Back for Good

No, it's not the Take That song. But I've decided to blog again on a regular basis so...

I'm disappointed. Liverpool's season in the league is effectively over. Well, I must say that this has been the closest it's been since I started supporting them so, well, let's hope (again) for next season. And there's still the champs league...albeit RMFC in the way.


Came across this comment on one of the food blogs I frequent and felt like mentioning it here -

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"Marriage isn't for everyone I guess, but personally, it suits me just fine. I am the kind of guy who likes stability and predictability in life, so it is comforting to come home everyday, have my meal, play with the kids, watch TV and go to bed.

I once joked with my wife that one of the reasons I wanted to get married (to her) was the fact that I did not like to say goodbye after a wonderful meal and a movie. I hated taking a bus all by myself after midnight (Those were the NS days). Another good thing about getting married is that you don't have to decide who to go to the movies with and you never have to grapple with the embarassment of being turned down. Ah yes, you also save a lot on phone bills."

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I don't think these are his only reasons but it's kinda true, don't you think? I'm like the guy described - I like stability and I'm comfortable being committed for the rest of my life. But currently, I enjoy the freedom I have - to go out with whoever I want, whenever I want, without having to tell anyone else. No accountability, no responsibilities.

Interestingly, a few doors seem to have opened for me, but I've resisted. Cos in a way, I know these doors aren't the routes to happiness, at least in my own thinking. They're just distractions, so I'm trying to follow the narrow path.


I watched the play put up by my social work juniors and was awed. The acting was really good and as with most movies that I like, it got me thinking... about my work with the boys, the focus of our work and the holes in their hearts that they have to fill, and may never get help in doing so. As I always say, there's so much to do in this world, so many hearts to heal! I'm glad I went for the play and I must say this batch of students are amazing! Kudos to them!

I'm toying with the idea of doing up a food blog thingy, but will focus on the non-fine dining stuff la... cos I don't like the fine dining crap, so little food for ridiculous prices... we'll see how that goes...

gonna sleep now... a long week ahead before I go for my reservist... not sure how tt's gonna turn out too.

Gotta be Somebody -- Nickelback

I really hope this is true; my current fav song --->

This time, I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life, the one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling
The moment when we're meeting, will play out like a scene
Straight off the silver screen
So I'll be holding my own breath, right up 'til the end
Until that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with

Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there

Tonight, out on the street, out in the moonlight
And dammit this feels too right, it's just like deja vu
Me standing here with you
So I'll be holding my own breath, could this be the end
Is it that moment when, I find the one that I'll spend forever with

Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there

You can't give up, looking for a diamond in the rough
You never know, when it shows up, make sure you're holding on
Cause it could be the one, the one you're waiting on
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me, ohhh

Nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know their not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there
Nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there

Chance Encounter

I bumped into an ex-client by chance whilst waiting for the bus home...I was tired but when he invited me to have tea with him, I found it hard to say no. But I rem what I had learnt and made sure he didn't buy me tea; so I paid for his as well.

It was good to know that he had been working for the past 6/7 months and though the work is tough, he's still keeping at it. I rem the last time I saw him - I was wondering where he would be, what he would be doing and whether he would return as a client. Things appear to be fine and I'm thankful for it.

I wish him a fruitful life, one in which he can be happy and that he will be free from the things that trapped him in the 1st place.

Love is the answer?

Nope. Love isnt the answer. Not to everything.

jus heard the song on the radio whilst driving back and ended up breaking down pretty bad. i guess what angie asked had truth in it - are u doing all these to escape?

there was a time when i truely believed in that song - love is the answer. and idealistic as it may sound, i believed back then, that love could overcome everything.

apparently not.

*sigh*

I really don't know how I'm gonna love or trust another girl again.

I saw her on Fri, totally unexpected and she kinda ignored me though I said hi. *sigh* i was trembling and all after that. I guess the feelings are still raw.

*sigh*

my stomach hurts. damnit! gonna try to zzZ now...

hope love is the ans for you. i know it aint for me. it jus hurts too much.

nitez...

Diet

Desire Martini, stirred not shaken.
Long Island Tea
Chivas Regal 12 years, on the rocks
Martell VSOP, neat
Tiger draft, pint
Maker's Mark, on the rocks
8 sticks of Davidoff menthol
6 sticks of Malboro lights

stuck

I think I'm stuck.

I can't seem to progress any more than I currently have. maybe this is the best state that i can hope for considering all that has happened.

maybe i should just accept my current state.

