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..

Haiku

i've alwaez loved haiku...it elegaic simplicity n formal emotion conveying:


Storm clouds gather,
some run for cover,
some prepare--rain.

Kingdom people live,
different rules here,
world runs by
-eternity lingers.

den of course, Delirious Jono (i'll intro him again 2 all u readers soon) will say:

Run fish catch,
true man cry,
three trees treat
do well n die....

i random like 2 show n say wat i cannot say when cannot b mi 2 u here n there...wat goin in year dis-i want to b a bird in the tree n catch all e flies in my mouth n eat them in one go...or 2..y u all like to follow the wae normal (abnormal abdominal) of being Big(or small) n doin Big(small?i dunno) thing when do mi like small(or Big) n see n go to... i dunno where also....n y we alwaez muz like b pple which do here they wat do normalli when counter-strike? no, wrong, or right? we b shd different(not same?)n liv life(or death?) our own n go wherevr shd we (but i dunno where go 2 n where i am goin later or not later(now?) also lunch first)....Culture is counter----culture counter or counter culture? n wat is e point of everythin i am sayin....i noe...i like e golden fishies swimmin in e duckies belly...

dats enuff Delirious Jono for one post...shhhh, back 2 e sanatorium u...mental nutcase we hav here...no nutcase...i like macademias in bags not case...Big Big bags...ok ok..lets move it along..i like parts n locks n watches tooo...u like/no?dats it...i'm bringin out e Gom Jabbar...ouch...u hurts us wif dat...

The Singapore Students Association Newcastle

My Mood Todae (on Left):

very shortly, dis organisation known as the Singapore Students Association Newcastle will cease to exist...it will b replaced by e International Newcastle Singaporeans...its honestly grammaticalli indigestible n an agglomeration of words...

how dis organisation functions determines everythin else...esp whether we truli are different from e ol organisation...i hav my reservations as i alwaez do abt New Things..Convince mi first...dats wat i tell myself now as Co-President with Johnathan Choong...havin served in e ol committee as Treasurer i noe first hand e real difficulties of such committee work...n e great thanklessness of it all...

A position is juz dat...a position...how we discharge our duties is another issue...i take my job/role/task seriousli but humbli...everyone in e committee shd b a watchdog for e committee as a whole...

we need a diverse group of committee members but we also need to b able 2 make executive decisions when e time to act is here..i'll tell u a story...e men who launched e infamous Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in 1957 dat almost brought down e US govt of e time were a close-knit group of 'insiders' who were herded by a strong leader 2 make decisions they would individualli hav not made...its called Mob Behaviour or Groupthink..in contrast, e Kennedy admin of 1962 which did'nt launch a nuclear war with e former USSR durin e Cuban Missle Crisis were diverse n could not agree on many points...they purposeli met in different rooms to prevent Groupthink...n they had a leader with vision...Kennedy...n they saved e world..

its ok to disagree...its ok to hav diff opinions..its even better to voice out ones fears...but we need to agree to disagree...n compromise...n hav a final decision-makin process..whether by vote or executive decision..e comm shd b smarter than e sum of its parts...not dumber.......

Good News Week!

Mood Todae(on Left):

Good News Week is dis week!! n dat deserves a post dedicated to it all on its own...

rememberin e sacrifice of Christ on e cross for our sins is best done by sharin bout His goodness n love n grace to all aroun...as often as possible...though i muz admit dat i've not shared e gospel effectiveli for a very long time..n its somethin i've come 2 see in a new perspective dis yr

it is an honour 2 share ur faith n share it well...n dats wat we shd do...apologetics is for every christian n not juz e theologians, scholars or pastors...its more bout e attitude of e heart n e right spirit den bout havin e rite words to speak...

i will remember dis week dat God sent His Son Jesus to die for pple who hav sinned n continue to sin..pple like u n like mi...n dat we can now hav Heaven thru Him...we hav a fren in Him...n there is hope with Him, for watever comes our wae here...n after we die...

otherwise, if there is no God, we're screwed...n if Jesus is not e onli wae...den can one follow all waez at e same time...completeli?dis is somethin great i must tell my closest frens n those i love...not bcos i wanna convert them(though dat would b a good effect)...but coz i care for them n i want them 2 noe wat a great wae dis is to follow...if i dun care, i would not even bother..
so, its not bout us...but wat dis great person named Jesus did for us n wat He taught us about His Father in Heaven dat matters...dis is my Christianity....i tell it like it is...choose to disagree or call mi stupid...but dats wat i believe n hope my frens will also come to see is right in time also...if i do offend, den i sincereli apologise...but i can't change dis fact for mi...

by e wae, tm nite, there's our FOCUS Good News Talk...do come along if u r interested...V104 Maths building...n i'll leave it at dat...

Hitting On a Cool Idea!! Copyrighted ah...

My Mood/Preoccupation Today:


lets see...i've hit on an excellent idea 2 spruce up dis ol' blog..everytime i do a post-i'll put up an indicator of my mood/wat i'm doin today..n today, as seen on e left...i've put on my Mr. Busy persona..

dis is v good 2 add some graphics 2 brighten up wat some hav told mi is a hard-to-read blog...how did i hit on dis idea? ask my housemate who recently bought a Mr Happy t-shirt...i realised dat its beena long long time since bi've read one of Roger Hargreaves' books...n i so loved them when i was a small small boy...

n Mr Men/little Miss figures r a perfect indicator of mood...even more expressive then smileys...its so cool n great how somethin so simple can convey so much n b made in2 somethin so huge..n e best thing is, Mr Men n Little Miss never became commercialised like Elmo n Sesame Street(even though e original Sesame Street is way coooool)..thruout, it remained more an educational tool to help kids convey n relate 2 their emotions rather den a money-spinnin magnet in e hands of evil bourgeoisie TV station owners to exploit e masses n brainwash poor kids (i'm kiddin)

todae, i'm Mr Busy personified with so much work to do...Japanese Hiragana vocab n Katakana tests dis week plus a major Grammar one next week...n a portfolio submission for drawing and drafting work(which has more to do with art den architecture in my opinion)

so my dear frens, leave some comments bout dis here new idea u will see at e top left corner of every blog post from now on...hey, i'm an architect apprentice n effective communication of ideas is supposed 2 b our Forte (or tan jia)...Cheers

N so True

wat den is e nature of such things?

