Absolut Illusion: Booze in mid air?

-Kaleem

Tis' the season to be jolly!

Yo hommies, have yourselves a splendid and very ghetto Christmas! I know it ought to be a secret but this year, my gift to y'all would be a spankin' new tagboard HAHA. Peace out (said in the style and gusto of Usher in 'Yeah!') and spread da ghetto love in Big Style.
-Kaleem

Hakone.

Lake Ashi with Mount Fuji in the distance at sundown. Simply idyllic.
-Kenneth Wong

Havoc Creations.

This is one mother havoc burger I swear. 3 patties with egg and bacon. Holy Shit man!
-Kenneth Wong

A Tribute to the real Sivaghi The B.O.S.S. --- Abdul Malik (Servant of the King, alternatively, King of Servants)

CAVEAT: the following is meant purely to provide good, clean and harmless humour; and at least half of its content is fictional in nature.

The top 7 reasons why Malik is not as religious as he seems to be, corroborated by photos as irrefutable proof:

1. He gets directly involved in a bargain about Thai Honies shortly upon arrival in Phuket.

2. He harbours lustful thoughts about liquor and even digs sniffing beer.

3. He has an insatiably lewd passion for young, tough-looking asian boys, especially those unwitting ones who nap in bars while exposing a lil peekaboo of their chests.

4. He digs bigtime rock music, when he should be devoted only to religious tunes.

5. He wears pink and walks like he owns the whole of bloody patong, when he should be leading a humble life without declaring his big style.

6. He eats non-halal food at times, but was obviously punished with extreme sea-sickness during this particular occasion.

7. He tries to be what God did not mean for him to be -- an other-worldly creature.

The 3 reasons why Malik is as religious as he seems to be:

1. He swims in his singlet and shuns earthly comforts such as sunshades just like any conservative Muslim male would.

2. He displays unmatched faith and remains unfazed in the face of imminent death by Christian zealots.

3. Despite facing strong temptations from the secular world to spot a havoc hairdo, he chooses to destroy the havoc look with a few swift and determined strokes of his brush.

1 illogical reason why I don't give a flying shit whether Malik is as religious as he seems or not:

1. He's Abdul Malik aka Sivaghi The B.O.S.S., a dear dear friend of mine.

Safety 101

Disclaimer: the following content is exclusively meant to provide a safety warning to readers of the blog; the identity of the person in the above image is purely meant to be anonymous and can be analogous to a cartoon drawing with a stick-man subject (the only problem is i can't draw).

For those uninitiated, there are proper ways to wear a life jacket. First, you have to find one that fits you well. Next and more importantly, you have to tighten your waist strap. Failure to do both these 2 steps will result in the above, where the life jacket jacks up your armpits and your body may slip under should you accidentally raise your arms.
-Kenneth Wong

P.S the above caution doesn't apply to superheroes or immortals such as Siwaji-da-boss since he never dies.

MacDonald's most havoc creation

This is MOTHER Big Style!
-Kenneth Wong

The Marooned 5

The Marooned 5

by

Luke Peter

Introduction

Our trip to phuket was among the most enjoyable vacations that I have had.. There was many sights and sounds to take in and many lessons to learn, some of which i think nary of us was expecting before we left Singapore.

Chapter 1

Along with the fact that it takes as long to travel from Singapore to Phuket as from the airport to our hotels, one of the first lessons we learnt thanks in part to malik's eager converstion was one that im sure many elderly male tourists took to heart and to Bangla road.. no money, no honey...

Chapter 2

None of us will soon forget the bustling street known as Bangla Road which we set our eyes upon on the very night that we got our asses rocked of at the unparallelled Rock City. Ken may have gotten his ass rocked off later in the night than the rest of us though, since he decided that rock city was tame enough for him to have a nap in.

Chapter 3

Patong Beach, home to massages, hair braiding, expensive umbrellas and crocodiles... We were lucky to emerge unscathed, especially since in addition to the crocodiles, Phuket is littered with numerous land mines...

Chapter 4

The speedboat we took to Phi Phi Island must be driftwood on the ocean by now, unless its hull is reinforced with titanium. Probably the least comfortable journey I have ever been on and yet one that I have no regrets embarking upon, for paradise and most unexpectedly, a space explorer awaited us on the other side.

Chapter 5

As our journey reached its final chapter, I could not help but feel slightly overcast, much like the sky on our way to the airport. It was a trip of laughter, friendship and good times, not forgetting good food and it was saddening that it was nearing its end. The sea may wash away our footprints in the sand, destroying any evidence of our evanescent presence there, but our photos are testament to that havoc holiday of December 2007. Goodbye Phuket. Thanks for the memories. Big Style.

~The End~

Air Guitarists are Morons

That is all.

-Luke

Everything happens for a reason, what's yours?

My top 10 reasons to cut class and jet off to the far east :

1) to dodge the gloom at Bristol
2) to take a hair-raising speed-boat ride that brought turbulence to a whole new level
3) to sip on my pina coladas and coconuts on white sandy beaches
4) to getta tan
5) to tantalize my palate with exotic food
6) to charm my eyes with the bikini/scantily-clad (strictly females with XX chromosomes mind you!) that pepper the beaches
7) to play one too many games of bridge even though I constantly dealt (cause somehow I always ended up shuffling) myself cards the salvation army would reject. it was one mother horrid night of cards.
8) to pander in the banter
9) to simply relax
10) to cherish the good times with my friends

With such big-time reasons like these, I cannot see why anyone would rather spend their last week of the academic term in school.
-Kenneth Wong

The Skylit Skylight.

Fuzzy as this photograph may be, the penetrating moonbeams have torn their way through the mist and darkness of the night, illuminating my unlit room. On most nights, the moon is pale but tonight, its brightness has eclipsed the silhouette of branches that mar the purity of its glow. Such moments are special because sometimes the additional iota of radiance is just what we really need.

If only it were possible, I would like to bottle these shafts of light, cork it and carry this glowing vial with me wherever I go. Since that is impossible, I have symbolically decided to capture these rays on camera. Yet, what truly matters is that the sanctity of moonlight has fallen upon my eyes- the gateway to one's soul- and this moment will forever reside in me. I have also strangely developed an affinity for the moon, which probably explains why songs like moon river and clair de lune are on perpetual repeat. I guess I could do with a good measure of moonshine right now.

Akin to the random passing of birds that carelessly overlook the ground they fly over, many see but cannot perceive and only the viewer from within the confines of his room will know when his skylight has been located and peered into. Sometimes that may be the only yet unlikely way through.
-Kenneth Wong

A song recommendation

Amigos, as I will jet-off to Bratislava in a heartbeat, I would like to leave yall with a song I truly enjoy: Moon River. I believe that most people are familiar with Frank Sinatra's version of it but the original was composed by Henri Mancini as part of the Breakfast at Tiffany's OST. Also, I have downloaded 7 different versions of this song (since 1999) and I am somehow inclined to prefer the version by Jim Reeves. So, go gettit if you haven't already!
-Kenneth Wong

The Beginning of the End

Hola amigos, another year of varsity is slipping by and my heart urges me once again to seize the day (or rather, year). As 2007 prepares to take her bow, ler her December swansong begin...and Havoc shall be its name...

Some pics to pique your senses in feverish anticipation of our getaway...





Cheerios!

