Saturday, May 31, 2008
star | 4:35 PM
Bryan Adams
What you gona do when you grow up
What you gona do when your life is up...
I guess the current stormy weather overwhelms with its calming effect, causing me to go into this reflective mood...
angelina | 4:26 PM
I just saw a news report on Angelina Jolie on CNA. No words can describe her beauty and elegance. Compared to her wild days, she is now extremely composed in all her public appearances. I guess motherhood has its effects on even the wildest brat. :)
bounce | 9:04 AM
Friday, May 30, 2008
pub@UnitedSq | 11:55 PM
I ended my day with my former university friends at this pub near where I stay which inports beer from all over the world. It has been a long time since I had gone out on a social drinking session. I cannot remember the name of the establishment. However, I am sure my former rugger students will be familiar with the setting. I ordered one from Germany upon the recommendation by one of the Filipino waitress. It tastes almost as good as the Irish import, Kilkenny. To accompany that, I downed an assortment of boiled and fried German sussages which was excellent. It's a pity I did not to take a picture of that. Because I drive and the fact that I had drunk my first bottle on a slightly empty stomach, I decided not to go for a second - another label which is also German but a lot lighter and had a nice aftertaste although it was also a larger bottle (see 2nd picture, extreme right).
The lineup of the drinks for the evening. My friends did not want their pictures taken because we are all in the same profession. Well, who says teachers cannot chill out over drinks and great food?
National Museum | 11:37 PM
I learnt that the museums in Singapore are free after 6pm on Fridays!!! Having been so caught up with work and all, I realise what I have missing. Thus I am using this holidays to do major catchups and revisit some cultural places and nooks and corners around the island.
A towering statue of David greets you at the entrance.
You feel completely dwarfed by its full glory and simultaneously amused by the pinkish batik pattern that covers its entire body. The amusement of the latter arises from the thought that David's suffering from some seriously eczema.My friend and I had come to visit this installation by Matthew Gui, a famous local artist. Okay, I sound like I know a lot about the local art scene. The truth is, I only learnt about him today from her! Well, it seemed that that exhibit closes at 6pm, the time when the museum opens its door for free. How ironic! The same goes for other "pay-for-view" exhibits. While we felt rather annoyed and cheated by the fine print which we only encounter on a postcard at the visitor's counter, I told her that it is just so Singapore that nothing is truly free.
So together we checked out the other exhibits while waiting for her husband to arrive.
I quite like what the creator of this installation says about the nature of human communication - we dorn various masks because we all fear being truly vulnerable.
Cruel intentions?
See the row of red chandeliers in the background hanging on the ceiling? Well, they are supposed to sway, tilt and perform various movement in sync. Fortuntely for us, we have arrived at a time when the organisers deemed that it should be given a break and the action will not begin til 7pm by which we would be away at a talk by Mr Gui. Call it bad timing...
Go past the foyer on the ground level to this junction where the escaltors that bring you to the upper floors are and you will meet this gigantic screen. Something somewhere captures videos of visitors and plays them on the screen in gritty resolution which I kind of like. Yes, that is me on it.
This is taken at some Film & Wayang section. 
I just like the surreal atmosphere created by these bulbs hung sporadically, and intentionally no doubt.
Leaving the stage...
It has been a long time since I have attended any stimulating talk on any topic since I had left university. Now I truly understand why my friends and many others further their studies by doing their Masters. I felt alive by the ideas presented and the witty banter by the panel of guests. If I save enough, I might just consider doing a course on the fine arts. Talk is cheap see.
Big feet. Too bad the security guard at stepped away from the stairs behind when I took this snap shot. I wanted to give you readers an idea of how terribly and humongously inflicted David is.
Graduation Exhibition | 11:24 PM
A colleague informed me that a Graduation Exhibition by the final year students at Nanyang Academy Of Fine Arts (NAFA) was on and that she was bringing her students there. I decided to go along. It is on til Saturday, 10am to 7pm.
My self-portrait snapshot in the lift.The rest are the works that got my attention.
These individual pieces are carved from and painted on wooden canvases.
Her alluring eyes, with the rest of her facial features, sort of call out to the passerby.
A piece by an ex-teacher who is a friend of my colleague on the theme "Mundane". When I heard her mention the theme, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Do you get the joke after studying the subject matter of the painting?
I thought my juxtaposition of the art work featuring faceless outlines of figurines against the live human specimens was commendable...
On a sidenote, when the students saw me at the exhibition, most of them gave me this incredulous look, as if saying, "What on earth are you doing here? What do you know about Art appreciation???" I believe one of my students who takes Art actually said that once to me. Although I may be a formerly a triple Science and double Mathematics student, I switched over to the Arts faculty partially in JC and then completely in the university. It is a long story of course. After I had decided to abandon my dream to become a doctor (thus the gradual switch to the Arts faculty) and on one of my exploration trips around Singapore, an installation outside one of the banks at Boat Quay sparked my passion for the Art appreciation.
This silk screen piece was lit by neon light. It would definitely make a nice display piece for the house.
Click on it to read the message on the left page. "S" is for you know...
This piece would do better with more subtlety and better finishing touches.
Another installation on the dematerialisation and thus futility of modern excesses (too 'chim'/ dense?) which truly took my breath away.
The visuals are lit by projectors and yes, the artist told me they took months to render.
