Unit Promoted

With rank, comes responsibilities.

8 months on

Jojo, I really miss you...

Idleness

I hate idleness. And I have been feeling it now and then throughout the multitude of courses I have been doing as part of my training for the past 3 months; more so towards the end. Maybe it's because of a lack of practical training? Maybe there has just been too many courses all along? Whatever the reason, it is depressing. And not to mention, degrading. There is nothing worse than to wander and be idle because it is from this that trouble brews. Randomness. Wandering thoughts. Meaninglessness. There is a phrase from a game I used to play which sums it all up: "Heresy grows from idleness."

I have my direction, motivation and passion. I know what to aim for, what to work for. But this idleness is in the way and eroding the very path which I am taking now. I pray Station life will be nowhere similar.

I hate idleness. Go away.

The ball is now rolling

It has been some time. I watched Inception last week and what a fully worth 2-and-a-half hours that was. A story with a simple plot but it's how the plot is done which is interesting. Smartly done and complex but not to the point which leaves you saying 'huh?' at the end of the movie. Dreams within dreams within dreams... Confused? Go watch it.

Besides that, I have finally got myself employed. My back-up plan did not fail! YEEHA. Initially, I was more relieved rather than happy but towards the day of signing the Letter of Appointment, it was definitely happiness instead. Finally, I can settle down and move on in life. I've been on the job for 3 days already and am enjoying it. It is physically very demanding and I foresee many challenges ahead, some which I must figure out how to overcome.

No longer can I stay up as late as before, especially with my kind of work now. I will also soon have to leave my enrichment centre - a place filled with colourful memories from last year up till now. I will miss the people (and some of the kids) and my past months there.

The ball has started rolling. It is time to look forward. Look forward, but also do not forget the road that I have taken this far in life.

Closure

2 weeks ago, after submitting my final medical report, I received news the following day regarding my job application status. Unsuccessful. I was utterly shocked and disappointed. Who wouldn't, after waiting patiently for over a year, paying for medical reports and tests which amounted to almost $200 and having high hopes all the while.

Last year around March, I applied to Singapore Airlines as a Cadet Pilot. I got through the 1st and 2nd round interviews and the medical after that. What came after was a long wait due to the age limit for entry into the course. Patiently, I waited for one whole year keeping myself busy with my enrichment centre job and a whole lot of other things to close the gap between me and my dream. But alas, it was not meant to be. I was rejected due to undisclosed reasons. I appealed throwing every credible piece of information to convince them to reconsider. Another 2 weeks later, I received a reply saying that my appeal had been unsuccessful. Sigh.

I will skip all the details within - it is hard for someone not in my shoes to fully understand the true disappointment and sadness I felt. I am past that stage and there is no point crying over spilt milk, if there was even any to begin with. This episode of my life so far has taught me much; maybe some lessons were learnt painfully. No one said life would be fair. Even Brazil can lose at the World Cup. My mum told me that when God leads the way, there are no obstacles. Maybe this job was not meant for me in the first place. Now that I have some closure, I can finally move on :D

On the bright side, I have reflected on the positive side of not getting the job. Many I have found, and I feel somewhat... convinced now, if that is the right word to use. Maybe it is all a blessing in disguise. Anyway, a whole world of opportunities now awaits!

To Shaun, pilot-to-be, all the way in Ground School and the rest of the course!

To Umar, keep the faith, your call up is coming soon man!

~ Carpe diem ~

NUS Lifesaving Invitationals 2010

Yesterday, was the NUS Lifesaving Invitationals. What an awesome day it was - sunny all day and with nice cold water from the previous night's showers. It was a day filled with sportsmanship, nervousness, mind-over-matter, encouragement, team spirit, adrenaline, Milo peng shiokness, DQ's, mistakes learnt, joy, fighting spirit, never-letting-go and towards the end, satisfaction and tiredness, among many other things.

