Green and Bear With It

Free to Fly Like A Bird

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:04:00 +0000

I have learnt it to put it all behind me, not to chew on the bitterness and wallow in self-pity and brood aimlessly. But I have learnt that it is already a miracle to have something common, to be able to share amidst a sea of people and to have to be able to sieve up a colour, from a box of crayons, is something to be cherished, no matter how small it is, whatever that is left. Because, let's face it, there will be like-minded people out there, whom i will never be able to cross paths as friends, who i will never know, whom will only remain as inexistent mutual friends or mere acquaintances.

It is not about living to the preset expectations anymore, not about forcing myself to live to these expectations anymore.

It may be already too late, the ship may have left for the port of call, I am holding on to the hope, but the expectations have evaporated.

I finally feel that I can move on from here. This is the semi-closure that I need. I don't know where this will lead me to and I do not want to know either.

I will cherish whatever there is left.

Foolishly Took It For Granted

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:45:00 +0000

The exams are still on, but with a 10 day gap, i decided to impose a rest day. and well, declare the unoffical end of exams today. I don't know what is wrong with me these few days, but i repeatedly and irritatably continue to have very very vivid flashblacks about the past. The past year. Like my internship period last year. The period of attending press conferences, doing phone interviews and going shopping for products..i really miss the feeling of waking up each day and looking forward to go to work and being on the verge of being a workaholic.

My dear friend, commented to me how he missed the last two years. In a way, i feel for him. Although it was an awkwardly cold period doing mind-numbing stuff, i did some nice people, who gave me memories, just memories, to smile and cherish and be thankful that it happened, and not brood anymore about it. It could not have happened, but it did. Looking back, it was the moments when my friendships were the strongest, though they are at a stage that leaves much to be desired, it was a point in life, where i got so passionate about blogging, as you can see in my blog archives in 2008, 2009.

It was the time I knew i felt happy, yet I took what I had for granted. I don't know but those two years may not be so bad after all, though whatever is past stays in the history books and will never be revived. When I evaluate and look at my current status, i feel quite disheartened. Seems that I am been caught up with my work and studies to notice this, but the next four months, it will start to become pointedly obvious and yes, another cold slap to the face. I just know that the day will come.......bracing myself for it and I am sort of making re-enforcements. Praying that my worst dreams ( or rather possibilty) will not materialised....

Holidays Holidays soon and I am just thankful that I will be occupied, doing something, somewhere, but more importantly, i really want to take the next 3 months....to
RE-LEARN CHINESE. I feel very ashamed at my incapability to be fluent in my mother tongue and contrary to popular belief, i am not proud being a potato or banana or whatever fruit.

I could have dance dance dance all night............

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:15:00 +0000

And I have finally settled down in my new flat..after three months of living with carton boxes and moments when you really need a particular CD/shirt/pencil but it has been sealed in one of the boxes piled around .......and I can sefely say that there is some order in my life now. Yep, clothes all nicely hung, except for half a carton of shirts which I have no place for ( time to update my wardrobe) and 4 cartons of my beloved 8days magazines, which I will probably buy a shelve and display them with pride...but that can wait till the holidays........so glad to finally settled in and rub my legs against the parquet flooring.

Well, the first semester of doing chronicle ended yesterday, on a much peaceful note. 5 issues and those sleepless nights/mornings.Lots of lessons to learn from. More than about writing and brainstroming for ideas, but it is more on working/dealing with other people, which I have to learn the hard way, given my not-so-sociable nature. Of course, I have those doubtful moments and the killer stressful bits, but I love it beause I have a reason to relish every third thursday of the month.

Well, it's a busy week.....but everything will end in a month's time..

The Last Blog Post from Yishun

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Its 2.50am, just up from my 6 hour sleep in the last 36 hours and maybe just after this, I will go back to sleep. SO here I am sitting here and blogging in my all-familiar table, laptop perched on the big, teak brown ikea table. Table top inscribed with formulae, workings, essay writing marks collated over the years. The rooms have started having echo, throwing tribute the fact that most of them have become empty, with everything cleared out. A situation thought not possible just a few months ago but yes, 26 years of books, dust, clothes, metal parts and antiques have been boxed up, marked and all set to journey their way to Duxton in a few hours time.

I sat on the sofa in the living room, alone, in darkness, with my parents sound asleep ( maybe they are still wide awake, with this being the last night, but I think they are too tired from all arguing over the packing up process). I maneuvered my way with ease in near darkness, around a living room, piled high with cupboard boxes. The living room. The sofa where I spent my panicky insomniac nights, the walls living room once filled with family portraits , now has nails and tape to speak for its existence, the living room, where I was forced to do taichi and exercise. The huge empty space. With the house being so unusually empty, I imagine the scene when my then-young father first shifted in 1984 and to think that he filled the place with my mom, they "created" me, literally in a room, raised me up and here I am helping them to empty home for a new one.

Sometimes, the whole process just freaks me out. The 20 years here have seen so many problems erupting in these settings, but it was the familiar settings which I drew comfort from. Everything was so comfortable, so accustomed to the long travelling time to virtually everywhere, I thought of myself in the various uniforms I had on in my life, the different chapters in my life, walking through the front door for so many front days - first day of nursery, coming home from child care, first day of school of Northbrooks, coming home to "personal time", the only two years in my life in which I had perfectly lonely afternoons at home in secondary 1 and 2 , first day of first-three-months to coming home from the last exam paper in a national exam, to having a awfully cold, but socially wonderful ( how I know...) to now, my busiest period ever in school. This starting from a blank page again, new home, new memories to create, new moments to face. But I am excited

AT least, I have my own balcony!!!! I can finally have a door that can shut properly and not creak all the time. I have my own toilet ( still need to go shopping a mirror and clock), I am finally have parquet flooring, which I am been envisioning for oh so long. AND full-length windows, where I can stand in front and daydream and bring me to a place faraway from woes. So many things the future offers. Its the end of my father's generation in this far-flung town, he told me. It is the start of a new generation in a new place, I hope he doesn't hint that I should start a family in the new home, cos I don't intend to. Well, this will be just one of the " emerging cracks" that will surface in a few years time.

For now, I will look around one last time in my near-vacant home in yishun and I go back to sleep, for one last time in Yishun, cos the next time I wake up, I will waking up to the skyscrapers of the Central Business District...............

I will miss you, my old home, but it is time to say goodbye.

Turning Twenty Two in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Boo......Scary faces of reaching adulthood...

Turning 22 with Sf, Gracie ( who looks like a lawyer), mel and KC.....

And I am about to turn 22..and in celebration of hitting yet another year on earth, I said Ciao to a lovely little pre-birthday celebration at Modestos with KC, Mel, Sf and Gracie, mama mia. Restaurant researcher unearth a rare gem in this breezy Italian restaurant, with an expansive repertoire of wood-fired pizza and pasta..

First we had the maggot-looking pasta, pumped with fluffy potatoes, which is like eating on soft, stewed potatoes, then we moved on to the luscious tour-de-force of a duo of Parma Ham and Four Cheese Pizza…and in a “true symbol of being young, swinging adults”, we ordered ohhhh alcoholic drinks for once, Russian Vodka ( tasted like milk and baileys) and the ever-fabulous Cosmopolitan, synonymous with Sex and The City. We sipped and passed the glasses passed the glasses around the table like a cocktail experiment session.

