Through 2011 II

14 Aug 11. 12:04AM.
Playing poker for the first time at Guofei's place. Won money!



25 Aug 11. 7:15AM.
Three pretty girls. DYT in yellow.



11 Sep 11. 2:38PM.
Emcee-d my best friend's wedding.



13 Sep 11. 7:27PM.
Unforgettable Hari Raya dinner at Ros' place with the Seven.



14 Sep 11. 10:54AM.
Working on the shoot for Behind Every Job 2 featuring NatSteel!



15 Sep 11. 10:40AM.
My first Bulletin! Editor for the first time in my life.



17 Sep 11. 7:51PM.
Red-hot student for shifu's birthday party.



23 Sep 11. 9:36AM.
Healthy lifestyle at NatCafe.



25 Sep 11. 10:35PM.
How chio lah!



3 Oct 11. 8:14PM.
Westlife sang on my birthday. With Edric. Tickets from my sister courtesy of SSC!



14 Oct 11. 2:11PM.
MBS Skypark for the first time, bringing the elderly of St Joseph's Home around.



21 Oct 11. 6:31PM.
Intelligence is sexy.



22 Oct 11. 10:22PM.
2nd time at USS. Both times in the dead of the night. Both times on Halloween. Amazing. Thank you Weetz!



24 Oct 11. 7:17PM.
Ridiculously good Jap restaurant at Ion.



5 Nov 11. 2:30PM.
The gorgeousNess. The Seven went to Group Therapy. Unforgettable yuppie brunch.



26 Nov 11. 3:13PM.
Puss in Boots, IMAX. Elected into the company's Sports & Recreation Club.



3 Dec 11. 10:49AM.
Bryan prawning. An activity with the Society for the Physically Disabled.



5 Dec 11. 5:44PM.
Chilling with Samuel at Sentosa on my day off.



9 Dec 11. 8:26PM.
First time here with Qiao Ping and Joyce, for great Italian dinner.



10 Dec 11. 8:50AM.
First "out-camp run" with Firus, Labrador Park.



10 Dec 11. 12:00PM.
Two of the best performers this year.



17 Dec 11. 10:53PM.
Mouthwatering breakfast at Coffee Bean after an awesome run along the river.

Gimme Something Good

NTU called me today, asking me to take part in the survey. They wanted to know if I was employed, how much I was paid, how long I took to find a job and whether my education prepared me for my job.

As I answered the questions one-by-one, I smiled. It gave me to evaluate my life as a student and my life up till this point in time. Is the nature of my work related to my degree programme? Yes. The extent your degree programme helps you to obtain your present job. A very large extent. Looking back, would you have preferred a different course of study at NTU? No. Please rate your overall experience as an undegrad in NTU. 4/5.

One chance to take one course in Uni and I chose the one that I've wanted to do all my life. Sure, it's soft-skills, mostly. But that's exactly how the survey evaluated education: the extent that NTU prepared me for written communication, oral communication, presentation skills (are you kidding me I'm in communications). Then there's ability to learn, interpersonal skills, personal effectiveness, working in groups. Of course!

Did my education get me the job I want? Definitely. I was at Fernvale Gardens School this afternoon. It's a school for the intellectually disabled kids and the work they do is really inspiring. And it's part of my job to come up with activities for the volunteering sessions, making sure that it's enjoyable and fruitful for the volunteers as it is for the kids. I feel grateful to be in a position where I can make a difference. It makes me happy.

And I guess this is why my job makes me happy. I get the chance to grow at my own pace. I get to do something I like - communications. I get to go home on time! I get a lot of job satisfaction, especially since in a two-person team, I can see my every effort amplified.

It's luck that the cards fell into place. With my limited experience in life, I've played my cards right. That, and an open heart, an open mind. A bit of quiet confidence and a bit of determination.

And a whole lot of optimism.

