Vijay in Singapore!

Vijay was here!! Hee.. took a day off work to hang out with him in town..

For the not-so-informed.. Vijay was my roommate at Stanford! He's an Indian from India, who had been in America 5 years when I met him. Still remember, when my mom heard that my roommate was Indian, her questions were things like, does he stink?

Hahaha.. well, not that I'm entirely faultless of the curse of racism.. Anyway, Vijay's the fourth (set of) roommate(s) I've had. First was in KR, some nameless PSC scholar who didn't even stay. Then in Birmingham with Chunzhi, Louis, Yewei, Kok Sung.. and that was fun! Followed by Bristol with Pierre, Ivy, Noelle, which was cool (especially the pool table!) But Vijay was by far the best roommate I've ever had. We didn't start out with a whole lot of common interests, and kind of different diets. But over the course of a year, we shared interests, teaching each other about pool, astronomy, anime, Bollywood, throwing parties together, travelling together, drinking beer together, doing movie nights, joining up with each other's social circles.

In my book, Vijay is the ideal in terms of how a student should live when studying overseas. He maintains contact with his countrymen, but doesn't make the mistake of isolating himself from the locals. He hangs out with people of all nations and cultures, making friends easily and introducing those friends to each other, helping to broaden everyone's horizons. Hanging out with him was easy!

So we spent hours at Cafe Cartel and Pacific Coffee Club, watched Howl's Moving Castle and played Time Crisis 2 at CineLeisure, had chicken rice at Selegie. Talked about each other's goings-on, and shared about our girlfriends and good friends... Turns out he's still watching anime, even joining the Stanford Anime Club. :> Makes me feel good!

I think the most flattering thing for me was how we were talking about how much we enjoyed those times.. (even now I'm reminded of getting rainchecks for Post Cereal... ) It's a deep compliment for me that Vijay found me to be a good roommate too.. :>

Well.. I'm hoping that I'll get to visit him soon, or that he'll really do like what he said and come to Singapore to work too!

KeY's camera pix of my Xiao San Yuan yesterday night, playing with my mom, sis, and KeY.. my second time this CNY! A lot of "yuan" with my "good friends" this year..heh

These make up KeY's present! Phone tags, one for each of us, and they join up to make a happy happy person.. see the big smile on his face? Hands holding our hearts, joining them together.. :>

This is KeY's V-day gift! At first I wanted to get her something else, but that was sold-out.. :< Still, as I was browsing in Precious Thots, I saw him calling, "Me! Me! Look here!"... hee... KeY loves him! (more than me.. :<)

New Year and catching up

It's finally the new year.. been enjoying myself a bit but now it's time to work.. and boy is there a lot of it. I shouldn't even be blogging, but I haven't blogged in eternity... and when I was clearing the mail, I saw the link to Alex's site, and then from there to Lari. So might as well link them, and now I might as well blog!

There's been a lot of frustrations and strange happenings, as well as good things. Especially good things.. I guess in retrospect, every day good things happen to me. Even with all the petty frustrations, I know that at the end of the day I'm healthy (minus the accidents), happy, and not extremly poor. I've got good friends, a fantastic and loving girlfriend, warm and caring family. I've got enough free time to do things that I like to do. I've got a job for when I come out of NS. And keeping score aside.. Everyday, I find many many things that make me smile, make me cry happy tears, and I get to know even more people.

Truly.. I can say it now.. God is good. Just wish I could be a better boy...

Job confirmed

So my job is finally confirmed. No more squirming when people ask me, "So which ministry are you going to go to?" I guess I'm extremely insecure. Keep catching myself wondering if maybe no ministry will want me.. that I'll be one of the first round rejects. Still... good news for the new year!

Long long taxi ride

Met up with Sze How, Irwin, and Guy to go see the Ang Mo Kio FSC people. We were supposed to go to their office at Blk 240 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, and after dinner at Central we figured it would be easier to take a taxi down. Had a really bad case of miscommunication with the taxi driver though... First he thought Sze How knew where it was, so we went in direction A. We quickly found the block numbers there were too high, whereupon we persuaded Sze How to turn back.

(english subtitles to chinese conversation)
Taxi uncle: How come you don't know where it is?
Sze How: I don't know that's why I take taxi! Shouldn't you know? You're a taxi driver!
TU: I can' t know every street! Anyway I wanted to u-turn back but you said it was this way.
SH: How can you not know?

And so on...

Then we went back in the other direction.. No block 240. Max is 235.

TU: I think your instructions must be wrong. Maybe it's on the neighbouring Ave 1.
SH: Cannot be wrong la. I checked online already, it's there!
TU: We drive around and see, maybe neighboring street will have.

Then we went through Ave 1. On the way, we saw block 230 and a sign Ang Mo Kio FSC.
Irwin and me: Is that the one?
SH: No, that's another one. The new one they shifted to should be at the other side where we first went. I remember the block is not with the rest one.

Nothing on Ave 1.. so small side streets. Nothing, and I suggested
Z: maybe we should stop at the Block 230 and check.
Irwin: yah, we can always ask for directions there.
TU: It's okay, I also want to see where it is. Let's keep going.

I've been feeling a bit cheated, and this statement kind of seals it. Damn, the guy must think we're total kai-tze. There to be cheated only is it? We're passing 230 anyway, so I say,
Z: Let's just stop here.
TU: Where ah?
I: We just passed it
TU: Oh like that ah. You want me to turn around and bring you there?
Z: Let's just stop. I'm sick of this ride.
SH: Stop here. (points forward)
TU: I can drive you back, it's no problem.
SH: Stop here!

