Breakfast at Tiffany's

You'll say, we've got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And we're falling apart
You'll say, the world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
Still I know you just don't care

And I said, "what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"
She said, "I think I remember the film
And as I recall, i think, we both kind of liked it"
And I said, "well that's, one thing we've got"

I see you, the only one who knew me
And now your eyes see through me
I guess I was wrong
So what now, it's plain to see we're over
And I hate when things are over
When so much is left undone

And I said, "what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"
She said, "I think I, remember the film
And, as I recall, I think, we both kind of liked it"
And I said, "well that's, one thing we gots"

You'll say, that we've got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And we're falling apart
You'll say the world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
Still I know you just don't care

And I said, "what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"
She said, "I think I, remember that film
And, as I recall, I think, we both kind of liked it"
And I said, "well that's, one thing we gots"

Oh

And I said, "what about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"
She said, "I think I, remember that film
And, as I recall, I think, we both kind of liked it"
And I said, "well that's, one thing we gots"

This song should be played everyday at breakfast!!!

Not too fast!

Recently I received an official letter from the traffic police forcing me to contribute S$150 dollars to the Singapore government and a 6 demerit points from my drivers license. They have speed trap me driving along Adam Road at 90 instead of the slow 70 and funny thing is I don't even knew I was shot on camera! Ha... my sis was laughing at my speeding ticket because it was so unexpected. You see, she was surprised than slow driver like me can still get a speeding ticket! Anyway, its the first one I got since getting my drivers license 5 years ago and I do deserve it in some way since I had been speeding freely on Singapore roads since coming back from states last year.

Speeding....the number one killer on the the road. Too fast and too furious results in crash and burn. Events are unfolding in my life recently and I have to put in some restrain in myself because I know I am the kind of guy who think alot with the heart and tends rush into things. Its so surprising and shocking this time when the books of my life suddenly enters another chapter that are filled with one coincidental events after another. Stop... as wise man says, only fools rush in. Matters of heart had been making progress and I have to thanks Lollipop-girl, Wendy, Alfred and my dear sis for their help and advice. This time I am taking a stroll in the park instead of jungle bashing, to really appreciate the air, the little ponds, the trees, the birds, the park critters, the bench and the weather be it sunny or stormy. I like to cultivate a healthy relationship with the park . I really don't know if I will always have time to walk in this park when the schedule get hectic in the future but I definately don't want to see it close because I become blinded by work and studies.

Sometime someone or something special enters life that a person suddenly felt its important and critical to make the decision. Holding on to it and clinging to the edge of it, some releases their grip and be lost forever, some hold on to dear life and destroyed it. I think I am holding on to this special thing now and I am glad that a story was shared with me else I will be clueless to how things should go. I could have easily crush it and its gone forever. Slow and steady, thats the key.

Dive Junkie

Next week will be a week packed with scuba dive training on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, I will be making my way to Tioman island for my open water dive certification. I am very excited and really looking forward to the whole of next week. Lets keep the finger cross and hope I don't have to work OT. Two more chapters still got to be covered before Mondays theory lesson held at Waikiki Dive Center and so far, it had been an interesting study experience. The PADI Open Water Diver Manual is an excellent text book that I felt academic text book should borrow some ideas and structure from.

Talking about diving, even though sound travel faster in water than in air there is no way a person is going to talk to another underwater. All you hear is bubbles and bubbles. Part of the learning experience is remembering some of th common diver sign language. While window shopping at Takashimaya on a Sunday noon, I happen to saw the diver sign language of "Buddy Me" on a T-shirt. Turn out to be "DiveJunkie" lastest outlet at level 4 Takashimaya Department Store. Real interesting...

Than they got some kinda clearance sales going on for ladies Tanktop that make my sis go ga ga over it. 3 for 20 bucks, thats a steal for something that sell for 15 a piece originally. Next thing I knew, the sales girl on the spot inform me that if I brought 2 man tees, my sis will get another ladies Tanktop for free!!! Now I going ga ga. The T-shirt are bright, vibrant and got really interesting diving designs on it. Almost all T-shirt design had this interesting collectible cards on it that tell the stories behind each design....

This remind me of the "Keluar" exit signs found in Malaysia.

Dive! Dive! Dive!


Every tees deserve a story. I use this as really cool bookmarks.

From the sales girl, I learnt that the material that goes into the tees making are not just any pasar malam material. Its combed cotton. She just said that the cotton is soften and silkier than normal cotton because the fibers are "combed" before making into yarn. Well, I found a more technical defination online...

"Combed cotton is an extremely soft version of cotton made by specially treating the cotton fibers before they are spun into yarn. As a general rule, combed cotton is slightly more expensive than conventional cotton. The extremely soft, strong material is ideal for making bed linens and clothing which will be worn against the skin. If the textile used in a cotton product is combed cotton, it will usually be clearly identified."