Dis is So sweeeet

a fren sent dis to mi-sorrie bout e Chinese.. guys who dun read it

Movie Review

i've not done a movie review in some time now...besides e pseudo one bout Ghost-rider...i think its quite some time..watched My Girl on SBS juz a while back...dats real sweet man..

e first time i caught it was in 46 SAR Spec Mess with e guys...but now...in australia, its quite different...interestin dat show...wanna whack e guy man...e gal Noi Nah was like super good to him la..den he juz dun care...as Richard said b4, whack e bugger man..

den also all e antics bout climbin up slope on bike n riding BMX with no hands..wa lau..reminds mi of my own childhood daez la...goalie, rubber band games, police n thief la, still got soccer of course..fun man...den e stupid kungfu scene was damn funny la...n got a lot of scenes where it looks damn gay la...laugh until peng man

but e endin a bit bitter-sweet la...not ur typical romantic movie ending...but unique la...sweet movie overall but endin can b a bit more conclusive lor...well, not bad for a thai movie still...i wonder wat some of e ol specs who watched e show with mi bac in 46 r doin now man...

we were close back den man...as close as Shamir, Varun, Tsang, Gabriel n miself are..foxhole buddies all...as said in Bahr Luhrzman's Sunscreen Song, will need to "bridge e gaps in culture and geography 2 keep them, cos the older u get, the more u need those u knew when u were young"....cheers guys

a view of my site

dun bother bout e wire fence...e site i hav 2 design for's behind..long, narrow and enclosed...tough nut 2 crack man..

Dat Rising Feelin

i'm quite pleased with e reception 2 my Design work 2dae...it juz fascinates mi e wae things come together n hold in an integrated design...e joy n wonder of design has onli increased for mi after D&T back in ol' SAS..

when e results get out it might be a totalli different story but now i'm goin on faith here..i'm realli beginnin 2 like dat Back 2 Basics course we're doin here at FOCUS for Bible Study..e company is great n e food excellent...there's alwaez a new spin on things we learnt or thought we knew...like juz yesterdae..e stuff bout being godly because we are saved and not behavin as though we're saved because we are godly...n dat we're onli godli bcos its wat God has put in us and allowed us 2 become...not becos we woke up one day n decided on our own to live godly..Godliness is a God-given privilege..can a human being live godly if he din noe or din believe in wat Christ did for him?i dun think so..Applause for e Christians who brought dis to my attention again n boo e pple who may hav led mi 2 believe otherwise all these years..u're f***ed up..

there's dat Japanese elective test dis morning which i hav 2 finish up studyin for...but i do look forward 2 e week with e help of e Almighty...n 1 more thing.. i'll say dat, wat i've learned here in unichurch n with e evangelicals has startled mi n led mi 2 turn my back on certain pentecostal/charismatic beliefs..esp our intrinsic superior, arrogant n high-handed manner..i've met many humble evangelicals..but i dun think i've ever met a humble pentecostal/charismatic..n dat does say a lot bout e state of affairs in our world...

chim-inology

some frens said they dropped cxby dis site n found my crazy talkings (musings) very chim...i must apologize to em first of all..i'll try not 2 be 2 chim but can't help it sometimes i feel...tend 2 talk crazy without control once in a while..

den again, like dat few pple can understand ma..den can scold more pple without dem knowin...hahahahha...n i tot a blog is 2 reflect urself...not write for newspaper like dat...haha..

sometimes i also wanna transfer from dis uni some better place...but believe dis or not, it seems my Dad prayed for mi bout dis a lot n told mi dat he has no peace over mi transferrin elsewhere..n i hav grown a lot n learnt a lot here in Newcastle at my own pace i must admit...so i dunno, will i transfer in e long term (after year 3) 2 say, Sydney or Melbourne? Maybe...but in e short term? no...

i made many good frens here n begin 2 understand e wae e Newcastle Uni culture works...so its not all bad...n i noe all e spots to make out in Newcastle...one day, its my dream 2 bring my wife 2 Newcastle (dat is, if i'm ever 2 get married) for some sight-seein n pak tor-in

can say for sure dat Sydney is great 2 bring ur galfren or fiancee, n on e Harbour Bridge propose to her...or on e steps of e Opera House (a fittin tribute 2 e architect, Jorn Utzon)...but personalli, i'll do it either on e steps of Australia House or in e revolvin Orbit bar on top..with a perfect view of e skyline..u all unoriginal copycats better not steal my idea!! ok i've drifted far from chim-inolgy in2 future marriage proposal fantasy...but it remains dat...a fantasy...coz i hav onli God n my mates as of now n dats not goin 2 change anytime soon..hahahaaha

hope dats not 2 chim for everyone...gal or boy, young n old...

