Tranquility in Tampines

“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”

- Oscar Wilde, Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 - 1900)

Alone beneath the darkening sky

Dark clouds gather, but soon blow by

The sun soon dims as the moon too rise

The birds cry sadly as they all fly high

Tear drops fall as I pen this note

Wondering how I am to say goodbye

- Jason Yip (2008)

Hope you like this entry. Basically describing what I see in the photo which I took above a couple of days back in Tampines. Dedicated to all the breaking hearts out there. You're not alone.

Trudging to work on a terrible Thursday morning...

Before I continue on todays post, I'd just like to say I found the quote from Elizabeth: The golen age which I was describing in my previous post. It wasn't Queen E who said it but the astrologer she consults with... here goes one of the most memorable quotes in the movies... but I must comment that my spiced up version sounds more "umph" :) I should really consider being a professional "quote generator".

"When the storm breaks, each man acts in accordance with his own nature. Some are dumb with terror. Some flee. Some hide. And some spread their wings like eagles and soar on the wind."

-Dr John Dee

I took the Wednesday off for a dental appointment which I have been putting off for a couple of weeks now. I had my wisdom teeth extracted last September. As the lower two teeth were set rather deep in my lower jaw, two rather deep cavities resulted in the removal of the two teeth. As doctors were afraid that the gaps in my lower jaw will not close up fast enough before infection sets in, I need to return every two to three months to get the little portholes in my mouth cleaned up. The nurse too commented on the coffee stains, hinting at the need to restrict my caffeine intake. One must understand that I need the daily morning caffeine fix to stop myself from turning into a zombie. Visualization aid: Think Blade without the daily injections... same theory.

A lot of thing are happening at the same time for me now and I am really glad for that. There are a couple of stuff in the pipeline and despite how much I would love to blog about it, critic it and get all emotional and bitchy about it... I shall wait till it happens or does not happen before spilling it here.

After the dental appointment, I proceeded to have a great lunch and coffee fix again with really good company. (Told you I'll blog about it... ) ...

My small pool of loyal and dedicated readers have again commented on the need for pictorial entries on this blog of mine. I must admit that so far, I have been pretty happy just rambling on and on about my life and the the little issues which have caught my attention. But having pictures of the stuff I do up would be a refreshing breather from my recent entries. Next entry perhaps, once I get a whole of the pictures of my outing on Tuesday evening.


“You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun.” - Al Capone (1899 - 1947)

I chanced upon the above quote as I searched for something applicable to end off today's entry. I found the above quote which sparked off a wave of emo-thoughts about how I feel about life and its processes in general. The quote doesn't really reflect well on the stuff I mentioned earlier but it does reflect very well on the way I feel things ought to be done. My family was watching some lawyer/crime show when my mum commented on the methods used by the prosecutors in trialing the case. She was abhorred by the underhand tactics used and start this long tedious lecture on principles and about how everything I do in future must be upright and all. I just smiled, if only she knew about the way I worked...

I believe in self preservation as much as the need to lead a morally upright life. I too believe in the need for a guiding set of principles and ethics in our everyday life. However, we all know that, sometimes to get that one level higher, the occasional sacrifices need to be made. Will I do what I think needs to be done come the crunch time? I believe I can. Many people make the mistake of thinking with their hearts and not their heads. Regret only comes about when the mind realises that a particular decision was made thorough the heart. Something I will always bear in mind. Harsh as it may seem, the realities of life.

Hopefully-soon-to-famous Quote by a Not-so-famous person

"Many wander in the darkness, seeking that light at the end of that long, dark tunnel. To some, that light marks the end of their dark, lonely and treacherous journey. To the rest, that light marks the arrival of the 2pm freight train, too marking the end of their miserable walk in the dark."

- Jason Yip (2008)

Monday Tuesday... all over again...

"Diana Revealed" was screened last night on central. I caught the bio-documentary after downing a bowl of noodles and showering. The documentary provided viewers with a rather thorough insight into the private life of the "people's princess". The interview, conducted throughout the summer of 1992, included her feelings about her family, her fairy-tale wedding to Prince Charles, living with royalty and so much more.

I guess the one lesson I learnt was that Happiness can't be bought. Neither can Happiness be found or discovered as mentioned in all those popular idioms or phrases out there. Happiness is something you have to work hard for and make. Happiness has to be earned. It isn't given to you on a silver platter or in a golden spoon. Success in life can be measured in many forms, material wealth being the easiest and most commonly used form of measurement. Others measure their success through the amount of influence or "power" they have. Many I know measure theirs through their amount of popularity they think they have. I guess using something one can feel, see and touch is always the easiest and most convenient form of measurement.