I did not win any medals, but I won something more valuable instead: Defeat of my inner self and a wholesome experience. I shaved off a whopping 10 seconds from my 100m manikin carry w/ fins event and 8 seconds from my 100m manikin tow w/ fins events. YEEHA. The relay and rope throw events were good experience as well. I just soaked in the atmosphere yesterday: the tension before every event, the look on each person's face before their event, while on the starting blocks, and after the events, the shagness clearly evident from that 200m Super Lifesaver or Rescue Medley. A showcase of pure determination, all-the-way attitude and enduring-till-the-end mentality.

At the end of the day, prizes were given out and champions named amid jubilation. But most importantly, how we stood till the end as a team and how every one of us conquered that inner self of ours.

Da ULC Family. HOO-AH!!!

"Victory isn't defined by wins or losses. It is defined by effort. If you can truthfully say, 'I did the best I could, I gave everything I had,' then you're a winner."

- Wolfgang Schadler

The Calm Before The Storm

Broken

Broke my 1:10 timing for 100m fins today. YEEHA. Next goal: Taipei 1:01 haha, as suggested by my team captain. Hmm, will need to work on that. Need to mentally work up for the coming Invitational's and keep improving. GOAL SETTING: I will work hard during training for my Milo peng. Oh yes, you know that feeling of ice-cold, sugary, chocolatey Milo going down your throat after some good hard training. Lovely.

Milo peng FTW.

Psalms 37:3-9

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe

pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of

your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine

like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the

noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait

patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in

their ways,

when they carry out their wicked

schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from

wrath;

do not fret - it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will

inherit the land.

Improvement

ULC training has stepped up in preparation for the Invitationals and Taiwan. Last Friday, Mr Sim gave us 400m anaerobic (hold your breath and sprint for 16m, 3 x per lap, 400m total). Jeez, the most I did in the past was 200m... and I couldn't even hold my breath for any of those 16m let alone the first one. That day however, I managed to survive the 400m and took only one breath for each of the 16m. YEEHA. I thought it was probably because of the soccer match I had with the ULC guys prior to training that boosted my cardio but today, Mr Sim gave us... 500m! WTF. Somehow managed to pull it off again, one breath for each of the 16m. So maybe it wasn't the soccer. YEEHA x2.

I am also beginning to see the after-effects of land training which we had the previous months. Most of my timings have shaved off good seconds. YEEHA x3. Monday's 100m finning and frontcrawl sprints were shagadelic. Broke my finning record and tried to get a 1:0X but just couldn't; will break it next time. Also broke my frontcrawl record on the first set but after that it was just OMFG... like digging into water with paper hands. And we started off training that day with 500m manikin and 500m, 400m, 300m finning... :D

Anyway, it's good to see improvement. Especially with my timings getting closer to the fast ones. And now, this song is stuck in my head... (love the dance moves synchro'd with the body lyrics!)

Like what my team captain keeps saying, "No Pain, No Gain". Looking forward to the upcoming trainings.

HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER!

A Guide to Plane-Watching at WSSS

Ever since my conversion to part-time plus the waiting soon coming to an end, I've been doing lots of plane watching at WSSS (Singapore Changi). I've tried many, if not all, of the possible sites and had good and not-so-good experiences at each site. Here, I'll present a short guide based on my experience on each of them plus their pros and cons. I will also include my earlier experiences at Changi Airport's three terminals.

Changi Airport - Terminal 1 (UNDER RENOVATION - Reopening by End 2010)

Among the three main terminals, T1's viewing gallery offered the best view. Unobstructed views through single layer windows offered plenty of enjoyable watching. Furthermore, T1's host of a myriad of airlines other than the usual SIA, SLK and MAS and the rest at T2 and 3 made watching here a colourful experience.

Pros: Good direct, unobstructed view; Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits nearby.

