The Child Who Cried Wolf (2)
With reference to my previous entry:
http://desprorado.blogspot.com/2006/03/child-who-cried-wolf-note-most-people.htmlActually the inspiration for this entry was due to a basketballer ABC. He was always toying with peoples’ trust and feelings. Then, on that particular day he got his retribution. It amuses me as I suddenly thought of him as the “boy” who cried wolf. In the end, no one trusts his words when he was telling the truth.
In my view, people were generally honest and trustworthy to begin with. However, they become corrupted, influenced or perhaps were cheated before hence they began to be untruthful. That mindset becomes “Since people cheated on me, I shall cheat people back.” To me that is so wrong... How could they cheat other poor innocents who done them no wrong? If they really want to get even with, they should settle their scores with the people who cheated them. Isn’t that the one of the most “correct” way? Instead, they felt that there is a need to cheat others as it made them feel good, groovy and great. Those “corrupted” people felt a sense of happiness because they have “infected” fellow companions who would suffer the same way as them. The sick feeling of being betrayed... I have absolutely no idea why “betrayal” starts in the first place but I do know that betrayers are “sick” people like the basketballer ABC.
As for me, I would not be like those sore sickos who felt the need to cheat or betray the trust of others just because they were cheated upon. I do not see the point or felt the satisfaction from betraying others. What’s the point? Cheat and be cheated is a vicious cycle and it never ends because of fools like basketballer ABC. Then, I would also not deliberately take revenge back on people who let me down. I would take it as a lesson and be more careful with such “people”. I may even forgive them, but I will never forget their deeds. I’ve a poor memory with certain matters but you can try me with regards to stuffs that I deemed to be important or memorable for good or bad.
Before ending, I shall make a clearer point on the word “
TRUST”. Try flipping through any newspapers and you would see numerous cases like: daughter molested by dad, xxx company share prices increases and certain political party won and so on. The examples are endless. Like it or not, everyone is essentially trusting/expecting/believing somebody or something. More often than not, it is the betrayal of “
TRUST” that causes a lot of people to be angry or mad. There is no reason not to trust people just because some bad eggs screwed you up. True to say, it is often difficult and may take time to trust others after getting hurt emotionally or physically. However, Desprorado is willing to be hurt again and again...
PS – If I’m not going to suffer, who’s going to suffer? Yea... Age old question “WHY ME!?”
Feeling hungry and creative...
Resignation effective March 21st 2006The story goes that Desprorado had too much “care and concern.” Hence, he decided to name himself as the organizer for his friend’s chalet cum 21st birthday party from 31st March to 2nd April. Below shall be the 1st email sent to his fellow friends requesting them to think of gift ideas and such. The names below are changed to protect the identity of his fellow ‘friends’. Do note that 21 years old is the coming of age in Singapore where a person is an adult and is responsible for his own actions. Then, this email was sent on 8th March.
Hey guys,
T-rex’s chalet coming up soon. So I would like to ask u guys to think of possible presents for him. I need at least 2-3 ideas from each and everyone of u cos I dun wan to screw up T-rex’s 21st bday with any last min nonsense [think: condom (app. gift), underwear, zy's jelly]. Tis also serves as a reminder for everyone of you to save up some moolah (money) for his bday gifts.
Another issue is, I do not wish for things to turn ugly. This is because some people for example ZY would most probably be paying 1st for gifts. Then, the others would pay back later.. However, based on my observations, people tend to be forgetful about such payments to be made. As a result, ZY would also feel "ashame" to ask those people for $$. SO.. To avoid any unhappiness or "souring" of relationships, I would like to urge everyone (me included) to play their role and seek to pay back cash ASAP (As Soon As Possible). In the case of ZY, I guess we guys should know how long to drag. Hah~
Due to the complexity, I suppose that everyone of us should AT LEAST set aside like 25-40 bucks. Since it's a 4d/3n event (MAY include complimentary meals), I think that the money is considered quite discounted liao besides it's his 21st bday. He would be an adult or a fully grown man then. Nonetheless, most probably a paralysed or half-dead MAN aft his bday bash. LOL!
Btw.. the gifts that we all thought of are not necessary going to be expensive. As long as the presents has certain perceived or sentimental value, it would be good also. With that, I hope tt T-rex’s Bday would turn out well done. Hopefully, he would be WELL-DONE aft the bash. *evil grins*
Lastly, Grape says that he wants to be the party crasher. I guess he wants to crash T-rex’s frail body... -_-"
PS: Can someone (most preferably someone by the name of LZY) forward it to the ladies as well as other gentlemen that I've failed to forward to?
Best Regards,
DesproradoFour days later, I forward another email on 12th March.
Hi, so far I've gt 2 ideas.
1st, Grape’s photoshopped poster of T-rex.
2nd, my own idea of borrowing a video cam and video his so-called April Fool's joke of a "birthday" for the 3 days. Note: The video would be clean, no porno clips shall be filmed.
May I inquire what other inexpensive yet high value ideas that anyone else have thought of? I'm open to new/original ideas anytime. No ideas also nvm, you may think of piggyback on Grape’s idea like wt i modified/zhnged.
Grape’s original idea: Photoshopped T-rex’s poster.
Desprorado’s modification: Signing our limited edition autographs at the back of the poster (A3 sized/drawing block sized). If Grape dun mind my modification.. Yea?
OR
Think of some activites to do during the 3 days. Instead of the usual, tok c***, sing song, play video games, ban luck etc. U may consider forming a big hole or creating the biggest hole to bury T-rex alive etc. Btw, I'm not referring that we are not going to tok c***, sing song etc. But wt other activities can be done? Maybe Grape can enhance T-rex night activity? Lol~
If all else failed, then we will juz go thru another usual and normal bday celebration. It's gonna be juz another day, another routine. Since some people may be too busy to care for another friend's coming of age, I've absolutely no comments. Due to the lack of responses or maybe the creative juices are not up yet, I would only require an idea or an activity from each of you. Even if the idea sounds stupid also nvm, since we can always modify it but do not give me some really unintelligent (stupid) ideas like plucking the moon down or shooting the stars for him. Puleazzzz
YA.. The budget that I've estimated is the money for the present. I would like to repeat ONE LAST TIME, most of us here are going to stay and play T-rex for 3 days. We are not paying for the cost of the chalet as well as a few meals. Thus, my budget is considered very DISCOUNTED liao. Then, we might NOT spend the maximum capacity of the budget, it is also a ploy on my part to ensure that all of us have the sufficient time to save money so that the spare money from the savings can be spent if we decide to go theme park, cinema etc. We still have 19 days, 1 day save $2 and you would have $38. Do not give me craps, excuses and everything. If you are really that poor, then u can at least think of some creative and inexpensive ideas for presents. Both Grape’s and my ideas may not worth much, but I bet that it would be memorable to say the least.
It would be best if ur idea or activity can be submitted to zy or me as soon as possible, ASAP. Thks..
