Torn off from the pages of Facebook

My Status...

Ronald is in Bali, with sunburns on his arms and shoulders. OUCH! 7:57pm - Comment

The comments...

Raymond Liew at 8:44pm January 31

Too much suntanning?

Ronald Liong at 8:50pm January 31

no. too much time playing with freaking seashells in the sand. There's millions of seashells here. And I tried to collect as much as I could. The retarded things I do... Haiz.

Ernest Quek at 8:51pm January 31

wow! Ronald! Next time you should try collecting all the sand!

Raymond Liew at 8:54pm January 31

That's crazy. There you are, walking around the lovely(i think so) beach while i'm stuck at home till poly starts, with a 50-50 prospect of getting a job i like. Where're you up till on poa now? Depreciation?

Ronald Liong at 12:21am February 2

Oh yah! Ernest reminded me of something I forgot to mention. We went to this area in Bali called Ubud, which had a place famous for a dish called the "Dirty Duck". It's basically duck marinated in lots of spices in a messy manner and then fried, making it look dirty. We ate it. Really delicious. Must Try if you go there. You get to eat this next to a padi field, with a family of ducks on the field watching from far.

Raymond Liew at 1:20am February 2

Really? Wow... this is so going on my "List of places to go with Ernest before i die". But won't it be cruel, eating his own kind?

*GULP*

Ronald Liong at 9:09am February 2

Oh, he's a duck?

Hi!

Hi!

I'm in Bali!

I refuse to blog anything else because I'm just not in the mood.

No, I am not happy.

No, I am not angry.

I am emotionless.

No, I did not need to check the thesaurus for that.

K. Bye.

Sunburnt.

Don't ask why I'm in Bali.

Buzz off to another blog.

I'll be in JKT tomorrow evening.

20/20

Saw this on Raymond's Facebook Notes, so I thought, since I have nothing better to do, I'll just do it!

- Write 20 random things about yourself, be it habits, facts or goals.
- When you're FINALLY done, tag 20 poor souls to slap them with this unreasonable, unnecessary and completely redundant waste of time.
- Don't forget to tag the person who tagged you, which means me.

I'm too lazy to tag people, so you can do this voluntarily.

Now, about the 20 things...

1. I can't have more than 10 peanuts, 2 bananas, or 2 eggs in one day. Otherwise, I will have breathing difficulties when I try to sleep, resulting in a sleepless night.
2. I have only 2.4GB of HDD space left on my laptop (capacity = 160GB), and 35GB left on my Time Machine Drive (capacity = 500GB)
3. I hate BlackBerry™. [Mac-users: Alt-Shift-2 for ™]
4. I like sushi, passionfruit, vanilla ice-cream, and cherries. But not when they're mixed together.
5. I hate melon.
6. I have a short attention span when it comes to reading books. I read "Harry Potter And The Order Of Phoenix" till page 112, and I gave up. The book was 700+ pages thick.
7. I enjoy listening to a lot of podcasts, such as NPR's "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" News Quiz, "Buzz Out Loud" from Cnet, "TWiT" (This Week in Tech), "MacBreak Weekly", "The Bugle- Audio Newspaper For A Visual World" and "Mahalo Daily", just to name a few.
8. Because I consume so much podcast, which some refer to as "New Media", I watch no more than 2 hours of TV a week nowadays. In the past, it was a staggering ≥10h per week. [Mac-users: Alt-. for ≥]
9. My left thigh has been twitching since the middle of 2008. It has subsided, but not stopped.
10. I have been doing min. 50 sit-ups and 10 push-ups a day since I came back to Indonesia. [Yes, my arms are very weak. But I've been increasing the numbers to 100 sit-ups and 20 push-ups.]
11. I love Adidas shoes more than Nike shoes. But I prefer Nike apparel over Adidas ones. Although I love Adidas Polo-Tees. They're awesome.
12. I have not swam in more than a year.
13. I read [past tense. Ah, English, why must the word 'read' have one spelling for two tenses?] Jem Pan's blog post on how he ran the SCM half-marathon in approximately 2h 13min, and is determined in beating his time, somehow.
14. I like Teddy bears. Especially the ones that are golden-brown in colour, and have a smile.
15. I bought a PSP, and want to play "Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII" on it. Still searching.
16. I don't download music illegally anymore. Since 2006.
17. I download free music regularly from iTunes' Free music of the week selection.
18. I bought my MacBook Pro, my first Mac, on 18 June 2006. 2 years, 7 months, and one week later, I'm not regretting the purchase, just regretting not getting AppleCare™ with the purchase. Also, I want to switch to a new model that doesn't burn the skin or sound like a chainsaw or bend to cover the DVD slot.
19. I had dreams of becoming these things: Working at the United Nations, being a Teacher, being an Olympian competing in the swimming competitions, being in an A Cappella group, being in SYCES, being a sound engineer, being an acoustics technician, being a photojournalist for NatGeo or CNN [not that iReport thing] or Time Magazine, being as famous as Vincent Laforet, working at the Genius Bar, going through Bible school, doing community work in Africa or Timor Leste, going on a mission trip, being an advocate for tree planting + electric cars + clean coal technology + environmental conservation and protection, running a marathon.
20. I never wanted to be a doctor. Never did, never will. Sorry, Miss Seah.