Cons: Currently closed as part of T1's upgrading project (hopefully they don't screw it up like what they did with T2 and 3 - see below)

Changi Airport - Terminal 2

Recently refurbished with the Changi Aviation Gallery, this viewing gallery offers an indirect view due to the double-layered windowing and sun-shields. The gallery offers some nice info on airplanes and operations at WSSS but other than nice carpeted flooring, not a very good place to watch in my opinion.

Pros: Nice info on airplanes and airport operations; Carpeted flooring.

Cons: Indirect view; Sun shields further hamper the already indirect view; Small area.

Changi Airport - Terminal 3

Almost similar to T2's, T3's viewing gallery offers the same indirect view and sun-shields. The unique air-condition ducts near the floor will keep your feet cool throughout though. At night, you can forget about seeing anything related to a plane. The double-layered windows will reflect the terminal lighting and become a 'mirror' making it almost impossible to see anything outside.

Pros: Large area; Toilets within 50m; Floor-level air-conditioning; Giant mirror at night.

Cons: Indirect view; Sun shields further hamper the already indirect view; Giant mirror at night.

Changi Business Park Central 2

Located here, this open field offers a clear unobstructed view of planes landing into WSSS on a 02L approach. If you have a DSLR with lens, this is your playground. On good days, the setting afternoon sun (4-6pm) 'lights' up the planes as they come in, enhancing their colours. One of the better watch sites among the rest but a tad bit inconvenient if you don't have a car. One more thing, unless you want to do it the army way, remember to clear your bladder/bowels before coming here.

Pros: Large open field with plenty of space to watch; Direct view of planes coming in; 'Free' parking right next to the fields; Nice wind during the windy season.

Cons: No nearby toilets; Inconvenient location - unless you drive, the nearest MRT station is Expo plus a 15 minute walk.

Changi South Street 1

Less than 200m away from the above site, this site is actually at a canal and offers a much closer view of planes landing on a 02L approach but without much of the 'approach'. All you have is about less than 10 seconds to snap the planes as they pass over the unobstructed area over the canal. There are a lot of low-rise industrial buildings around so unless you own those buildings or have some way of getting onto their roofs, it will be a bit difficult to spot them coming in. A good alternative spot for those who can't afford a DSLR and lens yet (like me!).

Pros: Even closer view compared to Changi Business Park Central 2; Good alternative for those with zoom-handicapped cameras; Excellent sound from those engines.

Cons: No nearby toilets; Inconvenient location - unless you drive, the nearest MRT station is Expo plus a 20 minute walk; Small area; Not much view time (~10 seconds); Hard to spot planes due to the surrounding buildings.

Changi Coast Road

This 5km stretch of road lies parallel to Runway 02R/20L. Protected by double fencing plus cameras, this entire stretch is as close as you can get to the runway. You get a nice view of WSSS along with all the landings and take-off's but be warned, this area is monitored and the police will chase you away. Watch here at your own risk.

Pros: Close to the runway; The entire stretch to watch; Plenty to see and hear.

Cons:

Expect visits from the police; Double fencing spoils the view;

No nearby toilets.

South Changi

This site is actually on a breakwater located near the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre. This quiet place offers a spectacular view of 02R approaches, ships harboured at the anchorages, the east coast coastline as well as cloud formations. 02L approaches can also be seen but they are much further away. Bring a hat or some sun protection as well as insect repellent to keep those nasty sand flies away. Be prepared if Runway 02R is underused and you have to settle for mediocre 02L approaches (you can still enjoy the ocean/sky/coastline view!). My personal experience: 5 planes into 02R within 2 hours. Yes, FIVE. Also seems like a good fishing spot.

Pros: Great view of the sky and sea;

Plenty to see; Good fishing spot.

Cons: Inconvenient location - either drive or cycle; Nasty sand flies; Sucks when 02R is underused (if your focus is only on planes).