Judging from the feel of the material, I got no doubt its quality material that goes into the making. So you got great design on one hand and great quality on another. And did I mention that DiveJunkie is a home grown true blue singaporean company? In support of DiveJunkie and also solving the issue of dress code for Tioman trip, me and sis brought some stuff from them. The sales girl thanks us sincerely for supporting local companies and she gave us a business card. I read it....

Jasmine Yeo,
Executive Director
- DiveJunkie -
Scuba +Clothing.

I am surprised. The executive director at the frontline!!! Thats what I call running your own business... its no ordinary sales girl, turn out to be. I suggest they design some T-shirt base on all the standard diving sign language.

A meaningful message for a friend

"Most of the time, people regret not doing something. Very few people would regret doing something (even though they failed)... cos people who do things are winners and most winners don't regret."

I am all with what my dear brother commented on my blog. I would like to add that sometime, patience are important. When you keep hitting the wall, don't stop hitting it...eventually the wall will crack and soon it will fall. There is sunshine on the other side of it. Patience is the key to success.

Remember. Carpe Diem!!! Seize the day!!!

Junction in life.

A choice of life goal and life role. Sometime having choice can be a stressful thing. Its happiness on one end and life fulfillment on the other and it comes a time when everyone of us have to make that critical choice. Its like a quarter life crisis all over again. What if you are presented with a long term career? Those that ensure you can have a stable job all the way till retirement? Should I stay or should I go (sing it to the tune of the song)? What if life is fair and gave you someone but that means forsaking the goals you had put in plan for ages? Its little wonder that the greatest sucessor of life are one who make good choices at the right time.

Ugly act of a Singaporean family.

More than academic results of As and distinction, the responsibility and role of us adults is to instill the correct moral values and ethics in our younger generation, especially the very young ones from kindergarten and primary school. They have a super absorbant brain compared to adults and they learn things fast...the good and the bad.

Today is mums birthday and we headed to 1036 at Sembawang road to celebrate her birthday with a sumptuous dinner treat. Beside us are 2 generation of family having their dinner of delicious fresh seafood cuisine. They paid the bill and left earlier than us but no without leaving a big mess food waste and a pack of plastic white stuff on the table. On closer inspection... USED DIAPERS!!!!

So I guess the parents decided to give the baby a diapers change near the dinner table. Ok, maybe I accept that action for there is not diaper changing station at 1036 Semawang restaurant because its too ulu. A untidy dinner table after meal???? Ok .... I seen that a hundred times so its a norm. But a diaper on the table??? This is outrageous. What is the parents trying to teach the younger kids around the table? That you can leave your poo and pee on the table??? I think we adult should be conscience that kids emulate what we do till it become their character.

Some Singaporean likes to stereotype China Chinese as noisy and husband stealer while the Bangla worker as dirty. Ironically it is a Chinese worker making sure the tables are properly cleared for the next group of customer despite the unsightly diaper on the table. We gave our waitress a piece of the Goodwood Park cake as a token of appreciation for getting candles and plastic knife for us (I forgot to bring candles) and making the dinner a pleasent experience with great customer service. Than I observed that she actually brought the cake into the kitchen and shared with the rest of the staff, each one of them taking a bite of the delicious cake. They are a mix of Malaysian, Singaporean and China worker. I think sometime we can learn more from our foreign counterparts of value and ethics than through our own people.

A visit to the hospital...

Someone close to me was admitted to the hospital on his birthday, 15th of May. Good thing he is in stable condition but the years of smoking is starting to show sign of early damage. I hope he quit this old habit but I knew its hard for him especially when he have been smoking for 30 years. My close friend who smoked for less than a decade already faces challenges trying to quit the habit, let alone someone who smoked for 30 years. I'm afraid if he don't stop, his health will continue to slide down hill and I can only brace for the worst. Heart attack? Stroke? Its either one of this reapers that gonna take his life away. I pray that he stop for his own good and for the good of the people around him.

Personally, I smoke too but on a rare basis. I never brought a pack a cigarette for myself for I know the undesirable attraction is too great. I can only describe my first puff back in training school as an interesting experience...like baby learning how to walk. Oh yes, there is a technique to smoke and after a few practice, it become a "shiok" habit to inhale the nicotine and exhale the second hand smoke. For the beginner, I have to make a conscience effort to mix the smoke with air to lower the concentration else it will make a newbie cough on the first puff. I thank Patrick for teaching me how to smoke. Nothing against him, he just a great smoking teacher :). I had the habit of taking 2 sticks a month just for the kick.... for an irregular smoker, a single stick had a very light headed effect. My favorite-- Malboro Menthol light.

I love the hospital visit this two days. Get to look at some really interesting people walking around the ward. One girl stayed in Yishun and she is the duty nurse for past 2 days to the ward I visit. I am trying to get a hitch from her. Maybe I should ask her number over the next few days. Ahh..... the nurse are gentle and caring women in their profession but one have observe their true character outside work. Most people live a double life between work and social life, I am no exception. Sometime in life, we got to live the double life to practice our profession. No choice one...

