The truth must be known !!!!

Recently, Daniel, Chongyi and i have been having some bowlings competitions between the 3 of us. The reason for this is simply to prove a few things.

For Zhongyi, he wants to prove that:-

1. He is a force to be reckoned with in the bowling arena and second only to Jeremy.

2. Without Jeremy's presence, he would still beat both me and Daniel hands down. Thus, proving his superiority in the team and individual events.

3. Dispel the myth that he is only riding on Jeremy's tailcoats.

As for Daniel and me, our aim is just to simply prove the OPPOSITE of everything that Zhongyi has stated. Zhongyi had even promised to put his "record-beating" scores on his blog to show his superiority. But as of now, this has not happened.

Hence, it is with a heavy heart that i reveal these results :-

1st competition:
(in order of final ranking)

Kin Sun 139, 137, 160 = 436
Daniel 142, 123, 118 = 383
Zhongyi 133, 114, 105 = 352

NB: Zhongyi came in last on all 3 games (should have seen his face), refuted his promise to post the results on the blog.

2nd competition:
(in order of final ranking)

Kin Sun 159, 164, 150, 146 = 619
Daniel 138, 123, 132, 116 = 509
Zhongyi 143, 100, 108, 128= 479

NB : Zhongyi came in last AGAIN on all 3 games.

The results speak for itself. Enough said.

WORLD GRAND PRIX BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2005
(last updated 09/11/05)

RANKING 1 = JEREMY LOW
RANKING 2 = CHAN KIN SUN
RANKING 3 = DANIEL GOH
RANKING 4 = ONG CHONG YEE (ZHONGYI)

"Swa Ku"-ism ..... Are you one ?

Recently, i have had a discussion with a friend of mine about some of the places in Singapore that one can go to for food and fun. Funny thing is, some of the places he mentioned are places i have never heard of or come across. This led her to make the remark, " Wah, how come you so [swa-ku] one? This also don't know?" "Swa-ku" literally means "Mountain tortoise"; meaning not up to date with events of news. Tortoise being slow, living in a mountian, would be cut off from the world below it. Hence, the term.

This really got me to thinking, is it really so bad to be "Swa-Ku" ? I am sure everyone in his or her lifetime would have been at the recieving end of these 2 words and in some cases, come away feeling demoralised and bad about his/her "failings" in this area. But question is, do we really need to feel bad in accidentally being "Swa-Ku"

I think everyone of us is made differently. Some are faster, some are slower, some are cheerful, some are not, some are outgoing, some are hermits. And in a way, it would not be fair to expect everyone to have the same info at one's fingertips all the time. A person who is outgoing would most likely have the latest theme parks in her head compared to a hermit - who most likely knows the best libraries compared to ther out-going person.

It is different for everyone of us. But there is one thing that we all cannot be "Swa-Ku" about. And that is the rules and regulations of this society. Government policies and regulations regarding the running of this country are things we have to know at our fingertips. Because such things affect our lives greatly. Knowing the ruls and regulations about buying a HDB flat would make a difference between a couple who knows and don't. One who knows would have their itenary set and smoothly ran, one who does not know might end up in financial trouble and itenary screwed. Knowing governement's laws and regulations with regards to the different offences could mean a difference to one's life.

In a nutshell, ignorance is not an excuse with regards to things that are important. You break the law, you cannot use "i don't know" as a reasoning. Why did you not find out ? Did you do your homework ? Why others know and you do not ? What does that say about your character ?

However, things that are not so important ..... nothing wrong with ignorant about it. Do not know about the best restaurant in town? Eat food court ! Do not know that that latest hip and happening pub in town ? Well, it's ok. Drinking too much isn't good for you.

Well, the next time someone comes up to you and says you are "Swa-Ku" , do think about whether it really matters. If it is not important, take heart ! Because it only goes to show you are different from them.

I have a friend.

I have a friend who is a really good pal of mine. Why he is a good pal of mine? Well, i guess firstly he and me share common interests, some of which, can be really uncommon. We are both very crappy people. We crap in the same wavelength and in a way i think we compliment one another. I think most importantly, we have argued on a number of occassions, some of which have been quite serious and unkind. However, despite all that we still have the "forgive and forget" mentality. We really do forget about the quarrels and still continue the friendship on the same level as it was before. In a way, these quarrels have helped us to understand each other better. We are not petty. Some friends quarrel and it causes deep division within them. It lingers and does not go away. Things don't remain the same anymore. Should real friends be like this? The answer is NO.

My good pal belongs to a group of friends whom i treasure alot. The bunch of us, we hang out on almost every weekend and we just simply enjoy each others' company. Being friends for coming 12 years, we have come to a stage where we understand each and every person's mindset. From the words that they mutter or the tone of their voices, we know immediately what he is feeling or trying to convey.