PS:
Everyone - Do check ur mails for any updates.
ZY - Pls help to forward this to the ladies and the dudes that I've left out. To save u the trouble, cc one copy to me also so anyone can contact me thru email. Since I've not found PT job yet, I've helluva time. So I shall be the organiser, and Zy shall be co-organiser. Any problem with tt, ZY? Anyone who's interested to get involved in organising can also applied the post and send ur resume to me. Btw, Watermelon and Grape are self-professed bashers...
23 - Thanks for noticing my "care and concern".
Best Regards,
DesproradoToday is already Tuesday, 21st March. I’ve not gotten much of replies from anymore people. I accepted that not a lot of my friends “know” how to check their emails. They would have probably deleted my “care and concern” email anyway. However, that is not a good excuse as they could have asked around if anyone has ideas on what to get for T-rex. To be honest, 10 days is not very long nor short. If they have better ideas or intent to go to T-rex’s birthday empty-handed. I guess it is alright since I understand that T-rex would not mind anyway as we are his “close” friends whom he has invited to stay over the chalet during the 3 days.
Basically, I felt I’ve done my duty as a friend to organize his chalet but there is only so much that a one-man-army can do. I’ve put in much thought as can be seen from my emails. Budgets, ideas and everything above. Then, if anyone reads my post on Tuesday March 14th:
http://desprorado.blogspot.com/2006/03/recap-of-mar-13th-note-shall-be.html. One would have understood the sentences “Hah.. Maybe my “positive” energy also have something to do with it because they finally began to talk of the plans that I’ve organized. I mean they talk only, no actions yet. Talk only...”
True enough, they talked about it only. No plans, no actions. Talk is so cheap... I remembered someone saying “I saw a laptop carrying case that is quite nice. I think we can buy it for T-rex” Yet, there is no actions or intentions to compare the prices, brands and which is the supposedly “best” laptop case. Talk is cheap... I could have plucked the moon for T-rex also.
Okay! I shall type another email to inform them that I’m going to quit the position as organizer.
My predictions: Some ‘friends’ are going to ask me. “Erm... Desprorado, why did you quit? Then now what about the presents? Can we share your idea? Wa lau, how can you quit halfway? We trust that you can settle everything”
My reply would probably be:
“$#^% it lah! This is not my problem. It’s none of my business anymore. You think for yourself. *&%$&$#@” Then, I would show some AP (Attitude Problem). Come to think of it, was I the one with AP in the first place or did they literally “forced” me to show AP to them? Think about it and judge for yourself, my conscience is clear.OR
I would coolly reply: Oh... I don’t know. I’ve thought of my own ideas already. Sorry...
PS – Why did I bother when some people cannot be bothered? My time is precious also. Though I’m not earning a few millions or killing thousands of creatures. I can only say that my limits, patience and attitude are only so ‘short and narrow’. I cannot think of a brilliant idea in a day’s time (Yes, I've done tt for Grape's Bday). Why? Why should I care? Probably because I’ve witnessed the ‘face’ of my friends. Who thought of the bracelet for Grape’s birthday? Who thought of spending time with my watermelon friend? If I’ve not done that, they would probably have been happy anyway. Maybe I’ve too much “care and concern” and they misunderstood it as busybody or treat my kindness for granted. Who cares? It’s only a birthday. I shall enjoy myself over at the chalet while the poor birthday boy and perhaps my watermelon friend would BBQ everything while I can sit down relax and feel the breeze if any. Ahh.... It feels so good to imagine it right now. Feels so good...
Scars
The song “Scars” by Papa Roach would best explain my feelings now. Ironically, it is one of my favourite yet a song that I hate as well. A love-hate relationship exists because it is such a beautifully crafted yet tragic song. The lyrics are as follows:
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
My scars remind me that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
Drunk and I'm feeling down
and I just wanna be alone
I'm pissed cause you came around
Why don't you just go home
Cause you channel all your pain
and I can't help to fix yourself
Your making me insane
All I can say is
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
My scars remind us that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
tried to help you once
A kiss will only vise
I saw you going down
But you never realized
That your drowning in the water
So I offered you my hand
Compassions in my nature
Tonight is our last dance
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
My scars remind us that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
I'm drunk and I'm feeling down
and I just wanna be alone
You shouldn't ever came around
Why don't you just go home?
Cause your drowning in the water
and I tried to grab your hand
and I left my heart open
but you didn't understand
but you didn't understand
You fix yourself
I can't help you fix yourself
But at least I can say I tried
I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life
I can't help you fix yourself
But at least I can say I tried
I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
My scars remind us that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
(Chorus x2)
One day, you might understand my effort.
One day, you might appreciate my effort.
One day, you might acknowledge my effort.
One day, you might be grateful for my effort.
One day, you might express thanks for my effort.
Yet...
One day, I may not reciprocate the “feelings”...
PS – I’ve posted the exact lyrics in my old blog... Who knows? I posted the lyrics again.
The Child Who Cried WolfNote: Most people should have heard of the story of “The child who cried wolf”, but the moral itself? Some may know the moral, some may not know the moral even they have aged till the 70s or 80s. Maybe some of them know the moral but just did not apply it. So today, I shall tell you the story once again. Then, I shall cite long examples based on the concept of this story in my next entry hopefully. I may have a lot of research to be done on the internet although I can readily supply some personal experiences of my own. Please do not think that I’m insulting your intelligence. I’m not...
Since there are so many adaptations or versions that could be found on the internet, I shall give you the various links that I’ve found. Yea.. I knew that if I told my story, it would still be one way or the other similar to all the different versions found on the different search engines.
The links are not in any order of ranking or whatsoever. As they are handled by 3rd parties, I shall remind my blog readers to “read at your own risk”.
http://aesopscoolfables.blogspot.com/2005/08/george-who-cried-wolf.htmlThis blog was actually created for the purpose of spreading the stories by Aesop. To find out more about him, you may wish to search in the search engines if you are really so interested. Btw, he’s the inspiration behind the idiom “sour grapes”. Hah.. Another worthy entry that I may blog about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_Who_Cried_WolfOne of the most popular encyclopedia, need I say more?
http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2005/07/the_boy_who_cri.aspAnother different kind of edition of the original story and this edition sparks the fire in me. Would like to blog about it as well, when I’ve the feelings.
I guess this 3 links should be sufficient, you may find out more from one of the greatest invention of all times.
PS – My watermelon friend commented that my language is too chim (profound/complex) for him. I’ve no idea... But I would continue with my style anyway since I cannot alter my writing method to suit everyone. Lol~ He shouldn’t expect my style to be so noob (newbie) since this is my second blog. I may put in more brackets like (xxxx) to explain some words that may or may not be too difficult for everyone. If people are irritated by too many brackets, please do not blame me. I’m just trying to make sure that people could have understood my blog. If people cannot understand a single word that I’ve said then it would be really a waste of my time to spread goodwill (kindness). Yet, if my blog entries are so simple, it would not be a challenge anymore. People may not be keen to know about the messages that I’m spreading. WTF!? I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, meaning that no matter what I do, I’m equally at a disadvantage. Hah... Nvm (never mind). Take care everyone... I will be back after my research and would make sure that my next entry would be much more understandable. May be wordy but who cares?