Lost Ship to the Lighthouse

Let us fly
Soar high up in the sky
Hand in hand we go
Heart in heart we grow

Through 2011 I

18 Apr 11. 11:52AM.
Printed FYP report for submission.



30 Apr 11. 1:17AM.
Thad on ST. Heat of the elections.



3 May 11. 9:29AM.
The moment before our FYP presentation.



3 May 11. 12:35AM.
Done with FYP forever. With the cranberry man.



11 May 11. 10:32AM.
Studying for exams at benches. Avocado shake and a banana. Feeling down then.



12 May 11. 7.04AM.
Henderson Waves with Rex.



22 May 11. 12:16AM.
Favourite chilling-with-friends activity. Possibly with Ivan, Guofei and Samuel.



22 May 11. 1:16PM.
Having lunch at Ricciotti. Rekindling flames.



24 May 11. 5:16AM.
Conquered a hill with Edric.



27 May 11. 7:30PM.
The Seven celebrated yet more birthdays, four years running.



1 Jun 11. 10:10AM.
When I still frequented SAFRA Yishun.



3 Jun 11. 12:43PM.
Somebody's wearing the same sandals as me, in such close proximity!



8 Jun 11. 4:04PM.
Bali with 3 awesome people.



17 Jun 11. 2:57PM.
Forever singing Kbox with the OGLs.



1 Jul 11. 2:51PM.
Signed papers and got employed.



15 Jul 11. 7:26AM.
Shocking factory fire.



16 Jul 11. 5:46PM.
With family at the fantastic Sentosa Beach Resort.



31 Jul 11. 3:26PM.
Graduation photoshoot with the Seven.



5 Aug 11. 9.07PM.
My brother's 21st.



10 Aug 11. 2:44PM.
Got my name card!

I've Learnt

2011's coming to an end so it's time to look back, reflect. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to grow up, for picking my own battles... something which I have been able to do upon entering university. And in the course of this year, I've gone from being an undergrad to a working adult! More paths to take, more to discover, more to learn.

And maybe it'd be apt to look at what I've learnt this year.

I've learnt that music is not what I thought it to be. I've enjoyed stuff that's less mainstream. It doesn't matter if other people don't listen to the same thing. But that's not to say I've neglected Pop. Was still singing to almost every song that charted on Billboard during mahjong yesterday!

I've learnt that I'm a team-player. I surprised myself earlier this year by being able to pull my weight in the project. It gave me confidence to get things done and was a really great experience because of how tough it was. I'll never forget packing endless goodie bags, or staying up for 48 hours to finish the report!

I've learnt that I'm not the most hardworking person. I'm not the most creative person. Inspiration and effort comes in spurts. With some focus I can channel it and maybe something great will come out of it! I can be hardcore when I need to!

I've learnt that as much as I enjoy sports and exercise, I've plateaued no thanks to the fact that I haven't been very adventurous nor extremely dedicated. But I'm thankful that I've found people who'll motivate me to take it to the next level. I foresee that next year will be more exciting, with events such as the Urbanathlon lined up. Not getting any younger and this will be the most physically fit that I'll ever be. I only have now. And I'm going to make sure that now = my best.

I've learnt earlier on how to manage money and time. I've always been big on planning and scheduling. Packing lots of activities. Purchasing lots of stuff with my tuition money! I haven't achieved it yet, but I'm on the cusp of the next step - prioritising. Knowing that I don't need to have it all. Knowing that doing nothing is sometimes, everything.

I've learnt that relationships are tough. There're people whom I were inseparable with earlier in the year that I don't talk to now. There're new people that I enjoy getting to know. Yes, relationships. Sometimes, it's about being persistent. Maybe being together is never knowing when to let go.

I've learnt that I've a lot to learn. I've been pushing for myself to see the world, to understand cultures, to accept a different way of life, to find out different perspectives, to realise that what I know is not enough. It's important to be like a sponge, to put yourself in the best position to learn - to not get comfortable, to not be overconfident.

More often than not learning is painful and frustrating. But it keeps you on your toes. That's what life's about. And it's that's what I want to continue to do in 2012.

Being Whole

Before you fall in love, you need to be whole. You've got to have your own hobbies, you've got to take time into your own hands. You need your own friends, you need to have your own dreams.

When you fall in love, you take someone else into your life. It's a duty to make the other person happy, but it's also your duty to make sure you don't lose yourself. You're not there to make the other person complete. And you shouldn't need someone else to feel complete either. You must be able to live with the new rules that you come up with together.

Sure, there is compromise and you might find new hobbies together, having less time for yourself, your friends and even adjusting your dreams to fit two, instead of one.

