'Good Fren' and I were supposed to be going to his friend's place for a gathering this evening. After we got to know that it had been canceled, one of the guys suggested that we should meet up anyway. So, without hesitation, we offered our tiny home.

Little did we know more than 10 people will be coming.
This number does not include the 2 human beings and 2 cats belonging to the apartment.

So we were out this afternoon to prepare for the 'party'.
Came back and started to imagine how everyone would fit into our tiny living room. 'Good Fren' intends to 'allocate a seat' to each of his friends.
I dun even think all that food can fit onto our little tea table.

=_=


Later, I'll take a pic of the pack. (If I can reach my cam.)

I am aching all over.
I played basketball in the office last afternoon.
In work wear and with no shoes.
I think I'll need 1 week to recuperate from the aches.

My forearms are aching the most!!!
OUCH!!!

Think I will bring proper gear for the coming Friday.
..................................

This boy joined us a couple of days ago.
He was rather quiet on the 1st day.
Then yesterday, he came up to me asked me to do the 'V' sign.

HO HO HO... He obviously reads my blog.
Said he had been reading since the earlier Rockson days!

Before he left office, he dropped by my room and said bye somemore!

I covered 2 extreme bits of Singapore today.
The East in the morning, and the North in the afternoon.
I am tired.

Have to go back to the East tomorrow evening.

Tried calling my mother at noon, but she must be busy.
She rang me up last night, but to no avail. She then rang 'Good Fren' instead. She must have thought that 'Good Fren' and I were having problems, after reading the previous entry.
She also left a comment on my blog which I had chosen not to publish.

A former boss also emailed me after reading the entry.
Strange how that entry had struck such a chord with some people.

I realise something.
My mother doesn't read my blog everyday.
The delay between the publish of that entry and her phone gave it away. =)))

On a totally random, but somewhat related note, my tyres skidded this evening along some road in the North.
I do not have ABS and the tyres are due for replacement.
At that moment, I had a colleague in my car, and some grisly thoughts in my head.

I think 'Good Fren' is on Speed Dial Number 1.
I would only have time and breath for a few words.
Accident + Road Name.

And I had yong tau hoo for lunch.
Beehoon dry. No Chili.

I also thought about what it might have been like if I had been a factory worker in the North. Perhaps I would assemble television sets.
And fall in love with the conveyor belt technician.
I would have a secondhand clamshell mobile phone with a fake hello kitty dangling off it + one of those rice grains-in-a-jar with my name in English scribbled on it, and dirt under my nails.

I think I need to sleep now.

Ok... I was having a run-of-the-mill MSN chat with this little birdie from Perth, when he kindly enlightened me about the Singaporean-Malaysian Blogosphere.

You know what?


I would like to thank the little birdie for providing this last but immensely important piece of the jigsaw.
I feel totally emancipated.

So far, the weekend has been great, i.e. uneventful. =))
Why is this great?
Because it allows for rest. Real rest.

We took turns waking up unsuccessfully on Saturday morning, before deciding that we had to go get lunch and cat food.

Blinky and Tiger have been surviving on Science Diet Light (Feline) for years.


Until I saw this formula at the pet shop yesterday.

Blinky turns 8 this month. He's considered a SENIOR cat oredi!! FWAH... It sounds like a promotion!! Wonder if he's in the moribund scheme.
Tiger will be 8 too in a few months.

With the recent pet food scare, I'm a little paranoid. But Science Diet seems alright. At least, no mention of Science Diets in what I've read so far.

We haven't been taking 'Good Fren's car on the weekends because his car smells really bad. But yesterday, 'Good Fren' insisted that we ought to take his car.
Because some interns in his office had bought him an air freshener after having suffered a few trips in his smelly car.
HO HO HO!!

The scent was so strong that it gave me a bad headache!

In any case, we were having one of those 'What are we having for dinner?' again, when we decided to refer to Blurbme.com and found the Bark Cafe.


