Yay for Beauty World

Buy tickets.

On another note: Yay for sisters too:)

Take care Dad, Mum, Sis and Bro. Family is always home, but then, I'm having a lot of fun studying here:). Would like to be home though.

Thanks for the thoughts sis:)
http://overandoveragain.blogspot.com/2006/03/things-i-want-to-say.html

lip
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Sex Sells

And so, If I put the links to the NYP sex scandal, my traffic to my site would probably increase, and more people would know about Beauty World.

Cabaret, Musical with Balls: Why does everything have to revolve around sex:)?

I don't know, maybe people just don't get enough.

lip
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Relationships Part 2

I was just reading Jo's blog, which was linked somewhat to Shar's blog, and both of them got me thinking quite a bit. Incidentally, if you made it to my RSS list, you're on my "read every time you update" list, so be very honored indeed:).

I guess today I somehow managed to piss off someone. Is it true that guys and girls can never form close platonic relationships? I used to believe it to be true, but then, does the guy only look for someone who is "Greener", on the other side of the fence? What do the girls think?

There is a huge difference forming friendships when you're single compared to when you're part of a couple. Somehow, you want to form these close relationships with friends that you find interesting, but then, are you supposed to tell your bf/gf about them? I remember I used to think that coupledom is exclusive: it is hard to find mutual friends who don't think they are being lightbulbs. And not finding mutual friends who support both of you is the surest way to disaster.

Which is essentially what I saw happening time and time again. Friends have to accept your half, for better or for worse, and if they don't, life is going to be that much harder. Furthermore, forming close friendships with the opposite sex should not be an issue at all in a relationship, if both parties are honest about the "platonicness" of it.

Sometimes, we do fall for those closest to us; I did before. But then, losing a close friend hurts much more, sometimes, maybe friends should remain friends. After all, you decide if you want to date a person within an hour of meeting them. Usually, after a friendships is forged, it is kinda hard to take the relationship to the next level without it feeling weird.

Maybe I shall try one day. Does any friend of mine wanna date me:)? LOL.

I'm talking cock. Math midterm tomorrow, Liverpool lost, I skipped SOSC to watch Arsenal VS Real Madrid (which arsenal won incidentally), and had a great dinner with the older people. Sometimes, being a 1st year makes you irrelavant in conversations, but then, were friendships ever forged based on something as unimportant as college year? I don't think so.

Somehow, I feel older. More tired. More lethargic. I just want to play the piano, to play jazz, to improvise. Other times, I want to play warcraft 3, to own. Still other times, I get caught up trying to learn the latest philosophical musings of Nietzsche, Rousseau. Whatever it is that defines Chicago students, the easiest word to find is "passion". Forger nerds; they just have a passion for books.

Ahh welll... Long and rambling post, don't realy know where I'm going with this. Haha. Best wishes to you Jo, and Shar as well.

lip
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Beauty World Musings

1)It is much easier to watch TV than act.

2) The key to sounding good is to sing really deeply in a place full of echo. Haha.

3) I still can't sing. Ever. And to think my uncle was a singing champion somemore...

4) The only german I'm learning now is shit german.

5) I'm playing too much WC3. And loving it.

6) I need to spend more time with my friends.

7) Sometimes, there comes a point where people don't get you, and don't speak to you, but I'm fine with that.

8) Some people are really pretty.

lip
ranting

We Have Friends

who made me realize that the world isn't some place where everyone just wants to fucking finish first, but it's important to do well and quit bitching so much about the winners

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Happy Valentines Day

I remember I wrote an essay on love for my entry into the University of Chicago.

I remember distinguishing between Eros and Agape, between maternal/paternal love, between romantic love.

More than ever, I believe now that love is a choice. Because you don't fall in love. You choose to fall in love.

After all, women's feelings of attraction are the subject of many a dating website, and if attraction can be distilled down to a few ways of acting, to a few words, symbols, body language, then it kinda disses the romantics out there.

After all, you choose whom you love. And how much you wish to care for, to look after and to feel for that person. If you are in control of your feelings that is.

For true love is too painful to experience again, and most of us would never want to have that unless we are really really sure.

So I'm glad my friends are getting married today, soulmates who have been in love only once. May it last.

Happy Valentines day


lip
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Grandma

News just in, my grandma fell and fracture her leg, I think the operation is tomorrow.

Let her be well, please.

Take care grandma

lip
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Just a general SIANNESS that seems to permeate the air.

How do you know if you're truly with someone body heart and soul?

I guess if you can lift that person out of a general slump that he/she is feeling, or put him/her into a slump because of your "exciting" personality, I guess it pretty much means you have some emotional investment in something.

Arghhh..

As for now, I have a general urghness that doesn't seem to go away no matter what I try. I drank Chivas at Bartlett, I screamed and shouted, I played Warcraft III, I watched Full Metal Jacket, I did homework...