But relationships are always haunted by doubt, fear and insecurity. One can only overcome that when he has got something to share, when he is whole and not finding a quick fix for the gaping hole in his life. So don't throw yourself at others and more often than not, we're not impressed with people throwing themselves at us.

When faced with love, step forth cautiously and get to know what you want. If there's chemistry, it'll see you through.

Focus

"Listening to the song Brandon mentioned in my mind, thinking of the article Ros shared on Dhubai in my head, dreaming of the places Dylon wants to travel to... Focus, avoid excess, don't believe all the bullshit you see, sometimes the lie of the truth is the most honest."

Wrote this on my Facebook yesterday and was motivated to blog but the feeling escaped me. So I'll put this here, just to give me a feel of what I wanted to say.

Music's a huge part of my life. Brandon talked about Paradise by Coldplay being so haunting that he had to delete it from his iPod. I heard Ode To My Family by The Cranberries on the bus today. I had shivers down my spine and it felt like I was getting stabbed by glass deep inside but I listened to it anyway. Music moves me in a special way.

The article about Dubai was beyond amazing. I have to read it again! It's what good writing is about - bringing the reader to a new place. Exploring unknown land, new ground. But at the same time, to take a stand. Take a stand against the injustice that's happening around the world and persuade others to do the same. This article was widely shared on Facebook and I guess it deserves a re-read and if I can, another entry.

Dylon wrote, "Seattle, Christina Yang, Space Needles, Miranda Bailey, Starbucks, Dylon, Destination, Trip, Cheap Tickets, 2 weeks, Alone." Culture. TV. Travel. Things that I hold close to me, that make me who I am. And yes, getting to know of different places makes me want to travel there to discover them for myself. And discover myself. I crave the adventure. I want to document, to take photos, to write, to let people see the world the way I see it.

I need to cut down on the excess. Distillate. Find the essence of what I need to become. And work towards that.

Taking Photogaphy

So I bought a Canon EOS 600D yesterday. It wasn't for myself, but it was for the company. Which reminds me that claiming my money will be a long-drawn process.

I was excited to purchase my first DSLR! Granted, I have limited knowledge and I didn't really know what to look out for. But the feeling of splashing over a thousand dollars on something other than my laptop was incredible!

I've always had a slight interest in photography and it's nice to have a chance to actually develop it in my course of work. My friends exclaimed on facebook and asked why the camera was on company money and I replied, "As NatSteel has decided to invest in my talents as e official photographer... So that I can be a more valuable asset to the company." This is, in a way true! I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to expand my job scope and to learn a new skill.

I've had the chance to fiddle around with my bosses DSLR and had to photograph several activities. I realise that good photography is equal parts luck and equal parts skill, for me as a beginner anyway! Maybe someone with better skill could compensate when lacking in luck! I could get the sharpest image, best lighting - but if the subjects are frowning, the picture becomes crap. Other reasons for all these action / event shots to become crap - someone swinging his arm into the frame unknowingly; people moving too fast; people whose faces look strange in mid-speech. The list goes on.

I've taken 260 photos for today's CSR at the National Museum of Singapore. I know I will only have the resources ((Intranet, Bulletin, E-mail) to showcase 40 of them and I've to pick the best, which would speak more of my skill, than having quantity over quality.

Maybe I'm taking this a bit too seriously! It's fun, but at the same time, it's my job.

Mixing business with pleasure.

Someone Like You

For some reason, now I know, inexplicably, that I am tied to you. That I cannot run away, not that I want to. There's something that pulls us together even when we're apart; that we'd stay to face each other, even when it's hard. Only when you've been pushed to the brink and tested that you really know how much you want it. It's not easy to find someone who makes you so happy. Often, the same person will also make you very sad. Yeah, you know that cliche - take the good with the bad? The bad's not easy to swallow.

Despite it all, you're still here. You're not going anywhere. So it's only fair, to say:

I don't think I'll ever find someone like you.

那些年，我們一起追的女孩

I was really surprised that the first shot was that of an apple. Was it a coincidence or was this Taiwanese film conscious about its title being translated to English? What kind would it portray?

