistake it for H1N1).

Happy 44th Birthday Singapore!!

Lam's Noodle House

Am back in Singapore for a couple of days so you can imagine that I've been eating non stop. Local food, home cooked food and so on. As I'm writing this, I'm actually feeling very bloated from dinner. Hehe.

Anyway, mum took me to Lam's Noodle House at Kaki Bukit Road 3 for lunch one day. We had the set meal which cost about SGD $15.80 (if I don't recall wrongly) which consisted of 2 bowls of abalone dry noodles, a bowl of steaming hot fish soup and a small basket of dumplings.

As you can see from the picture below, though the portion looks rather small, they had quite a lot of different ingredients. Coupled with the fish soup and dumpling, the portion was just nice for mum and me. Note: I love Chinese mushrooms prepared this way!!



Abalone Noodle (Dry)
Fish Soup

Lam's Noodle House was apparently introduced to my mum by my dear brother and then introduced to me. Okay...chain introduction going on here. I've never heard of this place and was really surprised when mum drove me to this obsure industrial park for lunch one day. It was a pleasant surprise.

Note: Besides Abalone noodle, this coffee shop also serves Shark Fin's noodle. Muahahahha. The Chinese in me is smiling....

If you are interested, you can find Lam's Noodle House (Opened between 10am and 11pm) at the following address:

18 Kaki Bukit Road 3 #01-16/17 Entrepreneur Business Centre

P/s: You probably know that I don't normally do food blogs so I guess that this one is an exception today. Or maybe there are more to come....who knows...:) Happy eating.

Seals Galore - Sirotan

Sirotan is this CUTE little white seal that loves to disguise himself as other animals/fruits/things. He has got such an adorable face that almost everyone I know is drooling over it. Check out this crazy collection from a certain individual I know. But ya lah, I admit Sirotan is sooooo cuteeee. Haha!

Sirotan can be found at any respectable Mother Garden Stores and cost about 800 Yen for one.

For more sirotan's merchandise, check out this site:

http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/sirotan/

Back in Cairo - my fascination on the Arabic language

Back in Cairo, Egypt. Landed this morning at 6.50am at the new terminal airport - Terminal 3. Very modern building and has a total different feel as compared to Terminal 1. Terminal 1 feels like....hmm... the pyramids. Full of history and a tad bit dusty! Hehe.

Anyway, I'm openly fascinated by the Arabic language. It goes from right to left and though it looks like scribblings, trust me, its really difficult to try and write. I tried practicing my own name and it looked really awful!!

جايمي تان


Also, check out the screen shots for Blogger and Google in Arabic:

New "old" song that i'm learning on the guitar

Weekend in Taiwan...KaoHsiung and Taipei

Took the high speed to KaoHsiung (south of Taiwan) last weekend. This is the second time I'm visiting kaohsiung but during this period since KaoHsiung is hosting The World Games 2009, the take away from the trip was slightly different from the first visit! Overall, despite the short stay, it was really relaxing and enjoyable. We took quite a lot of photos and here is a selected few to share (posting photos on blogs can take such a looong time) :-):

Taken outside Taipei Main Station

The theme outside the Taipei Main Station was one of fantasy. You had the cutest chairs on wheels, big tree figures as above and robot soldiers with robot dogs made out of metal. Felt a little like being Alice in Wonderland. Anyway, Taipei Main Station also has an underground mall (which links stations between stations) and its quite interesting with open areas for students to hang around and practise street dance routines. And I must say, some of them are really good too. Love the culture here!

Next to highspeed train.

We took the high speed rail and managed to book the tickets online without any fuss. The journey took about 1 hour 30 mins and was quite comfortable. From Taipei, you can also visit Kaohsiung by the regular train (takes up to 5 hours) or by bus (god knows how long). If you are rushing for time, the high speed rail costs about NTD 1,4oo. That's about SGD $5X (one way). Totally hassle-free. Otherwise, you can take the regular train which will cost much less and depending on the route you take, can enjoy yourself to the scenic view along the way. But I typically take a nap or read a book on the train so the scenic view is lost on me. :P

Big PUHU shoes. Taken outside Dream Mall

Dream Mall is one of the newer shopping centers in Kaohsiung so I did not get a chance to visit it in the last trip. Its very much like Miramar Taipei with a Ferris wheel built on the roof top. The open area on the roof top is like a mini carnival so its interesting to visit it, if you have time. The mall had all sorts of interesting restaurants (will post photos shortly) and little corners for the "trigger happy" tourist such as a coca cola corner, one for paddington bear and so on.

Taken at the Love River

No trip to Kaohsiung can be complete without a walk down the Love River. We were staying in Ambassador hotel (official host to the World Games so there were many atheletes staying there - I saw the Singapore softball team!! Wooottt). We had a fantastic view overlooking the Love River (which I can post up shortly, if I have the time) and were unexpectedly treated to firework displays over at the Fisherman Wharf on Saturday night.

Blog that comes highly recommended

I chanced upon this blog during research on the AWARE saga and I must say it has really been serendipity for me.

Shravasti Dhammika has been a Buddhist monk for 32 years and is also the spiritual advisor to the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore.