15K!

I couldn't beat my personal best 10K from two days ago, so I ran further instead to see just how far I could go in 2 hours.

The problem: the treadmill I was using had a cap of 99 minutes. That's 1h 39 min. So, instead, I tried to see if I could run 15K in under 1h 30min, since I can run 10K in under 1h.

Here's the result:

It's my furthest run so far. w00t!

On a side note, I had a haircut. When the barber was trimming the hair before whipping the shaver, he found out something I didn't even know about: I had a bald patch in the back of my head, 4 fingers' width from my right ear. It's about the area of your 5 fingertips on one hand. No idea how it got there, but the barber said it's common, it's normally due to sensitive skin, and hair will grow back on that patch, just that it will take a long time. I'm panicking now, by the way. I'm wearing the beanie I bought in Budapest [Barnabus would know about this].

No photos.

If you wanna know what it feels like / looks like, you can see Ethan Liew. Yep.

First 10K under 1 hour!

Finally. After 4 months of of not running 10K (due to the 'O' Levels, my funny illness before the choir trip, Choir trip itself, and the inability to return to 10K-running since then), I finally passed the 10K barrier again!

Not only that, I finally went under 1 hour! w00t!

Just in case anyone is wondering why the graph flat-lined in the middle, I was having some muscle aches in my legs, and thought the bump thingy returned today [Read my Facebook status]. It didn't, but just in case, I slowed down and kept on bringing the speed up and down in that period of time, most of the time down.

Next aim: 10K under 50 minutes!

To God be the Glory!

summary of what I know about POA...

OK, I must say, without the textbook, the beginning chapters are, like, one big "Huh?"

Debit? Credit?

But after searching online a little bit, things became a bit easier to understand.

DEAD. Debit increases Expenses, Assets, and Drawings / Dividends.

and it does the opposite to Liabilities, Revenues, and Capital.

So, Check out the accounts involved, its kind (AEDLRC), effect (increase / decrease), and then decide whether it's a debit or credit transaction.

I also realised: the debit = credit in any transaction.

You only record the purchases and sales of goods, not fixed assets.

And you don't record trade discounts, only cash discounts.

Ok, I've more or less gone through the stuff on Double Entry Recording of Business Transactions for debtors accounts. Moving on to Creditors Accounts soon...

One term's worth of stuff in a week. A good start, I'ld say (and hope. I don't know what I don't know.).

If you didn't get whatever I just typed, ignore this post. It's one of those "Only if you know" kind of posts. Like the posts in Bahasa Indonesia, which were meant only for those who understand, but in English.

POA

Assets = Owner's Equity + Liability.

Got it.

Songs for the right time...

I just felt like helping people find the perfect song to savour a moment they may be enjoying, or a song to push them to endure something. You'll see what I mean when you see my choices, and after you hear the song itself.

Songs to listen to when travelling overseas.

Hillsong Live - Across The Earth

John Mayer - The Heart Of Life

John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change

Madonna - Miles Away

John Mayer - Stop This Train

OneRepublic - Come Home

KT Tunstall - Paper Aeroplane

Nelly Furtado - All Good Things (Come To An End)

Songs to listen to when running.

Coldplay - Life in Technicolor II

Hillsong Live - Run

Hillsong Live - Desert Song

Matchbox Twenty - How Far We've Come

Radiohead - Reckoner

Songs to listen to when you did something wrong.

