random scribbles

the belated birthday gift

2008-07-17T11:58:00.002-04:00

honestly, i thought i was getting some naughty garters and fishnets. not that it's not fine; i'd have no problems handing it to a girl in future. or worse, i could have got pink sweatpants with the word "PINK" on my ass. gosh, no.

thanks clarence and zhenhao. now i can say for sure that i'm well in touch with my moobs and ovaries.

arnold immortalized!

2008-05-26T10:12:00.002-04:00

NECA have decided to make action figures of CONAN, although their figures are far from having any action in them, thanks to little articulation.

this one's for arnold fans. check out that trademark snarl: vicious!

london london

2008-03-22T14:14:00.002-04:00

i'm so lazy to blog i just put all the pics in a slideshow. enjoy!

snowblind

2008-03-22T13:47:00.002-04:00

after last night's snowstorm, i've come to this conclusion.

spring is just a figment of imagination that wolverines invent to remind themselves that they're still living in a sane part of the world.

that said, i'm guilty of that too. look! spring is here and it's so lovely. so lovely that i'm still getting snowblind.

first sights/sounds/tastes of new york

2007-12-22T02:10:00.000-05:00

it helps being here the year before, and having almost two weeks to spend here. i kinda know my way around, and i can do it in my own time; it's so unlike the rush that was last year's trip.

so far it's been pleasant and refreshing. the much-welcomed familiar tingle of tastebuds from char siew and wontons made my day yesterday.

then i had some laksa which tasted more like curry noodle.

and super-oily penang char kway teow (woo!).

and chendol + ice kacang.

gimme more! (but not in a britney kinda way)

snowed in/out

2007-12-22T01:58:00.000-05:00

the first michigan snow storm arrived with a bang. and lots of howling.

perfect 'encouragement' in the middle of exam-slogging.

how much can a man take?

2007-12-06T22:05:00.000-05:00

monday: one homework due, two consecutive finals.
tuesday: two more homeworks due.
thursday: another two consecutive finals.

all these amid -7°C snow showers. and sleepless nights.

by thursday i'll be GOLD. but right now i feel like a hero already.

TG part two: a different thanksgiving

2007-11-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

tragedy

i only learnt of this last night. i haven't been able to do anything much throughout the day without this coming through my head over and again.

i am relieved and thankful that my brother darren survived. he was part of the singaporean crew on the dragonboat, and narrowly managed to escape. my mom related darren's account of the accident over the phone to me as i listened in disbelief.

but five others weren't lucky enough to escape. right now authorities are looking for their bodies. i happen to know one of them, from clubbing with darren and his pals a few times.

i'm not religious, but i think this year's thanksgiving has given me something to be thankful about. photos show the entire team without lifejackets, and reports say the current was very strong. it's a miracle that any of them survived, especially darren since he's not the strongest on the team. my thoughts are with the victims's families. and i hope the victims are safe out there somewhere, and the authorities find their bodies.

i'm still shaken.

reuben, you will always be remembered.

TG part one: a nutritious thanksgiving

2007-11-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

look at all the food. i don't know who did what, but it all tasted helluva good. and fattening. i'm glad we all ate till we almost exploded.

linguine alfredo

2007-11-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

home-made recipe with pork (it was in the freezer for too long), mushrooms and red peppers.

WOOT!

char kway teow...

2007-10-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

in ann-friggin-arbor?!

i must be bloody dreaming.

toyota celica

2007-10-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

my new car

my inner-beng spoke. and i listened.

the new enclave

2007-09-23T17:35:00.000-04:00

my new room!

ok it was already done up and everything was in place two weeks ago. i even took the photos and video two weeks ago too. but i didn't have the time to put this all up here.

my bed/loft! someone commented that my room's cool because of the loft. i have one more thing to point out. if you notice, there are exactly 3 very comfortable postions to sleep: my bed, the futon below it (you can rest your legs on the grey chair), and my full-back work chair. trust me, i have already explored all 3 positions.

my shelf. shelves are for placing books and other random stuff, but i'm clearly using it for other purposes.

and sigh, my workstation. i hate work, but being an engineer, i have NO CHOICE. bleur.

here's a walkthrough!

a first week of michigan firsts

2007-09-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

it was the first time leaving home for my sophomore year in michigan. as much as i knew i would miss home, friends and, yes, food, i was determined to put up a strong front. i didn't want my mom to cry like she did last year, so i bade a quick farewell and took off.

the view from up there in the atmosphere was fantastic. a sunrise looks way more stunning when you're above the clouds.

this is the first time that i'm living in my own apartment (ok, it's a shared apartment but still an apartment!), so the first inaugural home-cooked meal was imminent. we whipped up black bean tofu and oyster sauce aparagus, and supplemented them with a can of campbell's chunky soup.

it was a delight, and turned out a lot better than expected. i will just have to say a big 'THANKS' to my mom for the semi-intensive training that i received over the summer.

next up is my first football game. believe it or not, i have never been to a single football game before, even though i'm a full-flegded sophomore here at umich. yes i know it's bad, so with season tickets this year, i intended to change that. the streets were lined with enthusiastic college kids pre-gaming with their favorite combination of beer pong and blaring hip-hop music.

taking the traditional route to the stadium, we walked with hundreds of other michigan fans. it was quite a sight, drifting along with the yellow tide and hurling random objects like mini-footballs along the way.

the big house lived up to its name. when the crowd cheered, all the sound was channeled into a sonic tornado on the pitch.

it was kinda shitty that we lost the game. ok, now i know that this year will not be our year.

sharing my disappointment were teddy and haynes. it was harsh to go to a first game and watch your team lose. DAMN!

well at least the marching band didn't disappoint. which led me to comment that the band was better than the team. ah well, it was still an experience all the same. i hope to go to more games in future and win. but in the meantime i'm selling off the tickets.

tea with the low-pro low-bro

2007-08-17T03:35:00.000-04:00

moon cafe served up desserts to tease and please the palate, served in paltry portions. from left: green tea ice kacang, green tea tiramisu, and tofu cheesecake.

the low-bro, handsome, ambitious and professional in his business attire, is gonna head the first ever student-managed fund investment in singapore. if you ask me, the self-declared "low-pro" tag's gonna disappear faster than ex-NKF chairman richard yong's assets.

blindsided at baybeats

2007-08-17T02:44:00.001-04:00

blindside was the perfect and probably only reason that i went to baybeats. i didn't know the other bands there, and yes, indie alternative music is good, but what's the point of listening to 'good' music and bopping your head along when it's too damn obvious that you've never heard the damn song before to even catch the tune, much less bop your head.

blindside was the most well-known band at baybeats this year. i was surprised that the organizers managed to pull them to singapore. hardcore as they were, i felt the urge to mosh like a teenager. but with my sling bag in tow, i had reservations. and there some really crazy mats and mat-wannabes (read: chinese) swinging their arms, legs and heads around. if i had a baseball bat, i would have went in.

the livewire performance was led by the energetic lead singer and his amazing screams.

'pitiful' and 'fell in love with the game' were perfect to get the bloo rushing. after awhile, it became apparent that these swedish polar bears were trying hard to cope with the equatorial heat. the gig was one to remember, not only for the mini-moshpit, but also for the wonderful closing performance for the day. i was thankful that even though they were probably the biggest band present, they weren't the opening or closing acts for the festival, cause then i wouldn't be able to watch them free.

