yunfei

used CD sale

2007-10-16T23:06:00.000+08:00

in a bid to get rid of the clutter in my room, i have to resort to this. prices are cut by at least 50% for most items.

GOODS ARE OPEN FOR ORDERS!
(as of now, not only until 7.7.07 - more details under comments)

for every $20 spent, i'll throw in a $4 album of your choice.
for every $30 spent, i'll throw in a $6 album of your choice.
and etc.

[sale inventory]

12 SGD

徐若瑄《我爱你X4》
(附送Remix专辑与限量写真postcard)
(album info)

10 SGD

蔡健雅《双栖动物》
(album info)

庾澄庆《海啸》
(album info)

宋岳庭《Life's a Struggle》
(album info)

8 SGD

莫文蔚《i》
(album info)
note: slightly dusty cover

周华健《朋友》
(album info)

许美静《蔓延》
(album info)

Shakira "MTV Unplugged"
(album info)

Backstreet Boys "Millennium"
(album info)

Michael Jackson "HIStory" (SOLD)
(album info)

Take 5 "Take 5"
(album info)

1. I Give
2. The Tide is High
3. Baby I Can't Let Go
4. Girl of My Dreams
5. Jump Up
6. All I Wanna Know
7. Sunrise Goodbye
8. Please Stay
9. Get Down Tonight
10. Never Had It So Good
11. Easy to Love
12. Deeper Love

The Jacksons "The Very Best Of"
(album info)

6 SGD

两个女生《2 Girls》
(album info)

林志颖《期待》
(album info)

苏慧伦《Lemon Tree》
(album info)

陈洁仪《那天那夜新歌＋精选》
(album info)

《订做一个天堂》
(album info)

胡彦斌《文武双全》
(album info)

James Ingram "Forever More"
(album info)

Morcheeba "Fragments of Freedom"
(album info)

Billy Joel "River of Dreams"
(album info)

滚石Top Hits 3
(附送Remix专辑)
(album info)

1. 光良品冠 - 猜测
2. 苏慧伦 - 鸭子
3. 成龙 - 自我挑战
4. 辛晓琪 - 忐忑
5. 杜德伟 - 无心伤害
6. 黎明柔 - 我赖你
7. 郭子 - 为爱偷生
8. 黄嘉千 - 故意
9. 赵传 - 滚热的心
10. 万芳 - 就值得了爱
11. 许景淳 - 谁规定
12. 张国荣 - 谈恋爱
13. 李心洁 - 同一个星空下
14. 伍佰 - 挪威的森林
15. 巫奇 - 你怎么没看见
16. 周华健 - 小天堂
17. 林忆莲 - 夜太黑 Remix

二王二后之红颜
(album info)

1. 许美静 - 红颜
2. 许美静 - 月光光 (粤)
3. 许美静 - 答案
4. 许美静 - 都是夜归人之夜归
5. 齐秦 - Windflowers
6. 齐秦 - 丝路
7. 齐秦 - 不让我的眼泪陪我过夜
8. 许茹云 - 邻居
9. 许茹云 - 日光机场
10. 许茹云 - 破晓
11. 熊天平/许茹云 - 你的眼睛
12. 熊天平 - 每一分每一秒都给你
13. 熊天平 - 火柴天堂
14. 熊天平 - 爱情多恼河

敢敢做个开心人OST (SOLD)
(album info)

1. 群星 - Made in Singapore (中西LATIN版)
2. 群星 - Made in Singapore (温馨CHA-CHA版)
3. 潘盈 - 我心深处
4. 洪劭轩 - 感谢你
5. 苏心荃 - 又是一场戏
6. 苏心荃/林婉仪 - 一无所求
7. 毛郁 - 幸福
8. 苏心荃 - 欲说还休
9. 洪劭轩 - 人生舞台
10. 洪劭轩/林婉仪 - 感谢你
11. 姜雩 - 最牵挂你的人是我

2001年日剧演奏曲精选　Drama Moods 2001
(album info)

月曲
(album info)

1. 花好月圆
2. 彩云追月
3. 春江花月夜
4. 平湖秋月
5. 二泉映月
6. 月牙五更
7. 汉宫秋月
8. 月夜
9. 月下海棠
10. 春月明
11. 月下飞鸽
12. 月儿高

4 SGD

伍思凯《想念》
(album info)

刘若英《听说?》
(China Edition)
(album info)

汪佩蓉《只要你快乐》
(China Edition)
(album info)

光良《童话》
(China Edition)
(album info)

张学友《活出生命Live演唱会》
(China Edition)
(album info)

Sakura 《恋恋花语》
(album info)

1998 魔岩 Campus Tour 巡回演唱
(album info)

Barbra Streisand "Duets"
(album info)

MTV Most Wanted Boys 1997
(album info)

1. Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
2. Boyzone - A Different Beat
3. 911 - Bodyshakin'
4. Ant & Dec - Falling
5. Code Red - Can We Talk
6. 98 Degrees - Invisible Man
7. Boyz II Men - On Bended Knee
8. East 17 - Stay Another Day
9. Human Nature - Tellin' Everybody
10. Caught in the Act - Let This Love Begin
11. Damage - Love II Love
12. Universal - Rock Me Good
13. Let Loose - Make it With You
14. The One - One More Chance
15. 4 PM - Sukiyaki

Perez Prado "King of Mambo"
(album info)

1. Que Rico El Mambo
2. Mambo #5
3. Cerezo Rosa
4. Patricia
5. Mambo Jambo
6. Mama Yo Quiero
7. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
8. Frenesi
9. Mambo Universitario
10. Mambo Politecnico
11. La Nina Popof
12. Mambo #8
13. Mambo Del Ruletero
14. Lupita
15. Always In My Heart
16. Alma Llanera
17. Taboo
18. Ay Ay Ay
19. Adios Pampa Mia
20. Ruletero

An Enchanting with Dionne Warwick VCD
(album info)

Disc 1
1. Close to You
2. Don't Make me Over
3. Walk On By
4. Anyone Who Had a Heart
5. You'll Never Get to Heaven
6. House is not a Home
7. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
8. Message to Michael
9. This Girl's In Love With You
10. I Say A Little Prayer For You
11. Alfie

Disc 2
12. Heart Breaker
13. Brazilian Medley
14. Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
15. I'll Never Love This Way Again
16. What the World Needs Now
17. That's What Friends Are For

as i promised

2007-10-16T01:56:00.001+08:00

this blog stops here. rebirth?

how can we stop

2007-10-13T01:16:00.000+08:00

taken from thegreatsze:

I just want to be ... away. From here. From this place that doesn't feel quite real, this place that promises a perfection that we don't know we want. We have no mountains or lakes, no spaces or views. We have nothing to remind us of our mere humanity; nothing to remind us of our place in the universe. Our art is uninspired, our songs like our terrain. We do not know beauty, and we know not to treasure the transient. We cannot recognize what we do not have, and only what we do have is good and righteous.

i don't particularly agree with him regarding the point that we recognize what we have as good and righteous. but otherwise, it's objectively real. and i feel the same.

this was me last year around the same time, in japan.

i feel at least 10 years older now. i have dance and random interesting sessions with new friends around school to look forward to, but this is not about happiness and fulfillment. i'm very tired, and i don't think that feeling's going to disappear anytime soon.

for the sake of remembrance

2007-10-11T22:19:00.000+08:00

interview for BGS today was not a horrendous disaster. walking out of the building was.

and this blog will end soon.

goodbye thursday mornings!