I found his posts very interesting (my kind of topic) and would like to share this here.

http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/

Enough Said.....

I'm officially a LOMA FLMI. Woooottt!!

P/s: Its not really a big deal but I'm glad that I finished the race which has been quite the marathon. And ok, I'll admit that, aside from all my complaining, it has been really worth it.

A blog about nothing at all.

9 papers down. 1 more to go. Tomorrow. All I got to do is to pass so that it will not be another 6 months of waiting for the next round and hell, I really want to go and start on something else.

Almost 2 years in the running. Weekends and weekdays spent going through textbooks and course materials. Juggling between work and studying. Remembering and then forgetting. Time wasted and yet not wasted. Trying to have a balanced life as much as humanly possible. Looking back, it is almost becoming a blur for me and I know that the memories will further fade away. Before all that happens, I will further lament: Where has all the time gone?

I’m ranting because it’s a Sunday afternoon and I’m supposed to feel refreshed and prepared for another week of work. Yet, as you can probably guess by now, I’m tired, stressed out and bored out of my wits. DAMN!

This is all going to be worth it. I can only hope. I’m just grouchy today…believe me – Cramming on Business Law for Financial Services Professional can bring out "certain" feelings in you. Anyway, Res Judicata (The matter has been decided.)

View from Sharjah office, UAE

This photo was taken by a wide lens camera from the heli-pad at the Sharjah office, UAE. (Not taken by me...I don't have such a professional camera).

Sharjah can go up to an unbearable temperature of 40 degrees in the day time. The air is so humid that the streets are almost deserted because it is too hot to walk outside. A 10 minute walk from one building to another is best done in a car.

Despite it all, don't you think that the view is just so amazing? Its indescribable when you see it right in front of you.

Photo taken from the helipad at Sharjah, UAE

Khan El Khalili and Others

Khan El Khalili is a very important place with historical background. It was a Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman period and was built in 1382 by the Emir Djaharks el-Khalili in the heart of the Fatimid City. Today, it is affectionately called the "Khan" and has over 900 stores selling all sorts of interesting souveneirs to take home. Nearby by the Khan is the Al Azhar University and Sultan Hassan Mosque. Al Azhar University was founded in 975 and is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world. A large proportion of Muslims in Egypt are Sunnis.

Khan El Khalili at night

KFC in Egypt

Cruise on Nile River with colleague

Cairo Tower taken from the boat

Some more photos from Cairo

I was staying on Zamalek. Its a small island surrounded by the Nile River. I heard that there are over 200 such islands on the Nile River but Zamalek is famous for being the exclusive and rich area. Its also very safe because that's where all the embassies are situated.

Hotel swimming pool and Nile River

View of Nile River from my balcony

Cairo Musuem with amazing collection from the Old, Middle and New Kingdom.

On the platoon boat at the Phaoronic Village

I found the trip to the Cairo Museum extremely worthwhile. It cost about 60 L.E (Egyptian pounds) to get into the museum and another 100L.E to see the mummies. I don't know what possessed me but I HAD TO SEE the mummies and ended up being the only one from the group who wanted to pay and go in. Seeing royal bodies that have been mummified for over 4000 years is quite a strange experience for me. Another place worth visiting is the Phaoronic Village. It gives a nice summary of the kind of lives the ancient egyptian lived thousands of years ago.

Pyramids of Giza

Went on a business trip to Cairo 2 weeks ago and had the opportunity to spend a couple of days to see the historical sites.

3 Interesting points to note:
1) The Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu pyramid) is the only remaining member of the Seven wonders of the Ancient world and was constructed over a 20 year period around 2560 B.C.
2) It has around 2.3 million blocks, each weighing 2 tons.
3) The height of the pyramid was 146 meters but with erosion its current height is 138 meters.

I was very fortunate this trip because even though the operating hours of the pyramid grounds officially end at 5pm, I was able to gain "VIP" access to the grounds after 6.30pm. The good news is that our "crew" (friends and I) had the whole place to ourselves and did not have to fight with the other tourists for that picture perfect moment. :P

I will always remember the day that I visited the pyramids (which all my life, I've wanted to visit) as the same day that Obama came to Egypt and was at the Cairo University giving his "monumental" speech to the Muslim World.

During the hours that he was in town, the streets and offices were closed for security reasons. Business must have been really bad that day at the pyramids because the tourist office made an exception to let us into the pyramid grounds after the official hours at the regular rate. Wooottt!

Here are some photos:

Pyramid of Khafra

Graffitti on Khufu pyramid dating back to 1924!!

Taking photos at some ruins with strong wind blowing at my face

Cool Arabic sign (Parking area for tourist buses). Haha!

AWARE T Shirts. Get them while stocks last

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha....4 days after the AWARE saga at Suntec, I can still feel the energy teeming amongst my friends - some are even talking about volunteering and doing more for the society!!! Amazing.