I know where the subject matter, the shophouse, is located!!! In fact, I have a picture of it somewhere on this blog!
The shadows imposed by this paper-cut piece are attractive. Regular readers to this blog should realise my facination with light and shadows.
A massive installation using blood/drip vials filled with water.
M11-Bencoolen | 11:22 PM
While on my way to the Singapore Arts Museum, I chanced upon M11 along Bencoolen Street. The mini-food court is found just before the stretch of hotels and the bigger cousin of Kopitiam along the same stretch. 
A majority of the owners are Thais and Vietnamese. I hear conversations in Thai every where I turned! There were even 3 rather feminine looking Thai crossdressers waiting to buy their food at a stall. I really thought I was in Bangkok like that time when I backpacked Thailand for a month during my university days and this is HERE in the heart of Singapore!
Why is it always a bigger portion on pictures than in reality? 
See what I mean? Anyway, I have not had this dish for a long time. The gravy of chinese wine and the red paste (don't ask me what that is) reminded me of the mee sua my granny and mom used to cook in the past. 
I simply had to finish every drop of the delicious gravy which would be perfect if it was a lot thicker. So that was to fill my stomach so that I do not drink with my university friends later on an empty stomach and suffer dire consequences.
Facebook's not for sale - even for $21b | 11:48 AM
May 30, 2008
Facebook's not for sale - even for $21b
GOAL: Mr Zuckerberg says Facebook intends to execute plans such as helping users share information more easily.CALIFORNIA - FACEBOOK chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has no plans to sell the social networking site, even if Microsoft offered US$15 billion (S$20.6 billion).
'The end goal isn't to sell the company or IPO,' Mr Zuckerberg, 24, said on Wednesday at the All Things Digital conference.
'The goal of the company is to execute on the things we talked about before,' he added. This would include helping users share information more easily.
full article @ The Straits Times, 3rd Buzz
Goodbye mouse, hello touch | 11:26 AM
Saint2 : Recall Speilberg's "Minority Report" starring Tom Cruise? The future techology will soon become present reality!
May 30, 2008
MICROSOFT'S NEW OPERATING SYSTEM
Goodbye mouse, hello touch
Windows 7 to offer touch-screen feature that builds on Apple's success
TOUCH AND GO?: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates demonstrating the Microsoft Touchwall, a new multi-touch user interface technology, at a summit in Redmond, Washington, earlier this month. -- PHOTO: REUTERSNEW YORK - MICROSOFT is signalling the end of the mouse with its latest operating system, which aims to build on the success of its rival Apple's iPhone touch screen.
Windows 7 will allow PC users to touch, rather than point and click, in a move which indicates the world's most influential software company believes the days of the keyboard-mouse combination are coming to an end.
full article @ The Straits Times, 3rd Buzz
technorati | 9:13 AM
I have been Technorati-sed!
I've seen the link in many blogs and wondered what this is all about. So I'm just trying this out to see how this truly works! Wish me luck!
This is my
Technorati Profile
Bio.95 | 9:01 AM
There's an upcoming channel on StarHub cable which is on preview to suscribers. It's called The Biography Channel. I've just trawled the web and found the web site featuring the Bio..
I'm watching a programme on Bill Gates which traces Microsoft's meteoric rise to success. I will rate it "sufficiently engaging".
For those of you reality series and bio fanaticcs out there, go check out channel 95.
OFF! | 8:55 AM
My day OFF!
No work, no hole-ing up in my work room for hours and watch my ass get imprinted by the mold of the chair I sit on. Free to head out, free to enjoy the sunshine (PLEASE DON'T RAIN!). :)
My morning ritual starts off with coffee. I am no connoisseur so it's really the 3-in-1 for me.
Well, this is what's left of the juicy carrot cake my mom bought from somewhere by the time I had remembered to reach for the camera.
The rest of the day? I have an ambitious plan. But I want to take it easy. That never happens of course. In the past half hour or so, I was already multi-tasking on my DVD-Recorders in 2 separate rooms, reading the newspapers and watching television while eating my breakfast.
Something tells me that I'm in for a big haul although it is my day off.
Stars | 1:23 AM
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wp - starfish | 11:54 PM
Ion | 9:49 PM
Walking from Orchard Road, through the Ion premises (which is still under major construction) into the bowels of the underground MRT station.
CK | 8:40 PM
My first bargain at Takashimaya during this Great Singapore Sale - a pair of CK jeans. I must confess : I am not one to splurge hundreds on clothings but this purchase was a real steal because of some unused vouchers I have had with me since last year. Thanks, of course, to Kevin for directing me to the Calvin Klein section!
stolen! | 1:20 PM
My sandals had been stolen from my doorstep!!!! I discovered them missing when I left for for my tennis game. The pair has been with me on several overseas trips, thus I am upset because of its sentimental value and the fact that it is still in very good condition. This , just like the frequent litter thrown from the building onto my vehicle, has never happened until some neighbours began renting out their flats to foreign workers. Arghh! I shall restrain myself and just look forward to the day I move out of this place! Sigh.
blog-whore-ring??? | 9:28 AM
I was just surfing what are supposedly top blogs voted by readers to check out the great big world of the blogging community. I came to these conclusions :
1) Most favourite bloggers are females.
