8 long years

Haven't blogged in ages.

Just came back from my primary school gathering. The experience was great. It has been 8 long years since we left primary school and seeing each other again was like going back to the good old days.

Everyone was doing well. We were the cream of the batch back then, and I wasn't half surprised of how well everyone had done and how much potential each and everyone of us has at this point of time. It was a casual gathering and we were also reunited with our then form teacher. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed she forgot my name, given I used to be the head prefect. Well, afterall it has been 8 long years.

I kept feeling how surreal it was to be there with people you haven't seen in ages, and I can't help but wonder when would be the next time we would see such a gathering again. It was a good piece of memory to treasure though. =)

the outsiders

Really don't have much to blog about recently. I think I forgot to state that I'll be teaching in Chung Cheng High School Main. Secondary 3 english and Secondary 2 English Literature.

The book I've been given is 'The Outsiders', some book about a bunch of youths living in 60s or 70s America trying to cope with social discrimination, family violence, fights, deaths and how they bond together in times of adversity.

The story is being told through the eyes of a 14 year old boy and how his views of life change as things around him affect him one way or another. I've read about 5 chapters of the book and it's really getting interesting although I've read the overview of the story online before I started. Probably read more before I go to sleep later.

I'm also looking for its movie version as it's a print to screen. But it's kinda an old movie so I haven't really being able to find it.

Oh ok, logging off. Hopefully when I start work I'll have more interesting things to blog about.

i quit apple

Ok, so I worked in Apple for a grand total of 2 days and I quit on the morning of the 3rd. It was way too tough and the returns were terrible. Imagine starting work at 11am and you have to stand all the way from then to 930pm, repeating the same information over and over again until your jaws hurt. There was not really a lunch break. Well, if you consider sitting on cardboard boxes in the storeroom eating packed lunch a break..

There was no fixed time for lunch. I had lunch at 4.30pm on the 2nd day and worked throughout dinner time all the way to 9 plus 10..in fact, I don't think they had dinner breaks at all. After that, you still had to do area cleaning. By the time I got home it was almost 11pm.

There was also no guarantee that you would sell anything (but of course!) and I sold nothing on the 2nd day, so I probably earned the base pay of $40. <--- what?!

I had actually intended to work until the end of December, then go for my relief teaching job, but I realised it was way too ridiculous to work all the way like that for 30 plus days..it was pure torture. C'mon, if at least the pay was higher or the welfare more humane I would have considered staying on.

I know money is hard to earn..but.. :(

It was tough for me calling the boss on the 3rd morning, although I wasn't bonded to any contract whatsoever(thank goodness), but I was still feeling a little guilty I hadn't lived up to my initial enthusiasm. I don't think I'll call back and ask for my pay...it's kinda awkward.

Anyways, I've been given a book to read for I'll be teaching literature next year for a semester. It's called 'The Outsiders'.. I haven't touched a book in ages..and now I'm barely past the 2nd chapter..Oops. Gotta hurry and make notes too.

Oh well. Nothing more to rant about for now, better do some reading before i go to sleep.

a big change in situation

Just 1 week ago I was slacking around the house, with nothing to do in particular, besides surfing car forums and randomly applying for different jobs, wondering why time appeared to pass soo slowly.

Tomorrow, I will be reporting to Apple at Parkway Parade as a sales staff. Well, I may end up not working there at all, considering the sudden change of plans which I only found out this afternoon.

It all started on Sunday, where I saw the recruitment ad outside the yet to be opened Apple store at Parkway. I figured, hey wouldn't it be cool to be selling ipods and imacs..The next day I called the number and was told to go down to the Apple store at Funan to fill up an application form. That very day I made a trip down to fill up the form, and was told the interview was on the day itself.

I was not really mentally prepared, and definitely not dressed for the occasion (bermudas and army sandals) but decided to go for it anyway. The interview turned out pretty fine, although I was clearly stumbled when he asked me if I had any experience in sales or any tech knowledge in computers and such.