The Vacation Plans (Amended)

Okay man my travel plans are near concrete and here are my prospective fixtures:

1. 22nd - 25th November

• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Wien (German for Vienna), Austria
  

2. 7th - 10th December

• Phuket, Thailand
• Phi Phi Island, Thailand

3. 14th December - 27th December

• Tokyo, Japan
• Osaka, Japan
  
• Kobe, Japan
• Hakone, Japan
• Kyoto, Japan
• Nara, Japan
  

4. The near future

• London, United Kingdom
• Bath, United Kindgom
  

Unlike my hardcore travels over the summer of 2007, I am gonna get back on the beaten path and enjoy my 3 holidays like a tourist this time. As I definitely intend to return to Vienna after this trip, I see myself cutting down on the sightseeing and instead indulge in the culinary pleasures of Austria (chocolate, coffee, sausages...) as well as some brief street-walking. The lengthiest trip among the 3 would be spent with my family in Japan. However, the most highly anticipated holiday of them all is our impending escape to Phuket and Phi Phi Island because it is the first time I'm gonna set foot on Thai soil and that we all are gonna travel together. Although we have many other travel opportunities in life, the feeling is somehow different when you travel with your friends as students because everyone is generally carefree. Alright man, lets get our tickets booked soon.
-Kenneth Wong

The makeshift template

Okay man this is an emergency post! I tried to alter the facade of this blog but I fucked it up big time and lost our previous look. As I was indulging, albeit prematurely, in the Christmas spirit I intended to embellish this blog with Christmas ornaments, blinking lights, animated snow, a Christmas tree and even perhaps Santa and his reindeers, with my limited html experience. Damn it, the tagboard went astray too. Bear with this template in the meantime as Luke is gonna give our blog a face-lift come Wednesday! Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone the merriest of Christmases and also unroll the red carpet that runs from the FightClub arena to your doorstep.
-Kenneth Wong

Alternatives

Hola Amigos! I have drawn up a list of things I'd like to do for a living if I don't become a lawyer.

1. Stand-up komedian
2. Sell kebabs from a van outside Zouk
3. Stunt and/or commercial (less far fetched) pilot
4. Flip burgers
5. Be a bartender on a boat (which I eventually want to own)
5. Perpetually retire

As a matter of fact, I would like to do at least 1 of the above in my shot of life.
-Kenneth Wong

Random Things

Almost famous people are crazy... i was reading GQ magazine.. and theres this random non-super model being featured.. and the interviewer asks her about fame.. and she says its not as fabulous as its hyped up to be... how would she know??? Feminists are crazy.. they want equal treatment but also want maternity leave.. And fat people who act as token fat people in comedies are crazy.. I dont see how they can justify ridiculing themselves in front of millions for a few thousand dollars... med ppl are crazy.. im sure all of you know that i put in plenty of hours of studying during the examination period.. but what u all may not know is that the number of hours i put in pales in comparison to what alot of the others are doing.. for one, i sleep an average of 10hours a day and regularly indulge in episodes of frasier or heroes or something... many of the med ppl i know sleep a paltry 6 hours a day and do nothing that they can derive pleasure from...
anyway.. my exams are starting tomorrow.. im so happy they are finally here.. soon i will chilling on sentosa with a pina colada escaping from a crazy world.. hahahaha.. ironically, in the words of malik, a toast to good times and a toast to better times...

Cheers!

-Luke

Quiet 'warm' comfort

Walking home in the still of a freezing night with my QC3s that double up as ear muffs is truly comforting.
-Kenneth Wong

The shots

From top down:
An aerial view of London moments before touchdown, the Stella platoon, my rickety desk and finally my albatross.
-Kenneth Wong

The Workspace

Just thought I would give you guys a snapshot of my study desk. A summary of food items on my table is as follows, san pellegrino, coke zero, gloria jeans mocha, tiny teddies milk chocolate, tiny teddies chocolate, arnotts shapes, sakata rice crackers, family size kit kat and kinder chocolate bar.. Everything you need to power you through long nights of hard work... In 3 weeks I will be done with my most difficult exam and will no doubt be in a jovial and joyful mood in preparation to return home... Work hard for the exams ppl, Christmas festivies and jubilation will be waiting around the corner to greet you once you are done...

Cheers!

-Luke

The Summer of 2007

Buenos dias amigos, the time has come for me to wrap up my summer just before the academic year of 07/08 unfolds. Unlike most fruitless holidays, I thrived on my newfound enthusiasm and accordingly, this summer yielded immensely rewarding experiences and discoveries. I divided this study quarantined period between backpacking and interning, while lacing one too many nights with bottles of divine ferment. In short, these 2 activities, inter alia, provided me the fortuitous opportunities to encounter various personalities, taught me a thing or 2 about human dynamics and how to get your way around people. Most importantly, despite the frenetic life I led, I felt completely relaxed for most of the while, perhaps because I was constantly kept in good company. Yup. *Anyway amigos, I've already started to study and I will soon pen an entry on what it actually means and takes to put in effort haha. On a side note, I find this mission based academic year somewhat daunting because I'm gonna dedicate myself to my cause and get slapped by the inevitable truth of whether I measure up or not. Lets devote ourselves to excellence just because 'we owe it to ourselves' big time. Oh as always, I believe that everyone is already feeling quasi-festive, so hop on the bandwagon, 'accelerando natale' and enjoy 'the most wonderful time of the year' in advance. My Christmas playlist is already up and perpetually streaming! helll yeah!
-Kenneth Wong

*Entry continued in the wee hours of 16th October 2007

Music

Everywhere you go nowadays, about half the people you see are listening to music as they wander about. I think that ipods have seriously made, 'music lovers' out of everyone which is in itself a crime since music should be making music lovers. In a rush to emulate their peers and to eschew the unthinkable atrocity of not being part of the trend that ipods are, many people have bought ipods just for the sake of buying one and load music onto their devices as a mere afterthought. This crime is further compounded by the fact that these people who pose as music lovers are not even willing or bothered to make a small investment in a decent set of earphones to replace the piece of rubbish that comes free with their ipods. Here's to people who loved music before there were ipods, when portable cd players were still considered portable, when MD players were the next big thing and 128MB mp3 players were considered fantasy.. hahahaha... cya guys!

-Luke

The Long and Arduous Journey

How's it hanging amigos? If music were the fine wine of my soul, then emotion would be its steadfast and loyal companion: cheese. As complementing as wine and cheese are to one another, I often find myself fastidiously picking songs in order to elicit a desired emotion or accentuate an existing one by riding on a melody. For about an hour or so everyday, I would lie still on my bed and simply enwrap myself with tunes piped in from my extensive song list to procure an intoxication like no other. This is perhaps why a girl once said that I had surgically implanted earplugs which wires ran to my life support device- the ipod. Apart from getting satiated by the aural pleasures, getting plugged in somehow provided me with a more socially legit reason to isolate myself from the chatter and opinions of my fellow travelers and appreciate my surroundings in an unadulterated fashion, in the raw. But don't get me wrong, I also had my healthy measure of interaction and banter with those folks. Well, I must say that although my trip took off on an unpleasant note, it ended well enough so tune in and be enthralled!

