A New Beginning.

To all who read this post (which i believe amounts to about 4), I've decided to get a new lease of life, and move on. This blog is stagnant man.

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Seeya round!

Yet Conned

Funniest thing happened to droo and me yesterday! We were eating at our favourite Hainanese Restaurant, Yet Con, where the food is unashamedly homely and distinctively Hainanese, the wait staff make YOU wait for them, the prices dependant on the owner's mood, and the heavy disability to even looked surprised if the bill is about 4.5 times more than you expected it to be.

We ended up ordering up a feast, as we normally do, and clocked for this round, half a chicken, a plate of liver and innards, pork chops, roast pork, and chap chye, together with rice, drinks and coffee at the end. As we were happily feasting, and nearing the conclusion of the platoon-feeding meal (WHICH WE FINISHED), we were cringing at the possible price to pay...

There was a slugfest going on in front, when we were queuing to pay, which involved the elderly, no-nonsense-'cos-I'm-Hainanese-and-this-is-my-bloody-restaurant, proprietor, and a disgruntled chinese lady who apparently felt cheated at paying $10 for kangkong. While they were mudslinging, we sullenly realised that if she had to pay $10 for Kangkong, lord knows how much we had to fork out for our meal.

After she stormed off swearing never to come back again, he smiled to his customers, who by then were staring as though he was about to close the shop there and there, and some were, from the look in their eyes, contemplating wolfing down as much as they could before they were kicked out. He muttered something about if everyone who ate here was a Chinaman, he'd might as well not do business, and when it finally came to our turn, he looked at us, looked at our table, and said, $28 bucks. We were stunned. A far cry from the $50 we expected. We triple-checked with him, and he gave us the look that said, "Charity does not occur everyday." We paid, left, howled with laughter outside, and went to celebrate at Shokudo, eating crepes and waffles.

Interesting people, we hainanese folk are! =)

Hmmm...

Just had an amazing discussion about life, which really pulled out deep reserves of thought and feelings which I could never express as anything more than an interesting thought. It was a really really long discussion on Colosso, and where we would want to go from now til the end, and how differences in motives, ideals and mindsets can lead to the dissolution of partnerships and friendships. It was an excellent discussion, one which provoked deep thought and clarity in me, and amazingly, I see now what could be, and what I want.

I realized now why I wanted this so much. It's the brainchild of the 3 of us. Something that we've worked hard to develop, and something that's exclusively the 3 of us. Colosso is more than just a simple get-rich scheme cooked up by 3 jabronis keen on making a quick buck. It's a beautiful concept, what we have in mind, and hopefully, post-graduation and in the not-so-distant future, Colosso can make its mark on the world, from designer-dog bistros to up-market joints.

The 3 of us, we've practically grown up together, and have remained the best of friends for so long. Think I can almost safely say that apart from my brothers, these 2 are the ones whom I really really bond with, who know both my strengths and weaknesses, and shared both good and tough times. I count myself fortunate to even know them, let along be proud enough to call them my best friends. Tough to be able to fully trust people these days, but these 2 are friends for life. 

=)

Random Collection of Jumbles

Hmmm, I think I've officially decided that I make a lousy blogger. Everytime I have something to jot down, and I remind myself to do so on the blog, I end up playing Dota with the guys, so I don't update my blog for months on end. Some people are just not meant to have direction in their lives, I guess.. =(

Well, I'm 21 now! Haha.. As of 7 days ago, to be exact. It's been a tumultuous 21 years, filled with, first and foremost, life. Most people are probably gonna roll their eyes at me when they see this, but really, what IS life? Many people I know now, are caught up in money-making or work, such that they become shrouded to the world around them, and the joys of living! Now, I'm not one of those hippies who believes that love is the ONLY thing can sustain us, but then, if you don't even love living life and the small things that make it so beautiful, why are you here in the first place? I'm really thankful for the bunch of chums that I have, who never fail to gladden my heart when we play ball or go out and eat. It really does makes me feel blessed that I have the opportunity to know this people, however cliched that might sound. Whenever Cyn and I have dinner, we  always look around, just to look at other couples around us. It amazes me how many people actually sit there, mechanically eating dinner, waiting perhaps, in vain, for their partner to surprise them with a witty comment or a smile, instead of blankly staring at their food. Kinda sad, considering that being in a stale or loveless relationship is one of the most frustrating things known to man. I'm happy as pie to have Cyn with me, 'cos there almost never is a dull moment between us. It's amazing how we connect, and despite the sometimes trivial issues that we have, as most couples do, I would never trade her for anyone else! I love you!

