200th Post!!!! Yay!! 2000 ga-zillion more great ones!

its post 200 liao!! yay! break out the Mt Pleasant Semilion 2002 Vintage n Lindemans Reserve '06 Verdelho...dis must b a long post..correction super long post to commemorate dis moment...

on the right is a picture i took up in the Lake Macquarie area last year...i call it Cathedral Fall but as all camera folks will noe...the colours are washed out and over-exposed...my framing of the picture is still too broad and not tight enough..and can't see texture of rocks clearly...aka focus is not good..n shutter speed could be faster to prevent falling water from lookin all streaked blurry..n film is better..comin home 2 get my 2nd hand Nikon film SLR (mayb F5?) wif dat 1000 dollars the govt has given mi for finishin NS...

oh, a word about wine... Mr P said that he found mi one of the few pple he noez here who collects wine just for its intrinsic appeal..n bothers keepin it for years n years to let it mature...not realli..Mr D in Sydney does dat even more fanatically..he's keepin a bottle of Gartlemann Red Wine (can't recall exact name) from 2002 for his graduation at e end of dis year..n he's been keepin dis since his first visit 2 e Hunter Valley...it'll b extremeli temptin 2 b lik a senior from newcastle who stayed on after finishin her degree 2 work in the Hunter Valley McGuigan's Estate serving wine...extremeli temptin if i had no committments n obligations back homee..

n yes, i will b returnin home aroun Jun 1-5 for bout a month till i get back just in time for Wintercon 07: The Cross of Christ...major topic siaa...den mayb after dat i'll go Melbourne in e 2nd week of uni..meet Mr C who i hope i can ask up from Tassie-mania...ohh..2dae i bought monographs on 3 more of my Modern Masters in architecture..Walter Gropius, Alvar Aalto n Mies Van der Rohe..53 Aussie D at e Archi bks exhibition in Studio..din hav enuff for Frank Lloyd Wright if not complete my series on Masters of Modern Movement liao..but Jean Prouve one also super interestin lei..cannot cannot must control n draw line somewhere..

hmmm, going for gym yesterday was a bittersweet experience (borrowin lil miss B.C's words) as i was mentionin 2 dao hui mei mei...super good workout n full of happy endorphins in my bloodstream when i started 2 cycle home...but nearin winter den rain n road was slippery...so nearin a hump on a steep down slope i tried 2 brake as usual...n no use..cannot bite properli...so i bcame super man for all of 2.5 seconds...n den stunned for 10 minutes as i was recoverin by e roadside...n when i was ready 2 go again..e bike out of alignment liao...handle bar out n brakes slip off wheel..must invest in some good disc brakes..n e best part was comin home n realisin dat i'd suffered so many cuts...n washin them n applyin iodine is an experience man..u can try when u need 2 wake up after sleepin 16 hours...n i was swearin e whole time...ex-army sergeant style...after dat i said sorry 2 God but realised..when i angry my first reaction is 2 let go one salvo of profanities...instead of thankin n praisin God dat nothin worse happened like mi breakin my neck or skull..i'm ashamed...mayb its coz i subconsiousli want somethin 2 blame or bcos i wanna relieve my frustration..but its a poor steam vent n copin mechanism..must pray n change..

in Focus Bible Study with Matt we finished book of 2 Peter n its dealin wif false prophets n end times n unbelief amongst Christians bout His 2nd comin n live for here n now onlii..scoffers they're called..n reminds mi a lot of certain prosperity gospel types whose character i juz must assasinate la..their god is their belly...as Jesus said of the Pharisees..they are empty tombs n white washed sepulchres..Paul says they have a form of godliness but deny its power..oh well, we're lookin 2 start the book of Isaiah next tues...Big Book mann...dat one realli need 2 read up for our discussion n sharin...