Proof of my Slavery
Unwashed Water Chestnuts
Washed and Clean Water Chestnuts
Water Chestnuts after cutting
Ripe Pineapple
Beheaded Pineapple
Partially Sliced Pineapple
Sliced Pineapple with pattern
Sliced and cut pineapples awaiting death
Looks like I've the potential to be a fruit seller or cutter. My mum certaintly thinks so... No comments.
Red Hot Chilli Pepper Note: Chili or Chilli is both accepted as the correct spelling and the definition in
http://www.answers.com/ is “The pungent fresh or dried fruit of any of several cultivated varieties of capsicum, used especially as a flavoring in cooking.” Then, this shall be a personal entry again. Ya, I know that my personal entries have been too much lately and people may not be interested to know what had been happening to me, Desprorado. But from my personal entry, I hope that it can bring about some inspiration or just for entertainment and easy reading. Here it goes...
Recap of Mar 15th 2006 activitiesForgotten my waking time, perhaps it’s around 8+. My mum mentioned that she’s going to change the bed sheets the day before. As a filial son, slacking-at-home-nothing-better-to-do person and mummy’s boy or whatever you want to call it. I proceeded to undress my bed and pillows after having breakfast. Then, I also found out that my literally pig of a second elder sister at home. Hahaha... As a psychotic and sadist person that I am, I gently woke her up by asking why she did not go to work. She replied that she has taken her leave in lieu or something like that. It means that she had worked overtime (OT) and is claiming an “off” day. I asked her to change her bed sheets as well. The reason being that “more hands make light work” meaning the task can be accomplished quicker as there is one more “labour”. To sidetrack abit, more hands may not mean everything can be done quicker. For example, the maximum capacity at a small hawker food stall is 4 staffs; you cannot expect to increase the risk of 2 more staffs because the output will be the same. There can only be one person chopping the chicken if it is a chicken rice stall, than what can the other 5 staffs do? Do think about it. Actually, there is a proper economic theory that is called “Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility”. Here’s a website,
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdiminishingutility.asp .
Back to my tale, I managed to out talk my 2nd elder sister to change her bed sheets as well as my elder sister bed sheets as my elder sister is performing her task as a “Florence Nightingale” hopeful. Do check out what it means if you are unsure who this person is. Hah~ I’m creating the “curiosity kills the cat” mood again. Anyway, it’s quite an uphill task for me to actually out talk my 2nd sister and to “force” her to change bed sheets. Lol~ Her intention of taking the leave is to sleep the entire day, no jokes. So you can see the reason why I’m so disrespectful to call her piggy. It’s all in good manner of course.
Then, my mum came back soon after her morning session of “Qi Gong” and exercises. Her face did not feature any “surprised” look nor was she touched to see her children taking the initiative to change the bed sheets. Hah.. I thought too much already. Instead, she asked me to vacuum her bed sheets as well. Dot dot dot... Never mind, it’s time for me to play my role. Do note that I’ve also been changing bed sheets as well, but compared to her years of changing the entire household bed sheets. I’m just like a hill compared to a mountain. Before my dear blog readers think that it is easy to change bed sheets and I may have exaggerate too much, do think about the time you need to spend to change out the pillows covers, bed covers, vacuum the beds and pillows and changing new covers to not one bed and a few pillows but to 4 beds and many pillows. Well, my mum has been doing that for years and it is only occasionally that I actually helped her since the entire family is “busy” with school, work and other commitments. Only my mum is a full-time housewife whose duty that you may think is ordinary. (I shall not stir up too much of my dear blog readers’ feeling again). I shall leave it at that. Please think about it and treasure what you have before it’s gone.
Then, I will not go into details of my cruel labour. However, my mum is not exactly stupid either. She made me bite into another trap. Lol (laughing out loud).. This time she asks me nicely whether if I’ve the time to spare and help her grind the chili with the electric blender. I stepped into the trap again, knowing that I’m literally sending the poor sheep into a tiger’s mouth. That’s a direct translations by the way (btw).
I forgotten the exact conversation, but I remembered that somehow I ended up using the ancient tools used by my ancestors. Picture as belows
Ancient Stone PounderI asked my mum just now and she replied that I was curious perhaps. That’s why I used this stone grinder to make the chili paste. But I do remember my mum saying something about my dad loving the hand-made chili by my 3rd aunt. Dot dot dot... I’ve fallen into another sinister plot by my mum... Or was it my deserved retribution for being curious and making my blog readers curious with some of my entries? Argh~!! NO!! This is not my retribution. I’m only trying out whether if my dad would be moved to tears when he knows that his precious son suffered to make his beloved chili paste. Nah.. My sadistic thinking was actually if he would cry when he tried my red hot chilli pepper. *evil grins* I’m convinced that I’m crazy and a sadist as well... So sad.. =’(
Okay! Or was it K.O? I began to peel the garlic and ginger skin. My mum chopped the small reddish devil into pieces for easier pounding. First, I put a few pieces of garlic into the crusher. It was the easiest of the 3 ingredients, within five minutes the garlic paste was done. Yea right.. That was only the few pieces of garlic and was considered the first batch. There would be like 5-6 more batches to go... LOL! You knew what I did?
Since my sister was at home, the traditional way was really too slow and I’m pro. I used some simple thinking to trap my sister this time. Lol... I said something like “Since you are at home, why don’t you help out?” My sister would reply “No... I’m going to sleep soon.” Then, I shoot back “Why don’t you use the electric blender to blend the chili?” My sister may have been thinking but she rejected my kind offer again. This time I said something like “Why not we see whether if dad can test out which is better or not? We split the ingredients into almost equal portions. If electric blender is better, then next time we will use the blender. Save my effort also.” *Grins* This trick sure worked this time round, she said that she would blend the chili after using the computer. Lol! I’ve actually outsmart my sister twice that morning. Sadly, my mum has also outwitted me. Argh~~~
Then, slowly and bit by bit, I managed to up my level from garlic to ginger and to the big boss level. The devilish chilli... Case in point, the chili can really irritates the skin and may even cause blindness if it brushed against your eyes. Since I’m bespectacled, chances of fresh chili juice making contact with my eyes are extremely low. However, if anyone of you experienced raw chili juices on your skin. You will feel really COOL~~ The juices will feel even better if it comes into contact into your restricted areas. Haha.. Let me remind you.. I’m crazy and a sadist as well. Btw, I realized that there is a slight difference between blending the chili and pounding the chilli manually. The seeds are the crux. When you blend it, the seeds would still survive the blades but the seeds would “die” if they are crushed into powder. Obviously, it would take a great deal of effort and I only crushed like up to 85% of the seeds at most. The lowest percentage should be 50% that I confirmed would be crushed.
