Things I want to do in my lifetime Updated

Not in any order of importance...

1) Holiday in Denmark - Visit a Buttercookie factory :)

2) Holiday in New Zealand - Visit the place where the Lord of the Rings was filmed, the Shire

3) Holiday in Switzerland

4) Spend a real White Christmas

5) Holiday in Italy - Visit Naples, the birthplace of the pizza.

6) Holiday in England - Visit a real castle.

7) Watch a Man U match at Old Trafford

8) Publish a book

9) Learn how to play the keyboard

10) Create a PC game for sale

11) Watch the Cranberries 'Live'

12) Visit the Okinawa Aquarium in Japan

13) Own a Kitchen-Aid mixer

14) Have 1 million dollars in my bank.

15) Own a 5 feet planted tank

16) Successfully breed a pair of discus

17) Take a train ride along a countryside

Stop giving me Crap Work!

I can't believe my project mate actually dare gave me work of that kind of standard. Don't know whether it's because he never put in any efforts or it's because he is just plain ******.

Twice, he has been late in submitting work when we had already agreed on the deadline. 2359, is it so difficult to understand? And when the work is finally submitted, it's crap...

Don't force me.

I don't want to mark you down for the peer evaluation.

Shall give you another chance...

On a side note, I'm really busy these few days with my projects, shall find a time to update, most probably this Saturday. Cya!

The day Siu Kai nearly call the police and other stories

I nearly called the cops last night. No, not because I witness any ongoing crime or I saw Mas Selamat. Oh wait a minute, Massie is so old news already! Can't you do better siukai? Ha.

In fact, the reason why I nearly picked up the phone and dialed the nearest police station was because there were some really noisy kids playing at the playground directly beneath my block!

Wat? Is that is siukai? Have you lost it? You wanna call the police to arrest some kids who were PLAYING, at the PLAYGROUND some more?

Ha. I know that actually sound ridiculous but let me try to put things in perspective. First of all, it was 11.30pm, close to midnight. Second of all, they were DAMN noisy, shouting like some crazy kids. And finally, kids their age are not supposed to be outside of their home past 11pm anyway!

There! Now it doesn't seem so silly for me to call the cops on them right? Furthermore, there are old people in my block and they need their sleep! (Including me, though I'm not old but I still need my sleep.)

Seriously, what's wrong with the parents of these kids anyway? They should know better to allow them to play at the playground at such unearthly hours. In my opinion, these kids ought to be taught a lesson. And what better way than for the men in blue uniforms to conduct the lesson. Ha.

In the end though, I did not call the cops. Well, I gave them a chance and told myself if they were still so noisy by midnight, I would pick up the phone. Luckily for them though, they quieten down before that. Ha.

I really don't know what struck me because for the first time in my life, I actually had the impulse to call the cops and might I add over a "minor" incident? Maybe it's because of the stress of school projects and deadlines recently, put me more in a complain mood. Ha.

Since we are on the topic of complaints, I WANNA complain somemore! Ha. In the past few months, I've notice a surge in the number of librarians at the National Library branches. I'm not exaggerating people, sometimes there can be 2 librarians attending to one shelf! Maybe NLB do really wants to create more jobs in light of the economic downturn. It's a commendable act but PLEASE, can I appeal to the librarians not to be so EFFECTIVE and HARDWORKING?

Sometimes when I'm browsing through some books, this library attendant would stand in front of me and start to arrange the books nicely, as though I'm not there. Hello?! How can I see the title of the book if your head is blocking me? It's like you are eating at a restaurant and every time you take a bite from your steak, the waiter comes along and wipe your table. You get the idea?

ARGGG!!!

Ha. Deadlines coming up. Exams coming up. Soon it will be my Birthday, then Christmas, then New Year. Can't believe that 2009 is coming to an end le. Cherish the remaining time of 2009 people! Cya!

What's up?

Wow, it has been so long since I last blogged. Almost 6 months le. Ha, you guys must have given up on me already right? Or u all missed me like crazy?

Well, actually I've always got a lot to crap about, just that I can't really find any motivation to sit down and start typing crap. Ha.

But I realized that since I stopped blogging, my mind seems to have become more rusty, especially when I want to write my school reports. Words no longer flow smoothly. Serious case of Bloggers's Block. Ha. So, people I've made up my mind...

Siu Kai is back.

Again?

Ha. Yah. Cheers. :)

Happy 3 years 6 months Anniversary!

10 Jan 2009 marks another important milestone in siukai’s and dar dar’s relationship. It’s our 3 years and 6 months anniversary! :D Well well, who would have thought? Siu kai, a first timer at relationship being so successful in maintaining one. Ha.

So, what’s the secret siukai? Hmm, I think the main reason is that I’m a born natural. I have it in me all along, just that I did not realize until I was a young adult. Ha.

No lah, the REAL secret is… it all boils down to hard work and efforts from both party. As the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap. It is after all a relationship involving 2 people and naturally you need both to make the attempt to keep the relationship going.

Maintaining a relationship is always harder than starting one. If you have not dated before and you think dating is tough, I’ve got bad news for you dude. Being in a relationship is a lot more tougher!

Here’s my advice to you if you find it difficult to talk to the opposite sex. (You always find yourself drenched in your own cold sweat whenever you have to strike up a conversation with someone from the opposite gender.) Become a vegetarian today and start planning to join the monastery! Ha.

As for myself, I have to admit that the beginning of my relationship with dar dar was kinda unstable. It would only take the slightest provocation for me to throw my temper at dar dar. In my defence, I have to say that I’m still a newbie at that time! Ha.

Actually, that’s a lousy excuse for being a jerk. I guess I was still not conditioned to be in a relationship yet and it was always about me. It takes a while before the relationship moves from me, to us, then to dar dar. :)

Amazingly, during the ME era, dar dar and me did not have any direct confrontations and arguments. I define arguments as when both parties start to say/shout/scream negative things at each other.

Sure, we had our fair amount of conflicts but it never escalated into a full blown war. Yah, that is one very important advice; NEVER HAVE ARGUMENTS. But siukai, I thought arguments are supposed to make the relationship stronger?

