I've always referred to February
as the Month of Love. Mainly because Valentine's Day
falls in this month. And in conjunction with that, there
will be plenty of love movies shown, plenty of
love-related items sold and plenty of love words spoken.
Hmmm I wonder if people rush to
get together so that they can have their first
Valentine's Day together?
Now what was it again...
Lately the goldfish memory has
struck me a little bit more often.
I would be thinking about doing
something, get distracted momentarily, and end up
forgetting what I wanted to do in the first place.
Eventually I'll be asking myself the question,' Now what
did I want to do?'
Damn. And it's coming so often
that it is annoying.
I've already forgotten what I
wanted to write about. Argh!
My Entry For That Contest
Ok now I remembered what I wanted
to share about.
Last week I learnt about a
contest being organized by Singapore's Climbing
Association thru their magazine,
Dyno. The contest is
about writing up about your favourite place to travel
and climb.
Since I was in a writing mood I
decided to join the contest. The prize is a pair of
climbing shoes! Sweet.
So here's sharing with you, my
entry for the contest (limited to less than 500 words,
as per contest criteria).
No Blues
in the Blueys
In my climbing life I have travelled to places near and
far, to quench the unending thirst for new crags, new
heights and new adventures. From the sharp rocks of Ipoh
to the misty mountains of Yangshuo, I have tried and
tasted many routes, and I still want more. Favourites
places, I have plenty. But the one that stands out in my
mind would be the crags in Blue Mountains, Sydney,
Australia.
With over 100 climbing areas and more than 1000 routes,
it is no wonder that this is one of Australia’s most
extensive climbing locations. Since there are a lot of
climbing areas, it proved wise to plan your climb a day
ahead. To help you with your planning, there are
climbing guide books with maps that show the location of
the crags. Some crags are close enough that you can
spend half the day in one place and then drive up to
another place after that. When I was there, my friends
and I would usually spend almost one whole day in an
area because there’s just plenty of physically and
mentally challenging routes!
And that is what that attracts
climbers all over the world to this place. The large
quantity of good quality climbs. There are plenty of
challenging 7s and 8s at almost each crag to keep
climbers humbled and coming back for more. Each offer
different type of challenges to power, endurance and
techniques. I still remember my first 7a climb till
today (These Apples Must Be Jen’s, at Porters Pass). It
was dicey, technical and tested my endurance. Overall,
it was quite a fun route.
Another major attraction is the fantastic view of the
natural landscape. Up in the mountains, away from the
hustle and bustle of the city, one feels closer to
nature. Also, one gets to admire the beauty and wonders
of nature. To me, this is a priceless reward after each
climb. Many a times I would enjoy the view of endless
valleys, surrounded by majestic mountains and overlooked
by the blue skies with cotton-like clouds. Many a times,
it is the view that takes the breath away.
Aside from climbing, one can
indulge in other outdoor activities such as canyoning,
trekking, bush-walking, mountain biking, abseiling and
more. One can also visit places of interests, like ‘The
Three Sisters’ and Jenolan Caves. If you’re looking for
indoor activities, there are bookstores and video stores
and even a world-famous ice-cream parlour! These places
and activities add on to the fun-filled experience of
being up in Blue Mountains. They also make the climbing
rest days more enjoyable.
Thinking deep about it, I could go on forever on what
makes Blue Mountains one of my top favourite place to
travel and climb. What I’ve shared so far are the main
reasons to take a plane and travel to Sydney to get
there. Thus if you’re looking for a new favourite place
to climb,then Blue Mountains would be it.
It doesn't matter if you don't
understand the language of the song. As long as you can
enjoy the music and the words that go with it, that is
good enough. If the music gives you good vibes or good
feelings, that is good enough.
Ting Ting told me that at present
she likes this Malay song, even though she has no clue
to the meaning of the lyrics.
The song just gives her a good
feeling down the spine. I knew exactly what she meant,
because I've come across songs that gave me that similar
feeling. One of my top favourite is the following song:
We both agreed that we could go
on listening to the songs repeatedly and still enjoy it.