It's super far from where we stay but it's worth the journey.
Quite a cosy little joint, right beside the Chapel Museum.


Food and drinks were rather reasonably priced.



My only complaint is that there are too many kids running around!! RRROOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!

=)))

Moby came over for dinner last evening.

We haven't been catching up for a long while.
Our last meet-up lasted for 1 hour.
We went for for a movie which wasn't showing because I got the date wrong. At the same time, I almost blacked out at Cathay Cineleisure coz I had food poisoning. So he sent me home.
That's it. =))

Last night, Moby and I met up at the Cold Storage nearby to grab some food and wine.

BM: What you wanna eat for dinner?
Moby: Anything lah...
BM: If we buy from Cold Storage, it means I'll have to cook.
Moby: HAR?! Do we really have to?!
BM: RRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!
Moby: Hee Hee Hee...

Meanwhile, 'Good Fren' rushed home to clean up the place a little. Heh heh heh...

While I made dinner, they were killing each other in DOA, making a lot of noise. =_=

As usual, after some alcohol, 'Good Fren' conked out rather promptly. Moby and I watched this uber cheesy series called Supernatural or something. It's really bad.

And we chatted. About our lives.

Yeah... That was nice. =))

'Good Fren' made an association between the 2 of them tonight.

GF: Blah blah blah... Just like Stifler's Mom. HAHAHA!!
BM: Erm Baby? This is not the 1st time you have mentioned Stifler's Mom. What's with the fascination?!
GF: No lah... It's just funny...
BM: No lor... I think hor... There is some kind of fascination. It's the Older Woman Thing, right?!! *remind myself that I is 3 years older than 'Good Fren'*.
GF: No lah... Stifler's Mom is like... DARTH VADER...
BM: HUH?!!

Does this mean that 'Good Fren' thinks I is Darth Vader?!


I thought I was weird... until I met 'Good Fren'...

Great exchange in the earlier entry.
Even the 100% swearing comment. =)))

I think hor... People confuse 'Potential' with 'Performance'.
Performance = What you have done in the past 12 months.
Potential = What you can achieve in the future, i.e. many years to come.

It means you may be performing super well now, but some divine intervention may have already concluded that you have maxed out what you are capable of.

Then think about this...
If you are good at making chairs, it doesn't make you good at managing chair-makers. These are 2 distinct skill sets.
And managing is supposedly a skill set of the higher order.

So, if the best chair-maker is promoted to the manager of the chair factory based only on his chair-making skills, the factory is taking on a huge risk.

Similarly, if you are a specialist in mechanics, physics, engineering, it doesn't guarantee that you will be the best chair-maker. In fact, it doesn't even mean you know how to make a chair. And obviously, it doesn't mean you are interested in chair-making either.

But somehow, if you are absorbed into this chair-making factory as the starlet with extremely advanced knowledge of mechanics etc, you will be given the task of producing the more high-end designer chairs, instead of producing the cheap white plastic chairs you see at void deck funerals.
And even if you screw up the designer chairs, you can call them 'alternative/forward designs'.
But you cannot screw up the white plastic chairs, coz they have been deemed too simple to go wrong in the 1st place.

Most importantly and ironically, your designer chairs will be considered as brilliant by everyone (including non-starlets) because starlets can do no wrong. Starlets are meant to experiment because experimentation is expensive and has to be limited.
Who better to give this opportunity to than the starlets?!


But guess what?
This ain't unique to any particular sector.
It's everywhere.
It's called LIFE.

In every group, there are always the 'Chosen Ones'.
Mankind has fought long bloody wars because of this concept.
It's definitely not new.

And how many of these wars are actually won?!

Now that you know, you can either accept or delude yourself into thinking otherwise, but you cannot 'un-know' it.

HO HO HO!! =)))

I read Mr Wang's entry on the Civil Service and read some of the 99 comments.