Yes, that’s true. Conflicts do make you understand each other more and may even strengthen the bonds. It’s okay to have conflicts in a relationship but NEVER have a shouting match. I mean, sometimes in the heated moment, you might say things that you will live to regret later and it will cause a scar in the relationship; no matter what you do later on, you can never remove that scar.

So, whenever you are angry with your partner, don’t go be tempted to enter into an argument. If you are on the phone, end the conversation immediately. If you are face to face with each other, walk away but assured your partner that you just need time to cool down.

When we are angry, we tend to think less logically. Heck, in fact logic does not apply when one is angry! Ha.

Everytime when dar dar and me have a conflict, we will give each other maybe a day of cooling down time. During this time, I would think of the situation from her point of view and see why she reacted that way. Perhaps she misunderstood me or it was just a case of miscommunication. Or maybe she didn’t get the whole picture. Dar dar will also do the same thing.

Sometimes I will be angry with dar dar and after the cooling period, I would explain to her why I felt this way. Dar dar will apologize. Talking about apologies, I think it’s the best tool when in a relationship. Guys, you should never be afraid to say sorry if it is your fault, sometimes it’s not our fault but it’s still okay to say sorry if it is reasonable. Come on, be a gentleman! :)

For girls though, it is always nice when you make it an effort to acknowledge the fact that we give in to you sometimes. Don’t take it for granted. :)

Last year, I also met some new challenges in our relationship – Third party. Yah, what do you do if some other guy wants to get a piece of the action even when he knows that your dar dar is already attached to you? Well, some guys out there don’t play by the rules. As long as your girl is not married, they will take it that she is still available. Most will simply choose to ignore your existence.

So, what did yours truly do? Well, I went to the nearest DIY stall and bought a chainsaw.

Ha. Actually, that wasn’t anything additional that I needed to do. I just carried on doing my usual stuffs. Ha, I’m not boasting or anything like that. Let me illustrate it for you. And since I’m a computing guy, let me explain using the concepts of hacking.

Say you have a very critical computer system. You will take necessary measures to protect it from hackers right? You will install the appropriate antivirus software, firewalls etc to keep out intruders. I mean if you did not install any of those and left your system defenseless, it wouldn’t take an idiot to figure out what would happen the moment a hacker chanced upon your system.

Similarly for me, I made sure that our relationship was going smoothly. There would be weekly, monthly maintenance and periodic feedback. Ha. You need to update patches and plug loopholes you may find. :P Sometimes there would be treats and surprises.

Yah, everyone loves surprises. A surprise is always a good way to give a boost to the relationship. NEVER let the relationship stagnant. Now you know why Microsoft is always coming out with a newer version of Windows every now and then. Ha.

A surprise once in a while is always a good thing. It can come in the form of a treat, a gift, an excursion. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

And here comes my favorite part, when she ask how come you are giving her the surprise, a gift for example, reply this. “Do I need a reason to give a gift to my dar dar (or any other fancy names you call her) Ha. Sure guaranteed to melt her heart!

Of course, despite all the security measures, there are times when an intruder might manage to sneak through. In such cases, we may need to call for more drastic actions – The Chainsaw. Ha. Jus kiddin on that one.

Come on siukai, you mean that’s all to it? There must be some secrets of maintaining a relationship you are keeping from us. Well, there isn’t anything I can think of at the moment, unless you count writing letters to dar dar as a secret.

Ha. Yah, I still write letters to dar dar every one or two months, during our anniversary. Initially, it started out as a kind of monthly summary of the events that happened and an update on the progress of our relationship. Of course there would be reaffirmation of “I love you” and “Thank you.” That reminds me, girls will never be tired of hearing “I love you” from the person they love. :)

The letters are also a medium to converse thoughts that might be difficult or awkward to say out. Ha. I mean some things are better expressed in writing. When was the last time you received a handwritten letter from someone? Was the feeling different? It takes effort to write a letter especially these days when it is much easier to type. And your dar dar will certainly appreciate that extra effort. :)

Finally, it always helps to publicly declare your love and affection for your dar dar, like what I’m doing now! Ha. Girls feel assured and loved when their boyfriends say nice things about them. :) And also when they acknowledged that the girlfriend plays a part in keeping the relationship going strong!

The remaining part of this blog entry is for my dar dar. You may choose not to read it if mushy stuffs makes you want to puke. Ha.

Dar dar, thanks for being with me for the past 3 years and 6 months. Thanks for appreciating me for who I am and thanks for bearing with my bad temper especially in our early years. Thanks for everything that you ever did for me dar dar. Muacks. I love you and I look forward to spending many more great years with you. :)

Happy anniversary dar! :)

The pursuit of happyness

Well, it's that time of the year again. Yes, just one more day to the end of 2008. I wanted to do the usual siukai’s year in review but thought that I might make it brief this year.

2008 has been a terrible year, the worst ever. Gys left us suddenly early in the year and the few months that followed was basically hell. I believed all of us close to him were very badly affected and as for myself, it took me a few months before my life could resume to "normal".

But what is normal really? How can my life ever be normal again, knowing that I will never see my dearest buddy again, at least not in this lifetime.

It is almost a year now since Gys left us. It seems like just yesterday when we were having a Christmas Potluck at Kok’s house. That was the last major gathering we had as a gang. I miss you man.

I still remember right after Gys’s passing, I emailed my lecturer informing him that I needed to postpone one of my lab sessions because I was quite distressed over Gys’ death. And you know what his reply was?

He just said, "Okay."

Not even a word of consolation. Nothing.

It’s a sad world out there.

Screw you man! (I just needed to get it out of my system!)

For a while, I was angry with GOD or whoever was in charge up there or down there for taking Gys away from us. I mean, he was such a good guy. Why him? And in such a cruel way? For a while, I lost all my beliefs in religion.

However, I chanced upon a book a few weeks back about a guy whose daughter was brutally murdered and one day he got a chance to meet GOD and ask GOD why he lost his daughter in such a way. Though the book is fiction, it opened up my mind. Maybe where Gys is right now, he is much happier. I mean, this world is a sad place; terrorists attacks, financial crisis, all other kind of crap. What’s there to miss about this world? It’s a fucked up place.