That's how impactful good music is.
Bouldering @ SP
Thanks to Ting Ting's invitation,
I found myself heading down to Singapore Poly to
boulder. I've never did any bouldering there before, so
now is a good time as any to start.
One major plus point about
bouldering here is that there is a self-service music
jukebox! You can pick the tunes you want to listen to,
queue it and listen to it as you boulder when it comes
on. Yes, I agree, it's better than listening to radio
stations that play random songs and have long breaks in
between. And the music is loud enough to make you feel
like you're at a rock party! Hell yeah!
Another plus point is that there
is hot showers. Finally! Something that is similar to
Camp 5. It's good to have a nice, hot shower after a
long bouldering session. The feeling is indescribable.
Bouldering, just like any other
activities, is fun when you have good company. Will try
to take some photos next time I'm there!
'The Imaginarium Of Dr
Parnassus' opened this week and the trailers was
stunning enough that I thought I would be in for a real
treat to see it. I went to the extend of catching it at
midnight. About the show... well...
'The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus'
Synopsis
"The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus" is a fantastical morality tale, set in the
present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his
extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where
members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity
to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.
Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the
imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a
dark secret - a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he
won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his
one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the
devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition
that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or
she would become the property of Mr Nick. Actors Heath
Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell play a
mysterious outsider, Tony who joins the troupe to rescue
Dr Parnassus' daughter.
From the looks of the synopsis,
sounds like a simple story right?
But the reality is... well...
'The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus'
Review
If within the first 20 minutes
you don't catch the story, then it's likely you won't be
able to do so for the remaining 100 minutes. The basic
of the story is the pretty daughter of the performer is
going to belong to the devil unless someone does
something about it. In comes Heath Ledger to the rescue.
The twist of the story is in the end, and the twist
shows why Heath Ledger was 'chosen'. But it is so
abstract and softly played that you might miss it. You
might also miss the point why the performer is doing all
his 'act', or why is he so old, and so on. The saving
grace of this show is the cool visual treats. Plus it is
fun to see Heath Ledger 'transform' into Johnny Depp,
Colin Farrel and Jude Law (some say it's confusing, I
say it's fun). Somehow, you need to really, really,
really focus to understand and follow the story. Else
you would exit the theatre wondering what the hell did
you just watched.
Yesterday I received a phone-call
from a friend whom I've not seen for a very long time.
The conversation went something like this:
Him:
What are you doing tomorrow night?
Me:
Hmmm... waiting for friends to confirm a dinner plan.
What's up?
Him:
Want to go to Zhang Hui Mei concert?
Me:
Haaaa... but I won't understand what she is saying or
singing!
Him:
It's ok. I don't listen to her songs as well.
Me:
Hmmm... I can only confirm with you tomorrow morning,
when my friends let me know if the dinner is on or not.
Him:
Dean, think logically about it. Your friends are not
leaving to go any place right? Means you can meet them
for dinner on other days right? So it's not necessary to
meet them tomorrow night for dinner since you can meet
up other days. But Zhang Hui Mei doesn't come to
Singapore often, nor does she hold a concert every other
day. This could be her last concert here! So think about
it. Isn't it better to go for her concert?
Me:
Well, ok, go for her concert then. How much are the
tickets?
Him:
Free.
Well if you put it that way.
Zhang Hui Mei AMIT Concert 2010
Thus I found myself meeting up
with Chek Hyang to catch Zhang Hui Mei's concert. As he
had another spare ticket, Nicholl joined us for the
concert too, which was held at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Now I haven't attended a concert
in a long time, and I do mean a real full-blown package
of a concert. So I found myself a little 'unprepared'
for what was going to happen. But we all learn from our
experiences. Here is what I've learnt:
Tips on Surviving An Awesome
Concert
1) Light sticks. Bring them, buy
them, borrow them or steal them. One way or another, you
got to have light sticks. For yourself and for your
friends. If there are people selling them at 3 for $10,
just buy it. There were people selling them outside the
stadium, but I was in a rush to get in and I thought I
didn't need it. Oh well...