Linkin Park - What I've Done

OneRepublic - Apologize

Rihanna - Take A Bow

KT Tunstall - Hopeless

Take That - Patience

Songs to listen to when you just feel like singing to something [i.e.: karaoke]

Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon

James Blunt - You're Beautiful

Rihanna - Umbrella

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Beyoncé - Irreplaceable

Songs to listen to on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Corrine Bailey Rae - Put Your Record On

Muse - Soldier's Poem

Jack Johnson - Monsoon

Jack Johnson - Sleep Through The Static

Songs to listen to when you want to sleep

Hayley Westenra - One Fine Day

Jason Mraz - Details In The Fabric

OneRepublic - Come Home

Imogen Heap - Goodnight And Go

Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy

Enjoy!

My phone number...

well, here's the deal.

I did not cancel my SG phone number.

BUT, I left the SIM Card with my guardians, so that whenever I return to Singapore, I have a cellphone number and HSDPA connection readily.

Now, since I will be in Indonesia till April, I want to remain contactable. I cannot be online 24-7. As such, I have a pre-paid number that anyone can contact me from. Just watch out for the overseas call charges! [Don't say I didn't warn anybody!]

My number:

Plus-Six-Two For the Country Code in Indonesia (+62), followed by eight-one-eight-zero (8180), then six-five-nine (659), and finally four-one-four-zero (4140)

+62 8180 659 4140

I broke it up so that it's easier to remember (And to avoid being Googled or Spammed. Genius? I thought so. It's the same reason why people use "at" rather than "@" in publishing their Email addresses.). Remember the country code!

I'm not giving my house number, since I'm rarely at home.

Oh, add me on Facebook!

P.s.: Jakarta's starting to flood. Floods expected till CNY season.

My dad's yet-to-be-completed offices are pretty badly affected, from what I heard, but my house is quite safe from the flood. So, that's the first heads-up.

And apparently, according to my 2nd eldest brother, in one of the past years' floods, they shut off the BTS (the cell tower for handphone signals) for 2 weeks or so to cope with reduce electricity power output. So, yeah. That's the second heads-up. So, be calm. Nothing to panic about if I don't blog or go online. It's a Jakarta-Global Warming thing.

Ripping off people's blogs...

Been reading some interesting blog posts. Thought I should share here, and at the same time, show you WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT THE BLOGS UNDER MY LINKS SECTION. [hint.hint.]

From Bryant Chan's blog...

-----------------------

day of reckoning
Jan. 11th, 2009 at 8:51 PM
So. O-level results come out tomorrow. It's something I told myself I wouldn't dwell on, but as the hour draws ever nearer, you can't help but glance over your shoulder at the horrible, vile thing looming behind you, which you really shouldn't take literally because it tends to induce paranoia.

I'm not going to write things like "oh, I'm so screwed" or "hey, I think I'll do pretty well" or crap that you see on anybody else's blog. Most people, around this time, tend to write things that are all emo and s**t, or tend to proclaim their prowess in academia and pretend to be all modest about it at the same time, which really pisses me off. These are the d**ks who always go "I'm not going to do so well! I mean, I screwed up my physics..." Then they get 6 points and they piss and moan again about how "I could have gotten 4...!"

Then, of course, there are the spiritual people who keep telling others, "oh, God will take care of it". Now, I really don't mind that, but it really tends to get annoying after the fifty-thousandth and thirty-sixth time you've heard it. I am truly and honestly happy for you that you have such faith in God, and I equally honestly wish I had that kind of devotion, but I'm sorry, it gets horribly tedious after a while.

-----------------------

Based on Bryant's explanation, I shall not talk about my results. There. But whatever result you get, don't dwell on it, be it good or bad. Just stop moaning and move on. Your 'O' Level is not the end of the journey, for there is more ahead in life. I believe there is more. And so should you!

Now, my version of the "Have You Ever" list from Mr Stanley Ho's Saint3.0 blog [I need to update the link. Note to self]

-----------------------

Have you ever... [I made the ones I have done white in colour]
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - video
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - beansprouts
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - P1 in RVPS. Slight muscle ache. But my form teacher happened to be sick on that day anyway, so I didn't miss anything. Still remember it till today...
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - Disgusting!
27. Run a Marathon - also work in progress for myself
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - And shot it!
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - Medan, Surabaya, and China?
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - English, Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, Francais.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - snorkelled
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud - Sec3 Camp
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Boy Scout Cookies - Choir Cookies and lanyard count, right?
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible - Chunks of the Old Testament not yet read...
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - RI President SBY('s car)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - My Grandmother and eldest Aunt

94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day - Roald Dahl books!