I admit I used to be entrenched in that world not too long ago, striving for attention, craving for that one more glance, desiring that one more new friend and so on and so forth. And then that was when it occured to me. Was that what I really wanted, to be the one people miss on a saturday night out, to be the one with all the invites to the best parties in town or to be the one people talk about most on their blogs and other online social networking sites? I am not going to go all saintly and deny that I did aspire to be and have all that... but I guess I realised that having all that didn't account for anything at all.

Success, to me, is an extremely abstract concept which I admit I have not grasped entirely. But at least, I know what it is not...

Weekend Exploits....

The last weekend proved to be a rather eventful and fruitful one. Its amazing how much one can achieve in such a short span of time with careful planning and intricate time management.

I spent the early part of Friday evening dancing at dance class before heading over to Isaac's place for movies and Ice-cream. I don't really like Disney movies but I must admit Ella Enchanted was pretty interesting. I was really expecting some waterworks from a particular individual but was disappointed once again. We'll try Bambi or Titanic next time, something slightly heavier.

My Sis and I spent Saturday morning touring the venues we shortlisted for my 21st Birthday. We had a few locations lined up initially but after having a look at the first one, my mind was more or less made up. With the venue 90 percent decided on, I guess its time to start the tedious planning process. So much to do in so little time.

After a quick lunch and "Booze" (Mango and green tea smoothie... really good!!!) We caught Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The storyline could have been more intricate and the characters further developed but other than that I have got no complaints. The cinematography was beautiful and the battle scenes rather spectacular. I'd strongly recommend the show to those who know how to appreciate good cinematography or have a zest for historical movies.

I tried out dragon boating for the first time officially on Sunday and I must say, it was rather exhausting. Despite having a rather good stamina and endurance level, the 2 hour session that Sunday afternoon left me totally spent. The main difference between dragon boating and all the other sports I have done so far is perhaps the team factor. I never have considered myself a team player. All the decisions made during my competitions (be it triathlons or sailing regattas) are solely made by me. The consequences of your actions will be borne solely by me and me alone. With a team, there is a new added pressure and obligation to the team and it is a new aspect of the sport I have to try and get used to.

"When faced with the darkest storms, most people will flee from it, a good many will seek shelter, hide and hope for the best. However some people will spread their wings and soar like the eagles. You can leave with my court Sir, but England will not cower and hide. I will not run and hide." quotation adapted from Elizabeth. I can't remember the exact quotation but it does have a similar effect and meaning to the one above. There were many other memorable quotes in the movie but I couldn't catch all of them... will list them all out as soon as I lay my hands on the DVD when released.

KM8 was up next on the to-do list for Sunday. After a rather uneventful lunch with the dragon boating crew, I headed to Tanjong beach for some R&R with Charles. The one worry I had was the looming clouds in the horizon and the high probability of showers near the southern parts of Singapore. I guessed that fear was laid to rest upon my arrival there. Mark and Charles spent the majority of the time playing volleyball on the beach while I spent mine lazing around with Hushka. Hushka's a beautiful 3 year old German Shepherd who's really loyal to Mark. When the two of them left to play volleyball, Hushka went a little crazy and started pining and prancing around. Her rather violent activities left me with scratches and fur all over. I hope the scratches aren't permanent. :(

After the beach outing, Charles and I headed over to Ben's place for dinner with Dom, Ken and Wei. His apartment faced the Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal and the view of Bukom at night was simply breathtaking. Dinner was excellent with sumptuous dishes and excellent company. I thoroughly enjoyed myself that night and am looking forward to more gatherings to come. No pretense, no acting, no ulterior motives whatsoever, just good conversation over an excellent meal with great company.

As I lay on my bed last night awaiting sleep to overcome me, I couldn't help reminiscing about the day's events. Mark and Wei gave me really good advice during our conversations that day.

As I was jogging with Mark along the beach, he told me that I had time on my side. He briefly described his life so far and explained the various decisions he made which let him to where he is today. After Dinner, Wei too shared with me his inner thoughts and views on certain issues pertaining to self development and how everything one does will eventually contribute to where one will end up in future.

Mark and Wei are two individuals who I consider to be pioneers in what they do and an inspiration to me. I learnt a lot yesterday about the things I need to do and stuff I need to learn to be the individual I want to be in time to come. Being true to yourself and sticking by ones principles, diversification, all these lessons and advice are things you can't get from the classroom and lectures. My parents and friends have been really helpful as I try to find my path in the world. All I need now is the discipline and strength to see through these dreams and visions I have blossoming in my mind.

