Gene's Journey

An Apology

2009-10-13T17:12:00.004+08:00

I had breached the agreement we made. I sense that you already do not have a very good impression of me, and worst, this have to happened. I should not have lied and broke the trust you had. I did not expect you to find out about the truth so soon. I see that you are furious when you found out about it, but you took it calmly and did not show any displeasure so I have no right to be displeased with you. I feel very terrible after that and remorseful for my actions. Please accept my sincere apology. To prove my sincerity, I would like to admit something. There is still more to it. Forgive me. Contact me, I seek your further instructions and will accept any punishment from you.

I am sorry.

Troubled

2009-10-12T00:24:00.003+08:00

Humans are one of a kind. They are horrible creatures and they are just so hard to understand. Always unable to guess what is going through their mind. Worst of all, they do not speak their mind. Words carry no weight and have no meaning. Nothing could please them. It does not pay to be thoughtful and considerate. It will not be appreciated, they will just take it for granted, abuse it or even mock at it. Only knowing how to hurt one another. Soon, irritation builds up. However, who will care about the feelings of others. They are just insensitive and have little concern with their surroundings. What makes anyone of us different or special.

Never try to change anything. One will only attract criticism and distress upon oneself, at the end of it. Why even bother to change one's shortcomings, just to change others' opinions.

There was never mutual understanding and disappointment now fills the air.

Maybe, it will be wise to be a little selfish, in order to protect one's interest. Even if it means that I have to give a miss to activities which interest me, in order not to stand in the way of others and face such unkind situations and consequences. I will give up my space and presence. Is my social life falling apart? I better return to my cave, where I will be alone, to seek cover and peace.

Return

2009-10-10T23:51:00.002+08:00

I am going to blog once again after a 3 months break, and I am back with a new blog template as well.

Friendship

2009-07-13T15:16:00.004+08:00

Something interesting that I came across which I felt like sharing.

Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person. It is when you do not have to weigh your thoughts and measure words, before keeping it forth before your friend. It is when someone knows you better than yourself and assures to be your side in every emotional crisis.

A unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect, trust and loads of fun is perhaps what describes the true meaning of friendship. Similar interests, mutual respect and strong attachment with each other are what friends share between each other. These are just general traits of a friendship.

Psychologically speaking, friendship may be defined as 'a dynamic, mutual relationship between two individuals. However, any relation needs constant nurturing and development from all the people that are involved in one. Friendship cannot survive if one person makes all the effort to sustain it without any mutual recognition from others.

The trust between best friends is such that if one friend falls in trouble, the other will not think twice to help. They make it a point to stay in touch, even in the verge of being exhausted due to the drudgery of everyday life. True friendship never fades away. In fact, it grows better with time. True friendship thrives on trust, inspiration and comfort. They can feel and know when the other person is in trouble. They can even understand each other's silence.

True friends don't desert each other when one is facing trouble. They would face it together and support each other, even if it is against the interests of the other person. Best friends don't analyze each other; they don't have to do so. They accept each other with their positive and negative qualities. Nothing is hidden between true friends. They know each other's strengths as well as weaknesses. One would not overpower the other. They would respect each other's individuality. In fact, they would understand the similarities and respect the differences.

True friends are not opportunists. They don't help, because they have something to gain out of it. In this world of cynics and back stabbers, there are still some people who are worth being friends with. They have to be recognized and respected for the lifetime.

As the saying goes, 'a person who has found a faithful friend has found a priceless treasure.' A rare treasure indeed, so treasure the friends around you.

- Aristotle

Lifeless

2009-07-12T20:47:00.004+08:00

This place is becoming very dusty and is already covered with spider webs. It is about time that I start blogging again. I will post some of the things that you people missed in the past month. So, do stay tuned.

Promise

2009-06-04T03:56:00.002+08:00

A promise made to my dear friend, will be a promise which I will preserve.

MIA

2009-06-02T20:12:00.000+08:00

It's been awhile since I'm back from my Thailand trip but I have not updated my blog, I am starting to feel unwell for the past few days. Been perspiring for the last 3 days, it could have been the terrible weather. Yesterday, I had the flu symptoms but I still went out with my friends. Had steamboat at Vivo City and went to East Coast Park to enjoy the breeze while playing cards. I know I was a little inconsiderate to go out while I was not feeling well. Hope it is not the swine flu. I had been in bed the whole of today, and at this very moment I am still having a very bad headache. I have no fever and it is the only reason why I have not seen a doctor or take any medicines. I will start to update my this quiet blog once I am feeling better.