Maybe Gys is living a better life now, free of his illness and maybe he is even attached! Ha. Way to go man! :)

Things happen for a reason and I’m sure Gys wouldn’t want us to be sad anymore. Nothing will ever bring Gys back to this world and we all got to move forward with our life. So Gys, if you are reading this, I know you are. :) I just want to say that you are my best buddy ever and I will miss you always. We will meet again k!

Remember the goals I made during the middle of the year when I said I wanted to score 3As? Well, I did not accomplish it. I scored one A+ though, got close to another A and failed my Maths. Yes, it’s siukai vs Maths again. Am I disappointed? A little cos I thought I could at least get 2 As. As for Maths, I kinda gave up during the middle of the semester.

Yah, I know I mentioned that nothing is impossible, I still strongly believe in that. I’m sure with plenty of time, maybe like a hundred years, I would be able to score an A for my Maths. Ha. But, in the fast pace world of University, time is a luxury. Ha, so I know my limits and thus decided to give up my Maths module.

On the bright side, I no longer have to take Math modules anymore! And that surely deserves 3 loud cheers! Yip yip hooray! :P

Something "amazing" also happened during this semester. One of my tutors accused me of cheating on my tutorial. Apparently, my answers were quite similar to a few others in our tutorial class. This is what he wrote in his email.

RE: Cheat on Tutorial written submission

Folks,

Your written submissions for Tutorial Main Question are all the
same. I am wondering why.

Notice the email heading. Apparently he determined that we cheated on the tutorial already. And notice the email body. Yet, he is wondering why. Hmm… is he stupid or what? Ha.

A few explanations from those involved followed. Most of them were quite nice and humble, addressing my tutor as Sir (my tutor is not a professor, just a graduate student), one even added, "Thank you, very much. & sorry about the misunderstanding." Most of them were simply trying to polish his boots, kiss his ass, hold his balls and trying to get out of the situation.

What about your dear old siukai?

Well, what do you think? I gave him hell of course. Ha.

I wanted my email reply to be short and sweet, so I drafted the following:

RE: Cheat on Tutorial written submission

Screw you!

Lots of love,
Siukai.

But I thought it was missing something, so I came up with another draft:

RE: Cheat on Tutorial written submission

Fuck you!

Sincerely,
siukai

Ha. I wished. The final email looked something much like this:

Hi **,

First of all, I think it's really unfair that you use the word cheat in your subject without first doing any investigation. If you use the word cheat, it means you have already judged us. And this coming at a time when we are all doing our preparations for our exams, it's really very upsetting and disrupting.

I agree with *** and ^%^. If you look at the questions for tutorial, most of the questions are very straight-forward, Each player gets several million "things". So we just replace things with "bytes". It becomes each player gets several million "bytes". It's simply just replacing the word with another word. If that is copying. Wow, maybe I need to get another dictionary. Pardon me for my sarcasm; I'm really quite pissed off at the moment.

I'm really very disappointed that someone would accuse me of cheating on my
tutorial. To think I even gave you good reviews for the student feedback. I
guess I was very wrong about you. If you are convinced that I cheated, then
you can give me zero for this tutorial. Life goes on. No point explaining
further if we are already given the "death" sentence.

If not, I think you owe us an apology.

PS: I can't believe I spent 20 minutes drafting this email trying to explain
something which should be quite straightforward.

siukai

So, did I get the apology I demanded? Well, of course!

Hi, siukai,

You're right about my misusing of the word "cheat". I should not judge
you in that way before listening to your explanation. Sorry about
that.

So far, based on what I have heard from you guys, I cannot tell if you
guys have cheated or not. I will send your submissions to the lecturer
and let him to judge.

Way to go siukai. Just to warn you people not to push siukai around or he will give you hell. Ha.

But, how did this story ended?

His final reply came, (with the unaltered subject, RE: Cheat on Tutorial written submission)

Well, we have decided that no punishment will be imposed.

Regards

When I read that, I got all hot again. His reply implied that he still feels we cheated, just that no punishment will be melted out. It’s like being acquitted but not proven innocent. So, I drafted my reply:

Hi,

I think you should go for English lessons.

Regards,
Siukai.

Ha. It remained a draft though.

For the record, I still got an A+ for this particular tutorial. Ha.

Other things happened throughout the years but my memory seems to be failing me. Ha. So, we shall move on to my resolutions for 2009.

Top on my list: Be Happy. :D. I’m really tired of worrying about this and that and feeling frustrated every time. I just want to be happy. Life is short. It’s really a torture to drag your feet through life and pulling a long face everyday. I want to smile more, laugh more and be HAPPY in 2009.

Number two on my list is to score 5As this semester. Ha. This may seems a bit ridiculous and rather ambitious but hey, you wouldn’t know unless you try. So, why not? :)

Item number three is to pass my IPPT on the 4th RT session and obtain a Silver. Ha, yah siukai has failed his IPPT yet again and is condemned to another 8 weeks of Remedial Training. I have no complaints about that because I did not train at all. Ha. But I have to start training now; I’ve got the whole of 3 months!

Number four on my list is to love my family. We can’t choose which family we are born into. It is fate that we get a chance to be family in this life time, no matter what wrongs or how crappy their behavior, we are still family. And a family should stick together no matter what.

Number four on my list is to love my dar dar MORE. Nowadays, love is not enough, taken inflation into consideration, you need to love MORE. Ha.

Number five is to love my friends. I don’t have much close friends; only the loser gang. So this year, I wanna shower them with more of siukai’s love and crap of course. Ha.

Next is to blog more frequently, at least once a week. I feel that when I’m writing, I feel happy and alive. And it helps to polish up my writing skills. So, what the heck, more siukai crap for you guys! I’ll even throw in new siukai’s stories if time permits. Yeah!

And finally is to eat more healthily. My health has been quite bad in 2008, must be due to the junk food and the lack of exercise. So in 2009, more veggies, more fruits and less meat. Gosh, it’s going to be tough. Just typing about meat is making me hungry. Ha.

This unhappy year is going to end in a day’s time. It’s going to be a brand new year to look forward to. I hope that I can find happyness (purposely spelt like that) in 2009. And I hope you reading this will find yours too. Here’s to a great year ahead!

