The thing about Strongly Condemn

ABC strongly condemns.. XYZ strongly condemns, BCD urges immediate ceasefire, DEF is shocked and disappointed...

Lots of expressions, some are more careful than others, but still the fire of war rages, innocent lives are lost, thousands more displaced and lets not forget the tired soldiers who would rather be home or fighting real enemies instead of striking down civilian homes and claiming the blood of children, women and the old..

In the meantime, two buddy nations are still discussing what more needs to be done to clear out the terrorist, through this "war", equipment and infrastructure might be disrupted, but surely, more Osamas will be bred through the hardship and suffering.. its not hard to see why

Many people who are living in fear of their lives run and struggle to keep loved ones safe, loved ones get killed by bombings and all, many people do not understand why they are implicated, but they are angry and fearful, a powerful combination..

Along comes someone who give them some "power'' to strike back at the warplanes that bombed their houses, the bullets who pierced their families, and so.. the recruitment of a new era of terrorist.. bred from the Lebanon-Israel conflict



A Vicious cycle knows no end

The thing about your mind

Tdoay, i shlal atmetpt to bolg in a dereiffnt way, acridcong to smoe sdtuy dnoe soeehwmre, the huamn mnid can dehpeicr the wrods as lnog as the fsirt and lsat lteetr of erevy wrod raeimns, so how was the exrpeeince?



Doing simple things the hard way

The thing about Teachings

If the creator of the world entire They call God,
of every being be the Lord
Why does he order such misfortune

If the creator of the world entire They call God,
of every being be the Lord
Why prevail deceit, lies and ignorance
And he such inequity and injustice create?

If the creator of the world entire They call God,
of every being be the Lord

Then an evil master is he,
Knowing what's right did let wrong prevail

*Note, this text is not meant to question any religion or their god
But instead, it hopes to provoke thoughts and positive questionings

The thing about Coaching

This blog is proud to announce that




















DUNGA has been appointed as the
National Team Coach for BRAZIL!


Strength and Honor

The thing about Hunger

This man here, has been on a 17-day hunger strike. Wow.. I'm not going to talk about the reason for his hunger strike or who he is, but 17-days is like.. WOW..


Can you imagine yourself refusing food deliberately for 17days? Thats like no Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hokkien Mee, Satay Beehon, BBQ Stingray, Mee Rebus, Roti Prata and more for 17days!

Well, at least in this 17days, his body will start making use of the stored fats in his body in an attempt to keep him alive and breathing, the fats will be burnt, the heart rate will be reduced to save energy, wow.. the greatest of the human body in action, the backup system kicking in to make sure the spirit of life stays



Don't try this at home

The thing about Desensitisation

Have you heard about Desensitisation? More specifically known as Systematic Desensititsation.

Let me explain in layman's terms what the Desensitisation means.. it is a procedure whereby you expose a person to specific situation and objects in hope of slowly having the person accept/overcome the situation or object.

For example, if i am scared of cockroaches(actually i really am), we can start by getting me to know how i can do deep breathing to control my fear and anxiety. Having done that, we are proceed to show me some pictures of cockroaches from a distance for a short period.

The process is repeated gradually with more pictures of cockroaches until a level in which i can be comfortable with, then eventually, i should be comfortable enough to have a captured cockroach put before me(in its container no doubt), till then, i should already be less fear or disgusted with the cockroach...

In the long term, i would be perfectly fine with meeting cockroaches, i could even keep them as pets or bedside buddies(ok, i was kidding on the latter)..

This is the process of Desensitisation in process, what applied to me and the cockroach, can actually apply to anyone who does it correctly. The thing is, i have not tried it myself yet..



Have you desensitise your fears yet?

The thing about Recovery

The relative in hospital is getting better, what a relieve. From the grim hopes of recovery to the twitch of the leg muscles, life is slowly but surely returning..

Back then when i was blogging about the thing about Hospitals,it was a place of anguish and sad faces, now, hope has returned and i really hope she will pull through and walk among us, enjoying the attention, care and love from closed ones once again



Be strong

The thing about Class 3

Having finally picked out my card from Victor Ho Driving Instruction (no spelling error here), the full cost of getting my Class 3 on 13Jun has finally surfaced..

Private driving lessons are supposed to be more cost effective.. not for me.. the final bill?(including the 50buck license itself) is $1,896.. wow..thats like $1,896 poorer from Aug 05 to Jun 06.. hmm.. then my "will-doze-off-when-i-am-driving instructor must be laughing all the way to the bank, no wonder he seldom smile when he is coaching the drivers-wannabes..