2) It's ok to be late, especially
if the concert is at Singapore Indoor Stadium. The
artiste might need time to get ready, people need time
to find their seats, the drummer might need time to find
his drum sticks and so on. Bottom line is, the concert
won't start on time, so don't rush in. Be cool.
But if you're attending a concert
at Esplanade, be punctual or early (1 day early if you
can afford the time). Because for concerts at Esplanade,
if you're late, even by 1 minute, you will have to wait
till the intermission before you can go in. And that
means you would have missed half the concert. Which
really, really sucks.
3) Ear plugs. When you're in the
Indoor Stadium, the sound gets amplified many times
over. And if the singer has a powerful voice (Amei
does), your ears may get blasted out of your head. So
it's good to bring along ear plugs. Not to totally block
out the sound, but to make it softer.
Of course, if you're one of those
who hears nothing when you have ear plugs on, then it's
ok to not use it. It means your ears are already damaged
beyond any redemption.
4) Shades. Slightly tinted ones,
not one with 10,000 UV protection. Why? Because a
concert is not complete with the razzle and dazzle of
lights. And the spotlights facing the audience can just
come up suddenly. So you could be staring at your
favourite artiste performing and suddenly, you'll be
temporarily blind because some guy in charge of lights
decide to fully blast the 10,000kW lights that makes
night turn into day. Yes, shades.
5) Alcohol (consumed before
concert starts). Not too much to make you drunk, but
enough to get you high and more importantly, enough to
soften your senses. This is especially useful if you
don't want or cannot use ear plugs. Also known as liquid
courage, this will enable you to stand up and dance in
your seat while others sit down and watch. Hey, it's a
concert! You should be singing and dancing along to the
music!
So there you go folks. My tips on
surviving a concert. Now I can be more prepared for
future concerts! ;)
Zhang Hui Mei's style of singing
has changed. This time around she presents a repertoire
of music that is more of hard rock, with plenty of
hardcore guitar strumming and drum beats. According to
the promo ad, she is presenting a dark side of her in
her songs and performance. To me, as a person, she is
still the same entertaining Amei.
For months, there have been
rumours of Apple coming up with a 'revolutionary device'
to match, if not overtake, the use of NetBooks. I was
pretty excited about it when I first saw a concept photo
of it, which looked like this:
Unfortunately that was just a
concept. Earlier this morning the Internet became abuzz
with news of the real thing. And the real deal looks
like this:
Basically, it's just an
oversized/ magnified iPhone or iPod Touch. The iPad is
using the operating system that is the same as the
iPhone/ iTouch. The screen is bigger (9" screen) but the
functions are almost the same. Except there is no
microphone so you can't use it to make calls. There are
no ports on it too, so for anything else, it will cost
you extra in terms of accessories.
If you can't wait for the iPad to
reach Singapore, you can still experience the use of it.
You can build your own iPad! You just need some
creativity, and the self-made iPad will look like this:
Even Steve Jobs support this
idea!
Like many, I wondered why the
tablet was called iPad. After all, a well-known female
necessity has already been using that name for years.
The jokes that came up to poke fun at the iPad came fast
and furious. The next Apple 'revolutionary device' might
look like this:
There's already a video
advertisement to support the above. Check it out!
The little lamb (didn't belong to
Mary) was dead when it was born. I don't know if they
performed DNA testing to find out who the father was.
But I'm sure the villagers have an idea who he was.
*snigger*
Seriously though, it's really
sick if this lamb was the consequence of a human and
sheep 'getting down on it'. Are women really that hard
to hook up with in Turkey?
Hmmm... if I was there, I would
freak out for a moment, before bursting out into
laughter. I mean, you heard the jokes about it. So to
see it 'live', it's like delivering the ultimate
punch-line in the joke. After the laughter, then I will
think about how sick it is.
The article mentioned the
following though 'Vets said that the rare mutation
most likely occurred as a result of improper mutation
since the fodder for the lamb’s mother was abundant with
vitamin A...'