I had never touched an apple computer in my life nor used an Ipod mp3. I wasn't exactly a gadget geek either and all I could rely on was 'how i was willing to learn'..I was quite surprised the interview went positively went he told me he could give me a basic pay of $1000 (I quoted $700 based on my lack of experience and skill) and said he wanted me to work at Funan first to gain experience before sending me to Parkway.

The next day I received a phone call saying I could report to work as early as yesterday. I initially agreed but realised I still had other stuff to settle so I requested the change to Friday. And I was told to report to the new Parkway outlet directly. All the while I actually thought I had to work in Funan for about a month or so before going over. Apparently, it was 2 days not a month.

It seemed rather exciting to be working in the place I'm so familiar with. But subsequently doubt set in. I had no knowlege at all on Apple products and I knew that I would make a terrible salesman. In fact I applied for this position as a form of 'training' on my communication skills and also to boost my confidence. These 2 days I convinced myself that I'm going in for the training and it'll be cool to work for the company which produces the world's best selling mp3s and funky looking computers. But the uncertainty and lack of knowlege of what would happen on the actual day itself sometimes made me think twice.

Well. This afternoon I received an email from the English head of CCHSM asking me to give her a call. She told me she had a vacancy for an english teacher and was keen on letting me fill the role. I agreed on the phone. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Although I was thoroughly trying to convince myself on the Apple job all along, this job was way better in terms of too many aspects. In fact, relief teaching was the first thought on my mind when I was thinking of a job.

The apple job came way too fast and I realised I had rushed into it without knowing what I really wanted. True, it would be good training since I'll be plunged into a totally new environment and situation altogether, but I just couldn't convince myself that I will be totally comfortable in such a role. This teaching job came along as somewhat of a helpline.

So it's up to me tomorrow to find out more about the terms and conditions of the sales job. If they required a one month advance notice on resignation and there was no such thing as working 1 month part time, then bye bye Apple.

don't be tempted to spend

I haven't blogged in ages..

And so it's like 1 week after my ord..but it seems like time is crawling by ever so slowly. I think it's partly because I haven't found a job and for the past week I've been lazing around. I suddenly feel so useless. :(

I am always so tempted to spend on my car. This is so bad. I really should be watching my spending, especially when now cash flow in my family wasn't as much as about a month ago. And I haven't got a stable salary yet.

Hence I promise myself that the last mod I'm ever going to do is the arb. After that, that's all. No more car modding. I've spent too much. I really really got to appreciate what I have. Because it's a privilege, not a necessity. I believe I have said something like this before.

Will place less emphasis on cars from now on and concentrate on getting a job then doing well in the job.

These few days I have been staying up real late. No particular reason to. I just stay up to use the internet, which means that I've been sacrificing sleep doing nothing important in particular. With my TV now at the repair centre, I probably have no reason to sleep late.

Quite the mindless surfing and go sleep. My left eye is red. :(

3 more work days

Just called up several schools to register for relief teaching. I just hope that I'll be able to keep this relief teaching job at least for half a year, just before I enter NUS.

Well..I guess it's 3 working days left in the army for me. Had a long break from Friday until now, going back to camp tomorrow and on Friday. Then following Monday would be i/c collection and it'll be back to civilian life.

It sounds pretty damn good to leave army. Although my army life is much less demanding than most units you can think of, it still feels good to be freed of the regiments and schedules you must die-die follow. However, other than being under the system, everything else about my vocation was great. And I think I'll miss the days and the camp itself, the afternoon breaks at the canteen and all the talk cok sessions in the evenings. Heh.

I would say it's 3 days more before I leave the comfort zone and out into the real world, away from the shelter in the camp. Suddenly so many possibilites open up, so much time awaiting to be spent, so many things I can do and so many places I can go.

It's a rather overwhelming thought.

so i got my manual license

And so I got my Class 3 manual license on the 10th October, after being confined to an auto license for almost a year.

It was probably one of the worst decisions I have made in my life so far, to get a 3A license instead of a Class 3. It resulted in months of regret and uncertainty on whether to retake a manual license.

I realised that only being able to drive cars with 2 pedals was restrictive and I did not consider it a skill at all. Well, I don't even understand why I did not consider that in the first place. Probably I thought auto was easier and more straightforward. In the end, I went for private manual driving lessons in another attempt to get that coverted driving license as I didn't want to regret any longer.

