-evil laugh-

its turn down time! =] hehehe sorry sir, i REJECT your offer!!!

marvelous, simply marvelous

summary of days

lets see. in the past couple of days i have

1) taken my dingblasted, long-overdue, pain-in-the-arse taiwan university entrance exams

2) spent a ton of money on F&B cuz i went on MANY foodie trips

3) gave my brother so much tuition that if he werent my brother, id be filthy rich. (but was i appreciated?? noooooo)

4) decided once and for all that I AM SO NOT GOING TO STAY AT HOME DURING UNIVERSITY. no way jose. OVER MY DEAD BODY.

5) played WOW so much (um.. wrt my previous gaming mileage) i love farming & grinding, ESPECIALLY humanoids ;P heh $_$

6) had many enjoyable dates with my one and only honey bun sugar puff (read: sexy beast) :P heh

7) felt so lucky to have you by my side, when i needed it =) -HUG-

today ive invested thirty smackeroos on cross-stitching stuff hehe. its starting to look a horror though, but i plough on, despite the intimidating odds stacked against me!!!!!

TOMORROW and MONDAY

i will prolly be exhausted. i dont seem to like long weekends. too many things happen to make it a nice and relaxing one. -cries- i need more long, lull-y days where i can just sit on the rocking chair and cross-stitch a freckle face gumball machine addict.

dont get me wrong though, i look forward to jc class gathering AND primary sch class gathering but... ARGGHHH they are both ON THE SAME DAY!!!!!! and to miss out on anyone would be pure sin. sigh.. im so tired.

i hereby conclude the sad fact that i have aged.

Taxi

giselle bundchen groping scene.

entirely orgasmic.

one post too many :D

"People's motives are complex, and the world is far from black and white. Any mind-set that merely confirms our preconceptions is by definition an overly simlpistic view of the nuanced and ambiguous meanings that characterized human interactions. Similarly, because humans are multi-faceted, the mistrustful solution is too simplistic, leading one to respond to only a single aspect of another person's beehavior or personality.

By contrast, as we change the kind of lenses through which we see the world, we not only see things more realistically but also see more colors and textures. We become capable of a full range of emotions and perceptions. (If only the world were as organized and coherent as the paranoids among us believe! Someone who has a supicious, conspiratorial veiwpoint attributes an artificial, malevolent meaning to innocuous situations. When we're feeling mistrustful, we perceive antipathy when apathy is more probably reality. We like to think of ourselves as being people of importance, worthy of having an adversary. But more often than not, we're irrelevant, and what we experience as being intentionally meant to harm us is usually not directed at us at all. The reason we choose to react suspiciously is that it is too more of a narcissistic blow to our ego to realize the world is indifferent to us.)"


- Is it You or Is it Me?

interesting analysis!

Since we're on the topic...

religion. one of the greatest sources of conflict in the modern world. its very existence draws a boundary, separating the world into two major factions - believers and non-believers. more often than not, believers of a religion will categorize fellow believers as US, and others as THEM.

this is a very scary phenomenon, because once people are grouped into the THEM faction, they are seen as the enemy - someone who opposes, and thus threatens the existence of the US faction. experiments have proven that once people are grouped into the THEM faction, they are automatically dehumanized, allowing for monstrosities to be carried out upon them with unbelievable ease. the horrors dealt to the jews and the recent terrorist attacks serve as ample examples of that fact.

as it is with things that are close to our hearts, the more important something is to us, the more protective we are over it. this is particularly true for religion. in fact, for many, religion IS part of life itself, forming a belief system in which the person functions. to attack that person's religion would be akin to attacking the peron's world, his very essense of being.

the result? utter retaliation of course. the threatened believer takes and often fierce and quick retaliaion, for within him raw, basic emotions are awakened. thoughts that run through the mind are no longer processed by the more recently frontal lobes of the brain, otherwise known as the "organ of civilisation". rather, much like how a reflex action works, reactions stem right from the amygdala, the most ancient part of the human brain, in evolutionary terms. the fight / flight response kicks in and all hell breaks lose.

it is only with the removal of the US vs THEM psychology that true peace can reign. when each and every human being is respected as an individual, regardless of religious belief (and race!). until then.. JOSEPH ILETO.

Join Our Struggle, Educate to Prevent Hate. Instil Love, Equality, Tolerance for Others.

family dynamics

ive come to notice that the remark "i will pray for you" is simply a feeble substitute for actual help. it makes you satisfied, thinking that you have helped when really, you have not done a thing.

the things we say to stave off guilt.

[edit] - thanks for the response, folks =) but i must disagree. i understand your stand when you say that the prayer is the best form of help. however, i do not agree that it is the best form of help. imagine someone you love being sick. you have the option of sending the person to the doctor OR you can pray for him/her. so you pray day and night, waiting for a miracle to happen. its hardly the way to do things, my dears. the point i am making, is that praying, itself being so convenient, is often abused by people, knowingly or otherwise. its an easy way out! why PRAY when you can actually go out there and offer REAL help? sure, praying causes miracles to happen but at the end of the day, when an old woman falls, it is not praying that will help her get up, but a helping hand.

more on sockets

B: how many sockets do you need to count to get into SMU?
me: ?
B: none. just count calories

[edit]--- private joke --- laugh only if your name begins with B.

me: damnit. you want to have your sockets socked!
B: hmm, too dangerous, might slip down the bath tub drainage
me: hehe. you are, as it is, too full of yourself for that to happen.

[edit]--- private joke --- laugh only if you name begins with B, or if you are one of the two profs on duty that day... or both.

big bushy: hmm i wonder how many thin people can i fit in a bathtub
sikh: infinite! they all go down the drainage pipe!

[edit]--- not so private joke --- laugh only when you are in an especially vulnerable situation.

the string, it pulls taut

she used to cradle me in her arms, hugged me when i cried
bathed me in the hearty rays of the sun, held me oh so tight

hang in there grandmama. a daughter wishes to see you last.

no room for tears, but yet they fall
grief encapsulated within the bedroom walls

she's coming now, she's booked tickets.

a prayer, it falls on empty ears
drawing instead my deepest fears

you'll see her tomorrow. she'll be there.

hang on, grandmama

hang on.

and here the fun begins!

well... just one more to go. -evil laughter-

warum?

sometimes i really want to go ahead and spit it out.

S out of Me and U

how many sockets are there in SMU?

2 times as many as the number of students as there are in school presently.include lecturers, assistant lecturers, school cleaners, electricians, librarians, store vendors etc. plus a few more pairs if you consider the school fauna.

the hwachong FARMily

announcement: new addition to the cozy HC FARMily (tm).

-> PSC scholar who made racist statements on his blog (password protected, nonetheless)

for all those who have not been taking notice of the matter, below are a few of the senior inductees. they will remain anonymous for privacy's sake (and also because i cant remember their names, but shh you're not supposed to know that)

-> girl who makes love with tons of man, and jots down the very uhhum. impressive number.

-> guy who took out loans and cheated company

-> hot transvestite


hm. hwachong. i like.

oh, brilliant

just read up on the course content of what i applied for in SMU. interview's tomorrow too :P im so going down. the good news is that i do like the course content very much, but the bad news is that if they ask questions like 'WHY DID YOU PICK SMU OVER NUS AND NTU' id have really nothing to say because hey i am a greedy and insecure bastard and so to me 'all schools are created equal' and in true greedy and insecure style i cast my net wide and applied for all 3 universities.

of course, i do understand that if they at the admissions office read this post, my goose is cooked. ah well. no need for the microwave oven then.

on kissing, tickling and being bored

Brichard was quite right when he said to me with his usual malice: 'When you're in love with a woman, you must ask yourself: What do I want to do with her?'

Stendhal, The Life of Henry Brulard

Diversity

Diversity. Everyone seeks diversity nowadays.

Chinese parents especially. Especially Chinese parents in Singapore.

Yes. Right here in the land of No Chewing Gum, parents realize that it is no longer enough for their children to be straight A students. Instead, they turn hopefully to diversity. That's right, Singapore is not only famous for caning Michael Faye but also for producing such sensational prototypes known as kiasu parents.

Kiasu = The acute, irrational fear of losing out to other people.

The result? Brilliant, all-rounded kids (no jokes on the size) like yours truly.