Known for their surprises, my secondary school friends surprised me with a tiramisu cake and perched on it was one symbolizing 22..and in a nice coincidence, a rainbow of fireworks light up the night sky from Resorts World Sentosa, across the harbour…..

Thanks for the Burberry perfume as I need it badly, well not that I smell bad, but I have been looking for a perfume that suit my taste but I don’t seem to be able to find the right one..I tried the perfume ( followed by a demonstration on how to apply it and it is light and a little fruity, I like, nothing too stiff and strong…and the monochromatic Paris wallpaper deco!!!!! So timely and much needed to add fun to the pristinely white walls in my new room…

Thanks guys for the celebration to mark chapter 22…the part when I was struggling to open the gorgeous red wrapped present reminded me of the sec 3 surprise party in the canteen…..with the same people around. We went into “spooky” cam-whoring mode on Vivocity’s rooftop, it started with KC and her “creepy puppet” pose play with the ground light, then all us turned into scary monsters…..

Here’s to turning 22……….

Kumar and Fabulous

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Presenting Singapore's Diva in Drag.......with a signboard to boast...

Us, all pumped up before the show

Happy people with " a little slice of heaven".......

And finally, i saw Kumar in the flesh, I have always wanted to see SIngapore's most famous drag queen live in action, with his legendary quick-witted teases and snarls and merciless wit and all things politically incorrect about Singapore........it was one hour plus of mad mad laughter of Uniquely SIngapore humour.....

Went with the Wilson "twins". Before the stand-up show, we had lunch at Aerins and the Smoked Pasta, that could make people stand up haha...then after laughing heartily, we went to MOF for sinful desserts.........this is the best day of my recess week...well, really enjoyed Kumar's show!!!!

Kumar is truly a national icon, judging from the hysterical, lung-bursting laughs singapore's most popular drag-queen can pull from his one (wo)man show, while 'Stripped bare & standing up". Oh gosh, i enjoyed myself way too much and really adore these memorable punchlines.......

So go on and have a BIG HEARTY LAUGH!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA Here are 34 very memorable quotes

Please note that these lines are totally taken from Kumar: Stripped Bare and Standing Up, and in no way a representation of my thoughts. They are strictly meant for entertainment purposes ONLY......

1) I wore this costume as it looked like a singapore flag, later I show you my crescent ar...then you will see stars..

2) My fave s'pore song is 'Stand Up for Singapore'...this is one line i like very much.." reach out for your fellow men..you got to make it STAND!"...

and there is " CUM on me Singapore...."

and last year's NDP theme was "CUM Together"...and one year it was reaching up and reaching out, only then can cum together

3) If you look at The esplanade from a bird's eye point of view, it looks like a pair of hairy balls. Long building in between, really a BIRD's eye view...look like hairy backside got two cheeks

4) Even god cannot tahan the smell, and throw lighting at the Merlion

5) .....But the Merlion in sentosa don't vomit leh, got laser beam...blue, red, purple, singapore dollar colour

6) Haiti..you can do it , you can do it...then..we are the world, we are the children

7) People still come late..you park where? Shenton Way?

8) If I hear any handphones ringing, I will come down and drag you and I mean it, when I say DRAGGGG...

10) Watson's is like a mama shop in disguise, they have everything except a money changer

11) If my drag name is Mustafa, they will put me in a plastic bag and tie me up with a cable tie

12) One guy suggested Ku ku..Ku ku jiao!

13) I am a household name, next to your mama lemon

14) All the sliming thing, why must all be from beijing, new york, london?

15) Why must artistes sign off with their names in ads? why scared ar..people don't know your name?

16) What about a "shower before you go into the train" campaign for the Chinese?

17) they should name an orchid after me, like Vanda Miss Joakim... Ah Kua is Jokin'

18) I went to Monk's Hill Secondary, I tot i can help the depressed monks

19) I don't do CLOSING, only OPENING

20) Last time, ITE was called VITB, sounds like some disease right?

21) Nowadays, students are having sex like rabbits...hiya, never call me...and I can promise you, I won't get pregnant.

22) you use banana and condom to teach during sex education, then the boys ask, teacher teacher, before i put the condom on, must i peel the banana?

23) the ah lians will go, " I put the condom on the banana, but i still got pregnant leh"

24) Kumar, come out of the closet now, i will count one to ten..1, 2, 10

25) Your relatives are your biggest enemies, they come to your house, stir shit and you don't know what you are fighting about?

26) You are gay!!! I will jump down, we stay on the 14 floor, surely die one...I AM GOING TO JUMP..JUMP..ONE LEG OUT ALRIGHT. I COUNT TO THREE AR....ONE......ONE AND A HALF....

27) The army sent me to be a combat signaler..to send out signals to the army boys?

28) First day i came to bmt, the corporal say " Alamak, the ah kua cum already..." I cum on your face then you know...for that i kena 3 extras

29) last time in Dempsey have to dig fox hole, now can drink at Rabbit Hole

30) I sit there for my NS medical check-up, only in my underwear, shrink until like Sen Buay, and look left and cough, i want to look right..

So if i cough, oh..i got heart attack?

31) They only have signs in English, Chinese, Malay and Japanese....Ah neh and anoneh is the same meh?

32) A: I feel like jumping in front of car
B: Jump lah
A: Stationery car lah

33) Move Thiapusam to F1 tracks, it can be called grand pricks

34) Maybe I go africa, donate my dress to the unfortunate cross-dressers and start my own charity called Red Cross Dancers

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Memories condensed into a collage

21 years, ok technically 17 years in a place is a long period of time, long enough to bear witness close to two decades of laughter, sorrowful tears, anger-filled shouts and accusations and a whole myriad of emotions. This L-shaped house in far-flung and quiet yishun, save for the annual festivals and occasional block parties, has silently seen me grown up through the chapters of my life, from chubby, precarious child to tumultuous teenager to jaded young adult to now. And I cannot, cannot emphasize enough how much memories of this household is contained in this house, given the “untypical black sheep in my family”, all the trouble, ramblings and unpleasantness he has brought upon, some of them still leave physical scars which serve has a timely reminder of his dictatorship’s on-going sickening, yes one word to sum up all the years of bland misery and some of these immeasurable memories which are kept at the back of my mind after all these years. But, I shan’t let evil grab away all the attention……

To me, this home was a place of comfort and where one can truly feel at ease, despite his ominous presence. Being surrounded in my room ( which changed across the years) was the ultimate haven. Just simple pleasures like sprawling across my bed and reading through books, magazines ( 8days), “unlocking the secret chambers” or the traditional post-exam big pack-up or the year-end rituals like (over)decorating the poor little Christmas tree or going through my memorabilia preciously kept over the years. It is these little unique idiosyncrasies, founded in this very home that make the moments so special. And of course, the second ( sometimes, first), most used room in the study room, where the large wooden table from IKEA which is an integral part of my academic life from primary to secondary to junior college to well, pre-tertiary life. Hours of toiling in front of piles of painstakingly annotated notes and the weather-beaten textbooks, all thanks to the continuous flipping have left imprints of pen marks engraved on the table itself, through countless of worksheets, essays, pre-writes, practices and simply, write, write and write. Those days where entire days can be spent in the room just poring through notes and trying desperately to make sense of the content. Those tears of frustration…those years of writing and solving equations like there was no tomorrow. And the punishing ,dask to dawn studying schedule, which has since deteriorated, in which brief hiatus include staring aimlessly at the nearest window or just looking out to the under-utilized park below.