2007-10-04T21:03:00.000+08:00

and with the most embarrassing (but excellent) project presentation, we conclude my creative thinking module. it was great working with you guys, thank you :)

(meanwhile, i just want to say i'm really tired)

Lifeline

2007-09-29T23:47:00.000+08:00

this is john mayer's continuum without the flashy guitar solos and with more black soul. love :)

True Beauty

2007-09-29T23:04:00.000+08:00

i probably will get flamed for this, but gospel pop is the sole redeeming grace of religion. taken as a whole, it is surprisingly superior to mainstream thrash.

blackie!

2007-09-28T22:04:00.000+08:00

i finally own a blackarachnia (and a jawbreaker at $9 each)! :)
~~now to figure out how to transform her. hmmmm.~~
blackie now sits atop my printer in mutant hybrid form. yay!

iLove

2007-09-28T00:39:00.000+08:00

we don't love too little after all :)

to the beat

2007-09-27T00:56:00.000+08:00

i think i'm taking dance too seriously (and school, not seriously enough). i was on my home in the train and unconsciously started making gluteal contractions. very embarassing.

ftw: jeffrey (sdt!) commended "good boy" for the improvement in my front split, which seems to be non-existent. hmmm.

on another note, i have to admit that my ipod is dictating the way i move.

almost halfway

2007-09-25T21:05:00.000+08:00

i apologise for the lack of activity here. the past week has been crazy with the BGS essay due, CCAs and interjected with my mystery shopping assignment at sentosa. i'm finally making an effort to type an entry today because biz law class has been cancelled yet again and it has been a long time since i've spent the day at home. this term is not supposed to be difficult but i can't wait for term break :|

supermodel bao

2007-09-16T00:51:00.001+08:00

today was hwachong maf.

and it's the usual talk about feeling old and finding familiar places/faces. but for now, i'd just like to glorify today's favourite photo and my favourite photo friend ever - ms bao :)

(some photos on flickr)

tumblr

2007-09-16T00:44:00.000+08:00

i need such simplicity to blog now. omg so tempted to convert!

Hairspray

2007-09-12T01:42:00.000+08:00

our bizlaw lecturer decided not to teach today so my project group went to watch hairspray at plaza singapura instead.

in essence, hairspray is a fast-paced, happy film. right from the opening of 'good morning baltimore' down to the finale of 'you can't stop the beat'. so much so, that it resembled a clubbing experience. and as with clubbing experiences, the happiness fades after you walk out (of the cinema) and you enter the silent, lonely, real world where rights are not properly upheld.

businessGOVERNMENTsociety

2007-09-06T23:57:00.000+08:00

my worst fears have been confirmed. not only is there another university core of "Ethics & Social Responsibility", the current curriculum for BGS in my class seems to be veering absurdly away from the syllabus.

quoting from the curricula:

BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY
Structure and key features of government
Representative, responsive and responsible government
Different forms of representation
Judicial and administrative processes of government
Economic-political bodies
The corporation, its stakeholders
The multinational corporation
Government-business relations
Business-society relations
Environmental issues

- of which, only the highlighted concepts seem to be being covered.

on the other hand, doing the same for the curricula of the other module:

ETHICS & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Introduction to ethics and social responsibility
Moral reasoning and individual's professional ethics
Regulatory and legal compliance by businesses
Profitability versus corporate responsibility
Code of ethics
Product responsibility and customer satisfaction
Transparency in contract procurement
Employee welfare and development
Environmental management and standards,e.g. ISO 14000
Environmentally-responsible cross-border manufacturing
Corporate philanthropy and image

on the ground, i have ABSOLUTELY no idea what is going on because my individual assignment topic is plainly theoretical (aka boring) and my group project topic is overly taxing. omgwtfbbq.

"short" apple?

2007-09-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

this is 'highly likely' (favourite phrase in bizlaw class now) to be apple's biggest booger in design since it was established. i conceived it to be entirely impossible when it first appeared as a rumour; now it looks like the ugly brother of creative zen v, only fatter.

at this point in time, i'm really glad i got the student promo of the free 'old but sexy' ipod nano (which is unfortunately causing big problems in the documentation for the rebate).

longer weeks please

2007-09-05T23:44:00.000+08:00

i am so fuxxing tired now. and i'm very bothered that soon i will have to make the decision whether to cut eurhythmix or indancity.

(it would have been an easy choice if ryan wasn't the choreographer for emix)

the first textbook i can't wait to burn

2007-09-04T22:14:00.000+08:00

i'm taking time off studying because my brain has been fried from figuring out the difference between 'sufficiency' and 'adequacy' in this evening's business law class. i wonder why my heaviest classes (in terms of thought-construction) are both fitted into the terrible timeslot of 3.30pm to 6pm when my mind is in eternal limbo.

speaking of the other heavy class , which coincidentally is also my least favourite of the modules i'm taking this term, there is simply too much to complain about.

(1) being a generally unethical person, i do not emphatise with the topic in question: of corporate social responsibility and ethics.
(2) the lecturer complains about the stake of stakeholders in SMU (yawn)
(3) too many eager male students in class
(4) the lecturer organises extra-curricular events that are of no significant value
(5) the individual assignment topic is of utmost banality
(6) there is 120 pages of reading to be done by thursday (notified this evening)

as you can see, and i hope my analytical skills lecturer agrees with the flow of my argument, my hatred for BGS is not ungrounded.

ticket to performing!

2007-09-01T17:59:00.000+08:00

though i doubt i was supposed to make it through initially. it was mentioned that the original decision of 14 was increased to almost 30.

and i kinda heard the seniors joking in the background about C12 (my serial number) being in the performance team. i could be mistaken, but oh well. whatever. i'm gonna train under ryan! and that's what matters now. :)

Oops she did it again!

2007-08-31T19:55:00.000+08:00

"... so we will be able to build up our future."

to fully appreciate the joke, watch the original first. lol.

Me and You and Everyone We Know

2007-08-31T19:46:00.000+08:00

this review took particularly long to conceptualize. oddly, because it was a particularly good film and many of the scenes in the film have been deeply imprinted into my mind.

what i immediately gained from the film was how it was possible to make seemingly ordinary objects so extraordinarily beautiful/artistic, eg, capturing hidden conversations in photos on tape, hanging paintings on trees.

and we learn that as long as we persevere, we might get what we want. and when we don't, at least we tried.

but what really grew on me, and abducted my train of thought many nights as i lay on the bed in wait of sleep, was a part of a particular well-crafted monologue/conversation.

When me and Pam were first in love,
we hated to be apart,
even for an hour.
We just slept.
We loved to sleep when it was time to sleep.
Not sex.
I mean, we had sex,

but what we really loved
was to sleep like babies all day long.

school ain't that bad

2007-08-28T11:25:00.000+08:00

threadless is having a back to school $10 SALE!

macgeek heaven

2007-08-27T23:10:00.000+08:00

(photo: power trip on macbook config day)

you could hear the gasps of amazement as people walked into the seminar room.