As it went on, curiously enough, it brought out that tone - quirky, innocent, carefree, friendly mood - that the Taiwanese were well-known for. Despite talking openly and rampantly about sex, it wasn't very sexual (ahhh, Hollywood). Despite being emotional, it wasn't melodramatic (ahhh, Korean films). It made me miss Taiwan - the people, the mood, the food. Just like the movie, never overproduced, never extravagant, but always rich.

Many moments got me laughing out loud. There were the ones that were obvious - the physical comedy. There were the cultural bits - Jay Chou's opening seconds of his ping pong track. Then they are those that catch you by surprise - this really is what I think, this was how I felt, that was once me - and I'd let out a mangled laughter. That of surprise, bewilderment and being touched.

It was a film that was really grounded in Taiwan, but its story-telling is not as masterful as it could have been. It was lacking that final "kick". And as friends rightly pointed out - what's with that lengthy flashback?!

But still littered with beautiful moments, its a movie not to be missed. My favourite line from the movie goes: 人生本来就有很多事是徒劳无功的啊。

Such Brilliance: The Prelude Pathétique

“When I look back on my life, it’s not that I don’t want to see things exactly as they happened, it’s just that I prefer to remember them in an artistic way. And truthfully, the lie of it all is much more honest because I invented it. Clinical psychology tells us arguably that trauma is the ultimate killer. Memories are not recycled like atoms and particles in quantum psychics, they can be lost forever. It’s sort of like my past is an unfinished painting and as the artist of that painting, I must fill in all the ugly holes and make it beautiful again. It’s not that I’ve been dishonest, it’s just that I loathe reality."

-Lady Gaga – ‘Marry The Night: The Prelude Pathétique'

This is what art represents. Couldn't have said it better.

Friday - Met Ruiqi and had a cheapo dinner at McDonalds, Marine Square. Hung around, talked nonsense. Good conversation; cigarette smoke. Bought some cute snacks. Looks like doughnuts with toppings. Delivered them to a surprised someone who was feeling down. Only to find that said person wasn't down because of a healthy dose of South Park!

Sat - The sexy six. Who used to be seven. But one of us was in France. Thus we headed for group therapy, at Group Therapy. Listened to good stories about Cambodia and played with a cute ring. Exposed to different accents, different languages. Planned for outings overseas. Sometimes it's nice to dream. Sometimes we aim for something more realistic, like steamboat on the 25th. Went for a walk... Duxton is a cool place. So is Ann Siang Hill but the Fred Perry was ridiculously expensive. Saw some hidden treasures, a hidden bookstore. Wondered how they made money. Wondered why we'd be back again. Headed to town for truffle fries, but a bad surprise, there were no fries. So we, demoralised, realised that we should continue our YUPPIE lifestyles at DOME, with salads, normal fries and a pot of green tea. Rushed back home and rested, but went out again to meet the cousins at Fish & Co. Disappointed cos we didn't sing Kbox but excited to watch The Adventures of Tintin. Brilliant story; transcends time; magic happened etc etc.

Sun - Brainspoil. Good food. Good stuff all the way. Started with Dim Sum at Toa Payoh, till I was full beyond words. Cycled at East Coast, nice physical activity to burn the fats. Stalked a few nice specimens, well, only one in red. Tired and then disgusted that Mcs did not have milkshake so we had Milo instead. Went past Tanjong Katong - omy the Porteguese Egg Tarts. Smelled brilliant, kidnapped them home and they tasted brilliant too. Hung around, waited till 4, not 4pm, till there were 4 people and we had curry fish head, before playing mahjong. Won a few, lost a couple, won 2 bucks in the end.

Mon - Woke up in the morning... and spammed the McDonalds hotline for breakfast with the family. Spammed good shows, new episodes of Glee, some of Modern Family and most importantly, 2 Broke Girls. Rolling with laughter. Perfect humour. HAHA. Amazing stuff. And that moved on to some aerobics and acrobatics. Which moved on to a gory, gory movie - Drive. Yes Ryan Gosling. But I think gore is not really my thing. Too much shock factor, doesn't really advance the story in my opinion. Has its merits though. Sat in a van, a couple couple. Went for some spicy Thai food, sweat like I was watching porn. Guilty! Cos it tasted good. As good as the beancurd we had after at Old Airport Road. Sinful! But brilliant. Good times, relaxed, happy...

And that's how my weekend went.