To cut short, I wonder if people really like the traditional method. Or do they like the fact that people has suffered for it. That’s why the result tastes better in their heart. This is not a typographical or typo error in short. Instead of using mouth to taste, they use their heart to taste the food. I’m sorry for side tracking again but it’s important. Do think about the below scenarios.
Example 1
An ordinary black wallet was lost or so it seems.
In fact, the wallet may be a gift from your dear ones and you treasured it very much. But to ordinary people, it does not seem much. Not branded, not expensive not attractive as well.
Example 2
An “ordinary” person is dead. Like the above example, that person may not be doing “big” things or influence a lot of people. But to his friends, he’s a loyal, caring and superb friend that anyone could have.
Do my dear blog-readers got it? “You might not be anything to the world, but you may mean the world to some people” Btw, I read this from an email or something. The quotation was not by me although I may have changed a few words.
Back to my recap, the day was almost over and I used around 2 hours to write my heartfelt entry yesterday. In the evening, went for a walk with my piggy sister which is rare as well. Returned to my other home (basketball court), played a few good games. Though my teams lost twice and won once, the feeling is rather good when you know that you have tried and our opponents are 2 “beasts” and some role players. The “beasts” are even bigger than me, I’m only 1.80 metres tall and weighs around 73-75 kilograms and the monster is slightly taller than me and a whole lot more heavier than me. I was practically trying to push against a mountain. Though we lost, I guess the opponents also felt as good as us since we played serious basketball. Then, I shall not name the culprits as since we are playing as a team and some times our shooting percentage may be heading south. Haha.. For people who do not know what heading south means, do think about it. Hint: North, East, South, West... The direction. Do drop by in the comments box if you think you got the answer. See ya then!
Now... My mum bought water chestnuts today.... Its unprepared water chestnuts... Meaning that... I’ve to prepare it... Dot dot dot... Be right back to post the pictures as evidence that I’m not joking.
PS – I’ve noticed that my entries are unusually long and wordy. May turn people down when they read it. But who cares? Since I’ve the inspiration to blog, I shall write all I want. The fact is that I could have been more descriptive in my blog, add in more details but I do not want to write a chapter of a novel. So I only chose what I feel are appropriate to readers.
My Best Friend Has Finally Found This Blog!After dropping hints, I've decided to let him know about this blog... Partly due to him, this blog name is called Desprorado. Dun be so happy hor... Des pro.. Des pro.. Desprorado!
Anyway, my best friend is non other then Watermelon a.k.a yuan in this blog. He should feel honoured. Hah~ Enjoy my entries.
LEE KUAN YEW GLOBAL BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION at Singapore Management University (SMU)
Initially, I thought that my entrepreneurship group was nominated for the competition. Basically, my group was comprised of students from different course of studies like 2 accountancy and finance students, 2 engineering students (specializing in Multimedia or something like that) and 1 engineering student (specialize in those network or something). This cross functional group was formed during my course of study and we do not know one another beforehand except my fellow accounting polytechnic classmate.
The story goes that, we need to do up an entrepreneur project in less than 20 weeks. Some of the difficulties faced.
1. A need to break the “ice” and build a working relationship.
2. An idea that must make use of technology, feasible and the last criteria (I forgotten).
3. A prototype.
4. 3-4 formal and informal presentations to our lecturers as well as to outside judges (manager or CEOs of company) on the so-called “Entrepreneurship Day”
5. Meeting up for only 2 hours a week, for less than 20 weeks. (2-3 weeks meeting are cancelled as lecturers are busy or not scheduled)
I must say that it is remarkable considering the difficulties we faced. Yea... Self-praise is international disgrace. So I shall let my blog reader/readers to judge for them.
Story continues... The team managed to think of a feasible idea, work it out (detailed analysis, conclusion and recommendations), done a prototype and finished the presentations. Everything should have been wrapped up on the Entrepreneurship day in mid-February. Our end products are a report of over 40 pages with a font size of 12, one and a half spacing and inclusive of appendices. Plus, about 20 slides of PowerPoint as we only need to present our idea for around 10 minutes.
Then... I received a call from our lecturer-in-charge that my team has been nominated for the LKY Business Plan competition. I was glad of course as it means that my team’s effort has been sort of recognized by the school and we are going to be one of the teams to represent our school. (This may sounds so clichéd but that is how I felt). The day was March 9th, and this is the so-called secret on my blog entry that only my grape friend did I mentioned it to. LOL~ I even told him to keep it a secret as I want to be sure that I did make it to the preliminary rounds before I hao lian (show off) to my family and friends. HAH~! Actually is to surprise them that I could have “perform” on a big stage.
Thereafter, the lecturer in charge emailed us that we need to register our business plan by 10 AM the following day. Due to the unexpected nomination, almost all of my team members are dazed and on cloud nine at the news. However, some of them just started to step into the working society and one member was even in her native country, Vietnam.
Next, we are faced with the problem of the registration as we do not have the guidelines to register. Do note that it is a rather complicated registration; moreover I did mention that one team member was still in Vietnam at that time and I’m unsure if she could access internet as and when she wants.
After that, the registration was completed without my team member as it was too urgent and she did not check her emails until much later. Then, we also need to submit our report to SMU through the internet. The submission of our business proposal was another problem faced. I contacted the lecturer and he said to email him our proposal and he would make changes to it. The file did not reached him until Mar 10th, I do not know what had happened as I cc a copy to my other email and my project team members email account and all of us received it.
Then on Mar 10th early in the morning, I was already up due to the excitement. Let me tell you something, the Global Biz Plan is quite prestigious I think. C’mon... There are undergraduates, college and polytechnic student from around the world participating in this event. The cash prize is US$1,000 for semi-finalists; at least US$5,000 for the 4th to 6th finalist, 3rd prize is US$10,000, 2nd is US$15,000 and 1st prize’s worth US$20,000. Well... Guess you should get the idea how grand the competition is going to be.
So on Mar 10th morning, I contacted my lecturer as he was supposed to send me the amended business plan. Instead, he told me that I shall submit the plan 1st as the school had already posted a copy to SMU. But... I do not have the amended business plan and the submission process needs a word document in order to complete the submission process. To solve the situation, I handed in a blank document so that the submission process can be done. OK! Everything’s done...
Later in the morning, I received another call from the lecturer who told me to submit the business plan again as he was supposed to send me the amended copy. The time was well over the deadline of 10 AM. I said “Okay. I would be home in 20 minutes.” Once I reached home, I came online to check my email immediately. Emails were received but none of them contained the attachment document. Time was close to 12. I waited till 12 plus and I msg the lecturer that I still have not received the document yet. He replied that he would send it over ASAP. After a few clicks of the “refresh” button, there was still no emails received. I did some work and checked the email at close to 1 o’clock. Finally, the mail was received. Without delay, I submitted the amended copy. Problem solved.