Happy New Year! :)

Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.

siukai is really sick and tired of his current lifestyle. He is not happy with his current situation and is frustrated that he has lost the feeling of happiness.

And he is determined to set things right in 2009...

Return of the King... of Crap

I pondered long and hard whether I should start blogging again.

My heart said yes but my mind said no. Dun noe why, but recently whenever I have the urge to blog, I will always pause at the login screen. Like now, I have no idea what else to write about and my mind is almost blank.

But I think it's important that I start blogging again. Because when I write, I feel alive! Yah, I think writing nourishes my mind and my soul. Ha. So I told myself, screw your brain siukai! It's time to write crap again.

Yah, and so this story continues...

Siukai will return next week... or even sooner. Watch out for him!

Over the years...

Dar Dar's 19th Birthday - Chocolate Cake

My first ever attempt at baking a cake. Ha. Notice how the chocolate cream reminds you of... Ha. But remember, never judge a cake by its frosting. Despite the looks, dar dar said that the cake was delicious! Ha. It's more of the thoughts that counts!

Dar Dar's 20th Birthday - Mango Crystal Cake

Aha! One year on and this one looks more pro right? Ha. Of course! I took a 3 hours cake-making course that cost me 50 bucks. But judging by the impressed gasps and the "Are you sure you didn't buy this?", it was well worth it!

Dar Dar's 21st Birthday - Mango Fruit Cake

I tell you, I took 2 days to complete this masterpiece and at the end of it, I couldn't move my arms and swore off baking for a couple of months! Ha. But a 21st birthday deserves such a majestic cake, especially since it was for my dar dar! Ha. Luckily we only celebrate our 21st birthday once in our lifetime. :p

Random Mango Cake

Another Mango cake. Compare it with Dar dar's 20th cake. Can see the difference? Become more pro liao right? Ha. Dar dar says it's time I open a mango cake shop.

Christmas Mango Fruit Cake

Sorry, din noe how to bake log cake, therefore baked a mango cake for the Christmas eve gathering instead. It's actually the same as the above mango cake, just added some snowmen to suggest it's a Christmas Cake. Ha.

Dar Dar's 22nd Birthday - Chocolate Mango Cream Cake

Tada! siukai's latest creation! Ha. Compare it with the first choco cake I ever baked. Much nicer right? Ha. This cake is coated with a thick layer of dark chocolate glaze and it is filled with a generous serving of mango cream. Yummy!!!

Look out for more of siukai's cakes! :)

Garfield

Have been following this Garfield comic strip in the Straits Times for the past few days. I think it's absolutely hilarious. Take a look. :)

The day siukai applied for a flat

Hi guys! Long time no see! Yah I know I have not been updating for quite some time.

So siukai, what's up with you for the past few weeks?

Well, let me see... I was busy with assignments, struggling with my Maths Tutorial and just the other day, I applied for a flat with my dar dar. Yup, that's about it.

Wait a minute siukai! U what?!

Yah I know I know, I'm still struggling with my maths. That should not come as such a big surprise right? Ha.

Oh, u were referring to the flat?

Ha. Oh well, what about the flat you wanna know? Everything? Ha.

Oh okay, here goes...

It all started on Sunday when I was online and checking out the HDB website on this new Build to Order project - "Senja Green" at Bukit Panjang. Incidentally, dar dar was online too and she asked me what I was doing.

"Oh nothing dar, me looking at Senja Green, the HDB." I replied.

And then I sent dar dar the link.

"Wah dar, very nice!" dar dar replied a few seconds later.

"Dar, next time we buy 4 room flat?" I asked.

"Yes dar. 4 room. Muacks! Muacks! The place looks good!" dar dar said.

"So dar, how? You wanna apply?" I asked.

"Yes dar!!! Muacks! Muacks!"

Yup, and that was how siukai applied for a flat. Ha. Just like that?

I always thought that I would propose to dar dar in the most romantic fashion ever, like maybe parachuting down during the National Day Parade and with the whole of Singapore watching, pop the question, "Will you marry me?" Ha.

But now that we are applying for a flat together... still need to propose? Ha. Does that mean that the proposal will be an anti-climax? Damn! I just screwed up my marriage proposal! Now I will forever be condemened as one of Singapore's most unromantic guy!

Imagine if one day, someone ask dar dar how I proposed to her. Her reply, "Nah, he didn't. He just asked me whether we wanted to apply for a flat. And he did it online."

Ha. Unbelievable.

Gotta Catch'em All

I managed to download the Gameboy Advance Emulator for my psp. And you know what that means?



It's time to catch'em all!!!

Ahh... the beautiful memories are coming back... Ha.

The story of the lazy birds

This is one of the question from my Maths Tutorial 1:

Ornithologists have determined that some species of birds tend to avoid flights over large bodies of water during daylight hours.

It is believed that more energy is required to fly over water than land because air generally rises over land and falls over water during the day.

A bird with these tendencies is released from an island that is 5 km from the nearest point B on a straight shoreline, flies to a point C on the shoreline, and then flies along the shoreline to its nesting area D.

Assume that the bird instinctively chooses a path that will minimize its energy expenditure.

Points B and D are 13 km apart.

If it takes 1.4 times as much energy to fly over water as land, find the distance between B and C.

Arrggg!!! Stupid lazy birds! Why can't they just fly from point A to B without stopping? That would make life simpler right? No no... they just have to stop midway to take a break and even plot to minimize their energy expenditure. Ha.

My answer to this question? I don't know. Because I was busy trying to shoot the damn birds. Ha.

Back to School!

Hey guys, yup I know I have not been blogging for a week and that is pretty long for siukai's standard. U ppl must have missed me badly right? Ha.

Well, was busy with work and preparing for school reopening next week! It seems so fast; just like that 3 months have passed already. It's already August and 4 more months before the end of 2008.

Oh yah, I reckon that I will be rather busy once school starts, so sad to say there might be lesser posts. But I promise I will try my best to update during my free time! Ha.

Remember the goal I made to score 3 As this sem? Well, I tell u, I think I'm in for a hard time! Ha. I just took a peek at the Maths tutorials and I am already sweating at the first line of tutorial one: "Fill in your name." Ha. :p

NO! SIUKAI, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Yup, must always be positive. :)

Before I forgot, here's one riddle I saw in an episode of "Friends" last week:

Part I: "What's green and says, I'm a frog?"

