Tuesday, February 28, 2006
I had an early start today, reporting to work after a one hour bus ride. This is how the monotonous working life begins. Home, work, sleep, work, home, sleep and it goes on. I think I will throw my exercise routine back into the morning.
The experience was an eye-opener and it felt more like an intership then a mere mundane inventory job. I was invited to sit in their staff meeting and saw how the boss dealt with allocation of jobs. I believe such an experience with management will prove vital in the days to come. A close look at how the purchasing and sales department operates left me with much to learn. Its amazing how such simple entreport trading can earn the company profits. Much more to learn and I certainly enjoy it. I believe my time now is seriously well spent.
There is however some problems surfacing already. With the announcement of standby status, my work might be interrupted by any activation. Plus, Mr ooi called today saying that I will be teaching the topic Electronics instead. I need time to prepare myself before I teach in Yuhua later this month.
My plan is simple. I intend to keep working until mid July. That is about 4 months of work. The whole idea is to remain finacially independent and upgrade myself to the status of being finacially stable. There is a fine difference. Alot of my friends have asked me to go overseas, to play this and learn that sport; dive and pick up that language. I can't help but turn all this down. To me, all this are a form of indulgence-even the learning of a new language. Simply put, things are either needs or wants. I believe that all this things are secondary. One should not splurge on such stuff. Going overseas is infact the most expensive of all and I don't understand why everyone is suddenly so excited about travels because of ORD. Sorry guys, count me out.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Jantzen Part II
Ok, I have decided that I should write onh such topics more frequently. Every weekend, I will write something on Men/Women, fashion, lifestyle or whatever strikes me. It takes inspiration. In my blog next week:Bling blings for Him.
I am kinda bored now so here goes:
To all single available, attached-but-still-available ladies out there. If you are:
- at least 1.6m in height
- have almond eyes
- love playing with your nose
- enjoy playing table hockey
- demure, gentle and softspoken
- a christian
- wears skirt(denim skirts do not count) and not jeans
- have an interest in Biology
- love to hum rythms when on the phone
- have long hair
Take note. I am presently looking for a replacement lover. Trust that it would be an honour. This is a one time offer considering that I am KTG and will be rich and powerful in the future. Leave your contacts in my tag-board, including your friendster name and fullname. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted via friendster(no friendster? Sorry thats a criteria). Application closes when I get serious again with work and no longer think that this is fun. So hurry.
It is about time guys realise that a proper haircut, styled specifically to suit his looks can only be achieved at a salon, not the barber! Those familiar should know that contrary to the blade and shaver treatment at a barber, a haircut at a salon involves clips, shampoo and styling. This of course, comes at a price.
A basic salon cut-and-wash usually range from 20-30 dollars. Getting a senior stylist to whip his scissors on your mane can cost up to $70 at some places. Among the popular name of salons are Tony & Guy, Cuts and Curls, Shunji Matsuo, Storm and Jean Yip(Yes, Jean Yip is not just a beauty salon for ladies). It is not to say that barbers are not professional, but salons usually provide better and a wider range of service. For example, few barbers offer hair colouring and if any, it would be as good as a DIY. Expect no highlighting, textured colour and the like. Of course, we know that most DIY attempts come with the risk of looking like an overgrown Orang-Utan (not uncommon along Orchard Road).
For those who have been "too-manly" or simply shy, and have never ventured into a salon dominated by mainly female clients, a visit to one often goes like this. An assistant greets you with a couple of magazines as you take your sit. They will offer you magazines like Men's Health and Torque, not just Cleo and Female, so don't worry. Some will even serve a glass of drink. You read as the assistant, hopefully a babe, shampoos your hair and massage your scalp. Relax and enjoy. After washing your hair, a stylist takes over. They usually ask you for any specific style of cutting and if you are totally clueless, take a peek and their hair guides. In most cases, they will give recommendations on styles to suit your features. If you look bold enough, the stylist might just request to try on new cuts on your hair. Either way, its all about styling. Clips and pins might come into play here. Be confident, and notice how it differs from a barber's job. Once done, another hairwash follows. After blow drying your hair, the stylist finishes the job with one of many hair-styling products. An advice here: If you are unfamiliar, or think that the style really looks good on you, go ahead and ask what is being used. Is it wax, mud, gel or gum? More importantly, how to style it. Take note on how your hair actually takes form and try it out the next time. Do not be dismayed if it does not look as astonishing, its all about experience. So there you go, feeling good. You are now ready to go to town feeling one notch hotter, there is no need to head home for a shower to wash off those fine hair.
