this too will pass

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007-01-03T01:37:00.000Z

its been much too long since the last update. hows everyone doing? i hope everyone has enjoyed the festivities and that all is well =) i certainly am =) theres much to talk about and i dont really know where to begin. what've i been up to? UNI and Xmas hols!!!

yes, im currently studying in a Uni which is located in one of the most remote places in the UK ive ever been, where public transport consists of a bus which frequents at most, it seems, once every half hour and where it becomes deserted over weekends (more or less everyone goes home) and hols. Wye is a really really small village in the countryside. having said this, it has got to be one of the nicest places ive lived in. and since i love nature and quiet places, the place has really grown on me. more or less all of the students and people that ive met in wye are friendly, approachable and good natured. as a result, ive made many good friends which i can trust. its a really close knit society, which i really love.

this is the first time ive ever lived away from home. never really had so much freedom in my life. i feel that the experiences ive gained so far are priceless. i probably have never met so many people in such a short space of time ever in my life. many people ive met seem completely different (and sometimes even alien) to me. i feel that this provided me with invaluable opportunities to practice forbearance and empathy. somehow, i grown a real liking to getting to know people completely different from me. its been a great learning opportunity in many ways and im just gonna try to stay open to the many lessons that await in the following terms.

with the end of the first term and the passing of my 18th, ive finally come to realize just how fast time passes. it has been 18 yrs and my newfound freedom and independence away from home has changed me, some good others bad (but nothing too bad ;). i guess i'll be giving a go at thinking up of some new yrs resolutions to keep my head straight for the year ahead =) i have a feeling i wont be updating again for a while, so i'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone an eventful, fruitful and safe year ahead.

The Butterfly Effect

2006-07-28T04:31:00.000+01:00

It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world.

- Chaos Theory

samma samadhi - detachment within activity

2006-04-24T20:02:00.000+01:00

The Buddha said that those who simply believe others are not truly wise. A wise person practices until he is one with the Dhamma, until he can have confidence in himself, independent of others.
On one occasion, while Venerable Sariputta was sitting, listening respectfully at his feet as the Buddha expounded the Dhamma, the Buddha turned to him and asked,
"Sariputta, do you believe this teaching?"
Venerable Sariputta replied, "No, I don't yet believe it".
Now this is a good illustration. Venerable Sariputta listened and he took note. When he said he didn't yet believe, he wasn't being careless, he was speaking the truth. He simply took note of that teaching, because he had not yet developed his own understanding of it, so he told the Buddha that he didn't yet believe because he really believe. These words almost sound as if Venerable Sariputta was being rude, but actually he wasn't. He spoke the truth, and the Buddha praised him for it.
"Good, good, Sariputta. A wise person doesn't readily believe, he should consider first before believing."

- FOOD for the HEART
Venerable Ajahn Chah

I'd would now like you to consider this.

Aochan and Gohan grins

2006-01-21T13:00:00.000Z

TOKYO --

She was supossed to be a tasty treat for Aochan the snake. But instead Gohan ("meal" in Jap) the hamster, named by Zookeepers as a joke, has befriended her predator and the two are now inseparable.

The 9cm dwarf hamster was given to the 120cm-long reptile in October after he refused to eat frozen mice, but the pair have shared a cage ever since.

'I've never seen anything like it. Gohan sometimes even climbs onto Aochan to take a nap on his back,' said Kazuya Yamamoto, his keeper at Tokyo zoo. Aochan, a two-year-old Japanese rat snake, now eats frozen rodents once again, but has shown no desire to hurt Gohan.

'I don't think there's any danger,' said Mr Yamamoto.
'Aochan enjoys her company too much.'
source: metro

ps. how could anyone think of eating such a cute thing!?

2005-11-20T23:20:00.000Z

Hello (Fellows running around in Yellow Mellows)!

hows everyone doing? im well. i got nothing much to talk about, since i dont really feel like talking about myself =b
anyways, i've updated the links and added a few new links to some songs im getting into now (mostly from American Pie: Band Camp [horrible movie, great 'soundtrack']). i couldnt find one for Tal Bachman's Aeroplane, so i'll go for the new best alternative, the lyrics =)

I was wrong to keep you underneath my finger
I was wrong to try and change you like I did
Oh I was a fool, I was to blame
And I put myself to shame
Now you and your love can show me the way
(You gave me your heart and one last chance)
Now I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
And I, I wont make the same mistakes I used to make
It was love and evolution
It was tearing it us apart
I prayed for a solution and I found it in your heart
Now I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
I can fly,
It's true, I loved taking you for granted
I was deaf and numb and blind to who you were
Now I'm gonna show you and you're gonna see
Everything you mean to me
I am going to be there whenever you need
(I'll protect you, I'll respect you)
Now I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
And I, I won't make the same mistakes I used to make
It was just another emotion
It was running through my veins
But you gave me your devotion and something in me changed
Now I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
I can fly
(I'll protect you, I'll respect you)
Now I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
Yes and I, I wont' make the same mistakes I used to make
Oh I feel like aeroplane above the rain
Yes and I, I won't make the same mistakes I used to make
Some questions have no answers
Some answers have no truth
The Truth is my religion
And I seen the truth in you
And I, I feel like an aeroplane above the rain
I can fly.

Souce: www.LetsSingIt.com

till next time, take care of urselves and others (:

Adios

Public Dialogues with Ajahn Brahm

2005-10-14T17:15:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone,

this is for all you peps in Singapore =)

FREE Admission - NO tickets required

Sat 15th Oct: All About Kamma
Sun 16th Oct: Buddhism in Modern Times

Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
88 Bright Hill Road, (4th Floor Hall)
off Sin Ming Road

Heres a link to the venue on a road map: http://www.streetdirectory.com.sg/singaporemap/singaporemap.php?buildingid=4787&masterid=101620

Mr Smith

2005-09-25T22:30:00.000+01:00

hello everyone! (anyone?)

im gonna make this fast since im not suppose to be blogging at the mo.