“The only place where success comes before work is a dictionary." - Vidal Sassoon

“
The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” - Oprah Winfrey

Friday.. Finally...

After an arduous 4 days, the weekend finally approaches. Its finally the 5th day of the week. I now believe that one can only truly appreciate the weekend by undergoing mundane yet deceivingly stressful work from Monday to Thursday. The twiddling of the fingers and the watching of the minute hands on the office clock... all these help one truly understand the meaning of TGIF. :) This week's been pretty kind to me I must say, kept myself pretty busy with the usual morning routine of blogging and blogsurfing followed by hours of data-entry and customer profile analysis... Though extremely boring at times, I must admit that it was a learning experience, getting to see how a MNC truly works and the amount of work needed to keep such a large corporation functioning.

I am pretty satisfied with the way things are going for now... keeping myself pretty busy as I navigate through this 6 month gap period before I matriculate... Really hoping that when the real action starts, I will be better equipped to handle the challenges thrown my way.

I just browsed through the earlier posts I put up towards the end of last year. I have to agree that my posts have evolved into rather long, vebrose rantings about my thoughts and sentiments about touche issues and other random stuff... what did one of my army coursemates call it.. ah yes "an emo-blog" :) Oh well, perhaps in time, and with enough practice on this blog, I could progress to be a columnist in some "emo-male" magazine, a Uncle Agony of some sorts :) I'll try to get some photos this weekend from Sentosa and my other random stuff... Try...

I spent yesterday evening with my entire family including the baby of the family Sumo. We had dinner at Joo Chiat, at my mum's old haunt before heading home for TV and Durian... Good old quality time.. loved it. Today's entry has to be slightly shorter than usual cause there's a lot of last min work to get sorted out before I troop out of here later...

SUMO

"God runs electromagnetics by wave theory on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the Devil runs them by quantum theory on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday." - Sir William Bragg (1862 - 1942)

Never knew Sir William Bragg was capapble of joking... Have a great weekend... :)

Surface Beauty...

I was browsing through some blogs before I logged of work yesterday and I have come to realise that these little websites provide the world a tiny glimpse into how you view the things around you. Some Blogs serve as a record of day to day events, many highlight key milestones in the individuals social calender while others merely reflect the inner emotions and ramblings of just another person trying to find his place in this large and cold world.

Well I can't say for certain exactly what I aim to achieve through blogging, but I must admit that these daily entries have certainly helped me recover some of my literary skills. Some sentences still don't make sense and some parts are grammatically incorrect but I am sure with time and practice I'll improve. For friends who do know me prior to my blogging days, I guess this could serve as a medium for you to better understand my position and opinions on certain issues. For those of you who don't know me.... well... just read and leave me your comments :) So much for an emotional and thought-provoking introduction to this entry. (My entries are rather text heavy... do bear with it as I scavenge for some photos to throw up here)

Work ended rather early yesterday, something I have learnt not to take for granted. As the new work year kicks off, I foresee longer hours and thicker spreadsheets coming my way. Time will become a rare commodity. I headed to the gym for my usual evening workout after logging off. Whislt I was still in the army, I could easily manage two to three workout sessions a day. Now I'd be lucky just to fit in two. (Still trying to gather the strength for the morning run before work... will update on progress). The gym was extremely packed and there was a lot of waiting for the various equipment... I have resorted to planning my detailed workout session only upon arrival at the gym so as to minimize waiting time.

After a 1 hour 10 min work out, I left for home. The gym is situated about a 20 mins walking journey away from my house so the walk back will serve as a cool down for me. Armed with my mp3 player, I'll walk briskly home, not really paying much attention to the surroundings around me... till yesterday that is.

My mp3 player was flat so I walked home without the usual accompaniment of Frank Sinatra or Peter, Paul and Mary. About 10 mins from home, I chance upon a couple of elderly folk sitting around the stone tables at the void deck. As I walked past them, they all turned and smiled.

Well I was quite taken a back cause the last time someone I didn't know smiled at me was when my fly was open so ... my initial reaction was to check whether my singlet was worn inside out or were my socks mismatched. Everything was in order.

One particular old lady then wished me good evening and asked where I was headed. I mentioned I was headed home. She just laughed and mentioned that it was good that there are young people around who still workout and go home for dinner... I was quite surprised at how she knew my routine. She just laughed and said, "Dear boy, Auntie here has been sitting here with my friends every evening for the last 3 years now, we see you always rushing about to and fro everyday..."