On colouring, I advise that one have an idea of what one wants. Different colour suits different skin tones; different style of cuting suits different colours. The best option of course, is to cut and colour together. It cost from $50-60 for single colour. Highlighting adds a textured look to your hair and is a result of the influx of J-pop icons. It commonly incurs and additional cost of about $30. Brown and Ash brown with a shimmering effect goes well with asian complexion. Metallic blue goes well with a dark tan.
So, what are you waiting for. The next time you need to get a hair cut, give it a thought. It never hurts to try something new does it? Remember, its all about looking good.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Exclamation
Flipping the switch of the lights fast(as if there is a speed) will cause the circuitry to spoil easily. Implying: We can flip switches on an off faster than charges move in the wires of a circuit. This may cause the bulb to blow cause its too fast. Our fingers can move at a fraction of the speed of light. Eureka!
Provided by: My mother.
Please laugh.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
From boardroom to bedroom
He: Dad has taught him that its a men's thing to shave and look smooth. So he spends 5 minutes with his gillette trying to get the perfect 5 o'clock aftershave. But dad never taught him the proper way to brush and floss.
She: Mom did. It never got into him, but she knows hygiene is important. She takes as long as she needs to get that pearly white smile that blinds. She then concern herself with the little imperfections of her complexion. Trim her nails and do the polishing touch up. She knows she can never look too pretty.
The winner: She wins. Men never understood the idea of pampering himself.
He: Makes himself a cup of milo - his favourite drink since the days he played soccer - and grabs the ham and cheese sandwich. Occasionally, he throws in some eggs or bacon. A bar of chocolate is always around should he feel hungry on his way to work.
She: Blends a glass of Latte. Who knows how long she takes to make it comparable with Starbucks. And, thats it. Thats all for breakfast. Anything more and she risk getting fat.
The winner: He. Of course. What is more important than breakfast? Its the prime meal of the day.
He: Fires up his black Mazda 3. Spends 5 minutes doing nothing because he knows the engine needs to warm up. ERP doesn't matter.
She: Revs up her red Honda Integra. She pauses too, but thats to check on her lashes. And she have not forgotten to check through her documents, making sure everything is in place and ready for the 9 o'clock meeting.
Winner: He. Why would anybody buy an Integra? Even then...you ought to take good care of it.
He: Arrives just in time for the meeting. But holy shit! He have forgotten that piece of document he spent the last night on. That had cost him to miss his EPL match. And he forgot to bring it along to the meeting? Damn. But Mr Cool here knows how to handle it. This had happened countless times. He tasks his secetary to get another copy printed. His blackberry does not download and print wirelessly for nothing.
She: Its already 930. She is late(As expected. Look at her morning routine again). She knows. She returns the chairman's stare and askes "Is Mr Cool ready?" All eyes set on him now. He is dumbstruck. Just what is taking his secetary so long. The Blackberry?Possibly.
The winner: She. Because somewhere, somehow, woman were sold this idea of "fashionably late". The men don't get it.
He: His proposal didn't fall through. The boss prefers her marketing solution. Damn. he should have just watch the EPL. He is not pissed, but dismayed. Yet he smiles. He cannot show discontent because afterall, he ought to be a gentlemen.
She: Had she lost, she would have had him by the balls(have I mentioned those heels). She would have stormed into her boss's office and requested a reconsideration. One way or another, she is gonna have it. Her thighs are unbelievably tempting and so is her oratory daunting. The boss gotta give in or she will quit.
The winner: Well, she wins. Make no mistake, this is not about 'sex sells'. Its all about playing to one's strength. Whatever works, works. The truth is, the boss is not up to it. He is afterall, a man. He gives in the same way he lays his life to his wife.
He: Lunch time and he flips Straits Times, Forbes, whatever interest him. He is never alone, and without conversation with his buddies. Soccer, stocks, woman(including the one he faced off with), beer, women...beer?