EVERYBODY, GO VISIT THIS WEBSITE NOW!

its free to sign up and only takes a sec. then u can listen to their songs FREE OF CHARGE till u go deaf =D

i'd personally recommend:
-work for the weekend
-cliche
-little boy
-untitled
, despite the fact that all of them are amazing!

2005-06-29T01:43:00.000+01:00

hello everyone,

a quick update on my current situation =) my grandad just passed away today and i shall be going back to malaysia to visit him later on in the day. im not too sure how long exactly i will be living in alor setar (before visiting singapore), cause i

barely get access to a computer over there (not to mention the internet).
oh well, many of my relatives will be there (im so goddam eager to see them again. yes i love them all =b), so i guess i would be pretty busy catching up and spending time with them etc. hopefully, everything will become clearer when i arrive in alor setar.

thou shall update again when i get the chance. till then, i would like to wish everybody in london a very enjoyable (and hopefully constructive) summer and good luck to everybody in singapore who are or will be sitting examinations/tests in the near future =)

ps. im literally counting down the days till i get to see all me friends in singapore again, hope u guys wont be too busy with ur exams when i make my way over ;)

2005-06-20T23:39:00.000+01:00

"What is Dhamma? Dhamma is that which can cut through the problems and difficulties of mankind, gradually reducing them to nothing. That's what is called Dhamma and that's what should be studied throughout our daily lives so that when some mental impression arises in us, we'll be able to deal with it and go beyond it.
Problems are common to us all whether living here in Thailand or in other countries. If we don't know how to solve them, we'll always be subject to suffering and distress. That which solves problems is wisdom and to have wisdom we must develop and train the mind.
The subject of practice isn't far away at all, it's right here in our body and mind. Westerners and Thais are the same; they both have a body and mind. A confused body and mind means a confused person and a peaceful body and mind, a peaceful person.
Actually, the mind, like rain water, is pure in its natural state. When it contacts yellow colouring, it turns yellow. When it contacts green colouring, it turns green. It will change colour every time. Actually, that water which is green or yellow is naturally clean and clear. This is also the natural state of the mind, clean and pure and unconfused. It becomes confused only because it pursues mental impressions; it gets lost in its moods!

Let me explain more clearly. Right now we are sitting in a peaceful forest. Here, if there's no wind, leaf remains still. When a wind blows it flaps and flutters. The mind is similar to that leaf. When it contacts a mental impression, it, too, 'flaps and flutters' according to the nature of that mental impression. And the less we know of Dhamma, the more the mind will continually pursue mental impressions. Feeling happy, it succumbs to happiness. Feeling suffering, it succumbs to suffering. It's constant confusion!
In the end people become neurotic. Why? Because they don't know! They just follow their moods and don't know how to look after their own minds. When the mind has no one to look after it, it's like a child without a mother or father to take care of him. An orphan has no refuge and, without a refuge, he's very insecure.
Likewise, if the mind is not looked after, if there is no training or maturation of character with right understanding, it's really troublesome."

-bodhinyāna
teachings of Ven. Ajahn Chah

15 secs

2005-06-05T01:04:00.000+01:00

for those of u wondering: "what up with this guy's music? and why is he dedicating it to pretty much everyone (ie. i see no connection between the music and ppl) and how am i (or anyone for that matter) suppose to relate to this stuff?"
my music choice is based on the songs that refuse to stop playing in my head, some old some new many random. well, i like them all anyways and have decided to share them with ya'll =)

2005-05-31T00:49:00.000+01:00

Hello Everyone,

2005-05-24T00:26:00.000+01:00

been well? me? ive been fine =) i should, strictly speaking, be revising my butt off right now, considering the fact that my maths exams didnt go too well this morning. considering the fact that i feel like blogging now and that its also been a while since ive done so, ive decided to give it a go.

my exams started today and will end on the 10th of june.
ive finally gotten myself (free =p) braces and im considering getting coloured ones =) however, i havent decided which exact colour i want yet, suggestions anybody?
i havent been listening to too much radio recently, but i got a couple of songs i just cant get outta my head (in no particular order):

7. Athlete - Half Light

5. Anna Nalick - Breathe (2am)

6. Annie - Heartbeat

19. Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

30. Mr Smith - Working For The Weekend

24. Jimmy Eat World - Work

37. Razorlight - Somewhere Else

20. Hot Hot Hot - Goodnight, Goodnight

21. Jack Jackson - Sitting Waiting Wishing

31. Natalie Imbruglia - Shiver

48. Turin Brakes - Fishing For A Dream

if u'd like to listen any of the songs, simply go to the following url: http://www.musicmenradio.com/index.php?autoplay=[song no.]

well, thats it for now, i'll try my best to update again as soon as i get the chance. take care =)

Half Light - Athlete

2005-05-24T00:19:00.000+01:00

The sun got stuck, as it's making it's way back down,
We find ourselves, in a familiar part of town

And all that I've seen means nothing to me without you

So when I see you next we'll make the most of it,
Tell the sun to start moving again,
The taste of your kiss I still got on my lips,
And ill take you there with me

My head crashed down, and conditioned myself to sleep,
The great night out, that will continue to the end of the week

And all that I've seen means nothing to me without you
So when I see you next we'll make the most of it,
Tell the sun to start moving again,
The taste of your kiss I still got on my lips,
And ill take you there with me

It's you and me connected to a satellite
It's you and me love through a machine
It's you and me connected to a satellite
It's you and me love through a machine

So when I see you next we'll make the most of it,
Tell the sun to start moving again,
The taste of your kiss I still got on my lips,
And ill take you there with me

Source: LetsSingIt.com

MEAT: INEFFICIENT FOOD-ENERGY CONVERTOR

2005-05-05T23:50:00.000+01:00

In America, 80 to 90% of our grains are used to feed livestock, leading to great wate of a worldwide food-enerygy loss. Fourteen to twenty-one pounds of fodder are needed to produce only one pound of protein from beef. Therefore, a cow is a protein factory in reverse. If the total protein from these crops could be directly used by people, it would make up 90% if the world's protein deficit!