Well that got me curious. Does
human sperm have Vitamin A?
So I asked my friend Google who
pointed me to this website which answered my
question. Based on that answer, I can conclude that no
human did it with the goat.
Right... *snigger*
Even Office Has a Movie
Trust Microsoft to get creative
with the movies. Clippy!!!! Why you had to go???
Happy
Birthday Joyce! May your wishes and your dreams come
true!
Professor Fish
I was looking thru some photos
from Nicholl's recent weekend trip to Kukup when
something made me stopped the browsing and almost made
me fall off my chair.
Meet Professor Fish. Hahahahaha...
Professor Fish is currently my
msn display pic, and Facebook profile photo. Spread the
funnies. Hahaha...
Life Goes On
Can't remember who I got the
following YouTube link from, but the music is nice,
catchy and good as a 'pick me up'.
Well done. As it is said in the
National Service lingo, they finally 'wake up their
idea'.
A friend of mine went to extreme
ends just to get the Piggy Doraemon. Well, not really
very extreme. Eugene asked a friend who was heading to
Hong Kong to buy one for him, as Hong Kong was offering
it. Good move.
And who says Singaporeans have no
entrepreneur spirit? There are people who
capitalized on took note of the demand for a
product not available in Singapore. These entrepreneurs
went to Hong Kong to buy the piggy in bulk and
sold it
thru forums and E-bay.
If only McDonald's were smarter.
But hey, bad publicity is still publicity, and people
will still buy their food, no matter what. Coz they're
lovin' it.
"A woman came out of a man's
ribs, not from his feet to be walked on, not from his
head to be superior over, but from his side to be his
equal, under his arms to be protected and next to his
heart to be loved."
I believe.
Hot Day
It was a damn hot day today. So
hot, that walking for 5 minutes was enough to make me
perspire like no tomorrow. But it's good to have hot
days like today.
Good for going to the beach.
Good for playing sports.
And best of all... good for doing
the laundry! =)
Don't Friend You
Back in the younger days (around
the time when we're 5 - 6 years old), whenever someone
we know cause us pain, all we had to do was say the
three doomed words,' Don't friend you'. That was like
serving a death sentence to convict, an end of all
friend-kind and the full-stop at the end of a sentence.
That means no more ties with that person.
Of course after some times, we
will still be friends with that person. Or not.
Now someone I knew some time back
suddenly cut off all communications with me and a few
other friends. Simply because we reminded her of her ex,
who is our friend too. Without saying it, she declared
'Don't Friend You' on all of us.
Almost a year later, maybe after
she has moved on, she started to contact us. To be more
specific, just one of us. And that one of us asked me if
I want to meet up with her.
Why?
Why would I want to meet up with
a person who didn't want to be in touch in the first
place?
Logically it doesn't make sense.
Someone don't want to contact you. So you don't contact
them. That is logic.
Somehow, something feels amiss.
Something just doesn't seem right. How to find out what
that weird feeling is all about?
Meet up with that person and find
out for myself.
'Law Abiding Citizen' Synopsis
Clyde Shelton (Butler) is an
upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are
brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the
killers are caught, Nick Rice (Foxx), a hotshot young
Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over
his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one
of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for
testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, the
man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde
Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a
warning to Nick: Either he fix the flawed justice system
that failed his family, or key players in the trial will
die.
'Law Abiding Citizen' Review
'A man who loses everything is
capable of anything.' That was the tagline found in the
trailer. You will see much of this being illustrated in
the movie. This is the first film that portrayed Gerard
Butler as the villain, and he carried out that role
superbly.
I felt his pain when the justice system failed
him, when he lost his wife and kid, when he lost
everything. I felt his desire for revenge against the
murderer who got away. And I was amazed at his
character's brilliance.
This is one show that will make
you sit up straight and ponder about the age old saying
of good triumphing over evil, whether it will hold in
these times. Definitely a good watch!
She: See
whether can cover in 1 day or takes a few days.
Me:
Hmmm... this one is 10km, can cover in 1 day.
She:
We'll talk tomorrow.