Unlike my auto license which was sponsored by my parents, this one came entirely from my bank account. So I could actually feel the pinch whenever I had to withdraw money to pay for each lesson.

Anyway, manual driving was really fun once you got the hang of clutch control and changing gears. I kinda enjoyed my driving lessons really. But when the test date neared, it got more stressful rather than fun.

I had wanted to pass badly, although I could already drive around and actually take manual driving as a 'stress free' activity. I did not want to wait a few more months as I knew how agonising the wait could be. I also wasn't ready to fork out an average of 50 bucks per lesson for several more sessions. Not wanting to go through the trauma of yet another driving test was another reason.

I also had been driving on the road almost everyday for about a year, and if I still failed despite all that road experience, then perhaps I could be considered a rather lousy gear shifter. Heh.

Well. At least I set out to rectify the error in judgement I had made a year ago. And I am pretty happy I decided to start out learning driving again before I started regretting in future when I might be too busy to retake.

At least one thing has been settled before ord. One less thing to brood over.

broody

Ida Scott Taylor once wrote: Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.

I tend to think about stuff too much. I ponder about the things I've done or said which I felt I shouldn't have or start worrying about certain things that I'm about to do because I'm afraid I wouldn't perform up to my expectations. It seems like I'm always judging myself and it feels like something's missing if I didn't worry.

That's why sometimes people see me as quiet because I'm just basically sitting there brooding. I really should be indulging in the present and making the most out of it. If not I'm going to end up regretting in the future not doing this and that and start brooding all over again.

Going to leave the army in about a month's time, don't know if it's too late to start looking for a job. It's rather strange. I've always planned to look for a job after my army but now when the opportunity is nearing, I'm starting to feel lazy again. Oh well.

i wonder how she is now

Let me tell you more about this girl I know.

She is pretty, active, intelligent and was one of the more unique personalities I have known. We knew each other, I think, somewhere in the middle of the first year of junior college. We went to school together almost everyday for most of the second year and did things together rather often like attend guitar lessons or sometimes study sessions.

I liked her. But there was always this barrier in between us which I felt. I asked her out a couple of times. Caught several movies, had a couple of dinners together. So many times we hanged out, so many times I felt we couldn't really communicate. We could talk. But I wasn't comfortable. Awkward moments of silences were somewhat frequent, and that wasn't the best feeling in the world.

Somehow, I felt the distance between us was because my feelings were getting in the way. Probably was self conscious of my actions and words and couldn't overcome that. But everytime she was not around, I would secretly miss her. Many a times I wanted to tell her how I felt about her exactly, but it would be silly if I wasn't totally comfortable with her yet. For her birthdays, I would take the effort to shop for her present, hoping to surprise her at her doorstep, and budget was one of the last things on my mind. For 2 years, she forgot mine. Not even an sms. Made me wonder if I was wasting time, but somehow I still remained hopeful. Not too sure why either.

I always tried to break the barrier, tried to open up. But I realised it was beyond conversation. There had to be some form of connection but it didn't exist. Even we spent the whole night engaging in conversation, it would be useless if there wasn't anything else to link us other than the words coming out of our mouths.

But then again, I wouldn't have dared to bare my feelings for fear that our present relationship would be compromised. So I continued to try to break down at that invisible wall, hoping that someday I would be confident enough about my feelings for her.

That didn't happen. Because somewhere down the line, she became really busy after she entered university and the last time I saw her, which was a couple of months ago, was probably the last time I tried to bridge the gap. Someone told me not to waste my time, since she wasn't interested just let it go.

Who am I to think that I could break down any form of barrier especially after I've never contacted her after so long. She's probably moved on with university life, a whole new circle of friends and new activites, and here am I trying to salvage something so distant, probably something that I knew wasn't there all along but stubbornly believed so.

Oh well, I gotta sleep now. It's always great to put your thoughts down in words. Kinda puts things in perspective.

a ranting session

I know of 2 brothers who stay at the other end of the corridor. One is older while the other younger than me. Both always seem so accomplished and there is always this sense of envy whenever I see them.