-from DIET FOR A SMALL PLANET
by Frances Moore Lappé

CHANGE

2005-05-03T22:48:00.000+01:00

From beginningless time until today,
I've hurt others in many ways,
Because of cruel thoughts in my mind,
I've become so confused and blind.

So I now sincerely repent
Of the energy and time ill spent;
New truths help me understand
That there's still time to make amends.

All the creatures I have alarmed
I vow never again to harm.
Living beings I will no longer bother,
As I learn the ways of a Bodhisattva!

~Cherishing Life-Volume Two
(Bodhisattva - An enlightened being who, out of compassion, forgoes nirvana in order to save others.)

Going vegetarian has never been easier

2005-04-22T22:44:00.000+01:00

i'll say! as most of u will know, i decided to stop eating meat completely, overnight (close to a month ago). u must be thinking it musta taken me a whole load of willpower to make such a resolution (then stick to it till now). if u were, u could never have been further from the truth =p

"The explosion of vegetarian foods means that you can pop everything from bean burgers to veggie 'sausages' into the microwave and finish the meal with frozen nondairy 'ice cream'. you can order a latte with Soya milk in the neighborhood coffee shop, enjoy a veggie burger straight from the barbecue and stock your kitchen with wonderful products we could only dream of 20 years ago: flavoured rice mixes; a whole host of microwavable ready-made meals; Soya-based 'cheeses', 'cream', 'mayonnaise' and 'milk'; and imitation meat products that can be used on their own or in your favourite recipes."-vegetarian starter kit, PeTA

okay, to be completely honest with you, i did actually think that it wouldve been a challenge to become a vegetarian. however, after actually giving it a go and reading from various reliable sources of information on the subject, i finally realized that being a vegetarian was much easier than i previously thought/let on. and i guess one of the possible reasons why i hardly ever (at least to my conscious mind =b) have any cravings for meat is because i consume vegetarian meat on a regular basis. if anyone's ever tried (good) quality vegetarian meat, im sure they wouldnt disagree with me when i say they taste exactly like meat.

oh and btw, the definition of meat = the flesh of an animal when it is used for food

i have proof

2005-04-17T16:40:00.000+01:00

for those of u who've always argued with me about my sanity, im here to (try to?) rest me case/enlighten you. i had chinese tuition again today, as i normally do every sunday. so, i was reading some (kong3 zi3) story out loud to my tutor. everything was going well (well = i got one or two pronounciations on the dot in a whole sentance), then it started. sloowwllyyy at first. i was able to calm myself down the first time, as i took an unnatural pause right in the middle of a sentence. i kept telling myself to get a grip of myself, but when i started reading the next few words, i just thought to myself, what the hell.why should i stop myself from laughing when i feel like it? and it commenced.

the lethal unsurpressive laughter. and there was absolutely no [good] reason for my outburst either. my tutor asked me what i was finding funny, but i just kept on laughing like a lunatic (thank god my parents werent there to witness the whole thing). after 10 seconds or so, i finally managed to calm down for abt 5 secs to tell my tutor that i find my own chinese pronounciation funny (which was the best reason/lie i could come up with when i was under a serious bombardment of hysteria). so i continuously tried my best to control myself, but nothing i did seemed to work. yea, sure id start reading the passage again for 2 secs before losing it again. this probably went on for some time (5 mins), because my tutor is a pretty patient man. he decided in the end to let me do something which did not require me to read any chinese out loud. a brilliant suggestion! because i actually did manage to stop laughing after that )= *sighs* my tutor must think im (seriously) mentally unstable (and he's completely right in thinking so), mainly because this isnt the first time sucha thing happened. seriously!

besides, im actually quite gald that this thing happened. its been much too long since ive had a good laugh about absolutely nothing. (what! laughter IS the best medicine!) wahahahs.

convinced that im a complete nut case now?

spastic kid, out.

the hectic[?] life

2005-04-10T14:27:00.000+01:00

greetings my fellow earthlings,
how're y'all today? i hope everyone's fine, if not, come find me =b im currently stuck on my maths past papers, and ive got chinese tuition in 10. yayyy, not =p okay, so maybe it really isnt as bad as it might seem (especially when the teacher charges exactly by the minute, no more no less XD). besides, i havent had a chinese tuition in 2~3[?] weeks and i suppose i could always use a little help with remembering it all (=
besides attending a gig (with my sister and her friend), my recent visit to Malaga, Spain, and a dinner party[?] at my dad's friend's house yesterevening, i havent been doing too much with my time =\ well, school's starting in 3 days, so i guess this means i better start getting some homework (and revision) done =b till next time, ciao =)

Greater Good

2005-03-22T22:35:00.000Z

(Happiness cannot be fully experienced without others.) When we go to the movies, it is more fun to go with others. When we share our moments of joy with others, we feel truly blessed. Why? Let me explain this with the following analogy. When we use the flame of one candle to light other candles, the original flame does not lose its luminosity. On the contrary, the light from all the candles build upon each other, making the room that much brighter. The state of happiness is very much like the flame of the candle. When we share our joy with others, our joy will not be lessend. Many times, ur emotional state is very much dependent on how others around us feel. Take the example of the everyday family dinner. It is a lovely sight to see caring parents and happy children sitting together at the dinner table, laughing and talking. The dinner may be simple, but the atmosphere is what makes the difference. On the other hand, eating alone takes the fun out of eating. In solitude, even gourmet food tastes like cardboard. From this, we see that happiness is something that multiples when shared. Thus, if we want to find lasting happiness, we have to take down the walls that separate us from each other.