NOOOO.. nothing is working.

Maybe it's because I miss home. Nah. :) I know what I miss.

I miss supper with the guys. Alex, Jesse, JR, Kev, Zhenliang.

I miss hanging out and clubbing.

I miss the nightlife in Singapore.

I miss the warm weather that makes you sweat.

ARGH. Cold winter really does suck. And when someone you care about happens to be walking around in a daze and doesn't seem to be normal, you start wondering if the problem lies with you, or is it just a general ughness that seems to be spreading.

Ahhh.. the wonders of typing half drunk.

lip
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Singing Lessons

Those who know me since JC have known that I can't sing to save my life. In fact, if there were an Oscar for worst singer ever to play many instruments, I would probably clinch it hands down.

The last time I sang at a pub, Shar told me to shut up.

So, imagine the surprise and horror when I said I was going to SING in a musical. Horror of horrors. I think I will scare away half the audience based just on my lousy singing ability.

I think I need to develop a niche for bad voices. you know, somewhat like ray charles. If you're blind and can't sing, but you can play the piano, you're a great musician. If you did LASIK, play the piano, guitar, drums and blah blahb blah, but you can't sing, you suck.

Yay.

lip
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Update

Life has been busy these few weeks. Besides homework, I've also been busy with Beauty World, applications, midterms etc. etc. So far so good, satisfied with the effort I'm putting in thus far, and the amount of gaming I'm doing:).

Computer has been acting strange, with overheating problems going off now and then. I'm currently in one of my anti-social moods recently, so forgive me if I don't stop to say hi. Still trying to be as sociable as I can be though.

Car wise, settled for $900. I expected half, around $1200, but I guess $900 is more than reasonable, given the company's stand. I guess, in a way, the $1400 repair job for the car is reasonable, considering I will sell the car for around $3k in 3 years time?

Hope family is doing well. CNY was fun. I guess being antisocial just prevented me from really celebrating this year.

Have fun. Cheerios

lip
ranting

Modern Love: Eros VS Agape.

Pope gives views on modern love

Pope Benedict XVI has published his first encyclical, or letter to the whole Catholic Church, devoted to the meaning of love and charity.

In Deus Caritas Est, or "God is Love", he says physical love must be redefined by Christian faith and attacks modern obsessions with the "commodity" of sex.

Recent associations of God with "hatred and violence" make Christian love "timely and significant", he writes.

The encyclical has been published in seven key languages, including Latin.

In Italy, one million copies will be distributed within the upcoming issue of the country's most popular Catholic magazine.

'Debasement'

Written in Pope Benedict's native German, the publication is thought to have been delayed by translation problems.


Eros, reduced to pure 'sex', has become a commodity, a mere 'thing' to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity
Pope Benedict XVI

In the encyclical, the Pope stresses the importance of charity, which he describes as an intrinsic part of Nature: "An indispensable expression of her very being".

He is critical of modern interpretations of Eros, or physical love, while conceding that it has always played a part in human existence.

With Eros reduced to pure "sex", the Pope writes, physical love has become a commodity to be bought and sold. Man himself has become a commodity, he adds.

"This is hardly man's great 'yes' to the body... Here we are actually dealing with a debasement of the human body."

Papal proclamations are often taken as a sign of the possible direction of the Roman Catholic Church.

Theologians are expected to scrutinise Pope Benedict's first encyclical for any hints at how the former head of Catholic doctrine will lead his flock.

Love and charity

Pope Benedict, who succeeded Pope John Paul II last year, has recently been dropping hints about his new teaching document.

Last week he told pilgrims that the "gift" of love between man and woman could develop over time into an unconditional love of Jesus, or "agape". Agape is a Greek word used to describe the unconditional, selfless love taught by Jesus.

The full text of his encyclical elaborates on the distinction between erotic love and God's love for all of mankind.

He also explains how love means Christian charity - giving to those in need, particularly in the developing world, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I guess after a few years out of church, I don't fully support his arguments, but I also concede that it makes sense in a world full of STDs and HIV. I mean, how can you trust a man's word on sex when he has never had sex before? Compared to Rousseau, who views it as a basic need of Man, i find views on sex has always been convoluted and also, hard to discuss.

Agape is definitely what we need in this world today, Selfless love. Or if we discourse to Rousseau's "Origin of Human Inequality", Pity would be a more apt word to describe. For we will try to help others in a Lockien conception of altruistic man but ultimately, we are destined to preserve ourselves. What good is it to us if we get killed trying to rescue a man drowning in the sea?

lip
ranting

A comment to a post I removed

Boo-fucking-hoo. Be a man, you pansy piece of shit. If some girl's not right for you, she's not right for you. MOVE ON. Get a fuckbuddy. Or whatever it is you're after. Worst you can do is pretend to be a man and then sob like a little girl online, FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. I don't even know who the fuck you are and I think you're a coward, a wuss, probably compensating for diminutive genitalia.