2) Most favourite female bloggers put on winter-jacket-thermal-layers of makeup and hardly have a single picture of themselves without artificial colourings. Oh, their accessories include fake eye-lashes and coloured contact lenses.
3) Most favourite male bloggers dorn that emo-bush-of-a-hair whose fringes part strategically to reveal their eyes.
4) Most favourite male bloggers have blog banners of pictures of themselves in sets of 3s and 4s different poses.
5) Dawn Yang's rather gorgeous and smart (from RJC!) until someone told me online that she's been plastic-ked with the help of mommy's Vitamin $/M! Well, while I should not believe everything I hear or read, I am not surpised if that is true!
6) What's the big deal with XiaXue's blog???!!! She is loud and big in every essence of the word.
7) Camwhore-ring - how do you spell it?? - seems to be the order of the day if you want to increase blog readership.
Okay, that was quite an enlightening if not wasted morning surf. Thus I just have to blog about this surreal experience before I head out for tennis...
...of which I'm late, of course.
TF2 | 8:40 AM
vote | 8:23 AM
online calculator | 6:43 AM
Saint2 : Another cool tool from Google! This tip comes from A Consuming Experience.
Did you know Google's search page includes an online calculator & converter? One of my very IT literate friends didn't know this trick, so I thought I'd post this tip.
In the standard Google search box, if you type in a calculation then hit enter or Search, it'll actually do the calculation online for you, and provide the answer where you'd normally get search results displayed.
Use * for multiply, / for divide, and +, - and brackets in the usual way, then Search to see the results (more operators and full instructions here - I do wish they'd allow x for multiply though). There's a limit though, if you type in a very very very long calculation it won't do it, I'm not sure how long but I've definitely hit it.
Online conversions
Google also converts from and to units like Roman numerals (very useful in this here 21st century), as well as the more common conversions. And you can enter your query in normal language - e.g. "3.5 lbs in kg" works, just try clicking that. Or even Google's example of 0x7d3 in roman numerals! Tip: you may need to experiment, it seems to work OK with no space, but sometimes it works better if you add a space (e.g. before the lbs in the previous sentence).
Note also that the converter is case sensitive - so converting MB to GB will work but not MB to gb.
But although Googlers showed their sense of humour in allowing you to change your Google search interface language to Klingon or even Pig Latin, they don't yet let you convert into polar bears or Golden Gate Bridges. For that, you have to use the Weird Converter, though even that doesn't have baby elephants. However, if you want to, you could convert into Jenifer Anistons or human tongues, or even right whale testicles or flaccid penises, if you really can't resist the urge to try those! (Heh heh, I bet no one ever thought I'd be able to legitimately work testicles or flaccid penises into a blog post, did they?).
I can use the trick for speeding up searches on Google and other sites with a keyword, to do even fast calculations too: Ctrl-l to call up the Open URL box, then type g then space then my calculation or conversion. Labels: Google, online calculator
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Where's my little girl gone? | 11:28 PM
Saint2 : I have always had my suspicion about Barbie dolls. They sort of remind me of the insidious blubber-like Teletubbies!
May 28, 2008TWEEN SCENE: COVER STORY
Where's my little girl gone?
Some pre-teen girls dress and behave beyond their years. Experts tell MYB why it worries them when tweens become too sexualised
Nowadays, it seems that it's never too young to be sexy.
Even tweens - children between eight and 12 years old - are being bombarded by product and media images of women who are slim, svelte and pouty.
The experts, including those in Singapore, are worried.
Ms Vanessa von Auer, clinic director of EVA Psychology Centre at Camden Medical Centre in Orchard Boulevard, said: 'Pop culture really seduces tweens into a sexualised way of life.'
She added: 'On television and in magazines in Singapore, we see a lot of tall, attractive, fair-skinned people with Pan-Asian looks. There's pressure on tweens to attain that facade and when or if they don't, they think they're a failure.'
Many experts link American-style consumerism to the sexualisation of young girls, typically teenagers but, increasingly, tweens too.
Ms M Gigi Durham, associate professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Iowa, said: 'Part of it is that sexuality is a key aspect of marketing a variety of products, especially to girls, like cosmetics, diet aids and fashion.
'Marketers have figured out that they can cultivate consumers and keep them longer by targeting them at young ages. Pushing the goal of 'hotness' onto tweens orients them to these products very early.'
Many products like make-up, clothes and toys which target tweens and young teens seem to package the adult premise of sex in cute candy colours, persuading little girls to totter around in high heels and mini-skirts.
The media is being blamed too. Ms Durham has written a book, The Lolita Effect, which explores the increasing media sexualisation of tween girls.
Lolita was the sexually precocious 12-year-old character called Dolores Haze in Russian-born novelist Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 book of that title. The term has since been used in pop culture to refer to sexually aware little girls.'Girls are influenced by the media to view their bodies judgmentally, to see sexual desirability as a life goal and to buy into the consumerism at the root of this media sexualisation of girls,' Ms Durham said.
A backlash - of sorts - has started against this sexualisation of young girls in the United States.
The star of Disney's billion-dollar franchise Hannah Montana, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, whose fan base consists mainly of tweens, was recently embroiled in controversy over sexually suggestive photos of her published in the June issue of Vanity Fair.
