Stick with me, baby

The Swan Song Of Ben's Blogging

2010-02-26T03:04:00.005+08:00

Thats it, exams have ended, and I want to end blogging too... I'm not the kind of person who gets back home and write little snippets of what I did with people you don't know and how I felt and how angsty I am and things like that. No. If i wanted that I would keep a diary, and NONE of you will be privy to it. I mean, would you really care about the inside jokes that I make with my clique of friends that you are not part of? Maybe you do. In that case, lurk facebook.

I belong more to the not so new breed of bloggers, people who prefer to just put a nice picture on the blog and caption it, or a image of some words that people will read because its in an jpeg file and its a different font. Or the blogsite for low attention span ppl: twitter.

But I don't like putting up pictures I didn't take or drawings I didn't draw or poetry I didn't write or songs I didn't sing (or at least didn't sing in tune). I don't wanna rip others off. Sure, stuff like that is nice, great to read and gawk at, meaningful even, but for me, I don't feel that I should put up other people's hard work so that my blog has something interesting to read. Not trying to diss the rest who do, its just that I can't do it. But YOU can, because you have the gift of finding the right images or words, or even the habit to spread cool stuff you found. You make the most interesting blogs. But i'm not you.

So thats two kinds of blogs I read that I won't write.

Instead, I kinda thought of an ambitious project that'll probably fail but its worth a shot. Its a compromise of a "standard" blog where you tell the world what you did and feel, with the other kind of blog i can't name, and an art page.

Anyway, I need an outlet for my crazy imagination that i lock myself into, that make me seem to be in my own world, that defines the kook that is Ben Leong.

Doug will be involved. He also has a friend name Katt. I can't decide if Katt is a boy or girl, maybe its grandfather was this famous one.

I really don't know what the eff I'm doing. But I want to do it well.

So its goodbye for beninhisden, which will now become a cesspit of blogmemes or mundane miscellany and a archival webpage. It also has a useful links section to better blogs.

If the procrastination will stop anytime soon,

Thezenofben.worpress.com will be activated.

Ramblin' on.

Cheers.

Hey poly peeps

2010-02-21T22:45:00.001+08:00

Philosophical Question of the Day!

2010-02-07T00:32:00.003+08:00

For actually checking if I update this blog, you get a reward! A PICTURE!!!! WITH A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION TOOOOO!!!!! Hell yeah!

You may now return to your daily lives.

2010-02-06T23:38:00.002+08:00

I'll make it a point to try to update this rusting site more regularly... But I just don't know how to express stuff through the form of a written blog anymore. It ain't me.

Instead I'll post random stuff here.

I just wish all my exams and projects will be smooth and pass quickly. I'm not aiming for good grades anymore. Forget it. I'm aiming for "can understand the questions" at this point of time. I have always scraped through poly exams, by a few marks or two, and i guess this one will be no different. Except theres a chance of not even being close to "scrapping" pass it liao...

I just want to apologize to my MP partner. My gpa is gonna pull our chances of getting the choice we want.

Ah. Screw it. Gonna read other ppl's blog, and try abit of bioinfo, and go to sleep.

So many ideas, but none of them regarding studies. Also, Zeninhisben!!!!!.... is still postponed.

2010-01-27T00:03:00.004+08:00

The past few days, I think i bumped my head on something, and suddenly I got a EPIC RUSH OF CREATIVITY into my tiny cerebal cortex. I can't stop daydreaming of stuff, making up weird ideas, and worse, I am sleeping less. Even worse, NONE of this creativity is being channeled into my studies.

THE WORST: I got no time to put this creativity into use, as I gotta study, and ironically need to block out the ideas. The only time these torrent of craziness is jotted down is during boring lectures, where I quickly sketch and write these down, at the expense of attention to the overworked lecturers.

Ugh.

Hopefully I can keep this slightly unnecessary "creativity" on hold until I complete my exams...

You know why???

BECAUSE IF THEZENOFBEN DON'T OPEN WITH +/- 5 DAYS AFTER THE LAST PAPER, YOU CAN CONSIDER IT PERMANENTLY POSTPONED.

I can't procrastinate anymore. I set an actual dateline liao. I'm meant for more than what I'm going through now.

This kinda shows how I'm feeling right now

Exams, be merciful on me.

Stick with me baby.

PS: Isnt the beninhisden dog cute? His name is Dawg, he just met you, and he loves you!

PS PS: He has a tabbycat friend name Katt.

PS PS PS: This Katt has no relation to Katherine Ong at all, although they are of the same feline phenotype, and I knew Katt since before I joined poly. I think. Or even before I knew Kat.

PS PS PS PS: Pang Sai.

theZenofBen Opening soon! (again)

2010-01-06T00:49:00.002+08:00

The front page design for TZOB is 75% done, which means it should be opening!..soon....

However, the content is like almost 0% done...

Anyway, i'll stop procrastinating. Tomorrow.

Anticlimatic New Year!!!

2010-01-01T02:37:00.002+08:00

I was taking a bath, then suddenly I heard loud screaming from my neighbours, shouting "HAPPY NEW YEAR!". While i was bathing. While everyone is partying and getting all high and rowdy, I spent my first new year minute in the shower. Talk about exciting.

Anyway I was practicing songs for tomorrow's lg meet up, when a tiny baby lizard came onto my wall! Awesome cute! It was on my encouragement cards, and i quickly took pictures, scaring the poor creature. It ran away from my desk as this evil looking guy from above kept approaching him with a shiny looking machine, jumping onto "The Roald Dahl Omnibus", and later to the Bible. Actually... this post is useless without pics! I'll post some pictures of the cute little fella soon.

Yes, its new year and i begin by showering, realising how tone-deaf i am singing Stereophonics' Rewind (its a song for the meet up, but don't tell them!), and taking pictures of lizards. I'm a cool kind of guy.

Oh, Happy New Year

Too much to talk about

2009-12-22T23:54:00.003+08:00

So much stuff, so little time. Really too tired to blog now. I'll just summarize what I have to say in point form.

-Being paid to be Santa Claus in front of the public is much more worse and less fulfilling then doing it from the bottom of your heart pro-bono in a Christmas outreach event

-Church camp, was, not gonna suger-coat it... Weird. It covered the whole spectrum of stuff. Its the best camp I ever been to, and also the worst. I had the best of times there, and also the lowest of times. Made some great friends and ticked off some old ones. Worked my best and slacked the most. Learned alot and learned nothing. Had a great location and also a not very conducive one. Was one of the best organized camps, but also organized in a strange way. Found out alot of things about myself, but am even more confused. Discouraged and encouraged me. Was spiritually attacked yet spiritually enlightened.

Anyway, at least the good outweigh the bad. In fact, its the bad parts of the camp that taught me alot of things.

Overall, this is definitely a very different camp for me. No impulsive jump jump or emo emo times. No reached-the-top-and-slide-back-down feelings. Rather than my other camps, which I felt were mountain peaks of my life, I felt this camp was a pit stop in the on-going climb up the (almost) never ending mountain of life.

I went for camp for two main purposes: To serve my best to God as a sub-comm member, and to reconnect with God. I'm glad I kind of fulfilled both objectives. Now its just up to me on my daily journey to take up my cross and follow Jesus.

-Carolling at taka was awesome.

-I STILL HAVN'T PLAYED LEFT 4 DEAD 2!!!!!!!!

-Thezenofben will not open until the front design has been finalized. That could take awhile.

-Cheer up, girl.

-Made some resolutions, but i shall break my ongoing resolution to not wait for New Year to make resolutions by procrastinating.

-lolololololololololololololololololololol

-Wow I became more and more lazy in typing posts. Just compare this with my posts of last year. Haha.

-Cya soon ppl

EPIC WEBCOMIC FANART HOLY SHIT

2009-12-06T03:28:00.004+08:00

I just did the most epic fan-art that I have ever done! Ok, my only fan-art I ever done... But still EFFING EPIC HELL YEAH!

I did it hoping to win a t-shirt and stuff. And to kickstart my artistic career.

The webcomic is bearvszombies It has zombies and bears. Bears that talk. And are awesome. Talking animals too. And lots of undead celebrities.

Anyway heres THE EFFING SWEET PIECE OF ART WORK OH MY GOODNESS COWER IN FEAR YOU MORTALS

(sorry, having the case of finished-artwork-ego)

ITS TOO AWESOME OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT YOU

Really, sorry.

Anyway, thanks to my bro's girlfriend, who taught me gimp (even though she also use for first time), and Christie Tseng from deviantart who allowed me to use the background.

Awesome.

Busybusybusy

2009-12-04T01:53:00.003+08:00

Looks like I won't be able to open thezenofben or update anytime soon. Theres term tests and projects to be done. After that theres church camp, and after that its carolling!!! Ugh soooo busy.... Anyway nothings gonna happen with the blogs anytime until, like probably after camp or something. 对不去！

P.S. I know 对不起 not 对不去 but my cheenis is so bad it'll sound like that

NO REALLY

2009-11-17T01:12:00.003+08:00

LIVING PROOF HERE!

PHOTOS!!!!!!

SONGS!!!!!

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111one

AAAAAAH CANNOT WAIT LOLOLOLOLOL sorry himbo moment

ZENINHISBEN OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN

2009-11-16T15:04:00.003+08:00

I got some material for Zeninhisben, and it will be up real soon! Got quizzes and tests to clear first.

Promise.

Thanks for your faithfulness.

under construction

2009-10-27T17:21:00.002+08:00

To prove that i'm actually doing something, hears a sneak preview.

Its gonna fail like this blog anyway but never mind.

When it officially opens you guys will know. Thanks!

lolololol

2009-10-21T22:48:00.001+08:00

Thezenofben will be created once Ben is bored. That could be anytime within the next 10 years. Anyway this blog won't be updated till then. Sorry.

Ty for visiting.

Dictionary for frustrated people

2009-08-08T01:16:00.000+08:00

Medical Electronics [med-i-kuh i-lek-tron-iks, ee-lek-tron-iks]

-noun

1. A compulsory core subject in Biomedical Informatics & Engineering that Ben Leong is going to fail so bad
2. A inane process of doing something over and over and over and over again to see some elusive signal in a oscilloscope
3. Something that one puts in all his blood, sweat and tears in, but yielding nothing in return.

Pardon my language, but I really need to let it out.

FUCK IT.

Sorry.

I need something to at least work so badly. Let's not talk about any other subjects. Like Netfund. Why does it seem like I'm the only one in class who find it repulsive?

HALP

Every new beginning come from some other beginning's end.

2009-08-01T00:58:00.003+08:00

First off, I would like to announce that Beninhisden.blogspot.com will be made obsolete soon. I just not a blog kind of person, I realised.

And blogspot is unfriendly in uploading images.
Blogspot is quite fail actually.

I'm kind of thinking of starting anew... u know? something more different. more weird. more adventurous. more epic.

Not a blog though.

Maybe like a personal website or something.

....
...
....

I like comics.
I like songwriting.
I like photography.
I hate blogging. Or reading other ppl's blogs, for the matter. Not yours, though. Your blog is awesome. If you have one. I'm talking about other people's ones. Yep.

All my life, I had lots of ideas running around my head. They can be anything involving me doing something big. And successful. Things like manning a successful enterprise. Or being a successful rock star. Or a successful rugby player.

Then I have more simple but still kinda-unrealistic ideas. Like successfully writing a proper song. Or have my own successful webcomic. Or successfuly updating a blog.

But the thing is, no matter what dreams or what funny ideas i have, I never even accomplish it.

Because I don't even attempt it.

Damn you facebook quizzes, computer games, bad websites... damn you things that waste my time!

I wasted a good amount of my life on things that never mattered. Maybe it mattered for that minute. I did not use it to start building my dreams into reality.

Simple "dreams" like getting my GPA out of the 2.3 region (there. I made it public) by actually sitting down and studying has been destroyed because of my love of wasting time. I am more than capable of doing it. But the point is, i'm not even trying.

rrrgh.

Anyway, my current short term goal is to score good marks for my semester exams. Thats my last chance of redemption. Quizzes are gone. Virtually all of them.

Oh, and also to reach school on time for once.

Unfortunately, the only way to do this is to declare war on everything that stops me from doing anything productive. (except playing guitar. That is considered productive usage of time. Seriously)

First thing to do is to stop typing now at 1.15 am and actually sleep early. That way I won't wake up late tomorrow.

Next, I should try and write another song.

Then spent some time with God, and sleep.

Wake up early.

Revise maths for upcoming quiz.

Start soldering. Yes, i did not even solder my ecg project. I'm probally the last one in class.

Shit!

Anyway, back to my first point, i'll probably stop updating beninhisden. Maybe only for memes, because memes are awesome.

Blogging is a total waste of time.

But ironically i hope to start another blog once exams are over.
Not really a blog... more of a website that allows me to actually have an attempt for accomplishing some dreams i have. Might die like this website, but at least I can say i tried.

When Thezenofben is created, you guys will know.

Anyway, goodbye blogosphere. For now, at least.

I got to stop wasting my life away.

This is war. And I can only win it with God by my side.

Ok. Good night. Gotta try waking up early once in a while.

This is not a good bye. This is a "see you later, alligator"

再见。

Is there something wrong with blogspot!?!?!?

2009-07-25T03:39:00.002+08:00

I can't seem to write a post properlly!!! I writing this on the "preview" screen, and theres like a big white space in between this little box and the title.... everything is basically screwed up. I can't upload photos or do nothing.

Someone help!

upcoming changes in every dang thing

2009-07-22T09:28:00.003+08:00

im in your netfund lab, not doing your lab work....

Firstly i would like to say i really dislike netfund, to the point that i find it the most boring subject i have taken in poly. Its not because its hard or what, its reeeeeeeeeally dry. If I wanted to learn how to set up a LAN shop, I would have joined IT. Thats what i keep telling ppl.

Anyway I want to make changes. Firstly in this blog.

I want to start updating regularly again. Sorry for the 1 month lapse of updates. I would like to start by redesigning the whole thing. Either change the skin or make my own (don't know how, can ask ppl). I would give the cute dog a break from screaming "BEN IN HIS DEN!" everytimesomeone comes here (which is like once every year). He'll be relegated into a smaller role, with hopefully some new "artwork".

Next, I want to make changes in my studies. I have to start nao. No more procastination/.

I also want to honour my commitment to not sleep past 2 o' clock, and come to school on time for a change.

That would be all. Too much change is bad. Even Obama takes his Change pledge slow, so i better do that too.

I'm going through changes. - Ozzy Osbourne

Killing Fields re-uploaded. Fuck you terrorists.

2009-07-18T15:16:00.002+08:00

This was written after the Mumbai attacks. I'm re-posting this in response to the recent Jakarta bombing.

This kind of shit really affects me. I don't see why so many innocent people have to die so unnecessarily like this. I really really really still can't grasp what the ones who commit such deeds gain. This was an attempt to get into their minds and try to fathom what are going on in their minds. This is as close I can get. But I still don't understand.