She: She flips Cleo, but only to look at what to shop for over the weekend. For now, she has got a burger(Ouch!) to fill her stomach as she works through lunch.
The winner: He. The greatest sin next to not working is working too hard. Lunch is a time for rest. Oh come on!
He: The coporate function has ended, and he is sending her home. But of course, her Integra broke down. He vaguely remembers Chanel in the morning but now he smells Estee Lauder. She sits laid back, tired. The result of working too hard. He notices the elliptic curl of her eye lashes. But like all men, he keeps quite and pay no compliment.
She: The midtone of his Boss Soul smells seduction. She smirks as Class95 plays their midnight love songs. She says "nice shave"(see, dad is right). She feels comfortable around him, but she convinces herself that she is still too young for such thoughts. She is only 25(remember the paycheck?).
The winner: What do you think?
The last part of the saga. For best picture quality in order to read the text, click the picture. At best, I suggest it be downloaded and viewed off this blog.
The boldest of all writing this is. In a cry for freedom of expression, this is it. What the words implicate doesn't really matter. It is just fiction afterall. There is a fine line between fiction and truth. For all you know, the scriptures and sacred texts that have been worshipped for aeons are but the careful sculpture of artists long forgotten. This last piece of work aims to challenge this point. Are we so sure of ourself that what contradicts our belief is blashphemy. Or is this the greatest joke of all?
Once again, the poem visits the idea of worthiness as a sin. A double betrayal removes all of Zente's claim over his creation. While he is reduced to what he is as seen in Rebirth, elethieal has found a new ruler. Of which whom I speak not. The lightbringer on the other hand, sits in a new hell and takes the blame for all the destruction in the human world. They now call him Satan.
Disclaimer: Fiction offends no one except those who seek to be offended.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Spoilt
I confess that if I am free, yet unwilling to fetch her around, I am in the wrong. Consider this: I have to bring her around to whatever place she wishes and waste time waiting for her. Am I a chaffeur? Am I? I am doing my part as a child, she should at the very least show appreciation and not take things for granted. Please note that the last 3 sentences were said in the nicest tone I can conjure. Point of information: Being born to her, I am obliged to be filial by social standards. That however, does not equate to me having to tolerate her nonsense.
Let me spell things out and paint the scenario that really pissed me off. My youngest sis went to do her project at JE library. Soon after, I drove back to camp. Seeing that its raining, I called my sis, telling her that if she needs a lift home, she can call me. As long as it is not around 9pm, I am willing to pick her up. Thats because I am still COS and possibly have to attend staff parade at night. So at eleven O'clock while I was already out of camp, my mom called me to scold me. Reason(nonense is a more appropraite word here) For taking the car. My dad can't fetch her as a result. She was yelling, saying that its almost twelve and that my sis have yet to come home. I thought she was still out at JEL, which certainly is a case for concern. I later learnt that she is at her friend's house. My mom's version of ther story? She is waiting for transport(her friend's mom to send her home). I called my sis and ascertained that she is still doing her stuff. Is she not home yet because she is still working? Was she waiting for transport? Or was she waiting for ME to fetch her? Either way, did anyone ask me to pick her, AT ALL. If you were wondering, NO, my mom did not ask me to fetch her. All she did was complain and make a big fuss out of the fact that I drove back to camp. So, question time: What is he point she is trying to put across? That she is bored because no one is at home? Or that I should permanently station myself at home so that I can chaffeur anyone anywhere. So what if I did not drive back to camp? My dad is drinkign at Farrer Road. Does it make a difference? Yeah, and when my sis left home for JEL, my mom didn't even look at her. She didn't even know where she was headed and what she was doing. Reason: She was researching her 4D. Applause.
I have saved the best for last. Her explanation of why my sis have to work at her friend's place till late is as such. My printer wasn't set up, so she had to take a long time working at her friend's place. Is that my job!? But that is besides the point. What kind of a reason is that? She simply cooked up a story to put the blame on me. Should the kettle at home blow up some day, it is probably because I failed to change the lights.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Reality
Why? Because "all we have been doing is walking around in sand. We didn't even get to kill them (iraqi soldiers). They are all dead". That is the one statement a USMC trooper said which sums up the entire idea behind the movie Jarhead.