Just today alone, there are 4 articles in the newspaper. In particular, I like an article titled "A Tale of Two Communities" by Simon SC Tay - chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. In his contribution, he talked about the differences between vertical and horizontal societies, the lessons to be learned from the AWARE situation and also his thoughts on the governing of diversity. I found his article very readable and educational.
Read the article - A tale of two communities

I also would like to comment on just one more letter that was sent to the newspaper a couple of days ago. *sorry, a little long winded here*. That particular letter was from a concerned parent regarding the CSE programme. In that letter, the concerned parent's opinion was primarily that MOE has no business in providing sex education programmes to students as this should be done by the parents.

I don't know about you but based on what I understand about MOST Asian families today, sex is still a relatively taboo topic, it is rarely - if ever- discussed at home. AND the fact remains that kids WILL have questions, they WILL turn to and confide with their peers and more often than not (perhaps ironically through peer pressure) they WILL experiment (whether you like it or not).

In other words, if you are a parent that will FIRSTLY make the effort to educate your kids about sex education (and telling them that they can get pregnant by kissing does not COUNT!) AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, have your kids AT THAT AGE listen to you. WELL DONE! You are very fortunate but please note that not every family is like yours.

Note: To supplement this, I am in full agreement with the opt-out option, which is currently in place, on the CSE programme. So my thoughts are that if you are a parent who find yourself surprised and upset with the one and only AWARE "sex educational" programme meted out by Josie and Dr Thio, it really shows that you have not been following up so closely with your kid's progress in school and if you are so concerned, maybe you should. NO ONE ever said it was easy to be a parent right?

Okay, so I've been watching the latest videos that have been posted online. Firstly, I am so glad to see ladies from different background, religion (muslim, christians YES!!), different hair color (haha) all stand up and take their turns at the mike. I always thought that Singaporeans are shy by nature so I guess they must feel quite strongly about this to have such a reaction that day. And perhaps, it is exactly BECAUSE they feel so strongly about it that I think the atmosphere became a little too emotional and to some people very rowdy and "unruly".

While I found certain actions of a few very vocal "old guard supporters" distracting and to a certain extent regrettable, I can understand the pent up frustrations that they brought to Suntec on that eventful day. (a little bias here...i admit)

As far as I recall, since the "crash and burn" press conferences by the new guards, virtually nothing else has been said as they continued their stealth operation of spending money they weren't supposed to spend and practicing "exclusiveness" in exco meetings (by not being upfront about their arrangements and thus making it even more difficult to reconcile differences between old and new guards). Once again, I find what they did to Chew I Jin downright deplorable. Josie herself could not have summarized it any better as she described in her own words, how she "kept a stoic and dignified silence". *Hah!

The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back must have been the way they spent the SGD 90K after being in office for a month. It really reflected in their lack of experience to run such a non profit organization as compared to running a corporate. (Hate to say, I TOLD YOU so)

In fact, the way things were played out that day, I might have gotten pretty riled up myself. Heaven forbid I sit there patiently to listen to Dr Thio's self promotion speech. Her "I'm so charmed that you put me on page 73" performance can still give me a stitch from all that laughing.

Okok! Sit down and shut up, Have respect for your elders, I'm on Page 73...has now become iconic phrases for that eventful day, its even COOL to have them printed on your shirts. By Singaporeans...For Singaporeans. Since 70% profit goes to Aware, I might consider getting more than one for myself. So much fun! -

Buy Cool Tshirts!

Rush blog - Thoughts on AWARE

The AWARE saga in Singapore has dominated the headlines for several weeks now and anyone following the affair can get easy access online to press conferences on YOUTUBE, articles from newspapers and opinions from individuals (not confined to Singaporean youths) from all different walks of life. Therefore, this particular post of mine is most definitely very "late in the game" but I feel compelled to blog about this before the EGM that is happening tomorrow. Come what may. If I were in Singapore, I would most definitely be joining my friends at Suntec city in a show of support for the OLD guards and since I can't be there, I can only contend to show my support in a more "online" manner.

In my humble opinion,

Organizations like AWARE should be run by honest, passionate people with the skills and integrity to achieve the organization's stated vision and mission. And though my life has never been impacted much by anything AWARE has done in the past 25 years at least they did not create the kind of doubts as the current exco's has. The old guard's integrity was never called into question, the new guard's actions are in my mind, downright deplorable.

Singapore has had more than her fair share of organizations gone wrong and my belief is that left unchecked, this will sooner or later end up very much like what has happened before....an organization deviating from its ORIGINAL purpose, operating under much false pretences. Non profit organization intending to serve the community but run like a corporation by a group of people with hidden agendas.

In the case of AWARE, and as demonstrated by the new exco's last press conference, it is turning from a secular-intended organization into one that is not so secular, run by individuals who fully intend to force their religious beliefs and standards onto as many people as possible. "Elitist" who feel that they have found the answer/meaning to life, people who think that they are morally better than others. Last but not least, Christians who give christians a bad name.

Before I get too fired up on this topic, since there are already plenty of information online, I will not choose to reiterate them here. However, if you are interested to find out more, I would gladly like to point you to 2 sites that I found are worthwhile to visit:
1) http://we-are-aware.sg/
2) http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/ by Shravasti Dhammika -a Buddhist monk for 32 years and the spiritual advisor to the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore.

I think my stand on the events unfolding is clear enough but now I'm going to take a step back and marvel about the "change" in the air.