Just these two rooms are just the spaces I spent most of my time in, well, there are chockfull of lots more of such precious memories in my head. Together, lets explore the sights and sounds of memories of the other rooms in this yellow-tied and retro, still trapped in the 1980s , place were I’ve been growing up. Through the different “first –days” or “first-tries” situations, I can still vivdly remember what happened while I was reading or in contact with the issues or the processes.

My Room:-

Give me a room and I have the ability to turn it into not just a room, but my room. Influences include cut-outs of my favourite TV shows and movie titles and nicely decorated with ancient soft toys and filled with “collectibles” and books. Occupying one half of the wall is this humongous book case, with compartments and shelves of various sizes to store everything that screams me. The lower deck is the department of “memories” and 8days vault, while the music CDs, burned VCDs and more recently, DVDs and more magazines form the first storey. The decorations for the remaining compartments are filled with photo frames, key chains and figurines. There used to be this table and over-hanging green lamp, which made it very possible to knock into it. It has since been replaced with a fluorescent lamp, until recently, there was a foldable table, which substituted as a study table ( in secondary school, the ritual was out from bed and to the table, very efficient, during my “younger, more mug-friendly” days), it was also the venue of my first “personal” encounter with Vcds and laptops during the post-secondary school period. I remembered shifting into the master bedroom due to his medical reasons, from my bedroom which I shared with mama. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I could finally store more 8days magazines, which would be impossible in that sole small drawer and this huge room gave me more space for my personal belongings and I could even have my own table in there. However and unbelievably, I shifted out during my JC2 period (2005) back into my old room, once again, due to his “perpetual problems, toilet, this time), however, my belongings and clothes were still in the other room, which gave to quite a confusing definition of my space. Perhaps it was due to long hours mugging it out in the study room. It was after the A levels, I, once again shifted back to my current room. At first, I thought it was too big for my comfort & it was too creepy to sleep in your parents’ room, but the large space was totally necessary – one huge size to house all the CDs, the occasional heap ( a section of my ‘massive’ collection ) of magazines, books and knick knacks. And soon, the huge ‘ship’ ( my bed) became a private haven, be it to write in the journal , looking through my secret sash of 8days collection with fear, or fiddling around the ‘memory boxes’ or the routine post-packing tradition, or my ultimate luxury of lazing on the bed, perched on top of 2 pillows, legs rested on the bolster and supported by a pile of magazines, with ears safely plugged in. The table got abruptly replaced by a chair, as I was not using it for studying purposes ( & ensured that I had quite the social life) and was the holding place for tons of brochures and publications. It got taken away in early 2009. The window-side cupboard was the site of the ‘ruminants’ of my teddy bear collection from the very first time I shifted into the room. The toys, the same expression and dusty feel. The newer one stored loads of free notebooks and papers, some still wrapped with plastic.

The Kitchen

A place for meals, snacks and ‘water-drinking’ sessions, although the family hardly sits down together for a meal, mainly just separated. Past this historic brown creature are the ugly kitchen moments and incident which are forever etched in memory. Like the incomparably shocking orange juice spilling, toilet-door breakdown, happier memories date back to days when I used to get all hyped up over reunion dinners and vague visuals of nice meals

The Study Room

A lot A lot of emotional turmoil, frustration, concentration were spent within the four corners of this important room. All thanks to studying. It is hard to imagine how the room would look like without the defining and huge teak study table. It used to be in the middle of the room, once even turned sideways facing the window, flanked by a stationery desk. My studying position has been fixed at the certain region and you can tell that from the weather-beaten imprints and scars on the table that lots of writing has been done on its surface, from homework sheets to drawing blocks to writing essays, through the different segments of my school life.

The Hall

The hall basically looks the same, bare, under-furnished and very raw. The TV is flanked by two computer tables, which make him perpetually stuck in the living room. Before the desktop got shifted outside ( due to a virus attack in 2003) , the television counter was much wider and located centrally. But I have always envisioned something cosier. But love the yellow tiles, somehow, it makes makes the place look warmer, which unfortunately, already feels warm.

Guido Contini, Luisa Contini, Number one genius and number one fan

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:24:00 +0000

It is recess week, but everybody knows it is far from recess, well that at least rings for me. It is a much-needed break to put everything to pause mode and look back. It is a very dry semester this time, paying tribute to a certain lecturer who can put me to sleep with her dry voice...I realised that i have been harping on the wrong study methods for the first half of this semester. I went into "mugging" mode, which certainly doesn't work well, without understanding, and my results are living proof that something somewhere is wrong. I must nix and fix this problem.

Oh dear, I am the epitome of hard work doesn't necessarily translate to good results..I can and will study hard, but the results are never an accurate gauge of my efforts.

I dont why but recently I have been feeling so lethargic, I fell sleepy all the time. My mind's not focusing at all when studying, i find myself dozing off and going into drowsy sleeping spells all the time. This is very strange. Is this due to my lack of exercise, low metabolism rate, my high carbo lunch diet..i have been feeling very very very drowsy all the time, struggling to keep a clear mind and concentrate....haiz.......oh well and my mind's still pre-occupied with thinking of A. And it doesn't help B just entered my life and is a carbon copy of A - looks wise and character ( i hope). All my efforts on forgetting A has been futile with B.....arrghhhhhhhh

Last week, an old feeling which I thought was long lost, came back in a most unexpected manner. I remembered fondly feeling like this, when I walked home, after going out with you, on our weekend trips, which was mostly a routine back then. It was a fuzzy, warm feeling. Happy would quickly summed it up. Well, that feeling returned as I walked home from an outing with my friends at Jazz@Southbridge and a lo-hei session at the Esplanade rooftop. Loved trying out the drinks, I ordered the supposedly ( don't judge me based on my beverage..haha) girly Peachy Margarita , which was "The Body Shop" fruity. It was like drinking floral soap and feeling high.....I shall douse myself with Long Island Tea. Just a night of random chit-chat and fun and of course, cam-whoring..

The night before was an entirely different picture. I was so demoralized , just 24 hours ago. My heart sunk all the way to the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean, where Titanic rested in peace. It was so dreadful and sickening to receive Big H's comments and to see the "red fireworks". It really sucks as this is something that i want to do professionally, alot of self-doubts and questions now. I will have to keep on trying, crying, trying and trying. I still have such a long way, i feel so small and foolish.

Anyway, love relaxing at home, doing nothing, feels so 2 years ago and hate counting down days left.

And yes, that day is finally coming, inching its way and I feel like so completely different this year, what a contrast from the whole unnecessary fuss, tears, anxiety, superficiality and complications last year, trying to live in other people's shoes and aspirations, getting all caught up in being typical, but ended up a crumbling, sobbing mental mess. In the end, I realised that was what I thought would make be "a complete person" was criminally and grossly wrong. I feel very zen this year .

After what happened last year, I swear I will never be a crumbling mess on what is hypothetically supposed to be the happiest day in my life every year and yes, I am ready to blow 22 imaginary candles on my cake.......* with a deep breath*

Guido Contini, Luisa Contini,Number one genius and number one fan......Long ago, someone else ago......

Kenneth Live! at The Chingay Parade 2010

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Kenneth’s Chingay 2010 Experience!!!

Mon at 2:13pm

And C-day has finally arrived, CHINGAY, yes, it is your ever faithful Chingay Correspondent, Kenneth, and yes, I was live!, thick in the spirit of the ever fabulous Chingay Parade.