I put that as my nick on MSN and got quite a couple of answers. Ha. Fancy a try?

I also came up with Part 2 and 3 to the riddle:

Part II: What's green and says, "I'm a YELLOW frog?"

Part III: What's black and white and says, "I'm a frog?"

Ha. If you think you got the answer, post it on my tag. Sorry, no prize for the correct answer. Oh, alright, I'll give you a limited edition siukai's dairy signed by the great one himself k? Ha.

Dar dar has started her contract teaching already and from the stories she has been telling me about the students, it makes me feel for the teachers. Really, they are doing a very demanding job, especially with the kind of kids nowadays.

It's really a lot of sacrifices on their part, possible danger of high blood pressure, loss of voice, possible over-eating due to stress. The list goes on!

Not everyone can be cut out for a teacher, at least not for me! Even though my temper has been well under controlled since, I don't think I have the patience to deal with these kids, especially the more naughty ones. Ha. I think my first lesson will end up in a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) style "Hell in a Cell" match. Ha.

So people, respect teachers for what they are doing. It's a hellish job and they put up with all these kind of crap because they have a passion to nurture and teach. So if you are a parent, do your part in educating your spoilt brat at home. Ha.

Right, you might think I'm doing freelance for MOE. Ha. No, I'm not. :p

K, I got to be going soon liao, got to prepare to bake my famous KC's Muffins for my colleagues. Last day on Friday. Ha. See u soon people.

Everest

There was a super-fit man who wanted to climb Everest. To make his dream a reality, he trained his body to perfection until he was all muscle. He thought this would be enough. It wasn't until he actually found himself on the mountain, at base camp that he realized his stamina fell short of the mark.

His training was good, meticulous even; he could run a fast marathon, lift heavy weights and captain his body and mind through the most excruciating physical workouts.

But what he hadn't prepared for (actually, you can't really prepare for) was the actuality of being on the mountain. Because on the mountain, the air is thin. The lack of air makes breathing - even for the fittest athletes - difficult.

And the higher you go (as in life) the thinner the air gets. This is why on the higher echelons of Everest (and of life) there are very few people.

Now, although this man had been told many times in his preparations that the air on Everest was thin and it would make progress slow and breathing difficult, he never really heeded the advice. Until, that is, on day one when his chest was as tight as a fat kid's school shirt and he couldn't catch his breath.

He complained to his companions, all experienced climbers, that he couldn't breathe properly and they duly advised him (and reminded him) that, when you are on the mountain, this was normal.

"No", he insisted. "You don't understand. I'm a fit man. I am conditioned. I should be able to breathe easier."

Patiently the message was reiterated. "There is very little air on the mountain. The higher you go the less there is. The inability to be able to get your lungs full is normal." Again, he complained. He was fit. Not being able to breathe was not normal to him.

As much as his companions tried to reassure him, he would have none of it. He was convinced that his breathlessness was an early sign of some mysterious mountain illness. He bitched so much that in the end one of the climbers pulled him to one said and said firmly,

"Listen! We're on Everest. It's a high mountain. There is no air. If you want more air, climb a smaller fucking mountain."

And here endeth the lesson.

Every now and then, we need to be told to "stop the bitching and get on with it." On our way to reach higher peaks, we often find ourselves ready to throw in the towel, complaining about the discomfort, the lack of help, the inadequate industry support.

Well, I don't know about you but I don't want to climb small mountains. I want to ascend into the clouds with the legends. And if that means less air, then so be it.

Adapted from "Everything that happens to me is good" by Geoff Thompson

More than meets the eye

Came across these 2 interesting videos on youtube. So I thought I should share it with you guys. :) The videos make you think; sometimes there are more than meets the eye.

Enjoy.

It's always darkest before dawn. But what if dawn never comes?

As I write this, dar dar is in a secondary school beginning her contract teaching. Congratulations dar dar, you have finally fulfill your dream of becoming a teacher. :)

Dar dar told me that since she was young, she had always aspired to be a Maths teacher. She was inspired and motivated by her favorite Maths teacher who was very patient, great at explaining difficult Maths concepts and making sure everybody understood, even the weaker students.

The day dar dar decided that she was going to become a Maths teacher, she worked hard towards her goals, first getting into JC, then into Maths course at NUS and finally now at NIE.

I really admire and envy people who know from the very beginning what the heck they want to do with their lives and go all out to pursue it. As for myself, I'm still unsure where this current road will lead me.

When I was in primary school and we had to write a composition on "My ambitions", my favorite "ambition" was always to be a Scientist. Not that I knew exactly what a scientist does in those days. I mean my compo was very generic. I just wrote that I wanted to invent stuffs to help the world and so forth. Maybe I was "inspired" after watching those sci-fi movies or something. Ha.

A few years later, I wanted to become a wrestler. Ha. You know where that came from don't you? Yah, that's the side effects of watching too much World Wrestling Entertainment. :P

Then there was once I wanted to be a professional soccer player. I mean getting paid to play your favorite sports seemed to be the best job one can get! And the millions and millions of fans cheering you on when you score that winning goal... wow...

More years later, I wanted to be a game designer. And that dream was the longest I had. I held it all the way from secondary school until I completed my National Service.

Then what happened next siukai?

I was introduced to a friend known as "Real Life" and was hit by a dose of "Reality." Suddenly, everything seems so different out there.

I know how I have talked about positive thinking and stuffs but sometimes there are certain times when you just feel like whining a bit. Ha. And this is one such moment.

Frankly speaking, as of now, I really have no idea what the hell I want to do with my life.

It's already July of 2008 now and that means more than half the year has gone by. And well, look where I am now? Did I make any progress? What have I achieved?

Sometimes you work hard and when you hope to see results, you see none. Sometimes when you lament how some people get the easy life while you have to slog and sweat and endure all those crap life throws at you and worse, at the end of the day, you are still at square one.

Sometimes you just ask yourself, when will all this ends? When will you ever see that light at the end of the tunnel? Heck, when will you even get out of the tunnel? Well, how do you even know you are in a tunnel in the first place? Maybe you are in a sealed box - with no way out.