With each passing moment that drew me closer to departure, the anticipation of this voyage faded and I was instead consumed with trepidation of solo traveling that attempted to derail me from this path and board the next flight home to Singapore. Putting up at the basement of a dodgy hostel in London for a night did my palpitating heart no favors because the strange personalities that resided in the room only heightened my fears that I would be mugged or physically attacked. Thus, I endured a harrowing 5 hour intermittent slumber. Upon arrival at Cancun, my journey culminated to an even sourer note as my backpack got routed to Miami and my guide didn't show up at the airport. All that indignation compounded with imaginations of foreshadowing doom (e.g. abducted on my taxi ride to the hotel) caused my heart to skip a beat on some occasions and on others it ended up stuck in my throat. My apprehensions were finally allayed upon arrival at my hotel and I knew that I had to separate my fears into rational and irrational ones for sanity to prevail, discarding the latter. On the flip-side, I was granted 50 pounds a day until my backpack arrived and for that reason, I bought myself a Brazil jersey that costs a dear 80 USD.

For the record and informative sake, I traveled to the Latin American countries of Mexico (Cancun & Playa Del Carmen), Belize (Caye Caulker & San Ignacio), Guatemala (Flores, Chichicastenango, Rio Dulce, Antigua Guatemala & Panajachel), Honduras (Utila Bay Islands, Comayagua & Copan), Nicaragua (Isla de Ometepe, Leon & Granada), Costa Rica (Monteverde, San Jose, Puerto Viejo, La Fortuna & Arenal) as well as Panama (El Valle, Boquete, Panama City & Bocas Del Toro). Beer is commonly drunk and the staple food is rice which is accompanied with beans, meat and plantains. As always and ever, nachos with guacamole dip ranks as one of my favourite food. Also, I commuted by chicken buses, taxis, boats and of course by foot.

Rumour has it that the gold haven of El Dorado is well hidden in the hinterlands of Latin America yet there is no veil that can conceal its gems of natural beauty. One who travels to this region will realize that even though most are empty in their pockets, there is a God or celestial being that constantly rewards them with million dollar sunsets, idyllic beaches and a legion of enamoring beauties that my photographs emphatically attest to. I usually have predispositions prior to arriving at each intended destination yet the actual tastes and sights unfailingly charm my senses. This is what traveling is all about: crossing the bridge that exists between the ideal and the exactness of reality. Yet, some bridges are longer and more treacherous than others, such as the daunting hike through the meandering Actun Tunichil Muknal just so that I can behold the magnifique view of cave formations sculpted by the deft hands of mother nature. I made a host of sacrifices in the form of putting up at a jungle lodge infested with a great deal of bugs, living in a wooden cabin with 2 jumbo spiders of which I both killed, sleeping in a beach shack which salt water ran through every tap/shower, sleeping on malodoured, unwashed linen as well as dealing with the searing equatorial heat without air-con. This taught me to live by the day and be content that I made it thus far. Latin America manifests an elegance that is ubiquitous, and not exclusive to just the rich but the adventurous who go out of their way to locate the perfect vantage point.

Photography by an ardent photo-taker, not a photographer. As most of my fellow journey-makers would know, this is a very significant aspect of my trip and many in fact have wondered what I would do with the countless pictures I took. I was obsessed with perfection; not a perfection of symmetry or one which conformed to the standards of others but a picture perfect to myself. I saw the world in angles, proportion, precision and color as though I constantly peered through a camera lens. In addition, I would go the distance to reach my desired vantage point and there was once I got chased by 3 huge black dogs while climbing to the crest of a hill just to get a shot of a delicate sunset. I also took risks such as carrying my camera while wading through the cave to capture the best images. Contrary to what some may believe, my indulgence in photo-taking does not make me any less appreciative of my surroundings but sharpens my eye for observance and detail. Apart from having an eye for the aesthetic, my role naturally demands I live in the moment and capture it successfully, such as the zenith of laughter or anger among people. This is what I mean by photography by feeling, seizing each ephemeral moment on film with an instinctive click before it extinguishes and gets relegated from priceless to worthless. Notwithstanding the exquisiteness of any brilliantly taken photograph, there is nothing that can substitute the purity of vision since film can never manifest the exactness of color as well as the panorama my eyes can perceive.

"Wow! I just realized I have done like so many things I've never done before in my life!" were the words exclaimed by a fellow journey-maker as she couldn't hide her amazement at the possibilities Latin America had to offer. How true that is and for a start I got a tan. Apart from chasing one too many ethereal sunsets, I have climbed up Cerro Negro Volcano for 3hours just to sled down in a minute, swam in the amiable company of sharks, manta rays, barracudas and moray eels at the barrier reef off Caye Caulker, hiked a cave, went white water rafting on class 4 rapids and saw lava spewing from Arenal Volcano, conversed with a rastafarian at Puerto Viejo, surfed, won a poker tournament at Utila Bay Islands, bird watched and saw a quetzal (endangered species) in the cloud forests of Monteverde as well as had myself hauled up by 7 ladies at the Baldi Hot Springs. Also, chilling out at Mondo Taitu Hostel, Bocas Del Toro bestowed me an unparalleled experience of being in a bar full, bar none may I add, of bedazzling and curvaceous hot babes that certainly have left a lasting impression on me. In the words of Jorge, Mondo Taitu was "like a bar in a Heineken advertisement." Finally, Jorge, Daniel, Rob and I decided to try one new thing as our Central American Odyssey came to a close at Panama City- we visited a strip club which indeed was an eye opener. For those appalled readers, grapple with reality as this is your world. It's always good to keep a broad mind and be an eye-witness of the world but not necessarily partake in it.

The people and culture. In my time in this region of the world, I have laid my eyes on dread-locked rastafarians, Guatemalan women clad in their distinct technicoloured fabric as well as Mexicans donning Sombreros with their strong accents to boot. These are but superficial aspects which roots stem deep into history yet even today the visages are maintained. Skeptical as you may say, the lucrativeness of tourism may indeed be one of the propellants for locals to promote a culture and sing to the tune of holiday makers, without realizing the erosion they're inflicting on their collective identity. An example would be thriving on the sale of fabric and items mass produced for tourists as well as 'cultural' or 'mediaeval' performances at theme parks. Cultures can be influenced and imported yet how can they be traded for money? My answer to that is that even though such veneers run deep into history, they are not always inextricably linked and in the tourism industry, the illusion of 'culture' is sold. Oh well like the survival nature Tupac Shakur articulated in his track 'Changes,' sometimes people just have to do what it takes as 'I (they've in this instance) gotta get paid.' Unfortunately right now, as countries in Latin America are especially impecunious, tourism is the chief sustenance of its inhabitants and hence it would be very difficult to thread a middle path between economic benefits and the preservation of cultural identities.

One of my favorite past-times is observing people and this trip has offered me innumerable opportunities of doing so. Apart from assessing their gestures, I have discerned some locals to conduct themselves with selflessness and more importantly, the genuinity of heart. Yet, there are also others whose courteousness and smiles are present in exchange for your dollar. Worse still, there are touts and money changers vying for every and any opportunity of cheating the dynamos of their economy: the tourists. However, among the atrocities I have identified, I detest begging by perfectly fit people the most because the act in itself implies worthlessness and extirpation of pride. Do contrast the scenarios I witnessed; the first at Chichicastenango where kids tugged my sleeve and pitifully asked for some papas fritas (french fries) with the second at the Guatemalan border where a boy approached me with a goat and asked if I wanted to buy some milk. The kids in both circumstances were needy and but at least the latter tried his best. Also, this question strikes me: if kids spend their entire childhood begging how can they ever grow and stand up like real men?

