Dream

I had this super bizarre dream last night.

I was running around a stadium. I presume I was running the 2.4km test. Running at a steady pace, I felt energetic and poised to finish the run by 10 minutes. Then, during my 5th lap, as I ran round the D-Ring of the stadium, there stood a row of people, standing side by side of each other. I recognised them. They were my friends from university.

As I ran past them, one by one, they contorted their bodies. Initially I couldn't make out what they were doing, but soon, it became clear.

I ran past Joel first. He had his left foot on his right knee and was forming a circle with his arms on his left. I realised that it was a "B". Then I ran past Sanny, She was standing on her right foot while stretching her 2 arms and her left foot to her left at about 15 inches apart. She was forming the letter "E". At this point, I started to think, what the hell were they trying to tell me. I ran by the next person. It was Wenxing, She was just standing there with her right arms stretched out and posing with a victory sign. I couldn't make what the hell she was trying to tell me, I later realised her letter was "V". Next, I ran past Grace, She was doing the exact same thing as Sanny. Trying to maintain her balance while doing it. Her letter was "E". Jeswan was next, she was bending her body infront, as if ready to dive into the pool. With her arms out streched, I realised it was an "R". Then it was Kaien, sitting on the ground 90 degrees to his left, with legs stretched out straight and arms pointing towards the sky. His was showing the letter "L".

I kinda knew what was being spelt. The last person was her. Standing straight with both her arms raised to the sky forming the letter "Y".

I stopped running immediately, walked up to her, held her face gently and kissed her.

(I remembered this so clearly coz as I woke up, I immediately wrote down the people in the dream on a notepad beside my bed)

What an awesome dream! I think I've watched one too many dramas. haha.

Song of the moment - Love is by Brian McKnight and Vanessa Williams

Donnie Yen is awesome !

I was browsing through yahoo news and there is this one article regarding the possibility of Ip Man as a trilogy. And Jay Chou is slated to be playing Ip's famous student Bruce Lee.
The news is great for fans of the Ip Man franchise. But what got me was the last phrase by Donnie Yen.


[Even lead actor Donnie Yen dismissed another quick sequel. "Let's wait for the script. Also, if Jay Chou is acting as Bruce Lee, I would need half a year to train him for his kungfu to look convincing."]

Haha !!! come on Donnie .. did you see Jay Chou and his whip in Trasure Hunter ?!?!?! Haha .. I know Jay Chou fans will hate me for this but I'm still gonna say this. Donnie is the man ! Haha !

Song of the moment - Luka by Olivia Ong

Random Rants

McDonald's Cinnamon Melts tastes like shit. I enjoy the Cinnamon tea from McCafe but come on .. Cinnamon Melts ? Its like pieces of bite sized bread, drenched in over sweetened syrup with a strong punch of Cinnamon spice. Every bite was like ants digging their way into your inner gums and planting shit along the way - simply torture. McDonald's product FAIL.

On the other hand, the quater pounder should be a menu regular :D

People should really learn to respect one another. There are assholes out there that think that they are superior to others just because 1) they have a little more knowledge than others, 2) just because they have more money than others (be it their own keep or supplied by parents), 3) just because they THINK they are, because of their oversized egos. You do not degrade someone just because they are less successful in life than you, you do not look down on someone just because your have more money than others.
You respect one another, as fellow human beings, because thats the way life's suppose to be. But then again, if there are no assholes like those people in the world, this post would be pointless right? sigh .. like what the famous cowboy says, there is no hope for the human race.

Song of the moment - Tu Ran Hao Xiang Ni by Mayday

Music

Its funny how my taste in music doesn't change much as I grow older. I grew up in the late 80s, early 90s. A period where boybands rule. Backstreet Boys, a1, Boyzone, Take that, Michael Learns to Rock .. You get the drift. You have to admit, at some point in time, you've heard of their songs and even liked them. I'm not too cool to admit, I did enjoy those songs then.

