Scrawls In My Head

Taking a leaf out of a quote from BSF on Cuili's blog, this is a reminder to myself:

Man has wanted to get rid of God, to push Him out of his life. In comtemporary terms he is saying, "God, I just want you to leave me alone. Take a seat on that chair over there. Shut up, and let me get on with my life as I want to live it." And so God does! Like the father of the Prodigal Son, He releases the rebellious child, permitting him to depart with all his many possessions and goods for the far country.

Isn't that what we want?
It is what we think we want, but the problem is that it does not turn out as we anticipate.

In fact, it turns out exactly the reverse.

We think of God as a miser of happiness, keeping back from us all that would make us happy. We think that by running away from Him we will be happy, wild and free.

Instead of happiness, we find misery.
Instead of freedom, we find sin's bondage.

When Oddities Come Mich's Way.

24 February 2007 (Saturday)

Del & Cathay personnel The lady fiddles with the machine for our replacement tickets.
My complimentary passes The original advertisement pitched.

(Pun not intended.)
Cover of the DVD, as shot by my other cousin.
Mich & Kel
Discussion ensues.Del & MichDel & Mich again.

Prata with the film people.

The pretty lead actress is decked in white. Mich is home!

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

Popping by with this entry to say, "Happy Birthday, Daniel!" before the day is over!

A Bloody Little Red Dot.

Warning: Viewer discretion is advised.

2 nights ago, I was shown this video depicting an apparent suicide committed at Yishun MRT Station on youtube before it was promptly yanked off by 4am. Today, Leion showed me another video of the same nature, albeit taken at Admiralty MRT Station.

According to Tomorrow and Straight Times Forum, there have been 4 suicide incidents on the tracks in 2 months.

SMRT is on the receiving end of the brickbats, but, really, doesn't the crux lie behind the cause of such suicides?

What drives these victims to plan meticulously and in cold, calculating seconds, leap off the platform to be run over by the oncoming train?

As Little Speck has deftly collated, Singapore is

• the unhappiest nation in Asia.
• dismally ranked 140th out of 167 countries for press freedom by Reporters without Borders.
• sadly one of the world's highest rates (on per capita) for executions, having hung 400 criminals between 1990-2004).
• second last out of 41 countries (2005 Durex Global Sex Survey) in sex performance, which wouldn't have bothered the government had it not been for its very low procreation.
• displaying an average outflow rate of 26.11 migrants per 1,000 citizens, the second highest emigration rate in the world - next only to East Timor (51.07), according to an unverified website.
• ranked a poor 30th out of 35 countries in terms of courtesy and now - the Happy Planet Index of 130th out of 178 nations.

One cynic described Singapore as "a Disneyland without the laughter", where humour is not allowed, referring to a blogger whose newspaper column was banned because he wrote a satire piece on the rising cost of living. (cue Mr Brown, anyone?)

What's the problem? Everyone has his pet reason, ranging from "unbearable" pressures of life to overly high expectations to an incurable national trait of excessive worrying - in good times or bad.

Social trends leave people unsmiling; divorce is rising and there is an average of one suicide a day.

"Most Singaporeans don't know how to be happy. Either they are struggling or, if they're not, they are worried about something or other," someone commented. Its small size magnifies these potentials.

And the players of this game we know too well, don't we?

As Jack Neo craftily acronymizes in his latest movie Just Follow Law, an apathetic (and a pathetic) culture of BCC* has emerged.

With most sensationalized reports, the increase in track suicides will gradually plant the seeds of apathy. Human insensitivity to large-scale human suffering has recently been verified by scientists.

And that, is sad indeed.

[ *google the keywords "Jack Neo BCC" to discover a refreshing new take on this oft-used feature. ]

In Complete

So I lift my eyes to You, Lord,
In Your strength will I break through, Lord.
Touch me now,
Let Your love fall down on me.
I know Your love dispels all my fears.

[ Complete - Andrew Ulugia ]

Happy Little Trees

And the wind laughs, if only through their leaves. =)

Dandelions

Winds of change.

Swept aside.

And she can only smile at the dandelions stretched across fields of which are not her own.