On the final day of my trip, I was slapped by a wave of nostalgia while gazing at the glittery skyline of Panama City as well as listening to 'Que Sera Sera' on repeat. My heart danced as the sun slipped below the horizon, playing back this 46 day journey from day 1, on repeat too. I pondered for a while and decided that I love traveling because I am hardcore, inquisitive and would do anything just to bridge the gap between my imagination and reality. Most importantly, I saw in greater measure the importance of being content. In retrospect, although I have gained this big time experience, there is something I have lost irretrievably: my 8 year old pair of Oakleys which got enveloped by the leviathan waves at Bocas Del Toro haha haha. Thus far, I hope you have managed to vicariously experience my odyssey and that this traveling spirit be contagious!

Even though the journey has come to an end, the adventures never shall

-Kenneth Wong

A term a day keeps ignorance away

	Blanket party
	A violent group attack on an unpopular GI. Usually done in the middle of the night, in a barracks situation, the victim’s head and body is covered with a blanket (preventing him/her from fighting back or identifying assaillants). Occassionally these attacks are used to bring a barracks bully into line but unfortunately hundreds of attacks per year are aimed at suspected faggots like Justin. This type of hazing is tolerated by noncommissioned officiers who see it as a means of "self policing" among privates and trainees. Smith over there has been a real fuck-up and kept us from getting a pass into town last night. Let's throw him a blanket party tonight.' This brief write up and definition was from: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blanket+party Real life video coming soon... -The man with the masterplan

The Contenders - Part I

In between the end of dinner and the start of doing my readings for the night, I've taken the liberty to initiate some character-profiling of the noble contenders of the ultimate event of the year - FightClub. This is Part I of the series 'The Contenders', which is but one of the many leadups that will litter the glorious road to FightClub.

Here's to acquaint you with the first worthy contender. Btw, the contenders are not introduced in any particular order of merit - the laurels can only be garnered through their wits and mettle at FightClub, of course.

Name: Kenneth 'da man with da masta plan, ken is here have no fear' Wong aka Ken Da Man.

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Length: Nothing to be proud of

Girth: Absolutely nothing to be proud of

Hair: Black and curly

Eyes: Deep and piercing

Punch: Devastating right hook fueled by a gargantuan forearm (as attested by the profile pic)acquired through years of solo training

Kick: Pretty lethal; leg training includes months of night runs in forrested and undulating terrain and a lifetime of long and punishing walks in urban landscapes.

Weakness: Has irrepressible tendencies to prod instead of unleashing his otherwise mighty thrusts.

What to look out for: His signature coup de grace of 'Ha ha' ringing in your ears after he obliterates his unfortunate victim with little dispense of mercy.

Rating: 4.5/5, good bet to be in the finals

The Pentathlon

This 5 event competition is gonna be part of the dramatic build up to the ultimate fighting competition in December.

1) Badminton
2) Table-tennis
3) Basketball
4) Bowling
5) Counter-Strike

Tag teams to be decided soon. Odds will be released thereafter.
-Kenneth Wong

A Series of Fortunate Events

Today went quite well. I had just come back from school when I realized that i hadn't handed in sth that was due at 5pm. My watch read 448pm. Using my newfound stamina gained from running 2km on alternate days, I dashed to school and made it there by 456pm and managed to hand it in on time. On the way home, I decided to stop by the usual chinese restaurant to buy some food. After ordering though, I realized that I had insufficient money. I told the girl that I would go get some from the ATM and started to make my way across the road to the nearest one. As I crossed the road, I glanced towards my apartment to see a delivery van parked beside it. I had been waiting all day for my guitar to be delivered and I highly suspected that it was being delivered by that van. As I had already crossed the road, I dashed across the perpendicular junction and tried to illegally cross back to the other side to stop the van, which had since started its engine and was moving off. Fortunately, the traffic light in the direction the van was moving turned red and I was able to catch up to it and knock on the window. It was indeed the delivery that I had been waiting for. The whole situation turned out extremely well.

On another note, I chanced upon this survey. Perhaps if I thought in a similar manner to juston, I would be inclined to assume that all chinese had small cocks unless proven otherwise. Anyway, thats it from me. Extra tight condoms, anyone?

Cheers!
-Luke

The view

Yesterday, I laid my eyes on the panorama of the Singapore's city-scape from the 33rd floor of the Standard Chartered building. Wow.
-Kenneth Wong

The end of the Central American dream

Hola Amigos! My Central American journey will finally conclude in less than a week and the nostalgia is slowly but certainly settling in. In brief, this trip definitely measured up to my expectations and was nothing but hell interesting. I have half a mind to delay the death of this adventure by going further south to Colombia for an additional week but that ain't gonna happen because my law internship begins in August. As you all are already reeling with fervent anticipation, I shall post pictures as soon as I get hold of my macbook in London. Also, this is the summarized version of my elaborate entry that will be penned in Singapore where I will have the luxury of internet time. Currently, I will take a holiday haha from my vacation and will very likely embark on a 2.5 month odyssey to South America in the Summer of 2008. In common parlance of a Costa Rican, Pura Vida! And have nothing but the best summer ever!
-Kenneth Wong

Planes and planes

I think that we have been on aeroplanes so often that we take flight for granted. I think that aviation and space exploration are beacons of human achievement. It always reminds me that alhought there is war and poverty, humans are not without accomplishment.
As first class was sparsely populated, i moved from my aisle seat to the window, since it was empty and was treated to a view that i have often sacrficed for the convenience of being at the aisle. Being above the clouds, with the sun shining down on them creates an amazing sight to behold.
This view would have been completely impossible before aeroplanes.
As I was descending, a funny thought crossed my mind. If i were an alien, on first glance, i would think that cars and trucks are the dominant life form on earth.
Anyway.. thats all i have to say... i just typed up this entry cause im so damn bored and too lazy to do anything im supposed to be doing now..

Cya.

-L

Back from the 'Nam

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The Last Day

Somehow I feel that the academic year has blazed past at some time warping speed. The sequence of events began in October when I nestled myself in my humble abode and finally came to a hasty end just yesterday as I parted from Clifton Hill House for good. Within this time interval, there certainly were changes in the state of affairs surrounding my life yet as always, the unimaginable mess in my room remains. The only difference lies in the content of the mess; it was initially clothes, books and cutlery but currently rough paper and perishables line the walls and trash dominates the foreground.

Unlike most of my friends who'd jump at the opportunity of moving out, I think it'd be fair to say that I somehow liked and got swiftly acquainted with my hall from day 1, even though my room is claustrophobically small. Despite its physically inferior size, the memories that I hold of it are by and far large. First, although I hardly recognize it, I enjoyed having complete dominion over how I lived without anyone telling me to clean up the mess. Everything seemed so perfect because everything functioned despite direly lacking in visual appeal. However there were times where I had to bear the consequences of my undoings such as massively flooding the entire floor as I negligently forgot to turn off the tap while my swim shorts clogged the sink.

I miss the familiarity of hall; the faces, the rare quasi-beauties and the facade such as the juxtaposition of Old Cliftons classic splendour to the crude and tainted bricked apperance of the rest of the hall. With my sight kept within the range of the grandoise veneer, I envisioned a heated swim pool on the lawn and an al-fresco restaurant on the patio that overlooked it. I'm sorry to burst your bubble as this figment of my imagination is likely to remain as a distant reality.

Most eminently, I remember the daily trips to the dining hall for meals that were hardly worth the walk there. Yet, I steadfastly dined there and right now I'm starting to have a mild suspicion that I may be a sucker for routine. On a more elaborative note, there was this episode of my life where I slept at 11am and woke up just in time to make it to the gym for an hour. Coincidentally, that interlude was contemporaneous with the transition of winter to spring and I used to stare at this tree while at breakfast, witnessing every stage of blossoming. As most residents were lazy and apathetic towards nutrition, few turned up for breakfast and I mainly ate alone or with Yanying.