It all starts the same way: Recruits fall in while their trainer unleashes an unprecedented chain of vulgar sentence that made so much sense you won't be able to make it out. Push ups. Sir Yes Sir. The bottomline, civilians are reduced to green jars - empty inside. Then comes training, from the basics of camouflage to the elaborated combat tatics. With that, the grinding desire to see action, to be in a real life situation to fire that shot. To kill or be kill. To be all you can be. To live life by the edge. This is precisely where all this bullshit breaks down. Emptyness and a sense of waste, the result of baseless boosting of fighting spirit, take over.
"We hydrate. We patrol the empty deserts and we dehydrate. We throw hand-grenades into nowhere, navigate imaginary minefield. We fire at nothing...we look north towards the border and we wait. This is our label - we wait."
"mastubattion, re-reading of letters from unfaithful wifes and girlfriends. Cleaning your rifle. Further mastubation. Rewiring walkman. Arguing about religion and the meaning of life. Discussing in detail every woman the marines ever fucked. The differences between cuban and mexican; harley versus Hondas; Left versus right handed masturbation. Further cleaning of rifle. Studying the philliphine mail order bride catalog. Further masturbation. Imagining the first meal when we return home"
This is an extract from Jarhead, after the mariens spent 2 months in the Gulf. See the parallelism with reality thus far? For those who have been on overseas exercise, this should sound nastily familiar.
And the truth is, even at the frontline what you get is not a taste of combat. Rather, its the thirst for combat. All you really get is the amplified version of shit. And its a true shit-hole out there. You just want to get out of there, not because you miss home nor because you fear dying from a gunshot wound. Its plain full of shit. Saikang in local context.
When you get back and parade the streets after a 6 month long campaign, the public cheer you on. People whom you don't even know wave and salute. You are a war hero. When you walk out of camp with your long awaited pink IC, they cheer you on too. You are a trained soldier now andhave gone through NS, the unescapable predicament of all singaporean males. You are "different" now. What reasons they know not. It is no wonder though, because all they can see beyond the gates are based upon imagination. Imaginations built upon images from ARMY daze and BSaving private Ryan. Thats realism to them. How real is realism?
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Raspberry Cheese Cake
On another note: Things change, circumstances sway with events and people change too. Thats how it all works isn't it? Maybe its the end of fulltime NS; maybe its some other reasons, but I sense myself changing. Now it seems to me that the past 2 years was a transient stage. I guess all the change in attitude was merely an adaptation to survive through NS, allowing me to fit into the working environment. I can sense myself changing so rapidly I am concerned. It explains why I have been dwelling on it since the previous entry 4 days ago. It isn't all that bad being like I was back in JC days. I guess it all sums up to the process of growing up and learning. I confess I am confusing myself already.
Footnote:Save it, I am already gone.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Rise and Fall
Yet he understands that perfection itself is a flaw and that he is far from being perfect. He set forth to make himself better. Self-recognition is all he sought. The recognition of others was something he care not. He cast himself apart not for isolation but for improvement. Now, by a certain stroke of chance, a random roll of the dice, he is revisited.
"Where is the KTG? ... Now I don't feel proud having KTG as my(friend)..."
Simple words. A harmless sentence that bares no more meaning than an innocent child's chuckle. Still, it evoked much thoughts. Worthiness, the root of his greatness, is shaken. Like flower's losing their colour; magician failing their magic; angels crippling their wings. Is it the decline of a golden age, or the fruits of an evolution showing its form?
KTG has not gone missing. He is still right here. He have not lost anything either. He traded a pound of ego for feelings. Planted the seeds and saw the plant grow. He let the thorns prick him so he knows his emotions are no illusions. It opened his eyes to a whole new domain where he saw more of his flaws. That however, did not shake him. He had long known that he was not perfect. Now, he understands that there are some things beyond him. But it made he feel no less worthy. Because he knows that worthiness is not based upon his flaws but his strength. He may have been shaken, but he remained unassailable.