Back in junior college, I recall a very angry principal who requested everyone in the school to write a 5 page essay on the "dangers of apathy" or face the consequence of eternal detention. :) As students, we held "secret" discussions on whether we would deliver on the essay and at the final hour, we finally took the path of least resistance and submitted a half hearted attempt at best. Seriously, we couldn't care less.

Fast forward to the present day, I see my friends openly debating on this topic and willing to "blow" a perfectly good Saturday afternoon cooped up in the EGM of some organization because they feel like they need to make their voices heard. I'm really quite impressed as with the Obama campaign where young Americans not only went out of their way to vote but also volunteer their precious time to do their part at the campaigns. Same group of friends...different perspective in life. Like I said, I wish I could be there with your gals.

Sure......., I still have friends who couldn't care less. Some feel that this matter has been blown out of proportion (of which I sometimes find myself becoming a little offended as I do not understand why they do not see the dangers of - give these fundamentalist an inch and they demand a yard).

However, at the end of the day, I understand that each of us are entitled to our own opinion and we should learn to "agree to disagree in an agreeable manner". This is in contrast to what I feel the current exco (loosely term - the church goers of COOS) of AWARE is doing.

I think it is so ridiculous and deep down inside find it quite so amusing. I must imagine that they thought that they would get away with their cleverly thought out "stealth operation", that like my principal, they thought that singaporeans wouldn't care. I believe the tables have flipped against them for now they can only contend to play the victim and try to garner support from fellow church goers. I refuse to believe that Christians will support just for the sake of supporting this. Like I said, a small group of christians who give christians a bad name.

*** EGM VENUE is now at SUNTEC CITY CONVENTION CENTER, HALL 402 ***
Official notices from AWARE states that Registration will begin at 12noon. Bring your NRIC for admission.

Random pictures of Taiwan Airport

Okay! Just got back from the gym so while cooling down I decided to update my blog for your reading pleasure. :)

First and foremost, a little on my whereabouts: Got to Jakarta this morning and decided to head to the 24 hour gym here. After having "excused" myself from the gym for the past week or so (and the only real exercise that I have been doing is focused around the jaw muscles), I have got no one to blame now that my muscles are screaming blardy murder after a mere one hour in the gym. :(

Okay next up.....how about some random pictures taken from my trusty SANYO. Hmmm...As some of you may know, I'm not a "trigger-happy" sort of person. In spite of that, I steadfastly lug my SANYO around with me during my business trips. The picture I take are very random...you know...no theme...whatever captures my fancy at the moment. So today, at 2am in the morning, I shall select a couple to share in my random post for the day.

The following pictures are taken in the Taiwan airport eons ago.

Picture taken outside the store promoting "Hakka" delicacies.

Next time I'm there, I'll be sure to pop by and try some out.

Hello Kitty Telephone Booths in Taoyuan Airport.

Mmmm.....Feels like Disney land all over again.

Hello Kitty World Clock

My 2 years in Taiwan has got me convinced that the Taiwanese just love the cute stuff. Top of their list has got to be the Sanrio cat Hello Kitty! Hello Kitty's fans are not restricted by age..young and old alike. In fact, my colleague, mother of 2, loves the cat so much that her little corner in the office is like Sanrio cat-dom.

Thus, I wasn't that surprised to find a section of the airport designed with the Hello Kitty theme in mind. There was also a Hello Kitty playground, Hello Kitty souvenier shop, Hello Kitty lounge, Hello Kitty internet corner and Hello Kitty holding room. Wow!!

Anyway, if you ever go to Taoyuan airport, remember to check it out!

A new book to recommend...Left Behind

This book has been laying on my shelf for months and all I know of it is:
1) It comes recommended by my brother-in law as light reading
2) It is a fictional story based on the idea of Rapture - a prophesied event in Christian eschatology which gathers Christians for the second coming of Christ.


A little unsure on how I would take to this "light reading" Christian material and frankly a little overwhelmed between work and textbooks, I had never done more then afford the book a cursory glance every once in a while and if ever I was looking for some light reading material, my hand would miraculously pass over it.

Anyway, for some strange reason, I decided to pick it off the shelf and have a go at it. Deep down inside, I had already sounded myself out to put the book back on the shelf if it ever got too "preachy". If I enjoyed it, I would read on.

With each turn of the page, I found myself drawn into the fast paced story, not unlike one that is written by Tom Clancy or Stephen King. Sure! Along the way, there were some Christian teachings here and there but it was just enough to plant an idea and make you want to find out more. Within several hours, I had finished reading the book.

Some research on the internet found that 'Left Behind' is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and even though the New York Times' Bestseller's list does not take Christian bookstore sales into account, in 1998, the first four books of the series held the top four slots simultaneously. Impressive!!

Judging by how much I enjoyed reading the book, I would truly recommend it as a book that is worth considering even if you are a non Christian. In fact, I believe that the next 15 books would be on my list the next time I head down to Borders.

Now, I just need to force myself to stop procrastinating and finish reading those dreaded textbooks!

Blogging during lunch time (and no...not through office network.)

Well, I haven't blogged for quite some time (so you guys keep reminding me) and although I've tried to do so over the past month, I guess I stumbled onto a "writer's block", just ran out of things to say...