Busy 20 Feb!

After two weeks of faithful spring-cleaning and tossing out loads of junk on a daily basis, my humble abode was finally spick and span.

An overview of my home, taken with normal flash.
A more accurate view.
Toiletries neatly stacked.
my clean bathroom!

First to pop in was Ailing & her family at 11am. The children had a whale of a time snacking on the new year goodies. Thereafter was a visit from my best friend since kindergarten, Tricia, at 1pm. In tow was her husband, Rumin (a really nice and humble chap), her 2 children (Issac & Joshua) & her parents. Tricia's a true blue tai tai who's married an Indonesian Chinese and spends her days in Indonesia doing nothing but indulging in shopping.

I took a short nap after that. Dinner was at 6pm at a Chinese restaurant with the typical dinner of 10 courses.

Mich & Patrick with his daughter, Shiling

Mich with Patrick's wife, Xiuping & their daughter, Shiling

Ailing with her 3rd child, Stacia & Patrick with his only child, Shiling. Aren't the girls cute?!

Dinner was a prelude to a trip to the mall where we watched the movie, Protege, which ended at midnight.

I was totally exhausted by the time I stepped foot into my home again!

Bye Bye, Krissy!

Kris will be leaving today to the Land of Oz at 9pm.

Dialling Kris' number is akin to punching the digits to 1800-Call-Kris. He's my Yakkity Yak Buddy & Aunt (oops, Uncle) Agony when I'm on the train / mrt / bus / taxi / walking / waiting / bored..... You get my drift. =D I think our record was 4 consecutive hours (correct me if I'm wrong, Krissy!). It is common for us to talk till either battery goes flat.

I'm going to miss you lots, Krissy!
Come back soon!
-sob sob-

What's Your Seduction Style?

Twenty Ways To Annoy Mich.

1. Initiate the stipulated time at 3.30pm..
2. And turn up at 4.45pm....
3. With nary a call nor sms.....
4. Erstwhile, turn off your phone to keep the adrenalin pumping...
5. When Your Royal Highness finally arrives, swipe half the food off Mich's plate....
6. With Mich footing the bill, of course....
7. In between bites, fish out the new phone that you've just purchased....
8. By golly, what a coincidence that the said phone should turn out to be Mich's phone which you'd heavily criticised previously....
9. Afterwards, trot into a shop with Mich and grab different dresses off the rack.....
10. Which you do not purchase.....
11. And instead, end up buying Mich's turquoise dress with yellow trimmings....
12. ....and Mich's white dress....
13. ....and Mich's teal dress....
14. ....and conveniently coo that we bought the exact same items.
15. Next, announce that you've to meet someone for dinner after 7...
16. ...and lug Mich around to keep you company.....
17. Till 9pm when a change of plans occur and you end up not meeting that friend after all....
18. And chatter incessantly till 11pm about you, you, you, you and oh, did I mention, YOU?
19. ....before you finally exclaim that it's getting late and share a cab with Mich....
20. .....which Mich ends up paying for.

I've always thought that patience was not my virtue.
That's been proven otherwise, hasn't it?

Happy CNY!

I haven't been blogging for yonks.

Salutations and apologies as I've been caught up with work /replenishing home resources / shopping / spring-cleaning faithfully every single day for the last two weeks.

And whilst I'm blogging this short transitory entry, here's wishing all **a Happy Piggy Day!

[For the benefit of the non-Chinese: According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2007 marks the year of the Pig and today's the first day of the lunar new year aka Chinese New Year, commonly abbreviated as "CNY".]

Fun At Eugene's Wedding!

1 February 2007 (Thursday)
Swissotel The Stamford
Wedding of Eugene & Pearlyn

Eugene has been a pal for eons. 1 February marked his day of matrimony.
We had tremendous fun at his wedding banquet!

Everyone wanted a piece of the groom.

Silly poses with Ting alongside shots with Shuhong, Zhihao & Diana.

Ting had a whale of a time with the rest too!

Everyone was Wowed by Diana's Microsoft Vista T-shirt which she'd changed into after the banquet.