Recently there's been this big issue, stemming from AWARE, about Christian hardliners and them putting into the minds of other secular or religious organizations a negative image of the modern-day Christian. I must say, I have to agree with many of my friends, that it's really not fair that some people just cannot see past their noses at the bigger picture around the world. While I don't believe that most Christians are so hard-up and rigid in their beliefs, it must be said that there's a growing number of modern Christians who seem to be overly fervent in their worshipping of the Lord. With all respect meant to everyone, I think people should take a step back and look at the larger picture around them. Especially in Singapore, racial and religious harmony should be the foremost on the minds of all. I love the way how Singaporean muslims and christians and buddhists walk around in perfect harmony, sharing their beliefs and ideals over a cuppa Kopi.  Right, shall not get too involved!

Lastly, COLOSSO JUST CELEBRATED IT'S FIRST SUCCESSFUL FUNCTION! We did it! From customer-requested setting up of a BBQ, to the homemade lemon spritzers and hot dogs, and the hiring of 3 gorgeous girls to help out, made it a great success! If anyone's interested, the web's www.theageoffood.com ! Hopefully, this is the start of a long and successful business enterprise to come!

Alright, I'll bail now! Cheerio, til next time! 

Birthday!

Had an awesome party, this party with my closest and best friends, in a place where the ambience is just perfect, the food nicely satisfying, the company and laughter badly sought after! Had it at Peach Garden in OCBC Building, and it was just the most awesome ever! Check out my facebook for more pics! =)

Beautiful Tragedy

Well. I just lost a friend. My best friend in the Police Force. Gone in a single night, without even the chance to say good-bye, before departing this world. Such a person he was. Confident yet shy, funny yet broodingly serious, cheap and giving. He was a person whom you just wanted to know, so that you can tell people, yeah, I have a friend! An Arab friend who looks like a Russian, who's cool and gets chicks! And guess what, he's my very good friend!

My friend Faruk just passed away. He got killed in an accident, while riding his bike home in the wee hours of Thursday morning. He was sending a girl back, and got killed on the way home. Funny thing is, he was actually thinking of selling his bike, before uni. Cruel ironies of life eh?

I don't exactly know how to feel or what to feel now, it's kinda numb, seeing that he's no longer here, but yet, the memories I have are all of him grinning his arse off, or pulling off some joke that gets the whole office on their knees. The cool dance moves, the nonchalant attitude. The accidental humour during ops duty, my partner-in-crime for most occurences at work, and my true partner-in-hand during ops. On one hand, it's really painful that he's gone. On the other hand, something beautifully tragic occured yesterday, when i found out.

It rained. It was a gentle rain, soothing yet unrelenting. According to Islamic beliefs, if a person passes away on a Friday and it's raining, it means that God loves him very much. When I informed my friends in Aussie that he was gone, apparently, it was raining there too. And as we were leaving, there was a rainbow in the sky. Poetic, poignant moment.

To Faruk: It really sucks that you're gone man. We just played soccer a few weeks ago, and you're unaware of this, but we were gonna arrange another one. We were brothers, and we shared so much. I really really miss you so much, your laughter, your curly hair, the look on your face as we did stupid dances and laughed at stupid things with Hilman... I miss the outings we had, chilling at cafes with Muhd, Khai, Cyn and Jue Luo... I miss all the stupid times in the office, the times in the gym and the canteen. I miss you, very much. God Bless You, wherever you are. Hope He treated you well, as you deserve nothing but the best.