2 big group photos

2007-08-06T10:03:00.000-04:00

one day, two bbqs, two meet-ups.

first, it was the nerdy meet-up with fellow tech-geeks and nerds at dsta.

and next it was down to paya lebar for a sorta annual gathering with the motley crew of VS 4A 2001.

so many faces, so much said and done. at the end of the day, i was tired out, but i'm extremely glad to have seen all the friends.

roma spanked yet again

2007-07-19T00:39:00.000-04:00

the most imbal match i've ever had. la liga leaders alaves give serie A title challengers a lesson in football. FM is mad.

oh yes, please transform me

2007-07-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

perhaps it's just transformer fever. or my inner-fanboy finally re-exposed himself.

i soooo FUCKING NEED TO HAVE THIS. or i will..kill myself..and come back to life via the allspark.

i was pondering over getting the MP starscream F15 jet earlier this year. but i didn't feel this strongly to get a transformer MP, until now. especially since it can function as an MP3 player! imagine listening to interpol or the killers on your way to work on a typically boring and overcrowded ride on the mrt, and suddenly you whip out soundwave and start transforming him. i bet the whole train of working class slaves will just fucking sit up and take fucking notice!

can your ipod do that?! can anybody's ipod do that?!

and now it seems my dodge viper DEAD END and mazda rx8 MEISTER (aka JAZZ) are gonna fly with me back to umich. they have been little more than shelf-warmers for me over the past year, but things will soon change.

B.E.A.T. is KRAZEE!

2007-07-14T04:41:00.000-04:00

the first clubbing adventure with my bro.

indie shoes!

we were clearly losing it.

alcohol does things to you.
and he's got the rage virus!

to the right to the right, all the apples you own to the right.

reading minds four times over was really fun. all the dirty thoughts didn't stop.

this should be an annual night cycling thingy

2007-07-14T04:18:00.000-04:00

painful butts

strained wrists

tormented thighs

a surprising view from my bedroom window

2007-07-13T00:58:00.000-04:00

simply breathtaking

sambucca-induced mambo monsters

2007-07-13T00:51:00.000-04:00

it was stupid. totally dumb. maybe even krazy. i don't like mambo.

but it was fun la.

mini adventure

2007-07-11T08:02:00.000-04:00

pics from the mini adventure at BHong's place.

at the dinner table

the soon-to-be-(in)famous burning crotches shot

one ah neh conspicuously missing. carloyn, come back! i don't want that the next time i see you, you'll have saggy boobs and flabby mom-arms!

click! here!

Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends

2007-07-05T08:43:00.000-04:00

the perfect answer to the question: "what are friends for?"

i might be in danger when fall semester starts, since i tend to fall asleep all too often in class.

BEATBEATBEAT!

2007-07-03T13:22:00.000-04:00

club chic met up again! if not for bhong's last minute pull-out, we would have an attendance of 5, which is a really decent turnout. we haven't had a big meet-up since, ironically, his sending-off at changi airport last year. yup, i read your mind, what a bummer.

clearly, ben koh was caught in the middle of a very important 'political' discussion.

looking my preppy-nerdy best.

if jo needs a profile pic for facebook, she need not look farther. c'mon jo, go update your facebook profile. my friend request has been pending since the ice age.

the snooty alcoholic

srosemary, heaven restores you in life. more interpol please!

bunny ears are sooooo essential these days.

the three on the D.A.N.C.E.floor

keep the fire burning, keep the party rocking!

we were trying a few new telepathy techniques.

- "that's a huge wiener."
- "yeah, but six inches ain't nothing to me."

guess everyone's favorite number.

all the shape-pulling.

B.A.D.A.S.S.es

2007-06-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

we're badass chings!

wo-mango

2007-06-21T04:20:00.000-04:00

one of the most eagerly aniticpated sales by females all over singapore has started. it's not the robinson's sale (duh!). it's the mango sale.

clearly, the crowd was getting larger by the minute during lunch hour. while my mom was trying out a top and a skirt in the fitting rooms, here i was, half waiting and half babe-spotting, and continuing my lifelong training as the ideal shopping boyfriend.

girls, the big sale has officially started. it's only a matter of time before zara's starts. if you're a true shopaholic, your wallets should be ready for action by now.

the manifestation of hard work

2007-06-20T12:17:00.000-04:00

the result speaks for itself.

i have a home record that is second only to barcelona. my away record is sadly dismal. but i'm on my way to european qualification. more transfer money, yes please.

a day at the beach!

2007-06-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

this the first time i've been to sentosa in a year, and possibly the last time till next year. you can't blame me. singapore is an island-state; we're surrounded by beaches. i don't have to go all the way to the tiny tourist trap south of the mainland to enjoy some sun, sand and sea. there's always the lao di fang of east coast park, with the revamped lagoon and it's flurry of activity, and the hawker center full of glorious local fare. think: satay bee hoon, chili crab, beef noodles, oyster omelette... damn i gotta go there again.

but back to sentosa...
rasa sentosa is so old, this looks like a scene out of 1980's cuban seaside resorts. it's perfect if you don't have the cash or the means to travel back to cuba.

sentosa does have its own island charm. it's probably more evident if you're a mountain dweller more used to snow storms and such. to me, a singapore native, i only noticed while i was reviewing my photos.

there was a lot of hype about cafe del mar, and we were eager to check it out. it wasn't hard to find; it was just beside the beach (d'oh..!) we were greeted by a cheapskate banner with even cheaper-looking font declaring "cafe del mar", far from the chic image that we were expecting. sheesh. but from where i was, the interior looked interesting. the deejay decks were on that little white raised hut, which looked quite cool. there were a few poseurs sipping their god-knows-how-long-it-has-been-there drinks and tanning in the sun. hmmm, warm cocktail anyone?

oh, the magnificent sunset! or sunrise? i realize i can't tell by looking at the picture.

and some post-tanning monkeying at the restaurant.

all full-res pics here! (thanks to photobucket!)

epic movie

2007-06-04T10:38:00.000-04:00

it's friggin hilarious, but you gotta watch the originals to understand it. not that the jokes were too smart either. with jayma mays playing the dumb blonde (except that she's raven-haired), you don't expect anything too scholarly over. but i totally enjoyed it. i needed some lame laughs today.

first up for the spoofs was the da vinci code.

then appeared a conspicuously afro-american albino version of silas.

the da vinci code was easy to crack.

superheroes weren't spared. superman got a makeover.

and magneto got a new helmet with a giant U-shaped magnet for effect.

a large part of the storyline was ripped from narnia. in this case, it's gnarnia, for copyright purposes. XD

a long-awaited meet up

2007-05-23T01:53:00.000-04:00

it was nice to meet up with my old buddies from VS scouts. haha. it's been a long time, and quite a few of us look different now.
check out the two lovers in the center. heart-shaped candy floss.

we were clearly enjoying the free candy floss at new york new york. we're such free-loaders.

the servings at new york new york were tiny. i wasn't even full. so we went to a coffeeshop near ken's place where i discovered hokkien mee, bak chor mee and nasi lemak all under one roof, and all famous.

i'll be headed there next time.

NY NY part one

2007-05-17T09:11:00.000-04:00

hey everybody! i'm back to blogging i guess. a few pals have come up to me saying i don't blog anymore. i put that down to me just wanting to blog about really interesting stuff, not dumb one-line bimbotic quibbles which you can get from any ah lian blog.

and here it is, the promised few entries of my NY trip. that was way back in the december-winter-break-new-year-period (huff-huff).

upon arrival we were greeted by a curious grey new yorker squirrel. they might be grey to blend in with the buildings.

we decided to have a little italian experience for dinner. fresh from my italian 101 course in fall term, i was eager to have a proper full italian meal.

look at the insane amount of clams on shaoning's plate. you would have mistaken it for a seafood main course. but no, it's a pasta entree COVERED in clams. each of us probably stole 3-4 from him, and he still had enough for himself. damn!

i, on the other hand, had a plate full of pasta and cheese. no meat. but don't get me wrong, it was heavenly. it's just that a carnivore like me needed his meaty kicks.

i said 'grazie!' to the waiter when he served my dish. he gave me a stunned bewildered look and walked away. i wonder if my pronunciation was good that he was surprised or so horrid he couldn't make out the word. oh well.

the sights of little italy. it's not much, but you would notice all the italian flags hanging at every junction. that was probably to mark their territory just in case any of those chings from the nearby chinatown lose their way.

the rockefeller center with all the lights and christmas decorations was beautiful.