Unlike this anonymous gentleman over here, maybe expression for different people is different and we all have our own outlets. If you don't know me, well, then why are you judging and commenting sarcastically? I think i might just know you, and perhaps we don't agree. But we agree to disagree, and in my book, that's enough.

Cheerz.

lip
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mmmmmmmMONSTERKILL!!!!!

Ah yess... Dota is back. I just got a few games back under my belt. Beginning to throw away the suckiness. I think I am quite good at it:). Managed a 22-6 game with Chaos Knight, and another 4-7 game with Clinkz. (grrr, KS all the way). Also had a few good ward traps with Shadow Shaman. i.e. Blink Dagger, Turn enemy to Chicken, put wards around him. Shackle another enemy. DOUBLE KILL!.

Yeah I rock at Dota.

On another note, Must start to study soon. Math Midterm next wed, Paper due on Tues, and I don't think I'll ever get started on the homework till like it's ALMOST due. Feeling superbly lazy, engine hasn't charged up yet. And Beauty World rehearsals are a PITA. Dammit.

Good to hear you are in Sweden nice and safe Shar, hehe. Will visit you come June. I'll be going to Germany for internship and world cup, then flying back to Chicago straight! No ermm... Holiday in SG for me. Maybe should stop by Hong Kong too. See how it goes la.

Sigh. So many decisions, so many distactions from work. And Spring Break is coming up. Don't really feel like studying liao. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME!!???

MMMMMONSTERKILL!

Ok, back to Reality. And i've class in 10 mites. Ciao.


lip
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S papers and Education System

I was just going to rant on the education system in Singapore, where the elite route is pretty much top 5 sec school/top 3 JC/S papers/Scholarship/Overseas University.

Sis has been down lately because of S papers. Well, it is important for a scholarship, but now, do you really want a scholarship? Being an IES scholar studying in Uchicago, I can weigh the pros and cons of a scholarship with some expertise.

Definitely, the best thing about a scholarship is the money and the job. People like me who do not have enough cash to study abroad aim for a scholarship, mainly to fulfil a dream and the "elite" path of studying at a elite overseas university. Nevermind it's not Harvard or Stanford; University of so-and-so is being branded as a "good undergraduate business school" or "the conversative school of economics" etc etc. As long as a Singaporean gets a scholarship, and the chance to study abroad, he is made.

Or is he? Along this path lies many cons as well. Namely, the decision we have to make at age 18 to decide our career path for the next 10 years or so. Or even our interests. Who are we to say that I like economics after just 2 years of exposure in a JC? Furthermore, the education system in JC is such that we aim not for the knowledge of a subject, as should be the joy of learning, but rather, the fundemental "10-year series" answers that would guarantee us success at the National Examinations.

Scholars are just paying for our education with our future earnings. I might love investment banking, the pay, the perks, the hectic and stressful high powered lifestyle, but I'm not given an opportunity to intern at an I-bank, simply because I have other summer commitments to a contract I signed. Sometimes, I envy my friends who have not a scholarship, but came on their own accord (because they are rich enough) and have the freedom to explore their interests. But then , the grass is always greener right?

Ultimately, it is not about the money, or about the studying, or about society's viewpoints of whether you made it or not. The busker who is performing at the MRT station garners as much respect from me as the investment banker who enjoys his job, mainly because he does it with a passion. I love music. I would love to work in theatre, compositions, performing, teaching. But I do that on the side. And having a passion for something that you do is important, because if you cannot live up to societal standards, you need to live up to you own standards of excellence which YOU set.

Carpe diem Sis.

from your brother,
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Clubbing Pics

Jo!!! Maria!! Shar!! haha. miss Singapore clubbing. And all the fun times we had dudes. Clarence and Jared haha. Damn, I realise I haven't been clubbing much in Singapore. Time to cut down the alcohol. Back to school zzzz...

What happens in a club stays in a club.

The mantra for clubbing has always been "What happens in a club stays in a club". Everything goes, as long as when you wake up in the morning, you can live with yourself and what you have done. I mean, there's a reason it's called CLUBBING. and if you can't take the fact that at a club: PEOPLE DANCE. and people drink, well, so sorry to you.

I've always clubbed with friends. I dance with friends. My interaction with other girls at a club (termed picking up girls by the general population) is limited to at most buying a drink for someone at the bar, talking or generally just a spot of dancing before returning to my friends. Sorry, I don't do stands, or handstands or whatever kind of other stands the male human body is capable of.

SO it was kinda pissy, when suddenly, I have a huge posse of people judging my actions in a club. Hello? You don't KNOW me. You see me dance with friends. And you judge. Fine, I can accept the fact that people judge all the time. But when a lame reason such as PROTECTIONISM comes in, that's when I get really pissed off, because frankly, who are you to judge and poke your nose into others? Yeah of course, friends will be friends. But perhaps a better time for protectionism may have come when someone else living in close proximity was screwing over your object of protectionism.