Result: 31/100 done... LOL.

Orchard of weird fruits

I must say. Orchard road has weird sorts of people on Monday mornings. There are few people, firstly. Secondly, nobody looks happy, or scream the smiles of "Welcome to Orchard, non-local!". Orchard roadie a top spot for tourists, after all. Third, what's with Black? Everyone's either goth-ish, with the nose and ear studs, or just black-coloured clothes on a hot and sunny day. Weirdos.

Also, WTF is up with skinnies? They really look like torture devices more than a fashion statement. One guy wore em. Legs were never straight when he stands. Always bends a bit. He's probably in pain, yet feeling fashionable.

Kids these days...

InSG

I'm in Singapore now.

Just went to my guardian's house. Picked up some stuff, chatted a bit.
Kind if a bittersweet moment. To think I spent the last 9 years in
that house.

Nothing much to say, I guess.

Except, there's one thing I must say.

Aaron, I received the Christmas card. I'm really touched. Heard you
hand-delivered the card by bike. Gosh. Really thank you man. Haven't
had time to read it yet, but I will when I have the chance.

Oh, a general notice: I will cease to use my SingTel number
(81216297), tentatively as of 4pm tomorrow (12Jan09).

There. My handphone number is on the World Wide Web. SPAM expected.

Sent from my iPhone

On my way.

I'm at the airport lounge, abusingthe heck off the free wifi here
to, ... Well, to blog.

Yeah. SQ959, reach SG 5pm. Kthxbye.

Sent from my iPhone in Mail.

<3 Discovery Channel!

If you haven't been watching already,

Go check out Mythbusters Season 6 and Body In Numbers.

On Discovery Channel.

Awesome stuff.

A lyrical reflection

For what I've done  
 
I start again  
 
And whatever pain may come  
 
Today this ends  
 
I'm forgiving what I've done   
 

 
I'll face myself  
 
To cross out what I've become  
 
Erase myself  
 
And let go of what I've done   
 

 
What I've done  
 
Forgiving what I've done
 

 
Linkin Park. What I've Done.


 

 
Let's dance to joy division,
 
And celebrate the irony,
 
Everything is going wrong,
 
But we're so happy,
 
Let's dance to joy division,
 
And raise our glass to the ceiling,
 
'Cos this could all go so wrong,
 
But we're so happy,
 
Yeah we're so happy.
 

 
The Wombats. Let's Dance For Joy Division.


 

 
When I say goodbye.
 
I'm gonna leave this a hole behind me,
 
Gonna take what's mine tonight.
 
Because every wasted day becomes a wasted chance.
 
You're gonna wake up feeling sorry,
 
Because life won't wait,
 
I guess it's up to you.
 

 
Woah! No, we're not gonna waste another moment in this town.
 
Woah! And we won't come back your world is calling out.
 
Woah! We'll leave the past in the past,
 
Gonna find the future.
 
If misery loves company well,
 
So long, you'll miss me when I'm gone.
 

 

 
Simple Plan. When I'm Gone.


 
I'll try to be strong
 
Believe me I'm trying to move on
 
It's complicated but understand me.
 

 
Take That. Patience.


 
Stop this train
 
I wanna get off
 
And go home again
 
I can't take the speed it's moving in
 
I know I can't
 
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?
 

 
So scared of getting older
 
I'm only good at being young
 
So I play the numbers game
 
To find a way to say that life has just begun
 

 
Had a talk with my old man
 
Said "help me understand"
 
He said "turn sixty-eight
 
You renegotiate"
 

 
"Don't stop this train
 
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
 
And don't think I couldn't ever understand
 
I tried my hand
 
John, honestly we'll never stop this train"
 

 
Once in awhile, when it's good
 
It'll feel like it should
 
And they're all still around
 
And you're still safe and sound
 
And you don't miss a thing
 
Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark
 
Singing
 

 
Stop this train
 
I wanna get off
 
And go home again
 
I can't take the speed it's moving in
 
I know I can
 
Cause now I see I'll never stop this train
 

 
John Mayer. Stop This Train.

Answers to the very long winded questions...

I've been thinking things through...

And I have the solution to the biggest questions that the whole world has been puzzled with.

The chicken came before the egg.

And here's why.

Chickens lay eggs.

But remember: The egg has to be incubated.