Killing Fields Of Hate

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How I love to fight in your
Killing fields of hate

See these guns and bombs of mine
With these I put my life on the line
And on the blood of innocents I shall dine

See all this unbridled rage
Demons released from its cage
I will turn the page

What for? I don’t know
For peace? Love? Justice? God?
It seems that death is the only way
Maybe I’m brainwashed.
Maybe I’m possessed
Or maybe I just love to be in the

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How I love to die
In your killing fields of hate

See the lies I have swallowed
And the ammunition I have borrowed
Hatred and prejudice soon followed

See the people in the meadow
If only they just lined up and follow
Where they deserved to be they shall go

What for? Personal gain?
Someone arrest me or I’ll kill them
Corrupted by the inconvenient truth of man
Maybe I’m crazy
Maybe I’m suicidal
Or maybe I just love to be in the

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How everyone is going to suffer
In my personal fields of hate

Wow an update

2009-07-18T01:49:00.001+08:00

Discuss

2009-06-29T23:57:00.002+08:00

Ben has been tired since he came back from Cebu and too busy watching Jigoku Shoujo to update the blog. He promise to update soon, probably about Philippines.

Blood On Your Hands + facebook quizzes

2009-06-09T18:34:00.005+08:00

I'm so bored I made not one, but two facebook quizzes. But I'm not conformist enough to ask you how well do you know me. Instead, I will ask about my music tastes. I noticed that no one really knows my musical tastes. For some reason people think I'm one of those metalheads (HINT HINT). Go do it if you're bored.

Part 1: Not Easy
http://apps.facebook.com/quizdoyouknowme/take_quiz.jsp?q=10931429&key=V827

Part 2: Harder.
http://apps.facebook.com/quizdoyouknowme/take_quiz.jsp?q=11419559&key=LI3C

------------------------------------------------>.<-----------------------------------------

It's been months since I had any inspiration.
This song is dedicated to the governments, corporations, organizations and bullies that terrorize the lives of innocents just to satisfy their greed.

Blood On Your Hands

You think about nothing when it comes to stepping on the poor
You indulge in pleasures that muffles the cries of the meek
All you care about, is money, power, fame, sex, that kind of thing
You never realised, the amount of blood stained on your hands

You got blood, blood, blood all over your hands
And your fake, fake, fake pretentious friends
You gotta pay, pay, pay for your crimes
And gotta do, do, do the time

If you go down, down, down to that hell
With your dumb, dumb, dumb cronies as well
Don't say that no, no, no one told you
About the blood, blood, blood on your hands

Families are broken because of your insatiable greed
Lives are shattered to fulfill your little fantasies
Manipulating innocents doesn't even make you finch
It's only their blood that is flowing through your hands

You got blood, blood, blood all over your hands
With your fake, fake, fake pretentious friends
You gotta pay, pay, pay for your crimes
And gotta do, do, do the time

If you go down, down, down to your hell
With your dumb, dumb, dumb cronies as well
Don't say that no, no, no one told you
About the blood, blood, blood on your hands

Things I want to do in my life: Awesomeness - Effort Needed chart

2009-06-09T14:19:00.005+08:00

After seeing this, I got inspired to do a similar chart.

X-Axis: Amount Of Effort Needed To Acheive
Y-Axis: Amount Of Awesomeness Felt If Succesful

Y= (½abcͩʰcosß)X² + over9000C

Yes my handwriting is atrocious

It saddens me that all the "realistic" goals are at the bottom right.

Do something similiar!

Another boring meme

2009-06-07T22:12:00.004+08:00

Thanks LZ for making me feel like doing this total waste-of-time.

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
Twins? Please say its twins! A boy and girl! Oh, and can you run a gender check on me too?

2. Do you trust all of your friends?
Generally, yes.

3. Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
Depends.

4. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Yeah

5. Can you make a dollar in change right now?
Too lazy to check. Don't think so.

6. Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?
Michele Tan. Purely because she's the only one I know in Biomedical Science. And go ahead at laugh at my choice.

7. Are you afraid of falling in love?
I'm afraid of commitment

9. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?
Like everyone

10. Whats your most favorite scar?
A close tie between the chicken pox scar on my left hand, and the impetigo (soil viral infection) scar on my right feet. The former reminds me of my carefree nursery days, while the latter reminds me of my rugby days. Fun times.

11. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
Last year February, to India

12. What did the last text message you sent say?
"Are we meeting" to Jessica, for mission trip prep.

13. What features do you find most attractive in the preferred sex?
Boobs.

14. Fill in the blank:
lololololololololololololol

15. What is a goal would you like to accomplish in the near future?
Push up my horrible GPA.

16. If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extended time who would you call?
I think I'll be too wasted to do anything at the moment. I hope the nurse will call my family, or better yet, they were already at my bedside.

17. How many kids do you want to have?
Either 3, two twins of a different gender + one, or 2, both different gender. Yes I'm fussy

18. Would you make a good parent?
I'm not sure... I think I need to grow up a little first

19. Where was your profile picture taken?
Blog: MS Paint
Facebook: Hotel 81 Kebangan
MSN: Bugis Street

20. Whats your middle name?
Yong Quan

21. Honestly, whats on your mind right now?
Boobs.

22. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
Play more basketball. Play properly during my very last rugby Police Cup match. I think one of my mistakes caused my entire team to be kicked out of the last tournament. Dammit. But to give some consolation, the entire team played badly. And go for the school Music Vox (band) cca meet-up which I was too lazy to go at that moment.

23. Who will be the maid of honour/ best man in your wedding??
Dunno

24. What are you wearing right now?
tshirt and shorts. Yellow underwear.

25. Righty or Lefty?
I support the left, but my political convictions lean towards the right. I support traditional values but I support the objectives of liberals in general.

I'm right handed, for those who don't understand the other answer.

26. Best place to eat?
India. Home-cooked food by the pastor's wife. Shiok.

27. Favorite jeans?
The darker one.

28. Favorite animal?
A close call between Dogs and Horses. Cats come in a close second. But I like all animals except certain insects.

29. Favorite juice?
Apple

30. Have you had the chicken pox?
See question 10.

31. Have you had a sore throat?
Duh

32. Ever had a bar fight?
Nope

33. Who knows you the best?
Your mum

34. Shoe size?
11 1/2

35. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
Glasses. Contact lenses when i feel like it, or when i play sports

36. Ever been in a fight with your pet?
Tug-of-war with my old dog. He's one tough son of a bitch.

37. Been to Mexico?
Nope. Maybe when the who flu thing clears up I'll go there.

38. Did you buy something today?
Food and drinks.

39. Did you get sick today?
Homesick. Realised I won't be slacking at home for a good part of the holidays.

40. Do you miss someone today?
The kids in India, and the kind ppl there.

41. Did you get in a fight with someone today?
With your mum.

42. When is the last time you had a massage?
Probably when one of the sermon speakers or program i/c said "give your friend a massage". Dunno when

43. Last person to lay in your bed?
Your mum.

44 . Last person to see you cry?
Rather not disclose.

45. Who made you cry?
Your mum as usual.

46. What was the last TV show you watched.
Night At The Museum. Buts thats a movie shown on tv, technically not a tv show.
Jigoku Shoujo. But that was on the internet.
Red Thread. Brian Richmond dies.

47. What are your plans for the weekend?
Next weekend? I'll be in Philippines.

48. Who do you think will re-post this?
Your Mum

49. Who was the last person you hung out with?
Jessica and Jia Ling at aunty Jessie's/uncle Alan's house. Practicing sunday school songs for mission trip.

50. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY what would you say?
"It's more polite and socially accepted for the man to make the proposal, honey. But sure, why not?"

2009-06-07T20:26:00.005+08:00

I don't feel like blogging for awhile because of term tests and can't-be-botheredness. Sorry for less then 5 of you who actually follow this blog. I promise to give a proper update soon, yeah?

To make it up I post a meme for you. Thanks to Liang Zhi, who dethroned Andrew to be the new king of meme addiction.

1. If someone says "you're so hot!", you'll say:
Dream Scream - Death Cab for Cutie

Yes I'm a random person

2. Your crush is:
You - Mustard Plug

But who are you?

3. You love to:
E-Kusa - Bonyari Band

What the hell does that mean? Not counted. retake.

3. You love to:
Rootless Tree - Damien Rice

No, I'm a environmentally aware kind of guy. I don't like uprooting trees

4. A lot of people have stopped you and told you that they're:
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie

STALKERS!!!!! AAAAAH

5. Your favourite food is:
When Worlds Collide - Powerman 500

Chinese-Western fusion food

6. Next year, you hope you'll have:
Underdog - Rock Star Supernova

But the following year I'll evolve into the dark horse

7. Your teacher scolded you because:
Its Alright - Melissa Otto

So teachers can just scold people because "Its alright"? Aren't there regulations set up by the MOE against this kind of abuse of power?

8. You fall the hardest for:
Just Won't Burn - Susan Tedeschi

9. Love is like :
Vultures - John Mayer

Love will only eat up your dead carcass

10. When you were three, you loved:
Good Love Is On The Way - John Mayer

I loved to be loved

11. Sometimes, all you want is:
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

...and hide...

12. The person crushing on you right now:
Blackbird - Foo Fighters/Dave Grohl solo (Beatles Cover)

???

13. You'll go out with:
One Fine Day - The Offspring

14. Your first kiss will be:
Life, Birth, Blood, Doom - Black Label Society

Wow. That's like a kiss scene in a vampire movie

15. You're missing:
Shiver - Coldplay

16. The world is a:
By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

...and preventing you from your journey to heaven

17. You think people who hate chocolate are:
Some Surprise - Gary Lightbody and Lisa Hannigan

It genuinely surprises me that some people don't like chocolate. WHY??? Chocolate is your friend.

18. When you grow up, you wanna be:
Miss You - Rolling Stones

no

19. Sunsets are:
噢买尬 - 五月天

Usually when i see sunsets and feel like saying OMG, I'll do it in English.

20. If only:
Look At All Those Idiots - The Simpsons

lol

21. When i say "hello", you say:
Lonely Soldier - Damien Rice ft Christ Moore

You're pretty random, huh?

22. A blind date is:
Forever Young - Bob Dylan
lol

23. If time stood still, all that matters would be:
One Too Many Mornings - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash

24. If a stranger hugged you:
Come Out And Play - The Offspring

sounds damn wrong

25.This note is:
Leaving - Corrine May

Finally an accurate one.

Warning: This post contains explicit Graphic novels.

2009-05-21T00:27:00.007+08:00

Libraries are God's gift to freeloaders. I like comics, and there are tons of comics which I would like to read, and the library has some of the good stuff. However, I have been introduced into a new kind of comic style: The graphic novel. I have been reading newspaper-type daily comic strips and a bit of manga, so this is the first time i came across a book which is actually a full-length novel in comic form.

I'm addicted to graphic novels now.

While looking for random comics to relax in the school library, I came across a huge book. Its about as thick as an encyclopedia, so I was pretty surprised to see comics when i opened it. I liked the art style, and the bit of the story seemed interesting enough, so I borrowed it.

Turns out I picked out Blankets by Craig Thompson.

A memoir by the author, he talks about his life was like as he grows from an adolescent into a young adult. Being raised in a fundamentalist Christian family, religion has always been surrounding him, but as much as he embraces his Christian faith, some values just seem imposing on him, for example, a Sunday School teacher questioning whether drawings can be used to praise God.

Being bullied as a skinny child and having been sexually abused by a babysitter could be the reasons of him growing up to be reserved introvert afraid of the crowds and other people in general. This can been seen in how he hates Church camps, for he never seemed to belong, especially when the minds of the other campers are thinking only about finding pussy in the camps and not set for God.

However, he meets a girl named Raina during one fateful camp. About half of the book documents the growing relationships between the both of them, as Craig visits Raina in her town for two weeks, meet her not so stable family, have discussions about God, reminisce about their childhood days with their siblings and stuff.

I was somewhat dissapointed with the ending, because Craig made some decisions which I don't agree with, but I won't spoil it just in case any of you want to read it up yourselves. Overall, I found that it was a beautiful take on the ordinariness of life, the emotions of love, confusion, dwindling faith and growing up.

I found that I have many similiarities and parallels with the author. In fact, dramatic as his life may seem, he is actually living out a pretty average life not too different from others. It reaffirms my thinking that everyone is actually the same, only different. I hope my ending isn't like him though, but I respect his decisions.

Not too far away from the shelf which I found Blankets, was a book which I had always wanted to read for years. How would I know that it had been lying in the school library all this while?

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I want to watch the movie adaptation! Straight Times gave if 5 stars. Wanted to watch it when after o-levels ended but the peanut gallery preferred L Change The World.

Another memoir, this is very different in all aspects. The art style is very simple, childish even, a far cry from Craig Thompson's intricate fine-art stylings. Also, the dialouge and flow is very straight to the point. No time wasted on exposition, soliloquoys, metaphors or cliches that western books always inuanduate you with.

The book speaks about Marjane's life in Iran during the tumultous Iranian Revolution to the Iran-Iraq War. Her life is shaped by the political chaos happening all around her, as her parents demonstrate in the streets daily and her education changes from a liberal co-ed French school system to a strict single-gender Islamic school. Apparently she was the great-grandaughter of a inempt Shah, and her granddad, an educated idealistic prince, was named Prime Minister due to his educational background, but was arrested for having Communist beliefs.

A rebel at heart, Marjane disobeys her different forms of authority in little ways, like telling off a Religous teacher, not wearing the veil/headscarf and listening to American music. With war and strict regime sanctions, life become more dangerous and frightening with close people around either dying or migrating, like her uncle Anoosh, who was a Communist imprisioned before the revolution and grew to love Marjane alot. (SPOILER! He died lol)

Having been bitten by the graphic novel bug, and since I was in the areaI went to the National Library to look for V for Vendetta, a political comic book I read during secondary school. It was on loan, but I found Maus: A Survior's Tale by Art Spiegelman! Like Persepolis, I have always wanted to read this book, but it was always on loan in the Bugis National National Library.

Nazis! And Jews portrayed as mice! What more do you want?

Like Persepolis, this is another memoir from a war survivor. Having two narratives, one involving Art interviewing his father on his life during the WWII (he was a Jew living in Poland), his not so good state of health and his even worse state of marriage with his 2nd wife, another war survivor. (His first wife commited suicide a long time after the war.) The main plot is about how he lived during the war before he was sent to the infamous Aushwitz camp. Its done in a rather unusual style: Anthromorphic animals are used to represent the characters. Mice for Jews (derived from how Nazis deemed Jews as rodents to be crushed), Nazis as cats and Poles as pigs (supposed to be non-derogoratory, like Porky the Pig)

Persepolis and Maus make me think about how I take the stable political situation that we live in for granted. No wars, no revolutions, no forced imposing of religion or ideas. Thank God for that. A "normal" life in Blankets, concerned with other problems like relationships, family, personal religious convictions rather than being forced to ascribe to someone else's set of beliefs seems very inviting as compared to one scraping a living in war.

Blankets also made me realise how I take my family for granted. I do not know how families undergoing divorces and conflicts really feel. I still don't. But now I have a better understanding of what its like being in a broken family.

Yay Primary School

2009-05-16T13:22:00.004+08:00

If you enjoyed your primary school years, you'll do it.
If you have nothing else to do, you'll do it.
If you're here to read the questions/answers and pretend to hate to do it, deep down you'll still do it.