Ms van Auer argues that Singapore is not immune to the Lolita effect. The top 10 television programmes for girls aged eight to 12 years old on Kids Central here last year include Bratz, Barbie As The Island Princess and High School Musical.
She feels that tweens who are constantly fed idealised images of beautiful, slim women can suffer from lower self-esteem and a negative body image, that is, how we perceive our own body.
KK Women's and Children's Hospital's principal psychologist in the psychology service Ms Frances Yeo, echoes this view. She said: 'These days, children and adolescents are more exposed to media like movies, video and computer games and the Internet.
'These media often convey images of ideal attractiveness and body shapes, which can be unrealistic.'
junec@sph.com.sg
Read the complete article here (login required).
Labels: barbie dolls, Disney, girls, media, Miley, sexuality, teenager
valve | 11:17 PM
I found Morgan Freeman's PC at BlackMesa!!!
For those who may not know the context of the caption above...
skyhigh | 10:56 PM
I saw this on CNN while running on the threadmill in the gym...
Fuelling Prices
Europe - US$2.01 / litre
Hong Kong - US$2.1 / litre
Middle East - US$0.1 / litre
The DISPARITY!
Either I stop driving or I migrate to the Middle East!
I should perhaps start digging in my garden and pray that I hit an oil reserve.
Wait a minute, I live on the 9th floor!!
Labels: fuel, petrol, rising prices
Ethan's STOMPED! | 7:10 PM
Meet S'porean Ethan, the youngest artist for well-known cymbal brand ZildjianEthan Ong, 9, has come a long way since being Singapore's Younger Busker to getting selected as an artist for well-known cymbal and gong manufacturer, Zildjian.
The news was sent in by his parents, Bernard and Christina whom have sent in a contribution today (May 28) to share the good news.
"We are proud of Ethan," they say, "that he managed to realise his dream and become one of the youngest artists in the world to be signed on by Zildjian and up-and-coming drum brand Mapex.
"We hope Singaporeans all round are proud of our local talent!"
Read more about this at the STOMP web.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
repel | 2:32 PM
The pest :
The apparent solution :I got this tip from a friend by email on how to deal with the bugger.
The details:
Using LISTERINE as Mosquito Repellent
I can't wait to try this in the summer! Mosquito Spray...Worth a try I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.
OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of Bug-spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.
School holiday? WHAT HOLIDAY? | 11:35 AM
Saint2 : Are you enjoying your holidays so far? Or perhaps you are facing the predicament expressed in the following article. Share your thoughts by clicking on the comments link to this entry!
May 26, 2008
School holiday? WHAT HOLIDAY?
Many students, mostly in graduating batches, have classes during mid-year break By Jane Ng & Yen Feng
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO THE four-week mid-year school holiday has begun but many students and teachers will not get a proper break until one or two weeks later.
A check with 25 primary and secondary schools showed that almost all have some form of classes, mostly for graduating batches of students - Primary 6s and Secondary 4s and 5s.
Only two schools - Raffles Girls Primary (RGPS) and Hwa Chong Institution - said they are not holding classes at all.
Many parents, whose children have to return to school for such 'compulsory' lessons, say they do not see the point in them, especially when the children are not sitting for major exams at the end of the year.
A parent, whose son is in Primary 5 at Tao Nan School in Marine Parade, was upset to learn that the three-day lessons held in the last week of the holidays, were 'compulsory, with a medical certificate required if the child was absent'.
TIME NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS'Unless there's a family emergency, we want students to come back for the classes. They need the time to prepare for the examinations.'
ZHONGHUA SECONDARY PRINCIPAL DOLLY ONG, on the compulsory classes the upper secondary students must attend
WHY HAVE LESSONS DURING VACATION?
'My son is only in Pri5. Why have lessons during the long holidays when they already have compulsory supplementary classes twice a week during term time?'
AN UPSET PARENT, whose son is in Tao Nan School
'My son is only in Primary 5. Why have lessons during the long holidays when they already have compulsory supplementary classes twice a week during term time?
'What's three days of lessons in a kid's life? I feel sorry when he asks me why he can't play,' she said.
Principal Tony Tan said the classes were to make up for lessons missed by the cohort during a three-day adventure camp last month.
Another parent, whose daughter is in Primary 4 in a neighbourhood school, said she decided not to let her go for the classes as the family had made plans to travel.
'Three days will not get her more A* in the PSLE, not when she's only in Primary 4,' said Madam Judy Chong, 39, a customer services executive, who wrote to the school to excuse her daughter from classes.
Over at Zhonghua Secondary, its Secondary 4 and 5 students have compulsory lessons from 8am to 3.15pm every day for the first two weeks of the holidays.
Principal Dolly Ong said parents were advised early in the year not to take their children on a vacation.
'Unless there's a family emergency, we want students to come back for the classes. They need the time to prepare for the examinations,' she added.
School heads say there are students who need these extra classes and who will benefit from them.
Zhonghua Primary's principal Bucktha Seelan said his teachers have planned lessons in the first three days of the school holidays for pupils who need it.
'It's in small groups and not compulsory, though we encourage them to come. It's the only time we can do something to help weaker pupils catch up with their classmates,' he said.
In Tampines Secondary, Secondary 4 and 5 students have classes every day for the first week. Principal Neo Tick Watt said he had 'mixed feelings' about having classes during the holidays.