Medley

And now that you've gone
I can't cry hard enough
No, I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now

Gonna open my eyes
And see for the first time
I let go of you like
A child letting go of his kite

There it goes, up in the sky
There it goes, beyond the clouds
For no reason why
I can't cry hard enough
No, I can't cry hard enough
For you to hear me now

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I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play

I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
Building me a home
Thinking I'd be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules

--------------------------

I’m on the outside
I’m looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
Cause inside you’re ugly
You’re ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you

All the times
That I’ve cried
All that’s wasted
It’s all inside

And I feel
All this pain
Stuffed it down
It’s back again

And I lie
Here in bed
All alone
I can’t mend

this pain

this pain I'm feeling, it's real. it's not the physical kind but it has a physiological sensation to it. one of being heavy hearted, a tight squeezing sensation that is automatic whenever there is a trigger or stimulus which activates thoughts, memories which remind me of this person.

i regret having ever met her. having ever seen her. having ever called her out for lunch. having gotten back together with her though she had hurt me before. and i let her hurt me once more, so bad i don't know if i'll make it through this time.

i hate her. i hate what she has done. i hate everything about her. i wish her dead.

and yet, i love her. more than anything in this world. and i want the best for her.

i want to feel numb but all i feel is this pain and the warm tears flowing down my cheeks.

i want to bail out from this existence. but responsibility gets the better of me. i can't. i have to support my family. support my sis through her education. be there for my parents and pay them back for all they have done for me.

and of cos all my friends, including you, who came to the hospital to visit me, support me when i was down and for some, even rush down just to be there in my time of need. thank you.

I'm sorry for being such a disappointment to you.

take care. God bless.

Inside of Love

watching terrible tv
it kills all thoughts
Getting spacier than
An astronaut
Making out with people
I hardly know or like
I can't believe what i do
Late at night

I wanna know what it's like
On the inside of love
I'm standing at the gates
I see the beauty above

Only when we get to see
The aerial view
Will the patterns show
We'll know what to do
I know the last page so well
I can't read the first
So i just don't start
It's getting worse
[chorus]
I wanna know what it's like
On the inside of love
I'm standing at the gates
I see the beauty above

I wanna know what it's like
On the inside of love
I can't find my way in
I try again and again

I'm on the outside of love
Always under or above
I can't find my way in
I try again and again

I'm on the outside of love
Always under or above
Must be a different view
To be a me with a you

I wanna know what it's like
On the inside of love
I'm standing at the gates
I see the beauty above

I wanna know what it's like
On the inside of love
Of course i'll be alright
I just had a bad night

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if only if were jus one bad night...

esp for MarkG who still drops by...

I'm back...

Volvulus

A volvulus is a loop of the bowel whose nose has twisted on itself. The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines volvulus slightly differently as "abnormal twisting of the intestine causing obstruction," which adds obstruction in the definition, and would be more clinically significant term.

Regardless of cause, volvulus causes symptoms by two mechanisms. One is bowel obstruction, manifested as abdominal distension and vomiting. The other is ischemia (loss of blood flow) to the affected portion of intestine. This causes severe pain and progressive injury to the intestinal wall, with accumulation of gas and fluid in the portion of the bowel obstructed. Ultimately, this can result in necrosis of the affected intestinal wall, acidosis, and death. Acute volvulus therefore requires immediate surgical intervention to untwist the affected segment of bowel and possibly resect any unsalvageable portion.

Taken from Wikipedia.

No One --- Alicia Keys

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try try to divide something so real
So till the end of time I'm telling you there ain't no one

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Hectic Week

It's been hell of a week to say the least. I had so much to do and though I feel totally shacked out now, I actually feel fulfilled.

First up was the theory manual I had to do up for work. Though it's a manual, it's not that long. It was still a struggle though and took a lot of nights to complete. I guess it was Thursday night that really took its toil on me and after our 4 hr meeting to discuss the programme material, I was spent. I'm glad it wasn't as bad as I expected and though some more work is needed, I feel better now.

Second, I'm grateful that I attended the Yellow Ribbon Project Song-writing Competition. I had wanted to do work but my buddy managed to persuade me to go. No regrets. In fact, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Two songs in particular stood out for me - the Tamil & Chinese winning entries. The Tamil winning song was written by this old Indian man with white hair; he walked with a limb and when he dedicated his song to "the woman he loved more than anything", I felt like I was choking up. It was apparent though that the woman he wrote the song for wasn't in the audience which kind of made it even more heart-wrenching. Though there was a translation of the lyrics, none was needed to feel the emotions he was trying to portray. Touching. Very touching.