This tag is so fun because the answers can go on and on.
Read if you miss your PRIMARY school years.

1) Which school did you go to?
Anglo-Cheenis School (Primary). Back then it was called Anglo-Cheenis Primary School I think.

2) What classes were you in?

(1-5)B, 6C.

3) What was/were your favourite lesson(s)?
Art. In primary 3 or4 I was so proud because my teacher showed my House-Theft-Prevention Poster artwork to the class. She wanted to make an example of NOT drawing stick figures I think, because mine wasn't one.

4) If you could remember, what time was your recess?
I think it was 9.30-10.00 for lower Primary, and 10.00-10.30 for upper Primary

5) List down your favourite food/snacks.
Ling Yong Pau.

1) Did you have a nickname way back in primary school?
Ostrich, Benis, Benis Leongcock, Ben Boy (but only my tutor called me that)

2) How did you wear your socks?
Primary school was the opposite of Secondary school. The taller your socks, the cooler you were.

3) Have you been suspended due to the way you put on your uniform?
No, only reprimanded and scolded. Got detention for uniform in secondary school though.

4) Were you given plenty of reminders about your appearance?
I had one of the most pimpled faced in primary 5-6, so everyone teased me about it lol. In secondary school, It was their turn to have disgusting pimples and I had a pretty good complexion, so I had my silent revenge. muahaha.

5) Who did you look up to when you were in primary school?
I was pretty tall so I didn't really look up to anyone.

Punishment

1) Name one memorable scene where you were punished in front of the whole class.
Too many to recall. All for petty reasons like not bringing textbook or homework, talking, etc.

2) How many times did you skip class? What were you doing?
I only started skipping classes in secondary school.

3) Give one scene where you escaped from being caught/punished.
I was chatting with my friend in primary 6 maths class, and he was one of the weaker students. The teacher caught me and asked me to leave. I lied to her that I was explaining the question to him. She bought the excuse and continued the lesson.

After school, I was in the canteen, the teacher saw me and came to me. And she apologised to me. I know I should have felt guilty about lying but deep down inside I was briming with pride about my own devioius craftiness.

4) Did you vandalize any school property
Tables, textbooks, and library megazines. In secondary school I progressed to walls and windowsills. Even library yearbooks were not spared, but my friends started it, so its not my fault.

5) Did you ever make any teacher cry?
Don't think so, but I made a teacher swear. BLOODY SHIT!!!!

6) Who was your favourite teacher?
Mrs Tay(?), the maths teacher I was talking about just now. She was kind of a bitch actually, and was biased towards brighter students, but the way she forced us to do our homework and spammed us with endless maths remedials towards PSLE caused most of us to improve our maths drastically. When not in a maths mood, she's nice.

Lee Lao Shi, my primary 6 chinese teacher. She knew I was pretty bad in Chinese but she never gave up on me and kept encouraging me.

7) Describe your DM.
I don't really remember much about my primary school DMs so I shall talk about the Barker Road ones.

They were my nemesis.

The worst one was, can't even be bothered to remember his name properly(Mr Sim i think), had something against me. I always kena him for all the small reasons. I remember when a few of us in the class was pulled out for long hair, my hair was actually quite short (but still violating school rules). Yet he pulled me out and scrutinized me up down left right, and overlooked the others with even longer hair.

Yeah, I know I shouldn't have grudges against past teachers, but I didn't really like him lah.

8) Who was the funniest/weirdest/loudest teacher?
Once again, too many to recall. All were funny, weird and loud.

Social Circle

1) Were you popular back then?
Don't think so

2) Were you in a big group of boys/girls or small ones?
If the students I hanged out with in ACS were girls, I would be seriously disturbed...

3) Who were your best friends?
I don't really like the term "best friend". My "close friends" changed every year with new class arrangements.

4) Did you and your friends have nicknames?
Yeah, but can't really remember them

5) What were your favourite memories of you and your friends?
The freedom we perceived we had as kids. The infantile joy of running around outside the school area before after-school activities. Exploring the same school compound over and over again, but each time it was a new navigation expedition. Making sick jokes involving body parts and sex.

But the best was still what I call the School-Bus Shenanigans. You can virtually do anything in the bus until the driver got pissed and stopped the bus. Games like murderer, time-bomb, Happy Family card game, wrestling, crawling below the seats for no apparent reason, stripping ourselves naked for no apparent reason too were the best road-trip activities ever. The climax was when the driver has reached his boiling point because of the noise, and he'll pull over and scold us in a mixture of Mandarin and Hokkien.

ALL school-bus drivers are psychos (in a fun kind of way)

Co-curricular Activities

1) What type of CCA were you in?
I was in Praise Club for about 3 years, Its a Christian club where we play games and stuff.
I tried out Golf, but it didn't work out. In primary 5 and 6 i was forced to quit because of maths remedials.

2) What did you have to bring to your CCA?
Praise Club notebook, these had stickers of Bible verses, a Bible-reading programme. If you followed the program, and did other cool stuff like attending meetings early or behaving well, you earn coupons which you can redeem for awesome stuff at the last meeting of the month. Ice cream and toy telescopes, thats one reason why God created Bible-reading.

Oh, and golf clubs.

3) What did your CCA required you to do?
Sing sunday school songs, do sunday school stuff.
Swing the club and whack the ball into the hole.

4) Got injured?
I was punished for being too tall in primary 1 by banging my head on the fire extinguisher when I tried to run under it. Hurt like hell. Parents were called up and they rushed me to a clinic. Quite a waste, because it was not an ordinary school-day that time. It was after exams i think, and they ahd some Halloween costume contest.

Crushes/Lovers (In primary school???? come on....)

1) Who was your first crush?
If i had any crushes in any of my schoolmates in ACS, others would be seriously disturbed by me.

2) Are you in good terms with your last crush?
Oh, we made out every minute every hour every day on the school porch.

3) Did you ever had a relationship with anyone in your primary school?
I had sexual relationships with everyone with two legs when i was 7 years old.

4) Have you ever made out in school?
Sex-machine was my middle name. Playing was my game.

Closing Ceremony

1) How did primary school changed you?
I always thought primary school formed you, not change you. Thats the job for secondary school.

2) Sing one verse of your school song.
In days of yore from western shore. Old ham dun less he row came.

3) What was your favourite question?
Can't remember. In secondary school it was "Where do babies come from?"

4) Who/what will you remember from your primary school?
The carefree imagination we all had. The sense of invincibility. The times where you did not need to study at all and you can still score well. Being allowed to act like retarded kids, because afterall, we WERE retarded kids. (Now we're just retarded teens)

5) Any memories you will not forget.
Scoring the winning goal during one soccer match. Never scored a proper goal for the next 10 years of my life. That's why God created rugby.
Everything I done with friends OUTSIDE school lessons.

Progress of my life goals

2009-05-11T00:24:00.002+08:00

Goals for 2009:

1. Complete the Standard Chartered Half-Marathon in December

Progress: The last time I jogged was at least 3 weeks ago, at it was for like only 2 miserly kilometers.

2. Save up and buy a bicycle, a few music albums and other nice stuff

Progress: No money saved at all. All gone to chocolates, upsized food, stationary and other pretty unnecessary expenditure.

3. Push up horrible GPA

Progress: Did not study at all last friday and saturday. Completed E Maths Assignment 1, which was given 2 weeks ago. Thats an achievement in itself. Still in holiday mood. Rather than mugging, I'm only wishfully thinking that my classmates should just stop studying.

4. Draw better, maybe start a webcomic or something

Progress: Ideas in the head never materialize on paper. Too "busy" to draw. Art beginning to be relegated to childhood activity.

5. Play guitar better

Progress: Did not even plug guitar into amp and effects. Guitar goes virtually untouched.

6. Write songs and poems

Progress: One crappy poem written on the bus, song ideas, like drawings, never materializes on paper. Did one musical arrangement for a Bible Psalm though. Quite emo. Quite cool.

7. Sleep early, don't be late for school anymore

Progress: I'm writing this post at 12.35 am. I'll probably be late tomorrow, just like the whole of last week.

8. Be a better person

Progress: Thats for you to judge :)

9. Update blog regulary

What do you think!?

I need a shakeup.

Intaj Reunion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111oneoneoneunounounouno一一一一一一一一一一一一satusatusatusatu!

2009-05-02T20:31:00.012+08:00

India looks like the Middle East

Yay Trackers group Intaj reunion woohoo.

During the post o-level to pre-poly period, I was in a discipleship programme called Trackers, and I was in the team that went to India, and we called ourselves Intaj. I think I was the one who came up with the name... dunno lah. so long ago.

Every once in a while (2-3 times a year???) we meet up to catch up, eat stuff and insult each other.

Yay photo:

Poor Michele and I got the brunt of the teasing. They keep trying to matchmake the two of us, until we relented and officially become a couple around 9pm.

However around 12am, we felt a little sorry for Eugene, who was depressed over his "scandal" and jealous of us, so we broke up for his sake. For some reason the next day around noon, the two of us (Michele, not Eugene) reconcilled after the cruel heartbreak, so the status of our relationship now is still "Platonic Friends", just to make things clear for those who saw weird stuff on my facebook wall.

Scandals aside, we had a good time. Eugene asked me to open up the house for this gathering. I'm not a very hospitable person, but since I live near the MRT i might as well do so. All the previous gatherings were i n the far west anyway, so its only fair for the PMC people (except Vic who stay in Narnia) that we have it at the east for a change.

Tappenyaki is supposed to be harmless, but not when you put wasabi and Tobasco on the hot plate. My living room fogged up like a freaking mosquito-culling exercise. And my dad is freaked out that Eugene used up half of the big Tobasco bottle for all his food.

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the food. Big thanks to my parents who did all the work buying the food and preparing the ingredients while I slack.
PROTIP: Tobasco + prawn + hot plate = awesome!

We had sharing! Stuff shared a little P & C, so obviously I won't publicize them here. But I'm glad all of us have made some "progress" in our lives and are more postive after the last meeting. The last session was so emo even PKM's wife commented that "our lives are hard."

To me, it seems like Intaj has turned from a mission trip group has turned into a irregular accountability group, or more accurately a quartenary cell group. Interesting.

We havn't met since last year, but i personally feel that we are as close as a "clique" every time we meet. I hope we can continue to meet like this, and don't get too "bored" of doing it. Its so refreshing to have a fellowship and sharing time with the people you have worked so hard with together to take the journey of faith into a strange faraway land, hoping to bless the lives of the people there (but always the case, its THEM blessing us lol). For many, including me, this is our first mission trip, and with people from different churches, so its a special bond that we all share together.

After that, only the PMC people stayed over (WTF!? Some more two of you live in the east). That is, Eugene, Michele (stop bullying her lah) and Victoria. We went to Hotel 81.Scandalous picture will be posted when I get it.

Not comfortable enough, so we explored neighbourhood, remiscned over made-in-India videos, watched some Korean shows (Fact, all Korean guys have the same vocal coach, songwriters, fashioin stylist, dance teacher and more importantly, plastic surgeon). We did try to sleep.

This is the first time, aside from my cousin, that I have invited people to stay over at my place. I should be a little more hospitable and organize more lol.

I need to sleep. gtg bb

Attention given to swine flu > Attention given to "poor man" diseases

2009-05-01T16:43:00.003+08:00

Ironic and funny.

But Malaria is disease afflicting poverty-stricken parts of the world on a daily basis.

As much as we must take Swine Flu seriously, why are all so hung up on a recoverable disease that has been suspected to infect hundreds worldwide when diseases like malaria, HIV, dengue, chicken pox and whathaveyou are killing thousands? And most of them are curable/preventable diseases affecting the poor.

Sad.

Don't panic over swine flu.

Hooray for Molecular Genetics!

2009-04-30T21:45:00.003+08:00

So whats the Dominant Gene? Bull or Shitz?

Too much BIE is bad for your health.

On a more serious note, theres lots of things to pray for now. The swine flu endemic, the cliffhanging situation in Sri Lanka, things happening to friends.... seems like studies isn't the worst of my problems. Come on people, stop studying so hard. Let me catch up abit.

At least the situation in Thailand seems to be simmering down.

On a less serious note, I wish I could go canoeing tommorrow!!!! auuugh. I'll be cooking lagsana instead. I need to learn other stuff to cook, like fried rice.

L4D + THE EPIC STORY OF MY GUITAR

2009-04-17T02:47:00.011+08:00

Who knew mindlessly killing hordes of running zombies could be so addictive? I have been spending my last week of freedom with fellow undead hunting buddies Ken, Leon, Liang Zhi and KW. (Notice that all our names have either L or K in them? I'm a Leong.)

My computer cannot handle the specs of L4D, so i can't play it right now even if I wanted to :(. But it's a good thing actually. I might get bored of the game if I have it. Its one of those games that's incredibly addictive initially, but since there isn't much variety of what you can do in the game, it can get ennui-inducing after killing zombies one after another.

Let's blog about something else.

Because of the zombie infestation, I havn't been spending time doing more important things, like playing guitar. I havn't touch it since Tuesday, and I only played it for half an hour. Fine, after posting this I'm gonna play it. Guitar, not L4D.

This was my guitar when I bought it:

Obviously I have to screw it up. This is my guitar now.

See how badly I treat my guitar? The jack keeps coming off. Only tape can keep it there.

Here's the story of my guitar. X-Guitar Origins: Fat Telecaster. Also known as Mr. TV or Ugly Shit Guitar.

December 2006, a few weeks before Christmas, they day TOFU was being held in my church. I left early to go with my family to the Swee Lee warehouse. They were having a 50% off sale.

I already knew I wanted a Telecaster. Why? I dunno. I guess Telecasters look weird. They were unique in the sense that they were not Stratocaster-shaped, but they didn't look so different like a Flying V or a Moderne. I wanted something different from the ubiquitous Stratocaster, which just about everyone has. Les Pauls are expensive, and I don't like them anyway. They seem a little... proud. No metalhead guitars for me either lol, although I wouldn't mind a Flying V. But with a Flying V, how can you sit and play? If there were no telecasters available I wanted a cheap Ibanez superstrat, an Ibanez semi-hollow or, what the heck, a Squire Stratocaster.

I specifically wanted a Fat Telecaster. That means instead of a single-coil at the neck position, there would be a humbucker.

Why? Again, I don't know. I always assumed humbuckers can give a nice warm sound (apparently I kind of correct).

You can see that my requirements were very specific. I wanted a Squire Telecaster with a humbucker at the neck position. And Swee Lee actually sells them!

And Lo and Behold, a guitar that I fell in love with at first sight.

Look at that. Beautiful. Sexy. Curvy. Ebony. Hawt.

I found one beautiful Squire Fat Tele, a brown sunburst one. I took it and tested it out. It felt right! It just did. I don't know why.

I was playing around with it for about 20 minutes, when the bombshell dropped.

A stall assistant came towards us, and ask where I found that guitar from. We(my family) pointed out the stand where we found it.

"I'm sorry, the guitars in that area are already sold."

WTF?

It's the guitar I want! It's on display! There's no "SOLD!" sticker on it anywhere!

"The buyer is some Indonesian dude who is downstairs looking for a drum set."

From then on, I hated Indonesian drummers who buys Squire Fat Telecasters.

