Blog - The one for the new year

In line with a fresh start for the new year, the blog has moved.

http://janeconfessions.blogspot.com

See you.

Blog - The One after Long Time

Very interesting scenario. Picture this.

Subject: Typical Singaporean family. (Or are they?)

Issue: University student having to pay for meals and school stuff VS. Typical Singaporean family. $350 tuition fee.

Said family lives in a condominium, has a dog and a pampered kid. All in all, there should be at LEAST a comfortable amount of money in this family.

First, the family cancels and reschedules their tuition as and when they like, last minute, on the day when you're just about ready to head down for tuition. Next, they cancel your last day of tuition before the holidays start (coincidentally, also the day you're supposed to get your pay), saying that they will reschedule another day so that you can get your pay, and they can review their son's examination grades with you.

Not surprising when they cancel that rescheduled tuition as well.

What's surprising, however, is that the dad (businessman and all) doesn't have the basic courtesy to reply smses when you ask if it's convenient for you to come down and collect the tuition fee (OWED FOR A MONTH), or pick up calls to at least let you know that the smses have been received and that you don't have to worry that your phone is conked up (since it seems NONE of your smses are getting any reply).

So after countless bugging, the dad replies to say they have wrote a cheque and sent it out.

You wait HALF a week (that's a total of like 4 days) and there's no cheque sitting in your mailbox. You sms to check if it's been sent. Surprise surprise, the man doesn't reply and refuses to pick up your calls. By now, you have forsaken the need to be courteous (why bother when the respect is not reciprocated and instead downright trodden on). You call endlessly. Oh you know the man's not going to pick up no matter how many times you call. You just want to bug the hell out of him. And after countless of calls, he replies your smses!!

"Be patient with the postal service. I've already sent it out."

A WEEK LATER.

Still no cheque in the mailbox. For some reason, you don't think the postal service in Singapore takes that long. I mean, we're not China.

Repeat steps of smsing and calling again. Test-retest reliability is high! Once again, ignored. Just when you're so pissed off you're ready to head down to their residence yourself to get your cheque, SURPRISE! Reply.

"In and out of the hospital to see a close relative. On top of that another dear bro was hospitalised, seem to (have) recover(ed) but suddenly collapsed and died. I hope you can learn to be a more understanding young person. No body is avoiding you. YOU shld know it. Today made out the new cheque to you again."

I'm really sorry to hear the bad news. I do hope your relative is fine, and that you will recover from your loss.

How could I have known you were in such a bad state when my smses and calls were incessantly ignored. You could have replied after my first sms to let me know, and I would have stopped bugging you and understood. Instead, I had to sms countless times and implore you to respond (and STILL get ignored). Then I had to resort to calling endlessly (and it's not like I fancy your M1 ringtone) and still get ignored.

For some reason, I've always had the impression that if someone

1. ignores another's smses or calls
2. pick up calls and then hanging up once they hear other's voice
or 3. cancel another's calls instead of pick them up,

it meant he/she was trying to avoid the other person.

One more thing, funny how you weren't at least a little surprised to hear the cheque you first mailed didn't arrive.

Blog - The one about The Fat Lady

you'd think three years make you none the wiser. that you forge lasting memories that leave tracks. then you turn around and realize the trail moved on without you. plans that inadvertently leave you behind.

so what exactly happened? at which point did you miss the train? or was there even a faint notification of its arrival?

is it just you and your silly little wonders?

so this is how it feels when the fat lady sings.

Blog - The Things People Do

Funny the things people do to present a good image of themselves. Guess we can't really fault anyone when they commit such acts, it's all in the name of good reputation is it not?

What stuns me is how low some stoop to create that virtuous image. Guess the spirit of Olympics is pretty much lost by now. If not in the games, definitely in the opening ceremony.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_267580.html

'The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression.'

People'll pretty much do anything, won't they? Including robbing a child of her rights to her own piece of work, and placing it as another's for the world to see.

Nicely done.

Blog - The One Back Home

New York was a strange strange place. well not all that strange considering it feels about the same as Singapore. Just busier streets, crowdier sidewalks, noisier crowds, and much more bustling subways. Getting around in New York is simple thanks to the grid system, but so darn messy thanks to the throngs of people. It's loud, unkind, and very much madness.

The other boroughs were different. Brooklyn was a much needed breather from the madness of Manhattan. Greenwich was chilled thanks to the campus atmosphere of NYU. Bronx was just... scary. Could have been due to preconceived notions of the place though. but it was still pretty darn scary. Especially when you're traveling with idiots who take pictures of gangsters without remembering to switch off the camera flashlight. Idiots.

We came home tired everyday. The days ended real late, the sun only begins to set at 8.30pm, and the crazy crowds in the city simply made things too darn tiring. The people aren't all that different from around here, save for a few interesting individuals (though somehow the feeling that you could easily find equally intriguing ones here is strong). One has to admit though, that the service is comparably better. I still insist it's because they get tips. Or it could be the other way round. Chicken and egg, egg and chicken. Oh well.

The food was horrendously inedible. Well at least to me it was. largely. It's hotdogs, pizzas, sandwiches, bagels, delis, diners and more delis. not to forget, fastfood. Food courts are unheard of, same goes for chilli sauce. Somehow having KFC with tobasco sauce just ain't the same. Sure there are restaurants serving kickass steaks and soups and what not, but it just ain't the same as back home. Guess they're not wrong when they say asia's where the good food is. Gosh I miss curry chicken.

Glad to be home...

Blog - The One in New York

Hands touch, eyes meet
Sudden silence, sudden heat
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl
He could be that boy
But I'm not that girl

Don't dream too far
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember that rush of joy
He could be that boy
I'm not that girl

Ev'ry so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in

Blithe smile, lithe limb
She who's winsome, she wins him
Gold hair with a gentle curl
That's the girl he chose
And Heaven knows
I'm not that girl

Don't wish, don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl
There's a girl I know
He loves her so
I'm not that girl...

Blog - Of Skins and Inspirations

Top things to do when craving a new perspective of the craziness that is Life

1. Search randomly for interesting, rare finds through Google
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/ - graphic designs galore
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/0,30576,1686204,00.html - what better way to prepare for the end of 2008 by reviewing 2007 in top ten list style
http://www.monsterism.net/ - cartoon monsters, comic dreams

2. Listen to random songs that you come across on Youtube
北京欢迎你 - who knew the Beijing Olympics' theme song could be this catchy. not to mention, star-studded (with artistes not even from mainland China).
One World One Dream - yet another Beijing Olympics' song. done in full splendor by Leehom.
爱与希望 - tribute to Szechuan Earthquake victims
Butterfly Kisses - oldie, sung with the beautiful vocals of Bob Carlisle

3. Take endless shots of your pet hamster
- the mouse
- the mouse in action
- the mouse on top
- the mouse realizing it's been stalked

4. Muse over philosophical theories
Why is the sky dark at night? Is it really dark at night, or is it dark at night because we think it's dark at night?
Why do toilet paper have to come in rolls instead of wads?
When it's 12am at night, almost anything could be taken on with a philosophical twist.

5. Get tired and go to sleep, while the brain continues on its repetitious mulling over your newfound perspective
To rest and blog another day. Mighty fine motto.