The second song was written by this much younger Chinese chap who was inspired to write the song during one particular day when it was raining very heavily. Although he was expecting a visit from his family that day, he didn't expect them to come cos of the rain. To his surprise, his family turned up. The song he wrote is "辜负了你" and it was very moving as well. So glad that I went for this concert :) thanks elaine!

Something that was mentioned on Thursday during my training is also something that I want to learn - Self Care. A lot of times, we work ourselves to the bone but fail to recognise the impact this is having on ourselves. I guess for me, I have to learn to draw boundaries and recognise certain "triggers" - when I'm neglecting my own body, my own self - and make a concerted effort to deal with these. Talking to friends, eating, relaxing, playing a sport would all help! You should take care of yourself too! :)

Sat was packed! Work in the morning (prob for all Sats and one Sunday this month) before having lunch with some colleagues @ Eastpoint. Then headed down to Expo for the Archdiocesan Youth Day!!! There was a lot of admin to settle before this and I was really getting irritated with all the prep but I must say that it was worth it!

I enjoyed the "Jonah skit" that Bridget, Debbie & gang put up. It was a wonderful effort especially since 5 of them played ALL the roles!! I though it was funny and brought out the message at the same time. In fact, the teens who are normally restless was enjoying it and give it their full attention! :)

Then there was the Benediction! It's been a looooong time since I felt such a wonderful experience of Jesus made real in the Eucharist! I was irritated by some teens who were still talking and making noise but instead of shouting at them, I decided to just sing and hope that they would eventually get the message. They did :)


And who can forget everyone's fav song - One Way!! I actually went to find my teens but by that time they had disappeared - converged to the front, some running onto the stage! haha, even the quieter ones :) afterwards was just talking to some CSS peeps I bumped into and taking photos with some of my teens. Overall, a wonderful experience of God :D


Kudos to Ed for a lift back and supper. And now, back to this laptop of mine in my aircon room. Life is good. Life is good only if we see it as such and count the blessings we have.

May God grant me the perseverance to do what I have done and continue in my service of others, all at home, at work and in church. And grant me the patience to treat all those around me with respect, even when the going gets tough. Amen.

Should I Stay? -- Dreamz FM

Had a drive
Driven by your love
But when you messed around
I lost the drive I found

Thought you needed
Needed someone true
But you changed your mind
Or had I failed you?

Wish you'd been
Careful with my heart
But you tore it apart
And broke an angel's heart

The kiss was true
Has to end somehow
But I am livin' proof of what love is about

It's hard holding you
Loving you, losing you
It's sad to be true
And be fooled by you
I don't know (I don't know)
I gotta know
Should I stay or should I go?

You played me on
Played me like a clown
But I feel for you
Eventhough I'm down

My heart is heavy
Heavy like a rock
But I am so amused
You're still in my thoughts

It's hard holding you
Loving you, losing you
It's sad to be true
And be fooled by you
I don't know (I don't know)
I gotta know
Should I stay or should I go?

Oooohh...should I stay?
Should I go?

It's hard holding you
Loving you, losing you
It's sad to be true
And be fooled by you
I don't know (I don't know)
I wanna know
Should I stay or should I go?

This time its done
It'll never feel the same
But we had some good times
Guess it's sad just the same

I guess the truth
Doesn't matter somehow
But you were livin' proof of what love is about

Reservist isn't going too badly and I've been blessed with countless blessings. First, I might just be able to attend confirmation camp :) Second, though I don't know many people during this in camp, I've been blessed with wonderful ppl to stand gate with - ppl who are not calculating and are very nice in fact! Third, I've been able to feel happy despite donning the dreaded fatigue. All in all, the happy outweighs the sianz!

On another note, I'm super pissed off with some of the freaking parents of my teens. They just seem bo chap and though I know I'm not supposed to judge, but I can already see how fucked up they are as parents. Don't they give a damn about their children? Don't they matter? Screwed up attitude la. Hope things will turn out well though. Just a few more days to get things right. Hope to be able to settle everything before the camp.

Leaving it in Your Hands.

Also, pls pray for my friend who will be in Yunnan today, just one day after the earthquake. I pray that she and her friends will have a safe trip.