and behind me is st patrick's cathedral. amazing.

we went to the top of the rockefeller to admire the new york skyline. the undeniable logic works this way:
- the tallest two skyscrapers in new york are the rockefeller center and the empire state building.
- the empire state building looks better than the rock.
- so, we should go up the rock to look at the rest of the skyline, and view the empire state in its full glory.
and as they say, the view from the top is fantastic. just look at how far the never-ending lights stretch! ok, i was in the small town of ann arbor for too long. the view simply had me mesmerized.

peering over the ledge and down can make your knees quiver and legs weak.

the famous rockefeller christmas tree was nothing short of dazzling. i'm still in awe of all the little colorful lights.

the radio city tower.

and here's a preview of times square as we walked past.

for more of times square and more, stay tuned!

coming home

2007-05-03T23:56:00.000-04:00

i'm finally home. i was back on sunday actually. yeah i took awhile to make this announcement, but do forgive me. i've been busy beating jetlag and having my fill of food. the weather hasn't helped either. i get so lethargic at times.

a few sights from the journey home...
sipping abit of milkshake at detroit metro while waiting to board the flight.

the japanese can't spell. XD
there's a very big difference between "i'm soaring" and "i'm soring". let's stay away from sores.
and that was my flight by the way. bloody runway lights weren't working.

the welcome party when haynes and i landed. i've never been happier to see my mom. haha!
the blanket of humidity nearly killed me when i stepped out of the airport.

and here's a few pics of what i've had...
hokkien mee!

oyster omelete!

pineapple tarts! the jar's only half full now.

drool bitch!

shiny happy people

2007-04-26T16:49:00.000-04:00

it's not happy shiny people, but shiny happy people.

my bad.

so here it is for the shiny happy people.
enjoy! X)

the hectic triple project weekend

2007-04-18T21:17:00.000-04:00

erin came to ann arbor on the day of my ME 250 exam 2. her visit marked the beginning of my triple-project weekend: eng100, me250 and taking erin around ann arbor.

each project was important in itself. i was struggling to find time for all three. i had to put together the appendix for eng100 and help out teddy and matt. mike of me250 just kept insisting that we meet up as often and do as much as possible (which is a good thing, of course). and then i had to think of stuff to do and places to go with erin. the last thing i wanted was for her to get bored, which i thought was inevitable since this place is so crappy. it didn't help that she was staying in my room in the ulu north. i had to keep the girl happy cos she was slightly ill and the cold dry weather didn't help.

to be honest, i'm super happy she came. i never thought that she'll actually drop by when she said she would in december. and yeah, i felt a little down after she left. haha. regretably, i didn't take her for a drink or to a club. still, she told me that she didn't have any expectations of this visit. that gave me assurance.

i also learnt of my new uncanny ability to lean back. like, lean back big time. it's like a new trademark wrestling move. i can knock myself out on almost ANY chair, by tilting my head back, for at least an hour. it has become so unpredictable that it's scary.

and here are the pictures from the rest of the weekend (while i wasn't working at the duderstadt center).

dinner at sadako.

the vjc class of 2003 gang.

the freshmen at seniors' day.

finally, after the me250 presentation on monday, haynes and i just had to take a photo since we were all dressed up.

click here for all high-res pics.

hurley!

2007-04-18T19:05:00.000-04:00

hurley studies at the U of M! he managed to get off that stupid island in LOST. wow.
and you thought he was just a fat lazy jinxed degenerate. XD

haven't felt this way in a long time

2007-04-16T13:22:00.000-04:00

it's true. i seldom get depressed. but when i do, it hits hard. i hate to go all emo now, but i think this is a good place for me to let it out.

the past weekend was fabulous and draining. i had good company. no, make that great. think: i had someone to hang out, relax and laugh together with, and talk about anything from crappy to everything else. someone who was perpetually there to support me. someone whom i've known for almost a quarter of my life. someone whom i'm sharing a very strong friendship with.

since coming to michigan, i've become so used to fending for myself that i've forgotten what it's like to have friends from back home. i've stopped missing and thinking about people in my life. i've been too far away from them. when last weekend (and the special visit) came upon me, i never expected it to be this significant. i never expected anything other than some casual chatting. i never expected to be so emotionally tied up after the entire thing.

on the bright side, home is only two weeks away. after the two big fat reports due tomorrow and three more exams in the span of five days, i'll be homefree. and right now, i can't wait, more so than ever.

and to that someone, i'll see you in two months. ;)

the big return

2007-03-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

hey all friends and fans, i will be returning to sunny singapore in less than two months, maybe as early as 30april. yes! this is so exciting. the thought of it all makes me quiver: hokkien mee, laksa, cheap good haircuts, my room... now that's something to jump about.

i'll have four months of freedom (and unbearable heat) when i return. now that a trip to europe is out of the question (it's too expensive. like, insanely outta my budget), i'll be looking to nearby places. bali seems like a good destination. i wanna learn to surf. oh, and i gotta learn to cook like a pro. living off campus next year will give me the volition to choose my own menu. no more crap dorm food.

so everybody, let's enjoy summer 2007!

SNOOOOOOWFIIIIIIIIGHT!!!

2007-02-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

it was unrelenting. it was merciless. it was crazy. it was the snowfight that happened last night.

it was good, no great that it snowed like shit a few days ago. blocks and chunks were everywhere.

the snow was friggin thick. imagine your leg going in to the knee level. now that's an experience.

if you thought that was bad, imagine having snow in your undies. we got it all into ghim's briefs. you should ask him about it.

this was arguably the best pic of the night. terence getting owned, snowballs flying everywhere.

in the end, it was a good thing that my room is just beside the snow field. and i've a portable electric heater.

the iceman owneth. maj yap was obviously iced out.

all the action here.

CNY dinner 2007

2007-02-17T03:30:00.000-05:00

SSA organized CNY dinner at trotter last saturday. i was involved in logistical duties. but honsetly, i don't think i did much. but whatever. feedback is that it was better than last year's. so i'm content.
my table gang.

bro from the north.

the bird is sleeping!

and the mediocre after-party at studio 4.

hell freezes over.for real.

2007-02-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

the shit weather is here, officially and finally.

my room is friggin cold even with the heater on full blast and all windows and doors shut. check out the frost on the window sill. there really isn't much i can do now. the thermometer in the room reads 15degC. that's lower than in suntec city during off-peak ghostly hours when you can walk down the atrium and hear the flip-flop of your slippers echo back and yet the air-con is still blasting as though there are enough people to start a pasar malam.

hypothermia doesn't sound nice. but i gotta remember to steal a tray from bursley for some sledding fun.

vroom vroom in detroit

2007-01-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

i took a short car ride to detroit last weekend for the north american international auto show 2007. there was nothing folky about the place (as sufjan stevens would insist) nor was there gangsta-feva (as eminem would rap about). but i was there for the cars. gimme some metal.

mercedes had the most cars on display, and the most cars for everyone to have a sit-inside-and-push-a-few-buttons-and-wiggle-your-ass-in-the-seat experience.

audi had some pretty decent stuff out too.

next up was porsche. it helped that there was this passionate red baby in front. after all th silver/black/chachoal/gun metal of the benzs, red is such a show stopper.
and oh, baby got back. now that's a sweet ass for sure.

unlike asians, ang mohs have a stronger interest in the actual cars and not the chicks. this girl here at the the dodge avenger section was a rare sight.

the luxury car section was a like a restricted zone. see, no touch. the crowds were kept well away from the automobiles. the cars just sat there and primmed and posed, much like supermodels, but they cost a lot more. we had:

ferraris,

lamborghinis,

rolls-royces,

and maseratis.

ah bengs would have been delighted to see some of their own dream cars modified exactly the way they want it. the modified scion (pronounced sai-on and not ski-on as most of the ignorant call it) tcs were out in full force. my inner-beng quivered.

gimmi mai jinon lites. i wan spoiler big big, exoss big big aso. can put baby head inside.