Away

2009-05-24T00:03:00.002+08:00

I will be heading to the airport in less than 4 hours and I'll be away from 24 - 27 of May. I have so many things to update on my blog but I will have to do it after I get back from thailand on Wednesday night.

Stay tuned.

OCH Pictures

2009-05-14T08:34:00.006+08:00

The starting and end point of our 1 1/2 hour tour.

The SAF Ward at OCH.

Some old records from the SAF Ward.

The site where the TV drama was filmed.

My friend has posted most of the pictures taken that day on his blog, for those interested, you can find more pictures by clicking here.

Impossible

2009-05-13T23:12:00.002+08:00

I am starting to realize that it is impossible for me to blog daily. I will come online everyday but sometimes, I just do not know what to blog about. As a result, my post are getting boring and shorter. I guess in the future, I will just post things that I find interesting, as often as possible but not daily.

It will be a long day for me tomorrow, so I am keeping this short tonight. Finally, got those OCH photos, but was wondering if people are still interested in looking at them. I am going to rest early tonight, so I will post some of the photos in the morning before I leave the house.

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T22:55:00.003+08:00

I celebrated Mother's Day last night, with my family. It was only a small affair, we simply had dinner together. A late dinner to be precise, as we had to wait for my father to close the shop and my sister to finish her school activities. As the car could not fit in everyone, we decided to eat somewhere near my paternal grandmother's house. A simple meal which consist of steamed fish, vegetables, oat prawns, sweet and sour pork ribs and claypot chicken for 7 people were ordered. We were surprised to see the quantity of some of the dishes. They were already served in very small plates and some only had a few pieces, even my mother commented that it seems like someone ate half of it before they served it to us. In the end, we felt that the food was a little expensive at $10 for a small plate of vegetables and a fish which was not fresh that cost $36.

As usual, I am the person who is to finish up any leftover food. Once I finished my plate of rice which included a portion which my maternal grandmother passed to me, I put down my utensils and made a comment that I will finish all the leftovers once everyone finished their rice. In order to let me have my fill, they left a lot for me and I did finished everything.

When the food was already so little and there was a lot of food left, my family got hungry again once they reached home. I definitely ate a lot last night, luckily played a game of badminton this afternoon. I hope the game did help me lose the extra weight gained from all the eating.

Busy

2009-05-09T08:50:00.004+08:00

I am still unable to get the pictures from my dear friend as both of us are busy. This is the result when you do not have your own camera. I just can't wait to get hold of the camera next week when it returns from thailand.

One of the main reasons for why I was busy for the past few days, that I did not post anything as well, was because I was preoccupied playing mahjong with my friends and family. I simply can't resist my old friends - my mahjong tiles.

Yesterday, one of my friend was asking me about the "SMILES" and "KISSES" on my intercom. When I explained to her she laughed and she is now considering to join our game. I am in a rush now, I will continue my "$miling" game once I get back today. Be prepared to receive my "$mile" later.

People, enjoy your day today. For all Buddhists, I send my Vesak Day greetings on this very occasion.

Wait

2009-05-06T23:20:00.002+08:00

Pictures of my Old Changi Hospital adventure will be posted tomorrow.

OCH

2009-05-05T23:49:00.004+08:00

A mini excursion to the Old Changi Hospital(OCH) this afternoon. I was with the same group of friends who took part in The Adventure a few nights ago. The whole trip took us almost 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. We explored the buildings and went to take a look at every level. As it was still very bright during 2.30-4.00pm, the tour was not scary but at some point it still gave the creeps. Joss sticks and offerings were seen lying everywhere. Some of us may have been spooked by the sound of dripping water, kittens, bats, bright flying insects and the slamming of a door. Touring around OCH, we found a site where parts of a television drama was filmed. We also found the SAF ward but not the mortuary. Old SAF medical documents dating from 1986(or even earlier) to 1993 can still be found in the compound, can you believed it, when SAF documents are said to be confidential. Everyone was bitten by mosquitoes, and the last 30 minutes, the mosquitoes became unbearable and we had to leave. We were there to feed the mosquitoes. I am still waiting for my friend to send me the pictures that we took, so stay tune for the pictures.

After which we had dessert at Changi Village, so we decided to explore the secret hideout in the day, and it was really beside a golf course. We suspect that some of the customers, played on that golf course before.