Amen.

Runaway Train

Watched MTV's Top 100 One Hit Wonders just now. It's been such a loooooong time since I caught MTVs and I rediscovered the reason why I love 80s/90s music sooooo much. Anyway, the MTV for Runaway Train was really sad and I guess seeing it gave me a deeper perspective of the song and what the group intended to get across.

The MTV starts off with the line - "there are over one million youth lost on the streets of america" and showed images of children that had gone missing. Some images showed how some of these "missing" girls became prostitutes and the such. Now the words make so much sense to me :( here's the MTV for those who are interested. Wonderful powerful song.



Reservist tomorrow. Somehow it doesn't seem so bad anymore. Perspective.

training to be soldiers...

going for reservist this coming Mon...for a grand total of 19 days. if i'm not wrong, the first two days should be 8-5pm cos have lectures. not really looking forward to it. first, i don't like army. second, i'll be losing the momentum i've built at work. last, i think i will miss my colleagues! i think that i've grown closer to them these past few months and in a sense, i will miss interacting with them and all. of cos, i will miss my bed at home, my dog and my family. *sigh*

today was a rather gloomy day for me, personally. i tried applying what i learnt - change your thinking & behaviour to change your feeling. it worked somewhat cos i arranged dinner and called someone to talk. i felt better but the bad feeling was still lingering, lurking, waiting to pounce at any opportunity.

i will survive. tt's something that all homosapiens have an innate instinct to strive towards. the quality of that existence though, might not be attained.

Man of constant sorrow

Just caught the movie - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - yest and loved it. Wanna share the song, which I find hilarious...enjoy!

Hong Kong Trip '07

Had a wonderful weekend getaway to HK from Sat - Mon!!!
Ai-yo, ai-yo, it's back to work we go!! (sung dwaft style as in Snow White)

We took Cathay Pacific there and the ride was rather pleasant; the only funny thing that happened was when the steward asked us if we wanted "chicken steak rice or fish & rice" but when we got our meal, we realised that it was lao mai gai!!! haha, he probably meant chicken sticky rice or something. Oh well...

Pic courtesy of MarkG

Landed at the airport and had to take a train to the terminal to collect our luggage and meet our guide who was going to take care of our hotel transfer.

Pic courtesy of MarkG

When talking to our guide, I realised that not knowing Cantonese was gonna be a problem for us. The ride to our hotel was rather nice and from that journey, you can really tell why HK has the greatest land density in the world - they're surrounded or rather gulfed in high mountains which makes that land uninhabitable. Hence the need for high rise! Check out this high rise building!

An older group of buildings...

Our hotel - Mayfield Garden Hotel - was simple and comfortable enough for our needs.

It was also walking distance to Jordan MTR (we wondered if we copied the HK train syst) which connects to all the other places we wanted to go.

Pic courtesy of MarkG

We started off exploring the area around our hotel and as we were hungry, decided to find a place to eat. The streets were swarmed with cars, people as well as colourful billboards/signs which probably gave the streets a vibrant image. As Darryl said, it's one hell of an organised mess.

We chose an eatery which Darryl had been to the previous year and had some dim sum; I also ordered Pork Noodles - check out the pics!

The guy making the dim sum also gamely posed for a picture :)

Afterwhich, we walked around to do more shopping before stopping for a break as Alan was too tired and needed a coffee! We stopped at a 茶餐庭 to have a drink. Our lack of proficiency in Cantonese was apparent in our attempts to clarify what we were ordering but we (finally) managed to order our drinks and some snacks. I had a pork sandwich (yes, pork again!) and a 奶茶 which was so strong we had to put in two packets of sugar!

After this short break, we continued our foray into the street markets. We went to the "Ladies Market" along Tung Choi Street (check out the pic, esp the top right) but I didnt manage to get any souvenirs for friends.

I guess the things were too similar to those that can be found in Chinatown here for me to think it worthwhile to get. heh. Neither did I get anything for myself. I made a mental note to just get some things if I like them, otherwise I might end up with nothing. My nose was also running and I kept drinking fruit juice whenever I had the chance. We took a pit-stop at our hotel before heading out to find dinner/supper.