at the lexus booth, i got my most perfect shot. the lexus IS-F was revolving and i just took one shot. it turned out to be the most perfect shot that i've ever imagined. the cobalt blue just radiated, and coupled with the reflection of the lights, it sends tingles. i'm not a big fan of lexus, but this picture really hits the spot.

if there was a car to beat lamborghini's doors, this saab would be it. honestly, this is sightly over the top.

not to be outdone, the aston martins and jaguars were also there to be seen and heard.

some pretty impressive concept cars from acura and honda.

a random "album cover" picture outside the joe louis arena. the skinny jeans was there for the right photo shot.

detroit turned out much cleaner and brighter than i expected. ok, it's not exactly gangsta-town, but now i can say i survived detroit.

all that shiny metal

adrenaline for real snowboarders, real pain for the gutless

2007-01-25T00:41:00.000-05:00

i'm taking a break from narrating my incredible winter break to talk about a shot of adrenaline (and a lot more) to my head.

two weeks ago, i went on a ski trip to gaylord. yeah, what a name i hear you say. but i assure you, there was nothing gay about the trip. quite the opposite actually.

at that time, the snow hadn't really fallen in ann arbor. (now it's piling up faster than panda express) so the snow was really appealing. a weird and spontaneous fun feeling came over me. i was ready for anything. ANYTHING at all.

the gang that i walked with along the long winding path downhill to the rental place. the boots were stinky, but hey, it's just for two days. kaijian looks like a serial killer. as if the all-black get-up wasn't enough, the shades sealed the deal.

the trick to learning snowboarding is to go in without any expectations.
don't expect to feel pain. (although you most certainly would. i mean, duh)
don't expect to be able to do stunts in 30 minutes.
don't expect it to be easy.
don't expect to go fast.
BUT, do expect to fall a million times. and don't be afraid to. if you gotta fall, you gotta fall. gravity does favors for no one.

alright, now you say falling on snow shouldn't be too painful. let's think about it again. it's artificial snow. it's thin. some parts of the slope were covered with rocky ice. hard, rocky ice. now just picture yourself landing with a small 'thud'. then, multiply it by 50 times. do you feel it now? if not, i'll come over with a baseball bat.

snow sports really add a new dimension to posing.

skiing is for girls. and if you're a snowboarding girl, you've got balls.

snowboarding is so much cooler. this is one of the obvious reasons.

i'm happy i came to gaylord with unbeatable enthusiasm. i did almost everything a beginner can expect to do with a snowboard.
i learnt to fall willingly. it's much less painful that way.
i sped down the slope and lost control, and i actually liked it.
i sped down the slope and braked so hard that the blood in my ass rushed to my head. without falling. ooh, what a feeling. all that pressure and adrenaline.
i slammed my head into the snow twice. and got some macho bruises on my face. add a mild concussion too.

i'm glad i pushed myself to do whatever i did at the resort. i left the ski resort with every single joint in sufficient pain to not want to turn in bed at night. they say there ain't no other way but the hard way.

i have to board again.

shipping up to boston (day three)

2007-01-19T21:49:00.000-05:00

according to plan, we were to explore boston's freedom trail. it's a route for tourists to follow and look at some historic memorials and other meaningful stuff.

shao just had to show off his shiny new toy gun. nope, NO innuendo at all.

the old governor's house. just a funny thought: put this house in cali and get arnold to stay in it. and make a super-smash-box-office-smash-movie. XD

the USS Constitution. apparently extremely well-kept and in excellent condition. it had fought in a few wars. the museum next to it was really interesting too.

a memorial remembering the atrocities of the holocaust and the death camps. there were grilles on the ground that emitted a fine mist, and the structures made of glass panes were beautiful. each pane had a short experience or quote inscribed on it.

the quincy market had a lot of stuff on sale. from cute little (and practically bai-swee) items, to a wide variety of food (think beard papa from japan), to the standard GAP and banana republic stores. diversity.

and the old state house. the basement has been transformed into a subway station. the rest of it is a museum, and they charge an entrance fee. no thank you.

we ended the day (and the trip in boston) with a delicious meal at legal seafoods, a famous chain of restaurants in boston. the lobster was succulent. i want it again.

boston was pleasant, but slightly bland. now on to the happening big apple.

how we were shipped!

shipping up to boston (day two)

2007-01-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

the fog has arrived! it's eatng everything up! AAARRGGH!!

the trinity church in boston. in retrospective, there are so many trinity churches around. i guess each city must have its own.

besides the fog, a monster came along to terrorise the john hancock tower.

what's that coming over the hill?
is it a monster?

hell yeah!

another view of the church. notice its near-flawless reflection in the side of the john hancock tower. which brings to mind how much it costs to clean the glass to such a polish.

riding the subway can be a bitch. just kidding! i was just giving a little attitude.

we explored harvard for a bit.
one word: U-G-L-Y.
nowhere near as pretty as umich. but wait till you see MIT.

seven people.
seven phones.
seven 'phonecalls'.
one kooky picture.

this is the ONLY face of MIT that i wanna put up here on my blog. it's FUGLY. oh, if i could say 'ghastly' in an arrogant british accent, that would hit the spot.

the lengths and places to which people would go to showcase their art. we're really living in a world without creative freedom.

i like to live dangerously. let's lie down on the trak some day.

shipping up to boston (day one)

2007-01-11T00:41:00.000-05:00

we stepped off the train on xmas day to find the streets deserted. shops closed, cars parked, it felt like a ghost town. the streets were clean though, and buildings looked new and bright. it's no wonder why boston is among the best cities to live in.

next up, a walk in boston commons, a public park.

some statue standing atop a pillar in the center of the park. i don't know who the statue is supposed to represent, or its significance, but it looks cool.

colorful lights! big green trees! my xmas presents were conspicuously missing.

more dazzling lights!

cabbages in the city.are.weird. why cabbages? they're cute anyway.

it seemed like i was being stalked by paparazzi. oh, the pitfalls of being a popular blogger.

the massachusetts state house.

a really interesting and colorful night group shot in boston commons.

the lights, the horses, the carriages, but where was the snow? not that i love the cold (i hate it), but snow would really up the romantic factor a lot. well, it wasn't a huge loss, since there wasn't a person around to romance anyway.

DC day three

2007-01-11T00:06:00.000-05:00

we began the day with a first encounter with...
chocolixir. decadent indeed. satisfaction guaranteed.

the outside of union station. the weather was incredible. perfect for our carry-your-backpack-and-visit-places-like-a-hippee day.

DC is really a monument city. there's plenty to see but not much to do. anyway, from the front of capitol building, you can look all the way down to the lincoln memorial.

i felt dwarfed by the massive fortress that was capitol building. then again i felt empowered with standing in front of it.

here we are again, standing in front of some building, the name of which i have forgotten. haha.

alright, i DO remember the name of this one. it's the supreme courts.

what really amazes me is the amount of detail that goes into the contruction of the buildings; everything from the pillars to the sculptures feel like they've been put in place for a greater purpose and meaning.

later that evening, it was "bye-bye" to DC as we boarded the amtrak for our ride to boston. we had a mini-xmas countdown on the train. stories from the seaside city of boston coming soon!

everything from DC.