My mum, being the protective mother who spoils her kid, was a little angry and kind of scolded the poor assitant. She said that there should be at least a sign saying that the guitars were already sold or something. She also asked if there were any other guitars of the same model. The assistant just said, "I don't think so"

I nearly cried. I'm not exagerrating about this part. After all, this is a specific guitar we are talking about.

Then another stall assistant, a female who looked more like at aunty at a market than a guitar expert, came to the rescue. She saw me, a little boy, sitting on the floor (I was testing the guitar after all), with bloodshot eyes (ok this time I probably exagerrating) and a sad sad frown, found a solution to diffuse the crisis.

"Ah boy, don't cry! I think downstairs got another one!"

Ok, she didn't say that, but she did say something like that.

Quicker than the speed of sound (from a guitar) she rushed to the storeroom, and came back with a white box which looked like a guitar coffin. She opened it up, revealing a Squire Candy Apple Red Fat Telecaster Standard Series.

Not actual one. Probably a Fender. Pickguard is beautiful.

I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Its a thousand times uglier that the brown one (hence its nickname, the Ugly Shit), but a least its what I'm looking for. It feels the same. Buy it lor.

It was 15 minutes to closing time, and the assitant told us to quickly make our purchase. Then we realised, "Oh shit, we don't have an amplifier!"

We were looking at amplifiers earlier, but didn't put much thought to it. My brother, the expert and advisor, quickly glanced around. There was this Randall RX20R which we were trying earlier, and since it wasn't too expensive, he just said "That one!". And that one was it.

Both the guitar and amp cost about $550, making a nett total of $1100. That's alot.
But if you remembered, it was 50% OFF EVERYTHING DAY!!!!

Thats $550 for a semi-decent amp and guitar combo pack, or an equilivant of a "Buy one guitar get an amp free" coupon.

And thats the story of my guitar. Rescued from a claustrophobic box in a storeroom (it wasn't even out of the box, let alone on display), to the even worse fate of the hands of a crappy excuse of a guitarist. The end

This post is dedicated to the Swee Lee Warehouse Aunty, who is the true hero of the story and saved the day for everyone involved. If I see you again in Swee Lee (I think I can remember how you look like), I will shake your hand like a crazed Korean drama fangirl and thank you profusely for securing my first guitar for me.

If it wasn't for you, I would have brought a $1400 Fender Stratocaster 1960s reissue which will probably sound alot nicer that the crap guitar I have now. But I would have spent alot more.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T13:16:00.001+08:00

Happy Easter everyone! Will post soon

TGIGF!

2009-04-11T14:26:00.008+08:00

TGIGF (The Great Indian Gonads Fellowship) was yesterday!!! Kinda disappointed that I couldn't get anyone to go with me (you guys were too busy lol). It was pretty fun. Kinda like a scaled-down version of Solid Rock Cafe. We should have another SRC! Then we can get the Hard Apple Fan-Choy Reunion World Tour on the road!

I wanted to go with "TGIGF Junior Band", but these guys chose "Ben's Band" instead.

With heavenly voices of angels, and killer looks of pop idols too, are the singers Marie, Cheng Yi and Ken

The string ensemble of the band is the strummin' Kyle, the telecastin' Ben and the strattin' Leon

Our very own rhythm section is Daniel "Ba-da-bum" Chia, hiding behind him is the shy Daniel "Sticks Of Fury" Ng, and pretty in pink boy bassis Loo Liang Zhi. I wanted to give him "Bass-0-licious" as his middle name, but unfortunately he already has one.

Sadly, without any pictures of him playing live, you only get to see a picture of Bryan taking a picture of me. He's on bass and vocals. (Yes he sings too.)

I think these guys put in alot of effort to practice come for rehearsals, especially those who have school and probably didn't do their homework on wednesday nights because of this. However, the eternal glory of playing for one day beats punishment from teachers.

This is the "lao" band, Mecury One. Have no idea what that name implies though.

Whats TGIGF about? Its basically an outreach event where we get to play board games and have live bands to entertain us on the side. One game i find really irritating is Uno Stacko because when they are played by a big group of girls, they will scream (those bloody high-pitched ones) everytime to tower collapses. And lots of girls were playing it. (ergo mutiply volume of a high-pitched scream with the number of girls playing)

Notice how slanted the tower is?

Obviously Rachel has to spoil things for everyone.

Thats why i prefer to play the more peaceful game of Uno Stackthecards

But the irritating things keep collapsing.

We also watched a movie, i forgot what its called. I call it The Fast and Religous, because its involves Ben, an illegal drag racer, finding God and stuff. Like most Christian movies, it was very corny. And not enough racing scenes. And no Japanese cars. All old-school American muscle cars which you'll never see in Singapore. Xian.

But the best part is when the dramatic "sad" scene where Ben was dying in the hospital emergency room, saying his last words to his family. Then the subtitles went: (Ben Dies).

The whole chapel burst out laughing. Super anti-climatic.

Then a speaker, I think his name was Rev. Lawrence Koh, gave us a 20 minute crash course speech on what Good Friday is all about and why Jesus died for us. He speaking style was a little too aggressive for my liking, but he's ok i guess. Hopefully some of us were truly inspired by his mini-sermon.

After TGIGF, a whole bunch of us played about 3 hours of bridge.
Normally I don't like to gloat about my card game skills, but because i won purely on luck, i HAVE to show this picture off to everyone:

The sickest hand ever. Notice that there is no clubs?

I bidded 4 Diamonds, and won all 10 sets myself. Its crazy. But then again, its only luck.

Hopefully we can have another event like this in time to come. Then YOU can join in on the fun too!

Thank God we have Good Friday. Happy Easter (soon) everyone!

Egg Shakers!

2009-04-08T16:49:00.002+08:00

Egg shakers are sexy

Sh-sh-sh shake it baby

Can't think of a title

2009-04-06T22:46:00.004+08:00

Havn't been updating... has been busy. Been practicing for TGIGF, attending Shaun's belated birthday party and going for Tracker 09' graduation... kinda brought back memories.

And I saw uBlues in Timbre! Woohoo. Blues for the win. Felt abit extra sitting with this year's Trackers but the music was worth it. Its gonna be their last few performances. Wonder why they're retiring. Damn i need to learn how to play blues properly.

Need people to chill out with me on friday, play board games and watch me screw up on stage. Come for TGIGF!

=============================================================

Was watching the news about the killer rojak incident. Its so sad. A lady actually died and one had a miscarriage. The news team interviewed her. She was distraught. She said it was to be her first child with her second husband. Being 39, she's afraid that she might be too old to have another child. Who knew food poisoning could be so bad? I really feel sorry for the rest who are affected. I was thinking about the family with 5 kids aged 7-16 where the entire family fell sick, and got hospitalized i think. Must be hell for them.

Theres much needed comedy relief though. They interviewed this Malay storeowner from a neighbouring food stall, and she was something like, "Aiyoh, last week, my husband brought the rojak you know, the $5 round big big round one, he got eat, but never berak berak one!" Haha so cute.

Championship Debugger 2005

2009-03-30T15:12:00.002+08:00

This would be the best game ever.

TGIGF coming

2009-03-29T21:29:00.002+08:00

Coordinating stuff for TGIGF. That is Thank God Its Good Friday, a should-be-pretty-darn-fun event that my church is holding on Good Friday itself.

Putting together a band and deciding what songs to play and doing other stuff can be a lil' stressful. But with God we'll pull through.

Come join us at April 10th! Chill, enjoy yourself and relax jack. Get to know a bit about the big fuss over Jesus too. He's cool.

Engrishfunny

2009-03-26T12:28:00.002+08:00

Hehe....

Most likely this won't appear on the front page... but vote anyway!

www.engrishfunny.com

www.engrishfunny.com/vote/

Random Pictures of the Day! yays

2009-03-25T15:50:00.003+08:00

Havn't updated for a while. Heres anooooooooooother instalment ooooooooooooooooooof: Random Pictures For The Day!!!!

Beautiful sandcastles at East Coast Park

Fat Cow + Tiny Puppy = Cuteness

Lord Owl addressing his minions

Path where souls commune

Engrish lol

Old pplz dun lieks bein kalled "unties"

2009-03-15T20:41:00.002+08:00

I wanted to go Mosaic today. But I didn't. Sad face.
Hopefully I can go this Thursday or Friday. Maybe I can see Goodfellas without being duped again.

Instead I shall rant about a little dispute going on in the Straits Times the past few weeks.

This issue is so serious it has broken down the ST community into two hostile camps. What started as a candid discussion about something ordinary became a full-blown world incident. Petty squabbles has evolved into ham-fisted expletive-filled verbal arguments, which took a turn for the worse and developed into full fledged physical combat. Lawsuits have been made, and what was initially thought to be a small case in the Subordinate Courts has risen all the way up to The United Nations Supreme Court. However, speculators are fearing for the worse as we embrace for military combat between private armies and meceneries in a fight to the teeth.

Issue: People in Singapore being called "Uncles" or "Aunties"

Some people have wrote in to ST, complaining that the Singaporean/South-East Asian quirk of a younger person addressing an elder as Uncle or Auntie is offensive and rude. They have associated these words as terms to describe pedophile cheek0 peks and those loud Ah Sohs that annoy you in the bus with their loud voices.

They say that younger people should properly address their elders like other "cilivised" countries do: using "flattering" words like Mister, Missus, Miss. Some even went as far as saying that the correct term should be "Sir" or "Madame".

I say bollocks to this.

The term "Uncle" and "Auntie", when used properlly, is a term of respect or politeness. A person who addressess a person clearly in their mid 40s or older is adknowledging the seniority of the addressee. They are showing respect and they refrain from calling the addressee by their first name alone.

One ST reader wrote in and gave the best response so far. This is not her exact words, but its close enough.

"Those who have issues being called "uncle" or "auntie" have self-esteem problems. Foreigners who feel offended by this should understand that this is part of our Asian culture. Live with it"

To me, the term "mister", "missus" or "miss" can appear condescending and convulated in a Singaporean context, especially if you do not know if the lady you want to address is married or not. Sure, we can call everyone "sir" or "madame" if we all want to turn our country into a nation of departmental store assistants (no offense to them) or ACS students addressing their teachers (offense allowed to be taken).

One day i will be cursed to suffer the same fate, unless I die young. Face it. People call you uncle or auntie because you're old. Or at least you look old. Live with it, you fogey.

Born Fe Rebel

2009-03-09T12:34:00.003+08:00

I'm finally doing this one.

Rules:
1. Put your music library on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song title as the answer to the question, no matter how silly it sounds! Most of the time they seem to work though, strangely enough.
4. Ok, go!
5. When you’re done, tag 20 people** in this note, and make sure to tag the person who sent you this.

I can't be bothered with number 5. Just do this if you see it and want to ^^

Here are my answers:

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OK?” YOU SAY?

Hurt- Johnny Cash

Ok that was funny :)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Back Of Your Car - Ryan Star

Hopefully yours isnt too messy

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The Shock Of The Lightning - Oasis

I guess I like girls who can surprise me ^^

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
The Kids Aren't Alright - The Offspring

Pray for them.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Exhausted - Foo Fighters

If burning out is my purpose in life I'm one sad little bugger.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Rocketman - Elton John

Wut?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

Oh crap...

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
I Got Mine - The Black Keys

I'm selfish

WHAT IS 2+2?
Its All Love - Rock Star Supernova

Kinda makes sense actually

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Revolution (Beatles Cover) - Stereophonics

Thats nice.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash

"Because you're mine... I walk the line"

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Deuces Are Wild - Aerosmith

Will I win?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Big City Lights - Black Stone Cherry

I wanna rule the city

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics

@.@

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
The Ultimate Fling - Poets Of The Fall

OH SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is it the questions relating to my parents give scary answers!?

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bad Day - Daniel Powter

WTF!? On my wedding? No please.

And why do I have this song in my playlist? Oh yeah... got it from Jason's computer

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Babylon - David Gray

hmmm....

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
The Pretender - Foo Fighters

Wut? I like pretending?

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Let The Music Do The Talking - Aerosmith

I'll write songs and you can read the lyrics and slowly you'll find out all my secrets. meh

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Master Of Puppets - Metallica

Noooooo... I don't think my friends are controlling. :/

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Blues Improvisation - Steve Vai

wut?

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
None Of Us Are Free - Solomon Burke

I'll die a prisoner? Or does this mean that none of us are free from death?

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
You Really Got Me - The Kinks

True.

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Shelter - Corrine May

Wut?

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Walk On Water - Aerosmith

If you think really really really hard about the miracles Jesus did you might cry.

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots

"Leavin' on a Southern train...Only yesterday, you lied..."

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Lonelily - Damien Rice

I'm sure everyone is afraid to be lonely.

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Reverend Wrinkle - Black Stone Cherry

Eeeeeeee... a pastor likes me.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT COULD YOU CHANGE?
Momma, I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne

Um, does this mean I want to go back home with my mum, or I DON'T want to?

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
How Could You Do It - Henry Gray

Yeah lah... how could you??? Tsk tsk

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Born Fe Rebel - Steel Pulse

See.

2009-03-06T13:35:00.002+08:00

Look at all the people
Look at all the people
See them killing
See them killing

Look at all the soldiers
Look at all the soldiers
See them fighting
See them fighting

Look at all the cities
Look at all the cities
See them burning
See them burning

Look at all the children
Look at all the children
See them crying
See them crying

And I
Bow my head
Hide my fears
Hide my tears

And I
Close my eyes
Wish and pray
That it'll be ok

Look at all the people
Look at all the people
See them dying
See them dying

Look at all the armies
Look at all the armies
See them shooting
See them shooting

Look at all the orphans
Look at all the orphans
See them hiding
See them hiding

Look at all the sinners
Look at all the sinners
See them praying
See them praying

And I
Bow my head
Hide my tears
Hide my fears

And I
Close my eyes
Wish and pray
That it'll be ok

Kumbaya.

Another facebook album + New colours

2009-03-05T16:20:00.005+08:00

This blog has been revamped. The template is so bad, its good. That is why I never bothered to get a proper blog skin: The horrible template grew on me.

Oh, isn't the dog cute??? ^^

Another collection of bad photos. This batch is not as good as the first one. This is on facebook btw.

I still have some more.

I screwed up 84% of my teenage life. Oh wow,

2009-03-04T21:06:00.004+08:00

Liangzhi forced me to do this. But i just updated this blog like 30 mins ago...

How much of your teenage life have you messed up ?

TAG 25 FRIENDS; REMEMBER TO TAG THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU!

[o] Gotten detention.
[o] Gotten your phone taken away in class.
[] Gotten suspended.
[o] Gotten caught chewing gum.
[ ] Gotten caught cheating on a test.

Total: 3

[o] Arrived late to class more than 5 times.
[o] Didn’t do homework over 5 times.
[o] Turned at least 3 projects in late.
[o] Missed school cause you felt like it.
[ ] Laughed so loud you got kicked out of class.

Total: 4

[o] Got your mom / dad etc. to get you out of school.
[o] Texted people during class.
[o] Passed notes.
[o] Threw stuff across the room.
[o] Laughed at the teacher.