The older brother is in NTU. He was an army officer in the commandos. The younger one is in the Singapore Sports School playing table tennis. Recently my dad commented that he had started playing golf. Both look much stronger, fitter and taller than me. And they seem to lead such vigorous, active lifestyles ever since I knew them..I remember they were quite enthusiastic in cycling, rollerblading and such.

Compared to them, I always seemed to be the plump, inactive guy. It made me wonder if I'm just average. Of course, it's not right to compare to them like this..but it just seems that I might just fade into the background if I stood beside them.

I think I'm too lucky. I'm not outstanding in terms of studies and other activites yet I can drive a car. Again it is unfair to compare like this but I almost seem to be the underachieving spoilt brat of the block beside them.

Sometimes I regret not getting really good at something. Then maybe I'll have some skill to be proud of and not look so meagre next to them.

Oh well...this post probably didn't make any sense at all. Why am I judging myself like that?

6 billion souls

At this moment there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just not facing the truth. Some are evil men, at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls. And sometimes... all you need is one.

must really stop spending on my car

My friend told me a few weeks back, " You always spend like you won the lottery. "

It's true. At times I realise that I'm really spending more than what I should. I admit I like to spend on my car. And I'm always tempted to do so. There is always something that can be done, and I would get it done.

It really makes me feel really guilty at times, especially after yesterday, when I was again given one of those pep talks by my parents. I have been spending a lot of unnecessary money, especially when the car is something I should be more than happy to have.

Instead of being content with owning something others my age seldom get the chance to own, I spend more on redundant modifications. I figured, this should stop, because spending more than you should is a sure way of depleting your savings. :(

Enough is enough. Ok, maybe I shall type more later.

i love my grandma

Today, my grandma cried in front of me. The last time she did so was when my grandpa died. I was mildly taken aback when tears started welling in her eyes as she talked to me.

She was telling me about how life was so tough in the past when she broke down. Told me a lot I didn't know much about before.

She told me that it was so difficult raising 6 children that she gave away the 7th, who is still one of my favourite aunts. My grandpa's paycheck, she said, was only enough for food but couldn't buy other necessities like clothes for the family let alone education for the children. So she had to go out to do laundry and housework for others for a meagre sum. She said she came home at 3am and went out to work at 5am.

Life was tough but she still managed to make enough money to send most of her children to tertiary, including my mum to university. Even though cash was tight, she worked even harder. To her, education was first. She told me it was a tough decision giving away 1 child but she had to so she could provide quality education to the other 6. It was certainly better than being unable to provide for 7.

I've been going back to see her quite often. I don't know why I didn't do so last year or when I was in junior college. Probably it's because I have much more free time this year and I'm driving. I do realise I still have a lot to learn from her and I'm probably going to do so for as long as I can.

hm ok so am actually starting to enjoy clubbing

Went to Dbl O with my car forum friends last night. Actually I was underage for that place but I managed to sneak in anyway. Going in big groups probably helps.

I remember the last time I tried to go into Dbl O was probably like 2 years ago and the door biatch stopped me for my i/c, and that was it. Apparently, I look older than my 20 years now.

Last night was my third time clubbing. Well the thing about me and clubbing is..I don't really feel excited about it. In fact, from what I've observed, I've always tried finding excuses to not go whenever someone asks me to. I'm not sure why either, probably because I never found drinking particularly enjoyable or dancing to blasting music really..natural.

But after I do decide to turn up, I actually enjoy it. The atmosphere is pretty exciting and once you get down to dancing, it's actually okay. I remember the first time I went to club my friend had to drag me to the dance floor. And at that time, I found it really really awkward to be just moving to the music. I guess I'm past that stage and am actually starting to like it.

Yesterday's music was good too. Thank goodness I like retro music. :)

Anyway, I didn't really drink for all the times I went clubbing. Probably a total of 1 shot of vodka and 3 sips in total. I don't fancy alcohol but mainly I didn't drink because I drove there. It was still enjoyable without drinking.