Sometimes you look up into the sky and ask whoever is up there, GOD, ALLAH, LAO MU, JESUS, SHIVA, whatever, whether they are done with you yet. If not, how long more? If not, is that the best they can do?

And you really want to scream at them, "Just bring it." But you are afraid that worse will come because your spirit is tired, your body exhausted.

They always say that it is always darkest before dawn, that once you have endure the darkest moments, good things will come your way. That it was darkness that invented the light.

Right, spare me those crap. I'm too old for that. Ha.

Sometimes you just wonder what if dawn just never comes? Or whether you will be stuck in the darn box forever.

But siukai loves challenges. He has always relish being the underdog. siukai don't believe in GOD, ALLAH, LAO MU, JESUS, SHIVA, whatever. Because he believes he creates his own destiny.

Stuck in a box? Then tear your way out.

Dawn won't come?

Then I jolly well got to create my own dawn.

Moral of the story? Just because life deals you a bad hand doesn't mean that you have to accept it. Fight for your future. Fight your way out of the box. It's never over until you say it's over.

Life never gives up on you until you give up on it.

Wow siukai, that is really one load of bullshit. But hey, it's very good bullshit. Ha. :P

Rude People should be shipped to Africa

Went to Dar dar's commencement ceremony last Thursday. As mentioned in the previous post, it was also our 3 years anniversary! Thus it was a double celebration! Ha.

Surprised dar dar with a bouquet of Sunflower while dar dar also gave me a pleasant surprise when she baked some chocolate cookies for me! Thanks dar dar. Ha.

Normally it's the other way round cos I'm the one who's doing the baking, thus it was really unexpected when dar dar presented me with a tin of freshly made choco cookies. Muacks. :)

As for the commencement ceremony itself, it was kinda boring. Ha. Reminded me of my own graduation ceremony back in the poly days. But this one was more high-class and a very solemn affair.

Everyone was dressed in robes and the professors were seated on stage, facing the audience and there was this pro-chancellor who was like the "King" of the whole ceremony. Ha.

Everything was like so god-damn serious that I was afraid that my breathing would disturb the person sitting next to me. Ha.

And they even banned people from bringing flowers into the hall and the reasons given were that some people might be allergic to flower pollen (This reason I accept) and secondly because some wrappers might be a bit noisy. (That I find it hard to swallow.)

Come on guys! Relax! It's a graduation ceremony! Not some court, parliament or anything like that. It should be a time of celebration right? Ha. :P

But I guess it's the tradition of university graduation; it's kinda like a big deal and thus everything have to be perfect and SERIOUS. Think the national day parade when the parade commander will ask for the President's permission to begin the parade. Ha.

Perfect the ceremony was not because the first glitch occurred right at the start of the presentation. There was this Chinese guy who was the first to collect his scroll and the name that was read out was one of a Malay guy. Unbelievable. And the poor chap reluctantly went on to collect his scroll.

The second disappointing thing about the ceremony was the clapping. This one I can understand because who would continue to clap for someone he/she don't know for the whole ceremony? The same happened during my graduation a few years back. Clapping was almost non-existence unless you are a big award winner or you were very popular.

Fortunately for me then, the guys were there to cheer me on and I swore there were even shouts of "I love you siukai!" Ha.

It's about time we do something about this "clapping problem". Siukai's suggestion? How about we hire part-time clappers? Pay them like $10 an hour and sit them among the crowd and these guys will clap and cheer throughout the whole ceremony. It sure makes the whole event more lively right? Ha.

On a budget? Then how about pre-recorded clappings similar to pre-recorded laughs on those cheap-skate comedy shows. Ha. Any clapping is better than no clapping right?

Seriously, someone should take note of my suggestion. I'm quite confident that it will add to the atmosphere and make the whole event more worthwhile and memorable. After all, if you are the one collecting the scroll, you would want to do so to the company of thunderous applause and even some wolf-whistles right? Ha.

And for an additional price, these professional clappers can even give you a standing ovation. Ha.

One final thing about the ceremony. At the end of it, there were hundred of balloons that were released to the audience. And guess what happened? Everyone started to pop the balloons! I was really shocked by the people's behavior. Was this tradition too? Ha.

Frankly speaking, I had no idea but it was amazing seeing people dressed in suits and ties popping and kicking balloons like there was no tomorrow. Ha. Really an eye opener for me.

Well I still have not gotten to my topic of the day on why rude people should be shipped to Africa. Ha.

This afternoon, I received a phone call from an unknown number. I picked it up and there was this guy on the other line.

"Hello?" I asked politely.

"HELLO?!" the guy shouted.

"Hello? Who are you looking for?" I asked.

"AH CHOO?! AH CHOO?!" the guy continued to shout.

"I think you got the wrong number." I replied.

"Ah CHOO?!"

"I think you got the -"

He hung up the phone.

A few seconds later, he called again.

I picked it up.

"Hello. Who are you looking for?" I asked one more time, in my nicest voice.

"Mei Choo in?" the guy asked.

"There's no Mei Choo here. You got the wrong number."

"No MEI CHOO?"

"No, how did you get this number -"

He hung up.

What the *&%@&#^% is wrong with this guy?! He's really so darn rude! Twice he never bother to say sorry for wasting my time and dialing the wrong number and twice he dare to hung up on me. His mother surely never teach him properly.

Gosh. It was then I suddenly had this thought that all rude people should be shipped to Africa in a FedEx box labeled "Defective" and in their exchange a starving kid from Africa would take their place and get a chance to live a normal life. I'm sure these kids will appreciate life much better and treat their fellow human beings with respect and kindness.

There are three types of people that get on my nerve. Firstly, rude people. Then, lazy people and finally inconsiderate people. Looking back at the commencement ceremony, there was this auntie who was yakking on the phone for a good 30 minutes. Come on lah, your son/daughter might not be the one taking the scroll while you are talking but do show other people respect right?

What if it was your child who was collecting the scroll and there are people who are talking like nobody's business? You would be bothered too right?

Some people really don't know how to think. :(

But the world is just like this. If everyone was so nice and perfect, there wouldn't be war. Everyone would be happy, smiling and laughing. People would be sharing stuffs, greeting each other good morning.