School's Out For Summer!!!

Except that its summer all year round in Singapore but for completing my last exam for the semester, I felt like singing out loud Alice Cooper "School's Out". I confirm pass, just a matter of scores that will be achieved. Well this would summer holiday will be all bout Anime, Gundam modeling, learning the stock market, catching up with friends, diving, Guitar Heroes and maybe trying out wakeboarding. Hmm...too greedy with that 2 months of time I got? Maybe.... but come July when school starts again, I will be greatly deprived from the entertainment when the brain hit the books again. Better cure the hunger for entertainment now. Hahaha.

Now I realize how precious time is. For the past 5 months, its just engineering books here and aerodynamics there. No time for games except ironically during my examination leave period, I actually got lots of time to catch up on the Claymore and Darker Than Black anime. Haha...almost watching them every day while preping for the boring exam. Proudly completed Claymore and left with 5 episode for Darker than Black.


I specially like to recommend "Darker Than Black". Think X-men, combine with assassination plot, a mysterious syndicate, end of world scenario and a Japan anime setting. I don't wanna advocate piracy on my blog but you should download a few episode using bittorrent, watch it and you be hooked. Nothing too cutey about the anime, just very dark and suspense.

CH-47 Recruitment Video

Take note of the statement -- "Long Working Hours Out In The Field". I can swear by that. Anyway, this video is amusing in some ways that only an insider will know. Its a nice recruitment video nevertheless but a career in the military is more than just the pictures and sound you see right now.

On leave from 6th to 17th May

My buckets are full and its time to empty the load with a break from 6th to 17th May. Replacing it will be knowledge and skills essential for next week examination. I tell you, school is easier than work. At less I only due with facts and figures in text books and notes. Work, you got to deal with constant changes (for good and bad), human beings and worst of all...human emotions. Than you have to ensure you got a good radar above your head, to have good SA or Situation Awareness. Next you got to have very very good tolerance of bullshits. Sometime I felt like taking a gun and shoot someone (don't worry, I said it in metaphoric sense), but the angels in my head always tell me "Hey bro, don't do it man...don't blow up...you will just loss everything you had worked hard for". Yah...thats right, even if decision and action are beyond my control, I just got to keep my cool and press on with life isn't it? Why waste the energy in anger when it can probably channel to something more productive and fun like for example throwing my mobile phone across to room and observe how it self destruct :)

Oh boy, I love the break... I can study, I can write nonsense in this blog, I can plan my life... I can sleep late... I can meet up my fellow classmate and old friends and they are really getting old literally. Here married, there married some even got 2 kids, fulfilling their national duties. Fortune teller said the month of May, I will meet someone who will be my future wife. Ahhahaahahahahahahah..... I am laughing, seriously...the money I spend, so far nothing predicted happens. Or could it be the "assignment" he instructed me to do that prevent all this bad things from happening which eventually reshaped my future of good things?

Skeptical of the arcane art of fortune telling I am. Keep my finger crossed and I shall see what other prophecy comes true in the coming days.

Labour Day is not a holiday :(

This is a week of relieve and a weekend of hardship. Relived for completing my last school test and all I'm awaiting now are 3 back to back examination on the 13th,14th and 15th. A weekend of hardship for Labour day and Saturday burned for working. I forgotten when I ever came in during the weekend to work (must have been ages) and I think this is the first time I worked on a Holiday!!! Ironically its Labour Day... what coincidence. Well, if I am the only one working...its call extra duty but if half of the department people are in with you, its call a National Duty.

Ok, got to tell myself to look on the bright side though. At less I can still work and earn a good living (plus day off for the work), some Singaporean are not so fortunate at all with the gloomy job market and retrenchment going on right now. Of course still feel shitty working on a holiday but for the nation, bo bian lah. For those who came in to work yesterday and today, spirits were high but its physically exhausting to work with those 330 pounds rotorblades. I'm impressed to see that both the junior and the seniors have a singular mind and mission to get the job done well. In the end, I guess everyone just wanna clear the chore and get the hell out of base to enjoy what ever the evening got to offer. Despite some cock up in communication, things still go smoothly with no incident. Thats good...

Sigh... wednesday I will be on a 2 weeks study leave. Work shits are still piling here and there. Exam round the corner. This seems to be a tough month of May for me.

Well, as a hard labour on Labour Day, I got a free flu vacinnation jab courtesy of SAF. Its suppose to block all flu virus in history except, I guess, the current swine flu where a vaccine is still WIP (work in progress). If I catch a flu now... I guess its Swine flu.

Just browsed through some pictures I collected during my tour of duty in USA. This picture strikes me as a very errie resemblance to chucky...