So, the first chickens had to be around first before the new generations can be formed.

Yeah. Chickens.

meme: whoever and whatever.

whoever. whatever. meme time!

I picked 2 Sec 4s from each of the following groups I was involved in: Choir, PA, Art, Math Society, AFGM. Let's see what happens! MEME!

1. Do you trust Ee Rong?

Yes. 68% of the time. The other 32%? Don't ask.

2. Will Sean Koh eat those green eggs and ham?

Without a doubt, yes. He probably made them, too.

3. Oh no, Abel Tan got kidnapped by aliens! What do you say once they get back?

So you guys suck at Math and need help fast, eh? May I offer you a calculator? Or how about a Google Engineer?

4. Who is Raymond Liew's best friend?

To be honest, I don't really know. Never thought of it. Ernest?

5. Ryan Lee just got vaporized in a freak accident. Now what?

Firstly, panic! Secondly, say "that's just freaking awesome". Thirdly, proclaim "OMGWTF?" Finally, condense him. Freak accident averted.

6. What's Ian Ng's opinion on cheese?

It brings him great laughter when accompanied with cherry, cake, and burger. Cherry Cheesecake Burger. He'll LOL and ROFLHAO, I tell ya!

7. What would you do if you hadn't met Ernest Quek?

I would be demoralized and schizophrenic. [OMG, I spelled that word correctly without the help of a dictionary!] Also, short.

8. If Ian Ng were to be mistaken for a celebrity, who would it be?

Geez, Mario Lopez from Dancing With The Stars? Or who's that dude that Sarah Hoon liked from So You Think You Can Dance Season 1 or something. Whatever.

*sips some water.*

9. What would you do if Ryan Lee and Sean Koh were going out?

*Spat water all over my keyboard.* *moved Hydrochloric Acid from my stomach lining onto my retina through active transport*

STOP THIS!!!

10. Ian Ng suddenly knows all your secrets. What do you have to say about that?

Well, I suddenly know his. So, we're even steven. [shoot. What am I supposed to do?]

P.S.: Sorry if I offended anyone. It's just for fun, laughter, and conflict (not peace), but also, joy.

Tangled...

Got this from Chen Lin's blog. He got it from one of the Eugenes in the Blog-o-sphere.

So here goes:

1. Put your iTunes/Napster/Zune Player/WinAmp/etc on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Tag 10 or more friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?

Fever Fly (Electrico)

If it's a fever, so it's ok.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GIRL?

Everytime [Hi-Bias Radio Remix] (Britney Spears)

Everytime she's biased to the 'hi's, the radio is remixed. i like that?!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Fluorescent (Gwen Stefani)

Like a jellyfish.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Hide Away (Hilary Duff)

erm, to hide?

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Pie Jesu (Les Choristes En Concert)

erm... Translation?

Oh, got it. "Pie Jesu" = "Lamb of Lord." indeed...

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Saturdays (Nelly Furtado)

I'm like Saturdays? Well, is that a lazy work day, or a rest day? what do you think?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

Like Toy Soldiers (Eminem)

Like to soldiers, eh?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

See You In My Nightmare (Kanye West)

Wow, that's deep...

WHAT IS 2+2?

L'an 2001 (Les Petits Chenteurs De Saint-Marc)

NO!!! it's 4!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

All About Us (t.A.T.u.)

Erm, we're self-centred, eh?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Get Me Out Of Here (Marion Raven)

yeah, get me out of this question here.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

What's Left Of Me (Nick Lachey)

Yep.My life story is what's left of me.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

High And Lifted Up (Hillsong Live)

Who doesn't want GOD to be high and lifted up?

Oh wait, is this me? erm, cool? I'll be tall and carried around by lifts and Segways! Nice!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Bad Day (Daniel Powter)

She'll have a bad day, so will I, and we'll connect! nice...

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Hello (Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson and Attitude)

I'm a surprise?

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Stay Away (Electrico)

stay away from me when I dance. I can't. In other news, this song is nice.

OK!WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

The Best Damn Thing (Avril Lavigne)

How INappropriate. Let me emphasize the "IN" in INappropriate.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

The Voice Within (Christina Aguilera)

I can go two ways from here: Psychology, or Vocals. I'll take both. So appropriate!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Cemetries of London (Coldplay)

Erm, that they're dead to me? wow. So INappropriate.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

No Frontier (The Corrs)

Having no borders between nations. Free immigration! TOTALLY! except for the terrorist and crime bit.