Lemme tell you, without infringing upon OSA and purely based on simple common sense, why Mr Wang observes that 'Performance' and 'Potential' for the average Civil Servant do not seem to have an intuitive co-relation, i.e. one who performs ought to be promoted.

It's because, out of the 230 Administrative Officers, not all of them will eventually become Permanent/Deputy Secretaries.

In simple terms, even amongst the 'chosen ones', the top is oredi congested. So WTF is the bottom expecting?!

In view of the above (check out my paper-drafting language!! =P), does it really matter that in-principle that 'Performance' and 'Potential' are not co-related?!
Very difficult to understand meh?!!
很难理解吗?!

DUH?!!! 小题大做!!
是一些看不透的人所为所言
可笑... 好笑...

.............................

I think the more interesting question is:



If you have oredi given up on the fight, then walk away!!

If not, you are just stamping your feet because you can't get what you want!!

Now... This is a true test of MORAL AUTHORITY!!

I PUI CHOW NUAH!!!!

We had a handsome guest today.
=)))

He's very cute hor?!!
I think he was rather interested in the wine we were having. Good potential!! =P

Check out his face when Blinky tried to show some love!!!

Blinky is like 7.5 years older than him lor!!

And because I was reminded of Blinky's age today, I felt a little sad this evening coz Blinky is about half way through his life oredi. =_=
.............................

I was telling 'Good Fren' how sick it must seem when people bring their kids over, and we would be like all 'parent-like' with Blinky and Tiger. Carrying, kissing and talking to them just like how parents do the exact same stuff to their babies.

I think it's very funny!! HO HO HO!!!

I can't believe last night:

(1) I went to Dragonfly on a Friday night.
(2) I went with a bunch of people ranging from 28 yrs old to 40+!! =)))

This takes cheonging to a whole new level!!
I felt really Europa, if you know what I mean!

There were so so many people. The queue was crazy!!
But I got to see SLY!!

And you know what?!
He's getting very good at performing. WOO HOO!!!! =)))

I love to watch 'Good Fren' dance. I think he twitches.
So 'tut'!! So cute!!
..............................

By the way, do try the German restaurant and bar at Vivocity called Brotzeit or something.

The pork knuckles are yummy. And of course, the BEER washes everything down and makes you very happy!!
MMMMmmmmm...
Think the 'kor kors' and 'suk suks' at my table were very happy too!! HO HO HO!!

Because of Vivocity and St James, the traffic has become really bad along Telok Blangah Road.
We took MRT there and a cab home instead of driving.

I cannot imagine how jialat the situation will become when the construction of Sentosa IR starts. And even worse, when the Sentosa IR becomes operational!!
Plus those wealthy people staying at Sentosa Cove?!!

Huge orgies of human and vehicular traffic every single day!
*fainted*

I think my mother will be interested in TeacherTube.com.
It's like YouTube, but specifically for learning. (Just like PornoTube is for porn only, and LiveLeak is meant for 'news' only. ho ho ho!)
Teaching materials in forms of videos and slides etc are uploaded. I find those vids of the American junior and high schools classrooms especially intriguing.

There is this particular rapping Math Teacher from Texas called Mrs Burk, who looks like an older version of Britney Spears in a her usual sporty cap and tracksuit.
She has quite a few videos. Rapping about fractions, perimeter etc. Mind Boggling!!!
I think it's a cultural thing. Coz I couldn't understand a single word she was rapping about, but her class seemed to be catching on well.

Watching them makes me feel like I am in Primary School again. Do you remember the types of programmes which used to be screened in the weekday afternoons in the 80s?
Apart from Sesame Street and Electric Company, there were other educational programmes.
I particularly like those arts 'n' craft programmes.
There was one with this clay man walking around. I liked him a lot. =)))

Also, there was this short docu-clip which was repeated like 10,000 times. It was about how the kris, i.e. the southeast asian dagger, was made. Somehow, I always remember the filing of the wooden dagger handle, the pounding of the red hot metal blade, and the guy rubbing the blade using some leaves and water.