"woah we should take a photo of this."
"ohmygod. I haven't seen so many macbooks before."

and neither have i.

i might apply annually for mac config day just to witness the spectacle. lol i am such a macgeek.

《突破》

2007-08-26T17:35:00.000+08:00

没有形象的束缚，没有追求销售的坚持。所以，很单纯地，我们都相信地下乐团能玩得很精彩。却万万没意料到，地下乐团的制作能如此细腻。一番宁静过后，范晓萱走向庞可摇滚，魅力依然。

false start

2007-08-24T23:15:00.000+08:00

the congestion at the smu concourse today has this unfortunate ability to confuse freshmen and coerce/trick them into applying for multiple CCAs. or maybe it's just me.

1. indancity
Audition: 9 Sept (Sun)
Practices: Wed 7.30pm, Sun 2pm

2. Eurhythmix
Trial Class: 31 Aug (Fri) TBC
Audition: 1 Sept (Sat)
Practices: Mon, Sat (by Ryan from OSCHOOL!)

3. Calderas Latinas
Salsa Beginners by PeiLing (!)
Thursday 2-3pm

4. M.I.C.
Bi-weekly KTV Sessions

5. Muay Thai Trial
Trial Class: 29 Aug (Wed)

6. e.y.e Investment Club
Tutorials: Friday 2pm (?)

7. SMUBE
Tour: 29 Aug (Wed)

8. Asoc Day

now to decide what to drop, and what to hold on to prevent me from falling into the deplorable depths of insanity from classes like Business, Govt & Society.

pooh meets mac

2007-08-20T23:06:00.000+08:00

yay!

2.10 is not 2.1

2007-08-20T10:24:00.000+08:00

more than half the class were seated comfortably in SESS SR2.1 for half an hour, bitching about why the prof was late for our first STAT102 lesson. then we realised we obviously needed lessons in arithmetic. lol.

Sabra Wins!

2007-08-19T15:13:00.000+08:00

(this is quite old news, but) yay! :D

the finale was arguably disappointing, with pretty lacklustre performances probably because the final four were so worn out from having to showcase 4 dances, instead of 2 previously. even wade robson's foxy choreography, which was honestly entertaining to watch, didn't really save it for me. there was, however, danny and lacey's viennese waltz coupled with avril lavigne's "holding on" (omg!), which was the only non-latin ballroom routine this season that touched me. magical.

and after seeing the top 20 back in the studio, i'm really sad that we didn't get to see more of Jessi and Jésus. together with Sabra, they're my top 3.

Sabra & Dominic - Disco
Sabra - Bottom 3 Solo
(!) Sabra & Dominic - Contemporary
(!) Sabra & Dominic - Rumba
(!) Sabra & Dominic - Hip Hop
(!) Sabra & Dominic - Jive
(!) Sabra & Kameron - Contemporary
(!) Sabra - Wade Robson Solo
(!) Sabra & Pasha - Broadway
Sabra & Pasha - Quickstep
Sabra - Top 8 Solo
(!) Sabra & Neil - Jazz
Sabra & Neil - Paso Doble
Sabra - Top 6 Solo
Sabra & Neil - Hip Hop
Sabra & Lacey - Jazz
(!) Sabra & Danny - Cha Cha
(!) Sabra - Finale Solo

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-19T01:12:00.000+08:00

this is how a action-thriller should be made :)

and unlike the matrix, you don't even have to watch the previous instalments of the trilogy to appreciate this film. wow.

con-vo-cay-shun

2007-08-19T00:57:00.000+08:00

after reaching a verdict on the banality of the event, i simultaneously came to a conclusion how cool my ftb group really is. the truth is, i wouldn't have lasted the full assembly without them. ok this sounds damn gay, but whatever.

meanwhile, i am also extremely disappointed by the performances put up by my top 2 dance group choices (of 3 existing groups). (1) indancity's routine was solely made up of posing and theatrics (2) there was absolutely no phunk / attitude in eurythmix's performance (3) only latina calderas performed up to standard, though i thought the cheek-to-cheek grins on the guys were a bit forced.

ghosts of flames

2007-08-19T00:46:00.000+08:00

i find it quite interesting how people fail to recognise the beauty in the smoke and the smell of gunpowder left behind after the bright lights fade away; the camera shutters click in a musical synchronicity with the display and disappear into the night sky as the sparks fall.

YR1T1

2007-08-14T23:49:00.000+08:00

if anyone's reading and attending the same classes, tell me! shit. damn kan cheong.

STAT 102 - Introductory Statistics B (1641)
M 12:00PM - 3:15PM
SESS Seminar Rm 5.2
LIN TING KWONG

LGST 101 - Business Law (2002)
Tu 3:30PM - 6:45PM
LKCSB Seminar Rm 2.6
ANNE MAGDALENE NETTO

CORE 003 - Creative Thinking (1931)
Th 8:30AM - 11:45AM
SESS Class Rm 5.1
KIRPAL SINGH

MGMT 003 - Business, Government and Society (2177)
Th 3:30PM - 6:45PM
LKCSB Seminar Rm 2.3
RAJ KOMARAN

CORE 002 - Analytical Skills (1141)
F 10:15AM - 11:45AM
SESS Seminar Rm 2.1
TAN YOO GUAN

fastest 20 fingers first

2007-08-14T22:54:00.000+08:00

omg winner! :D
haha all the replies were within 28 minutes lol

《star》

2007-08-13T14:51:00.000+08:00

忽明忽暗，忽明忽暗，忽明。

这不是关于架势的问题。我想“天生”这个字眼，也只适用在她的身上。我想就算是燕姿，也只能服输。专辑标题是对于专辑的结论，实力的认证。

撇开莫名的《永远的快乐》和《薇多莉亚的秘密》不谈，多元化的选曲在她的演绎之下，成为了独立的精品。某些曲目卸下了华丽隆重的编曲返回纯朴，呈现了未听过的温柔腼腆，陶醉。

推荐歌曲：《知己》,《一眼瞬间》,《Big City》,《如果你也听说》,《Don't Sail Away》,《两端》

《热浪》

2007-08-13T13:23:00.000+08:00

太多技巧性的唱腔掩盖了温岚嗓子的本质。有些歌手是不需要奢华包装的，纯粹热闹的歌曲不要浪费在实力上。

推荐歌曲：《同手同脚》,《爱的代价》

《艳光四射歌舞团》

2007-08-13T03:20:00.000+08:00

蔷薇：你会觉得我们很怪吗？
阿阳：不会啊我觉得你们很自由。

偶尔会有那么一段对白让你不自觉感动好久好久。

open cap slowly

2007-08-12T23:03:00.000+08:00

it is raining silently outside, and i'm reliving mika's life in cartoon motion; it always gives me so much energy to look forward. i am currently feeling satisfied with myself for not signing up for the smux camp. now i have more time to take things one step at a time to prep myself for the opening of school. so many things to do, so many people to meet - before i get busy, and before we all change.

this post has no purpose. there is no motive, and no persona to mould from writing this. it feels like the coming of an age; like whenever the watcher appears. he changes nothing in his process of recording the great events that unfold.

meanwhile, now that life in cartoon motion has ended its run, billy porter's "time" keeps looping in my head.

avocado

2007-08-12T22:39:00.000+08:00

after tricking vanessa and raine out to the clearance sale at ikea (which was a clear disappointment), it was time for the much talked-about avocado shake at alexandra village food centre. honestly, it wasn't very satisfying. which is why i'm dedicating this post to what piqued my interest in avocado-based desserts in the first place - a recipe i inquired from yiling (aka jackson's girlfriend).