'You want the students to enjoy, but you also want them to study. Our students need focus and motivation, and the momentum to keep studying,' he said.
That is how some parents feel as well, especially those with children facing critical examinations.
Mrs Susan Kiew, 49, a housewife who has two children in Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary, said the lessons would benefit her elder daughter who is sitting for the O levels at the end of the year.
'If she has problems she can ask her teacher - it's extra help for her, and is better than staying at home,' she said.
But students having to attend classes would mean teachers giving up their holidays too.
Schools say they are careful to set aside time for teachers to rest.
For instance, while NorthLight School has no formal classes during the holidays, some students asked for enrichment lessons like baking.
So the school found an external vendor to conduct classes, with supervision done by administrative staff so that teachers can go for their break.
Principal Chua Yen Ching said she tries to make sure the teachers get three weeks of uninterrupted rest during the holidays.
'It's important that after one semester, they reflect, recharge so they come back renewed,' she said.
As RGPS principal Tan Siok Cheng, who stopped holiday classes five years ago, put it: 'The girls get so tired, and some don't show up because of vacation plans...so we target them throughout the school year, rather than ask them to come back during the holidays.'
janeng@sph.com.sg
zengyan@sph.com.sg
source : The Straits Times
Further reading (login required).
New Shoes | 9:14 AM
Paolo Nutini
Right after I have taken the picture of Phua Chu Kang boots on the way to the gym earlier, this song came to mind.
In the wake of the Great Singapore Sale, I'm sure we are all victims of retail therapy in one way or another.
Labels: MTV
PCK | 9:02 AM
Yellow boots. The arresting colour emanates a certain charm despite its dilapidated surroundings.
Monday, May 26, 2008
paths | 6:13 PM
Before I head out for a dinner appointment, I was just on MSN chatting with another ex-student who had contacted me. He is a former Victorian. I had almost ended up teaching there despite being posted to a neighbourhood school. See, my mentor teacher then had requested for me three times but I said that I would let the divine powers put me where I should be. Sometimes I do wonder how things might be different if I had started off teaching in an autonomous school instead.
Well, my point being - this seems like the season for my ex-students to contact me. Paths which diverged in the past now seem to cross again. On one hand, I do feel a little less younger but on the other, I do see the efforts I had put into establishing relationships with my former charges while I was a full-time teacher now coming one full circle (or circles) to lure me back into the job again. Eh, I know the answer to that and I will not mention it here of course.
I have to run. Yes, am meeting a former BB NCO (not from SAS), who was one of my most dynamic, fun loving and compassionate leader I have known to date, for dinner.
Pei Chun | 8:02 AM
Gosh! I chanced upon this photograph on Facebook! Some kid from Pei Chun Public School where I had a 6-month teaching stint messaged another ex-colleague on the P2P website to ask about me. I remember one of the very enthusiastic upper primary boys telling me that this win was their first trophy ever in the badminton CCA which I had taken over. I will never forget that of course.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
free | 10:36 PM
wp -shoes | 5:40 PM
Some picture I dug up from S1 Express Camp 2006. Check out my previous blog, The Saint Chronicles, for the fun the current S3Exp had then at the Links column.
in my shoes | 12:25 PM
An ex-student told me on MSN earlier that he now knows how teachers feel when they are managing a class. Now on his mega-long holiday, he had taught some secondary students in the context of a muscial enrichment course. Because the school is co-ed, his colleagues and himself had to deal with adoring female fans who continue to plague them after the course was over. Way to go, T! (name withheld to save him the embarassment of course!)
Ballad Of Black Mesa | 12:16 PM
This video is INCREDIBLE! The instrumentation brings to mind the STOMP performance done Half-Life2 style.
all things OINK | 10:05 AM
I have this for my breakfast every Sunday with my family. If you like prawn noodle or in this case, the spare parts of the pig swimming in tasty soup base, head over to this coffee shop at Sam Leong Road to try it. 
City Square | 9:41 AM
The new City Square condominium near where I live is almost near its completition. I almost bought a place there right after I had quit teaching. The developers are also building a mall with a cinema as part of its facilities. Imagine a mall with a cinema right at your doorstep! Darn. I should really have done so. However, in a way, I am glad I did not because otherwise I would not be able to move into one with a basketball court and tennis court SOON!
Zildjian's! | 6:08 AM
The son of a childhood friend of mine, Ethan, made Singaporean history once again by becoming one of the youngest Zildjian Artist worldwide. Zildjian is the most popular and established cymbal brand in the world, with its roots dating back to 1623. Mapex (drums used at ChildAid 2007) has also signed Ethan up as their artist. 
Check out Saturday, May 24, 2008
Bill Gates' view on LIFE | 10:03 PM
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
If you agree, pass it on.
If you can read this - Thank a teacher!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Pedra Branca | 7:43 PM
May 23, 2008
ICJ rules for S'pore on islet dispute with Malaysia
By Lydia Lim, Senior Political Correspondent
Pedra Branca is considered important for its strategic position and impact on territorial marine boundaries. -- PHOTO: REUTERSA 28-YEAR-OLD tussle for sovereignty over Pedra Branca and its outcrops came to an end on Friday when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the main island to Singapore, and two smaller outcrops nearby to Malaysia.