HOW WILL YOU DIE?

Dancing in the Moonlight (Toploader)

Nice...

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?

My Moon My Man (Feist)

No link...Next!

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?

The Geeks Get The Girl (The American Hi-Fi)

I'm a jock? Wow...

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?

So Young (The Corrs)

Youth. Really.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?

Dare (Gorrilaz)

I dare. Now, I dare you!

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?

Where Is The Love (Black Eyed Peas)

Having no love scares me.

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?

Lough Erin Shore (The Corrs)

It's a long story, like a shore...

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE

Heart Beat Rock (Kylie Minogue)

Yeah. Change that. It'll be Paper beat rock! Oh, wait, it has been changed...

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

One Of Us (ABBA)

Us? Who?

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

Tangled (Maroon 5)

Appropriate level = 40%. Quite high...

One last time...

I'm going back to Singapore on 11 January 2009, one day before the release of the results.

After that, I'll be leaving Singapore on the evening of 12 January 2009, after collecting the results.

The reason is because my parents will be coming along with me on the trip, and my dad has to work, so he can only be away for one day. Hence, the quick return.

So, I guess if you guys (being whoever I know who reads my blog) want, maybe we could arrange a get-together in Potong Pasir or something before the release of the results and all. Just SMS me or something [I'm back to my SingTel SIM Card, in spite of roaming charges and all. Heck, SMS is cheaper than phone calls when you roam].

After this, I'll probably be back in Singapore in late March on transit to wherever I'll be going to continue with my studies, be it the UK, Australia, or USA. [My guess is the UK, at the moment.]

Oh, Cheng, I didn't forget about your blazer.

i should have done my O Level Art in 09...

Why? iLife '09. iMovie '09, to be exact.

It has the basic effects editor. Something I didn't have access to other than through Adobe software. Adobe Premiere Pro is no iLife in ease and speed.

heh.

Oh, the 17" MBP battery? cool stuff.

Oh, great job on Apple for getting the 100% DRM-free 10M songs by end of Q1'08. never thought that will happen.

Still waiting for Snow Leopard, Blu-ray, and i7.

Oh, about my predictions. I'll jump to the results: 0/6. Seriously. Go check the post.

OMG MACBOOK WHEEL!

something really awesome. check this out! it's coming, i tell you!

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

yes, this is stupid.

a&w love...

For the people in Singapore who wants A&W, but can hardly ever get it
in Singapore anymore...

When will the 'O' Level Results be released in '09?

I've been observing the patterns from past years, thanks to the MOE Press Release page.

If you look at most of the major exams in the past few years, MOE tends to announce the date of the release of results for any major exam on the Monday of the week when it is actually released.

Sounds convoluted? Let's say the PSLE exams are released on Thursday, 4 Nov xxxx [hypothetically speaking, of course]. Then, MOE will announce on the Monday of that week, 1 Nov, that the results will be released on 4 Nov, and candidates are to report to school at noon / 2pm on that day.

Notice I used "Thursday" in the above example. From what I saw, most of the exam results are released on either Thursdays or Fridays, so I assume that we will still see a Thursday/Friday release this year.

Based on what we all know, the results will be released in "early January". The question? How early?

Last year, the results were released on 24 Jan 08. It's got to be earlier this year. Ms Seah posted the guesstimated date of 19 Jan 09. Personally, I think it can be earlier.

I am narrowing my choices to the first 2 full weeks of January. i.e.: 5-9, 12-16 Jan.

Let's narrow further down to the Thursdays & Fridays. 8, 9, 15, 16 Jan.

Here's a hint. If we don't get a notification from MOE on Monday, 5 Jan, of any results release date, we can be 80% sure it's released on either 15 or 16 Jan.

I am guessing it will be released on Thursday, late-early January.

My Guesstimate: 15 Jan 2009

But whatever you do, don't take my word for it.

Check out the MOE Press Release / TV news on 5 & 12 Jan

Top song of the moment.

Well, it's still early in the year, but I think I can re-hash some 2008 songs and make a list out of any song I like.

So, here goes. What I'm listening to right now...

1. Life in Technicolor II by Coldplay
2. Love Lockdown by Kanye West
3. Nine In The Afternoon by Panic At The Disco
4. Not Coming Back by Daniel Powter
5. Take A Bow by Rihanna
6. Better Than This by Keane
7. Stupid for You by Marié Digby
8. The Show by Lenka
9. Details in the Fabric by Jason Mraz feat. Jason Morrison
10. Rainy Day by Coldplay

MacWorld 2009...