That was when it stuck me. It dawned on me that perhaps as all of us go about our day to day chain of events, scuttling around totally engrossed with the ambitious goals and materialistic wants in life, that we may have missed out on the stuff that really matters. The human connection, the emotional bond to the people around us, whatever you may classify it as. Perhaps it is time we slow down and look up, and see the world for what it trully encompasses. That big car, sprawling mansion, country club membership are all nice things to have but I seriously doubt they can bring to the indivual that inner joy and satisfaction with life. It does not matter where you are... neither does it not require much effort to make that change. Have dinner at the dining table with the family and the TV off, chill out at a park instead of a bar, watch a movie at a friend's place instead of a cinema, etc... If everyone to place a little more emphasis on the smaller bits in life... I am very sure the world will be a much more friendlier place to be in.

James Oppenheim once said, "The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. ". I am so glad I finally saw the truth in that statement.

Food For Thought

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Personal Favourite...

The Mundane Task of Data Logging

There are many ways to look at a situation, in general, either a positive or negative way. What may seem like a good thing may turn out bad and what may seem like a disastrous turn of events could have some hidden sliver lining.
I was busy doing some data-entry work earlier this morning when I accidentally closed the whole file, in the process deleting 3 hours of painstaking work. I went all white as I tried in vain to recover the file from all possible sources. 3 whole hours of work... gone at the click of a button. I must admit I was rather pissed and seriously felt like throwing the whole laptop into the dustbin... 3 whole hours of hacking away at the keyboard... not easy for someone like me. Anyway I proceeded to play around with the various controls and learnt the joy of "vlookup" on excel and subsequently managed to re patch all my values from another worksheet back into the files... all in 10 mins... phew... Lessons learnt are as follows:

1.) Keep calm when pissed
2.) Save the work every 2 mins
3.) Read before you click anything

What an adrenaline rush at the desk today. Well at least I got all that out of the way for the morning. I doubt I'll have much to do this afternoon but... I shan't speak so soon.

I went for a 45 min bike ride with my dad last night and I must admit, it was time very well spent. We talked a lot about life and other stuff as we cycled around the neighbourhood and through the various park connectors. The night was crisp and refreshing as the showers late in the afternoon really cooled things down. My dad works outstation so his time back in Singapore is really quality time. I guess among my parents my dad is the one with the cool head. From him I learnt how to take things in my stride and really think before acting. "Always remember, 5 by 5 and all will be well" he said. "5 by 5" means when faced with a difficult situation be it a confrontation, difficult task etc, take 5 steps back and wait 5 mins before making an decision. This gives one the time and space to really rationalize things and hopefully make a wiser choice. Really applicable to a hot-headed individual like me I must say. Really am looking forward to more quality time like that.

I guess as 2007 drew to a close, I realised that whatever I have done in the past has affected the situation I am in now and whatever I do now will affect me as I travel down the arduous path called life. Certain events have definitely left an impact in me and despite those instances being really bad ones, I am glad I learnt from it and hopefully do not make the same mistakes again. "History repeats itself". How very true a saying. 2007 made me a wiser person and I hope 2008 will make me a successful one. :)

My manager isn't in today again due to sever gastric problems and all, so I am pretty much left alone for today. Most probably I am going to finish up with a bit more work before heading for lunch. Wednesday... that leaves Thursday and Friday before the weekend arrives... ahh... Going to start planning for it now. Hopefully I will be able to catch some good movies too.. 3.10 to Yuma looks good... :)

Till the next entry.

American Gangster makes my week :)

American Gangster was one of the best shows I have ever watched. Marvelous screenplay, excellent acting by the two leads and an extremely intricate storyline made for an extremely good watch. Anyway, below is my take on the movie... Go watch yar!!! This movie sure makes up for the other shitty stuff on screen now...



“Spoiler Alert”


Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson, a disciplined and intelligent black gangster, runs much of Harlem and imparts his wisdom onto his former driver turned right-hand man, Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington). When Johnson dies of a heart attack in 1968 at an electronics store, “Bumpy”’s domain threatens to get split and divided amongst the other gangs in the area. Frank dislikes the new, flashy gangsters and decides to take control. To gain money and power, he travels to Southeast Asia. With the help of his cousin, an Army Senior NCO, strikes a deal with a Thai general who supplies him with pure heroin. Frank then has the drugs transported back to America via military service planes, hidden in the coffins of dead U.S. soldiers from the Vietnam War.