2dae will b headin 2 studio 2 get draftin done b4 major submissions next week...2 tests on Japanese (Mon n Tues) n 2 major projects due Thurs..so next time will prob b seen postin will b nex Fri..da zhang lo!!! but 2nite its chicken rice at Jinny's place...yeahh...n b4 dat Body Jam aerobics dance at Forum Gym..Doncha wish ur gal fren was hot...Ga-go make mi lose control..up in here up in here..Engine Engine no.9, on der New York transit line..Hey Bitch, get outta der wae..get outta der wae Bitch, get outta der wae..Hey shorty, get ya hands up, get ya hands up, get ya hands up..ok dats enuff..

O for a Thousand Tongues 2 Sing

:Mood Todae (on left)

before i begin, i've finalli put up my new c-box after i got rid of dat stoo-pid ol' tagboard last yr which was not workin anymore...n now its in anti-functionalist black which is my own fav colour...dun noe wat colour 2 choose? Black is ur best choice...

its been 2 daez of apparent divine counsel for mi...God does indeed speak most clearli thru His Word n e situations He puts us in...with due respect 2 my own pentecostal, tongue-speakin roots..

yesterdae, e message on whether we r thankful enough to God for the gift of Jesus was really cuttin...i do thank God for many things..but just for Jesus..for who He is n Wat He is to mi...dats somethin i've neglected of late...

n todae, durin our FOCUS bible study, e realisation dat speakin to God shd not b difficult or taken for granted but an everydae occurance was a reminder in e midst of much hard archi work...we shd not think dat we're too far from Him to talk or dat we're too sinful n forsaken to talk..He wants to hear us talk 2 Him...even if He does not promise to give us all we ask, everytime, for His own reasons (n every mature Christian noes this)...He promises us His peace n confidence that He is in charge..and for a Christian..dats enuff for mi..

oh, one of e things i missed so much from e time i was a pimpli, awkward n (dare-i-say-it) girl-crazy 16 year old in St Andrews was singin hymns every mornin for devotion...Beginnin n End of term Hymns, our ol' favourite The Old Rugged Cross,n e one whose title is lost 2 mi in e mists of time..."Many things about tomorrow, i dun seem to understand, but i noe who holds tomorrow n i noe who holds my hand"...recently in Unichurch, we've been singin a lot of ol hymns..n a large part of my life, neatly packed away in dusty white covers, locked away in e attics of my mind were unearthed..in science fiction talk..its like Stephen King's Dream Catchers where ol memories are replayed or in Battle Tech...where ol Brian Caches are de-mothballed..n it was all due to e Charles Wesley's Hymn of Epic Proportions...O for a Thouuuu-sand Tongues To Sing..

Warning: Dun try dis without proper Supervision..

Johnathan Choong...u've outdone urself again...dats e new International Newcastle Singaporeans committee for 2007...thanks to Johnnie's ridiculous photoshop skills...we're ready 2 direct n shoot George Lucas' newest epic..Star Wars VII: Got No Hope...where Aazac Skywalker n his beloved Paiid-leen, supported by stormtroopers sent by The Cat Designer n led by Captain Sozh-weii...try 2 take over Imperial City where evil Emperor Tee Kay the First is gougin himself silly wif crepes fed by e Imperial Guards Major Darrah Dun...but its not so easy coz Jibi Apprentice Bre N'da N & La Wren 'ce from the planet Engeenierz are there 2 ensure dat the manipulative John-Two-An Ch-zerozero-g, robot master controls e universe..

juz when u tot it could not b worse, Jibi exile Evelynn-wan-kenobi arrives 2 betray John-Two-An to Emperor Tee Kay the First...but she needs to get rid of Tee-rance Do Ta, The Designer's Spy sent to give false information 2 the Emperor..n den...suddenli...an alien fleet arrives to destroy the different factions n impose The Dark Creature's Order on e Universe... seen onli in Holographic Images....