3 ripe avocadoes (brown)
1.5 cups milk
0.5 cup gula melaka

blend & repack into separate receptacles. refrigerate until a distinct darker green layer is seen at the top.

oh erm. as usual, photo stolen from ieatishootipost :)

"I Just Live Here."

2007-08-09T23:53:00.000+08:00

i think that conveniently summarises what national day means to me - a reminder of widening income disparity, the surrender of freedoms and a loss of patriotism.

(image stolen from martyn see's national day tribute)

Sabra & Neil - Jazz

2007-08-09T23:39:00.000+08:00

Dailymotion blogged videoalbeit a little more modern and less fantastical, this ranks all the way up there with the wade robson choreographies on the show. (of course, there's also mia michael's contemporary routine from last week, but that belongs in another class of its own, really.)

apple of my eye

2007-08-06T14:19:00.000+08:00

it becomes some kind of sick joke when the administrative department of the school which prides itself in its unique open-ended pedagogy replies to direct inquiries in riddles.

Email #1 by peiyi

I have a few questions regarding the SMU Study Award. Can we utilise the $2500 for our first year to purchase a notebook at this time? How should we go about claiming the reimbursement? Also, are the notebooks available for reimbursement limited to the SMU discounted notebooks or can we purchase any notebook we choose?

Email #2 by SMU Personnel

The remaining $2,500 of the Study Award may be utilitsed for any of the purposes (each for once only) as stated in the acceptance agreement, during your scholarship tenure. This means that in the first year you may use the remaining to fund a notebook purchase; in the second year, undertake a business study mission, etc. However, note the amount to be reimbursed is the amount seeking to be reimbursement or up to the remaining $2,500, whichever lower. In other words, if the total purchase amount of your notebook seeking for reimbursement is $2,400, the remaining $100 shall lapse.

Students, scholars receiving scholarships awarded by SMU that comes with a notebook grant, are strongly encouraged to purchase the notebook from either of the vendor awarded the tender for the year. The benefits are as stated on the website at: http://info.smu.edu.sg/tender/cit/computers/index.asp

in view that the reply did not seem to answer any of the questions raised, i rephrased the questions in a more obvious format and sent

Email #3 by me

(1) What is the physical procedure for reimbursement? (ie. who are we supposed to approach, and with what documents do we require)
(2) Can we purchase the notebooks for reimbursement now, or do we have to wait for classes to commence?
(3) If I intend to purchase a MacBook, is it still eligible for reimbursement?

Email #4 by SMU Personnel

(1) For reimbursement - the scholar needs to submit the original purchase document (eg invoice with payment acknowledged or official receipt) to our Centre at Level 7, Admin Building.
(2) Scholar may seek reimbursement any time during the tenure of the scholarship.
(3) Students are strongly encouraged to purchase the notebooks from either vendors awarded the tender. One of the reasons being the guaranteed compatibility with SMU's IT infrastructure. You might wish to find out more from CIT Helpdesk if you intend to purchase a Mac instead.

well, at least that's 1 question answered. but with reference to questions (2) and (3), IS IT SO BEEP-ING DIFFICULT TO ANSWER 'YES' OR 'NO'?

《蓝色大门》

2007-08-06T13:36:00.000+08:00

喜欢一个人，偷走他们的隐私和秘密的白痴行为谁不曾尝试过。不能容忍，却又无法忘却。
勇气。爱真的需要勇气。但选择逃避有时并非是最坏的决定。
如果在接吻时，不再感受那阵发烫那还算相爱吗？
当爱情放弃了缤纷璀璨的烟火表演，变成了一种习惯，我们留下来还有意义吗？

对不起。

在这座城市里的青春没有直率。
也没有钢琴伴奏。
只有无奈地躲开，撒谎，隐瞒。

这部影片带来的是一种脱离和而后追上的领悟。就算只是霎那，却也品尝了。心满意足。

cookie monster's green brother

2007-08-05T14:34:00.001+08:00

a snippet from sesame street which is less than educational (ie. without the "today's episode is brought to you by the letters S, H, I and T") and actually funny! omg!

of men

2007-08-05T02:00:00.001+08:00

upon zixu's unusual request, we seem to have fastforwarded time to the once-prophesied gathering 10 years down the road.

we sit/stand around tables telling the same recycled jokes - of onceuponatime classmates and literature teachers - that we never seem to get sick of.

it's interesting that i wouldn't go on to announce, at some future wedding or funeral, that these are the folks who have shaped me into what i've become, because it would be a lie. nobody could have imagined we would have turned out so differently; that peiyi is doing capoeira and i am venturing into contemporary dance, zixu in archi and haogen in law, mikail and liankiat signing on with the army, dennis and shawn caught up in the pursuit of ~~money~~GPAs. and robin is, well, still robin.

and yet, we have so much in common. i can pick anyone from this disorderly congregation (except one who seems to have dissolved into the crevices of time), sit them down and get appropriate thoughtful responses for deeper topics; something i can never accomplish with say, my friends from jc, who are probably the ones who have changed me the most.

after i boarded the bus bound for home and left dennis at the bus stop, i vaguely recalled a rivalry/hatred going on between us for a while, back in the days of the khaki-coloured shorts. but i forget what it was about and shrugged the thought off. it wasn't important anymore. because now, we look only towards the future.

erm

2007-08-05T01:57:00.000+08:00

because there is nothing much to rave about besides the publicity budget (and effort).

boom!

2007-08-02T23:46:00.000+08:00

my ears are still ringing.

half-empty

2007-08-02T23:42:00.000+08:00

(warning: a whole load of bullsh*t coming your way)

undoubtedly, this is an interesting idea for a merchandise that has got me pondering about the poignancy of the half-full, half-empty proposition as synonyms for states of mind that we're all too familiar with.

the concept behind the half-empty glass seems to fall apart when utilised in its most obvious practical operation - the act of drinking.

my attempt to invalidate the metaphor has to be based on a few assumptions. assuming that (a) the glass can only be filled with goodness, (b) people are innately greedy/thirsty and therefore (c) people will tend to fill the glass above the half-empty mark, the liquid-containing glass will start off in a full, or not-empty state.

and then we commence the drinking.

upon establishing the liquid level at the halfway point, accordingly, one is supposed to inadvertently lament upon the sad state of the half-empty container. from this point on, one can proceed in 2 directions:

(1) the protagonist exclaims at the half-empty state and realises he has now space to increase his kahlua/chocolate syrup intake by the addition of the chosen liquid, thereby taking over the emptiness originally taken up by the portion that he has already ingested, and therefore is happy.