I don't like conflict. But when shit happens, it happens. No point running away from shit hitting the fan. It splatters all over. I just don't like it when shit hits the fan without me knowning that someone has thrown the shit.

Enough said. Pictures! later.

lip
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Ms. Rachel Barton Pine

So there's this concert violinist right, http://www.rachelbartonpine.com/ and she was teaching a masterclass. Shani managed to get me the job as an accompanist for the Suzuki children, rather cool.

So after the concert (i messed up a song, mainly cos I didn't know it was that song and it was fiendishly hard), she performed 2 pieces. Damn zai. A Bach piece for single violin with like triple stops and Yankee Doodle, fiendishly hard. Harmonics, semiquavers galore etc...

And then she asked me to accompany her for a song, and I think I did well at the start, but in the middle, I kinda got lost. haha Sight reading sucks, I need to improve it.

Well, we'll see if I can get a permanent position at Hyde Park Suzuki. :)

lip
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Greetings from Chicago

Yup, I'm back in Chicago... has been a hectic few days for me, what with shopping for classes, beauty world, and warcraft 3:).

Right now, I'm waiting for my copy of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes to be brought back to the dorm by my roommate. Fuck him. I need it NOW! and later, I'm going to purchase a garage for my car, and get the documents from my car to file a complaint to the BBB about the transmission problem in my car.

Meanwhile, Classes... Been good thus far. I forgot a lot of math:), and I don't really like the Hum teacher, because she feeds us too much information instead of us coming up with our own point of view. She likes to lead the discussions, which I feel should not be the case. Maybe I'll shop for another teacher? But the readings are interesting though. Che Guevara's Motorcycle Diaries. Wow.

And it's about travelling, which I feel I should have an advantage in, having been to many places, whether for studies, backpacking or stuff. Oh well, we'll see.

Meanwhile, shall blog and update soon. I need a resume for my Study Abroad to Cape Town application (perhaps Oaxaca as well), and also Barcelona. Haha. Then I'll need to confirm my fourth class, hopefully, I won't have to take Music 15200. It's BORING. They are like CHORD 4??? WTF.

TTYL later dudes. Updates soon!

lip
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Happy New Year

Just found out a couple of hours ago that I'll be leaving on the 2nd 11:15 pm instead of the 3rd.

And my laptop is overheating. Better after I undervolted it to 1.164V instead of 1.354 default voltage. I now play WC3 at like 85 degrees. Instead of the crazy ass 102 degrees I was getting.

Hopefully, the cold of Chicago will help. If not, looks like I have to get myself a laptop cooler.

So New Year's resolutions? Well, not much. I spent the stroke of New Year driving up Benjamin Sheares Bridge to catch the Esplanade fireworks with my mom in the car. We were just getting home from my cousin's wedding. Congrats Uncle Yong. Huey Bin looks great:) Oh, now it's auntie.

anyway, the pressure is on! Haha. I'm the eldest male grandchild of my generation. Hmmmm... Well, let's see what kind of pressure I will get in like 10 years time. Haha. now still young.

Happy New Year. Bon Voyage all. Will miss you guys back in SG!

lip
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Dragostea Din Tei (Love under the Linden Trees)

Ma-ia-hii
Ma-ia-huu
Ma-ia-hoo
Ma-ia-haha

You know the song from chicken little? That's it. It's addictive funny, and I'm starting to dance to it.

Okay, back to serious stuff, anyone knows how to apply AS5 or some heat gel to the insides of the laptop? I'm starting to have serious overheating issues with this laptop, because my Warcraft 3 just started to shut down because of temperature spikes I think. I shall go Sim Lim to look for a solution, or just call Acer.

...

Just called them, bringing the laptop down to Acer Computer to get it checked. Hopefully, there's no problem with the fan/heat sink or whatsoever.

Gtg. If not, I can't meet the 3 pm deadline for 2 hour repairs:).

Vrei sa pleci dar nu ma, nu ma iei,
Nu ma, nu ma iei, nu ma, nu ma, nu ma iei.
Chipul tau si dragostea din tei,
Mi-amintesc de ochii tai.

lip
ranting

HK Pictures!

More on flickr. Click on the sidebar.
ranting

When Mum's get bored.

 


They create collages. Check out the rest of my mum's art work here.

Also, she drew disneyland HK while waiting for us to get out of the roller coaster. Amazing. If I had half her art skill, I would be like music + art major.

And she did Dick Lee's Lion for the Lion City Art Exhibition (u know, the Lions decorated by artistes and famous personalities shown all around Singapore?) Dick Lee's was like a huge disco ball. Check out the picture here.