The company was great yesterday. I guess it was also one of the factors that made the experience enjoyable. Heh heh..actually they were all at least 5 years older than me. But still fun. No generation gap whatsoever.

the bad thing about owning a car

Sometimes I wonder if owning a car at a age where most of peers don't is a good thing.

Of course, the convenience of getting from A to B..the fun of buying and selling modifications..the occasional rush from spirited driving..

However, it has turned me into the driver for everyone in camp. You see..I'm fine with sending them in and out of camp. No issue because it's on the way. But really makes me wonder if I'm taking for granted for what I'm doing.

It has cast doubts on how I see people and how they see me. Are they really that friendly or is it because they feel obliged since I'm doing them favours. Will things be different if I was still taking a bus to camp? Will the newer guys talk to me that much?

Sometimes, it also irks me that some of them put it in such a way that it's only 'natural' that I fetch them out. Some always try to find out if they are doing duty with the 'cars', so that they have transport in/out of camp. And they will either go 'Yay, got car' or 'Damn, no car..sian'. Makes me feel that all they see in me as a person is actually my car, ironically, and nothing to do with what I am.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. It has just clouded my perception on the people around me. Who's real, who's just feeling obliged to be nice?

more of these often please

Met up with a group of new friends I got to know in the car forum for dinner on Saturday. We went to this nice place called Dempsey Hill. It was a neat place on a hill around Holland Road, and it was basically a collection of pretty restaurants.

I can't believe myself for not discovering this place earlier, for it was really a great place to chill. We went to Ben and Jerry's restaurant near the top of the hill, and the great ambience really put me at ease.

Decided not to have any main course that day because I wasn't really hungry. Anyway, the restaurant had just introduced their dinner menus the evening before, so there was only 3 dishes you could order. Something along the lines of roasted chicken and beef burgers..looked good but pricey though..26 dollars..and the portions weren't fantastic. But just take it that you are paying for the ambience and it'll probably be worth it.

Ended up having a raspberry cheesecake, a coffee and a chocolate fudge Sundae. Sweet, sweet, sweet..

Stayed around and chatted until quite late and we also celebrated one of the member's birthday with durian puffs and mango cake. Great.

It was rather surprising how I felt at ease with a group of people I haven't met at all prior to the outing. They were all at least 5 years older than me and I thought I would have real problem fitting in because they were already a closely knit group. The feeling was really great, able to fit in quite comfortably with a bunch of unfamiliar faces. Maybe it was the ambience, maybe they were especially easy going.

I haven't had this combination of good company, great food and fantastic ambience in a while. We are probably going to meet up next month or so for another round of dining. Oh yah, I haven't mentioned, this group meets up about once a month for good food and company.

For one thing, I'll definitely be going back to Dempsey Hill to check out the rest of the restaurants.

am proud of my dad

Today, my dad went for singing auditions for the karaoke competition organized by Marine Parade GRC.

He did decently. Not fantastic like some others. But I'm proud of him.

My dad takes singing rather seriously. You could say it's his passion. He spends most of his free time singing and seems to enjoy every minute of it. It's always great when you have something you truly indulge in, something you would love to continue for hours and still have that spark in your eye. I certainly saw that in my dad.

For this audition, he bought a new pair of shoes and made a pair of 'degree-less' spectacles to cover his eyebags. It's always a rare occasion when my dad actually buys something for himself. He spends on us but scrimps when it comes to himself, especially when it comes to clothes and shoes. I was a tad surprised when he actually parted with 180 bucks for the specs just like that, with much less consideration than I expected..but I guess he wanted to look good on stage, afterall, it's his first official competition.

Guess it all paid off. No matter what, he still looked really smart in new glasses and his $20 shoes. His long sleeved cardigan was nothing new, in fact it's probably almost as old as I..but he still looked good.

Watching him singing on stage was really a proud moment for me. I love singing too and I can relate to what it's like to be singing in front of a huge crowd for the first time. It may not seem like a big thing to the audience but to the performer, it is. The preparation, the anxiety, the moment when you feel like you're lost in time..and before you know it, it's over and you secretly crave for applause.

It certainly would be a defining moment for my dad.

what are we up to?