Perhaps I was exposed to music from the 80s more than I should have. I always remember, in my younger days, as I travelled in my dad's car, Class 95 will always be on. I got exposed to the songs they play and liked them. It was constantly playing hits from the 80s and I believe that the 80s shaped the way music is now in the 20th century.

I've heard it from somewhere, when you're young, you listen to Perfect 10, Yes 933. This goes on all the way till your late teens and early adulthood. People who listen to Class 95 are people who've "made it" in life. And as you grow older, you listen to fm958 and so on. I heard about this when I was younger, much younger, and perhaps since I was a loyal listener to Class 95, I rode on the fact that I've "made it" in life, I'm like a mature and stable kind of guy. How childish.

I guess my point is that, I enjoy the oldies, music that most pimply teenagers hate unless it's remixed (think Gazebo's I like Chopin) to a dance mix which probably be played at the infamous Mambo Nights at zouk. It might be me, but I think these remixes killed the song totally. But its just me.

As music downloads become more accessible, and video streaming gets popularized by YouTube. I find myself immensely enjoying Jazz/ Bossa Nova and indie music. Largly due to the accessibility of these songs and linkage between them.

Its not as If I totally hate "headbanging", techno, Discopop, Electropop genre of songs. Surprisingly, a couple of my favourite songs belong to these genre. Classification of songs gets a little complicated, now that there are so many different sub categories. So if somehow I've classified a song in a wrong category, forgive me (you know it all asshat).

I've looked through my entire mp3 folder in my external hard drive and I have come to conclude that I'm leaning more towards Jazz/Bossa Nova, oldies and indie music.

Some songs, just after hearing it once, I like it, its pretty much like music love at first "listen". I know it doesn't make sense but I don't give a shit. I like it. For now, I'll randomly throw songs that were kinda my favourites through the years. Songs that left deep impressions on me.

For some reason, I liked Evan and Jaron's Crazy for this girl when I was in secondary school. I kept playing the damn song over and over and announced to the world that it was my all time favourite song. For a couple of years, it was. It was a superb song.






Soon after, I got into slow ballads my favourite then was a song by Gary Barlow - Forever Love. I remember humming this song everywhere I went, at even recommended this song to Nursey, which I believe is one of her favourite songs too.




Another one of my all time favourite is from Breeze - Just a Feeling. This is one heck of a song. 8 to 10 years on, it never fails to be in my mp3 folder in which ever computer I've used through the years. A classic.



My interest in Jazz/Bossa Nova peaked with artiste like Peter Cincotti, Renee Olstead and our very own Olivia Ong.

Peter Cincotti's On the moon, soothing and meaningful. (couldn't find the video of the "live in New York" performance)



Renee Olstead's A love that will last, prompted me to get her CD without much consideration. Recorded when she was 16, with that amazing voice, it blew me away. (video is fan made, not original) Renee Olstead also did this wonderful rendition of Chaka Khan's Through the fire in David Foster's show which was awesome ! No video for that though.





And finally, our very own Olivia Ong. I first noticed her when I heard her rendition of Fly me to the moon by the great Frank Sinatra. Her voice was so sweet and her enuciation differes from what I'd expect from a local girl. I'm going to post up 2 of her songs. Fly me to the moon and her new song You and Me.








I'm not all Jazzy and Bossa Nova and Traditional Pop. Below are 2 songs that I really like. In a foreign language too !

T-ara's Time to love




As well as Mario and Nesty - Never Say Goodbye from the awesome korean drama My Girl (2005)





I'm going to end this post very abruptly now, just as I've started it impromptu.

Pretending

Pretending is easy.

Even though its spicy, say its not.
Even though it hurts, say it doesn't.
Even though you like it, say you don't.