All 60 minutes of it. Taste the smoke ( from the fire-crackers, danced with the golden pomp-pomps and watched all gorgeous floats……all from the blue sector, which was well, admittedly not quite a good sector to be in, cos the floats just raced past me, faster than I can say, CHINGAY.

And it was really blink and you will miss it. Well, at least , I could catch a glimpse of Chingay hosts, Quan Yifeng and Gurmit “vavavrooom” Singh.

So here are the pictures that defined my Chingay Experience and captured all the memories to match every colour in the rainbow! SO here we go………va va vroooommmmmmm….

First looks into Chingay: A child’sprecariousglimpse into what lies ahead in the Chingay parade!

That’s HOT!!!!…A stunning fire breather roars out hot, fiery flames. Man! he must have such hot lips, pun intended.

And now we have the ubiquitous dragon dances! Chingay without dragons is like eating chicken rice without the chicken.

Purple Rain, Purple Rain at Chingay……Don’t you just like it when Confetti rain on you? Oh well, I Love it!! feels like snow ( obviously, this writer has not felt real snow before)

My favourite float for the light – a dash of oriental romance in Butterfly Lovers’ float. The entire F1 pit was transformed to a classy scene of purple butterflies fluttering gracefully.. tres tres lovely! Glad that I am keeping in touch with my Oriental roots!

Hey hey hey, look who’s here, save your air kisses for Hollywood sex siren, Marilyn Monroe, who is here as part of the float from Resorts World.

And I find myself resisting to pinch Gloria, the chubby hippo ( of Madagascar fame) who was seen shaking her hips to “ I like to move it, move it”) and she likes to MOVE IT!

Presenting the weirdest, most eclectic fashion display you will ever see: The CDC Wearable Arts float..

Missing in action:Where did the yummy cupcake NUS floats disappeared to?

Their segment was blandly replaced by just the elves and insects dancing..we want cupcakes, not insects!!!!

It’s Bootylicious with these hip-gyrating samba dancers, all decked out in splashes of orange and yellow, and specially imported from Brazil.

Climb every step of the ladder: The gut-thrilling finale saw daredevil young Chinese acrobats flexing their moves, while on top of wooden ladder, balanced just with a stand.

These first-time performers from Bhutan at Chingay 2010 which look so fierce that they may just scare Tyra Banks off, wins BEST makeup for their Chipdrel performance..look at the fearsome make-up and intricate costumes!!!! Screams fierce!!!

A balancing act, in which the performers just leaned and fell!!! Thank goodness they are young, no wonder this act was presented by the PA Youth Movement. They have stronger bones, that’s why.

The PAYM always know how to come in a BIG BANG, and this time, they do it with huge drums and letter. Even the People’s Association chairman performed!!!!

Yes, the silky yellow cloth represents and yellow river and the dancers look like crabs… this is chingay’s interpretation of The Yellow River, which saw a famous singaporean pianist decked on top of the float..playing, what else, a grand piano!

Aye Aye yi Aye I’m a little butterfly, Green, black and blue,Make the colors in the sky- one of the purple butterflies dancing around

Isn’t my headgear HEAVY? Try dancing with that on at the Malay Tale float on The Scared Love.

No , these chunky yellow boxes are not French Fries, but actual humans in them. Wonder what French Fries are doing in a float about Chinese Wushu

This is Home, Truly, where I know I must Be……The HDB floats shows us how our homes have grown over the years and don’t they look more sleek more like Pinnacle@Duxton…yay!

Rocking the horse, these performers from the Indian tale float were enjoying Black Eyed Peas, Boom Boom Pow, so much that there were rocking the horses on the float.

And that’s all folks! A rainbow of colour on the streets as all the vibrantly coloured performers unite for the chingay finale!!!

And finally, the show is Over!! These butterfly dancers look relieved!!

Trivial 1: Apparently, one of floats for too huge that it could not go past the expressway bridge and it had to be taken down and re-fitted!

Yes, c’mon c’mon gimme gimme more for Chingay 2011, yeah, just gimme more , can’t wait for that to come. So with strained voices, high spirits and a painful hip ( don’t ask), i shall now sign off here. It has been a fantastically fabulous affair and it has been a pleasure writing for Chingay 2010 ( next year, can?)

Photos courtesy of Melvin Lau, my dear friend who as seated at the Red sector ( which explains the fabulous pics) and some of them were taken by me…

And this is us, your dear Chingay Bloggers, Gary, Juliet and Yours Truly, with our golden pomps pomp..( guess who is who..)

- The End- See you guys next year for Chingay 2011..Have a roaring year of the tiger..RAH RAH OOH LALA

Leave The Past Behind

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:56:00 +0000

In less than two weeks….and I never thought I will leave this town.

And yes, this is my final stretch in Yishun and I looked around this place I have called home for the past 20 years, all the familiar spots, each stored with its own memory, happy, sad. The ceilings and walls have seen every happy and ugly moment of this family, from its darkest, most devastating state to the happy memories ( which sadly diminishes as I grow older), the various rooms I have switched and my favourite spots. I think that it is one of these things that I have to put down and eventually bid farewell to.

Oh man, I am starting to tear, so many memories of this 5-room apartment just flashed past me, from crawling around with my toys spread messily across the floor, to learning how to walk in this very house ( my mom showed me the spot ), to decorating the house with Chinese New Year, back in the good old “richer” days, receiving hampers and guests and of course, the spot when I was cried when my PSLE aggregate wasn’t good enough to get into my “dream school” – ( back then, foolish me thought that that was all to life) and of course, my bedroom, which was my safety zone, my comfort haven, my place to hide from the world, the place where I constantly reassured myself that I will okay and things will work their way out, somehow.

The slamming of doors during my “hormonal teenage years to having an “orange juice war”. And there were the school projects and the rare house parties, the days when sounds of piano used to fill the air, until I quit playing, The chatting sessions with friends at the void deck till the wee hours of morning,…..These memories will forever be etched within this house.

And of course, dear dear Yishun. No matter how I always seem to complain how ulu the place is, it still offers comfort and familiarity and almost a sense of coziness. I have been walking down the same route to the various schools in the various chapters of my life. From blissfully holding my mother’s hand when I was in primary school to brushing her hand rebelliously aside when she tried to hold my hands in secondary school.

Those sweaty days in the Northbrooks uniform, running away from a tough day they would give me in school, the first day when I could bring my euphonium home to practice, how easily satisfied I was, it was the same route to every major exam, from the Os, to the As, to driving test and of course, how I bitterly dragged my duffel bag after BMT, back home, using the same route, and carefree-ly strolling down in boots for two years, before walking back to school with a laptop in tow . I would pause at certain points, daydream about musicals, fairytales, my friends and just ponder. The route was the only constant in my life, always there…

My last days in this house. Here I sit, wondering, what lies ahead in the new one. After 20 years. It just the beginning of an end.

OMG its CNY...again

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:11:00 +0000

My Favourite Hotel : The Ritz Carlton, but that's so not the point

Marina Bay Sands needs the blessing from The God of Fortune!!!

And it was chinese new year once again. This year's celebration record low key, partially beacuse i was too busy to deal with CNY and beacuse, i am in the process of shifting homes and everything is in boxes and in a mess, so there is really no mood to soak up in the festivities....and there is the dreadful meeting of relatives, the lets-just-get-it-over-with, once-a-year-ritual.