Akan datang!! U think still got hope? Watch Star Wars VII: Got No Hope...out in cinemas soon

Zai Chu Fa

:Mood 2dae (on left)

an old Armour serviceman need some reminiscin at times.. i miss e smell of track grease n rusty metallic ordours from e time in an armour battalion servin as an armoured pioneer doin back-breakin combat engineer work..still miss e ol' gal 52 Bravo...my ol' M113 Ultra Armoured Personnel Carrier...she was old n creaky from 30 years service wif the SAF...but she carried mi thru n she was mine...

she brought mi n my section thru creeks n gullies..up hills n mount Sabena...all e wae 2 Sabena Point at e edge of e continent in Australia when i got lost n navigated our section 2 a "hollan" finish...

n paintball in e bush last sun brought it all back...even e obstacle construction in e bush..waitin 2 close an obstacle after e last frenli forces pass thru n delay e pursuin enemy...4 coils, 10 coils, mine clusters, U-coils, abattis...n clearin e same when on e advance ahead of our forces..lyin in wait prone in e bush..wif mozzies n ticks (those realli suck)...carbine in hand or SAR 21...combat ration packs on e ground(coz its usalli lunch time when we realli start e hard work)...

hidin in e bush u can't see anyone..so u juz listen..when sounds approach u challenge or fire..hold fire until e fellow i salmost above u den u challenge or fire...n SAW in front...for coverin fire if things get nasty..

dis is how we went thru n wat we learnt in Wallaby 06...oh n, if u go in2 a creek n are ambushed, u're screwed...big time...no wae u can charge at e ambushers..fire n movement was perfected n taken seriousli in e bush man..trust ur formations n trainin when u see nothin..n trust ur map n compass rather den ur memory when navigatin super long distances...yup paintball brought it all back..

paintball n stuff

had paintball on sunday wif e rest of e singaporean students in newcastle group...ended up wif many bruises n a few cuts..from smashin paintballs no doubt..so frens, if u've never tried paintball b4, do try it hor

n den we had all e preparations for e International Newcastle Singaporeans Inaugural Launch at nite ...n i realli like to thank all those who made it such a success...inc AAzac, Zhaowei, Eelen, Durah, Terence, Cat, Lawrence, Johnnie, Evelynn..a great comm and a great team to work wif..thanks...

e stingray was e highlight of e whole nite of course...eatin sambal stingray in ang mo land is realli like home away from home kind of feelin...e juicy, succulent, tender meat, drippin with sambal belacan n burnin on ur tongue n down e throat..all e wae in2 e belly on a cold autumn nite...fantastic man...Kudos to Aazac n Johnnie for thinkin dat up..n Zhaowei for gettin it from e Newcastle fish Market...

later, i'll talk bout e paintball action in e bush ala Ex Wallaby 2004..realli reminds mi of Shoalwater Bay training Area in Rockhampton, Queensland..n e Radio Singapore International report i'm gonna b sendin 2 News radio 93.8 bout dis activity...now for gym

A Time a Day For Piano

:Mood todae (on Left)

If u've ever read Dune its bout a lot of philosophical themes...like Frank Herbert(e author's) guide to life..like he says its not dat absolute power corrupts absoluteli...but rather, absolute power attracts the absoluteli corrupt..

One of e main themes is bout dis dude called Paul Atreides and his gift of seein the future..n all e pitfalls..n how he goes on to become Muad'dib, the Mahdi (prophet) of the wild Fremen peoples who conquer the universe in the name of their Zensunni religious gospel...dis was written 30 year before 9/11 mind u..Muad'dib's Great Jihad it was called...

but he was as much made by the events n circumstances as he shaped them...n den Frank Herbert goes on to talk about cause and effect and circumstances and their shapin...in a later book, after giving his life to the myth surroundin him because he could not stand it..he was brought back thousands of years later as a sorta clone whose memories were activated...n he grapples with conscience and transience...

my fren talked to mi on msn today bout e whole issue of transience and fragility of life and how its over all too soon and how we need to treasure those aroun us n live our lives with meanin...if we had onli one more day to live...would we still b chasin grandiose dreams of phantom futures or build more castles in the sky?or would we spend time wif those who matter to us n try to apologise for all e wrongs we've done n make peace...