Well, my maternal grandmother passed away on 18th Feb am and was cremated on 22nd Feb. Recalling what transpired on the 18th when I received the news: I was having my annual check up at the clinic. The good news is that the results indicate that I'm in the pink of health, the bad news is.....well we know what the bad news is...

Words probably can't exactly describe how I felt when I received the sms. But let me try - I guess its all right to say that I was mostly stunned and then for a while the whole world suddenly felt a little different. Like I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. I know it sounds a little dramatic but that was certainly how it felt to me. Honestly, I wasn't overwhelmed with sadness at that time, the first thing that popped in my head was the welfare for my mum and auntie (ee). Ee is very close to grandma...I'm close to Ee....go figure......

I guess I wasn't thinking so clear at that time.....I admit that for a split second, I did not feel like flying home. It isn't a matter about being heartless or emotionless, its more like.....I don't take death very well. But like I said, I wasn't thinking very clearly.

Well, thanks to my colleagues..who were really supportive and could tell that I was a little "ku-ku" by then, they managed to get me onto the first flight out of Taiwan. That meant I had 30 mins to leave the clinic, throw my luggage together and head for the airport. At the airport, my bro called me and told me that he was going to fly home from London. On hindsight, I think he made the right decision, I'm kinda proud of my kiddo brother.....as you can tell, albeit all the idiotic things he says and does sometimes,....he is really a reliable sort of guy.

Ok, the funeral went by in a blur. It felt surreal, there were moments when you feel okay and then moments when you feel so sad. But we were all so busy and I guess that takes the pain away a little. In fact, I think reality only sorta sank in on the day when I flew back to Taipei.

Sitting on the plane and staring out in the blue blue sky, I recalled the times that I spent with grandma when I was young. We've always had communication breakdown due to language barrier. I don't speak our dialect too well and alot of communciation was via sign-language. But I remember that whenever I stayed at her place, she would make me breakfast before school. The memories feel like they were from yesterday and sometimes I can still hear her voice in my head nagging at me. She's always been naggy....its almost like a family joke....but definitely yah, to me, she was the naggy grandma who would always be there.

I guess the reason why I'm blogging this now is perhaps I finally feel it is okay to talk about it. I guess there will be one thing that will always bug me and that's because I feel like such a failure sometimes that I never managed to pick up the dialect. Having only one surviving grandparent sorta makes it feel like no matter what I do now is already too late...but in a way...its not too late too right?

Anyway you know what...I'm just going to have to try much harder. As Winston Churchill says:" Never give up!"

Oscar the Grouch...shoes

Special shout out to BP. Guess what I saw my cousin wearing the other day. I thought I would snap a picture for you. I know that you would appreciate it. Goes to show that I DO read your blog. Haha..........

Happy Valentines Day

This is my first week back to Taipei and naturally I've been extremely busy with work and other stuff. But all's well so though I'm feeling extremely tired by the weekend, I've got plenty of stuff to feel great about so....its cool. :)

Since its Valentine's day today, I'll like to share a version of "I Will" by Paul McCarney which I really enjoy. Great song and lovely shot of the audiences gave me a really warm feeling after I watched it. Hope you enjoy it too!

I'm off to do housework..and oh yeah... Happy Valentine's Day to one and all....

My Baby Nieces

Vera - Complete the sentence for sweets without getting distracted. Challenge!



Nadya - First CNY. Clearly Amusing! Chuckling away.

Awake at 5.30am....... Reviews

Woke up at 5.30am this morning and decided that I would not waste time sleeping my vacation away. No Kidding, I took a good 30 mins before I was thinking straight.

When all the sleeping bugs were out of my system, I decided that a good way to start my day would be to take out my Nintendo DS-Lite and start playing Star Wars Espisode III - Revenge of the Sith. Frankly, the game has been sitting in my drawer for almost a year now and I just could not find the time or energy to remove the wrapping. No better time than at 6am in the morning on my week long CNY holiday, right?

To be honest, I was a little surprised by the graphics. It reminded me so much of the 2-D games I used to play as a kid. A little shoddy but anyhow the game was quite simple and in its simplicity, I found that I quite enjoyed it.

*in a very wreary drawn out voice* The games nowadays can be so complicated. Tsk tsk. (Who am I kidding, eh?? Hehe)

Had an hour of slash, slash and slashing some more before I decided it was enough slashing and then a little bored by this time, decided to drive home a little earlier than planned. On the drive home, I saw a couple of school children heading to school. Awwww...........HAHAHAHHAHAH :)

Well, since I'm in a really boh-liao mood this morning, I'm going to do a couple more reviews... Hmm...how about a movie review!!! Its been some time I did that and since the lack of sleep is making me feel a little bitchier than normal.....Yay yay yay!

Ok!! I watched the Punisher: War Zone last night. First and foremost, if you like gory stuff i.e. blown out brains and the works, this movie is for you. If you are looking for a movie that has got good story development, dialogue or acting, *alarm flashing * stay AWAY or you'll be eaten alive.