Ytd, on Mar 14th, I sent an email to ask a few questions as follows.
1. What are we going to be doing on Mar 20th when we meet some of the top CEOs
2. Must everyone be present?
3. What about Mxxx who was not registered?
4. The venue that we are going to meet them, time and other information
5. Are our business plan accepted? (because of the delays and sudden events etc)
I even add in a paragraph as follows.
“Sorry for troubling you but there are no one else to turn to. Hope to hear from you soon. On behalf of my team, I would also like to thank you and XXX for selecting us and giving us the opportunity to represent the school. Our team are glad that our work has been recognized by the school and would hopefully help the school to better glory if possible. Cheers~PS - I'm aware that some of the questions may not be easily answered. Do give us some information if possible.”
He replied back at 3.01 PM with the questions answered. Case dismissed.
Today, on Mar 15th morning, I received another mail from him.
“HI Desprorado, regret to inform you and all that your team, Massager Jacket is not selected for the CEO feedback on Monday, 20 Mar 06. Thanks all for the time and effort put in to register, and submit your entry
All the Best to all !”
It was literally a slap in my face... Such an emotional roller-coaster of highs and lows. True to say, we might not stand a chance against the undergraduates or other representatives from other polytechnics around the WORLD. However, I dare to say that literally the blood, sweat and tears. The hard work. The (true) team work. The forming of an idea from scratch. The process. The end product. The support. The difficulties faced. Everything has been so wonderful. I can’t believe that... But tears are on automatic mode now... Nah.. I ain’t feeling sad that it is over, but was truly glad that it had happened. I’m really in tears now... Thanks team. We might not have shared a lot of time together. I may not understand all of you, neither do you understand me. But it was such a beautiful process~ Looking at the positive side; we managed to be short listed as one of the 8 or 10 other teams from out of perhaps a hundred teams in the school. I really do have some reasons to be proud of the team. Good job!
PS – I shall share with you my executive summary. It’s done by yours truly. Since every word is written by me, I guess I shall have the right to introduce the team’s project to the world. This entry shall also serve as a reminder to me for certain reasons.
Here is my executive summary, anyone using the summary for project or commercial purposes. Pls do update me in the comment box as basic courtesy to say the least.
Executive Summary
After a hard day of work, being all worn out regardless of the working environment. Be it an air conditioned office or working under the sun, toiling for 8 hours away without a break. What usually follows are the aches and cramps after being inactive or overly active during work. It is a fact that blood circulation is weak after staying in a poor posture without much of a movement, as a result individual’s health will start to take a beating. What can be done to solve this problem?
Hereby, introducing you to our Reliever, it is a revolutionary portable massager that can be worn whenever wherever you are situated. Our unique selling proposition is a truly portable and hands free jacket that can massage those aching muscles at the same time. Unlike major competitors with their “portable” massage that requires A/C power supply and the usage of hand to apply pressure, our Reliever is totally hands free and can be worn as a jacket that makes a fashion statement at the same time.
The main objective of our business is to improve the well being of people in general. Our vision is to create a healthier body for people at a low cost. Our team believes that health is much more precious than wealth and prevention is definitely better than cure. Thus, our products seek to relieve people of their problems before they even exist. Due to the special design of our product (direct acupuncture points), it can enable better blood circulation that would prevent aches and cramps from occurring. As a result, the body would feel better and health would also be enhanced.
In brief, our business model consists of ourselves as the product owner who owns the patent rights over the innovative Reliever. From there, we would source for contract manufacturers from China. After production, the completed massage jackets would be shipped back to Singapore and stored in the warehouse. Thereafter, we would be able to supply the Reliever to our distributors (major departmental stores) who will in turn sell them off to the final consumer after mark- up.
At this stage, we lacked the huge capital, economies of scale of manufacturer and marketing experience of established distributors. For our business model, we will focus more on the design aspects in addition to improvising our products. Then, we also did background researches on the internet and newspapers to check whether there are any similar products on the internet. In the end, we found out that there is an identical massager in the United States awaiting patent. However, there is a main difference as their motor massage vest is not as convenient as ours due to A/C consumptions while the Reliever is battery operated.
Subsequently, we also recognized some of our major competitors and they are: Osim, Ogawa and Oto Bodycare. Although, they did not have any similar portable massagers their experiences and presence in Singapore and major countries made it difficult for us to enter the market. Besides, they also have the financial power to advertise their products, open outlets and invest in research and development.
Nevertheless, the Reliever strengths lie in its portability, convenience and style. From the analysis of our competitors, we realized that their prices are quite steep and they did not consider the interests of lower income group who may not be able to fork out a few hundred dollars for a massaging device. Thus, our massager would be more affordable as compared to our competitors’ products.
Next, we also did a market research out of a sample size of 100 people. From the survey that we have done, we found out that majority of the surveyors are health conscious and have bought health products before. These establish the point that people are willing to spend money in their own personal well being. Besides, the results also show that consumers are willing to try out a relatively new brand as long as the product is good. These boost our confidence as we were concerned that the lack of branding would be a critical hit to our success.
Under the business implementation, we proposed a selling price of $50 to our retailers, major departmental stores. As part of our promotion, we would have approaches such as packaging our products with other interrelated health products, giving out free movie vouchers etc. Then, we would also promote our products through pamphlets and positive word of mouth.
In the financial plan of our business, we projected first year sales unit of around 21,110 Relievers. As we are selling to major departmental store, the sales units would be quite sizeable. Then, after subtracting our expenses from the gross profit, we would get a net profit of $197,360 after taxes. Based on the cash flow figures, we would be able to repay our capital of $100,000 within a year.
In conclusion, our product can be considered as the first truly portable, fuss free and inexpensive massage equipment that can be worn as normal clothing. We foresee a good chance of succeeding in the market in the initial years as long as we continue to churn out new forms and designs of our Reliever. Besides that, we would also include a timer, variable intensity and a heater to market to other sections of the population. With these improvements done to the Reliever, we believe our products would be able to sell well locally and expand into the global market. The business venture is worth investing.
Recap of Mar 13th
Note: Shall be a personal entry again. Language shall be my normal standard. Lengthwise may be long as it has been an eventful day, too much happenings in fact.
Every since, the mosquito bites, I stayed awake the entire morning as I was going to report to work. No, I didn’t call the relevant authority with regards to the mosquitoes. That story shall be another told at a later date when I’m feeling it.
Story continues... I was awake and saw some chums online in the dead of the night. So I approached an old friend (He’s residing in a Uni in KL, while I’m in S’pore) that I seldom contact online. How seldom? Yesterday’s contact was the second time if I’m not mistaken. He asked me some standard question like “How’s your life been?” A normal or sometimes lazy person would give a standard reply of “fine” Guess by now, people shall know that Desprorado’s not normal. So I gave him a summary of some highlights as well as a little details of what’s happening in my life (he also gave details about his life as well). To cut short, I’m glad I approached him and “talk” online. But I wished that it wouldn’t happen always as it means I can’t sleep. The time was around 4+ or 5+ when I “talk” with him online.
