What a way to say goodbye... =(

Did u catch the half hr closing ceremony for Grand Old Dame - National Stadium, on Channel 5?

I personally felt it was a huge let down...

34 yrs as a national icon.

A witness to countless colourful, heart-thumping, goosebumps-raising NDPs where audience drenched the stands in red.

A venue to multiple, infamous national/international soccer matches where old darlings Fandi, Malek, Nasri, Sundram reigned and the Kallang waves soared.

A place where hardworking atheletes burned the tracks with their formidable speed & stamina to represent Spore on the highest rostrum.

Tonight, a time to bid farewell... At least till 2011 when the new sports hub will rise from the very same soil.

Yet, tonight, that ceremony... looked hastily put together. No heart. No tears. No warmth. With the entire stadium plunged in unnecessary darkness for most part of the ceremony, and only 1 or 2 spotlights blinking on in desperate disharmony, trying to focus where and when they were needed, the whole event felt like a no-show. 4 supposedly iconic sportspeople picked to recapture their special moments and 3 out of the 4 were soccer players and 2 out of these 3 were post-65ers.. I wonder if the organizing comm is facing a huge budget constraint, and if they truly respected the Grand Old Dame. If the annual NDP can be staged with such meticulous and memorable fanfare, why is the closing ceremony such a big letdown??

If the National Stadium can speak, I am sure it would weep. Its dying moments were indeed dead. Even that perennial crowd favorite - fireworks were but a whimsy few bangs.

How very sad. I feel ashamed.

And this

Extended weekend's coming up. Time to "collect good the feelings" (try the chinese version) and do some work.

Swam just 10 laps just now, need to rush off and catch up with MLL. Always good to see her. Funny... we are such different characters yet we click like nobody's/anybody's/somebody's business. Talk about chemistry.

*Di di di...* Laundry's done. Time to hang up them up & then retire for a guilt-less, no-alarm-set-up zzzz. May the heavens pour as I dream...

Just this

Monday. Had a quiet hatchday dinner with dad @ Blooie's. Ate one of my perennial favs - boring yummy pork chops. The pig always wins. Somehow.. one starts to lose count of the yrs once past the magic line of 25 eh. =P

Thursday, and the brain is in a congested jam. Too much talk and the grey matter can almost recite phrases in dreams. A crucial decision? I think I need a swim.

ROM pics

@ The Arts House


Just married.. but not to us!


Groom & Bride


Bonded in matrimony

Fri-Sun

I bought a new camera! It's a Canon Ixus 75. =)

Wasn't expecting to change one this year but my 3 yr old Panasonic Lumix got the official, reluctant "golden handshake" at the end of Perak Raft-Cave trip. As we careened down the rapids, it suffered more than a few chips to its red metallic body & the zoom-ing button got mangled at its joints. Pictures start to turn out blurry... so its adieus and farewell to my loyal memory-capturer.

This new one has got a huge 3" screen. A blind bat like me would probably still be able to see it sans specs. Looking forward to test it all out once the battery's charged up. Acquisition before the July 1 GST increase of coz.

And today, it's my dear buddy Glenn's ROM. @ The Arts House. Cosy little setting, with an air of artsy chic. Not bad at all. Will post a couple of pics when I get my SD card back.

On Friday, caught one of the last shows for S'pore Arts Fest - "Beijing Ren" by the Beijing People's Art Theatre. A 185min Cao Yu's play about a declining, feudal family that waned from prosperity to total breakdown. Predictably, a rather depressing piece and perhaps, at some points, a bit too slow-paced for my liking. No fanciful set changes but there was some commendable, passionate acting. Overall, a new experience, different from the usual ang moh musicals.

After the play, it was my buddy's "last chill-out nite as a bachelor" @ Wine Bar. Eyeballed eye-candy & chatted our way through several rounds of drinks as we hung out till *gasp* 4am. It's been a super long time since the last.