To the person who mentioned the above sentence. I am glad you were ever proud of me. I thank you. You are simply looking at the other face of KTG.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Salvaging my Manhood
My eyes are almost closing and I can feel the fatigue sinking in. 48 Hours of guard have had me sleeping less than I should. Instead of having a good rest after the formidable feat, I had a busy day. I am glad the day is over. I am feeling a little hungry now and craving for some supper. Wonder if there is anyone in the mood for food. I went to around 10 schools today to register for relief teaching, hoping that it will translate to greater emoployment opportunities. I now feel the need to work hard and earn enough to sustain my high upkeep as ORD draws near.Gosh it is the 10th of Feb already. Time for keeping check on my accounts. Hope I have not overspent. Work! Work! I feel inspired. My first mil by the age of 30. It can be done!!! I have the will and the wit for it. Come on Kelvin. No come on KTG. KTG. KTG(endless chant).
I shall have a good sleep tonight and study hard again tomorrow. USD? JPY?EUR? Long or short?
Monday, February 06, 2006
Grey's Anatomy
Woke up in the afternoon when my sis called. It was already 130. A late start for sure. It must have been raining early in the morning. I could hear the rain in my sleep. The weather was perfect for hibanation and I swear I didn't want to wake up. My sis has return from relief teaching. Making a clean 65 bucks while I was fast asleep. Gosh! I can't wait for ORD so I can finally do relief teaching as well. Its really quite high paying. The downside, I can't dye my hair. Darn! Now I can't wait for school to start so I can do the dye.
Anyway, I think my day was well spent. After yesterday's sloppiness and with my sister's earnings spurring me own, I wasted no time today. Not quite in to mood to blog anymore now but to end it, I must say Thomas Crown's life is that which I am looking forward to. Will I achieve such a life someday?
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Indulgence
I have carelessly missed out my daily exercise routine. All the "studying" I have done today amounts to nothing much but 10 minutes of TA revision. Poor performance for the day. Bah! Such inactivity is deemed unacceptable by my standards, considering how I have slowly resurrected my drive and motivation over the past 2 weeks. Well, what's done is done. The rewinding of clockwork is but man's folly. I shall not brood over it further. Tomorrow, I shall spend at least an hour studying, an hour with my business plans half an hour with english, another half with the newspaper and not miss my workout again.
Today, I figured that poorness is a relative state of mind. The feeling of being poor is not related to the number of coins in your coffer. Rather, it pertains to how much more you wish you have in excess. I must find more sources of income to cover the unexpected additional expenditures of Febuary. Geez, I dare not peer into my bank statement and do my calculations. I think my jaw will just drop...further.
Alright, enough said. Blogging is actually yet another fracture in the hourglass from which time quietly seeps away. Shall go get a chart for tomorrow's TA studies and hook up with Mr Nitthin for some discussions.
On a quiet note, I appreciate guojun's publication of my blog. But appreciation may not run parallel with preference at times. I don't want him doing that, for good reasons which I shall not bother to divulge.
Kingdoms rise and fall. Even the maker's time has come.Zente speaks of his birth and origin, in contrast with the death that will soon befall him. Even spirits and angels die. But was Zente even considered an angel? What term depicts him eludes me. His majesty left behind, he walks alone against the gradient of power and faces his creator and the creator of all creation. Puzzled? Appreciate it instead.
Zente - The other side of creation
Artwork by Luis Royo
I was inspired by the painting. It drew me into a non-existant realm of dark fantasy. I have heard comments from some, saying that they are not quite sure what the words mean. In literature of any form, meaning is derived from the individuals perspective on the subject. There is therefore no absolute 'explanation' for any piece of literary work. There is no right or wrong in art. However, I wish to tell a story. A story of miscontrued mischief. The story of Zente.
If you look at it chronologically, this is one of the later parts in my series of poems. Zente has fallen from turmoil within his highly twisted mind. Once powerful, he is now lost, confused and helpless. He seeks redemption and a second chance within his grave. "Cut" loose, he is freed from the ironical torture of infinite power in the universe he ruled - somewhere beyond the edge of creation. At this very hour, it is serreya who came to him.
Artwork by Peter Bergting.
As the name implies, this is part one in the story of Zente, son of lucifer. The lightbringer has tempted Serreya to sin. In the hope of creating an archangel powerful enough to match the strength of the Michael.Zente has all that makes an archangel, except for the one thing that defines a true angel. Powerful he might be, his incompleteness incurred the wrath of Lucifer. He was banished beyond the void of existence and imprisoned by solitude.