Song of the moment - Never Say Goodbye by Mario and Nesty

attraction

Never make decisions base on irrational emotions. You should always think straight and not get emotionally attached just because of close proximity. But at times, your actions betray your intentions. You do things that you shouldn't do as a "normal" friend. You think about that person constantly, you worry alot for that person. In the end, all you needed was an assurance that that person is safe and sound and that invisible weight goes off your shoulder. Its funny, but hard as you try, its unavoidable. Is it love ? I beg to differ. Its more like .. attraction .. it is subtle and exulting at the same time.

This reminds me of a quote from the movie "Along came Polly"
"Since we have been together I have felt more uncomfortable, out of place, embarassed, and just physically sick then I have in my entire life. But I could not have gone through that, I could not have thrown up 19 times in 48 days if I was not in love with you."

Hmmm, I wonder if that is even possible.

Song of the moment - The Show by Lenka

Tips on being a good customer

Its the weekend of sequel-ed men ! ip man 2 and ironman 2. Both movies have awesome trailers and I'll be watching ip man 2 with porky in a while.

In the meanwhile, I've got something to share from one of the greatest book written by Steve Dublanica. Waiter Rant. It is meant for people who are waiters or were once waiters. It is an awesome book ! The only differences are that its setting is that of fine dining in the United States and the tipping part, which differs greatly from Singapore's practices.

So, inspired by book, I proudly present tips on being a good customer. This is dedicated to my hard working staff at the establishment I work in.

1) Make reservations and keep them. More importantly, be on time, you wouldn't want us to hold back your table while a queue snakes down the entrance, it makes it difficult for our hostess to seat other customers and your held back table becomes an eyesore.

2) If you're going to be late for your reservation, please call. We will hold back the table for as long as we can. On a weekend if somehow you've managed to get a table reservation with us and you are 30 minutes late, don't bother coming, turn around and go to the nearest McDonalds.

3) Never say, "I'm friends with the restaurant manager/owner." Restaurant managers / owners do not have any friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk into the restaurant.

4) Seat where you're seated ! Whenever hostesses attempt to seat guests, many customers (usually females) will walk past the proffered seat and hunt around the restaurant for a better table. Please, let the hostess do her job. She's trying to seat customers evenly so that everyone gets the best service possible. And if your waiter hears you whining about your table, he or she will know you are an annoying snob who thinks you're entitled to undeserved rock star treatment. Your waiter haven't even met you yet and you've already got a strike against you. How wonderful. The food taste equally good on regular tables and on booth seats.

5) Be polite. Say please and thank you. Be courteous to the hostess, waiters and managers at the establishment you're dining at . Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this)

6) Never say, "Do you know who I am?" Why ? Did you forgot who you are ?

7) Do not snap your fingers to get the waiter's attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.

8) Tell your kid to put away the PSP and sit up straight.

9) Do not use your laptop while eating dinner. And don't ask for a table next to a power point you cheap bastard.

10) Please make your sever go through the specials only once, spread the word around your table of 20. We do not wish to repeat the long list of specials again and again and again ...........

11) Order clearly. Say what you want. Your waiter is not psychic. Clarify the order with the waiter who, if he's smart will repeat the order back to you. You do not want cow on your table when you ordered chicken and your waiter doesn't want to bring the wrong cow back to the kitchen to get screwed by the chef.

12) Don't order off the menu. There is a reason why the menu items are as it is. It doesn't mean that we sell tuna and rice, we can make you sushi. When you order and change things in the menu, you're forcing the chef into a situation where he's cooking something he doesn't make on a regular basis. In a restaurant kitchen, repetition is the key to consistency. You want your heart surgeon to have done ten thousand by passes before he cracks open your chest right? Same with a chef. If he makes the same entree ten thousand times a month, chances are the dish would be a home run every time he churns out one.

13) Reasonable menu changes are all right for food allergies. Don't lie and say that you have an allergy so that the chef will make something special just for you. You know who you are.