"the flesh surrenders itself. eternity takes back its own. our bodies stirred these waters briefly, danced with a certain intoxication b4 the love of life and self, dealt with a few strange ideas, then submitted 2 e instruments of Time.What can we say of this? I occurred. I am not...yet, I occurred."

Paul Atreides the clone,
Memories of Muad'dib

A Picture A Day For Piano

"Is Love Born to us, as natural as part of our humanity as breathing n sleepin? Or is Love something we must create within ourselves?"


"Love is one of the most dangerous forces in the universe. Love weakens, while deceivin us into believing it is a good thing."

Which View? or just look at my cute sheep...

a Time of Emotion for Piano

:Mood Todae(on Top)

haiz.. was a nice evenin at Johnnie's place earlier..great drinks n food...loveli herbal chicken dat tasted as though all e nutrients had been leached in2 e soup which subsequentli boiled off...a bit dry la...sorrie Johno..but mai hiam bei pai as they say...good mixin n frenship all roun...

i think i can safeli say dat dis blog space is not bein watched by...lets just call 'em e Dunedain Rangers (ala Lord of the Rings) who would see wat evil stirs in Mordor..e Pass is clear for e Dark Armies to move thru in preparation for e Assault on Ithilien in Osgiliath (pardon mi all u Non-LOTR fans)...

dats y 2nite i can safeli bare some parts of my heart dat would normalli be kept off dis blog even...everytime a guy likes a girl it feels like Mission Impossible..at least for mi...there are indeed girls i do like...i better not say one or two or watever...n there hav been many failures in e past..some wif e gals i now talk abt...some wif other gals now out of e picture...y ah? i figure i must b extremeli unattractive or obnoxious dats y like dat..

more importantli, i dunno how 2 proceed or whether its even a good idea..i dunno whether e time is rite or wat e will of e Almighty is..n i dunno wat (lets just say their) reaction will b..n i dunno if i'll b up 2 e task of bein there for (them) even if i succeed...its tuff to noe wat 2 do...i noe wat i like..i noe i would like 2 b wif (them)..i noe i would giv my best...but i dunno wat shd b done or how 2 go abt doin it...prob e onli person who noes wat i'm realli talkin bout will b my good sista Jinny...no one else has any clear picture of wat i'm talkin bout..

i wish dat i had courage, wisdom, strength, charm, charisma...but i dun hav much...i think bout this person(s) a lot...n its difficult to juz carry on as if i'm unaffected by it..its distractin...i wish it were not, but it IS....God help mi...i swore b4 dat i dun wanna fail no more..nor do i wanna b such a fool in love...but i seem 2 b again n again...

i would realli giv a lot juz to noe wat dis person(s) thinks of mi..n whether (they) think its possible for us...hav u ever ever been in such a conundrum b4?

even if i knew {wat this person(s) tot n wat i shd do}, it would still b back to e words of dat old Mentat Trainin Paradox: At Last, after our long journey, we hav finalli arrived at the Beginning....

An Impression for Piano

On Sat, there was dat great show we all went down for..e Royal Easter Show...voted Best Show Last Year or somethin like dat..

e best part was of course, watchin e Rodeo shows where there was Buck Ridin, cowgirl horse-ridin, Bull Take-down Competition, Bull-ridin n stuff like dat..
but b4 all dat, Mr P. asked mi if i wanted 2 take a photo of dis Nutrition n Healthy Livin Booth where all e promoters looked so glum(must b from e Healthy food)..so i did...n e sales lady asked us 2 go in n hav a look...n someone was givin a demonstration..he asked some qn which i absudli answered...n got correct..so i won a 200 dollar set of kitchen knives...wau lau...never buy 4d!

den there was e sheep n goats, cows n pigs...n horses on display n e prizes they won at e fair...Best (Pure-breed) Features, Strongest Pig, Most Handsome Goat..Cow With Biggest...Nevermind...dunno wat also..den Mr P. again started talkin 2 e animals...hey pig, u're a weaner u noe that....i was super stunned man...Mr P. so full of lame crap..