Continue

2009-05-05T22:39:00.004+08:00

The second part of The Adventure. After leaving the secret hideout, we continued our adventure to East Coast Park. We entered most of the carparks in the area, and found that the carparks for heavy vehicles had the most actions. These areas seemed to be a "no headlight zone", and I had to switch off my headlights as well. There were a few cars in these carparks, and most were parked in between the heavy vehicles. Most couples(normal couples) were caught kissing in their cars. One even took out a cloth and hang it across the window to block our view. It was quite fun when we caught the couples by surprise, and they had to stop their activity and pretend to be talking. As usual, taxi drivers were also involved too. A tip for those who wants to try what we did. If you noticed that the 2 front seats are inclined backwards, it only means that the people in the car are up to no good. I shone my high beam light once in the direction of one such car before speeding off. Remember to switch on the headlight again before leaving the carparks, as we encountered several police patrol car that night. It was Home Sweet Home next, but I was the last person to reach home at 5.30am. Almost dozing off at the wheel a few times. Definitely tiring, when I still had to washed the catch of the day - 10 prawns, before I could sleep.

The Adventure

2009-05-04T23:53:00.004+08:00

It all began at 10.30am on Labour Day (Friday). While a group of my friends were preparing to go singing, I met up with another friend and we went fish farms visiting. Instead of being in the comfort of the karaoke room, I was under the sun and dragging my feet from farm to farm. We visited Seletar farmway, as I was curious and wanted to take a look at the Crystal Red Shrimps which Sea View Aquarium was offering at a price of 20 for $40. It was rather disappointing as the shrimps were smaller than I have expected, and that made it very difficult to grade the quality of the shrimps. I went home empty handed but my friend bought 2 fishes. I can't remember now, but its name has the word "galaxy" in it. A small black fish cover in tiny shiny silver spots, with red tip on its fins. Quite a nice nice fish to look at.

We also visited many other fish farms in the area but all were not very visitor friendly, as in we do not know what they had or were selling. Then, I came across a property which does not sell fishes, and I found it very familiar. About 10 years ago, when I was still in primary school, around primary 5 or 6, I visited the very same place with a classmate of mine and her mother. We were there to buy chickens as pets. I used to keep 3 chickens, 2 roosters and a hen. Once, one of my rooster even jumped out of my window a

nd flew 13 floors down and landed on roof of the shelter walkway. I had to food to coax it down. However, 2 roosters were just too noisy and I had to give them all away.

I side tracked quite a lot above, now back to the adventure that day. After dinner, I met up with some of the people from the group that went singing. I was a little tired and lazy to leave my house again, so since I am going out again, I must do something that I like, and that is prawning. We went to another prawning pond instead of the one that we usually visit. It was the first time I tried prawning at Pasir Ris farmway. I hope my friends did not feel too bored during that 3 hours, at least everyone present got the chance to catch at least one prawn, and I was kept busy as I am the only person who knows how to unhook the prawns. I may visit the place again one of these days.

We had supper at Changi Village. Other than the food, Changi Village is also famous for something else. That's right - Transversites (I don't really know if this word exist but the locals will understand). Do not read on if you do not feel comfortable with the topic. Some of the details are provided in my friend, Ndcai's blog. After supper as we were walking back to the car, a transversite(unknown) approached us, Ndcai quickly jumped into the car. When the unknown saw a female in the group, he/she quickly turned around and walked away. The friend of mine worked just exactly like a protection amulet.

We decided to tail the transversites and see what they were up to. After camping at the famous carpark, I noticed that most who were looking for some fun with them drove red cars and that inculded 2 drivers who drove similar vehicles(type & colour) as in the picture below. Instead of picking up passengers and earning money with the help of midnight charges, they themselves became customers.

All of the sudden I felt as if I was a paparazzi, tailing 4 vehicles in total. Testing my driving skills along the way, just to get a glimpse of what kind of customers these unknowns are serving. Police were on patrol as well, and one customer who intended to make out, at the quiet carpark by the old Changi Hospital, panicked and he drove off. Another even led us to a secret hideout, a dark and deserted open area nearby. There were already three cars parked in different parts of the area, before we drove in. One of the vehicle even had 3 people in it, including the unknown. As we were leaving, I turned off the headlights of the car and drove out slowly. Only Ndcai and I saw that the unknown in that car was topless when we left. Don't let your imagination go wild. I only saw the back view. As we were leaving, 2 more cars drove in through the narrow road when it was already past 3 am.

To be continued...

MIA

2009-05-03T23:17:00.002+08:00

I have been missing in action for the past few days, and there was no post from me. I was not away on a holiday, but was just too tired to post anything after returning home only the next day for two consecutive days. I have been enjoying myself ever since my last paper on thursday, with the company of my friends. As for today, I have been spending most of my time sleeping. Just needed to catch some sleep, this is more tiring than having exams. I will continue tomorrow, on what I did the last two night.