But these only happen in fairy tales. In our world, rude people are still getting on fine with their lives while malnourished kids in Africa wait to die.

However I believe that eventually, their actions will come back to haunt them. This quote by Wayne Dyer, an American motivational speaker describes it perfectly, "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."

Right, someone please get me a box. Ha. :P

Happy 3 years Anniversary Dar Dar!

Today is a special day for dar dar and me.

Yes, today is Bring your own bag day. Oops. Sorry that was yesterday! Ha.

Well, as you can read from the title already, today is dar dar and my 3 years anniversary, that's 36 months of togetherness = 156 weeks of blissful union = 1095 days of missing each other = 26280 hours = 1576800 seconds of thinking of each other = one load of mushy crap! Ha.

Sorry, my dar dar gets a kick when she sees numbers. Sometimes I do get a kick too. From my dar dar that is, for my careless mistakes when it comes to solving maths problems. Ha.

I was kiddin about the dar dar kicking me part. Dar dar loves me so much how can she bear to kick me? :P

Oh for goodness sake siukai! Please stop all this mushy stuffs! I can't bear to read on further!

Then don't. Ha. If you think that was bad. You have no idea what you are in for. Ha. Come on! Today is my 3 years anniversary lei. It's only fitting if this entry contains the most mush-iest crap siukai has ever written till date. Ha.

Incredibly, I have been attached for 3 years. Sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night and wonder whether I am in a dream. I will pinch myself to double confirm. Sometimes I pinch myself so hard but yet I feel no pain. It's only in the morning when I see my brother's bruised arms that I know the reason. Ha.

To think that a few years back, I was still whining and worrying whether I would ever get a girlfriend. But now I got more than I bargain for. I got myself a lao po. Ha. If you cannot bear to read on, it's okay. I understand. This entry is mostly for my dar dar also. Ha.

Of course we all know that getting into a relationship is the easy part. Maintaining one is more difficult. Come to think of it, 3 years is not really that long. I've met people who has been in a relationship for 6 years yet it did not end in a marriage. But there are of course others who do.

Like the overused cliche describes, "It takes two hands to clap." Just like it takes two hands to make a prata. Or it takes two hand to fry hokkien mee. I mean you can try doing it with one hand but it would be quite a feat. Imagine trying to crack an egg and continuing to fry the noodles to prevent them from being burnt. Ha.

3 years of relationship might not be long for some but for a first-timer that's not too bad! Give me a high five! Yeah!

So is siukai a born natural when it comes to relationships? Maybe it's because I read widely and manage to learn something useful about the opposite sex. A highly recommended book is "Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". That's actually the bible for maintaining a relationship.

However if you can't afford the book or you rather spend money to buy Playboy or Maxim, you can always read the alternative, siukai's blog: Men are from Queenstown, Women are from Bukit Panjang Ha. :p

I think one very very important thing that is needed to sustain a relationship is communication.

Yes, you heard me. Communication is the most important thing. A lot of times we guys think we understand what a women is thinking and women thinks they know what guys are thinking. Well, sorry to burst that bubble. Unless you are a mind reader, most of the time we are clueless when it comes to interpreting the opposite sex.

That's why it is very important to let your partner know how you feel about him/her or when something bothers you. Don't keep it to yourself and assume he/she knows. How in the world would he/she knows if you don't tell him/her?!

Most misunderstanding happens because of miscommunication. Don't take the chance. Communicate. If you find it hard to tell him/her to the face, write a letter, like what yours truly does every month. Ha.

Yah, for the past 36 months, I have been dutifully writing a monthly letter to dar dar. Okay I admit I missed about one or two months but I still make it an effort to write some crap. Ha.

Sometimes when I run out of crap, I draw. Ha. With dar dar's permission, here is a glimpse of the comic strip I drew for her for our 33 months anniversary. You need to click on the picture to view it in its full glory.

The Legend of the Dugong

Not that bad lah. I'm not exactly an art student. Ha.

Besides communication, you also need to do reflections on yourself. How have you contributed to the relationship? If there is an argument, what went wrong? Why did he/she reacted that way? Most importantly why did you reacted that way? Always ask questions and try to think from your partner's point of view.

Don't always assume you are right. And especially if you are a guy, sometimes even if you are right and the matter is not that big a deal, you should give in too. Come on, be a gentleman! And for our efforts, girls should also make it a point to acknowledged that the guy has given in not because he was wrong but because he still love you and do not want to continue with the meaningless squabber.

No relationship can ever be without arguments. Sometimes it is these conflicts that make the relationship stronger. Dar dar and me have our fair shares of ups and downs.

No matter how bad an argument is, at the end of the day, always remember why you love him/her in the first place. Find that reason and your heart will soften and your anger will subside.

Well, that's all the advice I can give now. Ha. For more, you can visit my "dating" blog as mentioned above. :)

Incidentally, today is also dar dar's graduation day! Congratulations too dar dar! Muacks! I am so proud of you!

Ha. Double happiness. :) Oh yah, last week I bought a Jacket for dar dar as a 3 years anniversary gift. And guess what, dar dar also bought me one! Ha. Thanks dar dar! Muacks!

Jackets of Love

Happy 3 years Anniversary Dar Dar! We will have more good years ahead! Muacks. Love you lots!!! :D

Dream$ are made of the$e

Hey, it's me again. Think I'm suffering from writer's block or something. Ha. Don't worry though, this happens to me sometimes, nothing too serious. :)

Having a writer's block is like... well... imagine a choked tap. Water just does not flow out as before. Like you know how long it took me to write the above few lines?

2 hours.

Ha. I was kidding. It was actually 1 hour 59 min.

Hey, I feel my crapping powers coming back now! Yeah!

Actually I had a couple of topics to blog about the last couple of days but every time I sat in front of the PC, it's like all my desire to crap just disappeared. Even the mere thought of logging into blogger seems intimidating!

Maybe it's because I'm tired after coming back from work or maybe because my current work is draining me of all my creativity! Ha.

For the curious, I'm currently working as a promoter at this gigantic supermarket, stationed in the electrical department. It's a no-brainer job, maybe that's why I'm becoming dull. Ha.