But he retured, darker than anyone could have imagined. His rampage disturbed the delicate balance between the three worlds, resulting in cosmic catastrophe. Overwhelming the powers of both sides, he demanded the Book of Time from heaven and made Lucifer severe his own wings. With the balance upsetted and the book of time, he created a new universe within the realm of non-existence.
Pride was my father's sin
worthiness was mine
Artwork by David Ho
Zente created his own realm beyond the edge of all existence. However, his creation was far from perfection. It was said that Michael made the first matter and lucifer's will conjured them into stars. It leaves little to wonder about the imperfection of elethiael. Even as I wrote Genesis, I can't help but ask myself: What kind of spirit did Zente carry along with him when he summoned the Book of Time. Was it desperation or vengefulness, pity or pride?
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
CNY@my place
To:
Thommie the one who is always cute
Nick pang my drinking buddy
Guojun my brother
Reuben my other brother
Mark who lives just next door
Liyang who used to be a best friend and probably still is
Ray who was a role model back in school days
Judy the pretty one
Peiting who I shared alot with
Teck Chew the funny one
Victor the ever quiet
Yanwen who lived so far away and yet came
Ween the princess, so honoured to have her come
XiaoJun the active one
RongZhan whom I have missed out on lately
Jieren the sarcarKing
Dexiang fellow VC
Wenhui the chicken little
Jianting our gold CQ
Johnson who often share a common mind
Tsang Yew who will soon be flying off
James the pro RockClimber
Ah Poh my only regular friend
Say Ho my to be SMU partner
ChongJi the admirably YanDao
Thank you for gracing my invite. I appreciate all of you all, not just for having came, but for being a truly great friend. The night would not have been as fun as it was if any of you mentioned above were not here. What more can I say but another great Thank You.
It was really fun playing host, and quite a challenge. I was helping to prepare the food for the steamboat when wenhui arrived. So we left to search for satay. Most shops were closed and so it really wasn't easy. I eventually ended up in west coast. Had I brought more cash along I would have bought stingray too. Even the satay wasn't enough because many who gave uncertain response came eventually. Sometimes unexpected arrivals are so much more heartwarming. With people like thom coming from the airport and then going back to sengkang. Tsang Yew who had to squeeze time out from his schedule.
I came back with the satays just in time to start mixing the drinks. Ice was in short supply and it ran out towards the later part of the night. I varied the cocktails to cater to the light and heavy drinkers. The objective was to serve everyone a drink the moment they step in and then introduce them to those they are not familiar with. I believe it helps break the ice and I do hope that everyone made a new friend yesterday. Or at least the next time they see each other they will say "Hi, you are Kelvin's friend right?" As expected some did mention that siow ween is chio cos she is. So is judy pretty, xiaojun admirable and peiting cute. You know its interesting hearing them say "the girl in colour, she is ... ... " Haha.
It is quite challenging playing host when they eventually settle down with their games and it becomes a dilemma where to be. Maybe I could have done better gluing everyone together. I wasn't as good a host as I hope I could be. And then the worse happened, shortly after my last guest came. I think I had a little too much of alcohol on an empty stomach. I think I had around 5 glasses of cocktails, 3 shots and a beer. I confess I do not have the best appetite for alcohol. Drinking was the way to make merry, but the effects came in slowly on my empty stomach - the biggest mistake. But I was safely at home so being drunk really didn't matter much. I lied down and soon dozed off. When I "came around," it was dawn. Gosh. How can the host disappear when the guests are still around!!?? I was actually being mocked by Nick and Say Ho while I was gone. Ray, Judy, mark, victor, Liyang and Peiting were looking for me when they wanted to leave. I was a goner by then. Geez. And I heard from my Mom that peiting had quite a conversation with her. The things she asked were also quite amusing, hmm...typical of her to amaze. Haha. Think she wanted me to walk her home. Infact I should have and would have. But again..."Host where were you?"
In conclusion, the night was fun with everyone's company. The next time I play host, I promise I will cut down on the booze. Again, I thank everyone for showing face. How can I redeem myself for not doing well towards the end?? Thank you all. And for those who missed out, you should have came along.