Cool Mum. Okay. Pictures for HK will be up on Flickr soon! Check it out!


lip
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Spent Christmas in Hongkong with family and had a swell time. Well, pictures say more than words soooo....

before leaving for HK, at macdonalds for breakfast:)

me and sister on the bus, acting poserish

nice mermaid, who incidentally was wearing a skin coloured top, so she's NOT just wearing a bra. Sorry guys. Disneyland:)

More disneyland entertainers.

A GIANT frozen strawberry margarita, and a long island tea. Margarita was for...

Little Miss Alcoholic.

Family at Mongkok looking bored and lost. Haha. ACTUALLY, I was bored. and lost. haha.

Anyway, I didn't learn much canto, besides (please mind the gap: qing siu sham something something), and I learnt how to count in canto (yay!). Other than that, my cantonese pretty much sucks.

Foodie trip mostly, didn't do much shopping, but ATE a LOT! and realised that HK air is really bad (I have a sniffing nose now), and very dry (bad skin) and HKers can take escalators EVERYWHERE they go. And it was superbly crowded.

Back for cousin's wedding, then off to Chicago. HK was fun! haha. And those nosey parkers may find it interesting that yes, my dear friend did have dinner with family.

P.S. Wuv my laptop. It's back. Yay! I'll never treat you bad again darling ACER!.


lip
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Durex Sex Survey 2005

Now this is interesting. From Durex sex survey 2005

Some Excerpts

-China is the only country in which some respondents stated that formal sex education was not necessary.

Wow and I thought Singaporeans were uptight.

People worldwide are having sex for the first time at an average age of 17.3
Just over a third (35%) say they were 16 or under when they lost their virginity
Women are sexually active earlier than men - at 17.2 compared with 17.5

Singapore is rather old at 18.4 years. Dammit. If following a normal distribution, I need the variance of the population to figure out what the probablity that a 20 year old has not had sex. lol:) And we are surrounded by countries full of prudes. Indons, Vietnamese etc etc.

Globally, people have had an average number of nine sexual partne
Indians have had the fewest sexual partners (3) compared with the Chinese (3.1), the Vietnamese (3.2) and those from Hong Kong (3.7)

And Indians and Chinese are the BIGGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. Go figure. Maybe a single partner promotes child rearing:)?

Almost two thirds (65%) of people in Hong Kong have had just one sexual partner, compared to 12% in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Greece

i.e. HK is a country full of conservatives:) Lol. i.e. Least likelihood of STDs from HK. And Singapore is 7.2. Congrats my good friend, you have almost there. Just one more to go:)

And the rest of the data is all about disease and stuff like that. And about sexual positions etc etc etc. haha. To sum it up, Singaporeans do quite okay.

And i think it would be interesting to do a research study on sexual habits versus say economic development/Social Cohesiveness/Sociology whatever. The results might be interesting:)

As Wincy said,

spider says:
we hav
spider says:
errrrrrrrrr
spider says:
v different ideas abt wat constitute sadness

Peace.

lip
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Events of the week

Andy Tan!!!! MoS no invites le... We waited for like 3 hours then left in a huff. Well, I think I kinda pissed off your friend cos I was calling non-stop, but best thing to do is leave and go somewhere else:).. Lol Like Loof.

For a bit of advertising for my friend, Loof is a "roof" concept chill-out lounge pub/bar/space on top of a ... you guessed it: Roof. It's located opposite Raffles Hotel along North Bridge Road (Odeon) above ModLiving. First impressions of everyone when they first went in is "wow" nice place. Then the heat hits you. Or rather, hits me, because I'm used to like cold cold places. But the drinks are cool, the bartender is cool enough to accept orders like "something without lime, neither green nor pink in colour" -Maria. It's not everyday you get an order like that:).

So check out loof dudes. The new hip place to hang out. And if you haven't seen it in advertisements (ala timbre/thumper/MoS) that's cos the management would rather have it passed by word of mouth. And it's working, cos It's packed most nights.

Then yesterday night me and Clarence went to hang out at some newly opened pub @ Chijmes. We opened a Vodka and had a swell time just chilling and catching up. Sometimes, friends of olde just get better with age, just like vintage wine. At least when I get liver cirrhosis I'll have a good referrer from him (he's a doc, dudes).

And shar, please don't self destruct again.

It was a cool few days, now I'm in detox and family mode, and shopping mode next week. Miss Chicago and the snow, but totally enjoying the swimming and blading in sunny Singapore. And it's cool to see my dog again too:) Annie! lol


lip
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Zouk

Clubbing was SWELL last night. Thanks to Yikley and his crazy gang. 5 bottles. Plus 1. That's crazy shit dude. And I got jugs for the others (Vodka Red Bull just doesn't do it for me now) and Kamikaze shots. With generous tips for the server. Ouch to wallet.