It is just amazing when i think of it. At the end of it, messages are conveyed through word of mouth. But somewhere within those words, lies a person's character, personality, likes/dislikes, hurts and pain. However, words are just words if the receptor is just a hearing piece. It requires someone on the recieving end to be finely tuned and customized perfectly to interpret anything from these seemingly innocent words. And that is a relationship. Relationship isn't what people normally percieve as "love". No. You don't need to be in love to be in a relationship. Relationship at the same time, isn't acquaintance. It is more than that. It is more than friendship. Relationship comes from the word, "Relate". Relate, according to the dictionary means, "to give an account of " You don't give an account of something unless you were there. You don't give an account of something unless you are involved. It is not superficial, we can have many friends, but not all are relationships.

I am proud to say me and my friends have relationships. We are not merely friends, lest we be offended. We are certainly not acquaintance. How about you and your friends?

How transparent is your blog ?

That is one question i am always challenging myself with. Initially when i started this blog, i knew truly and well that this is an online diary. Where all your happenings of the day, your highest and lowest times will be documented. However, i don't know if i am alone in this ... but sometimes i find it hard just to be truly honest with myself. I find it hard to write exactly how i feel about certain issues as the thought of the person mentioned reading the blog and feeling offended lingers. But then again, if this is a dairy and i cannot even be truthful with myself in a diary, then why even bother to write in the first place? Does not that defeat the entire purpose of an online diary (Take away all the fanciful stuff .... it is a diary)?

People write blogs for several reason. Some write it to vent their frustrations. Some for vanity. Some to let others know they aren't alone. Others simply because everyone else is doing it. Whatever the reasons, the main idea of a blog should be when outsiders read your blog, they get a perspective of your world. They read the trials and tribulations that you go through. From these events, they know you better as a person. They know your personality and character. If i am going to just write happy things, then people don't really see you for who you are. People read your blog and they think,"this is one happy fella who is so optimistic in life" .... which really isn't the case for alot of us. You create a mask for yourself.

Sometimes i really wanna write things that happen to me. Write about specific people about how they have been a blessing or a burden. However, the risk of offending people lingers. In fact, i don't even make it a point to tell alot of my church friends about my blog as i fear they will read some things and question why i wrote certain things and why i have that line of thought. But then again, i always find that so contradicting.

Are you truly honest and transparent with your blog ? Maybe it is something that we all would like to think about and ask ourselves.

Cheers.

Quote of the day: "An eye for an eye makes the world go blind" - Mahatma Ghandi

NTU girl kidnapped by aliens !

Yes it's true. In fact, i was actually witness to this amazing incident. Some of you would be looking at this and your eyebrows would be really twitching right now. But i believe i was the last one to see her ALIVE ... which was on valentine's day. I actually had dinner with her ..... sent her home but ALAS ! Never did i expect that she would disappear from the face of this earth after what could be just moments after our date. She looked cheerful and normal when i last saw her ..... which really makes it even more suspicious. I do recall messaging her if she would like to come for one of our outings and its been ..... 2 weeks and she has not replied !!!! OMG ..... and you thought Signourey Weaver was just acting when she starred in ALIENS! Thought of trying to message her again ... but i guess starhub network don't go beyond the ozone layer which makes any effort pointless and fruitless. LEt's all hope she would be back. Let's set a target ... how about this coming christmas ??? Maybe the alien might be in a festive mood and let her off. Let's just hope. =)

Today i had a good dinner with my good friend CK. We went to this japanese food cafe at clementi. To be honest, i did not think that it would be even twice as good as how it turned out. The food was good, the waitress was good looking, and get this : WE HAD REFILLABLE GREEN TEA !!! Sakae,Edo and Tei.... if you are reading this, better buck up. I don't recall being offered free green tea the last time i visited you people. Your waitress did not exactly do you people any favors. =D

But the one thing that ck told me about the jap restaurant was that at one time, it was very deserted and people had no idea it actually existed! Guess what turned their fortunes ??? Advertisement ! Apparently, some reporter had actually wrote an article on their restaurant and that simply did it! It is amazing how advetising can do wonders for a business. I have always known that and believed in it but it never really hit me till today.

In fact, it brought my attention to some adverts i seen on tv regarding those weight loss products. And i have noticed for some time that those adverts have always been very direct and in-your-face. Straightforward ... before/after and always with testimonies of satisfied customers. I wonder sometimes if this method of advertising does more bad than good. I was discussing with CK if they could adopted the advertising strategy of "CITIGEMS" What makes CITIGEMS stand out from the rest is that it uses a story line with famous actress and at the same time, it plays with your emotions. You see within that 30 sec clip sadness, disappointment, joy and appreciation. But yet at the same time, it brings across the message that CitiGems is the accessories you would want to buy for all occasions ! Compare that with the advert by "DE BESON JEWELLERY" Notice that advert is very straight forward. It praises its accessories, and you have got it's Business Development manager, Asst Marketing manager pushing their product. Very In-Your-Face. But if you were to ask me which accessory would i be more favored to go for ??? Which one made a better impression on me ? It would be Citi-Gems. Would Weight loss products do better if they adopted the same method or something different from what they are doing ??? I believe it would.

Well, do drop me a line of what you think ! Chow !!!