After 3 attempts at TP, 2 PDL applications and passing the Final Theory Test at the 1st attempt, i have made it and it cost a bomb no doubt



Everything comes at a price, some idiots just pay more

The thing about Funny vids

My good buddy found this clip and decided to share it, posting the link here to his blog WITHOUT his permission. Smilez

http://liangisme.blogspot.com/2006/07/lolentertainment.html

The thing about Driving a Car

It is not often that i'm at the end of generosity from other people, but thanks to a friend, i finally have a chance to go behind the wheel of a Honda Civic and got some mileage under my name..

The early hours were almost nerve-racking, cold hands and nervous decision making on which route to take were common, had to keep asking and asking to make sure i am on the right track too..

As the trip went by, confidence grew, as long as there is patient and empathy for other roadusers, including jaywalkers, there will be peace and the roads will be safe.

The difficult balance between the conveneniece of driving around and the high cost of driving will be one obstacle to overcome.

For this 2 weeks or so at least, i will get to taste action on the road, but fret not, i will be safe and cautious, i will be good.


Safety first- be safe, not sorry

The thing about playing ugly

And so, the coach resigns, but who is complaining? After a disappointing World Cup 2006, Brazilian Coach Parreira has decided to resign..

Have anyone seen Brazil play this World Cup? We saw them on the pitch, but this was NOT the Brazil team i knew and remembered..





Back in those days, Brazil need not win every game to be famous, they naturally did, they thrill every crowd and leave opponents stunned at teh dexerity of their movements and skills with the ball, great names like Dunga, Tafferel, Rivaldo, Leonardo will be immortalised.. Ronaldo was great when he was at his prime.

On Ronaldo, i still have great respect for this man, but he must know when to step down, in the World Cup, he made a record but soiled a team of brillance, he was off.. he was un-brazillian, how sad, that a man of his stature is now reduced to a lonesome striker that has no desire to track the ball and make the runs, instead, he prides himself on stealthy approaches and clinical finishing, since when did Brazil play like this?

Now that the coach is gone, let this be a signal for the new era, where young bloods like Cichinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Robinho step up to regain the pride that is Samba Football.



Show us the sambal (and i'm not talking about chilli)

The thing about Battles

As i sit here in my air-con office typing away, it is sad that somewhere in Lebanon, people are leaving in fear or dying from their wounds, the dead are dead, the living suffers

Once again, hardship surrounds the Middle East as Israel bombards Lebanon and charge Palestine in respond to attacks on military personnels and kidnapping of soldiers.

Civilians are caught in between the struggle of ideals, as parties battle each other. In the name of retaliation against terrorism and enemy of the state, Israel have pounded Lebanon with tons and tons of bomb..

My condolences to the people of Lebanon


What is worrying is that no one is capable of stopping them in the short term, as UN brokers deals to keep the army from Lebanon and return homes to the Lebanese, bombs and bullets continue to pound the country

Is all this correct? Does an act of "war" by terrorist and other parties justified the retaliation? What right can there be when innocent people die and many more displaced?


May peace prevail

The thing about Picture Taking

I'have always like taking pictures, dream camera would be a Digital SLR, a Nikon D70 would be a good start for a DSLR.. but now.. its the trusted and doing very well Canon Ixus 60

Some shots i took:

The thing about Hospitals

Hospitals can be seen as a place where Death and Life struggles, it is a final destination for many who eventually pass on, and the starting point for almost everyone. At our earliest day, we would been spanked by a total stranger to mark our successful entry into the world, from a world full of water and food, to that of bright lights, cold air and the stench of hospital equipments. Day by day, we come to terms with the world around us, staying away from hospitals.

I can think of 4 main reasons why people visit hospitals, firstly, to visit ailing friends/relatives, secondly, to welcome the birth of a new child, thirdly, to work, and last but not least, to eat.

Visited a relative recently in hospital, which i would normally go only for food. For this day, my role has changed, i was no longer an outsider, looking at the worried faces of the people around me. It felt real and it was a saddening view, a normally healthy person, down on the bed, unable to respond to the calls around her..

Flashback:Wondered how it was like for my ah nei when she was on the hospital bed, yes, she had 6 children and many more grandchilds, but surely none could be with her every minute, it must have felt lonely and saddening, whats worst is that i had never really done my part for her when she was at the hospital, somehow, at that age, i just did not feel the importance of kinship with my grandma, it was a mistake that can never be corrected, a guilt to hold forever, a loss that is irreversable.

Sometimes i just wonder, who is more in pain? The person on the bed, or the closed ones with worried hearts that are waiting. The sick one might be totally knocked off from the rest, in a deep sleep, unable to understand what is happening to their own body, but it is the people who are aware of the actual seriousness of the condition that will have endless thoughts and "what if" runnning through their minds.