Then pretty much crazy dancing and chatting with girls throughout the night. Funny how you can meet people you never knew but who knows the people you know. i.e. Yujuan's friends last night. If you read this, (which is unlikely), Hi Ashley right:)? Hope I got the name right.

So the breakdown: Kenneth was gone, Shar was pretty gone, so were her friends. I left early with Shar's shopping in my car:). Yikley hooked up with Shar and was *pretty* aggressive:) Lol. It's all good dude. See, told you my ex was chio:).

And met Sheryl outside Zouk all over someone. :) We should meet up girl! Soon! Hope you found happiness:) hehe.


lip
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Ms. Israel

This is Ms. Israel in the recent Miss World 2005 pageant

Her occupation: Preparing for military service.

Now, if all SAF Servicewomen looked like that, NS would be a much better place for us guys.

But to be serious, even a beauty like her is willing to take military service seriously. Because this is Israel, fighting for their lives in a hostile neighbourhood. A lone Jewish nation in an Arab land.

Will Singapore have to fight for our freedom one day?

Or will our girls end up like that?



Not too bad either:). Now, if girls looked like that AND did military service, well.. No more complaints guys.


lip
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Honey I'm HOME!!!!

Back in Singapore.

To do list very long:

1) Get passport so I can go HK.
2) Get books, files, pens, lab series for men...
3) Shop like crazy.
4) Eat like crazy.
5) Part like crazy.

Good list don't you think:)?

My SG number is still the same. 96749273. CALL ME! or if you're important enough, I'll call you:)

lip
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I killed the damn math finals

Yay!

I killed the math finals! It's been a long time (2nd midterm), since I thought I had a handle on math (the last one was A-levels, where I did all 6 questions, and chose 4 to hand in because everything was correct:).

Anyway, I think I should do well for Math. Now I wished I didn't screw up the first mid-term. Now I hope to get an A:)

Anyway, I calculated. I should get 161/150 for Math. Or worse case scenario, around 140/150. So there.

lip
ranting

Finals week

And so, here I am, in the Reg, studying. (N.B. Reg stands for Regenstein library, the mugger place where all Uchicago students reside in during finals week, unless you are Thong Kai without a roommate or kenneth, who can stand his roommate, or if you live alone).

And math refuses to go away.

Some problems I still have.

1) Prove that ln n / n ^ (1+a) converges when a > 0 and diverges when a < 0. Diverges because compare 1 / n ^ (1+a) < ln n / n ^ (1+a) and if a < 0, we know that p series diverges for 1 / n ^ p for all p < 1. Convergence is harder to prove.

2) Remember all the integration formulas. Like integrate dx/Sqrt(x^2 + a^2) use x = a tan u. etc etc etc. and REMEMBER integrate 1 / (x^2 + a^2) dx = arctan (x/a).

3) Forget about statistics finals and how I used the Z alpha values instead of T alpha values. I am still knocking my head on my door for this stupid mistake. Now, I can only get like 90%. Fuck.

4) Forget about car for the moment and how much I owe my parents. I have to pay for my brother's education now. That sucks.

5) Remember everyone who owes me money. Calvin - $50 for jacket. Eddy - $120 for alcohol. and various others who haven't paid me back in one way or another. You know who you are. I don't remember.

6) I'm short of cash. IE Singapore, where is my money?! haha.

7) Bad week for a close friend far away. Don't worry dude, it'll go over soon and things will tide over. It's just envious people looking for someone to blame. I'm sure you'll pull through.

8) Happy birthday to all birthday people! MICHELLE!!!! Happy 21st! (For those not in the know, click on 01s70 blogspot link on the sidebar and look at the pictures Debi took!) For the Uchicago boys, Debi is a very chio girl who is currently single. So go for it!

9) Flying home Saturday. To club Friday night, or not to club? Ice skating with my Mei Ren WINCY! on Friday! haha.

10) I'm taking Humanities, Social Sciences, Bio and Music in Winter. 4 Paper courses. I am going to die for winter. Especially the Bio Core. Fuck. And I scored 60/65 for the diagnostic somemore. I will talk to the teacher, hope to siam bio core because I did bio in JC liao.


lip
ranting

Car back in service!

My car is back! After a $2.3k repair job on the transmission, it is now running fine. I have a 3 year warranty on the car and 2 mechanics gave independent assessments that the engine is in a good condition and it should run well till well, basically till it dies.

Next time, I shall not get my ass screwed so badly.

Sigh

lip
ranting

Fuck, Now my iPod broke down.

I'm pissed. Fucktard.

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adding more to the post:

I wonder if some people are really serious or are they just in for random play. Sometimes, madness does manifest itself in devious and overt ways, it's just that one party needs more than just private confirmations and would actually start to think otherwise if there was no social pressure.

hehe

and i'm trying to be obscure here, so think what you may of this entry. solidarity rocks.

lip
ranting

More explanations about meltdown last night

So.. I had a meltdown last night. Tuesday night, 29th November.