Almost a week ago on Saturday, I went on a uncomfortably long road trip from Suntec City to Pasir Ris, somehow circled the entire perimeter of Changi Airport, and ended up lost while doing some mindless circling. Later it was all the way back to Kallang.

You see, my best friend had bought a present for a girl and requested me to drive him to Pasir Ris to hand it to the girl. I have no issue with that. He's my buddy and I'm willing to crazy shit like this. =)

So we decided to take the route on the ECP all the way up to the Changi Airport direction to Pasir Ris, where the girl stays. We ended up taking the long way along the airport perimeter. Later, we sorta got lost and circled pretty much around the Changi Village, chalet areas..

It was kind of draining and boring because most of the roads we travelled were dark and litted dimly by street lamps. It did not help that I was terribly unfamiliar with that area. It actually seemed fun at first, but all the continuous driving soon made me tired and frustrated.

Actually I'm ok with all this, I mean if I was in my friend's shoes, I would also love someone to help me convey my feelings to the important someone in the fastest and most surprising way possible. I would also have felt that appearing at the void deck of the girl I had a crush on late at night just to pass her a present would seem sweet.

The thing is..he did not even manage to see the girl and only left it at a place where she could collect later on. Her parents didn't allow her to go downstairs.

I'm not implying that it wasn't worth it or anything. The whole trip made me feel a tinge of deja vu and there was a little frustration going on within me. It reminded me of the times when I put in so much effort in choosing a birthday present for the girl I like, then mustering enough courage to give it to her.

And it seemed a rather big thing to me back then. Going around shopping excitedly for a suitable present where budget was the last thing on my mind..then writing a card or personalising the gift to make sure she likes it. Finally gathering the courage to pass it to her, hoping at the back of your mind that she adores it.

It all boiled down to nothing anyway. It was useless if she didn't have the slightest interest for you.

So having to go through the whole road trip helping my best friend accomplish something he wasn't even sure would succeed was certainly a bit frustrating on my part. The feeling was hard to describe..a bit helpless, a bit familiar.

Oh well, I hope I at least made a difference.

accident along PIE

There was a huge traffic jam along the PIE towards Changi Airport as I returned from Toa Payoh. Seemed like a major accident had occured along one of the lanes. I remembered as I entered the Sims Ave exit, there was this ambulance parked in the chevron markings with a taxi behind it, and there was a man lying near the rear of the taxi.

Wasn't sure if he was dead but he was unconscious. Further down, I noticed that at the far end of the expressway there seemed to be yet another commotion - flashing blue lights and people walking around the area. Not too sure if they were the same accident as they were pretty far apart.

According to my friend I met earlier, a motorcyclist crashed into a taxi on Lane 1, so my guess would be that it was probably the same accident but the taxi was perhaps , the moved to the only available open space on the busy roads.

Anyhow, it caused a huge jam all the way from Toa Payoh and the traffic was literally left crawling. Took quite a while to get home.

It's interesting to realise how an individual's moment of rashness or folly can have such a significant impact on so many other people. Probably one misjudgement by either party has resulted in hundreds of vehicles being delayed on the roads. Arriving at their destinations late again, would have brought about different conclusions to the day as compared to reaching early or punctual.

Each person involved in the jam would also have had different thoughts surfacing regarding the accident and probably also left the scene feeling different - frustrated or sympathetic, maybe they became more sleepy while traffic came to a standstill.

For me, I felt a moment of trauma, no doubt it was just a little, when I saw the man unconscious on the ground. It was a potent dose of reality.

I arrived home 10 minutes later than usual.

of sushi and suggestions

Howard treated me to Sakae Sushi on Saturday. I'm a sua ku. It's my first time eating at this type of conveyor belt sushi restaurant.

It's a pretty cool concept since it gives consumers the illusion of variety. There are so many colourful dishes of sushi in different coloured plates passing by the tables, yet many are repeated. The 'cheap' dishes in green and blue plates don't really add up a lot of cost in production, but their supposedly cheaper price and nice presentation easily piles them up on the tables.