6 January 2009, 9am-10.30am PST.

It's next week!

So, to kick of the Phil-note countdown [in case you haven't heard, there's no Steve-note this MacWorld. And yes, this is the last MacWorld Keynote in the foreseeable future], let's make our wishlist [which is more like a prediction list for me].

1. Phil will talk about why Apple is no longer having Steve-notes.
2. New iMac with Nvidia chipsets.
3. New Mac Mini with Nvidia chipsets, and a new smaller package.
4. New Mac Pro with Core i7, reduced price.
5. iPhone nano? Well, there are quite a lot of talk about a shrunk-down iPhone. I'm guessing a global unlocked 2.5G phone.
6. Snow Leopard? Some sort of a preview and release date.

That's it.

Adopt a word?

BenSee: ... ANDANDAND. ADOPT A WORD!

Adopt a word, eh?

Erm, here's one...

Absquatulate|abˈskwä ch əˌlāt|

verb leave abruptly : some overthrown dictator who had absquatulated to the U.S.A.

Thanks...

it's 2009!

It's a whole new year.

correction.

It's a whole new scary collective of 365 days ahead.

I must say, with the current unstable economic situation, a whole new surrounding that I'll be diving into, and a whole new environment for the others in my cohort, I'm guessing 2009 is a year that many are uncertain of. That can be scary, but let us remember that GOD holds the future, HE is always in control and HE has a plan for everyone and everything. Hence, we can always trust in HIM in whatever situation.

Aside from that, I think I should take this opportunity to really reflect on the past year and give thanks to all who have made a difference in 2008.

Ms Seah,
for her continuous support in this crucial academic year.

Ms Gan,
for being a source of moral support for me, and for the really great birthday gift. I really like the CD.

Ms Lee Bin Choo,
for always pointing us in the right direction.

Mrs Julia Huang,
just for being a teacher who has so much faith and trust in me.

Mr Albert Tay, Ms Jennifer Tham, and Ms Gan,
for the fun music-making process during the choir trip and the early part of the year.

Andre,
for being a fun person to fellowship with.

Kevin Chiam,
for helping me with my Combined Humanities.

Chem Yeo,
for helping me improve in my Chemistry, especially through the extra lessons.

Zexun,
for being an awesome panda photographer [jk. I meant "photographer".], for inviting me back to church, and for the birthday present that I needed so badly, along with Ernest, Nigel Lee, Jack, Secret Friend [I still haven't figured out who you are]

Ernest,
for being the hilarious toot that kept my sanity and sense of humour in one piece throughout the year, especially while doing the Art Coursework.

Jack, Jasper, John, Kevin, Ms Chua, Veknesh, Seno, Syed, and the other Art guys,
for the help and entertainment while doing the Art coursework.

Raymond,
for being a really awesome conversation buddy and friend to go out or home with.

Ben See, Luke, Reuben, Barnabus, Jonathan Poh, Jeremy Tan,
for being amusing juniors in choir.

Jerome Tan,
for being a great roomie during the Choir trip, as well as a great Choir VP.

Shaun Chui,
for helping Jerome & I learn the music for the Bratislava Trip, even though he himself is not going. All the best for '09, with SYF, O Level and everything else.

The '08-'09 Choir Exco,
for their effort in the choir.

Melvin Sim, Ee Rong, Ee Wei, Junior, Timothy, and any other PA guy(s) I may have missed out,
for biting "bullets" for me by taking up major projects (or a significant part of them) throughout 2008, such as the musical, Founder's Day, etc.

Aaron Chua, Jonathan Phang,
for being great classmates plus brothers in Christ.

Marcus Giam,
for being a great brother in Bass, and in Christ.

Isaac Wong,
for being a hilarious conversation buddy and always-supportive friend.

Ryan Lee,
for your awesome taste in music.

Mrs Jennifer Yew,
for keeping the 2A Full Value Contract after all these years. Never thought it would still be with you.

Matthew Ho, Jedidiah Chia, Eugene Low, Theodore Koh,
for helping me learn the guitar

Everyone who went on the Bratislava trip,
for the joy, frustration, and everything else that we went through.

There's so many more "Thanks" in '08 that I missed out, but these people have really made an impact in my life in '08, and some even lasting way beyond just '08.