The court did not make a definitive ruling on the third rock of contention, South Ledge which is visible only at low tide. It belongs to whoever owns the territorial waters it sits in, said the court.
Source : The Straits Times
Saint2:
I felt intrigued when I read this piece of news because it reminds me again just how truly vulnerable we are as a nation. Over the past 2 years or so, Singapore was embroiled in numerous tit-for-tat policies which our neighbouring countries had stirred up like little children at the playground when they lose their marbles - from drinking water, sand and now this isle. On the other hand, the reminders of our vulnerability does help to keep us from becoming conceited in the light of our amazing successes. Moreover, who was it who had called us that little "red dot" on a map? I seriously think he should consider thinking before he speaks next time. Now the little red dot has just grown its size and won some nautical grounds!
Labels: Pedra Branca, politics, Singapore
2D 2N1 Survey Helpers | 2:29 PM
I had promised the student helpers from the classes that had sat for the survey last month a treat after the examinations. Here's the first installment.
Mark shamelessly "volunteering" to finish the extra slice of pizza.
The rest of us stood by and watched Mr Damadi finish up his extra feed.
Impatient to begin on the XBox360, Glen, the generous one, picked up the bottles of water and fizzy drinks to move them over to the game room.
Jiehao, Glen and Steven.
Lose your life, pass over your controller to the next available player, including myself!
Junior and his classmate. 
Faces of death (more accurately, obsession and addiction?)...
"You better...!"
*Chuckle* while watching a kill. 
To kill With courtesy - smile.Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sitting, Waiting, Waiting | 3:44 PM
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
the new jersey | 10:45 PM
The Historical Trail | 5:48 PM
Pit Stop #1
Bukit Chandu
Well, you have been warned!
The Mas Salamat strike force.
Well, you have been warned!
The Mas Salamat strike force.
Warriors of the past and wanabes of today.
"It's soooo... humid! Just let me lie here awhile."
Walking all the way to the machine and it is SOLD OUT!
"Take cover!"
Checking out the reflection below...
Pit Stop #2Ford Factory
Fashion statement during the Japanese Occupation?
Fashion statement during the Japanese Occupation?
Planting rice is so much fun...
Snakes & Ladders - Japanese Invasion version!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
fade away | 11:55 PM
This winning piece by Shen Wei (ex-SAJC rugger) at the inaugural Art Exhibition is poignant. 
Setting his work against my former 4Sci class picture.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Live To Tell | 1:11 PM
Madonna
The segment that was banned here because of a possible offence it may cause to a particular religious group. In my opinion, the group that cried foul (and many times it did over trivia issues) is just being so narrow-minded. Isn't that just akin to the teachings of most extremist groups which wreck more conflicts than true reconciliation in the world?
Each of us has a tale to tell...behind the laughter, the mask, the callous facade. Listen to theirs closely. Perhaps it will help you come to terms with your own.
WP - Iron Man | 8:25 AM
Behind the iron mask of any hero or the iron curtain separating people is the heart filled with vulnerability and compassion.The new wallpaper - inspired by the awesome movie.
Iron Man | 4:31 AM
This is a MUST-WATCH! I have not raved about a movie for the longest time and this one really blew my mind away. Directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man is reminescent of Bryan Singer's The X-Men series (minus the crappy final installment which was directed by someone else not worth mentioning) with its strong characterisation and incredible action sequences. Credit of course goes to Stan (Lee - need I mention again how great this name is?) the man and Jack Kirby, the other screenplay writer for the very witty script. I had laughed at Robert Downey Jr.'s lines when the cinema was totally silent where the jokes were subtle (e.g. when he as Iron Man rips off a cable off the bigger pirated version and says, "This looks important!"). I had marvelled at the wonderful computer wizardry that went into creating the
awesome special effects (by the Stan Winston team actually). What's a brilliant action movie without a stunning beauty? Of course, one would not forget the ever so 
talented and gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow who's married (darn) to the frontman of Coldplay. I had waited too long to catch what I deemed as the best action movie I have seen so far. Do not make the same mistake that I did with the delay. And by the way, make sure you watch it in a cinema with a humongous screen aka The Grand Cathay in digital format!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
S*nday | 9:37 PM
Occasionally I do work on Sunday mornings.It was tennis after that followed by the best acti0n movie I have seen in a long time - Ironman! Stan Lee rocks!
Bumped into this bunch of 2E boys and I was requested to join in a game of CS at the LAN shop at The Cathay. I must say I have improved a lot and am no longer in the bottom 5 rankings. Lol!Saturday, May 17, 2008
Dig | 4:03 PM
Incubus
I like the lyrics accompanied by the melancholic strain of a tune. Even the MTV is so meaningful.
We all have a weakness
But some of ours are easier to identify.
Look me in the eye
And ask for forgiveness;
We'll make a pact to never speak that word again
Yes you are my friend.
We all have something that digs at us,
At least we dig each other
So when weakness turns my ego up
I know you'll count on the me from yesterday
If I turn into another
Dig me up from under what is covering
The better part of me
Sing this song
Remind me that we'll always have each other
When everything else is gone.
We all have a sickness
That cleverly attaches and multiplies
No matter how hard we try.
We all have someone that digs at us,
At least we dig each other
So when sickness turns my ego up
I know you'll act as a clever medicine.
If I turn into another
Dig me up from under what is covering
The better part of me.