We stumbled upon a porridge shop and decided to give it a try. I chose the Duck Porridge and had a hot Honey Lemon drink. I found the drink nice and refreshing though a tad bit sweet; the duck porridge however was divine. Compared to the local version in which I find but a few shreds of duck meat, the one I tried had an entire duck drumstick in it! The meat was nice and tender whilst the skin was crisp with a layer of fat on it :) unfortunately, no pics! :(

After dinner, we walked around aimlessly before heading down to the Avenue of Stars at Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. It bore a striking semblance to the Esplanade but this was bigger and had more sights. We had a good time taking pics with Bruce Lee's statue and the hand imprints of stars like Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Jacky Chan, etc!

pic courtesy of MarkG

We also got to see the Clock Tower and the Theatre at the end; the only down-side as we would find out for the other sites we visited, was the foggy weather which made the harbourfront less than spectacular.

pics courtesy of MarkG

Sunday morning started off very early as we wanted to attend Sunday morning mass on Lantau Island. We took the MTR and as we were too late for the 9am mass, we decided to attend the 1030am one at a chapel, so we could have brekkie first. We had brekkie at MacDonalds cos there were only fast food resturants there. I had a Supreme Meal which is basically a Big Breakfast but the bit that I liked was that it came with 奶茶! And I was getting used to the taste so I enjoyed it! Macs is also cheaper than in Spore with a McChicken costing HK$8 only! (less than S$2).

We then took a bus to Trinity Chapel @ Discovery Bay International School to attend the 1030am mass. The chapel was a makeshift part of the school and it was pretty hot there but I thoroughly enjoyed mass.


pic courtesy of MarkG

I think that the choir was good and how they sang some of the hymns was great! Too bad I didn't record some of the hymns. The sermon was also engaging and interesting. What was amazing was, on the bus to the chapel, I noticed this guy sitting in front of Daniel reading something with bible verses on it; I read something about a story of a grandfather but couldn't read everything. Can you imagine my surprise then when the priest began the sermon by telling a story of the grandfather! Daniel turned around and told me - "it's him! we saw him on the bus!" I think this is something that I enjoy and can only be done when your frens are Catholic - attending mass while on holiday! I've attended mass in Bangkok and tried finding a Catholic church in Egypt and now I've attended mass in HK too! :)

After mass, we did something we could only do when it's an all-guy group - play soccer! We watched some locals playing first (including two ladies dressed in the full garb - jerseys, boots and all) then we borrowed a ball and played amongst ourselves, 3 on 3. My team won with each of us scoring a goal; we had great fun! Although we were sweating like mad cows and I at least was super unfit. The lady actually invited us to play with them, but with Zidane in their team and with our fitness lacking, we didn't think it a good idea. So we left with the reputation (if there is one) of Singapore soccer intact.



We then headed back to Tung Chung before transferring to see the Giant Buddha @ Ngong Ping plateau. Our first and only encounter with a rude person in HK was at the terminal and since she was such, we decided to take the public bus there instead. The journey to the Giant Buddha was about 40 minutes and the ride up the mountain was excitingly dangerous as the bus had to travel along a single lane dual-carriageway. In fact, the turns around some corners were so tight that the roads had spaces for buses to stop to give way to other buses. This was worsened by the mist/fog that reduced visibility when we went higher up the mountain. Check out the video for an idea of what the bus ride was like!



At the top, the fog was so thick that we could hardly see anything. The most interesting thing there was the toilet that looked good enough to be an attraction itself.

We had to climb several stairs to get to the Giant Buddha and all that awaited us at the top was a silouette of the majestic bronze Buddha that we were expecting. We waited around awhile but the situation didn't improve much.

Going down the mountain, I managed to squeeze in about 20 mins of nap time despite the perilous ride down. We then had lunch at a Viet restaurant, which was not very satisying as the portion was small and tasteless. In fact, we used the "chilli water" to add flavour though this didn't help much.

Then began the shopping. I guess I bought most of my stuff here, and even then, it included only a Billabong tee (HK$120?) & a Giordano belt (HK$50) & tee (S$70). We took another break, this time with a Smarties McFlurry at Macs. Not bad! We then rushed over to Hong Kong Island to meet Alan's "blind date" - Rose. We had been teasing him about this the whole trip but rest assured (esp Hannah ;) that she's an auntie, so nothing happened. haha. She was very nice though and she bought us 老婆饼 and even told us where to go for good dim sum and shopping!

We then went to Lan Kwai Fong which was supposed to be the place to go to club/pub.

