What a lovely term.

And so term one of my first year in school draws to a close. It's been wonderful :)

My funnny and crazy BGS classmates - it's nice to look back and see how worried I was on the first day of class, when I saw that I knew no one at all, and then seeing the situation now and how I've made a whole bunch of friends.



One bunch of friends: my BGS group! Funny bunch. Yes we had some spectacular debates but I love you all nonetheless lol. This was at my place working on our project!



And you know you're studying too hard when you start writing rubbish in your answers. I mean, I don't even like durians!



Talking about friends, here's a lovely pic. Looks drama :)



This term I also rediscovered my joy for cooking haha... Made this for my BGS group. Basically bell peppers and chicken in white cheesy goo. Oh also made a red goo version of it. Oh and tea eggs! :D



Also, the little joys in life that make me smile:





All in all, an amazing term. As always, it's not what I've done, or what's happened to me; it's the people: the friends I've made, the spending time, the mutual support, the I'll-be-there. That's what really matters.

What a lovely term.

Picture Story 1: The Hunt for the Yam Pau!

So it was that my stomach began crying out for yam paus. The delicious cute purple things just consumed thoughts as we were studying in a (rather empty) GSR.



The school is rather empty on Sunday evenings. We walked down empty (but beautiful) corridors,



stopped to enjoy the view,



and finally saw our destination! The treasured haunt of cute yam paus:



a Little Store filled with Little Treasures just past the kopi tiam :)



My heart skipped a beat as I spied the cute little purple things, just waiting to be enjoyed.



There was, of course, the obligatory Coke Light :)



Finally, our treasure is back where it belongs, in our GSR, sitting cutely.



*enjoyment*

Loveliness and Mundanity

Ever felt like you can't truly enjoy a lovely situation in your life because it is just too fragile? Like there are so many things that could happen that would tip the balance towards mundanity again?

It's a painful thought: that I have ever slipped from a meaningless life, to an amazing life, and back to a meaningless life, so, it just might happen again. I know how much losing a friend can hurt, and I know how much losing a dream can hurt, and the mere memory of the pain can bring back tears.

But still, would I rather have love and lost love, or not to have loved at all?

Unforgiving Light

Forget the pain of waking,
Forget the glaring light,
Forget the river that we’ll cross,
When it comes in sight.

Forget that I am dreaming,
Forget my daily fight,
Forget to wake me from my slumber,
To unforgiving light.

Unshowing

Behold            The lady
And not            Just her; see
The whirlwind            The lights
Come            They stir

Kingdoms            And princes
Events            Revolve; round the
Woman            All white
Dissolve            Resolve

In step            Each beat
A glance            A pose; like a
Dance            Around
A still            Still rose

She glides            They follow
Perhaps            She knows; yet a
Veil            Surrounds
Her eyes            Are closed

They follow            They flow
She glides            Unknowing; in the
Eye            Of the storm
She knows            Unshowing

Confused

So I started taking life at face value, and all it inevitably led me to talking more nonsense, and doing more nonsense. Normally this is fine, I mean, I was usually a very random person in the army and had a lot of fun being an enthusiastically crazy guy who gets things done nonetheless. But... Guess I have to remember that some people do not take nonsense at face value, especially when that nonsense is about sensitive stuff.

Sorry, I'm finding this seriously ironic. But as usual, I rather blame myself. heh.

(oh! must post the story I wrote about the war of the cows! :))

a love quiz!

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Quality Time
with a secondary love language being
Physical Touch.

Complete set of results

Quality Time:		10
Physical Touch:		9
Words of Affirmation:		6
Receiving Gifts:		3
Acts of Service:		2

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

Hehe it's quite accurate

Chapter 10: The End of the Journey of the Jewel

And the minstrels sang in the vast Hall of the High King as the Exile strode, clad in a garment of gold and blue, the jewel resting by a light chain on his breast. Legions of knights saluted crisply and guests from all the known nations rose as the Man with the Jewel reached the foot of the silver throne.

The Exile drew his new sword - etched with flowing runes, Elvish on the left, Dwarven on the right - and swiftly raised the jeweled hilt to his Lord. Sunlight streaming from the high windows that flanked the throne caught on the hilt's faceted ruby and the light split as with the sword itself into rainbows that danced through the room like beautiful maidens called to proclaim joy on the day of the Exile's return.

Now the aged king rose. Flowing silk garment resting like a sigh on his aged frame and a coronet like a string of gems encircling his wizened brow, he was the embodiment of majesty, and as he stepped towards the exile and gazed into his eyes it was not a man gazing, but a kingdom.

"Well done, Bringer of the Jewel."

The voice of the High King, steeped in the wisdom of age and nobility, and clear as the water of the rivers in his land, echoed in the hall like a ringing bell, or the summons of a kindly master of his faithful servant. Few of those present were unaware that they may never hear that voice again, fewer still unaware that they may never see the exile again, but years later it would be said that not one man left the hall without tears in his eyes.

friendship-changing!

Which is worse, to believe that there are flying pink elephants outside your window, or to believe that your friend actually believes that there are flying pink elephants outside your window?

Had an friendship-changing (if not life-changing!) experience today that made me realise just how superbly gullible and stubborn I am, and how things can be so complex that it may be better not to think so much! :)

Talk about turning points in a friendship...

you're welcome

you're welcome, and this really warmed my heart :)

La Salsa!

hehe... no pictures of us dancing tho... should've taken out my camera earlier! :D

To Know Who's Real

To know who's real, who's insincere
To know who tells you without fear,
"Take comfort in the shadow of my dream, dear,
Come rest within the shadow of my dream."