Bloggin Again

yup guys, bloggin again..2nite i feelin a bit emo again...evil emo monster is havin a small relapse...not much but still emo..

e talk has been dat which gets us down guys...yes, women...in jc, we all had our targets...get good grades, do dis in uni, includin dis or dat gal...2 dis dae, throw mi in2 a room with a confident, warm n witty lady n alarm bells realli start ringin...

of course, bein e stupid toot dat i was, i got attached later 2 a gal who was neither confident nor witty...well, warm she was (n not just physicalli boys) but not e most ideal...n of course durin e army, some of us had dat superb 3 year plan 2 remain single n 2 give all free time 2 the Almighty...

after dat, i think e 3 yr plan got a little extended even though we guys are now free 2 engage any target...it does get terribli loneli here...n i noe several of my frens act got themselves hitched 2 not be lonely...I dun respect them much for dat seriousli...

but den of course, i realise dat it may juz b dat i'm jealous...e sneakin suspicion lingers...dati'm quite disliked by e opposite sex or at least dat i juz can't touch emotional base with em...u noe, sometimes i wish dat they would b more acceptin n kind...

i'm tired of all dat useless datin n failin...i dun bother anymore...sometimes there are pple who r attractive n interestin...but i juz dun wanna go thru dat harsh process again...in e words of U2, i still haven't found wat i'm lookin for...

A Day with Blackie

i've essentialli hit e ground runnin since gettin back.. archi design 2a n all dat drawin stuff realli occupies one's life full on..n i must say i like wat i'm doin dis year more den last year...n i like e tutors better..i guess after e 1st year, everythin evens out..dat 1st year last year seems 2 mi e toughest in my entire education journey..

i find dat it alwaez is refreshin 2 get down n engaged with wat one has to do...somethin pure n elemental bout dat...juz like hangin onto ur seat in an old fashioned open top convertible car...3000 ccs of raw power straight on2 e road...n u're strugglin 2 stay alive n hang on when at e back of ya mind u're juz shoutin, "dis is wild! i love it!" so cave man n so fundamentalli essential 2 e survival of e human species...

back in e groove i can't help thinkin over wat a fren of mine who graduated n is now workin in some engineerin job 24/7...enjoy e daez dat u hav 2 study..workin life is hell...havin been thru 2 years of hard ns combat service..i understand e feelin..i may bitch, but i appreciate e time given mi 2 study..

n it was while thinkin of dis dat on Thurs mornin a lil fella came in2 my life for a few hours...a black puppy(labrador?) followed my fren home from uni...n i was woken from sleep at 9am (havin onli gotten 2 bed at 5 after workin at some design issues n my Japanese elective all nite) but my housemate who promised a surprise..i tot e pup looked like a calf initialli...

but i was disabused of dat notion when e fella started yappin...all we had 2 give it was some cat food gotten from e neighbours...n i promptli called e dark black , extremli liveli, long nosed bugger Xiao Hei or Blackie...e fella ran under e house foundation piers n located several weird things..inc a dead, dessicated lizard carcass..we called e RSPCA (n it took them 3 hours 2 come..imagine if there was a King Cobra or somethin)...but it was nice havin Xiao Hei..a lot of things i realised..we can't take ourselves 2 seriousli in life sometimes..n u noe...mayb i shd get a dog or somethin...mayb..

Bits of Faith n Philosophy

U noe, its not dat i went rogue in many areas of life for e sheer heck of it...growin up n seein wat befell many innocent n naive frens led mi 2 e conclusion dat its better 2 maintain a hard edge rather den fall prey 2 e crap dat life throws at one..

n my fren's quote of CS Lewis brought it all bac today,"its not e experienced man who sees evil in everythin, but e novice"...n i remained true 2 e tenets of faith in all areas even durin e difficult army years(n dats not includin BMT which was n still is a walk in e park)..those were years of harrowin n winnowin dat led 2 a streamlined "Mere Christianity" dat Lewis wrote about..

n e stunnin realization dat if leaders r not hard-edged, its those they lead dat invariabli waver n fall...well, one of e goin rogue experiences was realisin dat many charismatic n pentecostal doctrines i did not quite agree with...e mainline dudes i support..esp on e emphasis on e Bible n e need 2 thoroughli substantiate prophecy on e Word..n e overemphasis on prosperity at e expense of e sufferings of Christ by us Charismatic/pentecostals...n e inadequacy of e link between worship n healin n Spiritual Gifts with the Person of Christ n His Cross..which is realli All dat matters...n e misguided theology of allowin certain ministers 2 annoint themselves apostles when Christ onli annointed 12 n no more (n 1 qualification is dat apostles write scripture, e other dat they've touched n seen Christ in e flesh-hmmm, any takers?)

i do believ dat God made it such dat "Every man has onli one destiny" in e words of e Godfather...one lover n wife, one life path, one faith....i juz dun agree when pple say dat i think God wants such n such for u...shd dat not b between God n u? i feel real sad when pple attribute say, e failure of one's church 2 b large n prosperous 2 some ingrain spiritual flaw or inadequacy..wat if God wanted dat 2 show His glory (e same wae He did with e man blind from birth in John's Gospel)

in my experiences, i found dat many times, Christians r allowed 2 suffer..sometimes without explaination...n God's view of justice may b very different from ours...not very poetic in dat...ask e babes who were killed by Herod's thugs...n God does hav favourites..ask Jacob, Joseph n David, not 2 mention Moses n even Jesus Himself..so den, enuff of dat bourgeois interpretation of scripture so prevalent in e churches of e developed world today..spare mi ur bourgeois morals bout stem cell research n contraception..if e Immaculate Conception of Christ were subject 2 Protestant Bioethics approval, Christ would never hav seen e light of day......

a Bit Apprehensive

apprehension sets in as e clock counts down 2 departure for Australia..Newcastle dat is..hmmm, on a quiet nite i realli can look at e benefits n disadvantages of studyin abroad..

studyin overseas allows 1 to broaden horizons indeed..by forcin us 2 clean up after ourselves n cook edible dishes, in addition 2 jugglin uni work sometimes with a job n handlin profs from a completely different culture n race dat many times clashes with our own (becomin downrite rascism)

n we realise its not all bout e rat race...there truli r so many better things den juz studyin n gettin a job n strugglin 2 climb e corporate ladder...grades n studies r very important, but not evrythin...