- When We See Clearly, by Venerable Master Hsing Yun

Measuring Wealth

2005-03-12T22:06:00.000Z

If we measure wealth by how many material things we own, we will not feel contented and satisfied. desire is a bottmless pit regardless of how much we own, if we do not have inner peace, we will always desire more. [desire is often a game of relative wants and not absolute needs. it wasnt that long ago when only the very rich could afford conveniences such as automobiles, books, and running water that we all now take for granted. if we were alive at the turn of the century, we would have thought that if we wer to own a car, or if we were able to raed books we wanted, of if we could have running water, we would not be in want of anything else. now when most of us are blessed with these modern day convenienves, we want more.] it is ironic that we look outside of ourselves in our pursuit of wealth when the greatest wealth of all -our buddha nature- is right within us.
- Venerable Master Hsing Yun, On Emotions, Economics, and Ethics

a quickie

2005-03-06T00:35:00.000Z

Hellos everyone,
its been a long while since ive take some time to post on this blog, so how are all of ya doing (how were ur o-level grades)? im pretty okay/alive (yoga has been helping me) =) as some of u may or may not know, i decided to become a (full-time) vegetarian just 2 days ago.
i made my decision after (/during) reading into the subject of vegetarianism and meat consumption, before making my decision. i want all of u to know that i did not by any means make a blind decision, and that im determined to stick to my decision. if any of u have any qns regarding my decision, feel free to ask/post them. i strongly recommend reading "TO CHERISH ALL LIFE" - a buddhist view of animal slaughter and meat eating, by Roshi Philip Kapleau - to anyone and everyone regardless of religion or anything else for that matter (=
in brief: the weather over here has been absolutely mental. we are experiencing some sunshine, lotsa rain, the occasional hail and unpredictable snow, all within the puny confines of one day. The easter holidays (24th march~14th april) are going to be my next break from sch. however, i highly doubt ill be going anywhere over the 2 or so weeks that i have. mainly because ill probably be get a ton of homework from (all of) my subject teachers and also because im suppose to start my revision for my upcoming as-level examinations. these are just approx. 3 months away - i seriously cant wait to get them outta the way. besides that, i dont have of a clue as to what ill be doing over summer. here are a couple of options that i have for half of my summer hols: work experience in london, educational trip to taiwan, visiting/touring one of the neighbouring countries.

for any family members reading this - please dont spread word on me going vegetarians to the adults, just yet.
for anybody thinking of becoming a vegetarian, i strongly support ur decision to do so and i asure you that u can get absolutely everything ur body needs through the consumption of leafy vegetables, legumes (ie. peas, beans & seeds), fruits, milk and eggs =)

A delayed Update

2005-01-29T23:33:00.000Z

Belateded Happy New Year to everyone,
how are all of u doing? hope everyones coping well with whatever ur up to, be it work or school (= i, personally am doing just fine - as usual =) id like to appologize for my laziness of blogging on my blogspot.
over the past 2 or so weeks, i've been experiencing much fewer "stabbings" the last one occured today after lunch >< knows ="">
besides that, u'll all (or perhaps some of u will) be surprised to hear that ive started doing Yoga - in sch as my fri afternoon activity. Yoga.yes.YOGA. which makes me a yogi (minus bear-for the time being anyways). for those of u who're on the floor laughing ur arses off - rest assured im still a straight male. besides, its completely different from what i'd been expecting i.e. meditating and making ommmmmmmmmm sounds. i find it really relaxing (even therapeutic) and helpful for the body. it really loosens and relieves stiff muscles, hence making one that much more flexible and calm. one thing i dont get is this: why am i the only guy taking this course this term (alongside "6/7 other girls")? im not complaining but im just curious as to why this is so. -wait i've already come up with an answer - cause im the only guy retarded/weird enough in the whole year to choose such a course XD the last yoga session was fun. im almost getting used doing the tree and dog!!!! (o.O-that didnt sound right did it) im already counting the no. of days till the next one =b

whats happening to me?

2005-01-10T21:19:00.000Z

the unpredictable pains started abt a week ago. going about the house - content with (more or less) everything. all of a sudden a get a painful stabbing feeling around my heart/lung region. the pain makes me wince, as i brace myself for the next stab. it doesnt come - the next one doesnt come for a couple more hours or even days. but i havent gotten these pains for a long while-why now?so ive been excercising slightly lesser than i normally do, cant possibly be because of that could it? at least i havent had one recently - well at least not today.