Okay fine, maybe it was the mood that I was in last night (aka cynical and irritated) or the show was really not up to expectation (you decide) but anyway I found myself rolling my eyes within the first 15 mins of the show. It was all I could do to stay put in my seat instead of walking out of the cinema.

The Punisher movie is a cross between Kill Bill (for the gore), Dick Tracy (for the dialogue), and erm.....Bat man (for the presentation). Put them all together, I clearly did not enjoy it but neither was I in the mood for a LOVE story or a local production obviously trying to cash in on the Chinese New Year. Baaahhh!!

Bang bang! Despite the "not so bad" reviews I see on the internet for the Punisher: War Zone, this movie gets 2 out of 5 popcorns from me.

Mr Tomato head wishes everyone a Happy Niu Year!

Happy 牛 Year! Hope you have an ox-picious year....
Corny, right?? I know....but I think its so funny in such an idiotic way....For some strange reason, everyone just got so creative this year....I have alot more where that came from :-)

Anyway, I know I haven't blogged in quite a while so I decided to upload "Mr Tomato" head photo. Despite my luggages in the Taiwan airport, I found it so amusing to stop and pull out my handy Sanyo camera to take "Mr Tomato" head. He was sitting so quietly in the corner, fiddling with his computer.......

Update: A kind soul has advised that I have mistaken Mr Persimmon's head as a tomato. Please kindly change the name as you deem fit. :-)

静止 by 杨乃文

寂寞围绕着电视
垂死坚持在两点半消失
多希望有人来陪我度过末日
空虚敲打着意志
彷佛这时间已静止
我怀疑人们的生活有所掩饰
嗯垂死坚持
嗯全部消失
嗯已静止
冲动在瞬间消失梦被稀释
不停转动着手指
我幻想美丽的生活
何时开始时光不经意流逝
像颗在耗费的电池
我感到有点失落无法抑制
嗯垂死坚持
嗯已静止

Synopsis of a great way to start the new year

I had a great start into the new year and hope every day would be as special as the past few days.

For starters, on New Year's eve, I was invited to join a wedding by one of my Taiwan colleagues. It was a special day for the happy couple and I was honoured to attend it to extend my best wishes. After a crowded ride on the MRT train back home, I then wandered on the busy streets of Taipei where everyone were smiling and just having a great time. Oh yes, I also had an unexpected call from a friend whom we had met in Hokkaido but had not spoken to in quite some time. It was great to know that everything was going well for her as we made plans to meet up before she head to London. The fireworks at 101, though not as spectacular as the year before, was in my mind, fantastic to usher in the new year.

On New Year's day, I spent the day packing the house and felt awfully great that I had finished all the task that I set myself out to do that day. Despite the hard work, there was great weather (sunshine despite the low temperature) and with good music, I found myself singing and dancing as I set on the chores that I had not done for months. At 10pm, everything was nicely sorted out and I had the self satisfaction of knowing that I had finally set procrastination aside and had done what needed to be done - everything cleaned and organized.

January 2nd - Cycling trip along the East Coast of Taiwan. A couple of colleagues picked me and took me on a hour drive to Fu Long Train Station where we had a wonderful time cycling and basking in the beautiful scenery. Working on the videos which I hope will be posted up soon.

January 3rd - Messed around with my NAS and did well with learning more than a few things in the wonderful world of computer before heading down to Steve's place to work on his wife's computer. I joined them for dinner (charcoal grilled steak - fantastic) and watched a couple of serials of Monk as we waited for the computer to defragment. Mission accomplished and returned home after 6 hours to relax on the coach and mess around with the NAS some more.

January 4th - Slept in late. Chilling out and resting for the first day of work 2009 tomorrow. Am thinking of calling my friend out for a movie and a nice dinner. Or maybe not. :)

Great way to start the new year........

Wishing one and all...A great year in 2009!

Wow! Made it through another year and now we find ourselves in 2009. How time flies....

You know...its funny how some days seem to go by in a blur but then again, there are those special moments that you remember as clearly as events that happened yesterday.

Flashback to 1995 - I'm back in my bedroom and in the townhouse that I grew up in. Lying in bed, I am both stressed out by the O-level papers that I had to take the next morning but also extremely excited after the "pep talk session" that my mum had just given me as she tried to calm my nerves.

We talked about getting enough rest, doing well and all the exciting opportunities that the future would hold for me. We talked about university, about an overseas education and a chance to explore the world. As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to imagine where I would be 10 years from then.

Now in 2009, an incredible 14 years has gone by and if I could turn back the clock, I would have gone back and told myself....that in these 14 years, I would have screwed up in some things, done well in others and well, at the end of the day, things would be all right and I didn't have to worry so much. :)

As there are special days....I find that there are also special years. 2008 is an extremely special year to me and my gut feel tells me that the days of 2008 would never blur into the background as some years may seem to have.

The things that have happened to me personally, to my family and to the world around us have definitely impressed themselves very deeply into me. In fact, I believe that the experiences that I've had in the past year has shaped/changed me in extremely profound ways. The people that I've met and for all the good times and the bad, I give my thanks to 2008.

As we look forward to 2009 and as we strive to do better in the new year and make the best out of the "gloomy forecast" that lies ahead, I believe that, despite all the wisdom and knowledge we have gathered in the past years, some of us remain apprehensive about what the future has in store for us.