I figured out a strategy this year to make my presence in these awkward gatherings more bearable. Instead of just fading into the wallpaper or hovering around the buffet table and stuffing myself with food, I have decided to be the self-appointed baby sitter for my cousins' children...goodness, my cousins have children and all they discuss are ways to get their daughters into Methodist/Raffles Girls' Schools..

So I make myself known to the kids and it seems to work and I have a way with kids then my elite adult cousins..at least playing chess and playdough is so much better than sitting down in one corner in silence..yes, new strategy to get pass CNY gatherings - play with the kids and time will fly by and pooof, before you knew it, its time to say goodbye and see them next year...again....

Went RiverHongbao, as per 'tradition' in the afternoon and exciting as going to the toilet. We just read our "predictions" for the year based on the zodiac and take customary pictures with the tiger ( being the year of the big, fierce cat) . Sadly River Hong Bao is losing its heritage draw, what the hell is Uncle Ringo Amusement Park doing in River HongBao...and the shops are all from shenzhen or some china cities. It felt more like China Festival 2010. Worst still, there was this food tent which sold food that smelt like Beijing Delights in canteen B..horrid, soggy, geasy smell......

So that was day 1, day 2 was spent at home and day 3, I went over to kelly house, with mel, gracy and sf for WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII and CNY-bratory lunch. We had bee hoon on a gigantic plate and juggled our butts and had a ball of time playing Wiiiiii. For once in my life, i could bowl perfectly and scored a few strikes....so comforting to know that. The Gals and Mel did the boxing game, and they looked like jumping monkeys thrusting their arms back and forth and then we played this cute game called Raving Rabbitssss

Well, that was it. the best part about CNY was catching up on GLEE episodes:)

Same Same but Different

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:57:00 +0000

new person came into life, new person caught me by surprise, when i least expected. Frightening thing is that similarities between old and new are so similar, i am trying not to make references or jump to conclusions. For one, I have reached a stage, in which I simply do not know what to expect any more, I will take things as they are, make an effort when opportunity presents itself. This is not how envisioned things worked out to be, but I am kind of comfortable, yet saddened by this outcome......thankful for the new 'twist', it really makes the long hours very very bearable, and at times, almost thrilling and heart-melting....oh its just a little crush, Not like I faint every time we touch , Not like everything I do depends on you ..............

Fresh From Facebook: More about Chingay 2010

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:15:00 +0000

Gimme Gimme more on Chingay 2010

Sat at 7:48pm

Gong Xi fatt Choy to all you readers!!!!! Its Kenneth here, once again….As Chingay inches nearer, this is what you should not miss about Singapore’s answer to the Mardi Gras..for the record, it is on 18 and 19 February at The F1 Pit building.

And I feel it is just so gorgeous…the floats and the graceful dancers floating around…….so here are a few of my personal fave!!!! which i caught at the recent Chingay rehearsals last saturday and boy, must i say, it is like a living in a techni-coloured dream…..and this is what my dream consisted of….

1) A dash of BAD ROMANCE…this is the ill-fated Butterfly lovers, Asia’s answer to Romeo & Juliet. Well, the “Liang Shan Bo” here actually has a tattoo of a cross on the back of his neck!!!

2) This is the GATEWAY TO HEAVEN aka inralogam ( an indian tale told in 3D)..Starring at the stone-faced statue..makes me kind of sleepy now

3) Then hard hit me on the head, but not as hard as these heavy flags, balanced skillfully on the performer’s head..ouch!

4) Roar to the contingent from the LION’S CLUB, which has been giving their services to the Singapore community for the last 50 years. In Chingay, Leos’ contribution is by no means small. Flag Bearer, Dancers, marchers, chaperons…..

Call me Beautiful..Lions Club performers getting ready for to sparkle and dazzle!!!

5) And the dream ended in “harmony with diversity” with this drums-cum-ladder float from PAYM…..

so see you guys at the chingay parade..it is going to be a fabulous event!!!!

Kenneth – Signing off……and wishing you all a roaring year of the tiger!!!

Fresh from Facebook: My Chingay Stint

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:14:00 +0000

What you did NOT see at the Chingay rehearsals?

Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 11:49am

Hello everyone, its Kenneth here, your eyes and ears at the first-ever full dress rehearsal at Chingay 2010! So I warmed up the gallery seats on Saturday for a visual treat at the F1 pit building..

All you need to know about Chingay 2010

A red carpet welcome for the VIP red sector, where I was seated

- It is Asia Bagus this year, with the theme, ImaginEast, which entres on all things loud, proud and truly Asia.

- Once again, it is still “Asia’s grandest and largest street parade”.

- Look out for dancers that hail from Bhutan, the land of the thunder dragon

- And sing “ I like to move it, move it” to Alex, Gloria and King of Madagascar fame and other cuties like Kungfu Panda and a waterfall in the first-ever Resorts World Float…and real workers actually performed with their float

- Thanks to The Little Nyonya, say hello to the babas and bibiks sashaying their way down in their ethnic Bahju Just don’t expect to see Yue Niang.

- THEIR WILL BE FREE RICE…. Well, look for the float with a gigantic head of an Egyptian. That’s Joseph & His Multi-colour coat, a story from the bible. The performers will rice up to the challenge and distribute free rice ,sponsored by New Moon.

- Want a workout for your hips? Join the Singapore Samba Segment on the actual parade day! All you need to do is to rent a costume two hours before the parade and be prepare to shake, shake, shake ( in front of millions of viewers).

- Get in the Lovey dovey mood ( since Valentine’s Day is nearby too) with the Butterfly Lovers float, filled with colourful butterflies fluttering all around and a gorgeous dance by the two irreplaceable love birds!

- If you like Yellow, cheer as Chingay goes classical with Yellow River, basically its dancing in a sea of yellow cloths and Singapore’s premier pianist, Ong Lip Tat works his magic on the keys.

- Look out for stars in the sky, or actually floating in hot air balloons. Scream to Taufik Batisah , Tabitha Nauser (of Singapore Idol 3 fame) & er…Zhiyang from Campus Superstar. To top it off, they will be singing a new finale song, “ Let’s Celebrate, We are One”!

- Two grand dames will be celebrating their 50^th Birthday in Chingay, People’s Association and HDB, so this means they add up to be 100 years old……..

What you did NOT see at the Chingay rehearsals?

- Minutes before the rehearsal starts and food is distributed

- Rehearsals all the way till the show begins

- WatChuLookin’At? Drummers keeping a straight face

- King of Chingay One guy ruled the Parade – that’s the artistic director..shouting in this thunderous voice,,,,

- Touching every little bit up to make it perfect for Chingay

- Butterflies, waiting to fly in the sky

- No Chingay’s complete without the LION…why does the lion looks so familiar?

- Strong abs on air from the Lion dancers

- the Easiest job in Chingay 2010 – seat, wave and smile

- Best Dressed Award – with shimmering gold orchids

SO once again, catch the Chingay Parade on 19 or 20 February at the Pit building ( Next to the Singapore Flyer). Tickets are available at Sistic. Catch you soon!

My Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:08:00 +0000

SPOILER ALERT

This week is Movie Week. I watched a grand total of two movies in a week. maybe its “holiday week”, so I gave myself a mini break from routine. And I have decided to revive my movie reviews. ( my last one was almost a year ago, about the Meryl Streep movie, Doubt), so I will make a conscious effort to write about memorable movies this year. First was yet another OSCAR vehicle, A Serious Man by The Coen Brothers, which was very interpretative. Thanks, movie reviewer, wilsong for allowing me to tag along, seriously.