so, after dat we went 2 e arena...n caught dat Rodeo Show..den there was e V8 Motor Cross..where we all juz watched cars on a muddy circuit while gettin drenched in e rain...n bikes doin furthest distance leaps on a wet ramp out across a field..

den finalli, there was dat cool Fireworks display for e Finale..it was great bein so up close 2 fireworks (even closer den when i was involved with NDP in 05) n cool..n after all dat, we still went 2 SuperBowl restaurant in SYdney for a late dinner..b4 headin 2 KTV...wa lau, 16 pple in 2 rooms is a lot of fun n crazy commotion man..den go back 2 sleep at fren's place at 5..n wake at 8am 2 go church..super tirin man..but all in all, e Royal Easter SHow n Sat was wat i will remember fondli for some time 2 come...

A Tune A Day For Piano

Easter 07: spent in Hillsongs Church at the Baulkham Hills Convention Centre For Good Fri...spent at The Darling Harbour Convention Centre with them again for Easter(Resurrection) Sunday

Somebody's got 2 b e Big B*st*rd n Whistle-blower to say wat many of us Christians realli think...i'm Pentecostal..as in I speak in tongues n believe in Gifts of Prophecy and things like that...(n i hav e first right 2 criticise, condemn and shout down my Pentecostal brethren).. there's nothin Pentecostal bout Hillsongs Australia...n in my opinion, little Christian wif them either..

Just another of dat Phenomenon called the Megachurch Phenomenon...Mega, Mac-Christian, Instantly Gratifyin n Eternalli Neglectin, Commercial, Shallow, Meaningless...wat hav i ever carried away wif mi from attendin any Hillsongs Service? i cannot even name one thing..Praise n Worship? Hyped up, over-souped Pop Concerts...good preachin?when the difference between the Christian life and living without Christ is illustrated by e example of how much better an Aston Martin DB7 is den an old Holden Kingswood..u realli hav 2 wonder wat it is actualli dat this church is preachin...Jesus Sanctionin the Good Life over the struggles of the Christian walk? Wat Does Jesus Actualli Say to self-fulfillin and satisfyin Hillsongs Christianity?

"You Fool! This very night ur life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for urself?" Lke 12:20

Well, Easter n Good Fri are days when the gospel should b preached more and more..but also days when Christians should reflect on what makes them Christian...the greatest good that has come out of all dat Hillsongs hype has been use of the time to reflect on the Christian life and wat it meant to realli follow Jesus Christ...n i realise dat whatever it is, it is not e Hillsongs life..i would rather be in danger of hellfire den go to e same kind of shallow eternity that these dudes are goin..Racca! You Fools!

An August Autumn Story

:Mood Todae (on left)

The months of the Year gathered for a feast round a roarin Bonfire...n as was e custom, each had to tell a story bout somethin interestin dat had happened when it was their month of the year...

Nobody wanted to start first...not wintry Jun, not warming October, not even quick-tempered December...all except mild (some say limpid) April...

"there was a boy, lets call him John,who hated everythin in his foster family where he had been brought up...mother was alwaez findin fault n father alwaez had such strange ambitions for him dat he never wanted for himself...n he was never allowed to play wif e other children (at least, not for long)...

so John decided to run away...he walked for km after km...till e Mars bars he brought ran out and e water he had finished...day 2 nite n nite 2 dae again in unendin cycle...n den he cut himself by accident on some rusty fence....n soon, he was just 2 tired 2 continue...so he lay 2 rest n died...

His ghost left his body n he saw a small figure in e bushes...hey, wats ur name? e figure asked...John...well, i'm Dan..i used 2 live up in dat house behind dis hill b4 i died...come on, lets play...n they spent e remainder of their April daez in such games n fun...activity after activity...dat was e best time John had in his whole life (or death i shd sae)

den one dae, he decided...lets go visit e house u used 2 live in Dan...but Dan just said, hav fun...e folks there r a strange lot...y dun u stay wif mi here n we can spend winter in these shrubs n bushes like e little hibernatin animals..but John absolutli refused...n Dan could onli bid him farewell sadli as John walked up e road n over e hill 2 e house beyond...."