So what happened?

First thing in the morning, i sent my car to the mechanic expecting a favourable reply - i.e. no major problems.

10:30 called back. Hi Mr Lee? Looks like you've got a real problem here. Your transmission seems to have been tampered with. I am saying that someone tampered with the transmission so that it could be driven enough just to sell it.

I was like.. Wtf.

So car down. Later events of the day? Called dealer, screamed at them, emailed my international advisor, called dad. Dad went berserk. Said I got ripped off. Okay. So I did. It'll cost me $1.7k for repairs. Ok. I shall treat it as a lessons learnt and go to the Better Business Bureau to see how much I can claim back.

But that shall be after finals. I need to send an email stating my dispute to Luxury Motors. Wtf.

Then, before that, My computer crashed.

yay. Half a paper gone. All my pictures gone. Okay... Nvm. I shall use friend's computer. I am cool. I am not going to freak out.

And yesterday, Huiying said my homework was not handed in. No wonder I don't have a mark. And Mike is relying on my homework as well.

yay.

So i thought and thought and thought. Then over dinner, Dad called. Lambasted me. Whatever. Find attorney. Okay. See what I can do. okay.

Hello dad? Finals next week.

Nvm. I shall just heck it, pay money and treat it as lesson learnt.

I shall not trust people to hand up homework for me.

I shall back up all my important stuff on my external hard drive.

I shall not get anymore alcohol in dorm.

I shall not lie in the corridor on Max East and scream random stuff to people passing.

Now, people look at me funny. haha. They ask if I'm fine. Yes I am.

And I just got an order for $80 worth of alcohol for friday from friends:) hehe. I feel *loved*.

lip
ranting

yay

Too much to drink...

Car fucked up, Final Paper fucked up, Stats homework fucked up...

NEVER MIND!!!

DRINK GREY GOOSE! and ARBOR MIST!! and GODIVA LIQUER!!!

YAY!!!

lip
ranting

The difference between chio bus and pretty asian girls

Definition: Chio Bus are asian girls that Asian guys find hot.

Pretty girls are asian girls that Caucasians find hot.

Okay, I am SOOO going to get flamed for this, but there is a huge marked difference between Asian guy's tastes in asian girls and Caucasians' taste in asian girls.

Case in point:

Roommate: "I have a bet with *** to see who can fuck "Girl X" first.

Me: *jaw drops to floor*. WTF SHE'S NOT HOT.

Roommate: "SHE'S FUCKING AWESOME MAN

.

And so we argue.

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But seriously, don't you think there is a marked difference between the chio bus and the pretty girls? (P.S. My roommate is talking about "reevaluating his sexual preferences".

Right.

It all started with some girl.

HAHA.

More later.


lip
ranting

Ermmm Ging? Poser!

This HAS to be the WORST picture ever. Haha. "Posing in a Poserish Tee".
Incidentally, if you zoom into the picture, you can see the sign on the door that says: "No Lip Jin Allowed". This is the first time prohibition signs have been THAT specific. Thanks Stella:)

lip
ranting

Thanks Wenliang

Sometimes I really miss Singapore. And today is one of those days that I do.

Thank you Wenliang, for being honest and a GREAT colleague and even better friend in the army.

I had some spare time at hand to read lip's blog after my physics revision. If there is one guy who lives life to the fullest, lets agree that lip fits the bill. I have to admit that this guy is really a brilliant guy even though i thought he was arrogant at first. Yet, 1 year with him in 39SCE proved to show otherwise. Hmm..maybe this points to the fact that one needs to know someone in depth before judging a person. His versatility is something that i admire. Really talented guy i will say.

Anyway, lip, if ya happened to view my blog, all the best to you in Chicago and make sure ya scrimp and save more. Your lavish lifestyle is not too healthy man.haha..stop being a gadget whiz....haha...

After all the praising, moral of the story is not to judge a person by first impression. Before you condemn a person, one should ensure that he knows the person inside out.Well cos first impression are normally deviant from the actual fact itself. Thats right.

-Wenliang's blog

That is so true. First impressions don't count. I am a player. *WRONG*. I drink a lot. *WRONG*. I am arrogant. *WRONG*. Actually I can be, but I rather not be.

I guess being in Chicago with all my friends from olde times has really shown me how much I have changed over the years. Introspectively, I know I have gotten a lot less arrogant, but whether putting it down in words is just going to be viewed as self-praise/self-indulgence is up to the reader. I know I have changed. I know I have grown up.

I used to drive my parents crazy with my antics and my stubborness and rebelliousness. Now I know I am wrong. I used to bully my sister. Now I know I am wrong. I used to hurt the ones closest to me, manipulate them and look down on people. I know I am wrong.