As the anti-thesis to all things serious, I also caught the star-studded Valentine’s Day with izwan today ( in time to rush home for ‘reunion dinner’). Of all the luminaries, I like Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway’s characters..and look out for a surprise “Gay” twist. There is a gay couple inside that will leave your jaws hanging.

Valentine’s Day

Tell me that this the ugliest party hat. ever.

If today is a fairytale……, then Valentine’s Day (the movie) must be a long, over-sweetened mother of all fairy tales about love. Consider it a ten-year-series of romantic comedies, guaranteed with all the possible tell-tale signs, clichés and one-sided stereotypes. Welcome to the American version of Love Actually, just switch the occasion from Christmas to Valentine’s Day – a movie about 10 intertwining love lives.

However, too many stories weaved in turned out to be a confusing overkill, as I more engrossed in remembering the characters and how they are linked, then enjoying the show. Too much unnecessary ‘disturbances’ in the background also lightened the already fluffy storyline. It was obvious that the director was eager to squeeze as many scenarios in one scene, which gave a rushed and unfinished feel to each of the mini stories.

We have a ditzy bimbo (Taylor Swift) showing off her boy (Taylour Launter) who..surprise surprise..does not have a shirtless scene, anti-valentine purveyors ( Jamie Foxx and a kooky Jessica Biel), an unfaithful juggler ( finally Patrick Dempsey plays someone whom you want to slap and not kiss). Anne Hathaway purr-fects her faux Russian accent with her stint as phone sex entertainer, and provides lot-saaa spanking over the phone. And there’s the love-fooled teacher Jennifer Garner who has to swallow love the bitter way.

You are the prince and I am the princess

And the movie caters to every demographic possible – white, black, Hispanic, young, old, blackberry-loving executives, hippie bosses. And, as a rule of thumb, the kids are conveniently inserted to behave like adults – the small kid here has a kind of disgusting and far-fetched crush on his teacher, Jennifer Garner, which is rather anti-climatic.

One of the rarely predictable scenes is finding out that Bradley Cooper is GAY (in the show). The nicely-constructed chemistry between him and solider, Julia Roberts ( a refreshing turn from her recent slate of serious roles) and the flirting, I almost expect the two to hop into bed the moment they stepped out of the plane, but no, he baits for the other team…I could hear a collective sigh of regret in the cinema……..the other memorable scene was when Jessica Alba confronted florist-in-pink, Aston Kutcher on not being on the same page in love. The blonde-shell said “ After you proposed to me, the first person I called was my secretary to confirm my 10am meeting, do you know what this means?”

Major booboo-s came when a pair of teenagers planned to have sex in the room and oh-so-predictably , mum came home early and minutes later, we see a naked boy running out of the house. And Eric Dane’s announcement that he is gay carried no substance or relevance to the show, and served as a superficial comic moment to milk some laughter from the audience.

Towards the end, it felt like I was in a star-gazing show; I seem more interested in figuring out who the actors were and somehow I knew that most of the stars will get their happily in love. Suitable for those who are neutrally inclined to celebrate the day of hearts. The magically feeling of love has given way to catching the stars that pepper throughout the show.

Growing Up

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:23:00 +0000

In less that a month, my two digits of my age will be the same, just like it was 11 years also and Rhino, my impossibly chubby tutee, Rhino turns 11 this year too.

Sometimes when I look at him ( not in an adoring manner), I imagine what was I like when I was 11 through looking at his life, listening to his incessant complaints about how difficult his maths homework is ( it is just fractions) and lamenting mentally that he still has a long way to go in life. Even I , on the cusp of turning 22, have a long way to tread.

Sometimes I wonder out loud, how we managed to live through the years, through the years of scribbling models on mathematics practice paper to memorizing organic chemistry formulae, to surviving the experimental and embarrassing years of dealing with the hormonal puberty age ( for me, I had the double whammy of dealing with a severe assault of acne on my face), then came the friendships that have come and gone, those school camps and of course, not forgetting the highs and lows of being in a family.

When I look at Rhino while he is silently figuring out how to do his improper fractions, I see myself when I was in Primary 5, 11 years ago – carefree, outwardly temperamental and definitely having hairless legs and I look at how I have morphed into.

The dreams that I held for myself 11 years ago – have they came through? Did I want to achieve what ever I set myself to do 11 years ago? I envisioned myself to be in University, which fortunately came through for me, but that’s about it. Hopes about becoming an actor, musician, doctor ( and more) have been crossed out and tossed into a bin called ‘ Things which I will never achieve in my life’.

As I grow older, I find myself tossing more things into that dreadful but necessary bin. I have started to limit myself to doing this and getting that. I am starting to feel less experimental and adventurous nowadays, even my scope of imagination tells me so.

Some of the dreams I had when I was 11 are irrevocably canceled out, though I managed to live some of those dreams in my small and lucky way. Has everything shrunk when I become older? Dreams become safer and more “realistic”.

A realistic dream is such a paradox. Friends to lean on for a shoulder to cry on become smaller as everybody head for their separate goals and priorities in life and suddenly, you find yourself not on their priority list. That’s life. Maybe.

SO what I think of myself at 22 when I hit 33 in 11 years time? All I can hope now is to achieve whatever I set myself to achieve now so that I will not go humming over the things I still did not do at 22 when I hit 33.

Double Twos

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:14:00 +0000

It is double 2 for sf as kc, grace, xj and clarice celebrated it for her at the impossibly rustic Japanese-French fusion restaurant, Ma Maison at Central Mall. The place is so charming and whimsically adorned with bottles, antiques, old-school collectibles…it was like dining in an antique house. Better still, the windows offered expansive views of Clarke Quay, so we felt like in an antique house on a cruise. The food was head-swingingly good, abut there were so many cutlery to deal with, from the bread plates, to the dining plates to the salad bowls.

The meal opened with Escargots drenched in garlic butter which tasted exactly like garlic bread. We ordered the set lunches which arrived with a clam chowder soup, salad and iced coffee, served in a bronze mug. Our mains were the stars – the hamburger was juicily tender, xj’s pork cutlet was filled with dense pork, sf had beef stroganoff and clarice had lovely pasta with pork shreds.

Then, we fondled with an antique key which they passed to us and proceeded to cam-whore in the magical place. There is always room for desserts, clarice and I ordered the Caramel Pudding, served daintily in Chinese cups, but we regretted, we should have ordered the indulgent brownie, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. You cannot go wrong with that. And that was the birthday girl’s cake.

Happy 22nd Birthday SF!

Moving HONE

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Back to the new house @ Duxton. It is not really a home yet, yet partially so. So far, the lights have been mixed and almost all the furniture are in.....today, we are fixing the heater so I need not jolt in fear of ice cold water when I bathe.

I wish I could just fast-forward everything and go straight into March, when everything is settled. Still have lOADS LOADS LOADS of old stuff to pack into boxes, who knew my home had so many many many stuff hidden.....I am going to clear my bed room this weekend...and I am sure there will be loads to throw..like my dear teddy bear I had since 5..its time to say goodbye

Don't STOP Believing

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:03:00 +0000

I find myself approaching the looming grey building yet again in Toa Payoh North.