Changi Beach

In my opinion, this is the site for plane-watching. This site is similar to Changi South Street 1 minus all the buildings. Direct line-of-sight views of 20R and L approaches. Planes coming into 20R will fly right above you! The ultimate visual aural experience. Plus there's Changi Village nearby to fill your stomach up once you're done!

Pros: Awesome sights and sounds; Great wind; Changi Village nearby.

Cons: Like all airports, whether planes land here depends on the wind direction; Nearest toilet is about 200-300m away.

All photos above were taken with a Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS. Maximum zoom (3.8x) was used for most of the landing shots.

Medical

Today, I went for my medical. Like what my friend said, it was déjà vu all over again. I could not and did not sleep properly last night, probably because of all the excitement. Everything went the same and now there is nothing more I can do but wait, and pray. Everything from this point onwards is beyond my control. An answer must come within 3 months time because of one of the medical validity periods. I am expecting it to be June as planned, or better still, next month :D I must continue to keep the faith. The time is near!

Winds of Change

This morning was like any other morning. I got up at around 10am, switched on the laptop, washed up, made the usual breakfast tea and finished off the last of the scones and read the papers. Coming back to the laptop, I pressed 'Enter' to allow my Gmail notifier to log on and to my surprise... I got an email from That Which I Am Waiting For to go for my re-Medical! WOOHOO!!! Things are looking good. June may really be the end of all the waiting (1 year and counting).

I also drove out to Changi again to snap planes and this time, the winds had changed! 20 approach - Changi Beach here I come! I'll let the pictures do the explaining :)

Indonesia AirAsia A320-200

Cathay Pacific B777-200

Singapore Airlines B777-200

Singapore Airlines A380-800

Pure, raw, awesomeness. Plus the sound of those engines, my goodness - like ecstasy to the ears! I wanted to stay and take some videos but alas, the fun was short-lived because a storm came in. I waited to see if it would subside and let me continue the snapfest but it went on and on and on... Oh well, another time I guess. I drove home and on the way back on Changi Coast Road, saw the evening sun among the storm clouds. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally within sight.

Thinking

I work as a part-time trainer at a right brain enrichment centre. One of the training exercises there involves students looking at a board with an abstract image where they are required to use their imagination and explain what they see. This week's board consisted of a fairly simple image which showed a yellow circle and a blue background. Within the circle and along its circumference was a picture of a crescent moon as well as 7 stars. My students are mostly within the 7-9 and 10-12 age groups and when showed the board, almost all of them immediately said 'moon' as their first observation. In one class (10-12 age group) however, one of my students took a few moments to study the image and then concluded, "It looks like a brain". I did a double-take and asked how he saw a brain and he explained to me. After that I asked him if he could see the more obvious moon to which he stopped for a second and exclaimed, "OH YEAH!!!". Lol. His level of thinking that day must have been on a higher plane of existence. Sometimes we think too much we fail to see the bigger picture or miss the obvious things.

It is interesting to see how our mindsets shape the way we think. I have been teaching at the centre for coming to 8 months already and it suddenly dawned on me why I found it a bit hard to click with my 7-9 age group students after finishing a 10-12 age group class before that. Teaching the latter group involves a different level of thinking, especially when my student has a penchant for playing with words. After finishing that class and going to my next class, the age shift requires an accompanying mindset shift as well. Students at that age may not catch your wordplay and instead give you blank stares. And thus, after a few minutes of acclimatization, I managed to re-establish two-way communication with my students. I have heard similar encounters from my fellow teachers where they transit from a 10-12 age group to a 2-3 age group or vice versa. Imagine a scene where you are talking to Primary School kids as if they were babies. Got my drift?

Adults, because of their experiences in life tend to think much more and deeply. Our heads are filled with so many thoughts (as well as worries), all an effect of the dealings with the complexities of life. Kids on the other hand, think on a much simpler plane, which is why teaching them can be an eye-opening experience. One of my previous students from my 4-6 age group class asked me how my braces stuck to my teeth.