"what if" we let go? would that mean lesser pain for the sick? "what if" we hang on, maybe, she would just recover from it all and return to normal life. Some many questions, all seeking hope, if there ever comes a day in which i would need to make such decisions, will i be strong enough to decide? would i?



Life is short, treasure those around you

The thing about JOBS

what is a job about? can someone tell me, is it the job statisfaction level, the colleagues around, the learning experience or the monthly pay?

somehow i am allowing work to affect my general morale and happiness level once more.. why do i get affected so frequently? why do unhappy thoughts and doubts conquer the joy so easily?

hold on..maybe..just maybe, there was never any joy. Joy was something that was squeeze out against the unhappiness and uncertainty so that there is someone to hold on to, maybe i have never been happy at all in this job, wasting my life away as i hold on to a regular paying job, unwilling to step out of my comfort zone, afraid of the greater evil in the corporate world..

i always envy people with concrete dreams.. because there is something to fight for. People who make goals have a higher chance of achieving what they want, but it is the goal-finding process that can be all mind-consuming.. it makes you tired.. so tired that you miss the goal

questions questions and no answers, why must life be so full of crossroads to walk if everything leads to the same end point?

For all the dark moments and anticipated darker moments.. i wait.. for a ray of hope, a change of the wind, the sun peeping out from the clouds and enforcing itself on my life, for now,the wait begins

Get lost darkness, i don't need you

The thing about eating out

Singapore, being a food heaven, is full of places to fill the tummy, from the sleazy streets of Geyland with the great Beef Horfun to the roadside of Rochor for TaoHuay, to the smoky arena of Lau Pa Sat with the satay club till the angmoh favourite haunt of Newton Circus to the cool aircon arena of Ikea

ok stop.. food talk is making me hungry..

What many people are unaware is the fact that 99.9% of these popular eating places are designed with special features, money-making features. This is the strategy..

1.when one eating place is popular or has good food.. install many chairs for people

2.Make the seats in 2s(minimum) and up to 4, 6,8 etc..

3.Make sure people self-service when it comes to buying the food..

And there you are, some strategic thrust well achieved..
People who are alone can't find a place to sit
This means that a table for 2 is used as that.. 2 people sit, 2 people eat.. if the place is friendly to people who are alone.. u lose out on the other person's meal

This is because people who are alone cannot choop seats.. if he/she leaves her stuff on the table while buying food.. who to take care?

See.. such a smart move to make sure 2 person seat at 2-seat table.. this is how self-service came about lar..

The thing about Headbutts

And so, the world greatest play(one of), decided to end his career with a headbutt on a giant italian, but he actually ended his career with a Silver Medal at the World Cup 2006 and the Golden Ball Award.. wow... thats great, but he headbutted someone..

Zinedine Zidane is a joy to watch, while modern games involves the hard-tacking midfielders to keep the engine going, it is the old-fashioned playmakers who makes things happen. Ronaldinho, Kaka, Riquelme, Nevad.. so many names, but one starts out, and not because his head is semi-bald..haha

Actually my question is.. why headbutt? I can imagine the pain of driving your head into the chest of another human, especially one who plays football and has a solid body. Wouldn't it be painful? Then again.. the heading a spinning ball whacked from another teammate could be equally painful.. so.. oh well..

Now, the world awaits what Materazzi said that lighted the fuse for Zizou, i wonder.. hmm.. so many things i can think of to provoke a fellow player..

But but.. i will never do that.. a headbutt to my sola plexus should knock me out immediately.. but i am more afraid of the groin-targetted upper kick.. that will send me crumbling to the floor..hope it never happens..

Learn to keep your mouth shut

The thing about complaining

Well, time has changed hasn't it? Please think twice before you want to complain about something now. The best way to complain would be to think about a solution or collectively come up with solutions before you complain. Lets see how we can do that.

Complain 1: Buses are too packed in the morning
Me:
Hey, why are the buses always so packed in the morning? Not good enough!

Bus Company(BC):
Why are you people always complaining? Come up with solutions, if you don't have any positive alternatives to solve the problem, then don't just complain and aggravate the situation. This sort of discourse does not generate solutions. It generates more light than heat

Me:
Ok, then we talk about solutions

BC:
No, don't need to talk anymore. This is an official channel to discuss solutions and come up with constructive feedback, your complains without solution won't help.

Me:
Ok, then lets talk about the solutions, i can suggest some.

BC:
No, and stop complaining since you have not thought of solutions

Me:
But i want to talk about the solutions.

BC:
I already told you this is the official complain channel, mainstream ok? Since you cannot give constructive feedback, we are stopping you from communicating with us through this channel.

what the...