Total : 5

[ ] Pulled down the fire alarm.
[o] Went on Myspace , Facebook , Xanga , etc. on the computer at school.
[o] Took pictures during school hours.
[o] Called someone during school hours.
[o] Listened to an iPod , CD , etc. during class.

Total : 4

[o] Threw something at the teacher.
[o] Went outside the classroom without permission.
[o] Broke the dress code.
[o] Failed a class.
[o] Ate food during class.

Total : 5

[o] Gotten a call from school.
[ ] Couldn’t go on a field trip cause you behaved badly.
[o] Didn’t take your stuff to school.
[o] Gotten a detention and didn't go.
[o] Stuck up your middle finger at a teacher when they were not looking.
[o] Cursed during class loud enough so the teacher could hear.

Total : 5

[] Faked your parents signature.
[o] Slept in class.
[ ] Cursed at a teacher to their face.
[o] Copied homework.

Total: 2

All total: 28
Multiply by 3: 84
Then re post this as "I screwed up 84% of my teenage life"

Yep. No surprises here.

Switchfoot Live videos + New facebook photo album + New music albums

2009-03-04T14:14:00.008+08:00

New Facebook photo album. Moar albums to come! Click this! CLICK IT NAO!

Thank God for holidays! I've got time to upload stuff now.

I finally found a way to upload my Switchfoot videos to youtube. I had to do some stupid tweaking.
Its going on facebook now.

This is Awakening.

Sorry for the bad camera handling. I was new with the camera, and didn't really know how to take videos properlly. I learnt from my mistakes, my future videos doesn't have so much movement and irratic zooming.

But at least it isn't too shaky. Look at the idiot in front waving his hands to the rhythmn WHILE VIDEOING THE BAND. Dumbass.

Jon Foreman solo playing 24.

I wanna watch Switchfoot again!

================================================================================

I've finally brought Rise Against's Appeal To Reason. I also wanted to get the Black Keys' Attack And Release, but they sold out, so i got the nearest thing I saw: Black Stone Cherry's Folklore and Superstition.

Both are Hard Rockin'.

Rise Against is recommended for the rebel in you. Also recommended for the part in your heart that gives a damn about the world.

Black Stone Cherry takes away the "classic rock" and adds the "metal" in Southern Rock (What's ts southern rock? Rock coming from the Southern part of America. D'uh) . To describe them, they are like Lynyrd Skynyrd (the one that wrote Sweet Home Alabama) or maybe Allman Brothers Band (you probably never heard of them). Except they drank alot of moonshine, used heavy metal licks and screamed their lungs out.

Neither are mainstream/pop nonsense.

Youtube Videos + God makes us happy?

2009-02-27T23:06:00.009+08:00

I finally uploaded my first YouTube video. Pretty exciting stuff. I have repeatedly tried to upload Switchfoot live in Sinagapore concert performances, but its keeps stopping at 95%. Ugh pisses me alot. I guess this would help me avoid legal issues from EMI or something haha.

If you want Singapore Switchfoot videos i got two. (24 and Awakening). But i was pretty new with the camera, so the zooming in and out can be abit irritating lol.

Anyway I think I was waiting for something or what I dunno it was after church I think... This busker at White Sands was playing my favourite song (Knockin' On Heaven's Door). So I videoed him. Later he did Let It Be, another beautiful song. You can also see this video on my Facebook

Sometimes I wish I have the time to stop and watch buskers for extended periods of time. Some of them are really talented like this one.

I have 3 or 4 or more videos that I feel like uploading. I might go back to my old craze of doing stop-motion videos too haha.

Since we are at the topic of videos, heres a really funny one i saw recently! Old people are sexy.

The first one was pretty bad, like a Methodist church Holy Communion done wrong.. But the rest just cracks me up! The Ridin' Dirty one is actually quite impressive.

====================================================================================
====================================================================================

Does God wants us to be happy? LG session made me think about this. Jesus said stuff like love your neighbour or obey God, but not stuff like "Be happy dude".

I mean, God even says we'll have suffering and hurt. Sometimes, obeying God feels like a chore, like loving not-so-lovable people or serving in Church. Does that make me happy?

But then again, the Bible never said God did not want us to be happy. (The old twist the statement around argument technique lol)

I guess if we live our lives out like how God would want us to, joy would come in as, for the lack of better word, side-effect. Loving others obviously makes one happy, despite the repercussions that come with it. Serving God is also something that gives me great joy too.

God promises to bless us in the Bible. There's no hard and fast rule that one of the blessings He'll give is happiness, but definitely true "clean" (not sin-induced) happiness should come from God. Besides He also blesses us with other cool stuff. If being alive, with sufficient food to eat, a roof over our heads, basic human rights like education and even luxurious stuff does not at least make us content, let alone happy, we need to look back and count our blessings.

And the joy that one gets when earnestly worshiping God... whats that? Its not just some "happiness"...Its much much more than that. Its something I can't really explain in words.

Holiday plans

2009-02-23T16:50:00.005+08:00

I have just emerged from the warzones of exams... dazed, wounded and barely alive. It dreads me that he might have to return for another battle.

No seriously. I know you guys keep telling me to chill and stop dreading supplementary papers, to stop being so pessimistic and stuff. But the truth is, I did not put in any real effort during this term, and screwing up exams big time is only what i deserve. Argh. Hopefully i can manage a D for edev and Dfund, and hopefully biochem can be reasonable. rrr

But enough ranting. Heres something to liven up the mood!

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh yeah!

==================================================
Plans for long holidays! Have way too much to do.

1. Play guitar everyday. Must instill this discipline
2. Play harmonica.
3. Play guitar and harmonica at the same time.
4. Draw
5. Write songs.
6. Play guitar
7. Tidy up my room
8. Then re-deco/paint it.
9. Play guitar
10. Find work?
11. Exercise
12. Play basketball
13. Play guitar
14. Study lol

2009-02-13T15:44:00.002+08:00

If you're in poly, you're probably not reading this... unless you are. But you should be studying.

Jia You!!!!

The week in summary

2009-02-06T23:18:00.007+08:00

Many stuff happened this week. I'll get the bad parts done and over with:

I did not know how to do a single question for the last 3 quizzes. Not one. So its 30% in the toilet. X/
Its time to chiong for main exams liao.

Timbre Tuesday:

The last time I went to timbre was when i was 14 or 15 with my brother. The band was Ublues AKA Universal Blues Band, one of Singapore's forerunner Blues band. If they perform again sometime you guys must follow me and watch them. Thats an order.

We wanted to watch Goodfellas doing an acoustic set. Goodfellas is a pretty good bad (pun not intented). So when they swapped the band for some other group I got really dissapointed...They were not very fantastic, just another coffeehouse band. The problem is that they chose songs that were "normal" and already acoustic. You know, the Jason Mraz and John Mayer stuff. (John Mayer, live, is a hot Blues player! Stop listening to his studio work ppl)

They did got interesting when they played Justin Timberlake. It really got everyone's attention when the did LoveStoned. It brought back memories of S.R.C. It shows how much potential they have if they chose the right songs. They got a nice bassist and an above-average singer who can do falsetto. Maybe they just need more experience.

The songs they chose kinda stirred up not-too-distant memories:

Apologize by OneRepublic: If you are from BIE and u are reading this blog, chances are u know what i mean ^^ We need to jam again!

Creep by Radiohead: We were singing this songs in my cousin's cousin house during CNY. I don't know their uncle/my auntie's-in-law's husband, but when he saw me trying to figure out the chords to Creep, he joined in... haha, my cousins and him were singing the bridge part... Thats what my auntie meant by "music brings everyone together".

Lovestoned by Justin Timberlake: The song the dance team danced to during Solid Rock Cafe.
I wish there would be another SRC. Then we can have a Hard Apple Fan Choi reunion gig!

Where is my Goodfellas!?!!?!? They should at least put the change on their website! gggggrrr...

Oh, i got drunk.

This is me with a huge glass of Coca-Cola. I didn't know it was spiked

This was my vision before i drank the coke.

After a few sips, my vision was like this:

Its was powerful stuff. Half of the stuff and i was gone.

at this point of time all i saw were neon-light emitting fairies flying everywhere:

It was inevitable. Here is a kind stranger checking if I was alright. Thanks mate

When i woke up i was here:

Wednesday: Got a proper haircut finally!

Thursday: End of a damn irritating CDS! + A pleasant surprise

After lunch i went to the bookstore to buy a cd for my presentation... As i pass by there was a live band! AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I KNEW EVERY SINGLE SONG A BAND PLAYED DURING A GIG

Whiskey In A Jar - Metallica's rendition
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple (a song that is perfect as a Classic Rock 101 introduction)
Paranoid - Black Sabbath

To understand the big deal over Classic Rock, listen to these 4 songs. These are is a goodClassic Rock starter-pack songs.

Useful information on why ppl listen to classic rock! Click! Its true! But i belong to neither section... mine is not parents or friends, its brother. haha

=================================================================

We had one last burst... A final final presentation for our project! I took Management of Enterprise btw

It was all over... the crapping of reports... the wednesday long meetings...the calling of Mediacorp and other advertising companies pretending to be a legit business enquiring about the cost of advertising.... the whole damn thing is over. I thought my leader would be even more bossy towards the end... but strangely he did opposite and mellowed. I guess he knew everyone did their part, and everyone did.

Finally! Its over! I have emerged from this, with some business skillz, and a little pride from enduring this unneccesarily overbearing subject.. Ooooooooooh yeah

Friday: "First" LG session for the year + Songwriting and guitaring in BIE clubroom

Haha Jason, Wyman and I went to the clubroom to "study"... fail! Hafiz was playing guitar, AND HE'S A DAMN GOOD SINGER. He got the ang-moh kind of voice... Basically he's a stereotype mat haha. He plays "normal" guitar better than me, i.e. He has a good sense of timing and is gentle on the strings, unlike me.

Then we tried to play other songs. I was the handicap: I was the only one among the 3 of us who could at least strum some chords, but i didn't know any chinese songs except Jay Chous, Fish Leong and Na Bian De Nu Hai.. -.- But we finally found one that i could strum to,a David Tao R/B song. Damn nice

Then we tried to write songs using Jason's poems. Wyman was on to something with Jason's Chinese zuo pin. I was on to something on his poem "Melancholy Angel"... then Hafiz came back from prayers, saw what we were doing and joined in. His interpretion of Melancholy Angel thrashes mine!!!! Urgh... not fair! I gave him the chords!!! He's a great singer and i'm tone-deaf! Haha now it wont do justice to impose my melody on it, so i guess I'll use it for my own songs.

=============================================================

wWe had our first "proper" official LG session for the year. The new book that we were going to use as our LG material was pretty exciting. It had the run-of-the-mill material you would find in any group study. BUT it did more than that. Half the book were group studies, the other half is pretty cool stuff. Accountabilty stuff (so i won't pretend to get drunk again!), extra-Bible study help, MEMORY VERSES, prayer logs.... It was a whole QT starter-pack material! It even had a page on "Group Covenant" where we would have to sign later....

Why so serious??? Lol.... looking forward to the lg sessions of this year.

AND we merged lgs...Thankfully not too many of them made fun of me and Michele. Luckily that ah piu never come.... He would have a freaking field day with us. Urgh.

Oh, and thanks for the little belated 2nd febwuawy celebwation.

Ben is old.

2009-02-03T00:46:00.009+08:00

Title: 'Nuff said

Thanks for visiting my blog! As a reward you get to see a candid shot!

Any questions? Good lah! NaDH

This is PURE COINCIDENCE. RAWR!

Qwantz comic for SECOND FEBWUAWY 2009
Dinosaur comic is dinosaur.

Link placed to avoid lawsuits: www.qwantz.com

For the more blur ppl here, febwuawy 2nd is the day i celebrate myself for reasons I'm not very sure of. Something about birthing or what, i dunno lol. But this year was special. I had a proper celebration with my friends.
Last year, i spent febwuawy 2nd as mentor time with someone in church.
Last last year, i had training in East Coast Park, afterwhich i went to the police station to report my lost wallet and IC. Only the policeman knew it was my bday lol
Last last last year i had training too. I narrowly escaped tao pok from my rowdy seniors. I had dinner with family at Pasta Fresca (lol pasta again??? did someone mentioned copypasta?). My childhood favourite restaurant now sucks.

So when ppl suggested that I actually celebrated my birthday with friends, it caught me off-guard. I got a lil' shy (lol Royston). I don't really celebrate febwuawy 2nd. I thinks its abit... narcisstic. So i got a little apprehensive when I was asked where i would like to go.

Timbre.

But that was out of the question (hopefully I'll go there TODAY haha), so i thought about something cheap for my friends but not too cheap. Pastamania was it.

Thanks Jason, Jian Le, Jolene, Kat, Lynette, Royston and Wyman (no way is this in any particular order. Look carefully. Nope, totally random), for coming down for dinner with me. Thanks to the rest of my classmates who wished me a happy febwuawy 2nd too. Thanks to those who smsed me. And thanks to those who wrote on my wall.
MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO WROTE ON MY TAG BOARD. YES MANY PPL TAGGED ME!!!!! LOVE YOU ALL. get the bloody hint :)

Oscar speech aside, lets get into the pictures:

Thanks for the cake guys. You guys rock.

When i went back home, theres moar!

Near PoPo's (Grandma's) nursing home, theres a donut shop called Donut Factory. My parents went for their regular visit to her, and decided to buy some donuts for me haha. How thoughtful of them. :)

This poor donut was never seen again

Once again thanks everyone who wished me a happy Febwuawy 2nd! It might be a small gesture, but I really appreciate it!

Timbre!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully i can go

Radical life-changing decision + Ottos + forced memes

2009-02-01T21:36:00.005+08:00

Persuasive dog is persuasive

Forced meme aside, i have decided to make a decision that could change my life forever.

This decision will forever alter people's perception of me. It marks end of an old beginning and a new beginning of an end. It heralds the transition of getting past yet another phase in my life, especially now in my impressionable teenage and almost-post-adolescent years.

In fact, this could change the world.

I have decided to be a proper male now.
I will leave my hair short.

It all started when my MUM (like wth) pulled a surprise attack on me, strapped me unto a chair, and did the unthinkable:

She cut my fringe straight.

This is outright child abuse.

After hours of wimping about my lost dignity and wallowing in self-pity, I persuaded my mum to at least cut my fringe properly. Now its a freaking bang. Still sucks, but at least its not a bloody coconut.

But i came to realize: My hair is not growing the way i hoped it would. I kinda wanted a mat-style headbanger curly rocker hair, but instead i was getting a post-modern emo look. I guess long hair doesn't work on me. Come to think of it, my "best" hairstyle in secondary school was an ah-beng japanese style trimmed short thinned hair. Okay, i dun really know how to describe it, but its short and thinned.

I will get my hair cut by a REPUTABLE hairdresser/barber on Wednesday.

==================================================================

To break the monotony of yet another long winded post by me, i shall put another forced meme here.

Because of teh internets, Mudkips are now THE coolest pokemon in the world since the big fatass sloth-like one. And its underlying innuendo is much worst than Squirtle. Don't ask.