DC day two

2007-01-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

we went to see all the buildings, memorials and museums. so let the cam-whoring begin... (and yep, it doesn't help that i was having a bad hair day. watch out for the bush.)

an interesting tree with mugs dangling from its branches piqued our curiosity.

in all honesty, i don't remember the names of a few buildings that we visited. over here, all i know is that it's some library. and i may be wrong. the bush makes its first appearance!

ok now i'm stumped about this building. but it looks cool, plus it's situated at a nice open junction, hence the photo-op!

and on to the smithsonian museum. oh, dinosaurs! fossils! diamonds!

the dinosaur section is fronted by the eternal showdown between a triceratops and a t-rex. RAWR!

mr stegosaurus was only given a co-starring role. behind the two biggies.

oh, what sharp teeth you have there... i like to live dangerously.

which set of teeth are you looking at? edwin sizes up the megalosaurus jaws.

lots of bling bling for you there. to say i was green with envy is an understatement.

look at how it glitters! this is the topaz crystal for you.

egyptian sarcophagus!

the new members of the witness protection plan.

outside the white house, there were plenty of characters. i especially like this guy. "put a shameless liar behind bars". well said.

thumbs down for not letting us in.

the enthusiastic carolling caught my attention.
"...two imprisoned muslims and the department of homeland security..." went on in the background as we snapped our photos.

mr squirrel was busy showing off his nut(s).

the big memorial place, with a pond behind, remembering world war II.

outside the lincoln memorial...

and inside.

the korean war memorial.

for the last stop, we set foot on virginia soil to have a look at the iwojima memorial. from where i stood, it looked awesome. it was a fitting finale for a day of magnificent buildings, memorials and dinosaurs.

the boston subway was clean and very pleasant, just what we needed for a nice ride back after walking probably 7-8km the entire day.

DC day one

2007-01-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

the winter break was short. but it could have been shorter. and judging by the number of photos that i took, a longer break would wreck chaos on my camera, hard drive and my schedule, because i profess to be anal, and i do edit ALL my pictures to make them the way i like them to be. so there. and so now we begin on a very long series of blog entries. get ready for a blog-trip to DC, boston and NYC. i promise you'll love it.

the journey begins...
the ride was long. there was no other way though. we intended to visit 3 cities during the break, and flying around would have been a sure way to burn a crater in our wallets. thankfully the train had reclining seats with leg and foot rests.

it was a relief to finally reach DC. here's union station in its busy glory. some scenes from x-men 2 were shot here, i think.

another union station shot.

free the cuban 5!

i've to go cuba some day. to see the casinos, check out the beach (girls), and smoke some cigars.

our hotel room turned out much better than expected. the microwave started the instant chow mein habit.

chinatown was nearby, so the choice of cuisine for dinner was obvious.
wok n roll baby yeah!

the streets of DC at night have a few shady/weird/homeless people lurking at each corner. i, for one, was kept on my toes.

that evening, we watched the good shephard; it was billed as "one of the best spy films ever made", but it was downright boring. still, it was interesting to watch a film in a city where it was made.

a little inspiration (or lack of)

2007-01-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

in the thick of very uninspiring studying for the fall finals, inspiration hit me out of the blue. a weird curly strand of hair dropped on my sheet of paper. the rest is history.

thankfully i wasn't as clueless about what i was reading.

a very pleasant surprise

2007-01-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

a package arrived in the mail during my grueling exam period.

and yes it was a very pleasant surprise. a little late, but i'm very VERY appreciative of it. thanks guys!

a little hanging out in the middle of exams

2007-01-06T23:31:00.000-05:00

hell yeah, no kidding. some people were restless enough to hang out at buffalo wings. i was included of course. exams are a bitch.

teddy had only chicken wings on his mind.

yeah, i was really restless.

the entire restless gang.

all the restlessness.

at long last / trigger happy week 2006

2007-01-06T23:02:00.000-05:00

yes, it is here. at long last, the silence has been broken on random scribbles. the long break was due to horrible exams and a very enjoyable winter vacation 2006. i regret if you have stopped reading my blog regularly. i promise i will be posting plenty over the next few days. it's the beginning of the new term and i simply refuse to start doing work so soon. plus, i've almost 350 photos from the amazing holiday. so stay tuned fans and friends!

and i shall start with pics from trigger happy week 2006. i didn't exactly submit these, so i'll just put them here.

a big breakfast at angelo's. all the happy shiny people were present. i don't profess to be happy and shiny though. and jean's too delicious for lynn to resist.

here are a few shots from the floorball session that week.

i'm itching to play again.

the fake cscope meeting which turned out to be a surprise mini birthday bash for chay beng.

the frozen pond beside the school of music.

a view of the north. picturesque tranquility.

all the trigger happiness.

a few (wise) words

2006-12-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

here's a good way to use the words 'curve', 'chill' and 'own':

"don't curve me out man, i'm just chilling. i'm gonna get owned." -matthew

a trademark punchline from the guy who watched too much tv as a kid.

and here's another powerful one-liner from ricky: "go for it."

it may be a very simple phrase, but don't underestimate it. i see a certain optimism and positivity in the words. plus, you gotta hear how he says it. and besides, it just sounds cool.

south park on random scribbles episode eleven

2006-12-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

well this is kinda like a recap episode. let's look at me in singapore...

and now in umich..
the differences are obvious. it's getting cold (yes, i finally admit it), and we're not even in the middle of winter yet. i'm not even sure if winter's already here. dio mio!

simply unbeatable

2006-12-09T15:35:00.000-05:00

oh gosh the chicken freestyler (aka KK) sent me the link to this video on youtube. it's so old skool and utterly nostalgic.

this is definitely one of the iconic highlights of the 90's. and did i mention the theme song rocks?! i have the mp3 by the way. get it here.

man, i can't believe i used to watch channel 8 dramas. well, at least that was before the invasion of jap/korean soaps. yuck.

Light a Virtual Candle - AIDS Awareness

2006-11-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

i got this in the email from ben hong. to all of you wonderful readers, here's a chance to do a good deed today. it won't take more than a minute, it's not gonna cost you a single cent, and the $1 in donations that you're gonna generate from that single click is hardly capable of saving a life, but it helps to help people, no matter how minute or puny the action.

"WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE DARK

Shedding light on the impact of HIV/AIDS here in the U. S. starts with ONE person. YOU.

Visit www.LightToUnite.org to light a virtual candle. For each candle lit, Bristol-Myers Squibb will donate $1 to the National AIDS Fund. Once you have visited, PLEASE PASS IT ON.

Did you know?

Every hour, approximately 5 new cases of HIV/AIDS are diagnosed in the U.S. That's over 40,000 new cases every single year. What's an hour? It's a television show, a load of laundry, a lunch.

Did you know?

Women account for nearly 1 in 3 new HIV infections in the U. S.

Did you know?

22 million people have died since the world first heard about the disease now known as "HIV" and "AIDS", 25 years ago.

Did you know?

Over 1 million people are still infected with HIV/AIDS in the U. S. alone, with thousands dying each year

How do we STOP the spread of AIDS?

With Education, Empowerment and Compassion ONE person at a time."

click away!

one of the best birthdays that anyone could ask for

2006-11-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

i was going about my own stuff, preparing to study for the ME 235 exam that was on the following day. just when i thought no one gave a damn, i heard anni's voice along the corridor and a lot of footsteps. either she suddenly had 10 boyfiends or, well, a mini-party was on the cards.

of course, i was much happier that it was the latter.

the ziwet house laundry boys came down in full support. next year, we'll probably be part of a bigger group known as the willow boys.

happy birthday to you too, hari! 20nov is an awesome day to be born!

plenty were cramped in the room and we made a little too much noise. but who cares? it's a party! i would have kicked the RAs if they had shown up to tell me to quieten down.

oh and the fabulous chocolate cheesecake from ZA's. trust me, it was good.

and the very nice cartoon version of me on a card from anni. how sweet. thanks anni. and yes i called you sweet. XD

a very out-of-place yam seng. it was a birthday, not a wedding dinner. but it definitely added to the fun factor. watch out for jon yap's uncharacteristic "YARM!" outburst.

thanks people for coming down to brighten up a very stressful period for me. exams suck, but if people don't give a damn about your birthday, it probably means you suck. which is worse of course.

STARSCREAM!

2006-11-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

two words: damn chio.

shit. i gotta get it. there may be a masterpiece optimus prime around, but villains are always cooler.

pretty pics

2006-11-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

yellow tulips and...

a swan. or two?

great photos from my cous su-may's blog. lovely.

armee char bor

2006-11-22T12:36:00.000-05:00

some girls find guys in uniform hot.

now these two just find camo hot. and i'm not talking about the efficacy of the parka.

maybe NS for girls isn't such an outta-this-world bad idea.

is there anything that sucks worse than the weather?