Now I've always wanted to take a
walk down the
Southern Ridges but never had the proper chance to
do it. While I could have done it alone, it would be
more fun to have someone to walk with. And so that was
how I got Julin to go along for the walk.
We started off from Kent Ridge
Park. When we started out around late noon, it was
pretty hot. But lucky for us, the beginning of the walk
was in the shade most of the time.
Searching
For Enemies
Hanging
onto the Cannon
At the end of the Canopy Walk, we
got a bit lost due to a bad information displayed on the
map. But we managed to find our way back and headed for
the next leg of the journey, the Hort Park.
There are plenty of flowers and
other greeneries to see at Hort Park. The place was so
idyllic and picturesque that we saw a model photo-shoot
there, along with families having picnics.
The next stage was the Forest
Walk, after passing Alexandra Arches. This was a series
of connecting steel bridges that are suspended high up
in the air. One of the longest place to walk, but you'll
get to breath fresh air in return. And see monkeys if
you are lucky enough. At the end of the Forest Walk, you
will find a small hill that will lead you to the peak of
Telok Blangah Park. The view there is breath-takingly
awesome.
Then it's off to the famed
Henderson Waves. Here you can catch a good view of the
sunset. There are even seats provided for you to rest
against and see the sunset. Julin said the sunset here
is not as nice as the ones in Scotland. I will have to
see it to believe it.
Sunset from
afar
Close-up of
the sunset
The last leg of the journey is
the Marang Trail. The remain half of the trail is
downhill mostly and thru the forest. Fortunately there
wasn't any mosquitoes that attacked us. Perhaps because
it was getting late and all the mosquitoes have gone
home?
By the time we took a seat at
Seah Im Hawker Centre, our legs were very much shivering
on their own. And a can of 100-plus seemed just right
then. A good way to end trekking thru the Southern
Ridges. =)
Watching Legion
Another highlight for today was
watching the newly released show, 'Legion'. At around
9pm, we tried to get tickets at Cathay AMK Hub for
9.30pm but it was already full.
Zonghao made the effort to go to
Jubilee and informed us that there were seats there. And
when we entered the theatre, lo and behold, the theatre
was only 1/4 full!
Lesson learnt: when a new theatre
is full, you can always rely on the old theatres for
good seats.
'Legion' Synopsis
In the supernatural action
thriller Legion, an out-of-the-way diner becomes the
unlikely battleground for the survival of the human
race. When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his
legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity’s
only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a
desert diner and the Archangel Michael.
'Legion' Review
I find the show pretty decently
paced with the actions coming in at the right timing.
The meaning of the story can get lost easily but at
least is the main point of the plot is clear.
One of my gripes about the show
is that the plot development gets haphazard towards the
end and the ending was too rushed and abrupt. It's like,
you will find yourself thinking,' That's it? The End?'.
Other than that the action and
special effects make it an enjoyable show to watch.
Clearly I had forgotten when I
started on my website.
So while planning my archiving, I
came across the first version of my site and it sure
brings back memories. The amazing thing was how old it
was. I mean, I had started on my website since 2004!
Woah!
Since it will take some time to
convert it to the existing layout, I will leave it as it
is for the time being. You can check it out at
http://www.dean2x.net/dean1.
Something About Pain
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is
optional. Pain is the reaction of the body, and as long
as you have the body, some pain is inevitable. Suffering
is the contraction of the mind, and unlike pain, is
optional. Don't add suffering to pain. Relax your mind
and the suffering will pass.
Found that in someone's Facebook
page.
And from me, pain is for a while.
Glory is for ever.
Getting Over Break-ups, Step 1
The first step of getting over a
break-up is to remind the subject of how they got
together with their partner in the first place.
A journey has three parts: the
beginning, the travels and the end. The beginning of a
relationship is a wonderful, memorable moment. In
reminding the subject of the beginning, the subject will
feel a great pain and be emotional about it. The purpose
of this is to test the strength of the subject, to push
the limit of the subject's pain threshold and more
importantly, to get the subject to think about why they
got together in the first place.