In a circular fashion, I shall return to where I started off- my room. As mentioned in an earlier entry, my room is a sanctuary to me. Within it have I experienced a specturm of emotions and learnt many things too. For emphasis, I shall mention again that one of the greatest wonders of my room is its stillness and security thus it provides the necessary conditions for me to reflect and be brutally honest with myself. Not to forget, I spent most of my time behind my computer talking to various people; enjoying the casual banter, seeking/providing advice and even allowing another to surreptiously make an indelible impression on my life which I once was unable to forsee. Like the death of winter, spring is fading and this again is but a passing phase.

Through this and like I've always thought, the consecutive events in my life somehow blur the distinction between what is the beginning or the end or the beginning of the end as some might say. For example, the end of term signifies the beginning of my summer holidays, which eventual end would in turn signify the birth of a new academic year and the oscillations continue ad infinitum. However, it our perception of what lies between that matters most. In other words, it is for us to decide and believe that what we're doing is meaningful. That is indeed the rhythm of life that we ought to sing to.

Anyway, I'm thoroughly excited and anticipate the 46 day adventure that I'm about to embark on. Thanks for the wishes and I hope that you amigos have a vacation that is supercharged with havoc activities that are worthy of constituting the time of your lives. Don't forget my bet on Elvin to beat the shit outta Malik... 2 pratas man. Elvin you better rise to the occasion haha, on the right occasion like the dota duel. Okay goodbye my friends, I'm off to London Town!
-Kenneth Wong

Plan of the 'Nam

The ghost of Comrade Ho Chinh Minh has finally spoken and has graciously revealed the grand plan to me.

PP: Phnom Penh, HCM: Ho Chin Minh, NT: Nha Trang, HN: Hanoi, HL: Halong Bay


Tue, 19 June (PP-HCM)
Depart: 0800hrs
Arrive: 1700hrs
Book railway tix and Cu Chi tunnel (Vietcong tunnels) tour


Wed, 20 June (HCM)
Reunification Hall
War Remnants Museum
Museum of Vietnamese History
Notre Dame Cathedral
Lam Son Square
Ben Thanh market (night market till late)


Thurs, 21 June (HCM)
Cu Chi tunnels
Cholon (Chinatown), Binh Tay market


Fri, 22 June (HCM-NT)
Free and easy
Depart: SN2 – 2020hrs
SN4 – 1915hrs


Sat, 23 June (NT)
Arrive: SN2 – 0620hrs
SN4 – 0647hrs
Cham Ponagar Temple Complex; Thap Ba Hot Springs (mud bath, mineral water bath and MASSAGE!!)
Beach
Night FOOD market!


Sun, 24 June (NT-Hue)
Cho Dam (central market)
Beach
Depart: SE6 – 2011hrs


Mon, 25 June (Hue)
Arrive: SE6 – 0803hrs
Imperial City
Hue museum of Royal Fine Arts, Military Museum


Tue, 26 June (Hue-HN)
Explore Perfume River and Ho Quyen (amphitheatre)
Depart: TN4 – 1520hrs


Wed, 27 June (HN)
Arrive: TN4 – 0815hrs
Book Halong and Sapa tours
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Hoa Lo Museum (Hanoi Hilton, ex-prison for POWs and political prisoners)
Citadel, Vietnam Military History Museum


Thurs, 28 June (HN-HL)
Depart: 0700hrs
Arrive: 1100hrs


Fri, 29 June (HL)


Sat, 30 June (HL-HN-Sapa)
Arrive: 1700hrs
Depart: 2100hrs


Sun, 1 Jul (Sapa)


Mon, 2 Jul (Sapa)


Tue, 3 Jul (Sapa-HN)
Arrive: 2000hrs


Wed, 4 Jul (HN)
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
B-52 Museum
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu Pagoda)
Vietnam History Museum


Thurs, 5 Jul (HN-SIN)
Free and easy
Flight: 1920hrs: Depart Hanoi 1630hrs

Check out these 2 cool places I'm stopping by: Sapa (check out the spectacular multimedia flash images of Sapa: http://www.catcathotel.com/), the multi-ethnic tribal highlands north of Vietnam that contains SEA's highest peak; and Halong Bay (http://www.halongbay-vietnam.com/), a UNESCO Heritage Site that boasts a picturesque northern bay dotted with numerous limestone caves and little islands.

Big time.

The Thin Red Line

Please bear with me for this lengthy entry, and yes, I do have stuff to say. Indeed, yesterday was one of the most eventful in a long time. After a game of tennis with 3 other smu friends, we picked up a good girl friend of ours for dinner at the French Stall at little india. After a dinner that was grossly overpriced for french hawker food, we decided to check out the ridiculous array of stuff at mustafa. And that's where the life of our girl friend was changed forever.

After 2 hrs of scouring the whole place for snacks, goodies, electronics, perfume and knick knacks we decided make a move at 11 plus. Prior to that, our friend had purchased a mound of snacks amounting 30 bucks from upstairs. The moment we stepped outside the building, my friend was stopped by one of the staff, presumably a house detective. In her right hand was her wallet and underneath it, quite conspicuously, was a stick of unpaid mascara. I immediately stepped forward to explain that it was obviously a genuine mistake and we'd just head back and pay for the damn thing. The guy shook his head and insisted that she had to go see the store manager and only one of us could follow. So 3 of us waited while one went up with her. A gruelling 1 hr later (within which I was disbelievingly cursing and swearing at how undiscerning and inflexible the system was), the friend that followed her emerged alone with a shadow draped over his visage. He said 'I really dunno what the fuck she was thinking man'. Well, it came to be that she did have every intent to shoplift. The house detective had caught her peeling the label off the mascara earlier to avoid the detector at the exit and she admitted to it. The police were called in and she spent the night in the holding cell before being bailed out by my friend at 6am today.

My point in narrating this ludicrous episode is to demonstrate that there really is a thin line everywhere that separates success from failure, a positive outcome from a really really absolutely screwed up one. Firstly, I could have reminded her just before stepping out to pay for the damn thing but I just forgot to (of course it's not my responsibility to, but the fact is I noticed her holding the mascara earlier and could've reminded her to pay for it before leaving if I had been more aware). I mean, just a few words of a ostensibly trivial reminder from any one of us would've have prevented that disaster and her life wouldn't have deviated from its steady course.

Secondly, she could've got away with the act quite easily I believe (perhaps now I'm not too sure anymore). She did everything right such as peeling away the tag and walking out with absolute nonchalance, not even bothering to hide the item (which may be a smart idea just in case she got caught she could've said that she didn't bother hiding it so it was obviously a mistake). The only thing she did not do right was avoiding detection in the early stages of the act - she was seen peeling off the label. This second point also serves as a lesson to everyone of us: in our various undertakings in life, we must take care not to slip up in the preparation stages as well as the details - in short, the means must be executed as meticulously as we're willing to ensure achievement of the ends. It was that pernicious oversight that turned potential success (I'm not endorsing theft here - I mean success in a general way) into a devastating fiasco.