Thanks to Rambling Librarian for highlighting TeacherTube.
...............................

Remember the wedding I was at over the weekend, where someone asked me to do the Quitting is Harrrrd ad?
At least 2 people at the table commented that they didn't know what to do when they managed to get to the YouTube site.
These are not so-called 'old people', ok!
One of them is in his early 30s, while the other was in her late 20s. Both have had tertiary education and access to the internet for years.

This is news to me, because I never had any such problems.

It brings me back to my earlier thoughts about people resisting technology and recently, the internet.
Age does not limit your IT potential. It has to do with Curiosity.

Remember the great debates about how the TV tore families apart in the 70s, then came to great bad tv consoles games in the 80s, then the soul-sucking computer in the 90s, and now we have the most EVIL OF THEM ALL... THE INTERNET!!!

Such debates are just plain conservative, narrow-minded and technology-phobic!

These people always argue that such inventions render a loss of social interaction, and your child is becoming a twisted loner with no opportunity to develop his social skills.

It's as if there is really a 'healthy balanced' life which all children ought to adhere to.
One where children will get together on some green green grass hilltop, chasing one another, tumbling over one another, showing each other the twigs and leaves they have found, stroking bunnies and ALWAYS ALWAYS with huge smiles and bright sunlight on their faces.

Erm... please lor...
I think with information technology such as SMS, IM, blogs etc, I think my mother and I have been communicating even more than before.
And heck... I got to know 'Good Fren' through my blog and email. This medium has created opportunities which can be potentially life-changing.

Technology doesn't have to be alienating all the time!!
It's merely a tool.
And how useful it is depends on the enthusiasm and dexterity of the user!!

Channel 5 says Tuesday nights are CRIME NIGHTS!!!

And the USA is full of crime.

CSI - Miami
Cold Case - Philadelphia
Killer Instinct - San Francisco

Oooooooohhhh.....

I'm going back to Killer Instinct.
Some serial killer is going around doing his couple victims with chains, and chopping off the guy's hair to be placed on the next victim.

FWAH... The Foot Bra entry made quite a few people comment. And the conclusion is that no one knows the official name for the Foot Bra.
'Toe Sock' is not the official name coz Toe Socks are those conventional cotton socks with 'toes'. Nothing like these lacy skimpy things.

Went with 'Good Fren' to the wedding of 2 of his colleagues on Saturday night. Halfway through the dinner, someone got up to take a smoke. That's when another someone at our table asked me to do the Quit Smoking Ad to stop him from smoking.
WIN! =_=

This reminded me of that time when someone at another wedding asked 'Good Fren' to make him a napkin bunny.
Weddings, weird guests and requests.

Also at the wedding, someone else commented that 'Good Fren' and I looked really tired. Apart from suggesting the usual corny sexual explanation, it's quite clear that we need to pull ourselves away from work.

Just the other day, I was trying to explain that having remote access to the office email and/or office laptop was a huge bane coz even when 'Good Fren' and I managed to get home before 8pm, we would take a quick dinner, and by 9pm, the 2 office laptops would have been set up side-by-side and we would be punching the keys till after midnight.

Work-Life-Balance, I hear?
If one doesn't do this, will there still be a life?

Work Brings Freedom!!!

On Thursday night, 'Good Fren' and I left our cars at home, and took the train to Vivocity. Because (i) the traffic there is crazy and (ii) I had earlier bought a glass from Tangs and realised that it was bigger than the other 5 I had at home.
I is stupid. =_=

[Btw, I think Tangs is the BEST Departmental Store in Singapore. I'm not joking. Went to Robinson's after its revamp and still thought that it couldn't beat Tangs.

Tangs has gone the Yuppie-Family way, while Robinson has gone to Mature-Atas-Family way. Between the 2 strategies, I think Tangs' makes more sense.