Cue the snow pls

2004-12-23T22:53:00.000Z

Hello everyone,
hows chirstmas going? hope everyone is enjoying the festive season. im having a pretty interesting christmas.
Today would be the last working day for me till after christmas, and i was very eager to get through the working day. trying my best to finish every task which is shoved onto my desk in record breaking time. so there i was trying my best to concentrate on my tasks, while everyone around me seemed to be taking things easily. chatting to people on the phone, exchanging christmas greetings, plans and past experiences (and christmas fantasies). being the ordinary curious, nosy and restless kid that i am, definitely didnt help things.
for the first half of the work day (before lunch) everything was still fairly bearable. i of course tried my best to ignore and forget about time, wishing with every cell in my body that it would somehow make time pass quicker. sadly things went horribly downhill after lunch. it seemed as though, all of a sudden christmas had arrived and decided to do make its first stop at our particular department in the whole office. every sound, song, word, phrase, conversation spoken (hushed or shouted out), which was remotely linked to chirstmas in any possible conceivable way was amplified. with such persistent distractions, my concentration, determination and discipline gradually and eventually wore out. once i was completely shattered, i found it unbelievably easy to just let myself join in the "fun" with my colleges.
i of course was still struggling to keep all my energy and enthusiasm, well contained within the confines of my skull/brain. it all began when robin, a college of mine sitting directly opposite me started singing a random christmas carol. now, im not a huge fan of christmas carols unless i am in the mood, and i definitely wasnt in the mood at that hour (i mean i had work to get on with). five minutes later, another college situated on a desk near mine started to sing a different christmas carol. five minutes when the singers are having a lil break, i catch myself humming to the lyrics of jingle bells (or whatever the last song being sung was called). horrified by this realization, i tried commanding myself to stop. unfortunately this was a miserably futile attempt and from then onwards, i kept humming christmas songs, one after another back to back like a faulty christmas jukebox. if u were wondering why i was only humming and not singing the songs, its because i dont know all the lyrics to the songs. heck sometimes i only know a single line to a whole song - so i obviously had to keep my volume to a minimum to save myself from any embarrassment, should anyone notice the glitch.
it definitely didnt take long for someone to get food for the restless workers. god, we were eating biscuits, chocolates and sweets like sugar crazed children on an all out rampage. nobody was doing any work (even if we were, we were definitely working like dead people). some (well, most) of us had chocolate to the point where we were sick (luckily nobody threw up). yes sick and still consuming everything we had greedily taken from the containers of junk(food). i probably ate more junk than i had that whole year added up, multiplied by 2. with just 30 minutes to go before i could officially leave work, i lost all interest in everything around me and focused all that interest at my watch, which not surprisingly seemed to be working a whole lot slower than it should. i was literally glancing at my watch every few seconds, then realizing that the minute hand had not moved and going back to work, then repeating the whole process again. just after 10 mins, i must have probably looked like a robot specifically programmed to do those few simple tasks over and over again. time WAS slowing down and at one point, i thought my watch was broken, but of course it wasnt.
christmas must have finally lodged itself in my brain by 5:30 (when i was officially "done for the day"), because at that point, i really didnt feel like going home anymore. all i really wanted to do was to stay at work with all these wonderful and christmassy people in a never ending story. i came to my senses when people (especially the cheery ones) started leaving. it was at that point when i realized that it was already 6 (when everybody else was officially "done for the day"). i glumly finished off the last bit of my task, took my stuff, said my good-byes (& merry christmases) and left the building.
thanks to my colleges im now in a very christmassy mood - how long before i change back to normal?

What's Your Best Quality?

2004-12-22T01:10:00.000Z

The fact that you're psychologically and emotionally stable and better able than most people to tolerate even the roughest situations really draws people to you! But that's not the only thing. Your answers on the test indicate you're a caring and considerate person who is typically very loving, as well. You are a funny person who is likely known for your great sense of humor, too.
In all, there are 15 qualities that help define you when you're at your best. Those are the traits potential employers, friends, and partners look for in you. What makes you unique is your particular distribution of those 15 qualities.
We've found that your particular combination of qualities is rare — only 5 in 10,000 people share the same general mix of traits. Those are great odds if you're trying to show a potential employer, colleague, friend, or date why you're exactly the right person for them.

2004-12-17T23:07:00.000Z

YEA!YEA! the Chirstmas holidays have finally arrived!
so hows everyone doing? hope everything is going well with ur chirstmas plans, be it a party, a shopping spree, a holiday in NYC, or even a peaceful and quiet time at home. i'll be starting work come monday at Club21, Emporio Armani HQ (it sounds so darn fancy!).
who's seen Mean Girls? yes, its kinda an old movie, but it just happened to be one of those i didnt catch, when it was still showing in the cinemas. anyways, i happened to catch it yesterday, and thought that it was a pretty decent teen comedy movie (sorry for the horrible stereotyping). for anybody and everybody who hasnt seen it - go rent the dvd (not VCD) today!!!

What's Your True Color?

2004-12-16T01:08:00.000Z

Shi Yi, your true color is Green!
You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

The Ultimate Personality Test

2004-12-15T00:14:00.000Z

Shi Yi, you're a Skydiver!You are independent, fun, interesting, and gung-ho about life. So much so that people tend to find you an irresistible presence to be around. You're open and extroverted, and willing to see issues from at least a couple of different sides.

Solution to the Brain Teaser (scroll down for problem)

2004-12-10T22:42:00.000Z

The question you would put to the Red or Green man is this: You would point to either road, and say, "If I had asked you before would you have said that this was the correct road to take toward Umgowa?"
Putting the question in the past tense is what does it. If u were pointing to the correct road and asked the question of either a Red or Green man, he would have had to answer "Yes." If you were pointing to the wrong road, either one of the men would have to give you a "no" answer.
A further explaination:
We'll assume u happened to have been pointing to the correct road. A Red man would have said "yes" before, therefore his answer is "yes" now. The Green man, who must lie, is a bit more complicated. If you had pointed to the correct road originally, he would have lied, and said "no." Youre asking him if he would have said it was the correct road; well, he wouldnt have, so he must lie again, and say "yes" he would have. Therefore u would get a "yes" answer from either man, and naturally take the road you were pointing to.
Now -- assuming you were pointing to the wrong road: A Red man would have answered in the negative before, so he must do it again. The Green man would have liedbefore; he would have said, "yes" when u pointed to the wrong road. Since he would have said "yes" before, and youre asking him if he would have said "yes" -- he must lie, and answer "no." Youll get a "no" answer from either man -- so u take the other road and youll get to Umgowa!