Thirdly, it's only a sheer thread that separates good from bad, morality from immorality. She can easily afford a mascara that costs 16 bucks; moreover, she just blew 30 bucks on chocs and snacks. And as a person, she's one of the nicest girls around really, with a rare sense of elegant wit and charm to boot. So, how are we to judge her? Do we even have the right to judge her? Well, let's take this for instance: if we witness a shoplifting incident by some hopeless gangster minah, we're likely to pass some kinda judgement in our heads, if not verbally: ah it's just another one of 'em... can't afford don't buy la... stupid minah ruining her already screwed up life. But the thing is, my friends, isn't my friend here facing the exact external situation as the hypothetical, if not stereotypical, example of the minah? Well, for one, I'm not ashamed to admit i'm just a normal partial human being who would find it exceedingly hard to label my friend as a criminal and condemn her in the slightest fashion. So, is my friend, an ex-rj double degree smu scholar any less immoral and bad than the lousy minah? Naturally, in the case of my friend, I'll think that it was a moment of ridiculous folly that she decided to commit that one-off impulsive act and unfortunately for her, she cocked up big time - she's just a victim of folly, impulse and herself. But with other petty criminals, I'll probably look at them with an eye of disdain and say: he asked for it man. Hence, this is the thin line I'm talking about which ostensibly separates the immoral from the not-so-moral, the bad from not-so-good - a shady line which may in fact be a figment of our biased imaginations. Maybe, it's time we start embracing the objective realities in life and start effacing the constructed realities in our minds; suspending judgments and prejudices.

Somehow, committing the act and getting away with it sounds and feels almost fine sometimes. However, it's a totally different story when you freakin get caught - you'll probably start questioning yourself, wallowing in highly-emo introspection, and do some deep soul searching after being exposed with your pants down and getting into big time trouble. Indeed, along the different paths each of us chooses to take in life, we will invariably encounter situations that seem harmless to 'tweak a little' and cut corners for gain; but, which may also ultimately result in graver than grave consequences. As an afterthought to this entry, let me say these 3 obvious things that some or all of us may inadvertantly forget from time to time when complacency creeps in: 1) don't do it which may screw up your life no matter the gain cos it may always swing the other way 2) if you're gonna do it anyway, pls pls pls don't fuckin get caught 3) if all else fails, pray for forgiveness as the only way now is up.

Amigos, let not such a disaster befall any one of us; and if it does happen to anyone, God forbid, no one shall be left behind.

I have the chair

Somehow, while i was sitting on my chair a few days ago, the arm snapped into 3 pieces, which prompted me to buy a new one yesterday. Btw, the arm bears alot of weight because it is connected on one side to the base of the chair and on the other side, to the back of the chair.. Anyway.. on taking it out of its box today, i realized that it was actually quite similar to my broken chair. So instead of assembling it, i just took the arms out of the box and affixed them to my old chair. I now have a frankenchair, part chair and part some other chair. Im hoping that it doesnt suddenly disintegrate without warning.. but so far so good..

cheers!

-Luke

It had to happen

Hey ppl.. After much sleeping late and sleeping in, i have finally skipped enough school to warrant an email from med sch admin. They basically informed me that i have skipped more lessons than is allowed and that in such cases, it is sometimes possible that the student may be barred from the exams... While i take little notice of such ridiculous threats that will obviously amount to nothing, it did start me on a thought process that lead to the most interesting few minutes of my weekend so far. I wondered what I would do if I was in fact forced out of med sch.. The first idea was to go on a holiday but then i realized that i could ill afford to spend my time fruitlessly, having already wasted 4 years. Unsound ideas aside, I settled on applying for law school in cambridge, which for some reason i never did in the past, and if that failed, law in nus.. If you were to conclude that if those were the most interesting minutes of my weekend, i must be having and abysmally boring one, you would be completely right. I am waist high in work, with my exams around 3 weeks away and the pile isnt getting any shorter. Anyway, just in case anyone forgets, i am coming back on 13th june.. cya guys soon.

-Luke

The 2 Kinds of People in this World

You see, there's only 2 kinds of people in this world my friend - those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.

- Blondie, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The seemingly Impossible has been made Possible

The purpose of this entry is a reminder to everyone that there might always be a miracle around the corner and that the prospect of the impossbility transforming into a possiblity is nothing less than possible. Of course, I'd be untrue to you and myself if the above reasons are the only ones for this entry - indeed, this an entry that runneth over with unbridled pomp, aplomb, and delirious delight.

I just got back the last grade of the term yesterday.
The final results:
Psychology: A+
Analytical Skills (logic): A+
Rise and Fall of the Great Powers since 1500: A+
Research Methods in Social Sciences: A
Creative Thinking: A
Business, Government and Society: A-
Final GPA: 4.09; Dean's list; Summa cum laude; potentially the top scorer in the faculty

Now now, how this actually happened is beyond my expectations and even more so for some specifics, beyond my own comprehension. I used to think that a perfect gpa of 4 is beyond my reach, more so in social science due to its subjective and volatile nature. However, I managed to surpass that pinnacle by 0.9. I guess I do have myself to thank to a large extent for this as I did work my ass off this term as attested by the sheer amount of discipline I displayed through my study regimen. But some things are not as easily explained such as the ridiculous A+ for Analytical Skills (a uni core mod that is notorious for its difficulty esp cos you can't really study for it), of which I'm not particularly talented in and it is a mod that my friends (who are of the same standard as me, at least what I perceive to be with good reasons) got Bs for (the highest I know of is a rare A-). Indeed, I can only attribute such impossibilities-made-possible to gracious divine intervention. I'd like to thank a few who had a hand in this wonder: Luke and Melia for these few words, 'you owe it to yourself'; and the good Lord for sealing the deal. Big time.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary... is a word which here means a small, safe place in a troubling world. Like an oasis in a vast desert or an island in a stormy sea. The Baudelaires enjoyed their evening in the sanctuary they have built together but in their hearts they knew that the troubling world lay just outside.
-Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events

The ludicrous cashier

Guess what man? Today, the cashier at Sainsbury(my regular grocery store) demanded my ID just as I was about to pay for a bottle of San Pellegrino. To begin with, it was a bottle of aerated mineral water although its possibly deceptive appearance could've led her to believe it had alcohol in it. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her hmmm....

However there're also 2 interesting factors that have to be taken into account. First, I wore my newly purchased and totally kool windbreaker which had the words 'University of Bristol' and its crest emblazoned on it. This implies that it's highly probable that I'm at least 18 and therefore am legal to consume alcohol. Though there is no direct connection between wearing this windbreaker and being a university student, it's still highly probable because Bristol is a university town where students constitute the multitude.

The more striking and infuriating factor deals with the fact that she didn't automatically assume i surpassed the 18 barrier. Hello! Do I look any younger? Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question.

for some reason she still relentlessly asked for my ID... so I just had to drive the dagger home man

As expected, she was absolutely stunned when i dealt her the coup de grace by politely mentioning that it was actually mineral water while refraining from wearing a grin HAHHAHAHAHA... the beauty of it was that I meant it so respectfully and tried to empathize with her... yet i couldn't help but eventually betray a smirk that turned into great balls of laughter. HAHA!
-Kenneth 'double up' Wong

The Day After

Yesterday was round 1 won by the Fates when I unexpectedly got an A- for a mod I thought I should have got at least an A. Apparently, the tables have turned...


A+ for Psychology. Mugging the 717 pages was worth it all. Round 2 to Justin. Muahahaha...

The Cube

Hey guys... I solved a completely messed up Rubik's cube for the first time yesterday... Here is a picture of the triumphant moment.