If you manage to catch your customers in their early-to-mid adulthood, they will stick with you till their old age. Hence Tangs will be able to keep their current customer base for at least 30 years. Meanwhile, Robinson's crowd starts at 40 years old on the average. You do the math.]

In any case, this entry is not about the business strategy of Tangs. It's about a FOOT-BRA!!

Saw this on the MRT.
See the black lacy thing this person is wearing over her toes and under her shoe?!

Can someone explain to me WTF it is?!!
The thin lacy strap certainly makes it look at a bra!!!

I'm sure you have seen this ad by now.


It's almost exactly the same as the earlier Australian version.


I is rather intrigued by it.
How much did they pay the chick?!!

In any case, I did my own version of it. HO HO HO!!


It has been almost 10 months since the start of my quit smoking campaign on 22 Jun 06.
Not bad at all!!!


At least not until I require some rotting mouth person on TV to drive home the point.
In fact, the point is NOT driven home through FEAR at all.

It's driven home through rationalisation, i.e. common sense and some simple cost-benefit analysis.

Driving the point home through fear is like scolding little children.


If you like to read about my quitting process, please refer to the side bar which says 'BURNING'.
..................................

I think the tagline of "Quitting is Hard. Not Quitting, is Harder." applies better to JOBS.

So WTF are we addicted to, man?!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!

Over the weekend in the car...

BM: Baby! It's been a long time since we've had an argument!
GF: Erm... Ok... That's supposed to be good, right?
BM: *staring out of the window and into space* FWAH... AMAZING!! How can dun quarrel one?!
GF: *looks outraged*
BM: How come ah? Isn't there anything to quarrel about??
GF: Erh... I think it's called TOLERANCE?!
BM: Hmmm...

And today... I asked the same question again, then 'Good Fren' threatened to go DOTA-ing so that we can have a good quarrel.

HO HO HO!!
I is SICK!!

Can tell why?

This reader of mine is damn 可爱. =)))

'Good Fren' and I finally managed to watch Death Note on VCD this Saturday night.

I fell asleep at the start of the 2nd disc.

On Sunday, I woke up feeling rather sick and feverish. So 'Good Fren' went out to get some food, while I dripped myself over the sofa and completed the movie.

The movie ended with the story and me hanging. I was too aghast and just then, 'Good Fren' was back with lunch.

BM: BABY!! The stupid story ended just like that?!!
GF: *wide grin* That's why I went to get you Death Note 2!! *holding up the new vcd*
BM: YAH!!! BABY IS THE BEST!!

Seriously, I wasn't intrigued by the 2 male protagonists. Nor how brilliant the mind games were.

Is 'Kira' a Japanese version of the word/concept of 'Killer'?


In any case, I was more intrigued by the concept of the 2 Death Gods, i.e. Rem and Ryuk.
I conclude that both are Ah Bengs.

My personal favourite is Ryuk REM. 天使?!
Who doesn't want a Ryuk REM to protect oneself from all evils in the world?!


Rem RYUK, on the other hand, is the Ah Beng who had zero sense of justice, was only keen about his apples and disturbing people.
He is totally amoral in his execution of the Death Note.
In a sense, he's like a bureaucrat of the Death Note.

Rem RYUK is likely to be one of those who drive like a madman in the roads, and cut your lane, then look straight ahead, acting blur in the comfort of his zhng-ed up car.
Btw, Rem RYUK looks rather unhygienic. Dun ask me why.

I read with amusement about the Shenyang incident where some schools banned the manga coz some children scribbled others' names in Death Note-like stationery books. =)))

I think I'll buy a couple for the office.
I scribble my name first, so that no one can kill me before that.



Even if it doesn't work like in the manga, can use it to take notes in meetings. HO HO HO!!


A bit like the 'Guns & Meetings' entry I wrote in Yr 2005.