So, Thank you for making a difference.

This post was composed from 31DEC08 11.30pm, till 1JAN09 1:06am.

This is the last of 3 pre-composed blog entries between 29DEC08 and 1JAN09.

New Year's Resolution '09

For the year 2009, I still do not know what is ahead. But praise the LORD, HE is in control of whatever will come my way. So, with that in mind, I shall come up with my hopes for 2009.

1. I will get into Bellerby's College [UK]
2. I will keep my mass under 75kg.
3. I will grow to above 1.80m by the end of '09.
4. I will not go into overdraft when I am in the UK.
5. I will keep in contact with my Singapore friends.
6. I will meet Indonesians in the UK.
7. I will cook at least once, be it in Indonesia before I leave, or in UK.
8. I will post minimum 100 posts in 2009. A low target for a busy year ahead.
9. I will stop buying physical albums [i.e.: Music CDs] by the last quarter of 2009 [Oct-Dec]. I will, instead, buy online.
10. I will grow stronger in the LORD, and while I'm at this,
11. I will find a church in the UK, and go to it regularly.
12. I will get a new MacBook in 2009.
13. I will drive with a license in 2009.
14. I will vote in the 2009 Indonesian Presidential. SBY or Megawati? that's the question at the moment.
15. I will watch a performance of a choir in 2009.
16. I will watch min. 3 movies in the theaters / cinema in 2009.
17. I will still take photos in the UK, but for artsy and casual reasons only.
18. I will sit on the Airbus A380 for the first time in 09.
19. I will not be in Singapore for more than 100 hours in 2009.
20. I will take up music lessons. Specifically, piano.
21. I will run a half-marathon in 2009. [i.e.: 21km. Not competitive, though]
22. I will run in a running event in 2009, even if it's the London Marathon or Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon. Hey, if people from Africa fly all the way to run in Singapore, why not me? Hopefully, I'll be having my holidays by then.
23. I will grow more muscles in my arms and the six-pack region. a four-pack would be nice, over the one bulge I have now.

There. 23 resolutions. 12 needed to really pass. 09's gonna be exciting!

Composed on 29DEC08, 11:22:32pm GMT+0700

home-sick.

yeah, you thought I was referring to the time when I was in Singapore when I chose this title, eh?

I'm kind-of sick of my home in Indonesia after the short few days that I've been here. Kind-of.

Sure, my parents are with me. So are my brothers, nephews, relatives and all.

But I realised that just because I'm younger than my brothers, just because I'm a teenager, my family doesn't really regard any of my opinions, whatever I say, yadee-yadaa. I feel as if this home is just a shelter before I get to my next phase in life - in the UK, alone.

Call me an a.s.s. [anti-social soul], but I really have no-one else to relate to here other than my family, when I am in Indonesia. And they don't give a sh*t about me, nor do they regard me as an actual person.

Then again, I'm not so surprised. My family's somewhat blinded in their own reality-distortion field. Here's an example. They're really racist. My whole family will always despise against the "huanas", aka the darker-skinned Indonesians. They also have something against the "Cina-Benteng", which is supposed to mean a Chinese-skinned person from Benteng. Something like that. Personally, I feel that they keep criticising these groups of people as if they're dogs. I'm really disapproving of this, but what can I do? My parents barely listen to me.

My mom's been giving me problems as well. She thinks I am short [which, she has a point. I'm only 1.76m, and I'm not very tall for my age], and so, she's been gouging food down my throat by always adding / ordering more than I can handle. Feels kind-of like a foei gras. The problem with her is that she doesn't know when is too much. I have breathing difficulty while sleeping almost nightly since I came back, and it's not due to the air here.

Perhaps I became too detached from my family, but if there's anything I learnt about my family after seeing them from a third-person's perspective, it's this:

When people get too rich, they become so full of themselves, they feel like they're the boss.

My word of wisdom to anyone out there: However successful you become in future, remember to always humble yourself.

This saved entry was typed on 29DEC08, 10:52:10pm GMT+0700

Happy 2009!

I'm sorry I've not been posting recently. My internet connection has not been very good, causing problems with uploading posts.

I've composed a few blog posts in the meantime, and recorded the time I typed my posts. So, I shall NOT fake the posting time, but rather post them after this post you're reading now, in chronological order. Hope you'll enjoy them.

Alright, gotta start posting before the connection gets flaky again. Keep on reading!

Once again, happy 2009.