Drunk

I'm drunk.

And I need someone close when I'm high/drunk whatever. Just like everyone else...

Sigh.. 8 days every week!

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London

I wish I were in London right now. There's a mini reunion going on, in that Shar, Alex, Jesse, Kevin and Zhenliang are all chilling in London. Now, that's an interesting prospect if I throw myself into the mix.

But then again, I'm in Uchicago, where school is 2 more weeks, where I only have 1 finals, and where I'm staying till Sunday night all in an effort to prolong my stay in Chicago:).

God knows why.

P.S. My friend's blogs are at ZL's Blog and Kevin's Blog

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GEPs are Lazy

Yes they are, simply because they have gotten used to being provided for and having many opportunities.

'nuff said.

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Whose Line Is It Anyway

Some of the absolutely best scenes from Whose Line.







Hilariously Funny:)

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Facebook Pictures

My random Singapore friends are up on Facebook:)

Europe pictures are up too.

Finally.


My two favourite littlest cousins.

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National Service

And so the debate rages on... Is National Service a priority for Singaporeans? Or is it just another "policy" that we all have to undergo. And what in the case of talented prodigies like Ike See, who posseses the potential to go far, but because of National Service, must be doomed to mediocrity.

Do not forget, this young boy is only twelve. He is certainly very very smart, probably will go to RI (GEP even), RJC and then proceed on a scholarship overseas to study at a prestigious university before coming back to slog 6 years for a Singaporean organization. (Sounds familiar)? Been there done that.

But wait. He's a violinist. A rare talent for the arts. His hands are naturally a perfect fit for the bow, his fingers lightning fast while playing the violin. These same hands, are going to be calloused from pull ups, grimy from rifle cleaning and dirty with mud from the field when he turns 18.

I've seen many talented musicians at my young age of 22. I dare say, it is not talent that makes the musician, it is passion. I respect the child violinst, who though not note perfect, is able to flourish, to take a bow, and to practise daily under his own duress, and not under the carrot and stick approach many Singaporeans use. A grade 8 certificate is no longer something to be proud about. It is just another... piece of paper in junior's collection. Math Olympiad, Swimming Gold Star award, Yamaha Certificates of Achievement... We as a country are paper collectors, striving harder for that COE, or MBA or even just another degree from NUS/LSE whatever.

Whatever happened to passion? Or is our national identity about kiasuism again?

If Ike is talented, make sure he is talented in his own right, and passionate in his own way. Too many times I see burnout, from striving to getting that next piece of paper that certifies you to do "some crap". if you are serious, If you have talent, if you have passion, well.. Screw MINDEF. And pursue your own dreams.

Because ultimately, what Singapore needs are its people. And our people must be the best. They must score 90 for econs test, score 3.8 GPAs, forget about passion for learning. Forget about Jazz classes. Forget about Math Analysis classes. Just go for Drama 101 (Confirmed A), Math 196 (Another sure A), and when in doubt, and on scholarship, do the course that is the easiest that takes up the least amount of time for the maximum results.

Yes. This is the ugly culture that we Singaporeans are. Are you ashamed yet?

I'm surrounded by Polanyi, Dewey and Hayek. When will I read a YT Lim, or SK Foo? Never.

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I finally feel... Wicked

I mananged to catch the Chicago production of Wicked and boy... It was awesome! And more in fact. The set was amazing, the lights were amazing, the orchestra was amazing, and yes it was a full musical, with the entire story unfolding behind a plethora of melodies and dancing.

I must say that the lyrics to the songs were so well written, they carried the entire show very well right up to the finale. The plot was a bit... URMMM inducing but then again, it was a very clever melding of the famous Oz story with the childhood stories of Glinda and the Wicked Witch, Elphaba.

Further more, there were NO STAGE HANDS! everything was moved electronically. All benches were guided in via guides embedded in the stage itself, everything dropped from above, or was pushed in from behind, and the numerous trapdoors around the stage gave the entire performance a rather interesting dimension. You had Glinda coming in from the top, Animals disappearing left, right center. will Singapore ever have such a great production? Well, we're getting there.

I shall catch more musicals in Chicago!

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On Love

A Friend's Love says:
" If you ever need anything,
I'll be there."

True Love says:
" You'll never need anything;
I'll be there."

And on decisions...

Love is a decision not an emotion or feeling,
that if made from the heart will outlast anything...

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Why do we travel? Warum Reisen Wir?