It is that time of the month, the only time of the year when I find myself visiting Braddell.....

I have applied for this thing since I was 19 years old and I am 22 this year.

As I get older, I become less optimistic and hopeful, resigned to my fate.

Actually, all hope was lost when I got my second rejection letter, but a surprise call came on thursday to try out for their internship instead, and they slotted an interview for me.

Did not know what to feel......nervous, yet almost giving it all up. I do not know what to expect when laughter erupted from the room when she interviewed the previous candidate.

Not as expected, a lot of tough and in-your-face questions were asked...like what is the weakness of your writing? Does your work need heavy editing?

Then she went on to list people like Cherian George and Hedwig...and asked how they feel about my work. I got speechless. I hope they don't call them to ask about me, cos They will be very disappointed. I doubt my lecturers even remember me, cos I remain ever so effortlessly invisible.

I was so nervous that i FORGET TO SHOW THEM MY FREAKING PORTFOLIO..that i lugged along!!!!!! and I can't help feeling sick about so nervous

A nagging voice tells me I am not ready to be sent to the gallows ....

I will just have to cross my fingers

Chingay reporting tomorrow, good shots, first time in the F1 pit building

and yet another 22nd birthday to celebrate at Ma Maison!!!!!

And I really need to start getting serious about 202 and writing decent news leads, so that my

paper will not be filled with red fireworks

I hope supper places turn out well!!!!! 4 places to go!!!!!!!!!!

Don't Know Much About Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Don't know much about your life.

Don't know much about your world, but
Don't want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.

You don't know about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it's not meant to last,

But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

And I had my heart beaten down,
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There's nothing like love to pull you up,
When you're laying down on the floor there.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

Don't know much about your life
And I don't know much about your world

Don't Stop Believing

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:31:00 +0000

After writing about exotic people, Valentine’s day plan and two kickass american eateries, I can finally write about……..myself…finally the 2nd issue is done and it was definitely was better than the firs issue, which me and my partner, lets call her DJ Jenn, found ourselves going home at 6pm and 8pm respectively, with zero ounce of energy left and my self esteem in chron was like a near zero…

Things seemed so bleak on Thursday morning….one interview subject refused to have his face printed on the newspaper, then I needed another female professor for interview after the big H turned me down flatly, not before criticizing my atrocious grammar and making me feel like the world’s biggest loser in the short span of 10 seconds……2 big problems on production night and the content for both my articles wasn’t confirmed……………….thankfully, things worked out by themselves…and the process took 16 hours this time and we managed to left the room at 1 plus………….oh well, at least, we left the room smiling this time and we know which writers to put on the black list now…haha and now I will wait for Monday to get my hands on the paper.

Now that one cycle is over….it is time to do some homework, which I have effortlessly neglected over the past week. How to concentrate when I need to chase and call writers, liaise with the PR people and photographers and………I am praying very hard to SCORE AN INVITE TO THE OPENING OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE.. on behalf of the newspaper….

I have been skipping my Chingay public events like the Samba Party and Orchard Parade……. I will pull myself to the next Chingay event and start blogging………

Met Joel for a long-overdue meeting at Popeye’s..great catching up after so long:)
Thanks mel for taking the pics at TGIF at such last minute notice. I was desperate with a capital D and the pictures turned out very very nice and of course, happy belated 22nd birthday !!! thanks for the xiao long bao buffet:)

First Week of Camping

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:55:00 +0000

First week of school has just flown by and there is not much to survive to, except getting so
sick of seeing 0 vacancies on STARS. In fact, as i am typing this ( out of boredom), I am still, in NTU lingo, 'camping' - refreshing the page every second in desperate hopes of looking at a 1. Its a vicious cycle - every time i feel like shutting down my computer, a stubborn whisper will go " Someone is about to drop the module you have been waiting for......" and I find myself camping for another hour.

Now that I got this huge 5-hour break on Tuesdays - i have to find a spot to linger in school. Spend the first tuesday in the ADM library, which turned out to be so-un-productive.

Workload is starting to stream in, but not quite yet. Chron meeting was surprisingly good and teeth-grittingly cold. But i cannot help getting paranoid. Last time the ideas were good but somehow, things did not work out in the end. And I still cannot get enough sources for my food article. Somehow, i am determined not to let chron overtake my life. Limits, please........

And in the name of honeymoon week, i found time to visit the sacred world of the Egyptian Mummies with wilsong, hy,chay and eve at the National Museum ( cue to the creepy background music). We got acquainted to their gods which are part-animal and part human. What made me went wow was that there were real mummies in the exhibition and the kueh tutu erasers we saw at the Museum Store.

Desserts are such a dream with this Ice-Kachang-Cream from MOF....

The day ended with my first OSCAR movie this year, The Blind Side ( You Threaten ma son, you threaten me). The feel good factor still doesn’t rub on me, no matter, how many times I look back, perhaps I am too cynical that Big Mike found so much good luck ( nice, rich foster family, kickass foster mom and an unlimited supply of stripe shirts), maybe I am just jealous. Then again, its based on a true story, so I can't help but have this fuzzy feeling in me I also wasn’t particularly moved by the showcase of white goodness to the black’s state of muted sympathy. The best punchlines were definitely from the bossy and fearless Leigh Ann ( a blonde Sandra Bullock). Such as:

Michael, I want you to have a good time but if you get a girl pregnant out of wedlock, I will crawl into the car, drive up to Oxford and cut off your penis.

Who would've thought we'd have a black son before we met a Democrat?

Don't call me Mrs Touhy, cos everytime I look over, I see my mother-in-law.

-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILSONG

Hello to a whole new Decade

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:38:00 +0000

Oh hello new year, hello new aims. I do not call them resolutions because of all the hype to live up to its cliché title. Besides the long-running aim to lose weight and to be wiser, this is a new one that I sincerely hope will see the light of day…which is to speak mandarin, at least

Finally I concede defeat – not being fluent in speaking mandarin is more of a liability than a boon for me. So much for all the “cheena jokes” I have cracked all these years, high and proud of being a self-confessed banana or potato ( are they the same?). Now I eat my words back and I desperately want to speak and be fluent in Mandarin now. Reality check: at least carry a decent conversation, without that weird, alien-ish accent that I have whenever I Jiang Hua Yu! 10 years of shamelessly abstaining from Chinese and now all I wished I had paid more attention during Chinese lessons now. Biggest school regret. Things are so bad now that I cannot even order food from the hawker without injecting English word or two or gesturing a hand signal.

I tried self-imposing Speak Mandarin Campaign on myself, but it ends within the day itself. I tell my friends and people around me to speak mandarin…they do, but for the first few sentence, but they revert back to English as they are just so accustomed to speaking English to me..like “I have the speak English only” aura lingering around me. Tried listening to Mando-pop, since language experts say that it is the best way to arouse interest in the language. I am trying and but still cannot bring myself to enjoy it. Its all sappy, melodramatic love songs about puppy love, sappy love, love..and the tunes are same old same old. I just cannot get high listening to mando-pop. Maybe somebody can recommend me some nice Chinese songs ( 5 years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined that I will be actually saying that I want to tune in to Chinese music)

Secondly, learn cycling. So many cycling trips, yet I always have to absent myself from that or turn them down. So I decided Cycling will be it. The problem is a little bird told me that one needs to fall down in order to learn to cycle – its like a learning ritual…oh dear, I cannot afford to fall down at this age, my bones might just give way. But fall to learn?!!! I shall grit my teeth and hold on my helmet and learn how to cycle this year. The last time I was on a bike was 4 years ago and I merely paddled behind my poor classmate who generously offered to cycle a 2-people bicyle. Poor girl, I was so much heavier than her and god know where she has so much leg power to balance our bodies on the bike…..so cycling will be it

Two should suffice.. Not too stressful, and totally achievable within the next 12 months…..