Next, I went to my first day of work. Initially, I thought that I would only be reporting to the headquarters (HQ) to settle issues like where I’m going to work, uniforms etc. Who knows? After reporting to HQ, the fellow secondary friend who went with me for the interview rejected the offer made by the company. It’s because of the branch he had to report to, too inconvenient for him. Besides, he prefers to “work” with a same branch with me as there’s a familiar face to accompany him. True, I’ve thought of rejecting the offer too. But I managed to ask for my dad’s opinion before leaving the house; he said that it is okay for me to work over at the company though d pay may be not up to my standard. Can’t believe that my dad would view me as such a low wage worker!! Regardless, I accepted the offer.
After accepting the offer, the human resource lady asked me to report to the branch directly. So, I left with my secondary school friend and took a train to my workplace while he went home. Btw, if you (blog reader/readers) have read my previous post, you would notice that another 2 friends have not went with us to HQ. They might be taking of on airplane or flying kite somewhere for all I care.
At last, I reached my new workplace. God knows, I worked from 10+ or even 11 till 3 o’clock that day. Was going for a lunch break but the assistant store manager (ASM) asked me to work till 3 so that it would be easier to calculate the hours worked. Do take note that, I was a “surprise” that day as the HR from HQ did not contact the branch that I’m working at. So, there are some administrative matters to be settled. Basically, I was given an orientation by the ASM and he asked me to just walk around the shop and remember where the various kinds of products are situated. I did not mingle much with other staffs since they were doing their job. Just a brief exchange of names and a few sentences here and there. I mainly talked to the ASM. Hah~ Only the Assistant Store Manager have enough rank to talk with me. Lol~
After work, I went straight home and have my overdue lunch of curry puff, fancy breads and other junks. My mum had eaten my official lunch as high tea as she thought I would have eaten already. So not much of a choice as I wolfed down the breads. Came online afterwards, was mainly listening to songs, chatting with my watermelon buddy and exploring the World Wide Web. Conked out (slept) at around 4+ to 5. Woke up at close to 7 PM or was it 6+? Still feeling the urge to sleep...
A basketball (bball) friend msg me out. Had a rather serious conversation with 2 fruity friends, watermelon and grape with regards to going down to play basketball or not. LOL! A serious conversation indeed, as my watermelon pal drew up pictures using the MSN drawing function while another cracked lame jokes. Also cracked lame jokes as well. Thereafter, another bball buddy jio (ask me along) me down to play basketball. So... I made a decision to play. The “fruity” friends were going down as well despite a tiring work and (easy) studying commitments.
Went out to played basketball at around 8, the soccer players were already dominating the court. One of them thinks it’s funny to scream at me “TODAY NO BASKETBALL!!” That was an incredibly huge mistake on his part. Slowly, my basketball friends began to grow. Not taller or wider, but the number was increasing to 6. We proceed to shoot some hoops. Then, we intend to play a game of 3-on-3. As the soccer players were playing full court and their numbers were bigger, they demanded us to let them play. Before the age-old question appear “This is a basketball court, not a soccer field”. We replied cannot of course, then they begin to make noises and I heard the word “Rambut”. Unsure whether if I’m correct with the spelling, the word actually means ram (To strike or drive against with a heavy impact). It means that they are actually threatening us that they may begin to play “rammed the soccer ball”, of course the targets are going to be us.
NOW... I’m already irritated by the lack of sleep, as well as lack of responses (another blog-worthy story) and the taunting/screaming by one of the soccer player.
I FINALLY ERUPTED!! I shouted out something like “Hey! You don’t force us to call the police OK!”. When I shouted out the words, I’m in fits of
ANGER. The soccer players began to sort of square up to me. Their “leader” (an under probation person or tagged with the police tag) began to ask me “Why do you need to shout at us? We are also people okay?” Then, another soccer player add in more fire by saying “You think we are dogs? Shout at us for what?” Freaks... I was trembling... But not in fear, instead, in
ANGER. I proceed to talk with the “leader”, but the situation was quite difficult because all of us are still hot-headed. He demanded why I shouted at them, I replied that they were threatening us by saying they are going to rambut us. OF course I’m furious. Then, he dare to have the cheek to say “We only say say only. Did we rambut you all?” Too bad.. I did not think of a good reply of “We only say say to call the police only. Did we call?” Of course, some of my basketball friends were also helping me to “talk” with the leader. I forgot the exact dialogues but it was interesting as I’ve never felt that “trembling” feeling before. I forgot how we managed to solve the problem but I did remember shaking hands with the leader twice to calm him down. Do not ask me why. But it works to a certain extent. In the end, there were no bloodsheds (I’m not a fighter also). There was no stopping us from playing basketball, nor do they stopped playing soccer. They still played full court while we played half court 3-on-3. Amazingly, a few players from both sides said sorry when they accidentally hit the ball at us. Obviously, they did not hit us with any hard balls nor do we purposely crash into them or anything. It would be a night in the history of the basketball court. News would spread...
Proceeded to enjoy playing my game, it’s not that I’m proud of my achievement. But my team didn’t lose a game after several rounds. The fact is that I “think” players from the opposition team were slightly dazed by my previous outburst. I was also what basketballers termed as “in the zone”. It means that I’m too hot to handle. I’m really enjoying my game as I played hard ball. The players alike were also quite “motivated” in the sense to play some good basketball.
At around 9 or 9 plus, a friend came down. I let him take over as I felt quite good already. What I meant was, I felt I’ve played enough of high level basketball not that I’m tired or anything. I could have continued playing, but I felt that it has been such a long day and though my energy was still there, there is no need to suffer aches for giving my body additional workout. There was another reason, which I think reader/readers can guessed easily so I will leave it at that.
Stayed till the lights off at 10 o’clock at night, talk some craps and also plans (another good story to be told another day). The guys are also feeling quite high I guessed. LOL~ Because I played a very “high” energy song thru handphone while I’m out not playing. Hah.. Maybe my “positive” energy also have something to do with it because they finally began to talk of the plans that I’ve organized. I mean they talk only, no actions yet. Talk only... Said goodbyes. Strangely, no one really talk about my sudden volcanic eruption.
I went home and the story ends. You bet! I bathed and ate my dinner. Goodness, I’ve weird eating time? Nil.. I just do not want to play basketball on a full stomach. I did eat a chunk of watermelon before playing basketball. Too many stories (not made up) to tell. I can only say that I’ve literally touched 2 people with my “care and concern”. Adios~
PS – I’ve finally got a blog fan. Even my watermelon friend and grape friend also didn’t know that I’ve kept a blog. I’m still keeping my watermelon friend in suspense as I want to let him think more as I dropped hints along the way. Maybe he would find out? After all, I created this blog on his birthday and he was aware of it. But what he did not expect was that I update this blog a few days after his birthday. Hah.. If he manages to find out he would finally understand why I kept saying “Jing shi bu tong wang re” meaning the present situation was not like the past, it changes.