Quote 1 : "If you can make a customer happy, you have made it. Which explains why the Oldest Profession In The World is still around. "

Quote 2 : "Don't talk the talk. Don't talk the walk. Walk the talk ! "

Just another day

It's been 5 days since i sent that message and she still has not replied !!!!! haha ... to be honest, i am seeing the funny side in all these already. I guess that is the way it is, will just try to put the incident behind me, will have to eventually. Time and tide waits for no man. =)

I had a wonderful bbq/Lou Yu Sheng last sunday with my friends. We went to Marina South for our dinner. Had an old friend Teck Chye who joined us for this event. I guess it is something very symbolic for everyone of us. It is something that everyone will definately come. We really had a good time of cooking and really enjoying ourselves. May many more years to come of this sort of events.

Been doing abit of reading and been really caught uo with this book called "The Da Vinci Code" To be honest, i thought it was an interesting read. It was something like "National Treasure" and i thought the author really brought across the story very well. If one can read a book and feel the anxiety when the character is in anxiety, then i must say it is well written. As you go throught the journey with the characters, you will feel as if you are part of the plot.

Although i must say i don't really agree with some of the "facts" in the book, i do think that it is a thrilling book to read. Something for entertainment value definately.

Well, got to go.

Chow.

History repeats itself

You know ... i marvel at how some good things can just be turned on its head sometimes. It's been almost a week since i went out with her and it just does not seem to be turning out the way it is supposed to be. Been sms-ing her to ask her if she liked the gift i gave her for v-day, been asking her how was her day and stuff. The thing is, she does not seem to responding as quickly as i was hoping she would be. In case you are wondering, it is like ....... 1-2 days for every sms. So if you do your calculations, i have not actually sent out many sms. It can be really frustrating waiting for the replies ....... as i honestly see no reason why one would need to take so long.

I recall going out with her on v-day and at a few times during the date, she actually stopped to reply the sms she got. It did not strike me then but, if she was so prompt in responding to those sms, why is she taking so long to reply mine? I honestly would like to think that maybe she is busy with her work, or she has difficulties i do not know of ...... but this has been happening since day 1 and it is very frustrating. I have tried to call her on friday afternoon but she had guests at her house and i did not want to disturb her entertaining her guests. I guess this has been the typical for some time now ....i wish i knew what she was thinking in her mind, or the reasons for her behavior.

I asked her if she would like to join me and my friends fr our annual "Lou Yu Sheng cum BBQ" yesterday afternoon and guess what ? She has not replied. As much as i am disappointed, i feel that there was basic courtesy to have replied my sms. It was not very nice. I guess i know how Daniel and Zhongyi might have felt at certain times. We guys have to be "Da Fang" and accomodating. But they have the green light to just be insensitive ??? Oh well, that's all i have to say for this matter.

The guys and i went out for a karaoke session on friday night and we really had a good time. Singing alot of songs till our voices were hoarse. For me, i loved the oldies while they loved the chinese hits. I have decided to listen to more chinese songs from now on so that i could sing with them more competently the next time i go karaoke with them. Chinese songs have always been more sentimental. Alot of it is about love and feelings. While english songs ... alot of R&B and hiphop, sometihing which i cannot identify with or will ever.

Oh well, i hope things will turn out better for me next week. Got a BBQ to attend. Next time !!!

What will become of us ???

Today i was on the bus to work when i could not help but notice that there was this old man sitting beside me on the opposite side of the aisle that seemed to be yawning very often. It wasn't so much of the yawning that got to me but rather, he deliberately made sure everyone knew he was yawning by making loud noises whenever that hole of his opened !!!

At first i was inclined to think, "well, he is after all an old man ... and i guess usually most old man behaves like that..." But then i wonder why do they behave like that ??? I have noticed so many times men on the street who have the habit of spitting indiscrimately, extracting the mucus lodged in their noses onto the ground without using a tissue paper for assistance(If you have seen it, you will know what i am talking about ...... it is really a skill in my opinion). But why do they do that ???? Sometime i ask myself if it could be because they are not brought up properly or their working environment during their prime years were not as refined as maybe what you and i might be having ???

And i really wonder whether you and me will be like them when we grow old ??? Will we be so nonchalant with our manners once we are more senior and elderly ? Will we allow our mannerism to go away as we age? I certainly hope not. I often wonder whether they behaved like this when they were younger in thier prime. Whether they yawned as loud or spit as much when they were younger ..... and somehow i am quite sure it isn't the case. Then why do they do it now ? i guess i won't know. Maybe you can offer me an answer.

Well, today i kind of missed her. I was still thinking about the date that i had with her yesterday .... and somehow i wonder if she has any feelings for me ? I guess i can truly say i do like her and i wanna get to know her more. If she would only allow me to ...... she has her studies on her mind right now and that is her priority. I am willing to wait till she is ready but i worry sometimes ... that i will come to end of the tunnel onlt to realize that, hey, there was never any exit in the first place. *smile*

Well, meanwhile i have got her present she gave me for yesterday on my desk. It is a photo frame .... simple but to me, it is really the attraction on my desk. Maybe one day, just one day, i would be able to put a photo of her and me in the frame. It is empty for now ...... waiting to be fillled.

Cheers.