Tom's Diners

Song was stuck in my head. I don't even know when this song came out but it's one of those songs that you will never forget after you hear it once.

(The original MTV is here, and if you ask me, it's all trippy in its own ways..)

And since we are at Suzanne Vega, I remembered that my GP teacher then (seems like eons ago) had given us a group assignment, which was to share songs that addresses some social problems. Thanks for the super musically attuned classmate in my group, I was introduced to the troubled boy called Luka.

But anyway, that's to get the tune out of my head (and perhaps planted into yours. Hah~).

My new gadget

Yesh :) A pre-owned Sony E-reader PRS 600 that I was looking for. The previous owner, told me when we met up that he has gotten it from UK since last year, but didn't have much use for it. Not much e-books selection, he said.

So far, I have finished one Terry Prachett and one John Grisham, both borrowed from the National Library. And now, I have:-

• the Stieg Larsson - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (I plan to finish them before I go watch the movie!!) (hopefully..);
• two more borrowed books from the National Library - Dune Book 3 and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy;
• 射雕英雄传 （现处于－郭靖已拜七怪为师了）
• Oliver Twist (I want to try the Gutenburg Project)

And I wonder why the pre-owner said that there wasn't much e-books options..

Cons?

The only major grouse was that Sony Reader Library, the default application for the e-reader died on me..seems that it is a common grouse for a lot of other owners from the forums, driving them to embark on alternatives, seemingly more stable applications like Adobe Digital Edition, and Calibre. Well, it's Sony's loss then for losing its captive market for its online book store.

Second (minor) grouse..after I finished the first 2 borrowed library books, I cant "return" them, will have to wait for them to expire on their own (pro - I dont have to go to the library physically = I don't incur late fees just cos..I was too lazy to move my butt. Works well for me :D)

I ish happy :DD

现代感情观

拜五和 ‘08年认识的一班狗友们喝着红酒笑谈风声。 喝着喝着，狗友们坦然的讲起他们现处的感情观：

• 旧爱还是最美
• 宁愿人负我，也不是我负人
• It's...complicated.

友人也提到身边某某和某某的绯闻，感情纠结。

年轻的时候，以为从一而终是惯例。 现在觉得好像从百花镜里看世界，各型各色的人事物，还一直不停的转变。是不是快变成“速食”社会，感情也变成 “速食化”。

可能我早一点把红药丸吞下，早点清醒接受现实会比较好。

Is Singapore really..starting to be more open minded?

A friend gave an early notice that she will be stopping over in SG before flying back to Indo for CNY, and we were actually planning if we can find some good promo for hotel stay over the weekend that she is here.

And while I was googling for hotel promos that runs up to 2011, one of the links led to a prominent hotel in Singapore. The page listed a couple of different promotional packages which were valid till Mar 2011. And while I was looking at the packages, I saw one that was called "Pride Welcome Package".

Most people who are somewhat attune to the LGBT segment of the society would know that "Pride" was a term synonymous with them. Otherwise, the thumbnail of 2 guys' faces smiling-while-side-glancing-each-other should also be a dead gave away.

Again like what I said, this was a prominent hotel along the Orchard Road belt. A commercial gay pride supporter in strait laced Singapore?? Wow. I always thought this was a hush-hush topic that nobody really wanted to comment on, much less a commercial entity who is willing to break the taboo and opening recognise this group of people, and dangle a carrot for their pink dollars.

Marketing strategy wise, it was a clear sign that rather than assume that such people will go for the generic "couple" package, the LGBT segment seems like its gaining more recognition for marketing people to specifically target them,and for them to assume that LGBTs will be open enough to sign up for the package, go to the reception counter and tell them "I am checking in for the Pride package I booked" together with their same sex partners.

This is really interesting...Does it mean that the Singapore society is becoming more open-minded about such stuff? Well, I mean it was clearly documented that the Romans were engaged in same sex relationships.

m

I wonder if we will ever end up in the same league as these countries. I say, let people choose who they want to spend their lives with.