*The above did not really happen, just trying to highlight a point. Our buses are the cheapest in Asia and probably the World, they are always on time, we always get to seat down on the seats we want and watch TVmobile, the bus drivers are friendly and will wait for you when they see you running via their side mirrors.

The thing about Bread

Was walking past a confectionary shop as i was heading to a coffeeshop for lunch. It was uncommon for a confectionary to have "fresh" bread/buns coming out at lunchtime.. the fresh here refers to those that are on the baking tray and yet to be packed, there is a chance that the bread is actually from last year..

And so, back to the shop, this girl was packing the buns and she was like so unhappy with work.. ok.. its a sunday afternoon and she is working on a hot afternoon packing buns of 6 in a plastic package.. i think her job sucks too, but don't have to toss the package bun onto the table right? I mind if she so dislike the buns and packing, then don't do it, or at least do it in some dark corner where she can add in her dandruff or something. All right, she is having a bad day.

Be careful what goes into your mouth.

The thing about the Ultimate Prize

The World Cup, a cup that is not a cup, but more like a ice-cream cone. Am i hungry? Maybe.. Have not eaten much since i woke up about 9am.

Tonite, Italy take on France. What a much it will be.

Italy has played well and knocked out the host nation Germany in extra time.
France has returned to form and knocked out the holders(but brazil played like Singapore that day).

Till now, Italy has not had a player who stood out against the rest, but the fortress in defence and the towering keeper Buffon, who likes to wear pink (ok, i don't know if he actually likes pink or his team(s) just keep making him look gay in pink) are capable of keeping France out.

The brillance of 2 man and the folly of 1 can lead to either France's Victory or Defeat.
Zizou is back to his best after a poor season with Real, the shoulder drops, double stepovers and bubblegum feet are back, so anyone who plays football will once again wonder how he manage to magnetise the football to his feet, thighs and chest. Henry is another man that can change the game in a minute, just a flash of brillance from him and France will be one up...

But one guy.. the fool, can spoil France's party even if both Henry and Zizou play to form, mistakes from this clown will lead to France's downfall. So it kind of balance out the team will a good attack, strong defence but eccentric keeper.

Italy has a stronger(and younger) defence than France, and the experience of the backline against the likes of Shev and Klose have proven that they can keep things out. Even if they fail to block that final shot, they would have helped close down the angles of strike and the big Buffon will be there to make sure the balls stay out of the white frame.

And so.. a pulsating match to come, Italy vs France. I got this feeling Italy can go all the way and win this World Cup. France will put up a good shot but get caught on the counter.

The thing about Airports

To many countries, the airport is a point of income and economical growth, with tourism playing a big part in most economies.


The airport is the crossroads of lives, in which "Hello"s and "Goodbye"s battle daily to outdo each other as people come and go.


Was just at the airport yesterday and looking at the many ongoings that was around me, the excitement of people leaving for overseas trip, the readiness of tourist travelling back to their homeland, the anticipation of friends and family alike, the hugs and kisses from love ones parting their ways.


This is the aiport. Some people are there, waiting the returned of loved ones, some would not see theirs for many days, weeks, months or years.


In my spot behind the clear glass yesterday, i stood and watched as she walked into the compound, passport and laptop in hand, bag slung over her tender shoulders. Only a silent wave of goodbye to communicate all thoughts and well-wishes for the week ahead, i am lucky, others leave for a year or maybe two, i wait for 7 days. Back i will be, at with a different feeling for sure, for the role of sender switches to reciever.


Happened to meet this indian man on my way back. Was waiting for the last bus and just wondering if i had missed it. The official time on the board read "Last Bus: 0014". My clock was ticking away at 0010. A friendly smile and some small talk later, i got a new friend. Pity i did not get his name, just know that he lives in Pasir Ris and was from India then New Zealand. Migrated to Singapore about 2.5months back. Reason? He married a Singapore woman! Haha, smart guy this is.


And so, the combined anxiety of waiting for a bus that no one was sure if it would actually be here lead to combined strategies on how we could get to where we want if the bus did not arrive. Plan B was activated but unsuccessful, Plan C was in progress was Plan A was reinstated, the bus came! Haha


Funny how we tend to have a lack of trust in the Singapore Bus Service. I, for one, am not too please with them for the never-ending price increase. Sure, fuel prices go up, employee pay goes up, this up, that up, but certainly some technology advancement and development of new ideas and equipment could have brought down the cost?


Ok, enough about buses. This is about the airport. The indian man was there to send his wife to work, so nice.. They are expecting their first child in 3months! Congrats to Mr.India-New Zealand-Singapore, enjoy your stay and life here alright, your kid will get his taste in National Service, but at least if he is kept off the streets, he'll have plenty of opportunities to make it in life.