Student: "Teacher, how did you stick that on your teeth?"

Me: "I used special glue."

Student: "Is it tooth glue?"

Me: *stunned* "Yes, it's tooth glue!"

Student: "Was it a big tube or a small tube?" *FINISHING MOVE*

See what I mean? Kids - whether they know how braces are fixed to our teeth or whether they miss the moon for a brain - will always be kids :D

The Months Ahead...

Went to watch How To Train Your Dragon today, a pretty good animation initially about Vikings fighting dragons. Nifty graphics with heart-warming and humorous moments as well as a subtle message that parents should sometimes listen to their children. Tsk tsk. Had some supper at Republic of Steak at Victoria Street (right next to Victoria Hotel) which was similar in concept to Aston's - 2 complimentary sides to the mains along with the usual western steaks and fare. The potato salad side was good and chunky but Aston's coleslaw still won hand's down.

Other than the day's activities, I've been pondering on what to do for the coming months. Reservist is coming end June so that kinda sucks. So many options but so little money... Solo holiday to Laos or Perth? Family holiday? DM course? Dives? Another part-time job? I have also seriously been procrastinating with certain activities: Fringe episodes are still stuck at Season 1 Episode 9. Reading of books has been at a turtle's sloth's pace. Practising the violin. Dang. How the hell to advance/improve if I'm gonna hehe-haha dilly-dally wishy-washy. Whenever something is easily within reach, people take it for granted. How true. Now, I have all the freedom in the world and I go and do other less important things... Less wishful thinking and more doing please.

On the other hand, photography has been keeping me fairly busy. I'm hoping the wind changes one of these days so I can take shots of planes landing from Changi Beach (20 approach). The other evening's experience was absolutely not enough! Also, I don't think I can do those CAAS papers I had been hoping to... I need aeronautical engineering experience. Crap. I guess I will just read up on the modules. The weather's also been turning nasty.

I've got till June. Go figure. And just do it.

1 x Update

It has been an oh-so-long time indeed. I am now working part-time instead while waiting in the meantime for June... IT'S COMING!!! I wanted to look for a job to fill in the current 2 months gap but I may decide to just sit back and chillax for now. Complacent? No. Faith? Yes. Ain't gonna get a break like this once the ball starts rolling - especially once I sign for it. Been having a lot of pressure recently because I couldn't find a job as planned; it's probably because everyone else is working and I'm slacking off. Well, a lot of friends have been telling me I should just take a break since I'm not gonna get something like this in a long long time. It's taken me a long time to get over this Asian mentality and I decided that rest, it shall be. I'll probably get another part-time job or go for a holiday or something plus catch up on everything else: movies, Fringe, training, more dives if the wallet permits and photography... speaking of which, I have been doing recently.

Went down to Changi Business Park that day to snap planes again and brought my binoculars this time. Learned that taking shots in widescreen would give a better presentation effect since the planes were long themselves and a lot of fore/background would be unnecessary. Took some good shots that day and also fooled around with the binoculars and camera to take extra-zoomed shots haha.

Good Shot 1

Good Shot 2

Binoculars + Camera = DSLR w/ 50-200mm lens

Will definitely invest in a DSLR once the money comes rolling in. The planes kept rolling in till about 6:45pm when I noticed they were now taking off from my position. That meant they were now landing from the other side now. It was getting dark and late but I decided to carpe diem and drive off to Changi Beach to catch whatever I could catch. My camera wasn't good enough to snap planes coming because it was getting dark so I took a video instead. Man, you gotta love that sound. As the evening unfurled, the sky greeted me with a delightful surprise:

Changi Beach Sunset

I guess the simple things in life are often the most rewarding. Full Tank Top-up: $50. Camera: $500. Watching planes come in under a breath-taking evening sky: Priceless.