"the update"

2004-12-06T22:42:00.000Z

Hello everyone,
im back again as promised. firstly i would like to appologize (again) for my lack of posting. i'll try my best to cut a long post short - pls bear with me.
how's everyone, hope all that u are all enjoying and making most of ur holidays (those studying in singapore) and are enjoying the festive season. all ive been (not) enjoying lately is the bone chilling weather =/
over the past few weeks, i had some lovely cousins from Singapore visiting, of which i thoroughly enjoyed - the lively company and high frequencied (<-i made up this word) conversations. had my first visit to the 'london eye' - yes, it really is big (140m) - unfortunately i didnt bring the digi cam along with me and was unable to capture the awe-inspiring views of london. caught 'the incredibles' - one of the best films ive seen this year, i would highly recommend everyone (except for those who dispise computer animated movies) to "pounch" on it, if u already havent done so. caught and recovered from the ever contagious flu virus. started playing basketball. received an electric guitar and amps - for my impending 16th birthday. contracted and progressively recovering from a code (cold). ive also been sleeping a lot later than i would like to (bed at: 1.30-2.00am) - the problem is i never used to have this problem. perhaps ive been wasting more time lately =( any1 who has suggessions as to rid myself from this habit should feel free to make a post. many thanks in advance & take care of urselves =)

(Serious!) Brain Teaser

2004-12-05T22:39:00.000Z

hello everyone,
im back to offer a skull cracking brain teaser - feel free to post ur answers on the tagboard or 'comments' page - especially if u need the room.

You’re lost in a forest which is inhabited by Red men and Green men only. The Red men always tell the truth; the Green men always lie. You come to a fork in the road; you have to get to a town called “Umgowa,” but you don’t know whether to take the right or left road. There is a man standing at the fork, but it is too dark to see if he’s Red or Green. The problem is this: Can you ask just one question to this man, which calls for a “yes” or “no” answer, and find out which is the correct road to take?
read on for more detailed instructions:
This is so easy as it may seem on the first reading. Remember that you do not know whether the man is Red or Green; therefore you have no way of telling if he'll tell the truth or not. Even if 2 questions were allowed tou'd be in trouble. You couldnt ask, "Are you a Red man?" because you would get a "yes" from either one. A Red man would tell the truth and say "yes"; a Green man would have to lie and also say "yes".
However there is a way of asking just one question and finding out which road to take toward Umgowa. Get a piece of paper, and go to work. You see, I think I know the capacity of your brain power better than you do -- i know you can solve this if u try hard enough. Use elimination -- write out different ways of stating the questions, and see if they apply. If u dont write them down, u'll forget which uve tried, and u'll go around in circles.

hint:
a little thought will make you realize that the question must be worded in such a wa as to make it immaterial whether the man is Red or Green!
-source: secrets of mind power - harry lorayne -a fantastic book which i highly recommend to everyone (even if ur already have a fantastic memory-the book also covers lots of interesting issues)

i feel like a bigger (yes bigger) geek now that ive taken the time to type out this brain teaser =p and to think that i did this even before i started studying for my tests is just outrageous - but thats just me.

No excusese

2004-12-05T21:10:00.000Z

hello everyone,
its been a while since i posted anything and i wish i could give all of u a good reason for this, but i dont (do i s*ck or what?). At the moment, im just trying to finish up some school work - and study for a maths and ict test (how geeky do i really sound?). im a lil short for time so im just leaving you guys the lyrics to Switchfoot's 'On Fire'. hope u'll enjoy (& forgive me) its been playing (and replaying) in my mind (and stereo) the whole day - and i dont (didnt) even know the lyrics.

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you need to leave.
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be.
But everything inside you
knows there's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
filled with empty words
And you're on fire
when he's near you
You're on fire when he speaks
You're on fire burning out these mysteries
Give me one more time around
give me one more chance to see,
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be near you.
When everything inside me
Looks like everything i hate
You are the hope i have for change
You are the only chance I'll take
And I'm on fire when you're near me
I'm on fire when you speak
I'm on fire burning out these mysteries.
I'm standing on the edge of me,
I'm standing at the edge of everything I've never been before
And I've been standing at the edge of me, standing at the edge

source: letssingit.com (warning: popups and possible ad-ware)

2004-10-26T01:23:00.000+01:00

Saturday,
its been a long time since ive had such a wide variety of choices for breakfast, namely because of the leftovers from the party.
i went out for dinner with ed & tom (friends+magicians) at an indian restaraunt which was located not far away from ed's home. the food, naturally was good (i hadnt eaten an indian dinner ever since i got back to london after summer). after paying for the meal, we walked back to ed's house, where we happily watched 'the witness', starring harrison ford and...and...the rest of the actors and actresses in the film =p
unfortunately for me, i had to be home by 10.30pm and was unable to finish watching the film. to be completely honest, i had never taken the tube (london mrt) at night. it was over 10pm, and stoned (drugged up) and drunk ppl were conveniently making their way into the tube carriages (damn it stank of alcohol and other unknown substances whenever a bunch of ppl boarded the tube). anyways there were quite a couple of ppl my age (probably younger) and a few of them were high (or drunk,
probably both!!) and eventually one of them throws up, a lil in the tube and then the rest outside (he was trying to vomit outside the tube) it was pretty depressing (and disgusting) watching the teens wasting their time getting high and drunk (and then getting hangovers the next day). the rest of the ride was pretty pleasant, apart from the occasional shouts frm drunk ppl. unfortunately, this is the current state of london...and to be honest, i dunno who to blame