but of course, we leav our frens n loved ones behind n those we care about...n all e things dat matter a damn 2 us..n e temptation 2 go in2 stuff like binge drinkin n Mary Jane(dats code for Mahjrihuana)n 2 stay on, bum aroun n bcome a bloke who forgets where he's from, mistakenli thinkin, "i'm local too"..n of course e whole loneliness issue(esp for frens who're havin long-d relationships)

i think in such a world, we're forced 2 grow up pretty quick n become self-sufficient but God-dependent..n we develop our own strong worldviews n moral systems...n we sometimes get a little eccentric...those not given e opp or not choosin dis so-called overseas experience can't see many things e wae we do..dats alrite...but we need to clear up dat we aren't snobs or jia kantang or lousy n can't get in2 local universities or dat our parents hav tonnes 2 fritter away..

many of us self support or hav limited support from parents..i mix mainli with e ex-polytechnic guys n gals who pay their wae thru uni overseas thru e sweat of their backs n brows..truli noble n i salute them forever...we all want somethin better man...dats y we're on study attachment overseas as i call it.... see u guys soon

A New Year

Dat was a nice party n dinner last nite with e Rovers, Ventures n Rover squires...it felt like comin home 2.....family again...i would like 2 realli get involved in a teachin n plannin role with e ol SA Scout Group whenever i'm bac for e holidays..

it also gets all tots dat i dislike outta my head...i'm full on involved n am doin somethin positive n constructive..there's so much i'd like 2 teach e boys..not just in terms of skills but also in terms of leadership n command..like e value of morale in any group of people n how e patrol leaders n system can bring dat up to e full..n how exercisin shd push e body 2 its limits 2 explore e boundaries of wat we r physicalli..

n its nice 2 work with fresh blood not part of e traditional all-boys scoutin system...e female rover squires..their thinkin can b quite refreshin at times (even though i'd never admit it & see it as an annoyance at others)...n i made 1 interestin observation...not all SA pple r jia kantang as i'd remembered from my days...they sing in chinese n cantonese even (amazin when u're not a native speaker like miself *ahem*)

e major shock was discoverin dat e current ventures had a (lets call her miss e) of their own...durin our batch, a similar miss A(slightly different spellin) caused mi much hardship...hahahaha...if she ever sees dis i'm f***in screwed...amongst e great funnies n ironies was learnin dat e current gals seem 2 b more active den e guys n dat an ex-ij T.P gal actualli would join e SA Scout Unit...hahahahahahaha..God, e difference a few yrs make...its just so inconceivable for my time la...

n, happy chinese new yr blokes...

The Man who drew e way I think

Dats Soft Construction With Boiled Beans: A Premonition of Civil War by Salvador Dali

U tutorin dicks can critique dis for Design 2A n 1B dis year

Valentines

Valentines Day is traced bac 2 when St Valentine chose 2 marry couples in defiance of Roman laws forbiddin Christians 2 marry in a futile effort 2 control Christianity's adherents n no.s durin e Roman Empire.....

e noble has thru time of course, been replace by e mundane, much as Easter which has nothin 2 do with eggs(dats from e pagan worship of e Greek goddess Eoster of e Dawn), added dat on as time went by...so now we hav heart shaped balloons n 99 red roses n cake n sexy dressin n sex...

nothin against dat of course (well 'cept e sex bit mayb) since i once did dat 2 gals i was chasin n my ex-gal-fren(again not e sex bit, unless u disbelieve mi)... but it does somehow dishearten those of us who r, for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness n in health,(but hopefully not till death do we part) alone...

i'm not goin 2 lambast Valentines Day n love like e (enormousli fun) movie Down With Love nor am i goin 2 lament n grieve over singlehood angst..i am goin 2 b realistic n say dat it is nice 2 see public affections of love n romance but dat it also brings 2 mind e fact dat sometimes love passes n does not last...who i spend V dae with dis yr may not b e same as dat last or next yr...

dun get mi wrong..i do believe in divine appointment n sovereignty, juz not dat much in human nature...In God i Trust, all others bring cash...

oh, n by e wae, Ghostrider officialli debuts 2dae..juz as V'dae ends...Rider by Nightzzzzz.........

Gone Rogue

as some frens might noe thru long association with mi, i can b very dark n broodin at times even though i'm normalli bright n easy-goin..

I can b as dark as u Shian, if u ever read dis....gothic themes n hard gritty scenes r wat i alwaez admire... dats y my hero is Hannibal Lecter n i loved Kill Bill 1 & 2...Speakin of which, Hannibal Risin is comin out March dis yr n Ghost Rider, dat counter-culture anti-hero comic, is comin out dis thurs...

i love anti-heros like Spawn n now, GhostRider man...Man by day, Rider by Night...e whole skull n Biker thing is just so fascintatin 2 mi man...i'm seriousli disturbed i noe...yeah, i think when some1 next asks mi how i am, i shd reply,"i'm disturbed, seriousli"

n Hannibal? e guy's a genius man...e way he sees humanity in terms of culinary experiment...a whole new view on life man..killin for no simpler reason den 2 satisfy hunger....dats purity man...clear vision n purpose...

i'm rogue where movies r concerned man...forget blood n gore...show mi e darkest recesses n deepest desires of e human heart man...Fascinatin stuff...