(2) the protagonist begins on a journey to savour the remaining liquid in reduced portions in his fight to maximise satisfaction, and therefore will be happy.

it is in my opinion that only an idiot would sit and stare at a mug of goodness and moan at the half-empty state continuously, thereby concluding my thoughts on why the production of the pessimist mug is self-defeating.

half a door closed

2007-08-02T02:25:00.000+08:00

thank you shawn for the plug and compliment(?) but unfortunately, i find the embracing of my inner yun a highly inappropriate personality trait, as much as it is a rare commodity that needs to be salvaged in this commercial marketplace we call our world.

after all, our feelings do not earn us food.

in recent times, my aspirations have been diverted from a very finance-based career to a clear, unmistakable question mark. unlike shawn or dennis, who are steadfast in the attainment of their goals, i am becoming doubtful of this initial hyped foray into the world of money.

my unhurried reading of Malkiel's A Random Walk Down Wall Street has finally led me to the chapter where he quotes JP Morgan saying "sell down to the sleeping point" in reply to a friend soliciting advice upon the destiny of his portfolio.

and well, i was thinking, shouldn't we scale down our future careers to one in which we can sleep and eat in peace too?

i am sorry i wavered.

Transformers

2007-08-02T02:22:00.000+08:00

having grown up with its merchandise over the years, it is hard to be unbiased towards a movie built around transformers, and hence, i will not attempt to be.

the after effects of the film were truly intense; i walked out of the theater expecting every vehicle on the road to instantly transform into a gargantuan robot double its size. and like dgco warned, i wanted to get every toy of the robots that were featured in the film.

my only discomfort lay in the expectation of an ending to bomb the show, having heard intensely disapproving reviews from my male counterparts (the girls just shrugged off the entire show). but it didn't come. the ending was average, and therefore, better than expected. lol.

and i wasn't surprised to find myself the only one of the few people in the theater (this seems to be the last week of screening) laughing out loud when megatron wakes up from hibernation, after chancing upon thegreatsze's thoughts on the film:

After being frozen for decades, Megatron is finally freed from his icy prison by the laconic Decepticons. But there is no gratitude, no reflection, no panic. Megatron, once emancipated, says very succinctly:

"I am Megatron."

To the uninitiated, this seems almost farcical. In cryo-stasis for seventy-odd years, and these are his first words upon release? Is he stupid, or just plain crazy? (Actually, his data-sheet states that his Intelligence is 10. So he must be crazy only.)

ROFL :D

La Vie En Rose

2007-07-30T23:55:00.000+08:00

interestingly, this film provided a stark contrast from the book previously mentioned.

french films have a tendency to portray its city and lifestyle as a glamorously romantic experience, and this film is no exception.

yet, the film showcases, as well, a crude and brutally real existence, something that dreamgirls failed to deliver (a comparison made with respect to the film's musical/reality genre), in its 'we're a family' happy ending. even walk the line depicted a significantly milder, and less personal story.

chronologically disturbing/confusing sequences, paired with marion cotillard's convincingly realistic portrayal of a druggie artiste makes up an enrapturing story of edith piaf. undoubtedly, the most mesmerising biopic in a long while.

《爱情两好三坏》

2007-07-30T23:50:00.000+08:00

有时候总觉得把自己塞进城市的角落不让人察觉，也许是最幸福的。

分辨真实与虚构往往就属巧合的频率，而这个试图让童话幻灭的爱情故事却产生了惊为天人的巧遇数量。虽然对于故事的内容稍有感触，却在过于天真的逻辑和煽情结局的拼凑下痛失了感动的成分。明显地不及《那些年，我们一起追的女孩》，却对于擅自闯进陌生人的告别式的概念乐此不疲。

danced out

2007-07-30T23:47:00.000+08:00

today marks the final day of 3 consecutive days spent at the dance studio on new bridge road (today being my usual hiphop and streetjazz classes) and i'm part exhausted, part excited.

open house day 1 was much of a chore, with only peiyi joining me for slow jam (which happens to be my favourite genre thus far), leaving me to trudge through pop&lock, lyricaljazz and streetjazz 2 alone. and i woke up the next day with body aches which resembled those from bondue camp.

open house day 2 was decidedly better, having been randomly introduced to certain smu salsa members (in the funkyturns class) who were great company throughout my streetjazz 1, salsa 1 and hiphop 2 classes.

which brings me to the point of this banal entry: i pray there are male specimens with a similar frequency in indancity or i'll just suffocate from the overdose of femininity and die.

《改变自己》

2007-07-24T12:38:00.000+08:00

没有改变，没有惊喜，没有感动。爱，不在这里。
毋庸置疑的是他的歌曲创作才华，却总觉得歌不对字；精彩的旋律被肤浅的歌词所淹没。

推荐歌曲：《改变自己》,《落叶归根》,《我们的歌》

夏天的风

2007-07-24T01:40:00.000+08:00

如果对于这趟旅程会记得些什么，那应该就是这座城市里的蓝天白云。

[photos]

of things to come

2007-07-23T17:27:00.000+08:00

the disadvantage of writing from memory is that in retrospect, everything seems sweet as summer; i'm pretty sure i didn't feel this way when we broke camp. but i am confident, as well, that it didn't feel like a nasty hangover. walking away from this brief period of occasional highs, there was a conscious knowing of many hi-bye friendships forged from this networking session, but also a couple of connections that would rekindle in the gym, on the dancefloor or in the classroom. and that would be enough, for now.

《OK》

2007-07-10T00:50:00.000+08:00

每隔几年，就有一阵这样的风吹过，如此清爽。

流行音乐/感性小品配上了摇滚小众的声音，这就是张震岳的致命吸引力。如此不搭的音乐类型结合凑成了令人动容的作品。这不是品质保证，这是对主流的宽容和温柔。在宇宙纷争统治的世代，强词夺理的坚持不再是歌迷的依恋，大家希望共享的是细腻的转折。和一些些自我的声音，因为完美已变成了虚无的追求。

有人说过，摇滚歌手的真诚是最动人的情歌。这就是证明。

推荐歌曲：《思念是一种病》,《你说有个女孩》,《路口》,《小宇》,《就让这首歌》,《小星星》

we end today on this note

2007-07-08T23:18:00.000+08:00

October knew, of course, that the action of turning a page, of ending a chapter or of shutting a book, did not end a tale.
Having admitted that, he would also avow that happy endings were never difficult to find: "It is simply a matter," he explained to April, "of finding a sunny place in a garden, where the light is golden and the grass is soft; somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content."

-- from The Man Who Was October by G. K. Chesterton / Library of Dreams.

having finally finished reading Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, clearing all the temporary cardboard boxes from my room and having my first school camp commencing on tuesday, i feel an odd sense of closure.

despite still having many tasks to complete and currently-nonexistent goals to set and attain, it feels as though my trials and tribulations from not having my abilities recognised are over, though not solved. and i'm moving on.