I personally like the tofu dish. Oh well, actually I love tofu in general. No matter how they're cooked, I enjoy it. Anyway, their salmon sushi topped with mayo wasn't too bad either. And I still hate wasabi.

The issue with this type of restaurant is that you have the tendency to just keep piling your table with little regards to the prices being added slowly but surely because all the dishes come in minute amounts on small cute plates, so you have the impression you are eating a little by a time and you sorta want to eat more. Afterall, the dishes are just centimetres away from your nose and you don't have to wait. So why not take another of those salmon sushi? =D

I think they aren't that cheap in the first place..The cheapest is $1.90 per dish. But sometimes, we see it as 1 dollar plus instead of $2. So the costs add up pretty quickly. Luckily I didn't have to worry about it. Not I pay. Haha.

Would like to thank Howard for giving me this birthday treat with the money he earned for submitting an a*my suggestion form, something I've probably done dozens of times with less than a quarter being actually approved.

That's what happens if you set a quota on the number of suggestions submitted and a deadline for them so as to look good on paper, with the real 'spirit' of feedback ignored, if there's such a thing.

If I have a suggestion, I'll submit it. You can't force feedback if you have nothing else to suggest! When you work in a mostly vegetated area in a mostly routine job, there is only this much you can talk about.

looks like i can't be too clueless

On my birthday, I went to the library to get some books on money making and how to get rich. Figured that it was time to 'stop worrying about the amount of money you save' and start to be concerned about how to grow existing cash and find new ones.

So I made it a birthday resolution to take the first step. I don't expect these references to help much but I hope that they do give an basic idea about investing and making good use of your money. Since I'm aiming to get into banking and finance in university (argh, who isn't?), I better start by not being clueless.

I love cash. I mean, who doesn't? Those people who say they don't and give rosy reasons and philosophies about being just self sufficient are deceiving themselves. Hell no. I want to be much more than self sufficient.

Better stick to the resolution and start learning. I should also stop reading too much into cars. =p

wow. i just turned 20.

Hey all, welcome to my new blog!

Today's my 20th birthday (or should I say yesterday?), so I figured it'll be cool to start my writings on a new note, like how my age starts with a '2' now. So I woke up and I was a year older. I was just wondering if I was still considered a teenager for my age. Am I?

Anyway, it was quite a good feeling to be woken up by 'Happy Birthday' smses. Makes you smile especially they are from people whom you thought had forgotten. Really appreciate everyone for remembering. Thanks again!

My birthdays these few years have always been rather quiet affairs. No party, no cakes, no celebration. Even back in school, I had none of the loud celebrations where your friends flood you with gifts like new water bottles or big shiny balloons which scream for attention and then they start all those birthday songs in the canteen so everyone in school would know it's your special day. I remember though, that I received the new Oasis CD and a signed card from my J2 classmates and it made me quite happy. =)

My day was pretty boring for a birthday I would say, going out for breakfast in the morning, heading to the library and post office in the afternoon and going for my lessons in the evening. And if you are wondering why I'm not working today, you'll probably be jealous to know that I have a privilege of a birthday off. Bet that doesn't happen to you.

I meant to finish this post before 12am. But a certain someone called through msn just to sing a birthday song in German to me. Seriously I'm quite touched because how often do you have someone specially sing a song like that to you. Well, I haven't really had a chance to meet the person yet but we do have quite an active online friendship I would say. Now I wouldn't like you to speculate if it's a guy or girl cos' it's pretty obvious. If it's the former then it'll be totally gay you see.

So we talked for a couple of hours and that's why I'm only completing the post now. If you are reading this, yes, it's difficult to talk and blog at the same time. Whatever it is, thanks for the conversation and sharing of songs. Some parts I felt like a DJ cos music was playing in the background and I was talking.

Yes, this kinda made my day. The birthday song surprise. It was also a good thing to be communicating by actually talking, and not through typing. Although it was not face to face, it was still given a personal touch because we were not responding through a keyboard and screen. A refreshing change from the usual MSN chat. Oh what technology has done to us.

Getting late now..or should I say early? Only have about 3 hours plus to sleep before I prepare to go to camp. Tired but happy.

The day ended on a good note. =D