Work's starting in slight over 12hrs time... And by then, I'd have turn another yr wiser. Bleh.

p.s. btw, there is this nice painting place @ Marina Sq - 3rd floor, called "ARTODAY". Colorful, quirky oil and ricepaper paintings of landscapes, animals & seasons in different sizes. Definitely affordable. Can check it out if you need something to hang on those walls.

Rumble Tumble

Stomach's still giving me big trouble. Been eating less and burping more. Ointment helps. I just wonder if I should start drinking it instead of smearing it over the layers of blubber. Bleh.

Back from Perak

The raft-cave trip was fun! Exciting, new experiences galore as one navigated the fast-flowing rapids and leopard-crawled through limestone tunnels, half-submerged in icy-cold waters. Lots of small cuts & bruises no doubt, but no permanent life-threatening injuries if one adheres to the safety precautions & uses common sense when navigating the course.


Group picture


Taming one of the many rapids

There's a total of 11 in the group and all were ard the same age. It's heartening to know that there are other working adults crazy enough to pack in 8hr bus rides (one-way) to and fro Perak just to experience a half-day's worth of adventure & exertion.

Sweat aside, it was good cheap food in Ipoh, Perak. Yummy dim sum, hawker seafood, ice-kacang (with real kacang) etc all go for just a weeny fraction of S'pore's prices. =)


Traditional ice-kacang

Upon return yesterday, spent much of the afternoon zzzing in to rest those aching muscles. Today, had to lug the semi-unwilling body to institution for a super early morning meeting at 8am... only to un-explained-ly come down with terrible, terrible stomach pains that won't go away despite having downed 4 small pill-bottles of "Bao(3) Ji(4) Yuan(2)" and many hrs of sleep. Now feeling rather weak & lethargic. =P

Am returning back to bed now. U can check out Pac-West Travels if u are tempted to raft-cave over the (any) weekend too.

Adrenaline Pumping Time

Setting off for the rafting-caving trip tonight. Will be shoving things into my backpack in just a while... torchlight, tiger balm, swim wear, ziplocks..

Pray,
1) That the bus will not break down as it chugs along the N-S highway on the 8hr journey.
2) That the weather will be blazingly sunny with nary a splinter of sky juice.
3) That I will not clumsily topple off the raft into the fast-flowing rapids.
4) That even if I did end up taking a dip in the rapids, my head will not be testing its hardiness against the rocks.
5) That even if my head decides to say hi to the rocks, it will be a gentle lover's kiss and not a full-throttle wham-bang.

and I decided not to start on the caving part

Ah... misunderstand not, I'm no whimpy, fragile, scaredy-cat. In fact, I'm all raring to go. Been wanting this since Canada times 7yrs ago - not sure why it took me so long to snap into action... Bleh. But better late than never, don't ya think?

Be back on Mon. And if I manage to capture any memorable, super-being shots, I'd post 'em up. That is, if my head stays intact. =)

5yrs & counting

So so thankful for my volunteer buddies. Ever so funny, ever so loyal. Busy schedules forbid us to meet often, but the feeling is always more or less the same when we do eventually catch up. Sure, we each have our pet peeves, but when the time comes, we'd all be on the same side. Love them all (baby included of coz)!


"Suck-the-Durian" contest in geylang, ~a mth ago


Hamming it up for the "family potrait" @ my abode, tonight. Do not be fooled, these are v straight men (baby too).

Take care, always.

?

OK. Did it. Met up with photographer for kopi.

Well...... guess this is the first time that I felt that... my date impressed me more than i do him. =P Usually, I'm able to score my own brownie pts, thanks to the bubbly personality, passionate focus and interesting experiences (sorry, you've just got to bear with self-praise for a sec)... but this time, he won the round. Hands down.

Well, he basically (amazingly) yakked his way through most of the 2hrs, on photography & his perspectives. Not that he had been unbearingly dominant or is a bore to listen to. On the contrary, his points were all pretty decent, mature, individualistic & professional... But at the end of it all, the feeling is like I've known him better, but he has not known me one bit more.