2006-11-17T01:57:00.000-05:00

yup, wintry mix in fall. 'nuff said.

nyko!

2006-11-17T01:32:00.000-05:00

what's in that bag? a letterbomb? a sample of anthrax powder? it's so mysterious...

it's NYKO! finally! all just for $15. yay for online shopping! yay for americana!

and yes, thank you for letting me have my geeky moment.

are we LOST?

2006-11-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

for all LOST fans. and non-fans.

has to be SNL man!

and on the cold wet dirt i cry

2006-11-08T02:01:00.000-05:00

the killers hit it again with another killer single: BONES!
it does help very much that there's devon aoki in the video too. Hot!

don't you wanna come with me? don't you wanna feel my bones on your bones?
it's only natural.

remember the days

2006-11-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

these pictures came in the mail a few days back, and since i don't have a scanner, i took them with my trusty ixus 65. turn on a little photoshop magic, and voila, almost like the original.

here's a where's-wally-esque game (though a lot easier): spot me!

jumping pictures are getting old really quickly, but i've always enjoyed taking them, especially with a huge buncha pals.

we were in the same hotel ballroom that evening, and now we're in different parts of the world, living our dreams.

it's kinda rare that you find such poignant statements in my blog.

a spooktacular howlloween: the night of the haunted house

2006-11-01T23:01:00.000-05:00

the haunted house was a screaming, shrieking success! too bad the cutie couldn't get in before the party-poopers dropped by for a little inspection. we closed way too early. monsters are supposed to hang around till dawn.

and there's no other time like halloween, when people dress up to look scary/stupid/cool. shutters click, monsters roared, poseurs posed, and everyone had a freaky time.

we brought the eerie red lights of geylang to trotter house.

the scare gang! damn, it was fun freaking out all those schoolgirls and mahjong tiles.

the northies! edwin the mexican managed to cross the border cramped in a car boot and arrived in time. but maybe he should have settled in cali where the weather is a hundred times better than michi-so-bloody-cold-gan.

goth chick anni (check out the eye-liner babe!); the unusually disjointed-looking corpse bride liyu (scareee, seriously); china girl shen ye being, well, chinese; so-macho-i'm-scary lynn.

i felt brighter than the flash strobes in this photocall.

all the freshmen! haha!

click and scream!

all cowered in fear at the wisconsin whitewash

2006-10-31T01:47:00.000-05:00

who dominated the wisconsin games? UMICH! yeah! GO BLUE! we didn't even need to take part (well, we couldn't anyway) in the soccer competition to emerge as overall champions. hoo-ha!

dsta at wisconsin! we all look different. what happened to lawrence's hair? yikes...

the legendary frisbee team freshies: me, lora, wenjie, anni, vincent, ghim, qianyi, nick and daryl.

oh, the blink-and-miss fast-paced action!

the entire frisbee-playing gang.

GAAH! haha!

the official dsta frisbee team!

it was also job well done by the captain's ball team. fast, intense and furious gameplay is the hallmark of champions.

car rides get boring, so fingers and cameras get into action.

the dinner was delightful. and yes, buffet-style always ups the enjoyment factor.

there is so much that you can do with a camera and a buncha bored scholars.

the champions touch the gold!

don't even get me started. man, the party was bad. period. but i just had to take a kick-ass shot.

yes ghim, snow is exciting!

wisconsin bade us an icy farewell. just look at the layer of snow. i mean, we kicked their asses, but this was no way to say goodbye! XD

everything in wisconsin!

chicago burst to life

2006-10-31T01:09:00.000-05:00

the chicago roadtrip is best summarised as lots of cam-whoring, lots of food (almost-authentic chinese food), an amazing skyline and a terrible crash. and an awful lot of fun. too many photos were taken, so i'll be doing my bit of quality control now. i present the exciting highlights!

navy pier was a major photo-op spot. the wind was in full blast, and the sun was lovely.

one for the "i've been to navy pier!" tourist.

it wasn't a wnder why my camera died so prematurely during the trip. the shutter was clicking away like no tomorrow.

what's that coming over the hill? is it a monster? the monster-loving duo with the gloves of terror!

dinner at PENANG! argh..! there was char kway teow and kway chap and bak ku te and...it was a memorable dinner. i need local fare! like, right now! argh!!

bubble tea party!

go ahead, download this picture. i know you want it. this is the result of a painstaking thirty minutes of squinting on photoshop to stick two photos together. help, my eyes!

everybody's jumping for the chicago jump!

beware one of the tourist traps: the shedd aquarium! i mean, we all knew it was a trap and a minor waste of time, but we're tourists! what would you expect us to do?

look at them leap! it's not superman, it's superdolphin!

tokyo had to deal with godzilla. chicago has to deal with me! RAWRR!

i'm hungry, and concrete and steel ain't gonna fill no part of my tummy!

a godiva cheesecake at the cheesecake factory might do the trick though.

on top of the world? not really, just on top of 90-something storeys at the john hancock tower. cars never looked more bite-sized from up there.

it's funny how an event that lasted less than a minute can change the lives of many. lessons are learnt through experiences, but there're some experiences we'd rather not have.

surviving the crash is only the beginning. now it's time to pick myself up and walk (or drive) again. and face the aftermath. i'm just grateful everyone was almost unscathed.

just because i did quality control doesn't mean you don't have to look at the photo albums! so click here! and here for some other fantastic scenery shots by jinfa. you won't regret it. there's still so much more to see.

stack 'em up

2006-10-29T18:10:00.000-05:00

oh yeah, my first piece of furniture (or pseudo furniture): the shoe rack. it had become esential for me to get one and control the flood of shoes that once greeted visitors to my room. and so it is here.

my apologies to all loyal friends, fans and readers for the lack of updates on this fabulously random blog. i've been swarmed with exams, homework and other unfortunate incidents to talk about the other more happy and exciting happenings (the chicago jump! the wisconsin whitewash!). and a word of caution to everyone: road trips are long, tiresome and dangerous, but ultimately rewarding. so keep driving safely!

for those longing for pictures, you can click here first.

school's out

2006-10-14T00:12:00.000-04:00

yeah baby! fall break's here and it couldn't come any sooner. with three of my four mid-term exams behind me, i'm ready to party!

oh, the beauty that is fall. and i'm not just referring to the vacation. the red, orange and yellow of the leaves melt my heart.
see y'all in a few days, cause i'm off to chicago!

"I fell in love again
all things go, all things go
drove to Chicago
all things know, all things know
we sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind"
- sufjan stevens "chicago"

in case you're wondering

2006-10-14T00:10:00.000-04:00

yes, that's french fries on my singlet. i managed to hook them on like velcro. i've added a whole new dimension in t-shirt design.

the big haul

2006-10-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

i'm positively nuts.
i'm sure a few toy-collecting geeks back in singapore will be extremely envious of my stash.

but happy just doesn't quite express how i'm feeling right now. woot.

bombs away

2006-10-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

there's no relenting for the weather. it's dropping faster than diarrhoea.
it snowed yesterday. -2˚C said the weatherman.

snow = YAY!
sub-zero temperature = hell no!

my hands were numb and my ears were screaming out in pain.

this year's winter will definitely hit rock bottom of -30˚C. stay tuned.
i can imagine joseph rolling in the snow already.

colors in my bowl

2006-10-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

presenting my first bowl of cereal in my own dorm room!
yes it took me awhile (a month, come to think of it) but now i have the convenience of having a wholesome breakfast in the morning, without having to drag my ass all the way to the bursley dining hall.

all thanks to my next door neighbor ronald (who also rescued me on that drunken night), i can keep my milk in his fridge. i'll get my own fridge and microwave when i move out of the dorm next year. plus a car too. and start truly living the american dream.