Because everyone is unique. Everyone deserves respect (except for THAT ONE GUY), every deserves a chance to prove himself or herself. I have formed opinions on people in Chicago, I have made choices. Sometimes, perhaps I am too judgemental, but then again, I'd like to be forgiving and give chances. I'd like to be a better person.

And yes, I know I have to spend less. hehe. Now, THAT'S going to be hard to accomplish:)

And once again, I cannot say this enough, but I really appreciate everyone who has touched my life in one way or another over the past 21 years. I used to have a gauge of success - How much money you earn. Now, I'd like to think of how success you are by how many people show up at your funeral when you die, and how many of them are there and CELEBRATE your life.


lip
ranting

Quizzes & Random Stuff

Thanksgiving 2005. Singaporean's @ Adela's, Wanyun's and Andrews.

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Hanxue and her photogenic partner. and the Guy acting strange in White.

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Annie, Yihan, Andrew, Hanxue and Me:)

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Mentor!

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Hongkong people

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Formal

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Kindness Kindness is most important in a boyfriend/girlfriend. You want someone who will go through everything with you - the best moments and the worst, and all of those other moments in between. You love to be able to say anything to your partner, and have them say anything to you. You are able to be extremely close with your partner for that reason. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

***********************************************************

And so ends my random stuff.

And i really wish that sometimes, I would just cut the flippant comments that cause terrible misunderstandings. I almost lost someone I cared about, and I almost managed to screw my own life over. I can remember other times when I did just that, make comments and just royally screwed someone over big time. i should watch my words. Then again, it's a journey of discovery. And perhaps, I have always managed to get myself into situations with a random comment. Sometimes, maybe I should be less MCP and more SNAG. And somehow, the angsty, moody, comtemplative layered people tend to appear in my life more often.:)

Btw, My suitemate says you are hot:) I beg to differ. haha.

lip
ranting

Computer Crash

My computer crashed last night at 3:40 am.

I was Mapquesting the way to Aurora for the shopping trip this morning at 6 am with Yuan, Fifi and Sophia. and it died when I was transfering info to my PDA.

Naturally I screamed.

Then I woke up at 6 am, totally tired and drove to Aurora. Spent $250 bucks.

And now I'm back, using my friend's laptop and my computer is at U.S. Computer Store on 53rd.

Hope I did not lose all my info. Fuck.


lip
ranting

My New Car

Looks exactly like the Mazda I have at home. Except that this one has a spoiler, is left hand drive, and only costs $5k:). With a $500 per year depreciation! haha...

So it's only $500 per year + insurance + parking fees ($120 a month).

CHEAP!

Thanks Dad!

P.S. The whole journey to get a car was pretty hilarious. Thanks to Andy! for bringing me down to Orland Park. And thanks to Helena for tagging along:). For a T.S. Elliot like account from Andy about how we got lost, my credit limit got maxed out, called Dad to raise my credit limit.. blah blah blah.. look here

Mood: Happy

lip
ranting

Fucking Hell

Good day overall...

Woke up at 12 plus after 10 hours of rest, had a good practice with Shani for tonight's concert, went to the Regenstein to do work, had a good concert, went back to Regenstein in high spirits with the propect of getting a car on Tues and getting my Durkheim paper done...

And at 23:00 my good day came to a abrupt end.

Fuck. I should just remain my social self and not care so much about people anymore. The trouble when you let someone get too close to you is that they will be an asshole sometimes.

I hate that. Sorry.


lip
ranting

Best Pictures in the Picture book

Best photos on the Class of 2009 website.

Guys:

Issac Hur



Donald Bungam


Alexander Gallan


Jonathan Kurinsky - (have to put this up, my suitemate:)


Of course, myself included.


My other suitemate.. Aww.. no picture



Girls:

Ann Choi



Meryl King


Kim Ji Ae


Holly Lutz


Brittany Luberda


Stephanie Trick - Not a very good picture, but nice IRL:)


A measure of how sad Uchicago is. DISCLAIMER: In no way do these picture reflect the author's taste. It is solely based on pictures found online. If you disagree, leave a comment:)

lip
ranting

Laptops for the poor

BBC reported today that the UN was unveiling a $100 laptop for the poor.

"The idea is that it fulfils many roles. It is the whole theory that learning is seamless," said Professor Negroponte, who set up the non-profit One Laptop Per Child group to sell the laptops to developing nation governments.

Forget laptops. Get food UN. Learning is all well and good, but satisfying the basic needs of the wretchedly poor is more important than ensuring they get a laptop for learning.

Each laptop can feed a hungry family in Somalia for a month. And what makes you think that providing laptops would be sufficient for children to learn if they do not have a good infrastructure and learning environment in the first place?


P.S. I haven't been reading the news for some time, hence my lack of "knowledge" posts on the world which I was very fond of. I shall subscribe to Straits Times now...

lip
ranting