The End

2009-04-30T23:00:00.003+08:00

Finally, I have finished my exams, but it seems like I just put the final nail in my coffin. What is done is done, there is nothing much that can be done now. Just hope for the best. Now, I am just thinking of how to spend my holidays. I will most likely start off with visits to some of the fish farms around Singapore, and maybe I shall do just that tomorrow.

Temporary

2009-04-29T21:48:00.001+08:00

Business will resume as usual after tomorrow.

Sleepy

2009-04-28T22:02:00.001+08:00

Today shall be the day for me to catch up with all my lost sleep for the past few nights.

Mid Point

2009-04-27T23:35:00.002+08:00

Finally, I am halfway there. 3 papers down and just two remaining. Counting down has never been this great. After my second paper for the day, a friend of mine commented that my face was very pale. I must have suffered a terrible shocked after reading all those horrible questions asked.

Empty

2009-04-26T22:01:00.001+08:00

Pardon me for not posting anything interesting today as I am not in the mood, I have 2 papers tomorrow. So busy and stressful.

Tired

2009-04-25T22:16:00.002+08:00

1 paper down, 4 more to go. Today's computing paper on C programming can kill people like me who has no computing background. So, to all who intend to enter the engineering faculty in university, be prepare that you will need to cover some form of basic programming. I just can't wait for thursday to come, when everything will be over. It is time for me to catch some sleep before I continue to study. So, good night people.

Hurdles

2009-04-24T23:51:00.004+08:00

The time has come, and I will be having my first paper tomorrow. I don't think I will be able to sleep early tonight, not because I am nervous or excited about tomorrow, but I will be burning the midnight oil. I know it is not a very good thing to do.

For those who told me to use my handphone to take pictures, my handphone's camera just cannot make it. When I am left with no choice, I guess I have to make to do with what I have.

Away

2009-04-23T22:17:00.002+08:00

I was at Changi Airport Terminal 2 this afternoon to have an early dinner while my sister sent off her boyfriend, who was leaving for Thailand for an army training (exercise). Went to Breeks for dinner, and had half a chicken with onion and thyme sauce. I won't be returning to Breeks for a long time, as the food was not really that fantastic and definitely not worth the price. However, I thought the student meal which they offered is still worth it as it is cheaper.

He will be away for 3 weeks, so will our camera. That's right, he took the camera along with him. Therefore I will not be able to upload the clip on the strong winds last night as it is still in the camera. I am afraid in this 3 weeks, there will be no pictures from me.

Storm

2009-04-22T23:18:00.005+08:00

I think a storm is on its way. Terrible weather lately. 5 mins ago, it was the first time, I felt such strong winds in Singapore, and it is still blowing. Can you imagine how strong the wind was, when suddenly you hear things falling onto the floor and all the windows and doors slammed shut with great force. My father found it amusing when he saw my reaction. I tried taking videos of my surroundings where trees shake violently and to hear the howling of the wind, but the images were not very clear. Maybe I'll try to upload the clip tomorrow. I guess I type really slow, the rain has come.

Addiction

2009-04-22T21:04:00.003+08:00

My examinations are just around the corner, and most people around me are equally busy. However, thanks to a friend who introduce me to something, I got addicted to it. Do not worry, it is not something illegal or 'harmful'. If anyone is stressed by the examinations, just take a few minutes break from all the studying, and relax a bit. That's right, take a few minutes to relax a bit, and I recommend you try out a facebook game - Restaurant City. You may like to let the game run on its own when you return to bury yourself in the books, and just check your screen once in awhile while you rest. A random suggestion from me.

Though it looks like a kiddy game, be warn, it is highly addictive, and try at your own risk.

My Fish Tank

2009-04-21T19:48:00.003+08:00

Look at my fish tank, and you will not find the common residents in it. These pictures were taken about a month ago when I washed my fish tank throughly and added a log and some pebbles. I kept a red-claw crayfish and 2 red crayfish in my tank. After a few weeks, I am only left with the red-claw crayfish. It grew rapidly and became a terminator, it ripped apart the other 2 tank mates and killed them. Guess what it is a female, a greedy and violent female crayfish. Now, gentlemen better be careful of those female around you.

Last week, I got it a mate of the same size and breed. Wondering if they will start breed. More pictures in the future. So, that's all folks!

The red-claw exploring the new log.

Hiding under the log.

Another hiding spot.

Overall view of my tank.

Panicking

2009-04-20T23:18:00.003+08:00

I am still rushing to complete my online assignment now, as it is due on 2am tomorrow. The worst part is that I have tried using the hints provided in the question and I am still unable to get the correct answer. There are only four questions but I guess I won't be blogging about any other things today.