Anyway, back to today's topic. Kok once mentioned a few weeks back, "Everyone talks about dreams but to fulfill a dream, what do you need? You still need money in the first place."

I think that is very true. Some people dream of becoming their own boss, of setting up their own cafe or something. But at the end of the day, you still need the capital right?

No money, how to set up cafe? Unless your parents are damn rich or something. Even if your parents are damn rich, they still need to fork out the money to pay for the rent, supplies and misc stuffs for the cafe, which brings us back to the point, Money is still crucial if you want to reach that dream of yours.

I think this is the point I finally understood after like 4 years since I completed my National service. Darn kok! You should have told me this earlier! Ha.

Recently, some of my peers and even my cousin who is only a few months older than me have already gotten married or are planning to get engaged. As for me, I'm nowhere near that! I'm still studying for goodness sake!

When I complete my studies in another 2 years time, some of them might even be Daddys! And me? I will just be starting my career!

Why the diff even when we are the same age? How come there are those who already have a successful career while there are those who are still trying to make ends meet?

As I mentioned in my previous posts, what and where we are right now is all based on the decisions we made before.

Straight after my National service 4 years back, I made my first important decision; that was to join Gys and Kok to setup a dough nuts business at the pasar malam. As I have said a few times over, though that venture was not successful, I truly believe that it was a very very valuable experience.

My next very important decision came when I decided that my first real job was to become an IT trainer at a secondary school. It was there that I met my dar dar and we are together since.

I think the universe works in a strange way, everything happens for a reason. You see, if I had not joined the guys in the doughnuts venture, I would never had become an IT trainer because I would have took up another job when I completed my NS.

And if I did not become an IT trainer, I would not have met my dar dar and well things now might be a lot more different.

Everything happens for a reason I guess. Including Gys's death.

When Gys passed on suddenly, I was jolted from my dreams. I realized that we are not invincible and life is so fragile. One moment I was still talking crap at his house on Tuesday and he was gone just like that two days later.

I now appreciate the people around me more, especially my dar dar and my dear buddies because life is just so unpredictable. So, if you are not doing it already, tell your love ones how much you love them every night before you go to bed.

I also begin to see life in a different light; life is too short to be angry or unhappy. Last time, I had quite a bad temper. My dar dar can "vouch" for that. I even threw temper at my IT HOD when I was an IT trainer. It got to such a bad extent that he wanted to fire me.

I could go on about the nasty stuffs I did when I was angry but I am afraid that after reading, you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. Ha.

Anyway, nowadays I can control my temper so well that I was wondering whether it is still around. Ha. Even dar dar remarked that I have changed a lot since she met me, I mean besides the fact that my tummy seems to be growing forward by an inch every week. Ha.

I finally understand that there is really no point to be angry at someone or something. If someone or something upsets you, go and do something to change it. If you just shout and whine and complain, losing your temper in the process, would you achieve anything? Maybe your blood pressure will increase and you will feel like crap, that's about all.

If you can't do something to change the situation, then change your mindset. It's that simple. Live and let live. To forgive is divine.

Ha. I think the weekends Buddha teaching lessons are doing wonders for me. Just kiddin. :P

Back to the money topic. My financial health is so bad right now that I can barely afford a single table at a wedding dinner. And I'm like what? 26 already this year? Maybe Kingston was right after all. I'm indeed darn old!

Ha. Sorry, just could not resist taking a dig at him. Alright alright, I know, to forgive is divine right? Yah yah, I have already forgiven him, it was just a harmless tease okay? Ha. :P

But well, since we cannot change the past, we'll just have to cherish the present and make full use of lost time. That's why I have been doing all these kind of "sai kang" job for the past few months. Jobs that if given a choice, most people would not want to do.

I've also met a lot of different people from all walks of life. Like there was this auntie who told me that she was earning $3.50 an hour. I was shocked and stunned when I heard that. It's really exploitation. It's not ethical for me to reveal the place she works at. But here's a clue. "Yah coffee".

You guys are so smart, shouldn't be too difficult to guess right?

Doing these kind of "sai kang" jobs have also made me more determined to help these poor people. Some of these people are really stuck in the poverty cycle. Because they are not educated, they simply cannot find a way out and most of them are too old. Not because they do not want to upgrade but simply because they don't have the means or are clueless how to go about doing it.

That's why they stayed on to earn a miserable $3.50 an hour.

Sometimes when I see old folks going around selling tissue papers or uncles playing an instrument along busy orchard road, I wished I could just give them $50 and tell them to take a break for the day.

$50 might be small change for a rich person but for some people, it can last them for a month (before inflation) or one to two weeks. (after inflation).

That's why I swear that I have to be very rich and give a helping hand to those deserving people, starting from my parents and relatives. I think the moment you realize you have reached another stage in life is when you start to think about others and not only about yourself. Sadly, there are people who never get pass the "It's all about me" stage.

There are a lot of things I would like to do and a lot of people I would like to help and a couple of dreams I would like to fulfill. But like what Kok said, it all starts with money. Without money, you cannot do anything no matter how much you desire to do it.

That's why I have made up my mind that I will work very very hard for the next few years and build up a successful career. Pay off my debts, save money for marriage and give back to society. Hmm... I'm starting to sound like a potential MP. Ha. Vote for siukai? Ha.

Was watching Spiderman 2 on Sunday and this particular quote struck me. Spidey said this to Dr Oct towards the end of the movie during their final showdown:

"Sometimes... to do what's right... we must be steady... and give up the things we desire the most... even our dreams."

Of course Spidey was also talking about himself because he had decided to give up leading a normal life and getting married with Mary Jane but instead choose to become a hero to protect his city.

Well, siukai like spidey is just so selfless. Ha.

A final note on money, It's good to save money for the future but there are times when if you can afford it, you should spend it, especially on special occasions like anniversary or birthdays.

Which brings me to this other quote I would like to share, "What's the use of saving it all for later. When money cannot buy back the experiences you lost along the way?"

I'm almost at the end of my blog entry now. Pardon for the disorganization of the topics, this tap is still a bit clogged up. Ha.

Anyway, remember life is too short to be sad. Smile and be happy. Hope you will have a nice rest of the day! Take care! :)