==================================================================

An Aussie family missionary band came into PMC today and led worship/songs for Ympact. I liked the whole "live performance" style format that they used: We (the youth congregration) "watched the band perform" rather than the usual "sing along with the worship leader" thing. They're called the Otto band or something like that, cos' thats they're surname.

They are kind of like an Aussie version of Corrine May. Not outrightly "Christian music" yet not to subtle. Just sub Corrine's pianos with acoustic guitars, and ang moh singer instead of English-ed Singaporean voice. The lyrical style is kinda the same, except the Ottos are more "direct" and "Christianish" than Corrine, i.e. less subtle.

And everyone agrees they sound like Colbie Caillet. White ang mohs girls with acoustic guitars. What did u expect?

All this time during corporate worship I/we have been singing songs that praise God. That is, we sing songs about His glory, His majesty, His awesomeness, and calling Him to work in our lives. Also, I have been inuanded by many a sermon proclaiming the glory of God, His majesty and His awesomeness etc etc.

Yet I seem to have a dislike of writing Christian songs. For some reason I just can't write them. I kinda realised, pardon my language, that I don't like sucking up to the Big Guy above.

I guess I forgot one important attribute of God:
He is our loving Father.
He saves us because he loves us.
He is the loving shepherd that tenderly cares for us.

The Ottos' songs were like love songs. In fact, you can take their songs in an entirely different context if you didn't know they were singing about God, and imagine that they were singing a love songs to another lover and not God. I know. I just read through some of their lyrics.

Here's a sample of their songs.

Its Alright

It's alright
He's by my side
And He'll take good care of me
It's alright
He's on my side
And He knows my every need
He said,
Oh you of litte faith
See the sparrows in the sky
Unencumbered by the cares of the world
I feed even them
Clothe the lilies in the field
How much more to me are you worth that these
I gave my Son for you
It's alright
I'm by your side and I'll take good care of you
It's alright
I'm on your side
And I know all that you go through

If you go to church and listen to Christian songs, you'll proberlly hear the standard stuff:
"All majesty to the God of creation"
"We worship You"
"Falling before the wonder of Your name"

Yet the Ottos were singing songs that were like...love songs. Its as if God is an intimate lover.

Its important to adknowledge the majesty of God, his attributes of Holiness, Powerfulness, Sovereignty and Worthiness-to-be-praised-and-worshiped.

But I guess, sometimes we have to remember that God also came down as Jesus Christ. He loved the people around Him that He fed them, ate with them, talked to them, fratenize with them, healed them. He loved us so much he actually died a horrible death for us. A king who came down to our level? Thats much food for thought.

I guess i got inspiration to write different kind of "Christiainish" songs now. But i kinda fail as a songwriter lol.

BTW i got Melissa Otto's CD, featuring some of the songs played during service. If you want to hear it just ask nicely and say please. :) I also got the DVD.

============================================================
Yet another long winded post by Ben? I'm sorry. Heres another forced meme to make it up to those who bothered to read through this post or those who just scrolled down in boredom.

This.... is......Breakdaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaance!!!!

CNY

2009-01-29T00:08:00.004+08:00

Here is a picture of the one watermelon survivor with my family.

And this is the resilient produce being slaughtered for our pleasure at my grandma's place with the whole bunch of my father's side. By some miracle they are all in Singapore, and we could have a nice reunion together.

What a fool that this one chose to live. He should have learn about the others of his kind. He will pay.

Die fool.

The ritual sacrifice begins

It was a necessary death

All cut nicely

Om nom nom. That's my aunt btw.

The bloody carnage after it was all over.

The watermelon turned out to be a success. Yeah, only one survived, and it was pretty small, but you got to hand it to my dad, a first time watermelon-farmer. It was really sweet and delicious! He better grow more lol

And after what seems like eternity, i got to meet my cousins from my mum side this time! Alwight.

Long overdue reunion.

Glad to see that the 2 twins are as retarded and ever. Now with ang moh accent spewing internet memes all over. ( ai herd dei liek mudkip)

And just to piss her off, heres an unglam pic of April. ^^

Happy New Year all!

2009-01-23T13:28:00.004+08:00

Ben has barely survived one of those more-stressful-than-others weeks in school. Thwee cheers for him.

I have finally succumbed to peer pressure and became a sheep in the flock.
I've joined facebook.

I shall now watch as my email gets flooded with ppl accepting me as their friends.

I want to be your friend. Will you be my friend? Be my friend dammit.

Sloshed.

>.<

Hero of War - Rise Against

2009-01-18T23:40:00.005+08:00

I tried to learn guitar chords for modern pop-rock songs... so that i can at least play some of the stuff that the kids and friends in church like... songs like Yellowcard's Only One (okay), Boys Like Girls' Thunder (eeew come to think of it its a crappy song and band) and One Republic songs (a closet guilty pleasure of mine).

But i gave up on learning all of them after hearing Rise Against's Hero Of War. Now i only stum this song lol.

I realised why i don't listen to mainstream rock and pop-rock and pop... It sucks. The singers all sound the same. The melody structure follows the same structure as boybands, i.e. easy listening, memorable verse melody but lack real gritty thought-provoking substance. Electric guitars are non-existent (whats rock music without them?). Singers sound like they never reached puberty. Most are one hit wonders (well, maybe you can call them 2-3 hit wonders, but that elevates them only to the level of boybands)

And don't get me started on pop-punk! Yuck! The worst subset of rock music... its so fail it doesnt deserve a place in the rock music family. Every, I repeat, every singer have the same voice, and its a pre-pubescent whiny crybaby voice. The chord stucture is the same throughout every song(I, Minor, IV V, repeat), guitars are just high pitched power chords, lyrics are restricted to break-ups, new love, and masturbation. Melody is the irritating kind that gets stuck in your head. POP-PUNK SUCKS!!!!!

Sorry, i grew up listening to a few real punk rock music... Very little mainstream elements in them, they don't hold back on aggresion and distortion... stuff like The Offspring, The Ramones, Rise Against.... So i know that punk has so much potential than the "pop" kind you hear on the radio

And nowadays i stopped listening to music just for the music and opened my ears to the lyrics. The lyrics of pop-rock songs are at best okay, i guess, but there are more lyrical themes other than love, break-ups, finding love, walking together... notice the similiarity with boybands here?

Yes, I'm talking about the themes usually explored by political punk bands, not-too-Christian bands, metal bands and such. Themes like politics, violence, death, brotherly love, stepping up for our society, war, religion, peace, basically all the hippie stuff but darker.

Enough of ranting about music. I want to get back to the main feature of this post: Rise Against's Hero Of War. Its my new favourite song. Heres a homemade Youtube video.

Rise Against is punk rock band that i heard a few songs years ago...They sing alot about politics, society, suffering, rebellion but also sometimes the standard fare of love and hate... Only last year did i get to hear more of their songs... They are a harder kind of punk band, meaning they lean on the hardcore side.. They scream some of their choruses ala Foo Fighters style(but even more xiong). But this is the first time i heard an acoustic song from them.

If you took the time to hear the song, and even watch the video, i'm sure that it somehow got those brain cells working a bit. Even if the music doesn't really suits your taste, surely the lyrics must have gave you a new viewpoint of soldiers, essentially but not necessarily American.

I personally feel the melody is great, on the mainstream side, like today's pop-rock ballads... but this song conveys more emotion that the other modern ballads i heard. The lyrics actually have substance. (Pissed in his hands... surely thats an eye-opening line? Shit like these happens in this world btw) The chord structure is simple, again similiar to others, but the whole song just.... trumps the rest.

The song gave me a few different perspectives: The persona, a soldier most likely an American (they wrote the song in such a way it could be ambigious, but the first verse, involving how the soldier got influenced into joining the army, is uniquely American).

His ideology of war changes in 4 minutes of the song: From a gung-ho, proud new recruit, wanting to be a hero of war, to a callous commanding soldier, although having a little conscience left, does his job in a slightly cold-hearted way.

Soon, he guns down a civilian woman, which i assumed he feared to be hostile, but couldn't discern through the chaos and battle(soldiers face this shit. Thats why sometimes they shoot innocents or friendly soldiers: Its hard to discern whos friend and whos foe in the thick of battle). Upon realising that the woman was holding the white flag of surrender, his whole attitude towards being a "hero of war" change.

Then theres the perspectives of the others: The captured man, his family and friends, the children around, the lady with the white flag: All victims of war

Rise Against's newest album, where Hero of War is taken from. Thinking of buying it.

It made me think about us... we have never gone through war, and some if not all of us will/has not lose/lost a loved one through war, let alone be inside a war-torn area. Truly we are blessed, but what about others?

And what about the soldier? America, desperate for recruits, resort in aggressive marketing to portray being in the army as cool, hip and heroic. Many youths, swayed by the charisma of soldiers giving talks in schools and a sense of patriotism, signed up, not knowing the consequences of almost inevitability getting into a warzone.

I just wanna say that theres better music out there that the mass-produced radio hits that most ppl listen to... Hopefully I can introduce a little bit of those to you guys. In turn, you guys usually corrupt me with pop music too, haha, so its fair lol. :)

OH YEAH I DON'T HAVE THIS SONG!!! ANYONE WHO HAS IT CAN SHARE WITH ME??? THANKS!

Killing Fields of Hate

2009-01-16T00:50:00.005+08:00

This one might be a little controversial... pls don't be alarmed. Sometimes people try to imagine whats going on in someone else's thoughts and mind, but they might not reflect the own opinions and attitude of themselves.

Killing Fields Of Hate

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How I love to fight in your
Killing fields of hate

See these guns and bombs of mine
With these I put my life on the line
And on the blood of innocents I shall dine

See all this unbridled rage
Demons released from its cage
Soon I will turn the page

What for? I don’t know
For peace? Love? Justice? God?
It seems that death is the only way

Maybe I’m brainwashed.
Maybe I’m possessed
Or maybe I just love to be in the

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How I love to die
In your killing fields of hate

See the lies I have swallowed
And the ammunition I have borrowed
Hatred and prejudice soon followed

See the people in the meadow
If only they just lined up and follow
Where they deserved to be they shall go

What for? Personal gain?
Someone arrest me or I’ll kill them
Corrupted by the inconvenient truth of man
Maybe I’m crazy
Maybe I’m suicidal
Or maybe I just love to be in the

Killing fields of hate
Killing fields of blood so red
How everyone is going to suffer
In my personal fields of hate

If you are still blur on whats going on.... its about terrorism lah. No, I don't feel this way lah. Lets just say I'm trying imagine whats going on in stereotypical characters' (i.e. the terrorist) thoughts. Still dunno ask your Lit teacher. Man, I miss lit alot.

2009-01-11T20:30:00.003+08:00

People collecting O Level results:

Good Luck!!!

May God guide you as you take your next big step in life!

================================

Lost my precious file x.x

At TP open house, there was this band playing "Have A Nice Day" by Stereophonics.

Now I know there are some people who also listen to the stuff I do.

Seriously: Screw Pop-punk. Its corrupting the music tastes of our youths.

The scareeeee post!!! Eek!

2009-01-08T23:15:00.003+08:00

Warning: The pictures that you are about to see can be FRIGHTENING to some, and may cause nausea, nightmares, bulimia and measles.

This picture is only a test of your courage to determine if you can stomach the other pictures.

What is your response?

A)Woah! That frightened me at first, but its just a silly old photo that is really not too scary.
B)..... A picture of a big scary-looking house. Whatever
C)UGH DAMN YOU BEN YOU MADE ME SEE THIS NOW I CAN'T SLEEP ON MY OWN TONIGHT!

If your response is A or B, you should be able to see the next few pics without much problem. If your response is C, be warned that the next few pictures could be scarier, and I advise you to not see the rest of the post. Why?

The next few photos are real, I took them, and they are pictures of reclusive beings that literally flew into my house, scaring the living daylights out of my family. In history, literature and popular thinking, these beings are associated with death, ghosts, bad news, the consumption of blood, and a brooding superhero.

If you are the type who are easily nauseated by the bloodcurdling stuff like Channel 5s Incredible Tales, James Lee's Mr.Midnight and the ending of Channel 8's The Little Nonya, please do not continue reading this post. To be fair I will leave some space in between this disclaimer and the scary photos.

UGH!

BATS ON A FAN!!!!! HALP!

ITS GETTING CLOSER!!!! OH NOES!!!!!!111111111

Thats a bat. On a fan. IN MY HOUSE. They can get irritating. I'm at home, minding my own business, when suddenly, something flutters around. And they are much bigger then I thought. When they fly away, it scares me because they are so big, and I'm so near, it seems like they are going to attack me.

They can shoot laser beams out of their eyes! No lah... If you are wondering why their eyes got light one, its because I used camera flash.

But the most irritating thing is that they make a mess on the floor!

Those are fruits by the way.

So they pick their food, and decided to eat it in my house. This has got to stop. At first I thought they were pretty cute... But now i realise they can get quite scary. AND THEY CAN GET IRRITATING...

Lol i wonder... if i get bitten by a bat... will i turn into a vampire? I don't want to be a vampire. Vampires are emo. I rather be a werewolf. At least I will be normal for 3/4 of the month. So please, bats, please no bite me.

But srsly, sometimes i feel sorry for them... All they want is somewhere to have a good meal in peace... But us humans destroyed their bat-caves and trees and they got nowhere to go. So they go to my house. Poor things.

I'm sorry bats, as much as we humans have encroached on your space by destroying your natural habitats and putting up ugly looking concrete buildings, you can't stay in my house. Lifes not fair. If i can find a peaceful home for all of you where you can eat your fruits without irritating humans around I would... but pls no use my house.

2009 start game + badly drawn comics is badly drawn

2009-01-02T00:53:00.016+08:00

Can't read my handwriting? Dun worry, improving it one of my resolutions. So for now:

As we celebrate the coming of the new year
With much merriment and festive cheer
Lets not forget the people who can't do so
For they are in need and full of woe

We might think we had a bad year
With so much stress and so much to fear
But can we relate to the poor child
Who have nothing to eat, not even for awhile?

There's poverty and injustice, genocide and war
And many things that never happened before
Some (people) may not make it past midnight
Never to see the new year, never to see the light

We have so many wants and complains
We look back by counting our losses and gains
But sometimes we are truly blessed
We can live well and we have the best

Why don't we all make a new resolution
To do something for the world and be part of the solution

So lets say a prayer for the year ahead
For those are in need,
For those who are afraid.

Delay posting due to irritating scanner issues. Anyone knows why my com cannot detect my canon mp160? it was working fine in the same com last time.

30 hours in a nutshell, 31st Dec - 1st Jan

-Fast day at school. We need more of those

Ajisen Ramen with Roy, Reub, Jason and Charlie. Ajisen Ramen still fail.

Made a full of myself with my own unique style of Para-Para. Everytime i play para para with my friends, its for the sole purpose of entertaining them. I mean, look at the real paratards. pffft. boring. They just stay rooted to the ground, stone-faced, swinging their wrists as if they're in a trance. YES YOU ROYSTON! >:D

They forgot the simple but effective para skill: Legs!

If only they had, like, normal songs, and not the japanese techno crap. Micheal Jackson Revolution anyone? Or Riverdance Riverdance Revolution: Beats of Ireland

Went home, ran, ran back home, ate steamboat dinner with whats left of my mothers' side of the family in Singapore minus ah foo and popo.