So, take care and do visit tomorrow.

Birthday Wishes

2009-04-19T22:06:00.003+08:00

To my dear sister,

If wishes come in rainbow colours...

I'd send the brightest one to say...

Hope you have a

Birthday that's

as wonderful

as you are!

Clinic

2009-04-18T21:25:00.002+08:00

A visit to a clinic this morning, and I became poorer by $23. All it took was 5 minutes. I was there to purchase a month supply of antibiotics. I have been taking these antibiotics for a month now. Even though they are just antibiotics, we will never know whether they will cause any side effects when consume for a long period of time. I have to take them for 4 months and consult the doctor every 2 months. Taking pills daily isn't really a fun thing to do.

A little more about myself, for 21 years of me life, I have never been to a polyclinic to see a doctor. It has always been private clinics and hospitals. I just can't understand how can one wait so long for his turn in a polyclinic when he is already so sick.

Symposium

2009-04-17T20:51:00.003+08:00

It was a hectic morning for me. I had to wake up at 5.45am, in order to reach NUS before 7.30am. I was to help out as video cam guy for ESE Symposium 2009. I never really had the experience of taking videos during an event before this, and I realized it wasn't an easy task during the process. Deciding where to stand, and who to capture in the video and at what angle are constant questions that ran through my mind. I guess I did not really did a good job, there were many instants where passers-by came into my view. Filming a talk is so tedious, I had to focus onto the camcorder screen, shifting back and forth between the speakers and their presentations. My vision was blurred, and hand and arm were numb, for awhile when I took a break. Just hoping the videos, overall, were not too bad.

The final year students were presenting their posters to the invited guests. Many had interesting posters which caught my attention, and the students really do know their stuff well. I was impressed, even though I did not really had the time to find out more before I rushed off for my lecture. Three years down the road, and this will be one of the things that I will have to do as well.

Too Relax

2009-04-16T21:03:00.003+08:00

Examinations are just around the corner but instead of revising in the morning, I went out early in the morning and did things that were not important at all. Accompanied my mother for her seminar on spectacle lens, and after lunch went to the Mi Casa showflat to take a look. Mi Casa, which means my home in spanish, and it is a new condominium being built in Choa Chu Kang. I guess I had nothing better to do, and have been taking things too lightly. This shall be the last nonsense before my first paper on 25 April.

Burning

2009-04-15T18:53:00.003+08:00

Is it only me or what, that it has been rather hot lately for the past few days. Today, was terrible, it was as if I was at the desert. Constantly thirsty, and perspiring, I almost fainted on my way back. Luckily, I did not suffered from heat stroke, or else it would have been so embarrassing to faint along the streets.

I have been seeing a lot of mosquitoes lately, it must be due to all the heat, and the hot environment. Is there any link between the two, I really don't know. However, I might have just found out the reason for the surge in mosquitoes. I have been breeding them in the tank I used to cultivate water plants, which I started a week ago. Hope no National Environment Agency (NEA) officers sees this, I don't want to be fined for this. The mosquito larvae look like good food for fishes but too bad I had to get rid of them.

Chicken Gun

2009-04-14T19:47:00.002+08:00

What is a chicken gun?

Isn't it obvious, it is a weapon used by chickens.

I came across this term when I was having my material science lecture yesterday. Ever wonder how safe is the airplane you are travelling on, and how strong is the material it is made of. Can you see where I am leading you to? That's right, the chicken gun is used to simulate a bird being hit by a plane. It does it by firing a dead chicken at a very high speed.

Below is just a short clip.

For those interested and want to watch more videos on it, you could try National Geographic's on the making of the Airbus A380.

SMRT Bus

2009-04-13T18:46:00.003+08:00

The SMRT Buses are my favourite mode of transports and definitely the better bus operator than SBS Transit. Whenever I thought I was going to be late for whatever reasons, SMRT Buses will somehow come to my rescue most of the time.

My experience today was amazing, I managed to arrived at NUS almost 15 minutes quicker than my usual traveling time. It all happened when I boarded bus 188, and it was driven by a female driver. I have nothing against female drivers, as my mother and sister drive too. This 'wonderful' driver is what Singapore needs, to be able to keep up with the fast paced society. Let me share with you what she is capable of. She will always be accelerating, speeding off after every stop she had to make. Within 15 minutes, she had sounded the horn more than 8 times, warning passengers that she is approaching the bus-stop, and she never stop or slow down when those people did not flag for the bus. However, I almost had motion sickness, she hit the brake real hard a few times just because there were SBS buses in her way.