On the few occasions when I did sneak in a comment, they were generally lacklustre, even boring. What a letdown. He came across as interesting. I very likely went the other way. No extra motivation for subsequent dates, I'm sure.

A misfire. But I did gained nice insights into the different aspects of photography (something that I like too).

After kopi, I popped by Esplanade Library. It never fails to induce calm & tranquility. Lucky I stayed till past 7pm. Discovered that every Wed, they have guest performances (acoustic, unplugged) by budding local talents, free within the Art Cafe. So it was 2 hrs of wonderful music showcase against a stunning backdrop of lighted CBD skyline + an above average cafe dinner of smoked salmon + wasabi mayo sandwich & my usual fav banana milkshake.





An absolutely unpretentious environment with a really warm audience. One doesn't feel one bit conscious abt being there alone. A nice way to end the day. At least, I think I can sleep tonight.

Oh, perhaps I can also take heart in my (belated) reunion with the swimming pool earlier this morning. After almost a yr of absence? Covered 16 laps by free-style. Got a healthier shade of brown. This had better set some endorphins flowing.

back to W...

Today, I started my work engine. Just a gentle purr to resuscitate it after more than a wk of absolute inaction. Spent 10am to 6pm in institution doing the mundane but important task of clearing and sorting stuff into categories to be tackled in subsequent days. Lugged back laptop, files, folders, notes enough to crush 2 mountains of robbers. Over the next week, I must be disciplined enough to work, coz before one can count to 1, the break's going to be in the dumps. Ahhhhh...

Motivation... stems from an upcoming mahjong session, the perak adventure trip, a colleague's bbq, and *gasp* kopi with the photographer. =) Wait for the updates then.

Would u do the same?

Oh... and I must write about this, coz it has been sitting around somewhere since I got to know about it recently. =P

Heard from mutual friends that my ex is getting married today - at least his wedding dinner is tonight. But well... there is no invite for me, although the whole grp of us still hangs out once in a while. Not that I would accept and go if I did receive the invite, but just thought it may perhaps be a polite gesture on his part. Afterall, shucks, we were tog for how many donkey yrs? And we are still part of the same big clique..

If the roles are reversed, think I would most probably graciously send him an invite, and then graciously accept whatever decision that he makes i.e. (A) don't come, (B) come alone, (C) come with gf/spouse/mistress.

Haiz... stupid to be heaping on all the emotional baggage I know. But I can be such a big sentimentalist sometimes. Sighz.

Sweat

~Blazing hot~! My goodness... just a short venture out for lunch and one already feels like being baked in some mega oven! The global warming process is exerting its effect more obviously and at a more rapid pace than thought. How long was it before that April seems to be the only warm/hot month? ~grossed/baked out~

Spent most of Fri sorting out the new buys, before heading for a S'pore Arts Fest performance - Mechatronica. It's every bit as quirky & entertaining as it seems. Quite enjoyed it despite going alone with a runny nose.



Here's the synopsis:
Several people dressed like Japanese electricians, giving what they call a "product demonstration" on their "products", self-made, space-age looking gadgets. No, this is not really a tech show, but a music concert with a twist!

Created and performed by Maywa Denki, one of the most innovative music makers in Japan, Mechatronica is a live musical performance in which the group, a serious/comic art unit that integrates art and engineering product invention and development, uses its own musical inventions/art/products. These have been created through complicated production processes like most machines, but lie beyond common sense in the realm of the nonsensical.

Caught up with some JC pals @ Ritz Carlton for a round of drinks after that. Had this yummilicious one - Mojito Lychee (rum, lime, lemon, mint, brown sugar, lychee). A dear accomplished pianist-doc fren then experienced great trouble suppressing his 'musical urge', so went up to the grand piano to tinkle a few keys in the bar. Aye, we were proud to be his accompanying posse, too bad the management were not quick enought to offer drinks on the house. Otherwise, they would have gotten a permanent high-class part-timer. Bleh.