Steamboat at Golden Mile has been there since Biblical times.

Talking about Biblical times, i decided to count down the year the guai hai zi way: Church.

Crybaby room aka overflow room aka Praise Gallery fail.
PKM's sermons as simple yet effective as ever. IMMEDIATELY!!!!

All nighter at Liang Zhi's house. First time playing mah jong in real life. I WON A GAME!!!! 2nd game some more leh. Abit unfair, cause those who were not playing helped me alot. Lol i must have pissed offthe rest (Jacko, Sheldon, Sam) by being so blur and asking so many questions, when actually i already know how to play. PONG AH!!!!!
Shlosed folks. No offecne to a bit bossy sloshed girl :x

It might be big, but its $1.50

Lead guys to eat prata near my house (Kelyn's and Racheal's suggestion) Everyone was too sloshed or full to eat, and for the first time in my life i struggled with only 2 roti teluar.

Androo, Ed, Ken and Leon came down to my house to borrow DVDs and try tonelab.

That is all.

January 2nd.

Dad woke me up very early today. I took bus 24. I thought it would go to bedok reservoir but thats 28. When i realised it didn't i thought it would go tampines. Ended up in Changi Airport. X/
When i finally reached TP I suddenly needed to shit. That wasted 10 mins.

So i came to school like 1 hour 15 min late.

Played damn fun childish games with friends. Thanks roo(ben) for teaching us these games.

Then we had Lgeeeeeeee.... quite bittersweet to end off studying Daniel with so little ppl. :/

.

2008 - Warning: EXTREMLY Long Winded Post! If you think my older posts were long u aint seen nothin' yet! Even the title is long!!!

2008-12-30T23:07:00.009+08:00

It started with lots of promise and excitement... pity it turned out to be one screwy ride. Thats right, I'm talking about the thing that is the year of two-thousand and eight.

Why was it "screwy"? No, its not my own problems, but the worlds'... just how many terrorist attacks and wars happened this year? And whats up with the fickle economy? Any world issues like poverty, pollution or genocide resolved?

But enough of the world. Stop! Ben time!

Personal year:

+ Kickstarting the year with with Trackers(A 2 month Christian discipleship programme) , and the marvelous India mission, 2008 was off to a good start. Trackers spiritually refreshed me and i was off to face the next step with confidance.

Yeah I know this is a bad pic because not every Tamtam is here but i wanted to show how Stef looked before she got pregnant! Haha now shes returning back to this yay.

+ Also, my new church Life-group (thats cell group for you non pmc-goers) Tam Tams are a great bunch of ppl, and i always look forward to friday nights to hang around with them.

Off to the next step: Working

-/+Working was really really over in an instant. My dad's cafe changed management lol, so both father and son were out of a job very quickly. I had a stint at wedding banquet waitering. That was the worst 2 nights of the year for me. It also made me not trust employment agencys anymore. Overall it was a gd experience, and best of i learnt how to make cookies, and use a coffee machine properly.

Then came poly. I can't remember how i felt when i first came to my new school. I think it was something like;"meh, new school. whatever. Hey look! Girls! woohoo"

+ The new friends i made in school (unless u are in Ympact, if u are reading this you're probably one lol) were pretty cool. Yeah, there were a few ppl i never talked to initially, but i guess now we're ok.

- Then came politics. (dun ask, i also dunno lol)

+ Uh well. Things are "better" now i think. Still got you guys as my friends. You all, yes, everyone in i803, or the few ppl outside class that i came to know, are still cool.

- It still sucks to think that next year the classes are gonna be reshuffled.... oh noes.... uh well. Hope you all stay with your new best-friends next year, and have a good year ahead.

- - - Got a new job. It sucked big time. Wasted my holidays. October must have been the worst month ever in my life. I actually laid awake at night thinking of how im stuck in a dead-end job, how stressful is it to go through a day, and whether i can escape. I didn't know i will get working blues at such a young age. I missed alot of tamtam sessions and one voice sessions. Lesson learnt: Don't work at an atas restaurant

.

+ Uh well. Ah least it gots me moneh to buy a Vox Tonelab!!! yays! Guitar flamboyance +9000 exp!!!

I was supposed to go back to work during holidays. But discovering then im not bound by any contract or rules, I pontanged work and went church camp and caroling. Hopefully my employers and colleagues can forgive me. Sorry boss!

-/+ Camp L.A.H.: I was a group leader. I got a little complacent, thinking my "success" as GL for R.A.W camp (yes we love acroymns) means that lah would be smooth sailing. I thought wrong. Me and Pei Min had to take care of each individual group members' needs and problems, so it can be pretty trying. I guess God was trying to show that being a SGL next year, i would face my different personalities and issues, and I can't get complacent. Leading (or should i say, serving, because thats essentially and very importantly what being a group leader is) ain't a walk in the park, and I'm gonna need lots of guidance from God.

- And i was accused of... doing something wrong. WTF??!?!?!? Yes, bold the F in that, its what i genuinely feel. I'm really really really sorry for offending that person, it was not on purpose, but srsly, what the hell? And no, its most likely not you, dun worry.... Nvm you all don't need to know what happened. Disregard this paragraph!

+ But ultimately Camp L.A.H. was great, as being gl really taught me alot on Love, Acceptance and Humility. The sermons weren't as impactful as Ps.Aaron's previous ones, but the corporate worship and tahaning the games were pretty refreshing.

- And planning caroling and practicing was tiring. Turns out i didn't do much for Ca rolling comm, jsut the publicity and a bit on the programme. Trying to memorize guitar chords and STILL screwing em' up during practices and the actual days itself was demoralizing for my big ego... And Dawn was pretty strict too, which makes me worried about how the younger ones might feel about her.

+ But everything paid off. We had tons of fun. We friggin' sang on a big stage *with fail P.A. system according to my parrents :(* in Orchard! We entertained ppl in houses, and most exciting of all we gave a surprise performance for the kopitiam near church. That was uber cool. And it was the only time i didnt really screw up guitar lol.

+ Not forgotting the new Ympact friends i made, through RAW, LAH, Tamtams, caroling, or just wasting time at the lounge.

Thats it for me.

Back to the cruel world.

- Religous persecution in India right after we left. And in the state of Karnataka itself. And Orissa too. Scareee.
4000 Christians arrested in a peaceful march in New Dehli
Official no. deaths: 40-50. Real estimated: >400. I don't care if that includes Hindus. No one deserves to die because of religion.
>12000 displaced.
Nuns raped. Churches and houses burned. Death threats to pastors, including the one who took care of us.
Persecution of Jesus' fellowers is inevitable. Hopefully things are getting better there.

- Rising food prices + Rising fuel prices + Rising commodities prices + Rising every damn thing prices + Sub-prime crisis + Raped banks + Lower employment + Black October + Stock Market pummeled + Rising dollar + Volatile economy + I can haz bailouts???+ Recession!! = One screwy economic year.

- War in Georgia
- New old War in Gaza
- Cyclone Nargis + Junta apathy
- Sichuan Earthquakes
- Indonesia mudflow
- Messed-up Thai Politics
- Poverty rising
- No one gives a damn about pollution anymore
- Somali pirates
- Melamine
- Terrorism: Pakistani Marriott hotel, Mumbai attacks
What else have i missed

=================================================================

This is all that most of us can remember. However, let us take comfort in the joy we found in the slightly better things that happened in the past year

The sad part is, i cant find anything, so i had to google search. :/

+ One heck of an Olympics (had to coincide one week before term tests. urgh) Woot Phelps, Bolt
+ SINGAPORE WINS MEDAL!!!!!1111
+ Lots of old bands releasing new stuff e.g. Foo Fighters (ok that was 2007. Hard to find good news k???), Black Keys, AC/DC, Metallica, Oasis... I didn't really get to hear the new stuff
+ Afghanistan situation improving
+ US Aids rates falling
+ Sub-Saharan African economy improving
+ Fuel and food prices went back down later part of year. Ironic, huh?

Okok, can't think of anything else. How about MY own good news?

+ TRACkers
+ India trip
+ Made new friends in school, Trackers and church
+ First guitar pedal: Ibanez Smash Box (might sell it now lol see next pt.)
+ Vox Tonelab LE!!! woohoo
+ RAW camp
+ Camp LAH
+ Carolling
+ Officialy becoming gay by making a blog

Thanks be to God, for blessing me with all these, even though times were getting tougher and things were more stressful.

If you have actually read the whole post: Congratulations. ~~You have no life~~ You are a good reader and i really thank you for taking the time to read through this

Wishes for 2009: For it to be less crappy and more peaceful. That my studies will get better, and also everything else about me too. And Obama: Everyone has put their hopes on you. Don't screw this up man.

Camp LAH + Carolling

2008-12-28T22:15:00.010+08:00

Group 2 is (from left to right): Lois, Anne, Joel Ong, Wayne, Ben, Soritong, Weisi, Cherie, Pei Min

Not in picture (sorry!): Samuel Kiong, Yong Wei, Gloria

You guys rock

Carolling!!!

Ice cream saves lives + Random Pictures of the day! (watermelon edition)

2008-12-15T22:47:00.011+08:00

I won't be posting for a week or so. Church camp.

Yeah my dad's fine. Don't worry about him. Thanks for your concern

My bro and his gf brought back ice cream from Ice Cream Gallery.... shiok lor. Got whiskey and raisin flavour, and alcoholic mudpie. Damn strong alcoholic stuff. DAMN NICE. Now i know why i was so down the past few weeks. Its not because of term tests. ITS ICE CREAM WITHDRAWL!

This is real: Everyday i look into my fridge, with the faint hope of finding some frozen proccessed flavoured milk.... but alas, it was not to be. Slowly i lost the will to live, as ice cream was my lifeblood. I thought it was chocolate, but even the chewy gooey sweety chocolatey stuff was not good enough... ICE CREAM KEEPS ME ALIVE.

Thanks koko for saving my life! And his girlfriend.

Anyway, i noticed i did not put any pics lately. Heres another instalment of *drumrolls* RANDOM PICS OF THE DAY!

Went to get tuner and pedalboard bag with Jason. Thanks Jason for sacrificing precious Red Alert 3 time to come with me! Went to Waterloo street cause i wanted to photo the temples there. Turned out the there was nothing much to photo about the temples, but there were hell alot of pegions! The floor was filled with bird poop, but i bent down to shoot anyway.

Why are they all facing the same direction? So that i can take their photo! heh heh no lah they were following a woman who fed them stuff. Scary xia, i thought they will attack her and steal the food, monkey style.

Jason watching some Japanese hippie raggae/folk buskers. They were selling cds for $10. We decided to waste money and buy it. But he has the cd now, so i didnt get to hear it. Should be good.

World's coolest microphone stand. Period.

WATERMELONS!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111oneoneoneoneone

Finally, some watermelon pics!

This is the only one surviving. Everyone else died

The entire vine. As you can see, only one refuses to give up the fight to grow in Singapore's climate. Keep growing, my minion. One day you will be a good fine elegant adult melon. Good enough for me to eat! Muahahahaha

This is a very small one. Poor thing died young. R.I.P.

This is the survivor, 2 weeks ago. Look how small it is, it's shorter than my dad's rolex watch.

Pwetty Flower. Notice the dead buds. lol

The sticks around the vine attracts curious visitors like this lil' dragonfly. What they find facinating about the stick i don't know. They can stay on it for hours. You can always find them hangin' out. Theres also alot of other insects like ants, butteflies, moths and stuff.

This is the baby photo of the big juicy watermelons you eat after lunch. Can you believe they were this small??? Pretty cool huh? BTW this ones dead of course haha.

I will not be posting for a week because of church camp. cya!

They tried to make him go to relapse i said no no no

2008-12-14T22:06:00.006+08:00

Damn it i'm sick of relapses. At around 6.15 am today my dad went into *another* seizure. xian.

Why is it that every "holiday" my dad has to go into some kind of seizure? And early in the morning when i want to sleep? super xian...

Thankfully its not too bad. The seizure around 6.15 am. Apparently he was well enough to go church, thank God. Didn't go hospital this time (we felt there was no need to). Mum didn't panic like last time (now its like routine liao lol), and my brother was around this time.

Just some background info: about 6-8 years ago, my dad was a train wreck. Dunno what happen, it was like multiple diseases come and simultaneously attack dad. Brain stroke, intestinal bleeding, diabetes, and other stuff all one day conspired and said "hey lets whack Ben's dad at the same time!" and sent dad all the way to the ICU, and even death for about 14 seconds. But for some reason ( or maybe its divine intervention) he recovered fully. No stroke, no intestinal bleeding, nothing. Its like as if the diseases said "screw it" and left dad. Thank God.

But the stroke is still a little stubborn. Apparently the *church-famous* seizure in july was just a "side-effect" or "minor relapse" of whatever.

Hopefully the last one is also something minor. Dammit im sick of seeing him get into fits early in the morning.

And I'm sick of going back to bed after that to start thinking about what would happen if he just died. Horrible sickening feeling.

Side-effects be gone!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Had uber-Carolling practice today. I was pretty happy at first, singing the songs and smiling and stuff. But then i had to play guitar....

I never screwed up so bad since i first played in Church. I messed up just about every song, and everyone could notice it, especially Dawn, our conductor. I didn't know why i was so nervous. I played in front with an electric guitar so many times, but strumming the classical guitar is very different. You can't screw up, unlike playing electric guitar in a band where you can make mistakes and no one will really notice. I guess i will have to quit electric guitar until Christmas and focus on strumming. Strumming is really sian

On a lighter note: Joseph from NZ is back!!!!! for 2 whole years!!!!! We got lots of catching up to do dude.

Term tests: Bloody aftermath

2008-12-14T00:29:00.003+08:00

Term tests are over... but i feel like the mugging has just started

Everything was a big wake up call. I can point my finger at what took away my studying time: church, carolling, c.d.s., lack of sleep, guitaring,....

but i got no one else to blame but myself for not working as hard as i could.

I mean, i saw how good i can be at studying. Towards the last few days i could chiong pretty well. But its not enough to just wake up before the tests/exams itself. I had this problem since primary school. Just about every (maths) teacher has scolded me for only paying attention and working hard towards the end. Well i guess i got to stop being so immature and finally face reality: i have to study everyday. Im most likely at the bottom of the class, and probably around the bottom of the whole course too.

Not that i'm not capable of getting good grades

I'm prepared to face the result. I know i will DEFINITELY fail DFund because i totally neglected that subject. I'm prepared for a 2-hour long lecture from my mother and "that look" from my father when the see the results. I'm prepared to get admonished by all the tutors. I'm prepared to, well, die. I deserve it after all.