Nonetheless, I wish for myself and all the people around me the satisfaction that one day in the future, we would look back to today as clearly as it had happened yesterday and tell ourselves that despite the good and bad patches ahead of us, we would come through and everything would just turn out all right.

Wishing one and all:

A great year in 2009!

Depressing news around the world..particularly in Asia

I am really depressed after reading the newspaper today. Pages after pages of bad news covering the gory details of the violence and unrest happening in Mumbai, Thailand and Nigeria.

In particular, the tragedy that has unfolded in Mumbai and has resulted with the Indian commandos storming to recover the places that were under attack by the Islamic militants. With a body count of 195 persons (out of which 26 are foreigners) and 295 wounded, this attack has been termed as India's 911. Recent reports has it that the perpertrators had gone through extensive training and planning to exact maximum damage. It's simply unconceivable how people can do this to one another?

I'm truly horrified by the detailed accounts from the survivors and sad tales of the people who had perished in this tragedy. This terrorist attack has claimed the life of a Singaporean - Lo Hwei Yen and although I am not personally acquainted with her, would like to extend my condolences to the grieving family.

In sorrow, I reflect on wise words left behind by Mahatma Gandhi:

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS"

I'm sure that, like many others, I will not sleep well tonight.

Sanyo Xacti CG 9 ..My very first camcorder

As some of my friends probably know, my Panasonic camera "konked" out on me during my trip to Hokkaido and thus I've recently been on a camera/camcorder hunt.

So on my second day back in Singapore, I headed straight down to Sim Lim Square to get my camera. I had done quite a bit of research on the internet and had ended up totally confused with the barrage of information online and wanted to get some help from the "experts". (It turned out that I knew a lot more about cameras than some of them did!!)

After a little deliberation, I finally settled for the Sanyo Xacti CG9. Its very much an entry-level camcorder (and my very FIRST!) and although there were several alternatives that provided much better pictures, I chose the Sanyo Xacti CG9 for its size, weight, acceptable image quality and affordable price. After a day of fooling around with it, I must say that I am not disappointed with my purchase so far.

My latest toy - Sanyo Xacti CG9

Some specifications for the CG9 (which are particularly informative when choosing a digital camera) as follows:

1. Effective Pixel Count: Approx. 9.1 megapixels
2. Image Sensor: CMOS sensor, 1/2.33 inch, 9.12 megapixels (total)
3. Recording Media SD memory card, SDHC memory card (up to 32 GB), Internal memory (approx. 40 MB)
4. Recording File Format: Still (JPEG - DCF, DPOF, Exif Ver. 2.2 standard), Movie (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (ISO standard), Audio -48 kHz, 16 bit, 2 ch, AAC-compression (stereo)
5. Lens: f = 6.8 - 34.0 mm (Equivalent to 38 - 190 mm on a 35 mm camera); Optical 5.0x inner zoom lens; F: 3.5 (Wide) - 3.7 (Tele); AF: 8 groups, 11 lenses, built-in ND filter
6. Photo Range: Standard - 10 cm (Wide)/80 cm (Tele) to infinity; Super Macro - 1 cm to 80 cm (Wide)
7. Shutter Speed: Still - 1/2 - 1/1500 sec. (Flash: 1/30 - 1/1500 sec,; Lamp mode: Max. 2 sec.) , Sequential - 1/15 - 1/1500 sec. (No flash), Movie - 1/30 - 1/10000 sec.
8. Digital Zoom: Shooting - Max. 12x; Playback - Max. 62.5x ([12M] mode; varies with resolution)
9. Focus: Auto (Still: 9-point AF/Spot AF; Movie: Continuous area AF); Manual (16 steps)
   

I'm still trying to get used to the Xacti. (I set the ISO settings to its maximum and notice that the videos turned out too bright so now I've got to set the ISO settings back) but anyway, here is a picture of my dog taken with my Xacti.

Twinkle at the car porch

(it was actually quite dark outside as it was going to rain)

Here is another picture taken in the garden.
Note: It was very interesting for me to note that the Sanyo Xacti's face recoginition software could immediately identify and zoom in on Obama's picture on the book cover. Nice!!!)

Love Song - 方大同

Okay...cannot resist. Another very nice song by 方大同.

方大同- 爱爱爱

I really like this song by 方大同。Saw him on one of the shows in Taiwan and I must say I'm totally impressed. So talented and extremely cool!!

HBO's favourite movie - The Holiday ....as for me...I'm going home for the weekend.

HBO's favourite movie has got to be "The Holiday". (Note that I spell favourite with the "u" :-) )

I must have watched that movie for the god-zillion time. Okay, a little exaggeration there, but many many times...let's say 7 times. That's ALOT of times considering that my favourite movies are:
1) Fiddler on the Roof - Uncountable (watched it every afternoon for almost a year)
2) The King and I - Uncountable
3) Singing in the Rain - Uncountable
4) Dead Poet's Society - Watched it 15 times
5) V for Vendetta - 5 times
6) Wisdom of Crocodiles - 5 times.

