Moblog: Are we there yet?

Queueing up to go into Vatican Museum, home of e Sistine Chapel.

Moblog: At St. Peter's Sq.

Work 12hrs, wake up to this. How to resign liddat!

Moblog: When in Rome...

All my bills, folded up n tucked into coin pocket. Safest way to carry your cash as a tourist here...

All fired up!

Well I had a enjoyable weekend just past. Headed down to East Coast to chill out with some of the boys from Arsenal Singapore. It was interesting to note that we seem to be the only people bbq-ing that night. Guess it's not that appealing any more to others; the many preparations of the food, getting the charcoal to burn at just the right heat, the slow grilling of food, the waiting for the food to be cooked, the smoke, etc.



Still, we had some very enthusiastic Gooners and their family members join in to make it a successful one. Allen and Irene cooked up a storm at the pit, they seem to enjoy sweating buckets over a fire. Aunty Blog was most helpful ensuring that the fire in the pit was burning long and hot. I also tried out Steve O's stuffed pepper with beef/cheese, nice ...

I brought canned fruits (most popular as it required the least amount of preparation, and didn't require a fire) and a pair of speakers (note: don't buy cheap batteries that's been sitting behind the counters of your mama-papa grocery stores) so as to bring some groove to the night.

Inevitably, the night turned into a discussion of all things Arsenal. The boys stood in a circle, arms folded in all seriousness, and talked about the latest transfer rumours and reviewed the team's performance. I was just goofing around and enjoying the food and beers. I even got hold of a ride, for a short while...


As the night drew on, the group slowly went on their own way. A few of us stayed back till late, just shooting the breeze. There were still plenty food left, as with all bbq's, and we redistributed it amongst ourselves to enjoy back home.

Good Singapore Gooners day out, considering that it was put together with not much planning. Looking forward to the next one.

Moblog: AC Milan 2 Liverpool 1

Congrats to Giuseppe from Italy, the only true Milan fan in the whole of Liz Pub.

Introducing...Nicklas Bendtner

This boy...I like...

Study no high

I've never been much of a student, academically. I remember locking myself in my room 2 days straight so that I could concentrate on my 'O'levels preparations.

It worked, to a certain extent, I made it with decent grades. I went on to Poly, only to flunk with flying colours within the 1st year, did some part-time jobs before going on to cheong all sorts of hills as a rifleman in Charlie Coy Platoon 9 Section 1 at 1SIR.

I came out relatively unscathed, and took the first job that came along. A retail supervisor at Watson's. It was not what it was cracked up to be, and I left under extraneous circumstances after less than 2 years. I interviewed for my present one dressed in my brother's office wear, and I think I impressed the interviewer with my answer to the standard "why do you want to work for us?" question posed enough for me to go on to the next round.

All that has been almost 12 years back. Now I am lined up for what could be my only shot at promotion for a long time. I have been pleasantly inundated with friendly advice and tips on scoring during the interview; such as not going with the self-deprecating humour strategy that I 1st thought of. Bad idea, bad, bad...

More importantly I've had to catch up on past notes and it feels like I am back in that room when I was a scrawny 16yr old cramming for his 'O' levels. In a way it was easier back then; I only had 1 TV set at home that I don't have a monopoly on, computer is simi I also don't know, and my mind was more innocent then. Now I have a whole load of cable channels to surf through, spend too much time online, and I multi-task in my head too often...

It's just less than 2 weeks to the interview room.


Best get going...

More goals scored than@New Wembley

So the 1st FA Cup Final to be played at the New Wembley was not what it was hyped up to be. Go read the sports pages online and in the papers if you wanna know more about this, from a Gooner's view, a non-event.

Just so happened I had the TV on, that's all. Yawwnnnn...

So if you looking for other ways of scoring goals this off season, why not take a look at this site? It's the Children's Cancer Foundation, and they are doing that shaving your head thingy again. My often absent Gooner buddy Daniel is participating again this year, with whole family in tow!


I've asked once my stylist how I'd look bald.

"Not very nice, your skull...not shaped nicely la!"

Plus, I'd have to be certified medically if I went to work bald. Maybe next year when I take a month off from work??

So I did the next best thing and pledged some beer money towards my friend Daniel for his charitable effort.

If you wanna do something for these children, get shaving, or pledge towards the shavees...

Guarantee you'd score more goals than the borefest between ManYoo & Cheat$ki

Look nice, ya??

Under the spotlight

So Football Crazy ran their last show for the season ( no more EPL=no more Football Crazy). They asked a some fans to turn up at the studio, and I was there with Pete and Dom. By time we got there they were ready to record, so I didn't get to chat much with the fans representing the other clubs. If you hadn't seen the show; ManYoo, Pool, Newcastle and even Spurs were represented. Pete wondered aloud why there were no Cheat$ki fans. I suppose they couldn't find any actual fans of that club, just many fair weather ones...

The studio was not that big, it was cosy in fact. It's kinda warm though, with all the big lights brightening up the studio. The hosts did a good job of reviewing the season just past, and a few fans got to speak about their team. We let Dom speak for Arsenal as he was there earlier and already knew what to say. This dude just started work in Singapore and actually went down to Liz Pub once, but unfortunately it was closed. Will get him to join up with the rest of the club soon.