Frank’s unique drug supply enables him to sell extemely potent drugs (“Blue Magic” heroin) at low prices. He quickly makes a fortune and buys several nightclubs and apartments. He moves his family from North Carolina to New Jersey, where he purchases a large estate for his humble mother. His five brothers are enlisted as his lieutenants in the NYC drug trade – forming “The Country Boys,” who work together to traffic and sell dope on the streets of Harlem. During his rise, Frank meets and falls in love with Eva, a Puerto Rican beauty queen. Through his discipline, organization, and ruthelessness, Frank quickly rises to the top of the Harlem drug and crime scene.


Meanwhile in Newark, New Jersey, detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) is juggling a failing marriage, late-night law school classes, and his police career. When Richie and his partner, Javier Rivera, discover nearly $1 million in unmarked bills in a car, Richie resists temptation and turns the money in. His rare honest ways make him a hated member of his precinct eventually resulting in his partner being exiled from the force. Richie's rampant womanizing behavior leads his wife to seek a divorce and custody of their son. After his exiled partner dies from overdosing on Blue Magic, Richie's honesty catches him a break when his superior Captain Lou Toback (Ted Levine) puts him in charge of a newly created task force to stop drug trafficking in Essex County, New Jersey and New York City. Richie handpicks honest cops and gets to work on finding who is supplying Blue Magic.


As Frank's business prospers, he makes a point of operating quietly and dressing with a modest conservatism both as a sign of strength and to avoid attracting the attention of the law. However, Frank disregards this habit for his wife for one ostentatious night out, attending a Muhammad Ali boxing match with several known mobsters in a US$25,000 fur coat and hat, and with a ring-side seat. Roberts, who was staking out the match, sees this unknown, but obviously wealthy, person associating with high-level criminals, as well as having better seats than the Italian mafia. Robert becomes suspicious, and he begins to investigate this unknown (to him) figure in New York organized crime.


Even as Frank realizes he has exposed himself to police scrutiny, he must make deals with the Italian mafia and fend off corrupt NYC detectives, such as Det. Trupo (Josh Brolin), who extort and threaten him. Trupo's dislike of Frank is capped when his prized 350 Shelby Mustang is bombed before his eyes. He must also contend with local crime figure Nicky Barnes (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), who is taking some of Frank's product, diluting it himself, and selling it under Frank's "brand" name. Unidentified assassins try to kill Frank’s wife, further destabilizing him and worsening his unsteady marriage. Things finally take a turn for the worse when Frank sees the U.S. Military vacating Vietnam, which in turn cuts off his primary mode of transportation for his goods.


Richie catches another break when his men witness the driver of one of Frank’s top soldiers shooting a woman. They use the driver’s bad predicament to get him to wear a wire. The wire allows Richie and his task force to discover when a plane carrying drugs is landing. Meanwhile, Trupo leads his band of police officers to Frank's mother's mansion where they take Frank's emergency cash supply. When the plane lands, Richie and his men follow the drugs into Newark's projects and obtain a warrant. A huge group of police and detectives attack the drug apartments en masse and a large shootout occurs. Frank is at church when the bust goes down, but he is arrested after the service ends. Frank and Richie finally meet, and Frank’s attempts to bully Richie are unsuccessful.


With no other options, Frank decides to provide names of numerous other criminals, including his and Richie’s common enemies: corrupt NYC detectives. Numerous corrupt cops are arrested; a distraught Trupo kills himself to avoid arrest. Richie, having passed the Bar Exam, prosecutes Frank, but he leaves the prosecutor's office after the Lucas trial. The first client he takes after becoming a defense attorney is Frank. Because of his cooperation, Frank receives a relatively light sentence of 15 years rather than the original 70. At the film’s end, he steps out of jail to the sounds and era of the 1990s, significantly older and out of place.


American Gangster is a really good movie, the best to hit the screens in a long while. Coupling amazing acting with really dramatic scenes that shed a new light on drug-trafficking, I’d give it a definite 9.5 out of 10. Though there have been so many other drug/crime cop films out there, American Gangster proves to provide viewers with a fresh new perspective on the drug scene in the United States from the late 60s to the early 70s. Washington and Crowe were excellent in portraying the two adversaries and this show is a testament to their excellent ratings as A-class actors. No one else besides these two could have pulled this off so magnificently. There have been countless crime/ drug lord/ gangster flims made and American Gangster may come across as another one of those. But don't let that sway you if you enjoy good movies or crime films. American Gangster is so much more than that, with themes of loyalty and perseverance, making it an extremely wholesome (questionable use of the word wholesome but definitely an insightful) flick to catch. And also, Frank Lucas is one hell of an interesting personality. My Man…..

"All good things come to an end" - Nelly Futardo