MosquitoesWTBF! It’s 3+ in the morning and here I’m having a sleepless night thanks to the bloody suckers. ARGH!!! It’s driving me crazy... The spots on my thighs are all red and sore now. I did not have the intentions to rub on them but subconsciously I’ve been doing so. OMG~ Since I’m so irritated now, I shall attempt to kill them all by using my Dad’s favourite racquet. Before u’r left wondering wt’s so special about the racquet, I shall googled the keywords mosquito racquet. True enough, a fellow blogger with such information sprung up on the 1st spot. So I shall refer the URL for anyone who is interested.
http://pchere.blogspot.com/2005/06/electronic-mosquito-racket-zaps-pests.htmlBut... There is still a problem. That is the mosquito would still continue to regenerate and it quite useless to fight against such a huge battalion of mosquitoes with a tiny racquet that zap them alive. It would be wiser to work on the prevention methods then finding a cure or remedy after being nipped by such pathetic yet powerful insects.
The reason why I said that it is powerful is because it has managed to outlast dinosaurs. That is the best proof that it is actually quite smart and able to outplay, outwit and outlast such ferocious creatures. Hence, before you dismiss it as just another domestic fly, think again.
As for the prevention methods mentioned earlier, currently there is only one that I can think of and that is none other than educating the public on ways to prevent mosquitoes from growing up. Before I nagged on the various life stages of a mosquito and bored anyone who’s happens to read till here, I shall grabbed myself some biscuits since I’m feeling hungry now. A hungry man is an angry man? Nah... An angry man is also a hungry man.
So back to our topic, the life stages can be found on the internet and I shall post another url:
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/mosbiol.htm for readers who might be interested to find out more on the low life. As Singapore was faced with threats of mosquitoes a few months back, the health minister at that time made quite a few appearances on the mass media and quite a few prevention techniques were also taught on newspaper and televisions etc. Since the sudden explosion of mosquitoes then, the situation has subsided. However, a few precious lives were lost due to the deadly virus by the mosquito notably the dengue fever which may kills. Now, the mosquitoes may not have the intention to kill but it acts as a carrier for distributing the virus from an infected person to another healthy person. To cut short, you may like to have a look at another url that I’ve googled (
http://www.dhpe.org/infect/dengue.html) to find out more on the symptoms of the deadly virus.
So basically, what does the various government agencies did to help solve the problem? Firstly, they used the prevention method which is to create public awareness. Then, they also set up emergency website on the “hotspots” area whereby there is unusually high concentration of reported cases. This measure would have alerted the public to avoid the “hot” areas and also made residents in those areas to work harder to prevent mosquitoes or they can kiss the value of their house goodbye. Then, the government also increased the number of inspections along with mosquito fogging around the small island otherwise known as Singapore. However, I was skeptic about the Pros and Cons of mosquito fogging. Since in
MY opinion, it gives me an impression that the human body would be harmed as the smoke itself ain’t exactly friendly to me. Please note that I’m not trying to question the government or gahmen (slang for government) as others would call it. In fact, I would like to praise the work of our government as they had managed to solve the sudden explosion of mosquito bites inflicted.
Now, you (if you are still there) must be questioning why I’m so bored as to blog on such topics and even giving opinions on the government which may attract unnecessary attention. I just have to say that I’m a victim of the mosquitos’ bites and was feeling annoyed. However, I’m feeling much better after blogging as I’m able to forget the itch and use my two
hands to type while my body miraculously heal the swells. At the same time, information is shared as to the danger of mosquitoes. As a matter of fact, I did praise our gahmen on their efficiency in solving the problem.
PS – I think I’m going to contact the relevant authority with regards to the mosquitoes in my estate. I’ve been suffering for at quite some time, from a few visits per fortnight to a few visits in the last couple of days. In turn, I feel terribly restlessness during daytime. Going to check up on the website and wait for the sun to rise as I foresee another sluggish Monday...
Oscar’s Movie Reviews (Part 2)3. Brokeback Mountain
Movie Synopsis – Set in the 1960s, Brokeback Mountain narrates the tale of 2 guys who happened to have a special bond after obtaining the task of sheepherding in the lush greens of Wyoming (a state of the Western United States). The intensity and degree of love shown is special and transcend beyond the understanding of normal people.
My personal opinion: The accents by the actors are too strong for my liking as I struggled to understand their conversations throughout the film. Yea, I’m a Singaporean and not accustomed to foreign tones. Hence, I’m unable to make much of a comment. Nevertheless, it’s still another Oscar award winning film with noteworthy scenes and lush landscape.
Length of film: 134 mins
Best defining quote/tagline: “I wish I knew how to quit you”
4. Transamerica
Movie Synopsis – The main character of the show is a male to female transsexual who is about to undergo the last stage of his operation. However, he learns that he had a son at the last hurdle. As a result, he’s unable to continue his operations without resolving the issue. To make matter worse, his son is a troubled teenager who was mistreated by his step-father.
My personal opinion: Felicity Huffman is a real life female. In this film, the make-up and expressions of hers made her looks exactly like a transsexual. She was credible in her role that I thought that a male was acting out the role. Besides her acting, the film itself also led us to think about the various situations that a male faces in order to become a female.
Length of film: 103 mins
Best defining quote/tagline: “My body may be a work-in-progress, but there is nothing wrong with my soul.”
5. Crash
Movie Synopsis – 2 young African-American thieves, a African-American detective, a white district attorney and his wife, a Hispanic locksmith, a white cop and his partner, an African-American producer and his wife, and a Persian store owner. This is not a typical racism film, as the sub-plot intertwines to form the aptly named “Crash”.
My personal opinion: This film sets me thinking and also affirmed my belief that things are not as simple as it seems. To sidetrack awhile, a psychotic murderer may be the results of an abusive father. A talkative and friendly person may feel lonely and insecure, hence the need to “attract” attention. Back to the film, the storyline on racism is hard to explain as its like bits and pieces of puzzles which forms a complete picture when completed. A nice picture indeed, I would have ranked this before the other Oscar’s movies due to its wonderful story which can be related to any normal guy out on the street. Bravo!
Length of film: 113 mins
Best defining quote/tagline: “You think you know who you are. You have no idea.”
Summary of Mar 09 2006 eventsNote: This shall be a personal blog entry and serious readers may wish to turn off. The language and grammars as well as my colourful vocabulary may not be up to my usual standards. Apologies...
A Long Summary of an eventful dayI woke up at my usual time of 7 to 8+. Then, I dilly dally for quite awhile. Enjoyed my usual unspectacular breakfast of bread and some biscuits. Sipping on my daily large cuppa Milo, reading outdated news. Time passes by and it’s almost 10. Went for a jog, and I went half-monty at a ulu (secluded) path. Did some exercise of pull-ups, sit ups and cool down etc. Bought my best friend’s “fav” drink of green tea and I swore that the ah lian (female gangster) completed with a tattoo on her arm, was actually smiling and even said thanks to me. I ain’t making this up, and I was stunned as well. Hehe.. I’m going to patronize her stall in the future. Lol~ Just j/k only.