-Luke

An Interesting Term

Ahhh... I just got home from a sumpteous dinner with a couple of my church friends. We dined at Foster's at HV and I had beef tenderloin steak wrapped in bacon. It was simply heavenly. The starters of grilled field mushrooms and calamari were also equally delectable. And we moved on to walas for some leffe blond beer which I was really looking forward to, esp. after my beer craving was cruelly unsatiated last night when the place Luke, Mel, Mark and I had drinks at Dempsey Rd, had only wine to offer. I'm all happy and tipsy now after guzzling down almost 2 jugs of liquid gold. Indeed, there is no better way to qualify post-exam delight.....

A term has just whizzed past and it wasn't too long ago when I was lamenting to myself on my study desk 'when will this bloody exams be over??'. The following documents a few observations, insights and things I learned over this term.

Firstly, I gained a whole new load of psychology knowledge, 717 pages worth to be exact. It is really cool to learn about the human psych all the way from the biological perspective to the social and to the personal. Indeed, this course has armed me with the knowledge to understand people better and view the actions of the world from alternative perspectives previously unknown to me.

Secondly, I did a course that I actually enjoyed doing most of the way. It's a creative thinking course and yes, it's retarded to be teaching ppl how to be creative. However, we managed to churn out a 20min film that tells a twisted tale of Cinderella. And I actually enjoyed it so much. Probably gonna be the most memorable and fun project I'll ever do in SMU.

Thirdly, I took a big time leap, that embodied immense sacrifice and courage, to plunge into the piranha-infested waters of law double degree where I'll have to be treading water furiously for the next 4 yrs, yes 4 damn yrs of my life, to keep my head above water. I'm praying it's a sound decision made and the rewards will be big big time.

Fourthly, I discovered a new part of myself that actually possesses the mental tenacity and physical endurance to last through a whole term of debilitating projects and intense exam prep. And the most surprising thing of all is that my usual dependance on 7-8 hrs of daily sleep suddenly disappeared and I could survive easily on 6 hrs of sleep a day without any significant disruption on my studying regimen. Somehow, my body stepped up to the rigours of exams without any conscious persuation. Quite amazing indeed. I think it's the will power that subconsciously drove my body to surmount physical limits it had previously set for itself.

Fifthly, I forged deeper friendships with quite a few SMU friends and the course of the term has allowed me glimpses of the good side of them.

Last but def not the least, I discovered a new side of Kenneth which I shall not elaborate on for personal reasons.

And all the best to the rest of you Amigos who have your upcoming exams. God speed.

My Interesting Thoughts

Oh and in continuation of my previous post, I must add that our series of meetings in this fleeting period has been wholly rewarding. In the absence of the luxury of time, I guess that all of us were more greatly motivated to make each gathering addtionally and astonishingly havoc. As necessary to every outing, someone would get slammed and that would bring everyone(yes it also includes the object of slamming) great balls of laughter which makes it all the more memorable. For the record, your chances of getting slammed are largely and usually determined by fortune or you might say, your lack or it. Think musical chairs. But that is not always the case because one can increase his chances of getting slammed...

My time came when yall vehemently accused me of blushing at the mention (don't mention!) of this ex-acjc girl(2005 moment) when I STILL believe that I didn't! I'm also pretty sure that the goat in the boat joke didn't float Luke's boat either. As for Malik, I'm sorry Luke killed and took your divine rapier.... and of course, don't be sorry for not participating in any of the main battles in Warcraft because we already did what you didn't do HAHA! Justin Justin Justin... do you still remember your appetizing and delectable catch of the day (she was the main course at fish n co) who also happens to be your Helen of Troy residing in your many fantasies? Oh haha what's her name again? In additon, the unforgettable and incredibly funny (i think i spelt it wrongly.. i was looking for a word which meant someone's rear end that begins with a F haha!) fiasco Haha Haha! Carpe diem my friend! Now who's next? Who else but the Elvin the Entrancer. Of whom i'll dedicate an entire paragraph to.

Unlike everyone else, I feel Elvin should be spared because his heavily invested magic can potentially spell big time trouble for me. rather, this blog ought to be spared from 'The Absolutely Stunning Chronicles of Elvin' because it's ridiculous length would probably erase all our previous entries and crash every server in this world. Nevertheless, I should give you a piece of advice based on my sixth sense: you may wanna delete a particular number in your handphone... and no, she ain't your ace in the pack HAHA. Please tell me if my wisdom surpasses your expectations man..

Anyway yah, I think that the dynamics among us are indeed wayyyy too cool man. Plus, we've identified our alpha male of the group: Malik. If you do realize, he influences many critical decisions such as which places to dine at and also when we should disperse (incidentally ive a friend who doesn't read this blog but finds the word 'disperse' especially amusing!). And to keep our alpha male on his toes, we've got Justin to pose as a constant threat; right now justin's leading 1 nil because Malik fucked up by charring our bbq-ed food. Thank God for using Justin as an instrument of his divine intervention man. Haha Luke and I are pivotal to this group even though we hardly do shit.. like that time when we just sat, ate and talked cock while malik and justin were fanning the flames of our bbq. The reason why we aren't as useless as we seem is because we contribute to and regulate the overall morale and harmony of this entity. Finally and somehow again, I end with Elvin. Elvin simply provides the extra sparkle haha to each gathering by perennially mystifying us with his magic.

Thanks for your moments my friends. I'm glad that apart from the fun we had, we also managed to learn something new about one another. Oh well, I'll hopefully be jetting off to London soon and at that point of time, my respite ha-ha would've ended. The drama of human life continues .... yet again hahahahah......

oh let me jump the gun.. i think that we should go clubbing when everyone's present in December. mission based clubbing. btw in case yall dunno... the first mission we had was called 'to prise the prize.' And no shit man.. i bet it was worth going the distance for.
-Kenneth Wong

A Potential Disaster

What's up Amigos? Okay man, at this point I'm probably in deep shit. The reason why I used 'probably' instead of 'possibly' is because I'm highly unlikely to board a plane to London till next Thursday since there's only 1 available seat during this period. Unlike the many other moments where I could be late with impunity, the potential consequences are dire as I have coursework due in the near future and have absolutely no material here to even hazard a pass. This is why I'm pinning my hopes on occupying the last and only available seat tomorrow. Even an economy class seat would suffice! HAHA. Alternatively, I could stowaway like the castaway Tom Hanks............

Returning to Bristol would only solve a fraction of the problem with my books being there. The larger portion of it lies in dealing with both the essay questions. Thus far, I've taken a look at one of them and have no blinking idea where to begin with! I guess it's not a situation which I'm remotely familiar with Haha. Coincidentally I'm listening to the song 'Where do we ('I' in this case) go from here' from the Evita OST and predictably, my answer is I dunno man. Hmm at this point it seems as though the potential disaster is gonna evolve into an impending one. Oh well, after all I'm Ken the man with the masterplan so I hope to count on my superhero abilities to extricate myself and avert any undesirable outcomes. Yup and by that I mean doing a 0-5000 in 1 week.
-Ken the man with the masterplan and Ken is here have no fear (even though Ken is in fear)

Is it Us or Them?

Ok, just to update you guys on the big time shit I'm in now, I've 4 exams to sit for in the wk after next and I've just started revision tonight. And the situation defintiely doesn't seem too hopeful with the next few days wasted on projects and lessons. Been wanting to post this entry for some time but never got down to, so now I'm gonna summarize it in a few sentences.