They also had a former player from Wimbledon/Bolton, Dean Holdsworth. He provided some opinions as a former professional footballer on the league too. I might have asked for an autograph if I started watching football at a much younger age. Still he was friendly to everyone, even after the shoot.

Me? I was wearing my wig for the show, but I suspect that it got in the way of the camera a lot. They shifted us around for a few times for the respective fans to speak about their teams. By the 2nd half of the show I was edged out of the camera totally, sitting right beside Andy Penders on a beanie. Ah well, I was just making up the numbers anyways.

Jamie Yeo did flash me a megawatt smile before we started filming, and recognized me during the break as the dude with the wig when she hosted a show at Liz Pub. I managed a quick snap with her before we wrapped up and left for home.


So how? I yan tao not??

Window by Shirlyn Tan

Steady bo, my Xiao Mei leh...

Go Spunky \m/ !!

Young & dangerous

Recently the young people of Singapore are in the news do for all the wrong reasons. The most recent one has a JC student from Hwa Chong Institute giving one of our hardworking Bus drivers Captains a beating. It's all very amazing as he later claimed he lost his cool, yet stood by while the father went down on his knees at the interchange to beg for forgiveness.

This thug boy is studying at a JC that boasts an MP, some tv personalities, a very popular local blogger, and a very able lady who runs a company that turns seawater into potable water. With so many famous/successful predecessors before him, he decides to add to the list by going psycho on a working class adult making an honest living. The Alumni must be so proud of this gangster boy...

The above incident is a first, but by no means uncommon. Countless cases of "happy slapping" are going on in schools, dark staircases, during eca initiations, birthdays etc. Basically anytime and anyplace is good for them to kick/slap/strip/humiliate someone(usually weaker and outnumbered) and record it, then post it online for all to share.

I shudder to think what the future holds if these are the warped values that our young people have now. Many have came together to discuss how best to curb these adolescent gangsters( cuz that's what they are behaving like). Most are taking a softer, benevolent hand, often sending them for counseling or back to the parents.

Me? I'm old skool. I say hit them where it hurts; their young ego. Send them straight to boys/girls homes. Get them to wake up early morning everyday and do drills, have them pick up litter on the streets, parade them in front of the whole school, put up their photos in the papers. I've had enough of them being counseled, given countless chances to turn over a new leaf, and still not learn anything from it all.

It's time to return the power back to the adults in their lives.

Moblog: Day out at East Coast

Tried out ski 360 at East Coast Park.

Taking it on the road..almost

So there I am all ready to go online after connecting to a wireless network(unsecured=free!). Then I'm dumbfounded as to why I can't get onto the internet. I checked, rechecked, reconnected, restarted...still no internet. Wanted to check forums for source of problem, but wait, have to BE ONLINE first! Nabez go back must sort out with service centre liao.

So I'm still stuck to a network cable in the hotel as of now. Would be nice to be able to surf outdoors at the park at Sony Metreon in San Francisco, the weather's divine here. It's been a while since I was last here, but everything is still familiar. The shopping is but a hop, skip away from the hotel. I went into overdrive and bought too much stuff at Old Navy, then found that they are not the right size. Blessing in disguise, will go back to return them and save the money for Hong Kong on the way back.

Hong Kong is bustling as usual. It used to be hard for me to get around, cantonese not being my strong dialect. After a few years though, I can get by with some useful phrases, plus many speak Mandarin (Guo Yu) now so it's easier for the uninitiated.

Shopping here is cheaper of course, and I picked up 2 Crocodile polos here. And everywhere I turn I wanna snack on something; Portuguese egg tarts from Macau cafe, roast pigeon, dan nai, desserts from Hoi Lau San, yu dan, ping pong wanton... Just wait till I fly back and do more damage to my gut and wallet.

Well, it's off to a late breakfast then. Later's people.

Spreading your wings

It's been a while since I wrote anything. You'd think that with my new laptop just bought I'd be hammering at the keyboard like crazy.

Well I still have to work out the chinks in the laptop; like why it takes almost a FULL minute to start up, why the colours look like shite, and of course there being a lack of a wireless network( I'm hitching on others for the mo') makes playing with my new toy less enjoyable than I thought. A trip to Sim Lim Square is required, and I'd bring it on my San Francisco trip, dress it up a bit with more accessories and freeware, then it'll be right as rain.

Another friend has taken the dive and went overseas, this time to London. She doesn't even have a permanent place to stay yet, but that doesn't stop her from leaving the sanctuary of home to strike out on her own.

I read somewhere that it's not really that hard to settle down overseas. Sure, it's daunting to be starting all over again in a strange place after a few 10 years in the cocoon that is Singapore. We've been insulated from all evils since we were young, venturing out into the wide open space that is the global village is very scary indeed.

However, after the teething weeks and meeting fellow new migrants, most are happy to have made the decision to leave in the first place. There's a fella who waxes lyrical about life in Melbourne in the forum pages today. My friend in New York is never afraid to say what she thinks, gaining more confidence and assertiveness by the day. The one who just left for London, after the initial tears at the airport, is ready to face Great Britain with hope.

Perhaps, when I grow very old and ready to knock it down a few gears, I'd move too...

Where should I go retire...Perth perhaps?

Moblog: MC King

Been laid flat by illness...