(my schedule for the next few weeks as follows:
10/7 - 12/7: Bondue Camp
14/7 - 18/7: Taiwan
20/7 - 22/7: Freshman Team-Building Camp)

i wish i could dance

2007-07-08T22:10:00.000+08:00

after finally catching up on the past 3 weeks of so you think you can dance, and thereby updating my list of memorable reality tv eliminations (which include Vonzell's and Melinda's from idol) with the goodbyes of Jessi and Jesus who, like their predecessors on my list, truly do not deserve to be ousted, even if based solely on the virtue of their dramatic exits.

this season is breathtaking. although there's still no equivalent for snow from season 1, there is wade robson's picture-perfect choreographies! wheee! :)
Sara and Jesus - Cabaret Hoover
Jaimie and Hok - Jazz

in a celebration of favoritism, with Jessi and Jesus gone, this is my take on the remaining contestants:
1. Sabra
2. Dominic
3. Pasha

on a stage dominated by veterans of contemporary and ballroom, the pairing of Sabra and Dominic is a breath of fresh air. with the exception of their disco performance, it seems that without professional training, people have a choice to perform less technically and more sensually, which imho lies the true value of dance. it is the raw-ness of it all, that makes it so endearing.

Dominic stuns the audience, over and over, with his interpretations of the vastly different dance forms. and with Sabra, her passion for dance flows through the elegance of her movements, which is simply beautiful to watch. in ending, a still from my favourite pose-scene so far, from their contemporary routine. and i softly exclaim a 'wow'.

丁噹《可以不可以》

2007-07-05T12:24:00.000+08:00

不需多介绍，这是我们所期待的 - 盛夏光年《明白》的女主唱。:)

《hey hah!可米小子》

2007-07-05T12:20:00.000+08:00

突然有一种冲动，在年轻消逝前去体验青春。而他们的音乐，虽说不上美妙，却拥有着一种曾经熟悉的活力。神奇的是，走遍了各个唱片行却不寻他们精选集的踪迹。直到偶遇大众书局的廉价售卖才寻获这张专辑。

乍听之下，其实没有预期中想象的难熬。反而，在现今的流行音乐市场里可算是远胜其他少年组织；能够诚心推荐的歌曲莫名地比周蕙近期的作品来得多。而现在，期待寻获他们的第二张专辑。

推荐歌曲：《求爱复刻版》,《超人心》,《最重要的你》,《青春无敌》

留下什么，我们就变成什么样的大人。

2007-07-02T12:11:00.000+08:00

over dessert last night, i frantically tried to recall the theme song for the film 蓝色大门, and the music video which i waited aimlessly for, everyday in the summer of 2002, for a beautiful face, and a beautiful song.

it was my final year in high school; it was the year when it felt like nothing was ever going to change; when a class of 16 boys in khaki-coloured shorts ruled the room oversized for 17. and we forged friendships that we couldn't have known would last forever, or for some, dissipate right after graduation. at that time, it really didn't matter.

and then, disaster struck. our social circles enlarged.

i like what he says with regards to entwining our lives with friends and lovers, about how people evolve and how lives change. taken out of context, but still as poignant:

　　仔細想想，真的，我們留下了好多、好多。「那些留下的東西」，也許是對方與家人互動時的真誠自然，也許是先洗頭再洗身體的洗澡公式，也許是大方的金錢觀念，也許是使用麥可喬丹二代香水、雅虎奇摩即時通的習慣。它們看來微不足道，也不值錢；然而，就是因為它們，我們才能成為現在的我們，我們才能比尚未遇到他們之前的我們擁有更豐富、更盈滿的生命。於是，誰說我們什麼「東西」都沒有留下來呢？《藍色大門》片尾，懷著對未來與自我的想望，孟克柔自問：「四、五年後，甚至更久、更久以後，我們會變成什麼樣的大人呢？是體育老師，還是我媽，還是……？」而答案，也許就在與我們的生命衝擊碰撞出火花的那些人身上……

on the first day of gst increase

2007-07-02T11:40:00.000+08:00

ie. this was supposed to be yesterday's post. lol.

defended (2)

2007-07-01T03:14:00.000+08:00

at 3am, i have completed the second instalment :)

beating the heat

2007-07-01T00:25:00.000+08:00

these days, i find myself patronising food outlets that dish out cold desserts. for obvious reasons. climate change! urgh.

(photo stolen blatantly from ieatishootipost's review for ice cream chefs)

i ordered a milk tea ice-cream mixed with cashew nuts and kinder bueno, which looks deceptively like the image on the left. i probably would hate myself for saying this now, but at that point in time it felt superior to any ben&jerry's concoction i've sampled. the magic was with the addition of kinder bueno. yum :P

in summary, it comes in regular ($3.10) and large scoops ($4.80), and additional $0.70 for each mix-in. with free choc fudge!

highly recommended also for the extremely friendly service provided. i expected the staff to be seh (or pseudo-drunk like me when i do night shift) by 10.30pm, but they appeared otherwise. oh and ladyboss provided generous sample servings! :)

but if you crave for something healthier, there's always ice monster at bencoolen. highly recommended after finally trying it out with grace. very fresh mangoes! :)

zenstone PLUS

2007-06-29T23:32:00.000+08:00

woah. i'm pretty glad i didn't buy the $69 zen stone when it was first introduced at the beginning of GSS. now they have zen stone plus($99) with a led screen, which greatly heightens its appeal, and lowers it's battery life by only .5 hours(?).

ps. checked out zen wav at a creative shop today, and it turns out that sound volume and quality's actually pretty decent. i'm sorely tempted. sigh.

defended (1)

2007-06-29T23:22:00.001+08:00

after 3 long nights, whilst not trying too hard, i have finally completed the 'very easy' stage of mofunzone's defender. my winning team at the last wave:

(the last 2 guys were pretty useless though)

milestone 2-25

2007-06-28T20:11:00.001+08:00

today is a happy day because i finally get to book my practical test date! 12 NOV 2007. omgwtfbbq whee! :)

dusty balls

2007-06-28T19:57:00.000+08:00

my aunt bought this pack of lightly-coated spheres from japan. apparently (if knowledge of hiragana persists) they are called kinako beans as implied by the label on the back of the pack:

i am currently considering callboy services for these goodies :)

the world needs some saving here

2007-06-28T19:56:00.000+08:00

this is another tragic story of an increase in price that is not justified by the gst increase of 2%. people rarely realise that for poor students like me, this is an infinite percentage increase in view of our nonexistent income.

guesswho!

2007-06-26T20:38:00.001+08:00

omg. i was doing my daily random surfing and stumbled across this. identity of unknown female sporting granada espada cosplay revealed after the break.

[drumroll]

ALEXIS DANG! :D
(photo taken eons ago at maf. i don't even remember where i got that accessory.)

dream's helm at bugis point

2007-06-26T20:03:00.000+08:00

discovered on a windowshopping trip with grace. it's selling for an all-time low price of $87, thanks to the GREAT singapore sale. what a bargain!

another 24 hours later

2007-06-26T19:59:00.000+08:00

the wound has degenerated into a mass of pseudo-necrotic cells with pus in a deeper shade of yellow. i've even highlighted the viscous, translucent pus secretion for your viewing pleasure. enjoy! :)

the pus shows its ugly self

2007-06-25T22:49:00.000+08:00

approximately 48 hours into my fall, i shall terrorize this blogospace with this unappetizing closeup of the pus-filled wound and my tiny hairs.

and if you would believe, i went for dance class with this. grins.

