The Surgery

Hey guys,

This blog entry is coming to you from the comfort of my chair in my room on this nice sunny thursday at 1523. It feels good to not be at work.

I got back from surgery a few hours back. The new scar though longer, looks significantly better than the old one. One cool thing about the surgery is that they are gonna prepare histological slides of my old scar so that I can look at it under a microscope.

At the moment my entire leg is completely immune to pain. I was injected with local anaesthesia about ten times. The surgery itself was not very unpleasant. In fact i suspect taking the plaster and dressing out will be more painful then the actual surgery.

Anyway, its really nice to have some time to myself with absolutely nothing to do and nothing to worry about. I'm sure kenneth, still on his summer holiday knows exactly what I'm talking about all too well. I plan to do nothing for the next few hours other than listen to some music, surf the net and maybe play some PS3.

On an unrelated note, something has been weighing heavy on my mind for the past week.

I can't believe I will be 26 when I graduate. 26 seems like such an absurdly old age. Unthinkable a few short years ago, when juston and myself were still messing up our O levels at RI.

Somehow, these 2.5 years since I started uni seem to have slipped past so quickly, barely leaving me with a chance to get acquainted with them or to arrest their inevitable rush forward.

I can still remember exactly what I was doing when 1999 was giving way to 2000. I can remember where I was, what songs were playing in the background, the conversations I had that night.

And now, having carelessly blinked my eyes without preparing myself for what I would see when I opened them, its 2008. Soon, an entire decade would have passed since then. It seems that the older you get, the faster time seems to pass. At least that's what it feels like to me.

That being said, the last 2.5 years have been memorable ones, filled with many moments of joy and happiness, many of which involved all you guys. Watching the World Cup, Kenneth singing cotton fields twice, going deaf at rock city, seeing the pyramids, enjoying the Aegean Sea, suprising my parents with a last minute trip back to sg and too many others to mention.

And let's not forget just chilling out. At Dan Ryan's with Justin, at Coffee Club with Kenneth, at Al Azhar with Malik.

We best treasure these precious moments, because in what may not seem like a very long time, another decade would have passed and these moments we have with each other may be few and far between as we get caught up in our careers, families, explaining to our children how when we were young, there was no such thing as the internet, TVs had curved screens and weighed a tonne, handphones looked like suitcases and then like bricks, photos were taken using something called film and how everything was so much cheaper back in the day - all the kind of things we find so strange and unreal when our parents talk to us about them - mee goreng for 30c? black and white TVs?? vinyl records???

Anyway the point I'm making it is, let's cherish the fling of youth before it clandestinely passes us by.

I don't wanna grow up, I wanna be a Toys 'R' Us kid.

Here's a toast to some of the best moments in life.

Cheers.

-Luke



P.S. Here is the customary picture of the damage.

Whooyeahhh...

I decided to sneak in an entry just before the start of school tomorrow to draw the final curtain on a supersmashing summer (for me, at least) that is and will remain a milestone one.

This has been a very eventful as well as enjoyable summer for me as it unfolded with a bang and ended off with a series of bangs:
1. I jetted off to my 51-day Mediterranean adventure less than a week after a gruelling week of exams and had fun of seismic proportions during the trip
2. I completed a fucked-up 6-day reservist in-camp 4 days after returning from my trip
3. I did 2-wk and 3-wk internship stints at Gabriel Law Corp (undoubtedly the best law corp around (an achievement only of late due to the recent and fortuitous signing of a star advocate called KDT)) and A&G respectively right after my in-camp
4. I went to Cambodia to get some good done for 5 days
5. I got myself hooked up with an amazing girl
6. I managed to spend quality time with worthy friends

And in old-fashioned resignation, I put hedonism on hold for 3 1/2 months and embrace the menacing head of a new semester in law school.

Our Anthem

Amigos para siempre means..

you'll always be my friend

a love that cannot end

friends for life not just a summer or a spring

****

Today, Luke and I sang our anthem on behalf of theamigos man. Cheers to our friendship once again! In fact I remember that we were supposed to get high at Sentosa and record our very own rendition 2 years ago. Lets make it a reality this year.

We share memories I won't forget
And we'll share more, My friend, We haven't started yet
Something (too many havoc things) happens
When we're together

-Kenneth Wong

Traversing the Mediterranean, Backpacker Style

Gazing up at the piercing cornflower-blue sky. A dry, cool breeze sweeping through my body. Lifting yet another forkful of linguini alla frutti de mare* to my lips and unleashing the smorgasbord of flavours into my olfactories. Washing down the lingering freshness of the sea with a sip of vino bianco**. I close my eyes, gratefully savouring every moment…

It was truly a pleasure experiencing three unique age-old civilisations and peoples. After a month of thoughtful planning, Kelly, Dawn and I scooted off to Mediterranean Turkey, Greece and Italy for 51 days. We arrived in Istanbul and were immediately plunged into an exotic realm boasting the curious confluence of Eastern and Western cultures. The Ottoman and Muslim influences of Turkey may have succeeded her glorious Byzantine past, but grand monuments of Roman and Western influence stand tall against the test of time. We were overwhelmed by the Church of Saint Sophia that was built 1800 years ago by Emperor Justinian, proudly erect in defiance to the magnificent Blue Mosque that was built in the 1600s by the Ottoman sultans. The otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia, the blindingly whitewashed travertine terraces baptising the ancient hillsides at Pamukkale, and the impressive ruins of Ephesus are among the other experiences that alluringly coloured our sojourn in Turkey. However, for those who loathe lamb and kebabs, Turkey may be your worst nightmare yet!

Inter-city traveling in Turkey was done by bus, but to get across to Greece, we took a ferry from the western coast of Turkey into the Greek islands. The Cyclades islands were definitely a major highlight of our trip. We spent 1 ½ weeks soaking in the hedonism of the sybaritic Greek islands as we hopped between Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos and the Peloponnese. Our days were overflowing with sun, sea, booze, mind-blowing seafood and pork gyros*** amidst the mazes of picturesque streets and shops which characterize the quaint beauty of the islands. Moving north to Athens, we were glad to have touched and smelt the cradle of Western civilization (despite the fact that many parts of the Acropolis were draped in scaffolding). Most of all, the spirit of filoxenia (Greek hospitality) followed us throughout our travels in Greece, all the way from the islands to the mystical ruins at Delphi, the towering cliff-side monasteries at Meteora, and the bustling city that was Thessaloniki.

After 36 hours on the move by bus and ferry, we heaved a sigh of relief when we arrived at Italy’s Amalfi coast. We explored the rougher Southern Italy and Naples (pizza’s birthplace!) before sweeping through Pompeii, Rome, the Vatican, Florence, Pisa and Venice. We loved mighty Rome for the seemingly inexhaustible reminders of her exalted past - at every corner we turned, there was always some fascinating ruin, piazza, fountain or monument to feast our senses upon. Florence was a particularly delectable experience as she oozed the thriving wonders and culture of the Renaissance – we gladly lapped up the world-famous art pieces and sculptures from the likes of, inter alia, Michaelangelo, Carravagio, and Da Vinci. The idyllic fishing villages of Cinque Terre did not disappoint with their stunning views, turquoise beaches, and peerless seafood. Our last stop was Milan, where Kelly raided the Ferragamo, Prada and Armani stores, before flying back to our meepok, char kuay teow and tom yam…

* Linguini pasta with fruits of the sea ** White table wine
*** Greek pitas stuffed with roasted pork chunks, fries and yoghurt