the smell

2006-10-13T23:03:00.000-04:00

isn't too pleasant.
i haven't tried it out yet, but according to wenyi (whose window faces a thick bush), it's powerful enough to wake a human from sleep. he has had the 'pleasure' of waking in the middle of the night to the fragrance of skunks.

oh, and the smell of weed too. some people hang out near the bush (and therefore beside his window) during weekends and get high on some green. they even spit at his window. being too close to nature has its downside.

in the run up to halloween

2006-10-13T02:58:00.000-04:00

fall out boy - a little less sixteen candles, a little more touch me

one of my favourite music videos this year. it takes a page out of b-grade horror flicks. it does help that the tune is infectiously catchy too.

i was surfing ebay earlier today and couldn't help looking at masks. you know, the slipknot, mushroomhead kind. all latex and rubbery and viciously splattered with blood and guts. i may go dressed as a satanic rocker. but it's all fun and games.

the ji-gen's birthday / a WASTED night out

2006-10-10T01:22:00.000-04:00

happy 21st, ji-gen! XD
the man, the t-shirt and the 40%-fat cake.

the entire gang was up north to celebrate shao ning's birthday.

what up dawg?! the ziwet house homies get down with it.

the vain, the kawai, the very vain, and the rapidly-attached.

i managed to get haynes, the guy who never takes photos and my ME235 buddy, to pose for a pic. damn i gotta work on my ah beng face.

i don't know what made me haul my ass to carriage house for the crazy party afterwards. but sure as hell, i didn't regret it.
everyone was high and putting their hands in the air. i've never been to such a mad house party.

the soon-to-be frat boys. i've said it but i'll say it again: crazy.

there should be alcohol control at parties. and please remind me to get a ciggie instead of another 3-4 shots. at least ciggies won't make me pass out. and if you haven't heard of my infamous saturday night, you might wanna read my roommate's version of the events. i can't verify that it's all true, cause i honestly can't remember everything.

but like i said, no regrets. it was literally the experience of a lifetime. quoting edwin, "i wanna get drunk and wasted. it's half the college experience."

all the shots.

mid-autumn frolicking

2006-10-10T00:23:00.000-04:00

the sky was cloudless and the moon was huge and mesmerising. it was a lovely night for a romantic date.

but i was date-less, so i went for the next best thing: MAF 2006! jointly organised by the UMSSA and UMTWSA (taiwanese homies), activities were planned and conducted on the north campus diag. finally, justice was done for the northies. we've had enough of long trips down to central just because it's more "happening". some people just don't appreciate serenity and tranquility. like, hello, half the singaporeans and all the cool dudes and a dudette (you know who la) stay up here. there're are a few exceptions though (yikes).

at they first station, we were required to pick marbles out of a tray of black ink using chopsticks. i'm possibly among the worst chopstick users on earth, comparable to ang mohs. so obviously i passed and took on picture-taking duties.

the chapalang group of nine singaporeans, one taiwanese and ZERO girls. boo.

the lurie bell tower is a clear sign that donations are overflowing. it was built using diagonals only, has no classrooms or research facilities, and does nothing but sit pretty at night. which is just as well, otherwise i wouldn't have this picture to show.

vincent does his best tail-sticking-while-blindfolded duties for the team.

lantern decoration was kinda like a waste of resources. we used everything we could find on the table, and the final 'masterpiece' looked like a heap of frenetic colors. so much for creativity (which, by the way, has been stifled, no thanks to the singaporean education system).

margaret, a master chef would've been proud of you.

me and my new-found gym buddy anni. "yay" to fitness and "no way" to fatness. i don't even have a hint of freshman one (much less fifteen) on me.

everybody's favorite little sister was keeping her swear words to herself. which is a good thing of course. actually i'm struggling to tone down on my flowery linguistics myself. it's time to stop the fucking (oops!) vicious cycle.

me and the newly-elected freshman rep! i foresee that arrows will start flying. and lynn, just chill about that unfortunate driving test. next time, when you're on the highway, stick your foot on the pedal like it's some ass hole who got into a taekwondo match with you. and next time, maybe you should try ann arbor driving school in the north. because north is ALWAYS better.

dj was so obviously jealous of my prizes. but i gave him the raspberry lipton tea anyway. raspberry lipton tea. yuck.

america's next top daniel. word!

no date, no fret, MAF kept me busy. and i got my very own mooncake. woot! it's like gold around here. or to me at least. i mean, never did i dream of munching on some good old lotus paste in cold-as-shit michigan. well, now i can.

did you miss anything? all MAF 2006 pics here!

lessons in goth

2006-10-09T22:47:00.000-04:00

have i mentioned that i'm involved in planning halloween 2006 for the UMSSA (Umich singaporean students' association)?

well, now you know!

this post is for the convenience of my fellow committee members, so they'll be able to watch three gothic music videos and get some ideas for the ghoulie dance.

my chemical romance - helena

evanescence - call me when you're sober

panic at the disco - i write sinds not tragedies

let black be the new black.

the roads just got more dangerous

2006-10-08T23:11:00.000-04:00

beware! i have passed my driving test. very soon i'll be terrorising the asphalt. the inter-state to chicago will beg for mercy come saturday.

dress to impress

2006-10-08T17:20:00.000-04:00

it's that time of the year again, for the graduating JC kids to do some last-minute shopping for prom night.
and what better than a vera wang dress? they're sleek, simple and vera sensuous.

girls, it's time to get your vera own vera wang.

i was born to shop

2006-10-08T16:46:00.000-04:00

the birch run shopping experience was simply fantastic. imagine a cluster of factory outlets housing the biggest brand names, including ralph lauren, guess, calvin klein, gap, levi's, adidas and nike. it's a shopaholic's wet dream. woohoo! a total of $222 was spent, but total satisfaction wasn't achieved. i still want a hoodie. i guess i'm too demanding.

the weather hasn't been kind, with the temperatures plunging. and it's set to plunge even lower than scarlett johansson's neckline. the leaves are yellowing and dying, but it's such a breathtaking sight. the irony in death.

we had dinner at frankenmuth, a renowned tourist trap. a mediocre dinner costed us $20, but i guess we were paying for the construction costs for an entire town built using german architecture. boo!

the funky foursome of wenjie, shaoning, me and vincent.

oh, the steals and deals! banana republic pants for $20 each, two-for-$10 fossil tees, a $10 fossil belt, CK tie and belt...

i just got soccer boots for the heck of it. it's cheap, fun, and useful if i play on the field. hesitation went out the window.

and the coolest sneaks in the store! so far three people (including a random stranger in a pimped-up ride) have complimented this pair. it makes me happy, because it reaffirms my belief in my sole sense.

now, for that illusive hoodie...

miscellaneous lessons from the North

2006-09-29T10:12:00.000-04:00

attenzione! this is a public service announcement about important life lessons from the North.
don't overload the dryer. or else your bed will look like a sad pasar malam stall, selling obviously the wrong things.

the North is serene, peaceful and beautiful at night.

but at 6˚C, i had to learn the hard way that it's the air that isn't too pretty. well at least i've experienced cold front weather in tee and shorts. HDB heartland uncles would've been proud.

oh, and if canned heat were for sale, i'd buy it. and stock up.

at night, the animals come out to play; besides the ubiquitous squirrels, foxes, skunks, deer, and even a raccoon have been spotted. i don't even see them in the singapore zoological gardens.

the law of the men's room

2006-09-29T01:31:00.000-04:00

it's a long video, but do watch it; it's highly educational, for guys, and especially girls.

she's so cute

2006-09-24T02:35:00.000-04:00

my niece megan is super duper cute!

i've never met/seen/spoken to her in real life, no thanks to her living in india and london almost her entire life. i'm a lousy uncle.

put on your skinny pants and dancing shoes

2006-09-24T02:32:00.000-04:00

here we go again.

OK GO totally kicks ass.

is love forever?