Vision Board

"If you can't see it, you can't hit it!"

I had a good laugh watching 2 Broke Girls. It's a rather amusing sitcom - super crass, but never bordering on tasteless. They're the anti-Gossip Girls, dressed in crappy clothes and hilarious, but equally crappy personalities!

So one of them creates a Vision Board. A Vision Board is a board where you place pictures of your hopes and dreams. You see it every day. It gives you direction. It gives you inspiration. It gets you up in the morning. It's got to be huge. The board's got to be huge. The dream's got to be huge. You can't put like, a picture of a hundred-dollar bill. You've got to put a picture of the cupcake shop that you're going to own.

It's an amazing and really fun concept. Everyone loves to dream. Making that board gives you a chance to do that. There's a bit of arts & crafts. A little bit of design. It's basically goal-setting, that's what it is. And it provokes the subconscious. You see it every day and it'll bug you into thinking, "What do I have to do, to get what I want? To be where I want to be?"

I'll make a Vision Board one of these weekends and post it up!

And it reminds me of a tweet I tweeted this morning: Happiness means different things to different people. Chase what you need not what you can't have.

In Time

I've said it once on Twitter and again on Facebook. The premise is amazing. What if you wore your riches on your wrist? What if your riches were, simply put, the hours, minutes, seconds, of your life?

In Time explores all this and more. The execution wasn't masterful enough, despite the very good big idea. It flirted with political and economical issues but never really got into the meat of it. Certainly not Avatar or Inception, but as an action-movie, it was entertaining enough. I got a little tired of the chase sequences... there's only so much running I can take, despite the the fact that Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake looked good running.

It was great to see other familiar faces on screen as well. Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer all had fleeting but impactful roles.

I can't imagine living in a society like that. Where people have to die just so others can be immortal. Where you live from day-to-day and bank your hopes on what you can achieve in one day. Imagine the adrenaline flooding your system, heightening your senses for fight or flight all the time, just to stay alive!

One sobering thought though - we all have that clock ticking on our forearms. Just that our reality is a bit more exciting - we can't see the numbers.

Food and Friends

Just putting down some thoughts on the blog always seems to make me feel happier. Even if I don't ever read them again, even if they don't make sense. Even if I read them again and they don't make sense!

Got to know two new friends yesterday and the four of us walked to Selegie to have pasta, before walking to somewhere around Orchard Central and having Coffee Bean at Starbucks. It was both interesting and inspiring to finally meet them when I've known them for so long. It was more than I expected and was impressed by the both of them.

Wonderful breakfast today with Rex at Chong Pang Market. Parking was a nightmare, no thanks to it being a public holiday. Had the awesome chee cheong fun with char siew and shrimp fillings. I can't wait to go back there... super cheap food, but deeply satisfying. It's always different to have something that's not typically western. It satisfies... as strange as this sounds, my "cultural hunger".

It was a short but fulfilling Deepavali holiday.

It's nice to have a job and be comfortable. Things are constantly changing, sometimes quietly so. It's nice to be engaged and challenged and not become bored... or jaded. In life, in love, in friendships, in experiences.

A Regime

It's hard getting back on the horse. The 18th of October just passed. That marks my third month in my first job. I haven't got any one to compare with really so I'm not really sure where my performance lies.

But this is not about that. A different lifestyle, transitioning from student to working adult, takes some getting used to. I stopped going to the gym altogether and have gotten a little pudgy. I've spent time socialising, having rich dinners, wonderful talks, chilling out, hour after hour just sitting around.

I've started on a slightly healthier routine. I'll eat at home more often. I'll be more active whenever I can. I think it's the small things. As I was telling another friend, some people look like the jobs they do. It's what you do daily that contributes most to who you are, how you look.

Another friend made the effort to look better and get into tighter clothes. Firming up, slimming down - it's lots of hard work, resisting temptation, eating differently. But it works! And seeing him take charge of his appearance and body was very inspiring.

And so I've been making some effort. Eating lesser of the unhealthy stuff. Pounding the pavement - the new route is awesome and exciting. Up from 3km to 5.2. Getting back to the basics - chin-ups, sit-ups and dips. I feel tired but it allows me to sleep easy at night.

Especially a night like tonight. Will Young's making me emo.

Breakfast at Dempsey