It made me recalled an article which published on The Straits Times recently, where both bus operators were fined for failing to meet standards. Now, I can understand why SBS was fined more, and that their bus services are constantly late.

ESE Day Photos

2009-04-12T23:04:00.004+08:00

Just some photos on ESE day as promised.

The crowd that turned up.

The culprit for those missing food. Opps!

Food and more food.

Where is the cameraman?

The Logistic cell emo-ing after a day of manual labour.

Just Joking.

Pork Chop

2009-04-11T22:13:00.006+08:00

I like my grandmother's very own pork chop, and I had it for dinner tonight. The meat is tender and the biscuit crumbs coating provides a contrasting texture. Another reason why I always like it is due to its garlic flavor.

Now for the recipe.

What my grandmother used.

5 pieces of Pork (the part near the head) about 2cm thick
Jacob's Crackers (the green packaging), as much as you need
1 Egg
Garlic, to own liking

Tips on preparing the meat.

You can buy a chunk of the part mention, then slice into pieces of 4cm thickness. This is too thick to use, so slice once more in the middle, but not through it. Leaving the edge at one end intact, so it opens up into a bigger piece with the suitable thickness. Now hammer the meat with the back of the chopper.

Now, chop up the garlic and spread it over the meat, before putting into the refrigerator.

Before cooking, take out the meat, crush the crackers but not too powdery, and beat an egg separately.

Dip the meat with garlic into the egg, before coating it with the cracker crumbs.

Now, it is time to deep fry the pork chop.

Drain as much oil as possible, before cutting the pork chop into strips and they are ready to be served.

The final product.

Note: They go well with both chili and tomato sauce.

It is that simple, and it taste good as well. So, do try it on your own.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T22:03:00.004+08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Good Friday today.

Nothing unusual happened today, but I managed to find a cheap and compatible-sized mate for my lonely red-claw crayfish, and it is back to studies after that.

Return tomorrow for my grandmother's 'authentic' Hainanese Pork Chop Recipe.

Surname

2009-04-09T23:45:00.002+08:00

Some people have already asked me, why a sudden change of surname, after reading my very first post. Now, let me tell the whole story.

Many years before my family changed our surname to Loh, one of my uncle began telling the story that I will always remember. He told me that our family actual surname was Loh, and I believed him as I noticed it on my great-grandparents', and my grandfather's tombstone every Qing Ming Festival（清明节）or Tomb Sweeping Day. Many years ago, when my grandfather came to Singapore from Hainan Island to find a job, he found someone's else identity particulars, who happens to have the Wong surname, on the street when he arrived. He assumed that newly found identity till his death and so all his descendants took the Wong surname after him.

This story was absolutely told to me but of course it is 100% fictitious and I was fooled too. Being a Hainanese, that was what my grandfather spoke other than Mandarin. It just so happened that the person, who was responsible for registering my grandfather particulars after his immigration to Singapore, was a Malay. By chance of misunderstanding and misinterpretation, my grandfather's surname became Wong from then onwards. It was spelt in English and he could not understand and did not know it was wrong.

Knowing the mistake for so many years, even before the death of my grandfather which happened before I was born, my family only decided to correct the mistake after a family discussion and it was when I was 17 that year. So sad, my PSLE and 'O' Level certificates were printed with Wong.

ESE Day

2009-04-08T23:44:00.005+08:00

Today's was Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) Day for us, and ESE Sub Club (ESESC) organized it this time round for the first time. As a small supporting role in the logistic cell, I thought the whole thing was great, everyone was great, and of course the food too. I did enjoy ESE Day even though I did not play the games, and had some strenuous tasks but I also had a few good laughs along the way. The sad thing was that most of the year ones who turned are from ESESC.

Guarding the food from 'vultures' was a fun job. I witnessed acts of 'cleverness' and 'kiasuism' and not to mention, I played a part in it too. I shall not say more, but we were just plain hungry. There were plenty of welfare packs left and I took home two. Now, I have 2 biodegradable plastic to test and see if they are really biodegradable under the sun, as well as, more writing materials and I can snack as I study too. I have not gotten hold of any pictures yet, so maybe take time.

Haircut

2009-04-07T18:14:00.003+08:00

I got my hair cut when I was on my way home this afternoon. I decided to revert back to my favourite old style of keeping quite short hair - high slope and spike. Anything longer than that, I'll just can't stand the sight of my hair, it look so unkept. What is the problem with short hair, why are guys avoiding short hair these days? There were two other male teenage customer as well but none wanted the slope cut and they turned it down almost immediately when offered the suggestion. It made me feel like I'm the weirdo there, but who cares. It is the only hairstyle that I feel super comfortable to have for myself. At least it looks better than my 'curry pok' hairstyle seen in my standard photo which I use in all my important documents - IC, passport, student pass and driving licence.