Some updates on life: reasons why i got fat in december

1) Boxing Day Feast

The Long Table Banquet!

Behind the scenes.............

All dressed up with food!
At Kelly's and we had a"nyonya-styled" potluck lunch. I went early to help chef KC cook chutney vegeterian curry, but it erupted in the pot. KC then did a simple fuss-free dessert with Chardonnay and cranberries!!! Funny gal, Fulin brought spring rolls, mel friend ebi and seaweed chicken to golden brown crispness, clarice whipped up bee hoon and xj got a tripple whammy of oranges ( kc's creation - add into lime juice), ham and chocolate tarts!!! Love the preparation in the kitchen and meal chatter..did not expect a simple potluck to turn out so hearty!! and so full!

2) Dim Sum Buffet!!!

It is steal - $14.80 for three rounds of unlimited servings of dim sum delights at Zhou's Kitchen. Just need to use different shaped to represent the number of rounds and not the numbers, i learnt it the hard way so pris, zinny, pte phua, wilson and moi ended up stuffing ourselves with dim sum....it was eye-opening to see zinny being so paranoid ( no reasons why), and eating har gou without the skin, and we ordered so much food in baskets that we had to wrap them in leaves ( courtesy of the glutinous rice) and throw them discreetly. We thought of putting them in the tea pot but no, we did not......i love the prawn paste chicken, peanut muah chee, char siew puffs and Pau, xo fried rice, veggie dumplings and a whole lot more, all washed down with chinese tea.

Damn sick and bloated up after the meal - does it show?

3) Christmas Countdown Celebration + Thai Cook out

Glorious thai food cooked by chef-de-cuisine, wang and it was quite a thai feast, complete with miky current, veggie salad and bak chor salad....with thai glass jelly and an orange-peach punch. Perfect last meal of 2009.and i shall let the picture do the talking!!!! Then we exchanged pressies, in the spirit of christmas. Guitar Heros followed by a snap shots of countdowns across the region.

First movie of 2010: THE MIST..okay, not really a sparkling good movie to start the year with. We ended up with groans on the bed and stares of disbelief..like that ar???? well, thankfully there was good old moulin rogue to save the day, come what may and slept e remaining hours off:)

Ok. off to a decade of growing up to do, hello full-fledged adult life to grapple with. This is a decade which lots of things will come into a full circle. Answers will be given and revealed finally. Problems that i have been denying for the past 2 decades will surface and have to be addressed. Worries of a different kind will arise like graduating, find a job( hello office politics), aging parents, agings, friends will be married- one by one, should be attending some weddings in this decade..and lots more..Here's to the next 10 years!

Smiles of The Year

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Following Barak Obama’s mantra, “change”, this year has been all about that C word. Change of company, change of routine, change of sleeping ( and eating) patterns, (soon-to-be) change of address, change of status. Yup, almost everything changes.

1) Live performances Galore!

It was started with the zany ‘sex-changing’ play, ‘What the butler saw”, which was won via the airwaves, and a Valentine’s day play, then watching a 3-hour long Italian opera ( and it was quite interesting) and of course the musical blockbuster of the year, CATS ( quite a disappointing let-down due to its random plot). Then came the most memorable acts in town, The Pussycatdolls Live in Singapore ( screamed and shook like mad), Lady Gaga’s private showcase in The Tent ( love the 30 minute show, hate the 1 ½ bothersome waith), Sun Yan Zi, Live in Concert ( brought back A LOT of fond innocent memories, tee or or), Marie Digby Live in Singapore ( simple and intimate) and it ended off nicely with another musical, Victor/Victoria

2) Themed Tuesdays

Yup, something to look forward to go to school every week and honestly, I told this tradition last. This is simply too unique, I daresay, nobody in NTU does that. Okay, there were no outlandish, gaga-like outfits but still it brought back an element of fun and anticipation to see what the others would dress up as. The best has to be the Geeks and Hats theme, which ended off a semester stupendously!

3) Homecoming every Friday

Part of my now defunct hall-life was to pack up all my books, spilled over in two huge bags ( Club Marc and Doraemon), laptop in another and lugging it back home every Friday evening, after my Business Law lecture. The feeling of relief that a week was over rang high and it was time to see my parents for two days in a week. Packing my belongings up gave me the sense of achievement of surviving a week and the anticipated dreadfulness of impending Monday.

4) Kuala Lumpur Trip

After like a million persuasions from my over-paranoid and overprotected parents ( they continue to think that I may die in an overseas country if I travel…..), I was finally let out of the cage and flew, or rather took a coach to Kuala Lumpur. It was such a worry-free and carefree trip with really funny people and some hilarious ( & a little horny) lines to be remembered in a long time to come.

5) After-exam bliss

The immediate post-exam period was sweet, sweet ,sweet! For nearly a week, I had the freedom to enjoy freedom, totally. Being stuck in hall to pack my stuff, I had the totally liberty to do everything, up to my every whim. And that include spending entire days in the ADM library, watching movies like Ghandi, Away from her and Vicky Cristina Barcelona and it sparked my love for Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Movie of 2009: It is a slow year in the movies for me when I decide that CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC makes the cut. It is so typically me – loud, joyful shrieks, a magazine-themed movie, feel-good humour. MILK comes close at second.

My Songs of The Year in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (greenbearwithit) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:30:00 +0000

MY SONGS OF THE YEAR

Songs which have been stuck in my head for the past year, gelling with memories, happy or sad and going through bland routines, funny encounters and spontaneously bubbly moments. Here are some songs which are so significant to me in 2009.

1) Girls’ Aloud – The Loving Kind ( very cool and indifferent)

2) Pussycatdolls – Hush Hush ( party song!)

3) Sugababes – Teardrops ( intern song)

4) Owl City – Firefiles ( end-of-credits feel good movie song)

5) Jason Mraz – Butterfly (intern song)

6) Little Boots – New In Town ( the drunk and so what song)

7) Alphabeat – The Spell ( exam company song)

8) Pixie Lott – Cry Me Out ( prom night feeling)

9) Olivia Ong – Ru Yan ( the self-pity, Little Nyonya theme song)

10) Agnes Carlsson – Release Me ( big, big chingay feel)

Other favourite tunes in 2009!

"I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas

"Sugar," Flo Rida

"My Life Would Suck Without You," Kelly Clarkson

"Party in the USA," Miley Cyrus

"You Found Me," The Fray

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé

"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

"Poker Face," Lady Gaga

"Paparazzi," Lady Gaga

"Use Somebody," Kings of Leon

"Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z

"I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," Pitbull

"Crack a Bottle," Eminem

"Boom Boom Pow," Black Eyed Peas

"Down," Jay Sean

"Get On Your Boots," U2

“ Bulletproof”, La Roux

"Whatcha Say," Jason Derulo

“Haven’t Met You Yet,” Michael Buble

I Want To Know what love is, Mariah Carey

Issues, The Saturdays

Love Struck, V Factory

Kat Deluna – Calling You

Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz