Out of Whack

Today was really a day out of tune. And I donno why.

Woke up feeling that it was the lousiest day ever.

Feeling all the weight and anger of the past 2 years, or maybe even more, when I was supposed to be paying my respect.

All out of sort even when I was early for an appointment and had so much time to prep myself, yet totally screw myself inside out.

Struggling to complete 3 km when I had done 7km effortlessly just 2 days ago.

Upset that dinner was ..well..just such a haphazard affair.

Even the AXS machine was pulling a fast one on me by being all screwed up.


I want to kick myself, knowing that this is not the worst that anybody had to go through. But the summation of frustration can so totally make you feel so out of breath.

New IC!

Yes, ICA accepted the photo! :p I have got a new IC!

Can collect from Sat 30 Aug onwards! Amazing at how efficient it is nowadays..I half expected to get a reply only at least 1 week later.

Good good..then got excuse to try the nice food at the coffeeshop behind ICA building which some colleague say quite good.

Identity (Card) Crisis

After hemming and hawing for the last 4 months, I finally submitted my application for new IC ;(

As if upgrading into the new age bracket isn't traumatic enough..I kept having to be reminded (and chiding myself) by the mailers that ICA sent: -

"hey..you are 30. Change you IC. Stop bluffing people with your secondary school photo on your IC already.."

"Quit being in denial liao..Continue to be in denial and face the fact that you gonna break the law"

Darn. Not that I am super proud of my chubby-face-photo on my current IC, but then that means I have to try to submit a decent looking photograph for the new IC. I mean I dont want having to keep people from sniggering everytime they see my IC right? IC should be something that I should be no reservations to fish out whenever necessary?

Hmmph..

First, I hate to take photographs.

Second, I hate to take photographs.

Yes. I hate to take photographs. This has been the case, until I learnt the terms "angling" and "side profile".

But IC photo is supposed to be all front profile and full face! SO hence explain the procrastination.

Anyway decided that that was it last sat when I detoured to a studio at Clementi which I remembered was around since my secondary and JC days. After confirming that it's still around (from another recent new-IC applicant) and the fact that they do touch-up (yes!), it was a day when I think I at least looked decent enough since I had to attend a function later that night. Did 2 sets - one for IC and the other for resume photos (I thought since I am at it, I might as well take more. You never know when you need them).

Wasn't a very good experience cos -

1. I kept having the creeping feeling that my hair is out of place.

2. The photographer kept barking "Smile! COME ON SMILE!"

3. I forgot how weird when you have to twist awkward angles for those angled-body shots

When done (in all of about 3 mins+another 5 mins waiting to pay and grab the receipt), I was like fleeing from the studio with relief.

With much anticipation, I collected the photographs today in soft and hard copies. God. I should have asked to see the shots after the guy took it. My IC photos looked bad. And I looked super photoshopped and so fake... I think if I manage to master Photoshop I can save the $$ going to the studio..Anyway since gotto recrop and resize..tinkering around..and here's the final product

(I cheated - instead of using the IC photograph I used the resume photo version. I dont care.)

(anyway see the pink cardigan? I checked on some forum that says pink will make your complexion look better in IC photographs - ok I was desparate :s)

I just hope that ICA accepts the photograph and save me the hassle of having to take another photograph. Though I am not sure if I ever get checked on the road with messy hair and sleepy eyes, will I ever be detained for impersonation?

STARHUB!!!! ARGH!!!

It's 0010hrs.

Ch 601 is still showing men's volleyball.

Starhub website and even it's info button say Ch 601 should be showing the hockey finals between China and Netherlands at 12 midnight.

AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!! WHERE IS MY HOCKEY FINALS??!!!

Olympics is bad for health....

at least in the sleep department.

I had been averaging about 5 hours of sleep daily cos was catchng up on all the repeat telecast of games shown on the telly. And it had led slowdown in diurnal mental facility.

My mind tells me that I had better get more sleep but they are going to show the women's finals!! (delayed of course..I'm not even going to check the scores online..)

Sidetracking a bit..

happened that another colleauge was also watching the rhythmic gymnastic last night and we were both gushing over how incredible and amazing how the gymnast strut their stuff on the mat. Then I wonder out loud.."How come the gymnast costumes have to have nude colour leotards? I mean cant they wear solid colour leotards? so 若隐若现.."

Another colleauge quickly chirped in " sex sells ma.. If not why you think they have underwater cameras for platform diving? You think audience need to see how they swim back to the surface when you have all the slow-mo when they hit the water meh? Need to adjust here adjust there one underwater first ma"

O_o

Of Nike Run & Shoes

I am

• watching replay of Chinese vs Belgian game on tv
• watching House on laptop
• checking out Nike Human Race Day details
• panicking that I will seriously struggle on the actual race day :s

My sis had asked me if I wanted to run Nike Human Race Day end of the month, and I had gamely agreed. Tha must been like early Jul. And I had not started running seriously until last Sun.

Procrastinator! as usual...

When supposed to be tapering off, I am only warming my engine and getting it running. Of course, it doesnt help to have extra tight ITB that protests if without enough warming up and stretching down.

Well..going to hit the track tmr..

xxxxxx

SInce the Chinese team is sponsored by Nike, all of them are wearing the Destroyer.

In red some more.

Super nice..

hmmm..

:p

All about making sense of the world

I finished reading "To Kill a Mockingbird".

All within a day. Cant put down the book till the end, and even then flipped to the first chapter and re-read the whole section again. I was practically buried in the book while at the same time snitching glances at the TV screen to check out the table tennis game whenever the crowd cheer, just to see who had the game points (I am sure that many othere people were also glued to the TV watching Singapore's hope on the shoulder of 3 ladies in BJ).

I guess there are just some themes that will never die out - the usual ones like love, courage..and now another one : prejudice.

I read in the papers today that there had been an article recently written by a Malay lady, who expressed the difficulty of being a Malay in this society. Although I didn't get to read that article, I was reading the feedback with interest. Another Malay lady replied that her Chinese neighbour was surprised when she told her that she wasn't a clerk, but instead a lecturer. If I had a thought bubble, it would have been "ROFL!!!". Wah...what a social boo boo...

I must admit, through the course of my work, there are just so many instances which reinforce stereotypes, which had made me guilty of exclaiming stereotypical comments. But then I dont extend them to persons in specific, ie, I dont assume that anybody is of that stereotype until I know the person better and suss him/her out after more interactions. I dont know whether that made me less guilty or otherwise, but I do try.

At a time when the government is exhorting the benefits of having more expatriates (I got watch national rally one you know..), while the average Singaporeans are grumbling about the fact they are losing their rice bowls and other "social ills" in general, I wonder if we are practising the double standards like how the plot of the story went.

We certainly need some foreign workers to clean our table/sweep our roads/clean our toilets etc etc etc..yet we complain that they are crowding up our little island. I recalled sometime back, somebody had the cheek to write to the forum that the foreign workers working on some precinct upgrading project shouldn't be resting or sleeping along the void decks during their lunch breaks as they made the place looked unpleasant. Hello??! I am sure the same person would be the first to call up his/her Town Council demanding to know why the foreign worker did not turn up that day to clear rubbish from his/her lift lobby which was cluttered with discarded items dumped there..no..why should he/she bring the bulky items to the rubbish collection house since he/she paid the conservency fees to have these people do the work for him/her?

Of course, there'll definitely be downstream consequences of having these foreign workers, with their own customs,practises, circumstances having to add to our big melting pot, and may had made some unpalatable tastings. But at least, I know in the eyes of the law, they stand on equal footing unlike how it was 50 years back. It's the eyes of the common people that I cant be sure about. How many times have I heard stereotypes that are ascribed to Indians, Bangladeshis, PRC, Viets, Sri Lankans, Sarawakians, Thais......

Would us, as a nation of people who are proud of our achievements - first class airport, efficient govt, great education sytem.. - be one day more tolerant and colour blind? And to be truly the world class citizens which we strive to be?

By the way, I am happy that the Chinese-borned-but-Singaporeans-now players won the silver for us. It just showed that Singapore is capable of attracting the right talents and grooming them to meet up to titans. But looking at the TV screen telecasting live the medal presentation ceremony, I also wonder how they feel when they were standing on the podium listening to the Chinese anthem playing, looking at both nations' flag raising side by side. What was the anthem playing in their hearts? I am not sure that they know how to mouth the words to Majula Singapura if it was ever being played.

Prejudiced? I don't know. But I try to be otherwise.

Olympic Games

It's good to have another day of leave after a holiday. Instead of dragging body (and mind) straight back to office, today was a day of re-tuning and rest, doing all the packing and stuff.

And it's good that starhub has 6 channels showing Olympics live! Although how I hope that they are more consistent with their show schedule!!!! ST stated that they were showing GB vs Argentina, followed by Auz vs Spain at 10.20am on Channel 605. So I managed to watched the last 9 mins of the first game, and then saw on the hockeyroos and the Spanish team warming up on the pitch on tv screeen. So quickly went to do all the stuff that I need to do..and was waiting with anticipation by 1015am. then at 1020am sharp, they starting showing commercials, and then the channel closed. WTF??!!!! ;((

Went to starhub website and this is what they say :
"Due to the frequency of show updates, programme schedules are subject to change without prior notification."

ARGH!!! It was so irritating.

So it was between gymnastic men's finals, beach volleyball men's prelims, weighlifting...so I went to watch men execute highly difficult stunts in all awkward positions :p

Like diving, I always find it amazing how the gymnasts can execute highly contorting movements with seemingly little effort, and it's nice to watch a gymnast finish his/her routines with grace and finese. And also the tense moments as the scores are tallied and the team knew how far ahead/behind. The Chinese definitely completed their routine with aplomb. By their last station, they were riding high knowing that they were leading by a good 10 points than the next better Japan team. They must have felt real proud to do so well in front of their own people.

What caught my eye was the 3rd placed USA team. Cos other than the usual Americanized names, there was a "Tan", a "Raj" and a "Artemev". Alongside the other teams, which are homogeneously Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German etc..the lineup was the interesting bit.

But otherwise, I was awestruck whenever a gymnast execute his twirls and twists and backflips...I can imagine how much time and effort they have been spending for the past 4 years waiting for this day, to showcase to the world what they have got in their bags.

Talk about effortless..this should be the classic.



Sports is a beautiful game.

If only I can be on leave the next few days..

Going away again...

to breath some air underwater. And hopefully catch Olympics opening if there is a TV set showing there.

Macau Egg Biscuits

I have got a friend recently went Macau before I went HK. I was in search for this stall of egg biscuits manned by a pair of aged couple which my friend told me about, cos the eggy biscuits were really really good (seriously I think other than to see the St Paul's ruins, I was more interest in the biscuit :p). Those who went Macau with me would have remembered hearing it cos I was repeating this from HK island to the ferry to the custom to St Paul ruins. But I couldn't find it amongst all the almond cookies :(

So anyway, had dinner with friend today at this place

where the highlight of the dinner was this :-

I think it's seabass..

And my friend gave me her blog addy. And I found proof that the stall does exist! (plagiarised from my friend's blog)

Round dough..then pressed to become flat-and-crunchy-and-eggy egg biscuits!

I'm so going to find that uncle in the photograph the next time I go Macau.

Pageant Sunday

Got a call from Mei校长 sometime during the week.."I need your help this Sunday! I need somebody to help with the girls' makeup for their photoshoot!". Going by Mei 校长's recent question, which has always revolving around "Got pretty girls or not? Ask them to join the pageant..", I know the "girls" meant contestants for the Ms International pageant :p


Actually I always thought pageants was for..er.. well..I mean who would want to go through all the torture of being ogled by so many people walking on stage!? I get stage fright just having 50 people looking at me deilvering a topic. And probably answer every question with "..and world peace!"

O_0"

But then what I didn't know was that the Singapore Women's Association has been organising the pageant every year to raise money and all profit would have gone to charities. And of course, helping pretty girls to realise their runway dreams in the process :))




So anyway, back to Sunday..it was 11am at SWA's office.






Busybusybusybusybusy....4 persons getting the girls ready for the camera (starting from the left in pink) - Sandra, Faith, me and Alice.

Backbreaking :s

After a few hours of powdering, dabbing, brushing, blending..all the girls were done and shot. Amazing just splashes of colours can transform someone, looking so different on the comp even before photoshopping.

While hanging around for the last few girls to finish shooting, we were flipping through last year's Ms International programme booklet. Wah..Ms International not only have to walk on stage and look pretty..they have to be involved in charity activities as well! Not easy wor!

Then saw Annie and some of the other ladies' from SWA coming back, hot and sweaty. Annie said that they just came back from a CC where they were helping with the free eye screening, which I believed was one of the programme that Mei mentioned before which SWA was running.

Anyway, while the last girl was setting her hair before she could go in front of the camera, Alice and me took opportunity of the phtographer's free window slot and took some photographs too. heh~ wait for him to send to us :p

After that it was rushing to Giant Tampines (it's a madhouse on sunday!) to help with the grocery shopping (was super late, only helped to push the cart to the Hoongs' car :p) and then to Sox's place for steamboat dinner. To celebrate capt-who-is-the-same-age-as-singapore 's birthday :D. Dinner + wine + figuring out the latest devt between Yx & Mr Hougang + crappy 欠扁问答题 （hmm...maybe I will blog abt the 欠扁问答题-香港版 next time..but no fun cos you dont see the =.=" expression on other people's face..hahahah~)

And realised that there are 3 other persons who had the same birthday. And one on the way should the stock be punctual with his bundle of joy. Hmm..a good day for birthdays?

Across the Universe revisited

Was on youtube looking for 张清房's 雨夜花 (yes, inspired by 星光2班）， which led to 王若琳，which led me to this.



OOOooooOoOOOo......

Fiona Apple's voice got a spacey-eerily-zen kind of feel to it. ok..Fiona Apple didn't sing nor appear in the show, but this has most of the scenes from the movie.　I still preferred Jim Sturgess' version from the show but no nice MV from youtube.


Another song nice which I discovered from the show is this


And of course.. my favourite


You think it's a nice song with all nice strawberries and green fields..until you watch the movie and understand the psyche behind the lyrics.

Coo coo, kachoo :))