Wakes

Wakes bring closure...wakes help e livin to put everythin down n move on...

sometimes we need wakes to bury certain things n move on in life...sometimes, we need wakes to bury pple close 2 us...sometimes we need wakes to wake up, square our shoulders n move on...

my fren whose close relative passed away recently, dis is for u...dun worry bout e peculiar emotions followin loss..experience it, accept it n den lets move on...e world alwaez ends for some1 everyday...why let it b u 2day?

i guess u can call mi a bleak b*stard...but seriously,i paraphrase someone great ( an Emperor actualli )...o man, u are not ejected from life by some unjust judge, but by He dat brought u into it...just like an actor dismissed by a manager..but i've onli finished 3 out of 5 acts u say...so be it, in ur drama of life, 3 acts are all e play.He who formerly sanctioned ur creation 2day also sanctions ur dissolution n neither of those decisions lay within urself. Go on ur way den, with a smilin face, under the smile of Him who bids u go...

To Begin

well...lets start somewhere....dis year...i hate updatin frenster....y? everytime i go on frenster, i realise just how many of my ol frens i onli contact thru frenster now...n how many hav moved on so far in their lives...while i hav been made agonisinli slow progress

it leaves mi with a sense of unease n dread..after 5 yrs..how many of my frens will b left?

n it also leads mi to think of wat i'll b doin 5 yrs from now....n where i've come in e last 5 years..morbid tot huh?oh well, dats frenster for u...n my morbid tots on it....sometimes i begin 2 wonder if i hav sociopathic or pschopathic tendencies...hahahahahaha

Gettin Stuff off my mind

sometimes i need to get things off my chest n i feel bloggin bout it seems e best way..

i've had some nasty experiences in e past with certain persons whom i was chasin...n dat threw mi off datin for quite some time..

den i realise dat someone comes along n e whole world can turn upside n down..but den it makes mi recall past failures n nasty experiences n makes mi realli apprehensive over e whole issue..

n i feel horrible all over again..insecurity comes in n a lack of confidance which realli shows mi up for who i am..alwaez over-analyzin n worryin bout bein made use of while actin e coward 2 often..face to face with my own shortcomins is like lookin in2 a dark mirror..just like e Corinthian character in e Sandman series..revealin e darkest secrets n facets of what we are n wat we are afraid 2 face up to..n there we find our darkest passions dat grip us n hold us in a vice n drive us forward...

dun be fooled..every1 has a or some dark passions...n i dun think these r bad neccessarily..just wat God puts in us dat allows us 2 struggle with, sometimes overcomin, sometimes succumbin...n invariabli turned 2wards His noble ends..

my dark passion/s? A main one is the search for identity, security n Respect..yes..dat word...Respect...my pax imperium dat e onli way a man can b respected is thru wat he accomplishes n makes...not altogethr rite n not 1 i agree with totalli..but its there..

another is e search for stability n normality..sometimes i feel as if i'm not "normal"..thus does e search for bein normal aka most comfortable n maintainable continue..

if we shadows do offend, think but dis n all is mended,
dat u hav but slumbered here, while these visions did appear.
give mi ur hands if we be friends,
and
we
dark
passions
shall
restore
amends.
(adapted n modified from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream By Neil Gaiman)

Dat Great Law of Incidence

u noe, they realli shd offer a course at universities Worldwide for both Engineerin n Science Students n as an elective 2 biz ad, commerce, management, social science n in fact, any degree dat will deal with some aspect of e real world one day in life...

wats dis module? Its a very scientific theory and hypothesis dat should get its theorist a Noble Prize like John Nash...hell they shd offer it as a degree in its own rite n dedicate a faculty or institution at Princeton or Cambridge(hear Gabriel)to the study n development of understandin of this hypothesis..mayb create a think-tank or 2 devoted 2 usin this mathematical theory 2 analyse e world..

every1 must b fed up with me by now..wats dis elegaic non-algebraic theorem u r shoutin at e top of ya lungs..for God's sake, tell us say u...ok ok..its called The Atrophical Uniting Theorem of Moffat...in laymen's terms...Murphy's Law.. where alpha tends through n phases towards omega..where alpha represents Unity, Order, Harmony and perfection whereas omega represents chaos, malfunction, destruction, disorder n breakdown...

everything breaks down n fails as time goes by, represented by each n phase where the worst time n circumstance possible is the n event.i mean, i come home from Australia for e holidays n n event takes place...my internet connection breaks down at home n i can't use e net at home..i come back from australia n on e days i wish 2 meet my frens..n event happens..all studyin for exams, out in army on mission or rushin work thru for some big assignment..i come bacvk just in time for a busy christmas period when n happens...my pastors r away in some capacity ministerin overseas n e hard work of christmas preparations is shared by far 2 few pple..i come home from australia, go clubbin where n happens..i see 1 of e reasons i left for australia on e dance floor with some sick dude..

now e theme song for dis n phase has got 2 b Depeche Mode's I Just Can't Get Enough...Murphy's Law...awesome stuff man..hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

deng lai liao!

Ahhahaha...dats prob e most gay-lo image i'll ever take n upload of myself...Hillsongs at Seven Hills...Ground Zero of the all singin, all worshippin but sadli, very commercialised Pentecoastal phenomenon in Australia n e world over..

yes, deng lai liao! finalli back home after 6 months of uni dat match in intensity e worst combat training schedule in e SAF...so wats next? well first, redesignin e interior of Charis Church for Christmas n e comin year..n my room..n freelance logo design work for a fren's company..at least i hope so..in addition 2 learnin drivin, autocad n archicad plus workin on Indesign n Adobe Illustrator..

interestin dat i've become more concerned with Christian fundamentals dis year..like e study of the cross n its centrality in e life of a christian..such a study is, i believe, e way 2 counter e so-called prosperity gospel..with e suffering gospel of the cross..n i've become a little fascinated by e ways in which we pentecostals hav deviated from the teachins of e n Bible..it is my supreme desire, one day, to write a book entitled Whats Wrong with us Pentecostals? Oh well, truth demands an examination of conscience n a recognition of fallin short..

its not dat i love bein a critic..just dat i feel dat all of us need a voice of conscience now n den 2 cry out, Prepare e Way of e Lord! Make Straight e Crooked Paths..just like e ancient Roman generals returnin triumphant from war had a small dwarf in their entourage whisperin into their ear, "Temporal glory is fleetin..dis too shall pass away"..

e voice of conscience asks 2day, wats wrong with e church? wats wrong with society..especially singaporean? mayb just about everything....