Anyway, that uncle will get his retribution. The funny part comes when we step into 230 to ask for directions, and the nice lady (Siew Li) says she was expecting us, she was wondering whether or not to call us already (we're late by fifteen minutes already). And Sze How is like, wasn't it 240?

Oops.
But interestingly, Block 240 doesn't seem to exist! Maybe it's a car park or something.

the meeting itself went okay. During the meeting, I'm kind of pissed off at everyone on our side not wanting to commit. I caught myself thinking, "Can't we just decide instead of leaving our options open and changing and all that? We're like not very sure of what we want, whatever our partners want we'll accommodate like that. " Definitely not my style. At the end of the day, Siew Li says, we'll need to come up with a more complete proposal.

So, end of day discussion, we'll work with AMK FSC. Rest of it needs discussion with the rest, get them committed. But at least I'm not alone in realising that we can't wait for a group consensus. To me, we need to quickly hammer down a proposal of what we want to do. I think most of the group will just go with anything put up to them. Those who aren't, can raise it up. If it's something small, we'll negotiate it. If it's something large, then we'll really negotiate it. And if we can't make the two ends meet... well, fact is, they didn't come for any of the meetings, or take part in the discussion anyway right?

Just thinking back to what Glen said. "People give to people, not to causes". Not entirely true I guess. Tons of people give to tsunami funds without even thinking about it. But causes change, get adjusted to meet needs or to fit reality. The people don't change. They're the same ones who will do a job reliably come what may, who will shift in certain ways to adapt to realities, who live by strong principles and values in their own lives. And that's why I'll keep giving to people not causes..

No longer a hero....

Yup! That's right.. I've not enough time and money to keep playing City of Heroes. Fantastic game, but I'm just not playing it enough to justify throwing money down it every month... :<

Good bye Micro....

This is Key's beloved soft toy Ah Ping. You can call him Orson too!

Phantom of the Cinema

On block leave this week, so quite free! Heh. Just watched Phantom of the Opera today with Key. Thing is, I haven't actually watched this before, somehow. Of all the famous musicals not to have watched.. But watching it, makes me wonder if it really IS that good. Cos it was nice, but not fantastic. Then again, maybe theater doesn't translate nicely to the silver screen. For instance, I don't think Starlight Express would have done well on Hollywood either, no matter how cool and funky it is..

Anyway, we had the whole cinema to ourselves! Kind of creepy, just 2 people in a cinema with squeaky seats in front and some staff walking into the show every now and then.. but it's probably the cheapest booking of the entire cinema I've ever done!

Fluido and Pepper

Went for my first proper physio today. Theme: Mobilisation. Basically my wrist recovery is now focusing on getting back mobility, I'm kind of stiff after 5 months casted and splinted. So they have this Fluido machine, it uses heated sand to warm up the wrist so that it stretches better, and ask me to repeat stretching exercises for the wrist. Hopefully it'll have a good effect.. I can't really talk about progress because I only have results for today's training... Next week I'll be able to give results.

Anyway, my sister finally gave me some insight as to why I might hate spicy food so much. She was telling Jeremy and me an interesting anecdote about sibling rivalry, and shared about how she'd once added pepper into my Milo when I was five. apparently, I'd complained to my mom "This milo is hot!" to which the reply was, "It's milo, of course it's hot!"

Eh.. so it's not my fault I don't take spicy food, it's my sister's!

Elaine's wedding

Just attended Elain'es wedding.. hee.. first of three already scheduled this year. I thought it was the first of my friends' weddings but just remembered that Andre had gotten married immediately after graduation..

I've known Elaine five years and like what Martin says, she's extremely good-tempered. I don't think I've EVER seen her lose her temper! Don't really know Martin well, he's kinda quiet, but all the best to you both!

PS, Elaine, you've got a natural broadcast-quality command of Mandarin! Ever consider going into TV or radio? :>

Splint's off

Finally, the splint can come off! Doctor said it's fine, but the hand will still be healing for four more months and it's not known what long-term effects I might suffer from due to the stress the surrounding bones have been under. But at last, I can more or less function like normal. The hand itself is genrally okay, not much pain, but not much mobility either... joints are somewhat locked up, but not too bad. i've gotten used to it..

Heh.. guitar, can play! XBox can play! Basketball, here I come!

Off to see the class people...

Hee. I'm off to see the class people. Haven't seen them in a loooong time. Now it's the end of christmas weekend, feels like forever, muahahaha... And of course, Leonard's back tomorrow so there should be a class gathering in that direction sometime soon!

Mahjong. It's a lot about character.. Wonder if that's why I like to play with the Engin MC so much, cos it's just a social thing to do... Rather than a competitive sport. Yet even though it's not competitive, everyone's good at it, (or maybe just very lucky at it) so you have this bunch of people who play well but without caring much. Get the best of both worlds! Anyway... wonder if CNY will be like this..

Christmas time. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!! :>
It's been a good week. Managed to get the Skill at Arms proposal and quotation done, under price and looks like it's going to be quite successful! And also NYF is kind of concluded a chapter, left the community service bit, and even that's going quite well, cos Sze How's already spoken to the Ang Mo Kio FSC to tie us up with them. And also managed to send out those postcards for once! I normally write the cards and then leave them mouldering in a drawer cos I forget to post them, LOL.

And.. Christmas, got a very nice gift from Key.. and she liked what I got too! So that's fine. Been gambling lots, playing small stakes (10 cents). Won ten dollars odd at mahjong from Key's friends at ChuYun's chalet, two odd from family at mahjong at today's party, then twenty odd at Big 2. I guess my luck is kind of back, though it does sputter a bit. :>

More mahjong tomorrow it seems.. like Chinese New Year like that!