2006-09-24T01:39:00.000-04:00

everybody says love hurts. but to me, most importantly it should bring two people together, and keep them happy simply because they're together. and not because he has a nice car or does the coolest thing. or she has nice boobs or dances like a vixen.

this is a very idealist take on love. for someone who hasn't actually been in a relationship, you can't blame me. so when i do get into one, the emotional stress and strain is gonna hit me like a speeding train. i won't say i'm ready for it, but i'll be waiting.

now, the proof that love is forever, as described by the chinese phrase 天长地久 (credits to lawrence):

Let P(n) be the statement that you love your girlfriend on day n, for all n in the set of natural numbers.

So, I'm pretty sure P(1) is true, otherwise she wouldn't be your girlfriend.

So, now we assume some P(k) is true for some k in the set of natural numbers. So given that you spend day k attached to your girlfriend, then you get motivation to be attached to her for day k + 1. Thus P(k) implies P(k + 1).

Thus, P(n) is true for all n in the set of natural numbers by mathematical induction.

umich september babies

2006-09-22T02:10:00.000-04:00

we threw the first big birthday bash on tuesday at gratzi for the september babies. i call them september babies cause they're born in september. but obviously mingcheng's behavior does qualify him as a baby.

hobnobbing in an expensive ristorante; you're chic, i'm chic, we're all chic.

the biggest baby in the center, please. that could mean either mingcheng or jean.

at first, i was skeptical that i could get twenty people down for the party. i felt like i might pang sei the ristorante. they just didn't believe me when i said i wanted a reservation for thirty singaporeans. but we're not all kiasu and poor, you know.
ultimately, the whole jing (pun on "jingga") gang went down to make the ristorante feel like a heartland mcdonald's.

the four babies: crappy jon yap, purple polo tee nick, pool-siao daryl and irritating-and-proud-of-it mingcheng.

the organising exco with nick. (spot the most popular fashion accessory)
from left: charmingly-ditzy lynn, jean-jean, anni bananni-"whatever"nni, squirrels-are-so-cute-and-so-are-big-fierce-dogs lora, "wenji" wenjie.
if we were still in jc we should get CCA points for organising such a brilliant event.

BUON COMPLEANNO!

all highly sought-after pics here!

the random post

2006-09-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

i haven't been blogging for awhile. that means that i've got work to do. good and bad. bad cause it's work, i mean, who likes work? good because i actually work instead of doing time-consuming stuff like blogging (which is a really great time-killer by the way. ORD period was nail-bitingly boring).

so this is a chapalang post, where i put in various photos from various events.

and did i mention i'm done with my first italian quiz? i'm so elated! but there's more to come though.

oh, i'm in most of the pics here cause it's my blog. why would i wanna post some other person? unless i'm laughing at him/her of course.

lynn aka "the charming ditz" (so says the big guy) and me at the junior-senior interaction thingy. no prizes for guessing what's in my cup.

some freshies were turned off by some on-goings during the event. i shan't say more though.

for the very first freshie birthday celebration, ah ye was treated like a celeb.

this looks so much like one of those mushy wedding shots. no thanks to the heart-shaped formation on the floor.

the ice cream cake was positively uplifting. the first week of school got some of us quite flustered and the muggers started showing their true colors. ice cream cake had the perfect soothing effect.

next up was the TWSA-VSA-SSA bbq on the diag event. after staying up the entire night (nope, not studying, but playing foosball), i was walking like a zombie. i came late and luckily the burgers, kaya toasts and milo were still in good supply.
the "monday buddies" dressed in accidental matching colors.

the tan family members doing their best T-pose.

last night i went with seniors to Great Lake, arguably the best chinese restaurant in ann arbor (not that there are many good ones around).
a shout-out to marge, ah ye and liyu! we were at the livelier table, even though we didn't have shades.

the "brothers" were at it again.

be prepared? i'm always prepared for gifts!

the stupid things that girls do when left to their own devices. shudder.

freshies to the left, and oldies to the right.

lame joke warning!

what happens when you drink "snake king" tea? you jiak jua, eat snake. and the biggest mugger is posing with the packet. the irony of it all.

an absolute kawai shot. straw brry drink. definitely not one to keep you warm in the winter. brr.

it's time to catch some sleep. 5am is a very bad time for me to go to bed.

the first plastic boy outta the box

2006-09-18T21:09:00.000-04:00

yay i finally opened my first action figure in ann arbor!
come any closer and i'll punch yer ass in! capiche?

bye bye poptart. for now.

2006-09-14T01:09:00.000-04:00

the djs on poptart are taking a hiatus from their spinning duties. for how long, i have no idea. it's no biggie though, since i won't be in singapore to enjoy the event anyway. i spotted a few familiar faces in the video (mostly rachel's pals). and there're plenty of chicks too, since adrian loves to snap at girls ten years his junior.

i hope poptart will be resurrected next year when i return.

the thing about the foot

2006-09-09T22:54:00.000-04:00

a little update to all.

while reluctantly playing soccer on thursday, i injured my foot in a horrible clash. as a result the second metatarsal on my right foot was in excruciating pain. i feared the worst. it could be a simple bruise, or worst of all, the rooney-owen fractured metatarsal injury.

i was petrified. my lessons schedule on friday is punishing, so there was no way to squeeze time in between classes to go for a consultation at the university health service. it didn't help that the spot started swelling, reddened, and heated up.

to be honest, i'm not sure if it was the homesickness, depression or the feeling of insecurity that comes along with being in a foreign without my mom or brother, that exaggerated everything, or caused me to exaggerate everything.

but i do know one thing for sure: it's very much better now. besides one reason being the x-ray results showed nothing broken, i must mention the care and concern which i've received from my pals.

anni: for rushing over past midnight and providing the most appreciated ice-pack in the world.
lynn: for pretending to stomp on my foot (and eventually did later on in the day. ow! mean girl!), then handing over the 'magic' anti-inflammation cream.
wenjie: for listening to me rambling over the phone.
kai jian: for letting me hover in his room and fuss about the foot.

a big thanks to all the above and many more. you guys make umich a home away from home. i'm not saying i don't need my mom or brother, but you guys just make everything more enjoyable.

new numa

2006-09-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

as if we need another video of the fat guy bopping his head off. oh, he does speak english. and has a buncha very enthusiastic friends.

hooray for geeks

2006-09-09T02:08:00.000-04:00

every time i wear my autobot tee, people will notice and say stuff.

the first time, carolyn from the floor above said it was cool. but today, some guy pointed at my tee and went "cool t-shirt!" while i was struggling up the staircase of the modern language building. he had the decepticon insignia across his chest. whoa!

beware, i'm more geeky than you know. wait till i level up to super duper geek with bad teeth and thick glasses. with my tee tucked in shorts worn so high it's impossible to pull down.

yay for the geeks.

the killer fog!

2006-09-07T00:59:00.000-04:00

it was cold yesterday morning. and what's more, there was a killer fog!

the view was amazing, although technically there isn't much view during a fog.

beware the deadly killer gas!

oh and i just went for a late night run with the temperature at a chilly 13 deg. the cold air only made the run easier. i feel invincible.
daniel 3 cold night air 0
muahaha.

the new simile

2006-09-07T00:37:00.000-04:00

let me introduce a new simile: as plentiful as squirrels.
because they outnumber even the singaporeans over here.

my room

2006-09-06T17:33:00.000-04:00

finally i've put the stuff in the right places. finally i have the courage to take pictures of my room.

the door opens...
welcome to my humble abode!

this is my desk. very messy. i try to tidy up whenever i get the chance to. the red eye poster is free. yay! from the artscapade.

my bed isn't the neatest, but it's comfy, and keeps me warm at night. here's an interesting fact though: the wall beside my bed is the outer wall of the building, ie it'll be cold in winter. yikes. i'll have to wrap my comforter around me.

the complete view of the room.

and lastly, the chosen ones. stuffed into my bag all the way from singapore.

when you get bored..

2006-09-06T17:21:00.000-04:00

..you take cool pictures. XD