Highlights b4 Home

been feeling inspired lately...by events organised with the SSA Newcatsle like our Dinner held b4 most of e Singaporeans' exams..as seen above..n by e exhibition of final year Architecture Seniors' works as seen in e previous photos dis week..

i discovered some issues of dat underground British architecture journal known as Archigram..n i've been so inspired by e visual n graphic presentation..n e whole counter-culture idea all over again..anti-establishment, rebellious n radical..dats wat i love man.. just like e wonderful Deconstructivist final yr project known as This Is Not Culture..i like such stuff..n e high quality panel presentation n detail models..

n e elegant final dinner at Larna Thai Restaurant organised with SSA Newcastle n SIthu's excellent help realli showed us in dis year's comm dat we could b capable of so much more..e year of experimentation for our comm has ended with dis final project..a year of consolidation lies ahead..n God willing, a year of advance after dat...but as alwaez, e Will of God is impervious to the musings of man..

where are my manners? in e photo above, from left to right...Sithu n Evelynn standing, Flavian(i wonder if he's named after e Roman Emperor Vespasius Flavius), myself n Bingyu(excellent housemate)..

Perspective Sketches

Perspective Views-even nice than Isometric

 

Deconstructivism at Work-my favoured style

Its called e "This is Not Culture" Cultural Centre..Bold..

 

All Bout Presentation

I'd like to present dis sometime man!

 

another

Exquisite Model-making!

 

Works i Admire

 

The Best Given

Gillette's famous tag is "the best that man can get"..but sometimes, I feel like i hav not gotten e best..

in terms of e work i'm doin here in Newcastle, I dun seem to hav achieved e best performance i could under e most tryin conditions..i dun seem to hav gotten e best results, measure for measure for e work i've put in dis year..dun get mi wrong..or as George Bush junior would call it, make no mistake..i hav put in my very best dis yr..but still hav come away a little disappointed..

wat seems to b e issue i wonder? a lack of experience? a lack of technical skill? certainly..a lack of imagination? impossibly..a lack of favour..divine and human? with equal parts mixed in, no doubt...

still, an acceptance of fact is imperative..certain academic areas r indeed lackin in my year's work..n there is great room for improvement..i made a vow b4 dat i would never fear a dead thing like an academic subject or academic weakness..not since i detonated my first 10 kg of explosives..n i do not indeed fear obstacles or difficulties..

to the Almighty i give my personal best..n den, i plan how, as it were, to succeed without ambiguity...beyond reproach n with all speed..an obstacle is there to be overcome..n a weakness to b corrected..dis too is vanity..yet it shall be..for life is short n the days long..wat use is dwelling on wat might hav been?

difference of a week..

Wat can one week do? a lot is my answer..a week is e difference between havin lotsa sch work n assignments n havin ur fate determined by some presentation of ur work for e last 3 months dat is not very comfortin...

den there's one final bang..or rather 2..before e academic yr fizzles out..website design with html dat i never tried b4..without e help of a html editin program mind..n Archicad..e architect's version of Auto-cad...but realli e worst is over..

it was hell week while it lasted sia.. two n a half weeks of sleepin at 6 am n wakin at 12 noon to continue work or 10 am to go for class n tutorials...n worst of all, its settled in a flash of 3 mins in front of 3 hyper-critical, racialli -biasede tutors who realli dun giv a damn if i pass or fail..well, dat stinks man..but i figure its alwaez gonna b a struggle for guys like mi...

its a hard fight alwaez..struggle thru a-levels...in e army, sispec n 46 SAR..den now here also struggle...haiz..sometimes i wish dat it would b a lil easier..n dat some slack might b cut mi..but it never seems to b e case..so i juz perservere n fight...like e Israelis...alone, isolated, independent n uncared for...but as such, we who fight make sure dat we WiN..bcos dat is wat matters...not wat pple think..God alone is judge...

well, like e Israelis, i will evolve new doctrines, new order of battle, new tactics n new strategies..arma virumque cano is how Virgil begins his great nationalist Roman epic The Aeneid..I sing of war n a man at arms..choice is irrelevant when assaults r laid at e gate..onli e sleek, lean, hungry n prepared survive n thrive..dis yr has been a baptism of fire..i will do wat i must next yr...

Philosophy Time

i realise i haven't done philosophy for some time...wat branch of philosophy should we delve into 2day n bore evry1 to death in an egomainical manner?

mayb e idea of wat satire is...political n otherwise..i'm treadin a fine line here...so b4 goin any further, bak chor mee ai te quah mai? mee siam hum bei?

actualli, i think mr Brown actualli meant mee siam mai hiam..not mai hum..but realli, some high level Powers in the world should not take it so personalli la..n anywaez, its good dat someone stood up n said wat he wanted to say...n best of all...made evry1 hav a good laugh...not like e Lenin of Singapore politics (who refused to co-operate with e Russian govt b4 Oct 1917 n was imprisoned for radical ideas)..mark my words, dat former NUS Associate Professor is DAMN smart..if e current Power of authority back home is toppled, he will b e 1st to sae I TOLD U SO n b credited for it....total non-cooperation is a stance to gain attention n influence...

back 2 satire..y should newspapers not hav a cartoon satire page? caricature cartoons need not onli b for political purposes..i noe many cartoons ridiculin e state of society n many dat ridicule celebrities...such as Pamela Anderson n her immense n generous bosom buddies...e best social commentary cartoon i saw was 1 where a house was bein burned down 'to flush out rats' n was an allegory of over-reaction in a certain society in e world(not s'pore)

haiz, lets all hav a few laughs at e expense of society, politics n even e media...hmmm, mayb dats y e media back home does not support satire as well...cos pple can laugh at them too...smart pple noe dat society needs a littl shakin up from time 2 time..smarter pple noe to shake a little, step back, den when it all calms down, shake again..guerilla warfare its called...n its pretty damn well effective cos a few smart pple can hold a Caesar or e entire populace at bay...or at ransom..u gotta love power man...its a satire of e human condition itself..