Life is a journey. Milestones, regrets, happiness, pain, suffering litters the pavement as our feet crunch against the pavement. Frost had a welt-bekannt poem about the road less taken.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


I want to be different, to be out of the mould. But everywhere I see, I am the same. In a country which prides itselfs on individuality, everyone is the same. Everyone has to conform, where we want a job, money, a credit card, a car, a handphone, a computer... Everyone conforms.

Which is why travel takes us out of our comfort zone, to dislocate ourselves from our surroundings, to surround ourselves with the foreign, the unknown. It's an interesting experiment, this process of Selbstentdeckung; self discovery. In the process, we want someone who understands, who knows. wissen Sie, ohne zu sprechen. Who knows me, who doesn't not know thyself? Must I really be painted by Salvador?

We travel in search for hope. In search for identity, in search for that which gives us meaning to life. We feel joy in meetings, sadness in partings. 天下没有不散的宴席。

So ask yourself today. Where are you going? Finding a home for yourself? Whereever that might be? And where is home? How do you define home? Is home where your parents are? Is it where you are born? Is it where your heart lies? Is it where you stay?

We all want our homes. And I'm glad I've found mine.

Zwei Straßen liefen in einem Holz auseinander,
und ich - ich nahm das, das weniger vorbei gereist wurde,
und das hat alles unterschieden.

Indeed. Das Weg gereist weniger.

Forgive thy Deutsch, for Ich wissen weniger Deutsch.

I have not conformed. I do not want to conform. And frankly, we all just need that one person to tell us, you are different to me. And special. And we will feel that our travels have meaning, and we have found - home.

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Frankfurt part 2

=). Not saying anything.

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Ciao

Bye bye.
Auf Wiedersehen.
再见.
au revoir.
Arrivederci
Adiós

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Random Rants

Some thoughts that just came to my mind...

1) I think that asians are just more "hum" than others. We do not express our own thoughts, we give "face", we respect authority, we value collectivism over individualism. Maybe it's just me, but I feel that most asians will be very very diplomatic instead of American in-ya-faceness.

2) Warcraft III is ruining my life. Maybe I should have another computer crash so that I will quit dota - forever.

3) I don't feel very social nowadays. It's hard to make friends and get past the veneer of fakeness that people establish. The "how-do-you-dos", the hellos, the goodbyes, the smiles. I don't know.

4) My best friends were made in my car. Concentrating on the road, listening to chill music, just talking about opinions, matters, life issues and matters close at heart. It's so much harder in group settings to get to know someone really really well and form lasting friendships. Most people here are acquaintances.

5) Paganini-Liszt Etudes no. 6 in A minor is fiendishly hard, and I played it before. I don't think I can ever play it if I tried to pick it up again... Sigh..

6) Why do people say I love you when they don't mean it? It's sad.

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My Suitemate, Jon

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Interesting Revelations in Chicago

1) I have a fork stuck in our toilet. It clogs up the system. Now we can't take a crap without the crap coming up 3-4 times before it finally flushes down the system. It's annoying. And I hope we don't have to pay when the plumber comes by tomorrow.

2) I have a shortage of cash. Dad, please send money.

3) My friends are all getting attached. Why?

4) It gets harder and harder to make friends as you grow older. Friends you can really hang out with and friends whom you care about and who know you very well.

5) The best place to get to know me is in my car. As in seriously having a deep conversation without my usual crappiness and avoidance of serious issues.

6) Someone took my Brita filter. I am pissed.

7) I miss the days we had together.

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Postsecret

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Econs Humour

Killed the Economics test. I'm happy.

On another note, here's proof that economists have a sense of humor.

Ya right.

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Worth1000

I found this amazing photoshop site online.

They have photoshop competitions, and a lot of digital images. I like the tutoral sections, and frankly, I need to brush up on my photoshop skills.

Anyway, the images are all copyright, so I can't display them on this site. Go check them out here

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Blogthings Part 2

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Entshuldigung Sie?

The Econs midterm is now over. I think I did pretty well, hopefully, I would ace the test. What turned out to be a terror in my mind became quite a challenging but do-able midterm.

With this, I look forward to my upcoming Frankfurt trip. Yup, I'm going to Frankfurt in 10 days time, mainly to search for my housing and visit some friends. It'll be a good break away from school, and particularly, it'll be an interesting experience.

I woke up the other day with a dream, that everything went awry in Europe and stuff didn't work out. I'm afraid, of what might happen. I may not get the house I want, and when I see my house, I may not like what I see.

Belief is what gets us through in the end. Doubt surfaces, and hounds us all the way, but then again, rent was never cheap to begin with, and you must pay before you find your home.

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Postsecret

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