"dats a nice story April.. i wish i were u for all my stories are dark n cold n filled with pain n regret...a longin for better daez..." said chill May..."oh well...dats juz e wae we were made...e daez are longer in mi n warmer n calm whereas for u, its windy n disturbed n the nights get long, dreadful and fearsome...no one realli to blame...." replied April in consolation.....

(adapted from Neil Gaiman's August's Tale in his book Fragile Things)---treasure the Autumn while warmth n life is still here...

Up to No Good

:Mood Todae(on Left)

there r times when i get on my anti-establishment n anti-authority rage..n 2nite's one o' them...heard from Miss Y bout e difficulties her church is facin gettin an extension n A&A done to their existin building...govt regulations...bah! Glen Murcutt said that regulations promote e worst and prevent e best architecture...they certainly promote mediocrity...all us architects need 2 collaborate 2gether 2 bust those regulations somehow..inc findin loopholes in e wordin...

all the world's horses and men
could not stop the Architect
out on his rampage
down came e walls of doubt
and disbelief, cynicism
and animal fear,
Trotsky and Red Guards
seizing Petrograd...
workers storming Bastille,
Guevarra tearing Bolivia
and Cuba apart-
all with one call:
Hasta la revolucion
le Siempre!

The Arabs hav a saying for certain types of things n pple: Mu Zein Walla (nothing good/never good)....to buildin codes n regulations...e establishment n all things dat troubled my growin years n caused growin pains...for u i promise...Mu Zein Walla..war without end...

Cold b' Hand
& Heart n Bone
& Cold be Sleep
under Stone
Nevermore to wake on stony bed
Never, till the moon dies and the sun is dead
Till the Lord Lifts His Hand
On Dead Sea,
& Withered Land

Lomo n all

:Mood Todae (on left)

in my silly mood after dat submission on Communications (draftin)...been wantin 2 check out dat LOMO site for some time...i've alwaez wanted one of those LOMO Oktomat 8-lens action cameras..i think Easter is a great time to get one..that or an Action Sampler Flash Cam which fires 4 lenses in a row to catch action footage on film...Old Sch Manual i believe in...after dat there's e LOMO Kompakt Automatik...i think i shd join the Lomographic Society dis yr as a LOMO user..

haiz..there's dat Katakana n Japanese Grammar test tm which i am nowhere near completin..juz e other dae was studyin wif Miss A in e library for e test n rite behind us were a group of Japanese students..everytime we tried to figure out Japanese Grammar, they would giggle n laugh behind..i was super embarrassed..Miss A...keep it down...we must sound terrible 2 'em....

newaez..been doin a bit o' thinkin...i think i've mellowed so much since 18 n esp 16...still in2 my Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Grateful Dead, Oasis, Bon Jovi n Jimmi Hendrix..not 2 mention Foo Fighters...but since NS i've been listenin 2 a lot of Mandopop stuff..cannot imagine dat like b4 NS...i pray e Ol SAS Boys never find out man..n i realise after Mr S mentioned 2 mi dat, for our class of 2000, onli a few survived e sometimes titanic struggles of faith n emotion dat stand between e end of e O-levels n now...

but none of us came out unscathed..esp thru e NS period...i hav quite a few hang-ups frm dat period which i'm still workin off..n some things i'm unlearnin while others i'm re-learnin..esp when one talks bout e Departmens...i realise i dunno how 2 chase or capture anymore...i wish i had e courage at 16 dat i used to hav in dat area...now, i feel like a neutered freak at times...hahahaha...esp wif e pple i'm attracted 2 i dun wanna start coz i'm realli afraid it'll deterioriate n end up wif another SPW or Sabby case...e NWO will noe wat i'm talkin bout..i also dunno la...

God-blessed Palm Sundae by e wae..soon it'll b Ash Wednesdae n Maundy Thurs n Good Fri...post on dat again..