Photography aside, been catching up on some movies as well. Watched Sherlock Holmes yesterday and loved the way they portrayed Holmes' analytical and logical approach to solving mysteries and even... how to win a fight:

Totally loved that scene. Plus, I learned a new word: Discombobulate.

Till the next post, adieu.

In Loving Memory of Jojo

What God Hath Not Promised

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Johnny Hates Jazz - I Don't Want to Be a Hero

I stumbled across this awesome oldie by Johnny Hates Jazz. I like the way how the simple lyrics portray the futility and pointlessness of war. Love the bass line.

Oh, send me off to war with a gun in my hand

But I won't pull the trigger

Our destiny is here with 'neath the red, white and and blue

So lead me to the slaughter

Now don't be afraid come and join the parade

For the ultimate in sacrifice

It's an old-fashioned story of hope and glory

A ticket for taking a life

Chorus

I, I don't want to be a hero

I don't want to die for you

I don't want to be a hero

Oh, send me off to war in a faraway place

I never knew existed

Subject me to the truth to the horror and pain

Until my mind is twisted

And what if I fail will you put me in jail

For a murder I will not commit

'Cos you don't understand till there's blood on your hands

That it's time to forget and forgive

Chorus

And those who return come back only to learn

That they're hated by those who they love

'Cos you're not satisfied till the thousands have died

And your anger has been paid with their blood

Chorus

Trust in the Flying Man

From bad... to worth it

With age, comes its habits. I seem to becoming more the ah pek these days - took the papers down to the nearby Malay coffee shop to read it over some teh and my lunch. This is probably just the beginning haha...

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful... so much so that I was beginning to lose my sanity. This had to stop. It's an off day for heaven's sake. Dvd's? Nah. Fringe? Not today. Games? Enough. Plane-watching? Hmmm... why not? With T1 and T2's viewing gallery closed for upgrading and T3's C.M.I. status, there was only one place left: Changi beach. I grabbed the camera and keys and drove out.

On the ECP, I saw planes landing and that meant one thing: they were coming in from the 20 approach and not the 02 approach which meant no landings from Changi beach :( I decided to carry on to Changi beach in hopes that the wind would change direction (fat chance...) or I could try my luck with watching planes taking off. I soon reached the beach and to my dismay, planes were taking off much too early to even get any joy in watching them (with the exception of hearing them roar above). Instead, I found myself taking snaps of peaceful scenes at the beach...

After a nice short stroll up and down the beach, I decided to fulfil my original mission. I remembered spotting a potential plane-watching area on the other side of Changi Airport near the Changi Business Park and decided to give that a shot. I drove all the way back along the 5km coastal road (boy, does that road bring back memories...), back onto the ECP and exited at the PIE and into the business park. After much trial and error, I found the perfect spot: Changi Business Park Central 2. At the end of this road lay a circular loop in the middle of an open field which offered an unobstructed view of the flight path of landing planes. Perfect. Overjoyed, I took up position in the shade of the trees and anticipated each plane as they approached 20L. To make things even better, the afternoon sun added a nice 'shine' onto the plane's fuselages as they came in and the clear blue sky provided a clean background.

The snapfest continued till I tried taking a video which caused the battery icon in my camera to go from 2-bars to 1-bar blinking and red. Outstanding. Just when the fun was already in the works. Anyway, I made well with whatever juice I had left in the cam batts and managed to take a video and as many shots as I could before they died on me. Satisfied with today's 'catch', I drove back surprised at how the rest of the day turned out. From bad... to worth it :)

+LEVEL UP: New plane-watching site gained!!!+

Woman

Woman was created from the rib

of man

not from his head

to top him

neither from his feet

to be walked upon.

She was made

from his side

to be his equal;

from beneath his arm

to be protected by him;

from very near his heart

to be loved by him.

Monday

What an eventful off-day! I grabbed some post-lunch Lee Kee pisang goreng on the way to my dental appointment at NDC. Teeth and gums status report: Healthy. Good Job. After that, I initially wanted to settle down at a coffee joint with my book and a nice cup of tea but ended up going to Changi Airport instead for some strolling and plane-watching.