Salsa addiction!

Oh my... Union Sq outing with Candice, Marie, Deb and Vincent was amazing!

Over 2.5 hours of dancing... For the first time we could actually dance there and feel like we could dance well! :)

Ms Chua - I think we make a great team! 8 months, 8 months :D

Retro-ness!

Ok so i finally figured out how to use this :)

ASOC DAY 2006! Retro! :)

btw this one only lets me create 'linear' slideshows... can anyone recommend me a better one with more options? thanks!

Enough

Ever looked at something in your life and told yourself, "enough... enough."?

romance is like dance...

romance is like dance...

and the dance for the moment is the salsa.

flashy, fast, sometimes sensual, always energetic. it blooms fast, and ends abruptly, and everyone in the dance knows that it is not for keeps. that over the hill is another partner, another flame. that at its core, it's for fun.

sounds like how people nowadays view relationships. that it's all for fun, that it doesn't matter if it ends, that it's perfectly fine to chase someone you don't know, that it's perfectly fine not to mean what you say.

i'm beginning to think i was born in the wrong era, or that i'm an old retro freak trapped in this body, or that i'm just weird, or that i'm just longing for more mature friends, or something.

and i'm beginning to think, once more, that in romance, a form of injustice reigns in that it is not the good men who get what they want, but that it is the shameless, shallow, and just desperate men who do so.

how has romance become a race instead of a journey? what happens to those who prefer a pleasant walk?

i'm tired, goodnight.

To Soar The Darkest Skies And Fly

I've seen you weeping, dear troubled one:
Your tears of dark and the tremors of night.
Dear, as we wait for the rising sun,
I will be with you and starry light.

Gentle words when your sobbing starts:
And a shoulder, a hand, and some warmth for a friend.
I'll speak of this, that in your precious heart,
Where all have failed, dear, I've seen a gem.

    And even though you fear and sigh
    I'll wipe away the tears you cry
    And then you'll know that deep inside,
    You soar the darkest skies and fly

For around you may gather a blinding storm
And you see up ahead only uncertain ways
But cherish these words, before your mourn:
It's who you are that will keep you safe.

For who you are is your light, your day;
And who you are is your final say.
For Who you're in has died to pay,
And who you are will lead the way

    And even though you fear and sigh
    He'll wipe away the tears you cry
    And then you'll know that deep inside,
    You soar the darkest skies and fly

    So even though you fear and sigh
    I'll wipe away the tears you cry
    And then we'll know that deep inside,
    We soar the darkest skies and fly

    And then we'll know that deep inside,
    We soar the darkest skies and fly

Hey hope you're ok with me borrowing the line "To soar the darkest skies" from you to use as the theme in my poem... I think it's a really amazing phrase :)

if i hold you like that

it's been a while since i last felt this emotional - and all it took was a beautiful, beautiful song, and a short video clip that reminded me of a chapter of my life now closed.

you know what the poets mean when they talk about beautiful sadness? some feelings are so difficult to express; that's why we find so much joy when we find someone who truly understands.

On Love

I just realised something funny about myself: that i find it difficult hanging around pretty ladies, because i always get mad when i see men trying to hit on them. Not mad out of jealousy (as if i own every lady i happen to be hanging out with), but mad because i have very strong feelings against men who hit on girls just because they are pretty.

Ok, I know that ladies know that such a man is probably just playing, and I know that most ladies can tell whether or not a man is at least a good person or not, but it doesn't stop me from having a huge disrespect for men who, instead of respecting women as real human beings with real feelings and emotions, selfishly choose to follow their own desires and hit on women out of their own lust and pride.

Women are not toys; women's feelings are not meant to be played with. Sure, they know you're playing, and they might even play along. But you should know better. Love her, love her enough to be able to do things at the expense of your own desires, even if it means not chasing right now, even if it means letting go.

We men have hurt too many women already.

funny quote #2

"You're not really a guy so you're off the hook."

_________

p.s. tango, salsa, cha-cha and rumba are awesome, dancing them all at one bar is more awesome, and having someone teach you new salsa steps is even more awesome... it's been a full day. full of high highs and low lows. fullness...

Something About Her Eyes

Gaze: like pools of the night that shimmer with the radiance of the depths of the seas. See this - a lake, serene, undisturbed, and the glow of the stars that dance with that joyous beauty and a glance, for longer did I try to break the stillness, but it was peace.

Peace: Old age, it smiles and knows, it understands, that this is the play of the two young lovers who waltz across the creaking floorboards, see the old chandelier, see the rusted chains. Change - Old's heart feels, he was there before, he cannot return, the young are hasty and Old is silent, with a knowing smile.

Smile: Wave gold, bright yellow, glad orange, and a warmth that embraces like a mother comforting her weeping son, or a light, a mere lamp, that drives the dark back to its conspiratous corner, this flame. Same - for each glow I see, my heart glows in me, now come, a life in this life.

Life: too fast to love, she revolves like the wind, the pantomime ball we see for moment, fleeting mask. Masks - overwhelm, overfast, and strings or the brass or the beat of the drum and we step and each step and we walk and we change the moment we can hide behind these guises for it is only behind a mask that some find rest.

Rest: for all guises must come to their end and perhaps, again, we shall gaze.