《绽放》

2007-06-24T20:15:00.000+08:00

期望在这年头叱咤乐坛，往往需要的是个性的声音，极为俊俏的外形或特殊的才艺。只可惜周蕙一一欠缺，唯独一把清亮的嗓子。

对于主打《最爱》的些许期待在聆听了其余的歌曲后一瞬间蒸发。只能说周蕙变主流了，却也沦落成新一代垃圾情歌的受害者。奇妙的是，许多旋律包含着早期燕姿歌曲的模式。但是少了独特的声线，对我而言，一点感觉也没有。

推荐歌曲：《最爱》,《发现》

当再次聆听周蕙从前的《体温》和《寂寞城市》才发现根本无从比较。

*wink

2007-06-24T01:10:00.000+08:00

i understand all great things come to an end, and i agree this collection wasn't particularly well-scripted or organised. but it bugs me to no end that i discovered this strip, only to find out that it has been discontinued on march 25 this year :(

gocomics is currently having a rerun of the strip from its beginning, commenced on june 18. catch it before it fades.

go wink!

dual standards

2007-06-24T00:59:00.000+08:00

it is in times like these that i feel i'm not good enough.

reba mcentire ft. kelly clarkson

2007-06-21T23:17:00.000+08:00

like melinda doolittle, country singers have this innate ability to tell tales with songs. with an enunciation like that, reba mcentire practically goes on her knees and begs you to listen to what the lyrics have to offer.

and then we have the subtle yet intensely emotional video. utterly brilliant, i say.

Related Articles: Does He Love You

再见

2007-06-21T22:45:00.000+08:00

i imagined it would be an emotional day where we weeped and gave hugs when i returned to send in my uniform. ok i admit that's bullshit but i expected some welling up of emotions that might include joy and cynical laughter, having wasted 5 months of my life there. but whatever sentiments that might have arose from this departure was dampened by my unintended abilities to miss out on details.

the verdict lies in me having to return my name tag within 3 days. -___-
which indicates another trip down to vivocity where the crowds do not wane and noise does not fade out.

and today, while cramping cheek muscles having hearty laughs with former colleagues, i uncovered even more reasons why i should never return to work at the land where the underrepresented, underprivileged, underpaid and underage workers are treated with disdain by the senior management. one of them being that cable car shop now sells canned drinks at $1.25 to staff instead of the previous $0.80. hell, it accounts for more than the gst increase.

in view of the overwhelming case i present, i urge you to find work elsewhere and those who are currently employed under such unfortunate circumstances, PLEASE QUIT.

All of Our Names

2007-06-21T22:35:00.000+08:00

intricately crafted lyrics, reminiscent of my days studying poetry under a microscope (i always failed interpretations and was rated as a non-lit student by my teachers heh). but there's something to be said about pretty language; it doesn't make sense most of the time, and beats about the bush, but when it hits you, it really does. especially when it's paired up with equally beautiful acoustic melodies :)

get it while it's hot! gramophone exclusive. 20% off at gphone at cathay.

Islamic Finance Perspectives & Opportunities

2007-06-19T23:37:00.000+08:00

my first gananan forum has left me more confused than ever, on whether it is a wise decision to foray into the world of islamic finance as a single focuspoint.

the speaker, mr raj, made certain very contradictory points (which in retrospect, do not clash as much as i thought, but are ideas with very fragile foundations). he mentioned that we, as non-muslim singaporeans, stand a very good chance at "minting money" from this industry because of our location, in a region that is of proximity to the religion of islam and with malaysia screwing up their chances with the middle-eastern investors with their lack of financial infrastructure.

then he goes on to admit that the yield from islamic financial instruments does not measure up to conventional instruments. (hmmm) BUT he goes on to mention that research has shown that the "return (from islamic financial instruments) is equivalent to LIBOR plus, not benchmarked against, but equivalent". (double hmmm)

he made a good point about moulding islamic banking into something "more palatable to suit conventional asian professionals" though, by changing the terms into conventional equivalents such as 'savings deposit', 'mortgage financing', etc. however, do we start naming them socially responsible (insert instrument name) or continue marketing under the name of islamic finance?

there was another point of interest in the dialogue, where he mentioned that hedge funds were actually shariah-compliant, if we were familiar with the hedge funds market. sigh. i obviously don't know a shit about hedge funds.

the forum wasn't as inspiring as i imagined it would be, but a worthy platform for a conversation of ideas. i actually had fun chatting with strangers after the session. after all, we don't have to outperform one another to gain participation points. i think i'll be back for more :)

(pardon me if i sound very n00b. i'm no finance expert :P)

life is not an rpg

2007-06-17T20:40:00.000+08:00

i had a sudden revelation right before sleep caught up - the more effort we take into planning the future, the more likely everything breaks down premature.

(i decided to settle for a timid dialga)

preludes to nocturnes

2007-06-17T15:46:00.000+08:00

it is with great displeasure that i introduce the moments in life with the highest aspirin requirements: the turning points.

i have quit my job, have no particular focus in life, yet to finish half of my book (which is due 2 days from now, effectively 1 because i'll be out tomorrow), stuck on mt coronet trying to catch a modest dialga, have no particular focus in virtual life and waiting for the school matriculation/camps to commence. and oliver turned 21.

it is in these non-moments, in which nothing ever happens but the clock continues ticking, i feel so distressed. i start wondering what the big fuss is, over the lack of places in local universities (and i link to mrwang, because it's a free site and he tries to be objective, although in recent posts has failed to do so, but he is not to be faulted because we live in a country that breaks hearts), and i ponder upon what my driving instructor has to say about foreign 'talent'. but everyone misses my point: that we should begin increasing the value of bursaries and cutting taxpayer contributions to scholarships.

you can tell i don't really care about climate change.

until it successfully deteriorates my social behaviour. yet, that ceases to matter when i feel disconnected enough to feel alright about leaving people behind.

i remember a middle-aged man and woman whom, clearly evident from the accessories and fashion-sense they carry with such slack ignorance, have gone through their early years as the stereotypical lian and beng of yesteryear singapore. and i remember feeling thankful for my mom being a university graduate.

on the way to chong's last night, i watched a girl with down's syndrome - dressed so fashionably, like a doll - weep silently on the bus, on her way home, doting parents by her side.

and my heart bleeds, lost.

i read a bit of sandman this morning while waiting for chong and oliver to wake up, and i was hit by the realisation of how fleeting everything really is.

From the darkness I hear the beating of mighty wings...

gay bomb

2007-06-11T23:58:00.000+08:00

shawn sent this to the class yahoogroups. which reminded me of alfian sa'at's termination.

firstly, with reference to the first article, i'd like to comment that americans have had their capacity for intelligence reduced ever since bush jr. was instated as president. (see article conclusion to understand why i think the idea is ridiculous)

next, the link between the two newsworthy articles lies in sexuality discrimination. one of the suspected reasons that caused alfian sa'at's termination was due to his sexual orientation, and that the minister of education RAdm Lui is homophobic - which sounds silly, but we understand how the party works, and we're therefore not ruling that possibility out.

and if the previously stated assumption were true and terminations executed subsequently, there would be a significant loss in young male teachers in singapore. (but of course, the more probable reason was due to alfian's disregard for the government)

on ending, WHY THE HELL DID THEY BOOT ALFIAN SA'AT?
i would have loved to learn under him. he is, without doubt, significantly more qualified (and interesting) than any of the people who have, in the past, taught me how to read/memorise books. bah. MOE is not thinking here, as usual.