The viewing galleries at Terminal 1 and 2 were under renovation so I settled for the one at Terminal 3 (can't wait till the T1 Viewing Gallery reopens and hopefully they don't screw it up like what they did with T2 and 3). Pretty much a quiet afternoon with just a few landings so I headed over to Popeye's for my dinner. To my surprise, I met some friends, who had just returned from a holiday, eating there. No more lonely dinner haha. We parted after dinner and I took a bus down to...

...for a nice swim. NTU Swimathon is coming up so better train lest ye fail thy team mates. You ever get that feeling of unlimited energy whenever you go for a run or swim? The feeling that even though you just ran/swam, you still feel refreshed and not tired at all and can actually continue? Well, I got Da Feeling today and ended up swimming non-stop for an hour after my warm-up laps. Other than eating or sleeping, the next best feeling is the one you get while exercising.

Following the swim, I headed to Bedok Interchange to check out the pasar malam there and to grab some post-swim munchies. I was craving for tutu cake but alas, it was not meant to be so I settled for some ice jelly cocktail from Hollywood at the Bedok Interchange hawker centre. I shared a table with this nice couple and they happened to ask if I had tried the ice jelly cocktail from 'Uncle', another dessert stall a few stalls down. I told them I hadn't and they gave me their opinion of Uncle's and Hollywood's and what ensued thereafter was a hearty discussion of good eating places in the east and some casual chit-chat. (I must remember: Uncle's ice jelly cocktail, rojak at Bedok Interchange and Dunman hawker centre, Cheng Tng at Bedok Camp hawker centre and the restaurant in Siglap beside NTUC and Denise wine place...)

It was a joy talking to them and after dessert, I took the scenic route home by walking back through the neighbourhood whilst listening to Maksim and gazing up at Orion's Belt (I must make it a point to remember where his head and sword are... and where that damn scorpion he is chasing is...)

Hello 2010!

First post for the New Year! As always, a year passes and a new one comes in - one that will hopefully be better than the previous.

Looking back at 2009, it was a year of change for me: My graduation from the university and my phase shift into the working world. Economy-wise, things were not so good so I couldn't secure a job in a field of my choice... and I'm still waiting for that something big ;) Hopefully, 2010 brings about positive change that will keep things favourable for me and my plans. My wait is coming to an end; I just hope it doesn't get any longer. I'm confident that I'll get there, the only question is, when? Optimism, optimism, optimism!

Celebration-wise, it was a quiet transition to the New Year for me. I stayed at home and watched the last 5 minutes of the countdown on Channel 5. Utterly disappointing. There was this Taiwanese hip-hop band performing various songs of no relation to the new year which made it all seem like the new year was some shallow-minded party bash. Oh wait, it always is.

Towards midnight, hosts Gurmit Singh and Michelle Chia conducted the usual countdown, screams and shouts of "ARE YOU READY!!!!!" Everything happened pretty fast and uneventfully and at the stroke of midnight, we were treated to 8 minutes of fireworks over the Singapore skyline. Very nice yes, but there was something missing. Instead of playing the traditional Auld Lang Syne, some dramatic orchestral piece fused with Chinese elements was played. Why the Chinese themes? Yes, Chinese New Year is up next but what's the hurry? Disappointing with a capital D.

I watched the full 8 minutes of eye candy and was waiting for any instance where they would start playing Auld Lang Syne but to my shock, they didn't at all. After the fireworks, it was back to the Taiwanese hip-hop band for more... yep, you guessed it- PARTY~ This is why I prefer Christmas to New Year's. There is more meaning in celebrating the former rather than the latter because I get no meaning - or feeling - at all from the latter here. Maybe I just celebrated it in the wrong country.

Anyway, here's to a great new year ahead! 2010 HOO-AH!!!