2004-10-15T22:12:00.000+01:00

FRIDAY!!!!!
why every1 feels so happy just hearing this day beats (the infinite crap outta) me. btw, do u agree?
this is more or less the only day which i can remember pretty clearly. today, xin nee, my lil sister, celebrated her 12th brithday (although she only turns twelve on the 20th) by inviting approx. 20 of her classmates to our residence. as exciting as it sounds, it was a truely horrifying experience. try controling a group of energetic girls who are more than ready to beat the stuffings out of anything, yup u guessed right...its impossible. im guessing our landlords (who are living in the basement) will hate us for eternity after this day, due to the deafening amplitude of noise generated by the girls throughout the evening (and night, since 7 of them slept over).
anyways we had never experienced hosting a party of such magnitude (20+ 12-13 yr old girls) at any of our residences. the food was great (and a lil too lil, cause most of them were still picky eaters and only ate food which 1.looked delicious 2.was familiar to their taste buds), the drinks were great (unfortunately we didnt quite have enough of this either and ended up sacrificing our supplies of fruit juice), the entertainment, mainly the whole house and the tv and its complementary commodities (the dvd & surround sound) and two magicians (friends of mine), were up to scratch to keep the girls occupied =)
sadly, the house was more or less completely and utterly devastated, the main damages suffered were the really expensive sofa (they sat at places on the sofa cushions which were DEFINITELY not made to be sat on, these were more or less hopelessly flattened - pls realize that some of these girls are gigantic) and the lovely pillows which were left on the sofa, normally used for extra back comfort (these were OBVIOUSLY used for the pillow fight between the magicians, me and a lot of the girls - who started it? the girls! DUH! guys dont hit girls without a good reason).
the only embarassing story i can recall is the one which happened to ed (friend + magician). heres what happened. he needed to use the toilet (this was after most/all the girls had consumed their dinners) so i promptly showed him to the toilet which was located in close proximity to the living room (which the girls had already invaded). the toilet has a lock and latches, while the cubicle only had a curtain. according to ed, he LOCKED and LATCHED the doors to ensure that NOBODY could get in while he was at it. at first he heard some girls chattering outside...something abt the doors being LOCKED. their voices grew from very soft, to soft, to loud (this was when they got into the toilet >.<). at this point ed had abandoned his attempt at his business and used both his hands to ensure that none of the girls could open curtains...to the cubicle...and his human decency. apparently he had to shout to the girls to make them realize that he was in there, because they didnt hear him when he was speaking more softly/calmly. after that, ed developed an unmatchable reputation at the party (this was noticed mostly when he was performing magic).
to be honest, i cant say i didnt enjoy the party, i suppose it coulda turned out much worse than it did.

2004-10-14T22:48:00.000+01:00

Thursday,
this day has always been the day when i start to realize.....HOLY SH*T THE WEEK HAS GONE BY LIKE THE FLASH OF A CAMERA.
i learnt a pretty neat four ace trick at magic club and table tennis club went well, im getting back into the hang of smashing the balls (scaring some of the beginers).

2004-10-13T22:12:00.000+01:00

Tuesday and Wednesday,
sorry guys i really cannot remember much about these two days....
Jui Jitsu after sch on tuesday was.......physically exhausting. i cant even start to recall a day when we did so much grappling (ground fighting). we were at it like baboons (i couldnt think of any other animal, sue me), round after round, opponent after opponent, sweet victory after sweet ass victory (mainly because i was fighting ppl who were younger and intimidated by me =p). i think the worse injury i suffered that night was an (accidental) elbow into my jaw...how come it was my chin which was aching through the days that followed tues? thank merciful god that none of the older and bigger guys turned up to jui jitsu today, the last time something like that happened i got a red eye =p (i guess i learned my lesson, pick on, or in this case grapple with someone ur own size)
wednesday was a really easy going day, no homework and no games (cca) after sch.

2004-10-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

Monday 11th october 2004,
to be honest i dont really know where to begin since im trying to remember anything that i was up to 2 weeks ago and also because i suffer from a serious symptom of short term memory. i apologize in advance if u start seeing me talk abt something that happened on tuesday, thursday and friday on this post.
today has been pretty good, i got absolutely no written homework which has to be completed within a week. unfortunately i, along with a couple of other students (was it 4 or 5?), pissed my OLD maths teacher off for forgetting to bring in a piece of homework. i just dont get it, why would he ASSUME that i would leave my homework at home deliberately on the day that he wants it - i really dont. but then again i can kinda understand why he went koo-koo when he did, (i think) he probably felt as though we (students) werent taking things (him) seriously enough, or he gots so stressed over the weekend just thinking abt coming back to sch to teach his horrible maths set, that he HAD to channel his stress energy at someone or something...in this case his students =( hmmmm, either that or he didnt get something from his wife over the weekend.....only joking!!!!

2004-10-09T06:09:00.000+01:00

Friday,
wooohooooo u know today is that day u've been waiting for since monday 00:00 01 hrs and u just cant wait for the end of the sch day, right? lessons were fairly decent and by the time i got home, id already forgotten it was all over. tonight has been one weird 1, its 2130 hrs and my mom and i set off to pick up wen nee (my older sis) from a party near her college. we reach the venue promptly at 2200hrs and then......waited agonizingly for abt a whole hour before she appears from the party.......drunk. i shall not go into the details, since im sure u guys wont be interested (well if u are feel free to ask). lets just say im disappointed by my sister's behaviour.

2004-10-08T05:08:00.000+01:00

Thursday,
one of my favourite days of the week. we encountered artic temperatures in the morning (possibly due to all that raining overnight), but this got considerably better as the day wore on. magic club went pretty well during lunchtime, and i picked up a 4 ace card trick (but i have yet to perfect it). i have to admit table tennis club after sch didnt go too well, partly cause i didnt get to play a single singles match =/(probably because i left early) and partly because i wasnt really playing well (ok, so i was crap for the whole hour, im only human).