Molting

2009-04-06T14:01:00.005+08:00

Ever wonder how shrimps and crayfish grow?
Do you know that shrimps and crayfish molt when they have outgrown their old shells?
Haven't seen them molt before, have you?

Then, it is just your day today. I managed to capture this image during the process of my injured red crayfish molting.

Can you tell which parts are its old shell?

Exhausted

2009-04-05T23:11:00.003+08:00

Finally, a total of 4 small and big fish tanks that once hid in a corner of my home, are finally back in service again. This time, my place is not infested with fishes but with shrimps and crayfish. No pictures for today, I am just too tired. A sleepless night and concurrently visiting the fish shop, which I mentioned in my previous post, in the middle of the night on two consecutive nights, have finally taken their toll on me. It did not help either, that I had to wake up early to help my parents at their shop this morning. I am not hungry but sleepy, and that makes me an angry man too.

So, Good Night everyone, and get an early rest tonight too!

3 Hours Break

2009-04-04T18:58:00.005+08:00

Last night, I took a 3 hour break from studying for this morning EG1109 test. Only to return home at 2am, with a full stomach and a cheap bargain. I had my first round of supper at Bukit Timah Hawker Center, shared a plate of oyster omelette and satays. Since my friends and I were near Clementi, we decided to visit a shop which sells ornamental fishes round the clock. Can you believe it, a fish shop that open 24 hours. I wonder who else would be as crazy as me to visit a fish shop past midnight. I don't even think the money they earned from me was enough to pay the workers or the electricity for the night. After hanging around at the fish shop for quite awhile, I was off to NIQQI'S The Cheese Prata Shop, which is very near to NUS, for my final adventure. However, if you are ever going there for the prata, I recommend you stick with the egg prata and stay away from the rest. Their curry is nice too.

What was the cheap bargain? It wasn't the prata, but something I got from the fish shop.

I was fascinated by the sight of 'shrimplets' (baby shrimps) in the shrimps' tank. Instead of buying only two adult Cherry Shrimps, I fished out some 'shrimplets' from the tank too. That's not all, I went to the other different shrimp tanks, Blue Shrimps and Yellow Shrimps, and fished out some of the 'shrimplets' as well. I know it seems a little evil to do such a thing, but the worker at the shop was kind enough not charge me more for the many and obvious 'shrimplets'.

Below are some pictures of my Cherry Shrimps.

My 2 cherry shrimps and some shrimplets.

My female Cherry Shrimp. (Both are female)

Golf

2009-04-03T14:26:00.005+08:00

Who says golf is an 'Uncle' sport? After reading an article from the Sports section of The Straits Times, it is good to know that more younger Singaporeans are showing interest in the game. I won't deny the fact that golf is an expensive sport, but every sport has its cost of playing as well. A 4 lessons badminton course and a 8 lessons tennis course at SAFRA for non-members are $128.40 and $181.90 respectively. Aren't they expensive too? A beginner in golf can always consider a cheaper option of attending lessons conducted in a group, with free rental of clubs provided. Not to incur a high expense for a beginner, he is just recommended to acquire the few basic clubs for his own use and practices.

A person, who thinks that golf is boring and it all about hitting a ball with a stick, is just superficial. One has to understand the game and try it out himself before he can truly appreciates and enjoys golf.

Golf is a game of focus and strategy. You use your mind, your senses and your ability to time and coordinate movements at every step of the game. You learn to judge distance and correlate those distances with the amount of force to apply in your swing, and account for any factors that might change the direction of the ball.
You actually get a great work-out by playing golf. Consider the motion of a full golf swing, even if you are in tip-top shape, you are probable going to feel sore in your arms, lower back and maybe even your abdomen the day after your first round of swinging the club. All the walking is a great, low impact workout for your entire body. Given that each hole on a course can be separated by anywhere from 200 to over 700 yards, with varying types of terrain.
Golf is also a game of respect, for the rules as well as other players. Everyone takes his turn in an orderly fashion. Even though you may want to 'best' your 'competitors',the person your are really playing against is yourself.
Of all sports, golfing can be a great way to build social and business contacts. In this day and age, golf is a much more inclusive and accessible for the average person.

My Proficiency Certificate(PC) many years ago, that it bears my old surname. I have been looking all these years for someone to play golf with me, but to no avail. I can't wait to pick up the golf clubs again this holiday. It is time for me to take my golf seriously, and go for my PC test again and handicap test as well.