Unfortunately, it wasn't too happening, probably cos it was a Sunday night. Couldn't really find a place to eat so we decided to eat at The Peak. We walked over to the station to take the Peak Tram which ascended up the hill at a 45 degree angle! Thanks to a particular someone, I got conned into believing that there was come a point when the tram was vertical! Idiot! :p We ate at BK (more ex than in S'pore) and I had a Spicy Whopper and I have to say that the fries there are much better! After filling our stomachs, we went up to the viewing gallery only to be disappointed by a thick fog which basically covered any view from the top *Sigh* I would say that this was my greatest disappointment in the trip cos it was nothing like I envisioned and I was looking forward to seeing the view from up there. So we went back down after some gaming at EA sports & a little shopping, but without taking any pics :(

We went back to the hotel to re-group before heading to Temple Street night market, albeit without Alan who was too exhausted to join us. Once again, despite my efforts to buy souvenirs for friends, nothing really caught my eye. Well, nothing that could be given as gifts at least ;) After shopping, we had some dessert - I had some watercress thingy with egg - which was rather ordinary, before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Monday morning started early again and we had buffet brekkie at the hotel after checking out. I must have stuffed myself with bacon, eggs, sausages, beans & ham cos I wasn't that hungry during lunch later. We then headed down to Causeway Bay; before entering the MTR, we saw two policemen arresting two teens on drug charges cos my friends saw the policemen holding some drugs and the teens looked stoned. Exciting stuff. Too bad we didn't see a chase.

As most of the shops were still closed, we ended up in the arcard to kill time; I enjoyed playing the drum game with Mark and I really like that Jap song!!! How to find it man?!?!

Pic courtesy of MarkG

We then headed to Times Square for Dim Sum. The resturant - Chung's Cuisine - looked very posh and we were checking out the prices before we decided to just try it out. To our pleasant surprise, they ushered us into a private room!! I figured that our attire didn't fit into the norm (Dan and I were dressed in berms, Dan also had on a singlet) and since we were the least dressed people in the whole of HK, they decided to "stow us away" in a room. Not that we minded, cos it was way cool to have our own room! Such a thing would never happen in Singapore. We had some great dim sum there and dessert was divine too! The best part is that the total bill came to less than HK$330, which meant that we paid only S$11 each!

After lunch was some last minute shopping where I got a Nike tee (HK$143), an Adidas wristband (HK$35) and the Tuesdays with Morrie DVD (HK$69) from HMV!!! Alan was tired so we headed off to have a drink and sit down. We went to House of Coral which is like a fast food joint that sells HK snacks/food/drinks. I (finally) had my yuen yeung which is a tea-coffee mix, and a(nother) Crispy Pork Bun! My last local meal in HK and I enjoyed it lots. After this was the mad rush back to the hotel as the tour bus was supposed to pick us up at 5; we reached at 510pm but thankfully the bus was still there. I managed to capture this shot from the bus and I like it a lot - Tsing Ma Bridge

We grabbed a Popeye meal in the airport and almost missed the plane - first time we had a Last Call sign and had not boarded the plane, so Alan and myself went ahead to try to stall them if necessary.

The journey back was pleasant on almost all accounts - a beautiful stewardess serving us, a beautiful HK passenger behind Wayne, delicious lamb, potatoes, chicken salad & a hot bun (the best I have ever tasted on a plane) & excellent African white wine - except for the lack of leg-room. I also managed to catch a Chinese gangster movie - Exiled - starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, etc. which I thought was excellent cos there was great acting and a good storyline/ plot. A fitting end to my HK trip.

One thing I enjoyed about this trip was that I didn't have to worry about where to go, where I was, read maps, so worry about anything! This was so different from my Perth trip where I was in charge; things would have been very different too if there were girls on this trip :) I guess this is one thing about an all-guy group that I enjoy a lot cos we are kinda mostly on the same wavelength and looking at the same stuff.

Another thing about Hong Kong is its excellent service standards, especially when contrasted to that in Singapore. All my experiences shopping were excellent - when I bought the Nike tee, the cashier helped me get a new piece still wrapped in plastic even though I didn't ask and he would need to get it from the storeroom; the salespeople at Giordano showed us the latest clothes and made suggestions even though we didn't look like we were going to buy anything; another salesgirl modeled two bags for me so I could see how it looked (haha, I admit I enjoyed this) and the sales people greet you when you come in/leave all the time, even when I went into/out of the shop countless times to check on Wayne. No wonder people say our service standards are lacking - it is!