Happy group shots. =)

Rachael Yamagata's Concert / Listen to Quiet.

Rachael Yamagata, contrary to initial impression, warbles in English. Picture Avril Lavigne with a Japanese moniker. A little less whiny than Devics, less technical than Corrinne May and parallel to Emi Fujita. If you're into contemporary jazz, a soothing voice and piano accompaniment, Rachael Yamagata's right up your alley.

As part of the Mosaic Music Festival, Rachael Yamagata will be staging a concert in Singapore. Would anyone like to go?

Concert Date: 17 March 2007
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Ticket Price: $58 (sold out), $88, $118

Together with Sting & Sheryl Crow's Always On Your Side, Rachael Yamagata's Quiet is my song of the week. If you like the lyrics, you may wish to click & listen to the song here.

Rachael Yamagata -Quiet
Baby says I can't come with him
And I had read all of this in his eyes
Long before he even said so.
Why go, I asked
You know and I know why

And it'll be just as quiet when I leave
As it was when I first got here
I don't expect anything
I don't expect anything

Take care. I've been hurt before
Too much time spent on closing doors
You may hate me, but I'll remember to love you
Goodbye
Don't cry
You know why

And it'll be just as quiet when I leave
As it was when I first got here
I don't expect anything
I don't expect anything

All the waves of blame arranged as broken scenery
As they steal your best memories away
What if I was someone different in your only history?
Would you feel the same?
As I walk out the door
Never to see your face again
Never to see your face again

Wait.

"Wait".

An oft-heard word associated with patience tottering on a fine line. Time scratches its own sweet time while Wait is in session. An arcanum in the wings, we linger to seek its prostrate finity amongst the infinite, perhaps in fruitless pursuit of a chimera long abandoned.

What feeds the swollen embonpoint is hope in the pipeline. Perpetuating a reward to be reaped, we wait to feast on the appropriated benison, if any. By the impeccable gaucherie netted within suspense, a propounded osculation is not far from our clutches.

Or so, we think.

Instead of bearing witness to a comical disjunction between roseate myth and gritty reality, Wait masquerades as a stage extra, whereby choice has little.

Trounced upon quixotically, the emergent imbroglio is nothing but a dead knot.

Despite this subterfuge, we ignore its slight and cloak ourselves in anodyne aplomb till intent dwindles.

Only then, do we scramble to fill the cipher.

Erstwhile, there is little to do, but to wait.

Sting & Sheryl Crow - Always On Your Side

"Leaving me to carry on and wonder why

Was it you that kept me wondering through this life

When you know that I was always on your side"

Thanks to Derek (pictured above), an old trusty friend who'd shared this song. I found myself stopping the song midway because it opened a door I'd shut for some time. Involuntary pangs of emotions evoked, embracing each beautiful strain.

It made me stop and think.
It warmed the heart I'd intentionally left in the cold.
Foolish manifestation.

Of That which should have been forgotten.

Sting & Sheryl Crow - Always On Your Side

(click to listen or download)

My yesterdays are all boxed up and neatly put away
But every now and then, you come to mind
Cause you were always waiting to be picked to play the game
But when your name was called, you found a place to hide
When you knew that I was always on your side.

Well everything was easy then, so sweet and innocent
But your demons and your angels reappeared
Leavin' all the traces of the man you thought I'd be
Too afraid to hear the words I'd always feared
Leaving you with only questions all these years

But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear
Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear
Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally
This isn't how it's really meant to be
No it isn't how it's really meant to be

Well, they say that love is in the air, but never is it clear,
How to pull it close and make it stay?
Butterflies are free to fly, and so they fly away.
And I'm left to carry on and wonder why
Even through it all, I'm always on your side

But is there someplace far away, someplace where all is clear
Easy to start over with the ones you hold so dear
Or are you left to wonder, all alone, eternally
This isn't how it's really meant to be
No it isn't how it's really meant to be

Well, they say that love is in the air, never is it clear
How to pull it close and make it stay
If butterflies are free to fly, why do they fly away?
Leaving me to carry on and wonder why
Was it you that kept me wondering through this life
When you know that I was always on your side