Then, I got back home and saw 2 missed calls and a msg received. Details shall not be revealed. But I was very happy then and still happy now. You can try asking me, but I may not tell you. Cos the time is not ripe yet, once it’s ready I would let you guys know. So far I’ve only told one friend and not even my family is aware of it. Once everything’s confirmed, I would make it public. Hah~ I’m creating mystery, letting the curiosity overwhelm you (blog readers). *evil grins*
Then, I bathed aft calling my friend. Later on, I came online as usual and find a fellow hunter to chat about any job openings. I’ve actually got a secondary school and primary school cum basketball friend hunting for jobs. So I intro them and we had a MSN conference, I managed to set up a time and place to meet up and search for jobs. On the other side, I’ve a self proclaimed noob (newbie) frend who is jioing (gathering) friends to accompany him to the IT Show at Suntec, Singapore. So I sat down in front of my computer screen and was looking for jobs on the straits time classified section, eating my pathetic lunch of instant noodles with a side order of chee kueh (my mum bought back from market), having 3 separate conversations with a few guys as well as replying SMSs. *jaw drop* That is what I called multitasking, ability to do several things at once and ends up screwing up everything. Hah.. The screwing up part is not true of cos.
Shortly after lunch, I called my friend (pri-bball) of a pig. Cos I knew that he would still be sleeping and we actually ended up reaching earlier than my estimate of 3.30PM. We waited for my friend and he’s actually bringing another friend along. Too say that it’s a coincidence would be an understatement lol.
Firstly, the three of them are from SP – Singapore Polytechnic and have seen each other as they are in engineering courses.
Secondly, apart from my secondary school friend, the 3 of us are from the same primary school.
Thirdly, we lived in the northern part of Singapore except for my sec friend who used to lived in the northern part.
Lastly, with so many similarities and interwoven relationship, you can imagine the chaos and eagerness of the foursome to engage in talks.
So, we went to town area and tried our luck twice. So far, we have gotten one confirmed jobs. As expected, the pay was not up to our standards. LOL~ We have got high standards. Ahahha.... After that we split up into 2 groups as we are going to different places. My sec friend and I went to City Hall MRT, which is like a mile away. While my primary school friends went to Clarke Quay which is a few stone throws away.
If you have been following the story, you shall guess where I’m heading to next. Of course, the IT Show and I ended up walking a kilometer or so. By then, my muscles were already aching and still aching now. I’ve come to a conclusion that instant noodles really have not much of a nutritional value. I should have eaten some wholesome and fresh food to aid better repairing of my body system.
Back to Suntec, I spent awhile going through the level 4 of the exhibition hall. Heheh.. Saw a bikni-clad babe on the Olympus stage, my grapey friend and I gawk for less than 15 secs and the show’s ended. Damm... We were too late should have went straight over to the booth if I knew such a show was going on. Btw, I happened to see my Poly friends promoting printers. He’s none other than the most zai (best) public speaker in my class. So, he’s over at Suntec and attracting a small crowd by using a mic and demonstrating the functions of the printers. It’s an extremely difficult job because the Olympus booth is just besides it and has a stage as well as bikini-clad model. Despite the odds, he still managed to attract a small (ard 10) people to watch his demo. OMG~ He’s truly an excellent public speaker with his fluent and good command of English.
Thereafter, my friend and I went over back to Xbox exhibits at level 3 since we were not buying any high ended IT product and also partly because there was no bikini show. Xbox 360 has good graphics, highly intelligent AI, realistic, detailed. It was really a good experience. One thing though, there are still games from the last century. Can u imagine my friend’s lameness when he leveled up to the 2nd level? The game was typically those internet downloaded “Rotate the hexes to form 3 alike coloured hexes and the hexes will burst sort of game”. I guess the game was really downloaded from the internet, since Xbox 360 supports online downloads as well. Hah.. Wt a joke.. Playing “hexes” game on the Xbox 360? Wt a great idea!
Finally, the rest of the groups came down after their purchases at the 6th level a.k.a japalang or miscellaneous and low end IT products. Did I mention that my grapey friend and I had not eaten dinner? Time was around 9 and I figured the lack of nutrients also caused my aches to sustain till now. In brief, I reached home at 10+.
PS – My Oscar’s nominated/winning film reviews (Part 2) might take a longer time then planned as I’ve a few activities coming up. Rest assured that I would finish my part 2.
Oscar’s Movies Review (Part 1)
Since I’ve been watching several Oscar awards nominated/winning movies like the Constant Gardener, Brokeback Mountain, Hustle & Flow, Transamerica and Crash, it would be sensible for me to give my amateurish and humble opinion on the various movies. !!Spoilers Forewarned!!
Note: The below reviews would not be possible without
http://www.imdb.com/ as well as the fabulous productions of the films.
Constant GardenerMovie Synopsis – An activist (campaigner) was murdered in Africa or so it seems. However, the truth lies far from that, and the widower (male widow) seeks to find out the truth, tossing his life in danger.
My personal opinion: The scenery of Africa, culture and realism of the directing etc helps to promote this movie experience. The actors/actresses were brilliant in their roles and the script itself is thought-provoking as it questions the way that large corporations handle situations. Are they really helping to create jobs and boost economic conditions or are they actually harming poor people. Thus, it creates the effect of “The poor gets poorer while the rich gets richer”.
Length of film: 129 mins
Best defining quote/tagline: “Big pharmaceuticals are right up there with the arms dealers.”
Hustle and FlowMovie Synopsis – Story starts with a pimp who has an ambition of becoming a hip hop rap star, however the odds are against him as he struggles to make ends meet. Worse still, he’s approaching the grand old age of 40, which is considered “old” in the dog-eat-dog world. Not merely an inspirational story, the true to life storyline is superb.
My personal opinion: The convincing acting of the lead character, Terrence Howard as Djay fits to a T. The songs that are created in the film form a perfect combination with the story. It details the hard work and amount of blood, sweat and tears that the pimp took in making the record. It also opens up my mind and I realized that the whole process of making an album is much more complicated and it requires not only diligence, talent and a great deal of luck. You would really need to go through the whole movie to understand the meaning that the song is conveying. Pls do watch this movie.
Length of film: 116 mins
Best defining quote/tagline: “The music will inspire them. The dream will unite them. This summer get crunk*.”
*crunk – slang. Mixture of the word crazy and drunk
PS: This post shall be my first official entry of this blog. The post below is an unofficial entry tt shows the crunk side of me. Hah~ A new word learned.
Yuan's BdayHappy bird-day to you
Happy bird-day to you
Happi Bird-day to YUAN!!!
Happy Birdday to u....
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