14) The secret to being treated like a regular customer? Be a regular customer. Everybody likes to have a favourite restaurant whereby the waiter knows his favourite drink and the owner makes a fuss over him. We all want a special place where we'll always get a good table or a last minute reservation. The problem is, most patrons think they're entitled to that level of fawning on their first visit to the restaurant. Wrong ! If you want to be treated like a regular customer, you have to patronize an establishment at least once or twice a month. And don't be an ass when you're dining with us.

15) Don't monopolize the waiter's time. Sure I'd like to talk with you, only if I have 5 waiters but only 2 tables in the restaurant. And please, call me over when you are ready to order. I don't want to stand by your table while your date is a clueless person who has no idea what he/she wants. I can always come back later.

16) Don't ask for seperate checks at the end of the meal. That's your problem. You should have told me earlier.


Most of the above mentioned are copied word for word from the book. But I've added little bits and pieces to them to make it easier to relate.

Working in the service industry, you get to meet people from different walks of life. It doesn't get dull and probably its the only reason why I'm still working in a restaurant part time.

Song of the moment - Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne

Randomness of stuff

It’s been a while. I’ve got no one to blame but myself for the lack of updates. Laziness. I do not deny. Some random stuff that happened through these few weeks.

Vulnerability of love
A good friend of mine pulled the plug on his relationship with his girlfriend of 5 years. All along, I’ve always thought their wedding would be the first amongst our group of friends that I’ll attend. Stability is the main reason for my assumption. The news came as a shock to me. I understand that every couple have their fair share of quarrels and disagreement. The solution is usually compromise. But the question is, to what extent would compromise work. Sooner or later, it wears down both parties. At that time, would their love for each other be able to hold the fort and stay strong? Apparently for this case, it crumbled under that pressure. I wouldn’t say that I’ve lost faith in love, but the scepticism of the existence of love that is able to withstand anything exists. This issue has stressed the beliefs I have for love as to oppose dogmatism.

Is love really that fragile?

On the other hand, another buddy of mine recently got attached. It was plastered all over his facebook and comments rolled in, mostly with the teasing and congratulatory messages. A simple picture of meehoon bought by your loved one, spells blissfulness and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.

Then the question comes again, will this feeling of happiness last and withstand the tireless test of time? Certainly, I wish both my brothers the best. Be it at the end or start of a relationship.

Love, is definitely complex, we love to hate it, and we hate to love it.

Remedial Training
I’ve completed a cycle of remedial training at Bedok camp. It is time wasting and tiring, but I’m just glad it is over. I really need to get back in shape.

Qing ming
Qing Ming is here again, once again, the area near my house is jammed up every weekend. A simple trip from Bishan back to home usually takes 5 minutes. But with the traffic, I need to make a turn through Shunfu, back to upper Thomson and finally back home. The new journey takes 20 minutes with all the jam.

Every Qing Ming, my estate suddenly becomes like a condo. We have policemen stationed at both exits of my estate and they double up like security guards. They endure the sweltering heat and the unforgiving rain. And every time I drive up to them, upon seeing the car decal I have up on my vehicle, a smile forms across their faces. Two thumbs up!

Teaching
I’ve recently stopped teaching two of my students, due to circumstances that I am unable to react to and carry on teaching. It has been two weeks already, still no news from their parent. To make things worse, it is their exams this week. Hopefully they’ve manage to pull through. I think I worry too much for them, I really have to learn to let go.

Kick Ass
Kick ass kicked ass! Awesome movie! With its slapstick humour and awesome action, it is really worth watching. Oh yeah, by the way Chloë Grace Moretz = Yummy !

Song of the moment – All the right moves by One Republic

阳光列车 II

Just watched finish 阳光列车 II these past few weeks.

寥敏妤 from 阳光列车 II is mad hot ! Wonder where she is now.

吳佩珊 - 爱的佳话

I'll be impressed if I can find a girl who is able to sing this song decently coz even Kimmy doesn't know how to sing this. I've liked this song ever since I've heard it years back. So ladies, lets go KTV and impress me ! haha