So I would say that The Holiday (2006) is an unlikely favourite but yup...thanks to HBO, its up there on the list. (Not that I blame them, I find that I don't change the channel when its screening even though I've watched it so many times!)

Its such a feel good show! The part that really makes me tear each time has got to be the friendship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach's character (Eli plays Arthur Abbot - a 90 year old legendary script writer). I really love the dialogue and mix between the English and American accent too! Nice....

Okay, I'm also in a good mood. I'm really excited that I will be going home for the weekend. Its en route to my next destination: Jakarta but it sure is nice to be able to pop by home for the weekend. Hopefully, I get to buy the camera that I've been wanting for quite some time.
(My Panasonic's screen just died on me).

Travis - Sing

Nice song....Sing Sing Sing



P/s: If you ever watch the MTV for this song - picture Travis having dinner at this classy aristocratic place which eventually ends up as a food fight party!! - well, even though I think its total rubbish (because I simply could not figure out what they were trying to say in that video). But....they sure seemed to have alot of fun! And I guess you don't need to have any reasons to have lotsa fun :D

It Never Rains in California - Albert Hammond 1973

Classic......This song grows on ya....

Out of work, I'm out of my head
Out of self respect I'm out of bread
I'm under loved I'm under fed
I wanna go home ................

Obama Fever...Funny!!!

He can Dance!!!

Too Pink? Blog List Widget is Cool

I'm starting to like my new blog user interface.

I know its a little too black and a little too pink. :D But the matt effect of the buildings are starting to grow on me. FUNKY!! (For another version of funky, check out my brother's mohawk hair, poor mum....having a fit) :D

In particular, I think the Blog List Widget is EXTREMELY cool. Now, I don't need to click on each blog link to check for any new entries, the blog list updates automatically.

NICE......

Obama....Obama....And I'm not talking about the Japan city called Obama

Never have I seen the world so hyped up during the election of another country. (myself included). But I was really overjoyed when I heard that Obama had been elected over John McCain. In fact, there was a party held at the Brass Monkey pub (Taipei) which I was so attempted to go to - any excuse to PARRTTTYYY. Haha.

In my mind, it was extremely symbolic and as indicated in several of my earlier posts, I definitely feel that Obama possessed greater qualities and traits that would be expected of a president of one of the most powerful countries of the world. In this case, I would say that the better tag-team won! (I know quite a few people who voted AGAINST hockey mum). Obama also brings about the promise for a more stable world due to his aptitude of being much more culturally sensitive. Needless to say, like many others, I find the ethnocentric view (and starting to suspect war loving characteristics) of certain Americans really annoying. "If you are NOT with us, you are against us"

The American election this time round has also created alot of debate outside of America. People are starting to question the politics of their own country. I found it oddly interesting and slightly depressing when I realized that the excitement I feel for my own country's election paled in comparison. Why? I guess I'm tired of the bully tactics.

I found that I'm not alone....
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/11/awaiting-singapores-moment-of-change/#comment-30472

Very cool article.

http://singaporecitizen.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/the-contrast-between-singapore-and-americas-politicians

I respect John McCain alot more after I heard his speech. Almost brought a tear to my eye. Such class.....

America Votes 2008 and my blog gets a new look

Watching "America Votes 2008" on CNN while chatting with a couple of friends online.

So exciting!

Anyway, while glued to the TV, I decided to give my blog a new face. I've been wanting to "customize" it for the longest time, trying to make it more "ME" but just never got around to doing it. So I finally decided to switch one free blog template for another.....Cheating....Hehe.

I really hope Obama wins. Love his attitude and focus. Hope and Change.

P/s: He kinda reminds me of the president of USA on 24. (I know it doesn't count but he does.) Haha.

Happy Mood...Flight of the Conchords

The last 2 weeks have been C.R.A.Z.Y!!! Work plus studying..... I thought I would lose my mind (and I almost did)!! For those part time study part time work people out there....I really don't know how you do it. *salute*.

Anyway, one down...one more to go.

The truth is that I only managed to loan the textbooks from the company 2-3 weeks ago and with back to back conference calls in the evenings (Mon-Fri) that meant that I only had a couple of weekends to pore through the 3 textbooks. Pwah....can kill me...I don't know how many brain cells died in the process.

My colleague at work confessed to me that she was 99.99% confident that I was going to cancel/postpone the paper at the very last minute, but hehe....nah....STEADY....my never-say-die attitude got me through again. (Though, I admit I was close to FREAKING out last night) Today, I'm overwhelmed but definitely elated. Yup, I finished the paper feeling really good about it.

Well, there is another paper next Friday and though I haven't exactly finished studying as well, I thought ...what the heck....I deserve one night of rest. And so, after dinner, I played Xbox360 all evening...SHIOK!!!!

I'm in such a good mood. *Beam Beam Beam*

Okay, enough about my boring "mundane" life.....some good stuff to share......

If you haven't watched Flight of the Conchords....go watch it. Its BRILLIANT!
I watched a couple of episodes on HBO (Hehe...okay so I wasn't studying that hard over the weekends) and I'm sold.....Definitely going to buy the entire series because those New Zealanders are hilarious)
http://www.hbo.com/conchords/