Battleship Row

 

Indonesian Fare so Shiny, Warm

 

Thru Clearings Brilliant N Green

 

Beaches Rustic & Real

once upon a time

 

Bintan pics i alwaez wanted 2 upload

 

Canberra-That Toa Payoh Connection

Community Day '06 brought mi down 2 Canberra over e weekend..i managed 2 meet some of the Commission staff n some peers in UNSW, USyd, Macquarie Uni n UWS..includin e new committe for UNSW's SSA (S'pore Students Association)..

e greatest part of e trip was realisin with some shock dat the mother-f***in city centre looked exactly like Toa Payoh central with all its streets n open mall spaces...inc. e part that used 2 b under renovation/construction near e interchange..it was realli weird..

at nite, a few of us hit e clubs n pubs aroun...Mooseheads, Sultans' n O'Malley's Irish Pub..not a bad experience considerin e highest cover charge was $8 n offered 2-for-1 drinks till 11pm..e pple there were e most racially integrated lot i've ever met in Aus land..ang mo chicks with asian guys n asian gals with ang mo dudes..n also realli mixed groups of frens partyin away..it was interestin n a change from rascist newcastle..

n i came back 2 a startlin realisation i made years ago.. dat some of e most f***ed up women are Christians..amazin man..so realli i think we Christian men shd drop e holy facade to get e gals..just b ourselves..warts n all...n seriousli, let Christian character flower fully for Christ n not accordin 2 any1's estimates..for mi...i would like to b a Christian like Christ yet also able to do e Butcher's job when neccessary...just like the Emperor Constantine..or the godfather figure Don Corleone...

but dats another story for another time.. e Canberra trip was finalli great for its excellent architecture i saw..includin e War Memorial, new Parliament House n National Museum...once is enuff believe u mi, but it was still a good experience..2 dat, cheers..

Hot Rods and Fish Bait

My good fren once said, follow mi n a fisher of men i'll make ya...not e most nice politically-correct statement 2 make 1st time to a stranger...but it sure had impact...

u'll never know e thrill of fishin till u've caught ur first fish on ur very own rod without any external help..u sit waitin for hours(sometimes days) without any thing, but den there's a bite n a tug n ur heart leaps..sometimes u just throw in e line n start reelin large flippers in a matter of minutes..sometimes every1 gets something but u dun..kua heng sway one..but u never noe unless u cast ur rod..

i had such an experience on Mon n Tues when i went with my housemates n some close guy frens to Stockton to try our hand on our new rods..it was blowin northeast at gale force n we were nearly sunk like the Shipwreck at Shipwreck Point where we cast our lures..n got nothin for our trouble..so we relocated to Honeysuckle to try fishin in e cul-de-sac of e harbour..every1 seemed top b reelin in fish except mi..promferts, yellow tails(ikan kurau), silver bream, pike n even a small eel..i had no luck man..

Tues we went again after havin those fish for lunch (man, dat eel in black bean sauce is heavenli) n dis time i had better luck...but i prefer to think its prayer :) even though e idea of askin God for a hand in catchin fish seems a lil' manipulative n theologicalli unsound..i did catch a small grass fish with a hand reel..but it was inedible n too small..then e wind got massiveli bad again like e day b4 n we relocated 2 Honeysuckle..

within minutes of castin my rod in i got atug n my float n attached lightstick went underwater..sheer sign of something on e hook..i reeled n pulled to land a small promfert..den later, i landed 2 pike..1 small n another medium..dat was a highpoint man..i felt like on cloud 9...thanks b to God..n i fulli understand e characterization Jesus uses for witnessin n evangelism, as fishin for men..it realli does feel e same way to win a soul for Christ n see dat person goin on 2 lead a most vibrant n sincere Christian life..one dats deep yet not over religious..n it dun matter wat type of rod or bait u use..u can catch even with a bamboo stick n bugs..but when u do make a catch, just make sure u land it well..

Something Strange

Hmmm, dis here is a test post to see if my blog posts are comin out alrite...i seem to be experiencing some difficulties viewing my latest posts..let mi noe if u can't see the posts Half marathon or Triglyphs n Metopes...on my tag board or comments section....ur help is realli appreciated..

Half Marathon

I've run in Singapore and i've run over here, in Australia..Sunday was e day i did e half marathon in Sydney...21 km after being out of shape for so long..

its been quite a while, almost 2 years since i did e half marathon back home with Richard n Kian across e Nichole Highway and East Coast area..back den e armour guys worked togethr as a team to train for e run 3 times a week..e course was crap but e guys saw each other thru..i'll never forget how they were with mi at such critical n hard periods of my life...

i still remember e 52 Bravo, 52 Bravo, are u still ok there? or Ultra engine overheat n need to find techskote oredi? all dat Armour speak..inc. wat is ur kayak? karma at Foxtrot 6-5 over...well, those were hard days n we had to b equally hard to survive..