I came across this Indian guy in his early 30s on the train last week and he obviously seemed quite cranky with his exagerrated movements and mannerisms. And many ppl were eyeing him with disdain, some even bordering on contempt. It was as if they were saying 'whats up with this weirdo'. When he finally squeezed onto a seat between a middle-aged woman and a mom with an infant in arms, I noticed a series of interesting events. The woman glared at him from time to time cos of his occasional exaggerated mannerisms that irritated her somehow; whereas the mom did not mind his presence the least bit. In fact after a couple of minutes, he ended up playing with the baby cos the baby started to playfully touch his arm initially. And the mom, who was with her husband on her other side, didn't the least bit mind this cranky nut interacting and playing with her child. Of course, by now everyone was staring at the crank and probably the mom too, and wondering why the hell is the baby playing with the crank and why the hell is the mom not minding it.

This episode somehow really stirred my thoughts and has left an indelible mark in my head. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm guilty of being initally wary of the crank and if I was the middle-aged woman I'd wished he didn't choose the seat beside me. But as time went by, the wonderful bond that formed between baby and crank and mother and crank really evoked a paradigm shift in my perceptions. Really, are these cold, indignant, judgmental, yet normal people on the train (myself included to a certain extent) any more sane than the crank himself? Perhaps, Mr Nutty is the only sane being on the train, and all of us are the ones who are mad.

I'm coming home

Since the blog seems to be suffering from a sudden dearth of entries, I have decided to just squeeze one in during these few minutes of free time that i have as my flight home fast approaches. The next 48 hours or so before my flight are tightly packed with household chores, finishing sch work, writing emails to teachers and buying things. Fortunately, im down to just the references for my essay, which i should complete within the next 2 hours. Anyway.. I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing all of you guys.. In case anyone has forgotten, I will be arriving on friday morning... cya soon!
Btw.. does anyone have any ideas as to what i should engrave at the back of my ipod nano im gonna get, since the engraving service is free...

-Luke

The Doner Kebab

For many days, I used to walk past my local kebab take-out joint 'Hunger Hatch' nonchalantly, cavalier to the appetite enticing whiffs that pervade the surrounding air with the knowledge that this nutrition-less fare is potentially the worst bargain I could ever get for 3 pounds. However on Tuesday night, the hinges of the gates of my appetite started to loosen and as you guessed, they finally broke open. The moment began when those delectable strips of lamb landed on and caressed my palate, providing a new found gratification that came with immediate addiction cautions. Incidentally, I christened Hunger Hatch as the Emerald City where each path leading to it was lined with yellow bricks. Dead into the night, I left the club relatively prematurely compared to most of my friends as the Doner kebab withdrawal symptoms started to kick in. Somehow, after purchasing my calorie laden grub and bidding goodbye to the yellow brick road, I felt that I'd paid slightly too high a price for it. Hmmm.
-Kenneth Wong

But I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

I'm facing a particularly low point in my life right now.
I've 5 projects and 4 exams this term, partly due to my over-ambitious move of bidding for 2 extra mods instead of 1. And 3 of my exams are gonna fall on 2 consecutive days. My intention, afterall, was to do more now and slack big time later on but then, it's gonna be irrelevant if I get into law.
I've underperformed slightly for a mid term and I'm somehow affected psychologically by this ostensibly small setback. In objective terms, this is really a small setback cos I missed the A- for the mid terms by a mere 2% which wouldnt be hard to make amends for in the finals, but the point is, I'm somehow feeling demoralised. I feel a sense of failure and nagging uncertainty in my own abilities that I've yet to experience in smu.
The sheer incompetency and lack of ambition of some of my group mates that lead to a most insiduous effect on the effectiveness and capability of one of my group projects. I have to be the one making sure that those morons don't cock up and remind them not to be morons and be the ass who works his ass off to make sure things go well or else his ass goes as well.
I guess the cumulative effect of the monstrous projects and exams that are bogging me down, in addition to the mini screwup in that particular mid term, is leaving a most unpleasant distaste in my mouth. And I'm trying to get rid of that coarse, viscous, big time stinking shit from my mouth.

From the movie I just watched

"Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be? How will history remember you?"
-William Hundert, The Emperor's Club

The Summer Holiday

"I hope the pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope"
-Red, The Shawshank Redemption

After much unhurried thought and the performance of numerous balancing acts, I have made up my mind. Akin to the many escapades ventured by protaganists such as Bilbo Baggins and Allan Quartermain, my insatiable need to embark on an adventure has resurfaced yet again and this time it has translated into a concrete plan. In addition to a wanderlust which merely implies an itch to travel, I also seek the thrill that is provided by the elements of danger and potential uncertainty.

The path less trodden:

June 8th: Depart London, United Kingdom for Cancun, Mexico

Days 1-6: Mexico
Places: Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum Chetumal

Days 7-10: Belize
Places: Belize City, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio.

Days -11- 19: Guatemala
Places: Flores, Rio Dulce, Lake Izabal, Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala, Panajachel

Days 20-24: Honduras
Places: Copan, La Celba, Utila Bay Islands, Comayagua

Days 25-30: Nicaragua
Places: Leon, Managua, Granada, Ometepe Island

Days 31-36: Costa Rica
Places: Monteverde, La Fortuna/Arenal, San Jose, Puerto Viejo

Days 37-46: Panama
Places: Panama City, Bocas del Toro, Boquette, El Valle

July 24th; Depart Panama City for London Heathrow

As you would expect a 46 day trip to offer, this leviathan adventure encompasses various opportunities to come face to face with the cuisines, cultures (of the contemporary as well as the indegenious inhabitants), biodiversity and natural beauty(extinct and active volcanoes, mountains, jungles, caves, rivers, beaches, a barrier reeef...bikini or scantily clad girls HAHA!) of Central America. Also, I'd participate in a never-ending cycle of activities such as snorkelling, diving, hiking, photo-taking, rafting, playing sports, learning to surf, perhaps wake-boarding and of course relaxing on the beach without a worry or care. Through my impending endeavours, I hope to explore my limits and perhaps even breach the existing frontiers of my life. By the way, this itinerary is brief and contains no explicit details on the various places of interest as well as the pertinent activities i'd engage in there, because I intend it to be a surprise when I make my forthcoming post after I return.
-Kenneth Wong

The Awakening

The 5am talk with Melia and Luke this morning has hammered home the most potent imapct on my life since the new year has commenced. It is bloody ironic that the process of reviewing Luke's life-impacting dilemma has led me to realize all this stuff. Indeed, the conversation has impelled me to conduct a series of introspections and I feel that I've been enlightened with new perspectives in life. Suddenly I realize that all this while I've been thinking on a different spectrum as many others who are probably gonna succeed in life. I've been viewing and leading my life under this yoke of sloth, passivity and inaction, the lack of ambition and illogical fear of hard work. All this time, I've been deceived by my own sense of warped logics and justifications that constantly lie to me into perceiving myself as a success and harbouring a cocky persuation of a bright future that will be achieved through innate finesse and perhaps a series of fortunate events. I've always looked to the easiest way out and maximisation of personal utility. I've never really believed that effort is more or less commensurate to success. For the record, these self-deceptions and insane delusions have been discarded as of now. The lies must stop.

I definitely owe myself this responsibility to start working on maximising my potentials, extirpate the mental fetters that have enslaved my mind for a decade and break out of my comfort zones to plunge into the deep of unchartered waters. I'm seriously ashamed that all this time I've been encaged in this dungeon of self-denial and I'm appalled at why this never ocurred to me. Well, better late than never. A fresh start in the year of the piggy. Whatever it is, I better pass the law interview next week. Wish me luck. Then again, I don't need luck. Haha!

Justin