2004-10-07T04:34:00.000+01:00

Wednesday,
an outstanding day. the morning flew passed the way every1 rushes to board the tube (london mrt) when they see the mechanical sliding doors start to slam together crushing anything in its vicious path. fencing (sword fighting for those who havent heard of it) after lunch was brilliant, short (as usual) and tiring (just by using my wrist!!!). i won a 5point game/duel against a sixth former, with tons of luck (DUH! i was fencing without glasses).
The next destination was oxford circus, where i would meet szi miin jiejie (my air stewardess cousin working for SIA), and her friend, Rachel . we shopped around the area (where i got the soundtrack to 'how to deal', its overwhelmingly good) before dropping by my house for dinner and also to pick a few items. i finally accomplished getting my photo taken with my cousin (which i'll be uploading soon) after abt at least 5 visits! after dinner, we sadly said our goodbyes (how come i get so few visitors from singapore?). i almost forgot to add that my dad flew off to hongkong on a business trip for abt 2 weeks before going to singapore for a few days.

2004-10-06T05:04:00.000+01:00

Tuesday,
a slightly below average day. philosophy wasnt goin too well, the amazingly intricate and complexity of some of the ideas/discussions were just overloading my very limited and delicate brain capacity/power. thank god i had a free period after that lesson, because my brain was malfunctioning and temporary maimed. it is very lucky that I.T was my next lesson......with MR. ENE (the only black teacher in sch) in which we laughed our arses off (cause half the time we dont understand what he is on abt and the other half being amused by the intellectual accent, which hardly anyone else (to my knowledge) possessed in the sch).
after lunch, we (ppl in my year) had to attend a lecture on cannabis. this i felt wasnt really helpful factually (because the speaker never answered the qns asked directly). after sch, i played some table tennis before attending to my weekly jiu-jitsu where i practiced my orange-tab syllabus and got trashed by my sensei (only because he uses me for his demonstrations).

2004-10-05T06:30:00.000+01:00

Wassup readers,
im really SORRY (no sarcasm intended, serious!) for not updating my blog more often than some of you would like. how was your week? mine was pretty fast and pleasant. lets see.....
Monday,
the longest day ever (why is always the mondays?) because i had only one free(study, for those extra goody2shoes ppl) periods (dammit). everything was fairly normal except for the KooKoo weather. u wont believe this the sun is out, the sky is clear and some mother nature decides to make create some fat ass rain and i actually mean one of those tropical rainstorms which more than not, result in the extinction of an entire civilization (ok so i was exaggerating a lil).

2004-09-15T01:19:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone,
i'm writing this post in my school library illegally, (after school while waiting to attend my jui-jitsu (japanese martial arts) class later) well actually i had to since my school's I.T department decided to block about 95.8% of the internet websites, including hotmail, gmail, miniclip and multiple other popular websites.
for all of you who are interested in my GCSE (o-level) results:

Maths a*
ICT a*
English b
English Lit a
Business Studies a
Chinese a
Physics a
Chemistry b
Biology b
DnT b
Geography b

i just wanted to let all u guys and gals know that i just started school a week ago =/ As you all probably know, i will be taking the AS levels (first part of the A-levels) this year. I am taking maths, philosophy (the critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs etc.), economics (not home economics btw) and ICT (information and communication technology/I.T). The next holidays for me will be from the 25th~29th of october (well i guess u can't reallie consider that as a holiday) and the one after that will be from the 16th dec~11th jan (u guys in singapore have hols during that period too right?). i have no plans for any of these hols so far, but am expecting good friends from malaysia and 1-2 cousins from singapore during winter.
The weather in London seems to be getting more and more unexpecting, just today we experienced 2 major downpours and it is now bright and sunny outside, with no evidence of any previous precipitation. Besides that, the days are getting shorter and shorter and outdoor temperatures seem to be lowering by the day. This would probably make sense since winter is approaching =p.

P.S. sorry for all the "( )ing" and for the extremely long post (especially for all those of u with crossed eyes and who are colour blind, jking)

2004-09-08T15:27:00.000+01:00

hi everyone,
seen the bourne identity or supremacy recently? well, if you are planning to watch it, u have the all go from me. personally i prefer the first movie to the second one, but then again, whats my opinion compared to a million others?
shiyi--is he feeling cocky today? yes he is!

2004-09-04T03:12:00.000+01:00

hello everyone,
i just caught the garfield movie and im glad to say that it is good and worth every single penny (or cent). for all of you who want to catch the movie but know nothing about the story, here's my synopsis:

garfield, the fat and lazy cat, is living comfortably being master of his universe....until his john, his pet owner brings back odie, a pooch. things get complicated when odie goes missing, garfield being responsible. now garfield is on a mission to save odie and to reclaim his universe.

2004-08-30T10:30:00.000+01:00

This one is for all my buddies in singapore including everybody else who are having major/public examinations.

GOOD LUCK!

(this means that you still have to study for them btw)

2004-08-29T17:37:00.000+01:00

great, just great. i finally figured out that the hi card which i paid $25 for was not a complete waste of money, when i eventually got down to reading what was written behind the top up card (coincidentally all that needs to be done in order for the sim card to be credited). but this was not accomplished without me mistaking the expiry date of the top-up card for 25-aug-2004 instead of 25-aug-2005.
anyways, i finally got the card credited $25 and i have absolutely no idea how i will be able to spend that amount of credit on the sim within a period of just 5 days! a friend of mine told me that it would be completely possible to spend the whole $25 in just a day.........without paying for downloads (is that reallie true?).
o well, i guess i will just have to get into the habbit of texting at every single opportunity i get. wish me luck.

shi yi,

the guy who makes a complete arse of himself