[more]
(reply to a query of why the incident has gained so much exposure)

the big hoo hah is that everyone wants to sit in his class and absorb. okay, at least i do.

i don't think it's a big hoo hah. at least, not on its own. it's just another incident that has been widely publicized enough to be another of those anti-establishment events to add into the opposition handbook. people are just ranting so that they end up in the trendy group of politically incorrect (wrt the current political regime) webloggers.

i think maybe the MOE has suspicions to believe he has an ulterior motive to convert young impressionable students into future opposition party members. on the other hand, because his works, in general, do not reach a young impressionable mainstream audience (his works are not part of the literary fare students have to swallow), and the fact that the arts and education are two highly distinguishable industries, helps to explain why his works are still permitted by NAC.

Hey Eugene!

2007-06-11T23:23:00.000+08:00

i remember hearing rave reviews for their debut album "sympathique" (1997), but that was before the time i was actively excited about music in general. now that i'm hooked on "the bird and the bee" (see previous) which also lies in the electric/lounge genre, i decided to give this a spin.

and woah.

this is world music as 'world' as it can be. the orchestral arrangements are breathtaking, and vocalist china forbes is simply amazing. languages are executed with such astounding grace and precision, you are forced to believe they're ethnic. (arabic anyone?) with the english lyrics so heartbreakingly cheeky/sad/happy all at the same time, it would be a blessing to be able to understand the multiple languages so flawlessly presented.

without doubt, this is music that truly breaks the boundaries of time and space.

dream in 1982

2007-06-11T23:11:00.000+08:00

feast your eyes (and ears) on jennifer holliday in her element. this is a recording of her theatrical performance on the 1982 tony awards. if you thought j.hud and lakisha were awesome, welcome to the true level of diva-goodness.

flags

2007-06-10T22:06:00.000+08:00

check out america's. pure pwnage :D

phirebrush

2007-06-10T21:51:00.001+08:00

goodbye deviantart. hello phirebrush.
(best of 2006 link)

Ocean's 13

2007-06-10T10:18:00.000+08:00

incredibly straightforward with its plot lined up right from the start, this is mainstream fare of adrenaline-rush at a better-than-average quality. in chong's words, the plot is so thin i could... but much better than the witless shrek 3 at any cost.

a comparison to its predecessor would be near-impossible as the previous episode left me scratching my head, which doesn't directly imply a better/worse grading.

the breakthrough character this time round was abigail sponda played by ellen barkin: classy, sassy, sexy. and the only woman with a slightly more important role in the film. she and reuben stole the show away.

i'm sorry if that's not entirely true. i have a thing for supporting characters :P

doraemon in cantonese

2007-06-08T22:53:00.001+08:00

and so ugly it creeps me out.

why the actor playing the part of the protagonist loser has to paint the rest of his pants on instead of wearing one deludes me.

100km/h out and oops

2007-06-08T22:12:00.000+08:00

i have to admit that my physics knowledge is surprisingly non-existent. would someone kindly explain?

epileptic fit-ness

2007-06-08T22:05:00.000+08:00

just when i thought tragedy had struck (and left) after their unveiling of the 2012 olympics logo depicting a blowjob scene, they came up with a seizure-causing advertisement. amazing progress, i say :D

leslie hunt on myspace

2007-06-08T15:20:00.000+08:00

after the season, it still boggles me why the girl with lupus didn't make it through to the top 12, even with such an unprecedented lacklustre cast. and the recordings on her space reinforces the mystery. (also featured here)

unfortunately, i can't say the same about AJ.

camiseteria.com

2007-06-07T01:11:00.000+08:00

a potential threadless rival.

but it certainly would be helpful if someone could help me figure out how long the sale lasts, whether they export internationally and what currency $R actually is. well, at least i know it's in ~~spanish~~ portugese (edit: thanks shawn!). i just don't know how to read it.

13th century prodigy

2007-06-07T01:06:00.000+08:00

there is always something disturbing about drawings by leonardo. and that emotion of bewilderment is clearly not lacking in seeing this particular drawing (and others), taking into account that he lived in an era before anatomical studies were commonplace.

sschemed

2007-06-04T12:57:00.000+08:00

3 consecutive weeks of fully booked ssdc driving lessons. this must be some subliminal message of singaporean mentality, which brings along the unfortunate news of my driving lessons re-commencing in the last week of june. WTF.

threadless-less

2007-06-04T12:51:00.000+08:00

i can't believe i didn't know about this until today - all shirts going at $10 each. omfg. no time to look through the sizes. sheesh. oh wells i have enough shirts from shanghai to last me a semester, methinks. next summer!

Shrek the Third

2007-06-04T12:09:00.000+08:00

half as funny and half as witty as the previous instalment.

so, whatever.

2007-05-30T23:50:00.000+08:00

after allowing time for the announcement to seep in, i understand, finally, why kenny (future CEO of future Extrame Records) was so pissed with being awarded the SMU Study Award.

it's almost as if the school administration was saying "oh, you have good grades but you're not geekish or jock-like enough and you're kinda poor so let's give you some other study award to show that we're still somewhat meritocratic. too bad for you; we don't really care."

and upon reading the tenure and and benefits:

Each Study Award, valued at up to $5,000 per year, is tenable for up to four years of studies, subject to good academic performance.

The Award offers financial support as follows:

(a) Annual living allowance of $2,500

(b) The balance of $2,500 may be used once, during the tenure of the award, for each of the following on a reimbursement basis:

(i) Purchase of a notebook computer
(ii) University-approved study trips such as overseas student exchange programmes, business study missions, summer study programmes, etc.
(iii) Participation in approved overseas conferences/seminars.
(iv) Overseas internship or community service attachment.

(source: http://www.smu.edu.sg/financial/scholarships/smu_study_award.asp)

BOOM!

i don't even have enough liquid currency to pay for half of my tuition fees annually! still, i hold my stand that money is money, and i'm poor. so yeah, whatever.

with that final burst of fireworks -

2007-05-30T23:29:00.000+08:00

Just like a star across my sky / Just like an angel off the page
You have appeared to my life / Feel like I'll never be the same
Just like a song in my heart / Just like oil on my hands
Honour to love you

Still I wonder why it is
I don't argue like this / With anyone but you
We do it all the time / Blowing out my mind

and a cookie - it's over :)

At World's End

2007-05-27T19:43:00.000+08:00

an apt ending to a graphically astounding trilogy. despite an obvious lacking in plot and overabundance in time, it was fun while it lasted. with the showcase of different colours/cultures, this beats spiderman 3 hands down; and no overload of loveydovey crap scenes to boot- which implies pure action. woot! :)

absolutely loved tia dalma! oooh calypso! whee!

(hmmm ok. i dunno what's with the adrenaline-high. i'm not.)