Sing this song!
Remind me that we'll always have each other
When everything else is gone.
Oh each other....
When everything
Else is gone.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
I am a Ninja! | 9:14 PM
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
post exam treat! | 9:56 PM
HL2 theme 2 | 9:20 PM
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
guitar hero III | 11:46 PM
Thanks Shaun for showcasing Guitar Hero III after tuition session! At least now I know what the fuss surrounding the game is all about.
After awhile, it's straight to the irresistable Halo3.
While the projector was down, we will have to make do with the TV. I miss big images!scatter | 11:44 PM
Monday, May 12, 2008
14days | 10:21 PM
Finally,
having been starved from tennis for almost 14 days, I get my first game in the afternoon. However, I tired out really easily today. Perhaps it was the combination of the humidity, heat, the fact that I had a swim just before lunch and a heavy lunch that sparked a nagging headache which brought on the tiredness. Nevertheless, I am loving tennis even more.Sunday, May 11, 2008
half life theme | 6:52 PM
Mother's Day creator hated commericalisation of the occasion | 11:24 AM
May 11, 2008
GRAFTON (West Virginia) - ON this 100th anniversary of Mother's Day, the woman credited with creating one of the world's most celebrated holidays probably would not be pleased with all the flowers, candy or gifts.
Ms Anna Jarvis would want us to give mothers a white carnation - she felt it signified the purity of a mother's love.
Ms Jarvis, who never married and never had children, got the Mother's Day idea after her mother said it would be nice if someone created a memorial to mothers.
Three years after her mother died in 1905, she organised the first official mother's day service at a church where her mother had spent more than 20 years teaching Sunday school.
Today, the former Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church is the official shrine to mothers around the world. On Sunday, the shrine will celebrate the 100th anniversary, giving each mother attending a special service a white carnation.
The shrine also serves as a 'reminder to the accomplishments of these women and to the issues mothers still deal with today, trying to do the balancing act of being everything to everyone', said Ms Cindi Mason, the shrine's director.
According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 83 million mothers in the United States. More mothers now work out of the home and the number of single-mother households has tripled to more than 10 million since 1970.
What has allowed Mother's Day to become celebrated on the second Sunday in May in more than 50 countries worldwide is 'everyone has a mother', said Ms Sally Thayer, a trustee of the International Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton. 'It's a wonderful thing to celebrate.'
Source : The Sunday Times
For SH's students : View the full article here (login required)
Labels: commercialisation, mother's day, mothers
half life - episode 1 | 11:20 AM
After I had installed the softwares all over on a newly formatted laptop, I ended up playing one of them for almost 10 hours in a row yesterday! So here's my tribute to the wonderul game of Half Life 2 - my new wall paper.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
half life | 11:04 PM
...in 60 seconds
Something I stumbled upon while searching for game cheats (yes, I'm stuck at a juncture in the game for ages!!!) for episode 1.
Friday, May 9, 2008
advice | 10:46 PM
To a certain "pervert" posing even as me using my nick "sh",
We notice that you have visited the chatbox to this blog at 11am+ for the past 2 days. Based on your knowledge of a current female trainee teacher and other female teachers, we believe you are currently still studying in SAS. We have reported your activities to the SAS authorities and a history of the chatbox was also duly submitted.
According to a friend who works in a computer related industry, IP addresses which are left behind on the chatbox history (accessible only to the account holder) are traceable right down to the doorsteps of users if the authorities should choose to pursue that line of action.
My advice to you is to personally go to the school authorities and identify yourself before the consequences become even more dire.
Take care.
New York City | 7:20 AM
Norah Jones
New York City
Such a beautiful disease
I should head back there again some day real soon...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
you need help | 12:34 PM
To a certain individual who has nicknamed himself "pervert",
I appreciate your coming here regularly to deposit your thoughts in the chatbox. I believe I have tolerated your abuse of my colleagues and myself for a long time. Given your knowledge of the names of the teachers in SAS, you must be a student from the school. Now that you have the audacity to assume my identity in my chatbox in your expression of perverse ideas, I can only tell you that I have only pity for your troubled behaviour.
Please take my advice : go see a counsellor or something before you wreck greater destruction with your life.
new wallpaper...SO SOON?? | 7:39 AM
by zebra! | 6:33 AM
Do you know that zebras do not get ulcers from stress like some humans do?If you are too stressed out or bored with your work, check out this article on stress at BrainConnection.com. Here's a quote from the writeup :
"For a zebra, though, stress had an extremely short if potentially deadly span; it was "three minutes of screaming terror" after which the animal was either dead or once again roaming the Savannah and feeling safe. Human beings, on the other hand, had an "anticipatory stress response" that spun easily out of control, like a car losing traction on an icy slope."
30,000+ | 6:30 AM
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
adopt | 10:20 PM
I think it's time to move on from January to get a new dog. A friend wants me to adopt hers after I told her that I would scout around SPCA and dog pounds in the coming weeks. It does not help that SPCA is closed to visitors tomorrow. Rats.
new wallpaper | 6:11 PM
source : someone's SAS rugby picture collection which I found online but I cannot recall the url now. Big Yellow Taxi | 5:30 PM
Counting Crows
This is a Toni Michell classic.