Its not like i'm gonna cry about it or whatever. Thats the stupid way to work things out. I'm pass that long time ago. I just need to buck up. I'm hoping that my friends around me can provide some kind of accountability in terms of studying. They have been doing a good job waking me up at lectures so far. Keep it up guys! ;)

There is only one thing that I'm really depressed about: I can kiss university dreams goodbye. You guys can have those places. Theres not a cat in hell chance i can catch up with everyone in two years. Uh well. Life sucks. Shit happens. Bear with it. :)

Dfund comic

2008-12-06T17:20:00.003+08:00

This was drawn a nong nong time ago (you can tell)

Its to cheer up everyone at I803. Or those taking dfund

With The Help Of

2008-12-04T23:37:00.002+08:00

Here I am, all alone again
I've been through this old familiar pain
But I still have my two feet on the ground
Nothings gonna bring me down ( i get back up)

With the Help of God, I'll survive
With the help of true friends I'll make it out alive
With lots of faith and lots of prayer
Things are going to change

I've been through this a hundred times before
And I'll face it a hundred times more
No one knows if we'll still be friends
But its time to make amends

With the Help of God, I'll survive
With the help of true friends I'll make it out alive
With lots of faith and lots of prayer
Things are going to change
Things are going to change
Things
are gonna change

Ben's first proper blog post + secular music + watermelons

2008-12-04T23:02:00.005+08:00

Blogs are for ppl to talk about their daily lives. I don't have a life so i don't blog. But what the heck.

Came to school late. I slept only for about 3 hours, because i stayed up lated to write a boring essay about secular vs Christian music to One Voice. Got scolded by a senior for sacarsm. do'h. Sincerely sorry.

I'm too lazy to talk about the article. Here is just some main points taken from the ongoing discussion:
-Everything is permissible but not everything is benificial. Cor 6:12 (this is a verse in the Bible)
-Be wary of being "demonically" influenced music, especially shock metal.
-Nothing wrong with secular music as long as it does not harm you or others

http://www.av1611.org/crock/pod.html

Here is an article about the band P.O.D, who are Christians (but not playing in the Christian music industry). But its soooo funny. The author was ranting and rating about minor points about POD. He even mis-interpret some of their quotes. But there is some truth.

But come on: Little Nicky movie is satanic? Jimi Hendrix "bloodshot eyes and messing up song sets" were demonic attacks? (its drugs lah. Thats how he died.. Theres a book warning of the danger of confusing epilepsy and scientific diseases with demonic possesion). Calvin Klein? My cousin says: This guy needs a girlfriend.

Yeah its true that POD should not support satanic bands, use occultic symbols, talk bad about conservative Christians yet promote other "filthy (his words not mine)" bands. But bottom line, they are humans who make mistakes and sins. They are not in the Christian music industry, so its okay if they feel they want to leave God out in some of their songs.

My dad asked me why they can't remove their tattoos. And he's an expert on tattoos himself... surely he knows that those tattoos, even with the best surgery, will leave uglier scars all over their bodies? "then cover them," he said. Okay, i too think that they should not brazenly display their tattoos. But you can't hide your past, just like how born agains like Neville Tan(sic?) or Glenn Lim should not hide their past. Different issue altogether.

Okay lets blog about my day.

Went to school late because of afore-mentioned article. Tried my best not to sleep in school (only had a good 3 hours rest) but for some reason i only slept 15mins in biochem.
Bad enough. 15mins overshot. Will try harder tommorrow. keep it down to *close eyes, lean down, but still awake when teacher says something important*, and then to no need of sleep at all.

Anyway as usual didnt understand anything. ate lunch and dinner. Went to management of enterprise quiz. It was hard. Went home and blogged.

See? my days are boring. So lets blogged about something else

My dad is growing watermelons!!!!!

THEY ARE LIKE SO CUTE LAH!!!!!! they are as small as marbles! But many of them died for the cause :(

But theres this survivor which is growing. Can't wait to eat him. muahaha

My brother suggested writing a blog for the watermelons.

HUH!?!?! coming from my brother its shocking.

Will consider it. Probably after tests.

Peace

Google Image Search Meme

2008-12-02T00:12:00.015+08:00

Way before i even thought of creating a blog, i saw this on LZ's and Andrew's and enjoyed this meme which they posted. My turn! BTW I copied the urls, so if you get any error messages in place of the picture its probably the source site's fault, not mine.

The rules:
1) Answer questions and type into google image search
2) Post any picture from first results page or Post the first picture that comes up.

1 - Age at Next Birthday: 18

haha lol

2 - A Place I'd Like to Travel: Kenya

elephants are sexy

3 - My Favourite Place: Alone in my own little world*

*BUT NOT looking at little girls as this pic might suggest!!!!! NO WAY

4 - My Favourite Objects: Electric guitar

Yes it looks cool but is it playable? Strings look intact, so its more like an autoharp. Coincidentally, my guit is a squire

5 - My Favourite Food: Chocolate

Damn these looks good

6 - My Favourite Animal: Dogs

Psychic Dawggie is reading your thoughts
Thank you Rolf Hickler, whoever you are

7 - Your Favourite Colour: Black

Hei Hei De

8 - The Town Where I Was Born: Singapore!

This picture's really nice. Makes me think of how i always zoom past the city and take for granted the beauty and coolness of it.

9 - The Town Where I Live Now: Kebangan.
Boring rich man town

As i predicted, Kebangan is so boring and insignificant that i can't find any proper pic of on google. So i took this one instead. Somewhere within the globe is kebangan. Find it yourself.

10 - Name of a Past Pet : ND

My past dog named N.D. ran away. Maybe that son of a bitch went to North Dakota?

11 - First Name of a Past Love: Rugby
(sorry to dissapoint ppl who want to find out my dark love secrets. All i can say is: :p)...

...instead, i decided to make it up to you guys by posting a picture of naked ppl streaking down what is supposedly a rugby field. Don't get horny now

12 - My Best Friend's Nickname: The Messiah (real name Jesus).
Yes cliche answer i know. Sorry

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Its a huuuuuuuuuuuuge choir which believes that a Jewish Civilisation lived in North America way before the current Americans did.... so weird....
Nightpro Symphony Orchestra sounds like a prog rock band. Who knew Mormons were so hip?

133 - My Screen Name / Nickname: ummmmm.... srv_at_heart??????

woot Stevie Ray Vaughan. Guitar legend which left the world too early

14 - My First Name: Ben

No prizes for guessing this Ben's surname

15 - My Middle Name : Yong Quan

Like... wtf???????

16 - My Surname: Leong

Psychic Liang Qing Ru controls your thoughts: yOU mUST bUY iMPACT rED aPPLE nOW.
Jason must be so proud.

17 - Bad Habit of Mine: Come late for school

To Ben, there is.
Thanks Rod Maclean, whoever you are

18- My First Job: Ball-picker/ Ball boy

I got dengue after my first paid "job" day of picking rugby balls. o.o

19 - My Grandmother's Name: Rosie

Sometimes i think of Mama and wonder if shes fine. But after that think about my dementia stricken Po Po, and know that Mama is way better off then her. *start emoing*
Thanks Maurice Sendak, whoever you are

20 - My ~~College~~ Polytechnic ~~Major~~ course: Biomedical Informatics & Engineering

Too tired to add comment

This meme took muuuuuuch longer than i thought....

If u've seen my past posts u would know that this is gonna be a photo/picture heavy blog. Thats why I'm looking for a blogskin thats simple, has no navigation, and is picture friendly (i.e. Big space for posts). Something like this current template, but not so plain. Anyone can recommend anything? ... Thanks

Rant!

2008-11-29T01:00:00.002+08:00

Changed my blog template. haha. I would get a proper skin if i wasn't so lazy
Keeping with the tradition of everyone else's blog, i shall post angsty stuff. wee

Theres alot going on with the world. 120+ people killed in terrorist attacks in Mumbai (woke up to see the news. Made me really depressed), with terrorists still holding hostages. Over-democracy in Thailand. Global warming. Widespread poverty. Corrupted governments. Genocide.

Yet im bogged down by much smaller situations. Seems like a waste of time and energy to me.

Come on, friends. Get a grip!
Stop the hatred.

I don't want to take sides.
I liked the status quo, even if it aint perfect.
I still don't know the whole damn story. Everythings so complicated, its worse than a bad channel 8 drama. Let me try to be polite here. What the hell is going on?
Maybe i shouldn't know.
Somehow burying my head in the sand like an ostrich seems wiser. It doesn't seem right. Is there anything i can do other than pray?

uuuuuuuuugh can't even rant properlly. Im not that kind of person
I'm not even directly involved in anything. It just understanding things that sucks my blood.

Come on friends. Get a grip!
Stop the hatred.

"But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness, even if you don't love me anymore"
-Don Henley

Shit happens. Get over it.

Random Pictures of the Day

2008-11-20T00:15:00.003+08:00

Yes, its another instalment of RPoD. Applause pls.

At this rate, im gonna set up a flickr/photobucket account. I got lots of pictures and its a waste to let them rot in my hard drive.

I noticed to pic i put in the previous post wasnt clear enough to show my handsome face uglified with marker drawings, so i put in another 1 :p... haha once again thanks Pei Shan and Reuben

Wyman working his magic hands on the BBQ... BIE camp

Yes grass.... you see it everyday, but you never notice them. How about THIS close???? Too close for ya???? Then look away! Looooooooook awaaaaaaaay!!!

Hungry Ghost Festival... i guess you already knew that. I love the symmetry and the two tone colour of the tent.

Zhong Yun Jie (thats correct right? Sorry i speak poor Chinese) has alot of photo opportunites. I only managed to shoot abit this year. Waiting for next year. (Is it morbid to say i'm looking forward to the seventh month??? Im creeeeeepy....)

Meow. Hee hee. Guess this is one cat whos not interested in his/her fish. I have WAY TOO MANY pictures of cats. I guess they are too easy to photograph. Lazy bums. I like shooting animals (using a camera, animal lovers!), but so far all i get is birds and cats.... bleh

CCN day + SMU Starry Night

2008-11-16T00:28:00.009+08:00

CCN Pictures Link HERE!!!

CCN day = tiring.

Serene, Hazel, Lynette & Liang Eng came to my house twice to bake cupcakes. Luckily my house wasnt burnt down

Its tiring to keep going out to buy ingredients and baking stuff. My oven is a fake toaster oven, so we had to keep taking out and putting in trays due to the small amt of space.

View of my camera after dropping it down 2 stories. Luckily the pouch saved it! Thats Lynette, Serene, Jason, Liang Eng and Hazel. from left

It paid off. We sold of our cupcakes and cookies within 2 hours! I would say that Nilfer, who walked around me, is a damn good saleswoman. She sold off her stock and i only sold one to my friend! Maybe because shes a girl :P

This looks alot more retarted in real life

Trying to squeeze out earnings, Reuben suggested that he go around and get ppl to pay to draw on his face. Being so bored, i volunteered myself to join him. So Pei Shan and the 2 of us went around and got ppl to draw on us for a dollar!!! I think tp ppl can be artistic... Except for those who wrote vulgar stuff or circled my mole... lol. We earned about $20 for our expedition!

All in all the whole class did a fine job. We made a 150% profit!!!! Thats alot

I was damn tired, but i forced myself to go to some SMU concert to see Sheldon perform. I slept in the taxi (damn late already)

It was nice. At first i was not happy cause everyone around were all stoning to rock music, but after awhile we loosened up and got up. The first band were The Goodfellas, a fairly "famous" local band. They were great.

Then Sheldon's band came up. I didn't like how both singers mumbled, and couldnt hear them, and that their song choices except Grace Kelly and Stand By Me/Beautiful Girl medley (copiers. sheeeesh) were unknown. But they were good

The next band was in my opinion the best band, performing MJ's Beat It (with volunteer dancer lol), I Believe In A Thing Called Love (while long time since i heard that), 7 Nation Army and others

Then there was the crazy chicken band haha. Hes damn good at guitars (and bass)

The stupidest band. They turned techno hits such as Toxic, Tarzan and Jane, Barbie Girl and square rule into dance rock songs. I got woooooah square rule stuck in my head after that.

3 pedal chains for 3 guitars. Retartedly sick and rich

How romantic. After a Chinese song, the acoustic guitarist explained the song choice and said he needed to "settle down"... cue romantic music here. He proposed to his gf!!! The crowd was wild with excitement, with confetti and impromptu bursting of balloons! Maybe thats how ill profess my love to my gf. But she'll be embarresed...

SMU students look like a fun bunch. The beer flowed quickly , and body-surfing was the order of the day. No hardcore moshing though.

I hope i can see more free concerts and maybe a ticketed one soon. I been to too many free ones, (free mah passerby just come and stop and stare) and the atmosphere is not very exciting But Switchfoot was a blast. I post videos soon

Random Pictures of the Day

2008-11-12T00:36:00.005+08:00

Pictures are needed to break the monotony of this blog

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Cool sky

Guitars are cool. These are at Blackwood Guitars, Bras Basah

Every year i eagerly wait for the return of the herons. Herons are cool! And they're back!

Effect achieved through reduced shutter speed. Its actually quite easy, just requires paitience.

Even in India, people want peace. Can we coexist? This was taken at a place with lots of Muslims (kind of like Bangalore's own Geylang Serai). There has been persecution against Christians recently due to the death of an anti-conversion Hindu priest. Thankfully things seem to be simmering down.

BTW the words read: Please do not make dirty here. Submit this picture to engrishfunny.com pls

Meme

2008-11-11T02:42:00.000+08:00

Ok its about time i went to sleep but editing new blog carried me away. Lets do a meme

Random Joy

1. Do you make an effort not to step on cracks?

I actually make an effort to step on them!

2. When was the last time you got caught in the rain?

Last month on my way to work. Just a drizzle

3. What was the last movie you saw?

Madagascar. I like to mooove it mooove it!!!!

4. What would you say is the nerdiest thing about you?

I love comics. The daily newspaper kind. I such a comic fanboy i actually go to libraries and borrow em'. My favourites are Mutts, The Far Side, Get Fuzzy and the webcomic Sinfest.

5. You work on a large cruise ship. There an explosion in the engine room and the ship is sinking. There is only enough room for 30 people in the rescue boat and including you there are 31. You are the only person capable of driving the boat, and the people are demanding you choose the one who stays behind. Time is running out. How do you pick the person who you will leave to die?

Teach someone to drive the boat (should be simple. I mean, its a freaking boat, not a plane!), then jump off and sacrifice myself. Hopefully i can swim to shore.

But if you think about it, it should be possible to squeeze one more person. This question FAIL

Blog start

2008-11-11T01:58:00.001+08:00

Ok after millenniums of procrastination i decided to put up a blog. I have joined the masses of bored people talking about stuff thats only interesting to them and their immediate friends.

I'll probably wont blog like others. Don't think I'll blog about my day or life or whatever cause im a very boring person and have no social life whatsover to talk about x. And also im sure you are sick of reading people blog about what they did with their own friends which you don't know about or what they did that day, which is the same as the day before, and before that, and before that and before that and to infinty and beyond.......

I'll probably post pictures and videos and songs and memes and stuff. Or if im really too free i might draw comics and put them up. Im a horrible drawer but what the heck

Lets start this blog with a quick introduction of myself.

Name: Ben Leong

School: Temasek Poly.

Course: Biomedical Informatics and Engineering. Thats about medical machines and stuff like that

Likes: Myself too much, Music, Guitars, Harmonicas, Friends, Family, Animals, Peace Joy Hope Love and all that hippie stuff.

Dun like: War, Hate, Meaness, Apathy and all that bab stuff

Yes u can see im pretty boring. woop.

cheers

2008-11-11T01:39:00.001+08:00

will be up soon