If anyone wants to learn to play golf or knows how to play the game, ask me along the next time.

Luck

2009-04-02T18:38:00.008+08:00

Luck is what most people wish for. People seem to believe that with a little luck, they can have the little edge, which they need, over others be it in work, studies, interviews and more, but not to forget examinations too. I just cannot believe how some people are just that lucky. Reading the TODAY newspaper this afternoon, I stumbled onto the column which had the winners of the Viewer Choice 2008 contest, and I saw a familiar name. He is currently my course-mate. While watching Don't Forget The Lyrics a few months back, I spotted his name too, for winning the sms contest. Within a short period of 3 months, he became richer by $4,000 in cash and prizes, just by sending smses. How I wished that person winning was me? Stop daydreaming people, we should be more practical.

As for me, I need some luck too, especially for my occasional 'Uncle pastime' - 4D and TOTO. Speaking of TOTO, let me check my TOTO results for today. Amazingly, I do have some luck, a small net winning of $17.

To my friends who are going to have your examination soon, Good Luck to all of you!

Table Tennis Fool

2009-04-01T20:29:00.004+08:00

Today, when I decided to have a game of table tennis in the afternoon, I realize that all the table tables, in Choa Chu Kang and Clementi Sports Halls, were fully booked. Maybe it was an April's Fool Day prank by the ladies on the other line, from the booking offices. It was just unbelievable not to get a table on a weekday afternoon. I believe everyone knows that Table of Glory 《乒乓圆》, a chinese drama which involves table tennis debuts on Channel 8 at 9 pm tonight. Did it play a part in this afternoon's phenomenon and will it bring about a table tennis crazy along with it?

Speaking about table tennis, this is my custom-made bat. Butterfly Sriver + Sriver-EL rubbers attached to a Primorac blade, a combination which German player Timo Bull once used. All three materials are offensive in nature.

The price: $113.

Being a sub-standard player, I must be crazy to get a bat at such a price, but I never regretted it.

Cook

2009-03-31T19:14:00.002+08:00

For those who do not know, I do cook and I cook with instinct and creativity. The amount and proportion of my ingredients for a dish are never the same each time I cook, and I just add whatever I like, depending on my mood and how strong a flavor I want. Those who tried my cooking before, do you have any comments? For those who are not so fortunate, and may never get a chance to try my cooking, fret not. I will post my 'weird' recipes with pictures on my blog and you my try out the recipes on your own. Look out for my 'extraordinary' recipes in the days to come.

Alphabet

2009-03-30T19:28:00.004+08:00

Everyone knows the ABC, what about the alphabets in german? There are 26 letters in the German alphabets, as well as umlauts and the eszett. This is something I learned a couple of weeks ago, and my interpretation will be in brackets ( ).

The letters in the German alphabets

A a - Ah N n - Enn

B b - Beh (bay) O o - Oh

C c - Tseh (say) P p - Peh (pay)

D d - Deh (day) Q q - Kuh (khoo)

E e - Eh R r - Err (air)

F f - Eff S s - Ess

G g - Geh (gay) T t - Teh (tay)

H h - Hah U u - Uh (oo)

I i - Ih (ee) V v - Fau (fow)

J j - Yott W w - Veh (vay)

K k - Kah X x - Iks

L l - El Y y - Ypsilon

M m - Emm Z z - Tzett

I found a german alphabet song and I would like to share it with all of you.

a, b, c, d, e, f, g,

h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p,

q, r, s, t, u, v, w,

x, y, z - juchhe! (x, y, z - hooray!)

Das ist das ganze ABC!(This is the whole ABC!)

Courtesy of The German Alphabet - Paul Joyce

Introduction

2009-03-29T21:00:00.005+08:00

First of all, welcome to my very first blog. It is a very busy period for me now but I guess blogging can help me to relieve a little stress in this stressful period. Looking at some old photos a few days ago, brought back fond memories and a good laugh, which made me thought of publishing my past. Maybe if you visit often, you may find some things about me which you never knew.

Let me introduce the most important person in the whole story, right from the very beginning.

Isn't he cute?

That is me at the age of only 2 months old. Born on 4th September 1987, and was named Wong Jun Liang, Eugene (王筠量). I used this name since then, for 16 years. Why I changed my surname? That is another story, I'll leave it for next time.

Do not be surprise if unknown words appear once in awhile on this blog, they are just german words as I am trying to learn german on my own for the fun of it. If anyone of you knows german, please do correct me if I am wrong. Danke(Thank you)!