of course, runnin in Sydney was cooler den e hot n humid climate back home..its a great place to run a half or full marathon as e scenery is great n e views splendid..n at e end, i managed to use e toilet in e Sydney Opera House...n got to see e interior of Jorn Utzon's creation..its a tribute to all international pple in Australia dat something so great got created inspite of all e crap of e local Australian press, govt. n pple..all small-minded, lackin in vision n creativity, force of character n of course, conservative...dat is e worst thing dat i can call pple..conservative...

e only regret n desire of mine is dat Kian n Richard were here with mi as i ran..Damien also.. my true frens..of whom i hav somemore...these are e pple who make mi feel i'm home...anywhere..i hav no doubt dat, if ever, a fren like dat were to get bullied or thrashed, like in Band of Brothers, all of us would find e culprit n bash them up like when one of e privates in Foxtrot Company was knocked down by a drunk driver...(Band Of Brothers, not real life)..even e CSM join in to hunt down e F***er n whack him..n e PC wanted to shoot e driver...rough justice...but we take care of our own..dats army bros for u..

half marathons r as great as ur best companions i say..

Triglyphs n Metopes

back home when there was once a small naive little kid in primary 6 one day in dat galaxy far far away...i found out dat everything a person writes has to make sense n be coherent...or at least follow a logical thought process throughout..like for example a conversation, essay or composition...

dats e process we r tot in sch thruout our years in e 'official' education system..den i came to Australia to study in a land dat is so far removed (from e time of Adam aparentli) from my own culture n world view..n wat do i find? dat pple here in a UNIVERSITY..no less..put together words like Triglyph, Metope, Pediment n listen to dis sh*t...Non-peripetal and Pan-athenaic...(i dun even noe wat these words mean n neither would Shakespeare i believe)..in a manner dat just does not make any sense...


like "the Greeks believed the Metope should be allowed to overflow its bounds, carvings seem to flow fluidly over boundaries on a classical relief and no constraints imposed was the essence of the ultimate Hellenistic Classicism that was about Greek freedom very soon after the Romans then took over but did not introduce any new developments(which is a key symbol of their authoritarian n Patrician behaviour), leading to social decline followed such creative stagnation"....sounds f***in Cheem, makes no grammatical sense if u think about it n definiteli should not b e kind of stupid argument w/o evidence a uni student shd give...


that piece got High Distinction... wats wrong with Singapore? why can't they just allow us to talk crap like dat w/o consequences n w/o justification of wat we say?we r losin out 2 these cocks who can't even string words 2gether dat make reasonabl sense..its horridly Unreasonable.....

tell mi wats so wrong with our pesudo-Western/Eastern mix of cultures in Singapore, exemplified by e use of Singlish dat makes us seem 2 lose out? in other ages, such fusion (ang mo for Rojak) would b called Justinian Synthesis, Romanesque or Renaissance...why not our age n culture? Let SInglish be the new "Western-esque" language of the world n Singapore! n stop all e in e modern world people are rational and behave/speak logically...they dun lor...

Work keeps going on n keeps mi going on

work is something dat never fails to get mi movin out of solitude n out of self-pity n sometimes self-righteousness..

if u think bout it, bad daez at sch are not so uncommon dat one shd feel victimized by them..they come n go n after a gd sleep or rest, we forget bout them e next dae..its not like u hav a sick relative or loved one in hospital n hav to keep worryin bout them do u?bad criticism/remarks from tutors, frens n enemies r just part of dat thing called life...

i've made e consious decision to not let such stuff get to mi..just like i did not let bad daez/pple in e army get 2 mi when i was servin..just another dae..n i once heard some1 say dat he was amazed by e amount of Sh*t a human bein can take by gettin out of bed, gettin dressed n goin to work/sch again for as long as it takes to get e job done..

Christ did say dat in e world a person will face troubles (endlessli)..but in Him do we not hav peace? so then, e peace in mi is greater den e issues n cares of life out there aroun mi..n moreover, life's a race to e finish line isn't it? if so, it seems i've got a great vcrowd of supporters n frens (many whom i dun noe n hav done dis b4) who r clappin n waitin for mi to reach e tape n break it..not too bad kiddo is wat i'd like 2 hear from dat special Someone then..

by e wae ah,wat e f*** is it with e weather over here? just when u think its all sunny n spring-like..den it starts rainin for 2-3 daez continuousli n even hails ice..totalli no consistency man..if i had to spend another nite thru such weather...i'll flippin b screamin murder!!

Concerts n Movies n Weekends

sometimes we all need a break n a return 2 leisure stuff n things dat mirror as closeli as possibl life in e familiar world..

there was dis concert last week by a fren dat was different from e usual dull student life here..even though i'm not e most musicalli inclined or appreciative guy there is..i found e flow smooth n e playin good..n i play e bass guitar back home so i do hav some knowledge of these matters..but it did present a different side of Yvonne (my fren; not Yve of e bluebelles..:-)...very talented n creative i see..mayb its mi..but all e Yvonnes i seem 2 know r all fantasticalli talented in terms of music..

den of course, i buckled down for a weekend of work b4 2 submissions dis week..n unexpectedli, Chris messaged 2 ask if e guys n miself would fancy a trip down 2 Sydney..no way for e weekend so we settled for e next best thing..a movie in e heart of town..Miami Vice complete with drugs, sex, guns n shootin...very brainless n way 2 smooth for my likin..but then again, i was just not prepared for a thinkin sorta movie..

i realised dat e cinema even in e heart of town is smack deserted n there realli was no need for numbered seats cos so few pple came it was free-seatin..even worse den Glendale which was supposed 2 b futher out n more remote..dat was a much more realistic movie theatre experience..

we all needed dat movie break man..i realise 1 thing...u can take a S'porean out of e city-state..but u juz can't get e city-state outta him..deep down i noe where i belong n where i wanna return..woah, can play Majullah Singapura liao........or mee siam mai hum also can..