Take care, Ayuk.
Salaam Aleikum.

Game on, man, game on!!!

Leadership?

Well, I'm into leadership training now, and it's kinda a love-hate relationship, love being more than hate, of course, that's why I'm doing it. =)

It's an absolutely exhausting job, and it takes almost all your willpower to motivate and inspire classes, with students that badly need it, and having to do it over and over again to brand new ones. As if this wasn't enough, it's the prospect of preparing the course that you give, how you present the lessons to them, and why they react the way the do. All this in addition to preparing the material, which involves stapling and printing hundreds of booklets per school, not to mention creating the material and the powerpoint slides and all as well. (Ask Sherman, he should know, with his aching shoulder... =D) We're about to embark into all this, and considering the magnitude of the entire thing, it quite literally scares the crap outta me. Maybe I'm not as confident as Sherman is in handling all this, and maybe I'm just a lazy bum, but I fear that I might not be able to live up to the massive confidence that the people in LDC is giving us.

On the other hand...

I've realised, once again, that there's nothing more rewarding than to have people appreciate the work you put in, the person you are, and the things you are willing to do, or sacrifice. Interestingly, I get this most of all after the worst of the programmes, with the students I least expect to come out of this enlightened, where I'm the most stressed and frustrated. It's in that moment that you realise, it's all worth it. Really. If you but keep that in mind, the stress is nothing.

I'm beginning to love this job, and I really wanna go all the way with this, both for the kids, and for myself. Yet, I feel dampened, for some reason. Why...? =(

On a separate note, a belated Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone! May you be prosperous and have the best of luck this new year! =D

A New World, A New Beginning

Hey All!

For those precious few who read or even know about the existence of this blog, a very, very belated Happy New Year! Hope these 24 days have been good for all of you! So many changes, so many things to note. I haven't blogged for quite some time already, and now's a good time as any to start again, I suppose...

For all who've stuck on with me for the past year, and before that, thank you for being there, part of my life and beyond. Thanks for caring, and for sharing. With NS gone now, new horizons appear, and new threats loom. With the constant pressure of the absence of income hovering over me, and the many unspoken things that have yet to be completed, new challenges sprout from nothing, as I leave old ones behind. Things change this year, for everyone'll be separated. I guess deep down inside, throughout our NS lives, the thought that just the next year will see us taking different paths down in life, perhaps never to meet again on this never-ending road. I believe that in every stage of our lives, we find and lose friends, love and hope, but I've currently several groups of friends who never fail to put a smile on my face, never fail to be a source of hope and comfort for me. Hope you guys stay forever and ever! Girls too... =D

I think life is gonna change for many of us, and I'm exposed to so many different aspects of life, it just frightens me that the world really, really isn't as perfect as I had made it out to be. Sure, NS taught me a lot of life and the world beyond nerdy JC existence, but through my leadership training at LDC, I've met so many new people, re-connected with an old friend (and crony), and been exposed to a whole new myriad of different attitudes and cultures that I never thought possible. For those who've been in constant contact with me, you'd know what I'm talking about. I miss Farand, and the 3 amigos hanging out, gorging on food. I know that I'll have to spend less time with Cyn, 'cos she really has her studies to think about. I'd really like to take LDC as my primary job, and throw myself into the work full-time, but there just isn't enough there for me to find security. NTU approaches ever so silently, and it's a constant test to myself to make the best of my time BEFORE NTU, rather than try to mess up my probably-already-packed schedule there. At least I'll be rooming with my best friend, if all goes according to plan! =)

Ah well. Despite the frightening changes the life brings, it's what makes it so beautiful as well. I love Cyn more than ever, for just being the most beautiful and sweet presence in my life, made even more precious by the fact that I see her less now. I really treasure my closest friends, the other 2 amigos, whom in my opinion can never be replaced, ever. I appreciate my TJ class guys so so much, for sharing and being more than just friends. And my VS brothers, the less reason we have to see each other, the more we do, just to laugh, and sing and play. Best of luck for this year, everyone!

"The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now, and we will never be here again."

- Achilles in Troy