I started to play the piano at 2, mastered it at the ripe old age of 15, picking up along the way performance-level skills in guzheng and ruan - both traditional Chinese instruments. (DIVERSITY! screamed my mother) I can also, at the drop of a hat, tinker around with the classy cello and temperamental flute.

My parents, both avid watchers of the daily news, noted early in my developmental stage that global warming seemed to be the way of the future. In perfect kiasu and kiasee (read: fear of dying) style, packed me off for swimming lessons. But is sole survivability in the waves enough? Of course not! Not only did I have to attain the Gold Medal in swimming, I also had to attend the Life Saving course, which consisted largely of stripping myself of pyjamas while treading water and then desperately blowing air into rapidly deflating pant legs.

Always be prepared. That is my mom's motto. So one day if World War III strikes (and she believes it will soon, poor old soul) I will be fully prepared to nimbly catch a tossed grenade and with a swift swing of a seasoned arm, throw it away, and then somersault to safety.

You guessed it. She made me take up ball sports and gymnastics.

Needless to say, academic excellence was also stressed. Deprived of food and drink when my results were subpar (people who actually do know my grades, quit falling off your chair laughing), I took to ultimate time-saver - reading while on the potty. It worked, too. For most of my academic life, i was in the top 5% of the nation. Of course, modesty and humility are also my VERY strong points.

Despite being technical neanderthals themselves, my parents made sure that I was fully in tune with the technological age by purchasing a computer for me at age 10. Thanks to their foresight, I can now type at 108 wpm, giving me full authority to grind away at a 9 to 5 office job in a very prestigious offshore bank, while my skin dehydrates from the aircon, all the time earning peanuts. (I lied. I actually get paid in cash.)

I have to laud my parents' far-sightedness, though they often dismiss it as a biological effect of ageing. They made sure I was born in the sunny island of Singapore by orientating their biological clocks oh so carefully, just so I can experience life as a petal in the pot-pourri of races. I understand fully the importance of racial harmony, of tolerance, of mutual understanding. Without those one can hardly taste the ethnic beauty of roti-prata and the divine culture instilled in nasi-lemak. And dont even get me started on char kway teow.

Yet, right now World Peace is but the dream of many a Miss World nymph. So if you can't join them, you jolly well beat them. Thank god for the ability to curse in 3 languages (English, Chinese and German) and many a toothy dialect. And when the bad karma all comes screaming back at me, I can hop on the JetstarAsia plane back to Taiwan without the need for visa application. hah. (no, I do not acknowledge the fact that you too need not apply for a visa)

What can I say? I love diversity. I embrace it with open arms. Why? You ask.

Simply because at the end of the day, it lets me have my cake and eat it too. Because being Chinese, I am kiasu and because being kiasee I am saying all this bullshit because you at the university admissions department asked me to.

But of course you know I am kidding, dont you?

=)

@@

its somewhat disturbing. the people whose names ive taken notice have been resigning. @@ i do hope its simple coincidence!

the flea can bite the bottom of..

pope's dead. my condolences. but seriously, im sure its for the best.. i mean, poor bugger's got such a broken up body by now that death is the sweetest mercy. that plus the fact that he's almost certainly granted entry past the golden gates.. =) rest in peace, my good man.

i hope i dont get lamblasted for posting this.

religious matters aside, and still on the toothy topic of death, i am reduced to typing my blog entries under the dark shroud of secrecy, (and sitting up very straight in front of the computer so as to block the screen) since my computer heaved its last sigh and passed on. of course, i am less than amused that it HAD to die, leaving me technologically crippled.. but hey im finally getting an upgrade now. i mean, soon.

now, just for the heck of it, i present to you my list of materialistic wants -hints very hard- ... ah well, just trying my luck!

1) comp
2) phone -> looking at SE K500i / SE K700i
3) leotard (wayyyy overdue i tell you)
4) more lingerie~!
5) DIGITAL CAMERA. sigh.

yup that's all for now.. im not THAT greedy, heh. now i only wish for a cash influx from up above.. :P

cheers, have a nice day!

mental note to self

never ever consume MILK tea in the morning. now i feel like an energizer bunny with an upset stomach. =x