Some people don't know what they've got until it's gone - don't we all?
revamped | 5:08 PM
The revamped Saint 2.0! I've taken the wallpaper from my old picture collection in The Saint Chronicles.blender | 12:37 PM
To all you out there who are suffering from the big S right now - have a jolly good laugh!
Big Yellow Taxi | 12:30 PM
Amy Grant
Save for her bad hair and attire, I quite like Grant's version of the classic song.
flashback | 9:20 AM
I found this picture on one of Khairul's (a former rugger) facebook photo album. I believe it was taken in 2004 at the old Police Academy, the year SA won the Rugby B Div again after a long dry spell.new skin | 8:07 AM
I found this new skin and started experimenting with the html to some rather impressive results. Hahaha!
Do leave your comments for the entries by clicking on the comments link on the top right hand corner!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
heavy clouds, no rain | 7:10 PM
After I was done with my morning chores, the storm clouds had started to gather. I had no choice but to abandon my swim. I went to meet a colleague for lunch instead. Check out the heavy clouds. There was a huge traffic jam towards Hougang. 
On a lousy traffic day like this, thank God for my pimped up audio system. I must have heard Madonna's "Hard Candy" CD five times over by now.
Chilling out after blading to and fro almost the entire length of the beach.
Everyday should be beach day in Singapore!
Well, at least I try to make it happen once a week.
getting there... | 9:02 AM
Upon reaching Farrer Park Station, locate the Exit B sign before you take the escalator.
Head out of Exit B to the ground level.
At entrance of Exit B, make a left so that you face a SOHO-style condominium (next picture) across the road
At the corner of the condominium, make a right to Rangoon Road.
Face the direction where you see a row of shophouses infront of you with a HDB point block with red bricks in the background.
CAUTION : If you are facing this direction (hotel in the background), you are heading the wrong way along Rangoon Road.
Facing the HDB point block, make your way down the length of Rangoon Road. The following pictures are markers you will come across on both sides of the road. The walk should take you no less than 5 minutes.
On your left is the now defunct shophouse (bright yellow) formerly occupying some rock wall bouldering place.
On your right, you will come across an air-conditioned steamboat fish-head restuarant. Above it is the Melrose Hostel.
Walking further, you will see this big SUZUKI sign on the right.
At the corner of a junction, a car audio cum general accessories place reminds me of the PIMP MY RIDE series on MTV. Yes, you might see a pimped up vehicle parked infront of it.
To your left is a beige coloured condominium.
The bus stop shelter was built to resemble its architecture.
Make a left at Kent Road and then take the first immediate right to Mergui Road.
Walk to the end of Mergui Road(dead end) until you see Norfolk Court on your left.
Congratulations! You have arrived.
Labels: home
That's What You Get | 8:57 AM
Paramore
open your heart
watch it bleed.
guard your heart
watch it weep.
i drive out out all my senses
to watch it beating.
why do we lie
to hurt so much...
Monday, May 5, 2008
shock & surprise | 1:48 PM
I heard about the ratrace of life but I have never experienced it until I was caught up in the morning rush hour at Raffles Place MRT at 850am - yes, while most of you were in examination madness. I mean, I was packed body to body with the masses from the moment I stepped into the train and found slight respite only when I moved out of the flow to snap the following 2 pictures.
All you hear around you is the clicking of high heels and men's leather shoes on marble floor all perfectly synchronised like the operations of a factory line. The smell of leather (thankfully not human sweat because it was, afterall, the beginning of a work day) from shoes and hand/ sling bags stung my nose now and then. I was probably the only person dressed in tee-shirt, shorts and a pair of sandals. The whole experience was so surreal.
I decided to drop by the hawker centre for breakfast. The prices are real affordable compared to that in food courts. After walking around the place, I settled a bowl of fish ball noodles.
While most of the human `rats' would have settled themselves in cubicles and behind desks, it is sad that dogs are not permitted in hawker centres unlike other countries.
This was the reason why I had risked my life in the mad morning squeeze. Well, the free things in life do come with a price. More later!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
wth! | 10:43 PM
Some bloody irresponsible driver hit my mom's car and drove off! This happened while the vehicle was parked somewhere of course and she was not present to witness it. HOW IRRESPONSIBLE CAN SOME PEOPLE BE??!!!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Crossroads | 7:41 AM
Tracy Chapman
All you folks think you own my life
But you never made any sacrifice
Demons they are on my trail
I'm standing at the crossroads of hell.
I look to the left
I look to the right
Hands that grab me on every side.
All you folks think I got my pride
At which I sell all that is mine
You think money rules when all else fails
Go sell your soul and keep your shell.
I'm trying to protect what I keep inside
All the reasons why I live my life.
Some say the devil be a mystical thing
I say the devil he a walking man.
He a fool
he a liar
conjurer and a thief
He try to tell you what you want
try to tell you what to need.
Standing at the point
the road it cross you down
What is at your back? Which way do you turn?
Who will come to find you first?
Your devils or your gods?
All your folks think you run my life
Say i should be willing to compromise.
I say all your demons go back to hell
I'll save my soul
save myself.
Friday, May 2, 2008
heat | 3:25 PM
It has been incredibly warm lately. I came across this play of shadows and light by the kitchen sill earlier.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Labour Day | 9:30 PM
While adults were out at play...
...damned kids stay indoors to pray!(Zexun - Nice picture!)