Mojito Lychee


Actual performer + adhoc performer

Sat was spent hiding in the house, away from the heat. Capped off the night with my first movie marathon in s'pore - the Oceans series @ GV plaza, where for S$32, one gets Oceans 11, 12 and 13 + free flow popcorn and drinks, from 7pm to 2am. Saw ppl walking into cinema with pillows, no joke! =) The movies were great - smart and witty. Like it!

Gg nap a little now. Before house-cleaing. With the sun shinning so freakingly powerfully, think the only activity worth doing is SWIMMING.

Return from HK-SZ!

From one hot, humid land to another hot, humid land. Whew... it's ave 30deg, 85% humidity everywhere man, from Spore -> Shenzhen -> HK! Sweat sweat.

Touched down @ T1 past midnight this morning, and knocked the sack only ~4am after a light supper & unpacking-laundry. It was a pleasant and fruitful mai(3) dong(1) xi(1), chi(1) dong(1) xi(1) [to be said out aloud in mandarine, repeat 3X at rapid fire speed for best effect] trip. Shuang(3)! Not so much of touristy sight-seeing & photo-taking but surely lots of touristy shopping & eating.

And thankfully, no bickering among the family, though there are a couple of instances when we were none too pleased with the tour guide & his arrangements... =( Anyways, will let bygones be bygones, esp since we've already showed him our black faces when it warranted. Muahaha.

So here's some pics, come and share in the journey!


One of the big malls in Hu Men, Shenzhen where outlets sell their stuff at wholesale prices


Pan Yu Bao Mo Garden (something like Tang Dynasty, only a zillion times more well-maintained and meaningful) where they showcased treasured relics & stone carvings of olden day fables such as Sun Wu Kong, Bao Gong etc


One of the many super-real-life displays


Yummy desserts - steamed egg custard (hot/cold, with yolk/without. with ginger/without) and gui ling gao


My sleepy cousin & her go-everywhere-also-must-bring mascot Miffy...


Busy Dong Men with its street shops, selling all the barangs at low prices


Me in front of a mini replica of Forbidden City in Cultural Village, Shenzhen


Good ole Hong Kong! Reunification after a long ~15yrs?


The very peaceful-looking, grand statue of Buddha atop the mountains on Lantau Island


Giant joss sticks @ the temple


One of the many traditional Cha Chan Teng in HK where locals sip milk tea & munch on freshly baked egg tarts - love it!


Simple but very yummy afternoon tea!


Dim sum, what else. =)


One of the push carts in Maxim restaurant - a popular dim sum place in HK


My travel companions - my family


Fooling around with cousin on Jetstar flight back home. Adieus till next time!

Going back to wash my new clothes now. =) The next outing will be a calorie-burning (not piling) one - the caving-rafting adventure in Perak. But before that, perhaps a movie marathon first. It's time to recharge those batteries before working a** off again.

Flying off

Am leaving for the aiport in 15min!!!

Argh, another mad rush. I really shd do something abt my time management. Bleh. =P But it is a happy rush. Quite excited at what is going to come. All the yummies and shopping in HK & Shen Zhen. Hope it'd be one safe & fruitful journey for aunts, cousin, dad & myself. No bickering please!!

Yesterday, went for a spontaneous biking outing @ ECP with my badminton pal - JM. Irritating coz everytime when I want to get a nice tan, the sun will always go into hiding and skies will weep. Bleh bleh bleh. But it was a nice workout for the leg muscles and a nice munch session @ marine parade hawker centre after that. U can check out the dim sum & fried kway teow if u happen to pop by that hawker centre next time. Solid!


Badminton pal & moi

Okies, gg off liao, otherwise I'd miss the plane. My first time flying budget! Bought my insurance liao *touch wood*.

So if I managed to get my hands onto internet while there, will pop in and drop updates. Otherwise, see u all when I'm back... next fri!

Hugz.