I guess something that I would have to admit is that there are much more pretty girls in Singapore than in HK!!! Many HK has a few pretty/beautiful/gorgeous ones, but the average girl here is much better than the average girls there!!

The food there is different too - they have a lot of pork!! Plus their food is not spicy at all, even when they claim it to be. Although I liked most of the food there, I'll have to agree with Alan who felt that he couldn't eat such food for long. I guess we're so accustomed to the myraid food we have here that any place else would not suffice.

Last but not least, HK is a vibrant city and one that almost never sleeps. Compared to Singapore which claims the same, I think we pale in comparison. Maybe only our ports (air & sea) do not sleep but our city snoozes after 10pm. For the energy, the food, the shopping and the weather, I will definitely go back again.

Now, back to reality.

better day

My dad got his test results today; he's got diabetes. Why then is this a better day? I dunno, seriously. Maybe I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that his condition ain't too serious and that it can be managed well with a change of diet & lifestyle. The sharing and prayers of some friends has helped too. Thank you! :)

I guess the 'day' really started off last night when I had a great chat with a friend. Went to Yishun Dam area and it was really crowded, esp since it's such an ulu place. Got to drive her Nissan Sunny too; I think Honda Jazz & Toyota Vios are better. heh. Topped it off with an exploration of the route from the dam to Jalan Kayu, where we had supper. A great time.

woke up with the realisation that I had yet to plan for cat class. looked at the topics and felt that my own topic would be good since the planned lesson would have been touched during the camp in June. So decided to show them clips of Hotel Rwanda and lead a discussion based on suffering, their experiences and how they were able to forgive each other despite the atrocities. I thot that the lesson, though somewhat start-stop, was well received and at least appreciated by some :) I think this is a good start to what is about to end soon.

Mass was good (and I will be attending again tomorrow!!) and dinner @ Ikea was great too, except for the fact that we couldnt get a table although we had ordered our food! Must be the company la. Then had another ride to Yishun before being sent home.

Nothing has really changed, except my perception. But sometimes, sometimes, that's all it takes to make a difference.

RIP & other announcements

I lost my Hurley Cap today. Fuck. I bought it in aussie land and I really liked it. If any fucker wears that cap (if you see, pls tell me), I'm gonna beat the living daylights out of him cos there's no way in hell anyone else in Spore has got that cap.



:( I'll miss ya mate, for the times you protected my head from being sun burnt. A constant companion and someone who fit me so well :(

Life's been...what can I say? Angsty. I hate how my life is now and the more I keep fighting the more things irritate me and piss me off.

Easter weekend was kinda simple, slow. Slow la, cos mass took 3 hrs! haha...anyway, saw a lot of my ex-students and I kinda realised (k, I knew this for some time but it just affirmed my thinking) tt what I've done with these kids over the years don't count for much. Their faith level is really dependent on whether they were church-going and all before they came for catechism. Parents really play the most important role; friends come a close 2nd.

In line with that thinking and of cos, many other factors which I won't mention here, I have decided not to continue with catechism come the end of this yr when my current batch of youth get confirmed. I guess after 4 yrs (Alan and I joined in May 2003), it's time to move on. I'll miss them but when you can't give so much, you gotta be fair to them and yourself. You gotta.

Reservist - a fuckin' waste of time! I didnt realise that I would feel this way but I do now. It's really just such a BIG disruption and it's affecting the courses that I have to take at work and stuff. Now I understand why that stranger told me how his boss would rather hire foreigners cos they won't "abandone their work irresponsibly and need someone else to take over his duties". I guess those in the civil service don't have to worry about that but then this guy was probably from the lower income job or something and I'm beginning to see his point. Can't I concentrate on work or something? Haven't you wasted 2.5 yrs of my life already? Don't get me wrong - I think NSF is essential (only as a deterrence) but it still doesn't take away the fact that it is a complete, utter waste of time. Reservist is...forget it.

I will be going to HK for a weekend getaway from 21-23rd April - woohoo! JB on the 20th as well! Looking forward to these bright specs in an otherwise bleak vacuum.

Freedom Fighters
I caught this film with some of the guys on Good Friday. I must say that the movie was quite good. Wanted to write a bit on it then but the inspiration has left. What probably impressed me the most was that it was actually based on a real event! Do catch the movie if you can; it's def better than Shooter, Bean and the other current screenings.

K, that's all for now. Hope the next broadcast is a good one. Cya!~