我看。我听。我读。

我看

赚人热泪的灾难片。 至少比好莱坞更真实，更感人。

轻松浪漫小品。 可是未必有点太单纯了吧？

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

我听

See my previous entries today. I cant believe that I am listening to songs possibly written when my parents are wearing still their agogo pants. But the songs cater for a certain mood.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Catcher in the Rye is NOT the book to read when the world already don't make sense. Phonies!!

(wow. this post is overflowing with cynism)

Cream Sitting on Top of the World

Blasting the album all the way home to drown out the voids in my brains after deciding that certain things don't carry meaning anymore.

The Youth Olympic Games 2010

Even as Singapore was announced to be the host country of the inaugural Youth Olympics, I thought I would be more excited when the it actually starts.

Come 2010. I asked a friend working as a sports reporter if the YOG has created any wave within the media circle, not privy to the rest of the public. She said there wasn't any, only the exhorting news that the production cost is at least 3 times exceeding budget, and that was before when the news hit mainstream media.

Hmm..

Come Aug. Still no hype..I see more NDP banners and flags, and the only thing that greeted me every morning when I go to work "Give Way to YOG Vehicles".

Hmmm..

Come Aug 14. I was scratching my head over the ideas behind some of the segments of the opening ceremony (Why are the hosts wearing rainbow apparels - they don't get sponsored with YOG tees? Why are they singing Malay songs and Nobody? How come no sign of the mascots? What was the Maori war dance about??) , and distracted while my mum was laughing when the flag bearers couldn't follow their countries' plaque bearer for nuts.

But I was awed when the flag bearers stood in an arch and look up towards the raising flag, looking towards the higher ideals the Olympic games hopes to bring. Not only about winning and medal, but about sportsmanship, and friendship bonded over testing of skills and physique. The phoenix over the water looked grand gliding towards the platform (we were just waiting for that since sis was a volunteer dragonboater rowing in one of the boats before the phoenix - otherwise my mum proclaimed that she would have gone to sleep already), and the final leg of the torch bearer running over water towards the cauldron.

And what a magnificent cauldron! I was amazed at the vortex of fire that gave an unique twist (no pun intended) to the Olympic flame burning throughout the games.

OK..so much for the opening ceremony. Still no feeling of excitement.

Until I chance upon the YOG channel (was this stated anyway in the print media or mainstream channels??) and saw a couple of highlights and that was when it really dawned on me that the YOG is really happening in Singapore. The glint of the eyes of the TKD athlete before he went in for the kick at Suntec Center, the determination in the face of the swimmers as they hit the pool at the Singapore Sports School..

Young bodies who have sacrificed time, blood and sweat in the name of sports. The discipline, determination and desire to keep moving towards the goal set are such universal qualities that can never start too young . That finally clicked for me. Now I so want to watch the games at the hockey pitch..

Gosh if only the wound will heal and fever be gone. I am so sick of..feeling sick.

e-Reader

I remember this entry, about missing the feel of paper in my hands should I ever give up the actual books for hi-techy stuff.

The day might just be near. I am seriously considering getting either this:

Sony PRS600 Touch Edition

After I saw one of my friend (who is forever carrying the latest techy stuff..) showing us over dinner one day (show off! :p), and of course I had to borrow and play around with it. Oh gosh. Books on demand! Free EPub books! Borrow books from the National Library! But do noticed a bit of glare, slight flickering when turning the pages (it's touch screen - a plus!), and the Sony store for online book appeared quite..under stocked..

or this:

What else. The Kindle (Latest Generation DX Graphite)

When considering an e-reader, I must of course at least see what the Sony Reader compares to in the market, and it seems the benchmark is always Kindle in all the forums. No qualms on clarity and readability. Proprietary to Amazon - All the titles! Better PDF reads! But then..no national lib for this one. But smoother transition for page turning (but not touch screen, navi is via buttons)

Seriously, the price for both is not that much of a difference, which makes all the more difficult to decide which one to get. hmm....

Ok. In my all ideal scenario situation, someone would be able to sell me a mint condition PRS600 which I will thrash around for a while, before I decide to go for kindle for a change. However, maybe I can hope that my neighbour is this guy. Then I can go knock on his door and borrow a different one everyday.

Choices!!!