While I was looking thru my
Facebook 'Live Feed', I came across a link that my
friend shared and claimed to be funny. The
link
was to a fictional blog about the life of a paikia
(gangster) and his ginnas (underlings). Very
down-to-earth, very funny. Check it out for some
laughter. The following is an excerpt from a post
entitled 'Reflection':
Ok so this
is an annoucement to those who join me in the daiji
today at geylang Road.
I am going to grade your performance for the daiji today
because it is important to know how pai kia u are in
this gang.
Ah Soon
Ah Soon today not good ah. Ask you whack his stomach why
you go and whack his head? zzz
As a pai kia u must whack those area which cannot be
easily seen if not their mother see then complain to the
school and the school will come and tio us daiji.
Always remember my golden line: Only tio small boys
daiji, school come jitao we humji.
Ah Heng
Ah Heng today also not very good ah I ask you bring
tiger bottle come so you can smash them you bring the
Tiger Can come zzzz. Pai kia always use glass bottle one
you first day work or what?? zzzzz
If next time you bring Tiger Can again I make sure I
transfer you to the Find Stead department. Don't forget
you only 5 ex hor I can discount 1 stead let you become
4 ex ok zzzz.
Xiao Beng
Xiao Beng performance best for today. I ask you whack
leg you whack leg, ask you catch him you catch him, ask
you run you run, ask you stay you stay. Very nice la if
you can bark like dog you sure 100% A1 as pai kia one.
Keep up the good work Xiao beng.
Ah Meng is sick so he never join us for the daiji today
and Pua Kua submit a parents letter to me so it is
acceptable.
What did I say? Funny!
Gold Fish
Can Be Creative Too!
Ok Gold Fish is the nickname for
Joyce, and she's gearing towards being a
photojournalist. She's started honing her photography
skills and is on a shooting spree. Check out her
creative works
here. Here's one of my fav photos:
If People Don't Lie...
Recently Weng told me about some
movies that were not shown in Singapore. These movies
weren't banned. It's just that someone decided their
content was too much for the Singapore audience to take,
so better to pass on it instead of showing it. The
decisions people make for us for our own good. Wow!
One of the movies was called 'The
Invention Of Lying'. It tells the story of a world
where people don't know how to lie. Since no one was
lying and everyone was telling the honest truth,
everyone believed what everyone else said. And then one
guy discovered how to lie. The movie then showed how the
world was changed dramatically because of all his lies,
and how he changed because of lying.
After watching the show, I
realized that a lot of times people lie because they
don't want to hurt the feelings of others. For example
if your partner did something stupid and was feeling low
about it, you would tell a white lie and say that you
don't think your partner was stupid, it was just an
honest mistake. Or if you think your boss is an idiot,
you won't tell that to your boss (unless you're
resigning). Or if a girl has nice boobs and that was
what you noticed about her first, you won't tell her
'nice boobs' but instead tell her she looks pretty in
that dress (even if she has bad fashion sense). Well,
you get the idea.
But in preventing people from
getting their feelings hurt, it makes them even more
vulnerable. To a point that even an unintended casual
and honest remark can come across as hurtful. That's how
fragile people will become with their emotions if you
lie to them to prevent them from being hurt. Some times
you need to rough them up to tough them out.
And then there are times when
people lie to make others feel good. For example,
parents might lie about finding their child's 'lost dog'
when the dog had actually passed away and they had
gotten a new dog. Or a grandson telling his grandmother
that she still has the looks to attract matured guys to
her. Or a girl telling her partner that he gave her the
best time in bed. Wait, yeah, you get the idea.
So is it a good idea to be
brutally honest with people? Can people really handle
the truth about themselves from others?
While honesty is the best policy,
it's hard to give a straight answer to vulnerable people
who are used to deceit, flattery, half-truths and lies.
But if you don't break people down, how can they become
stronger than what they are now?
Therefore throw in some honest
remarks now and then to the people around you. You'll be
doing them and yourself a wonderful favour.
I try to live life to the
fullest while enjoying the beauty that life has to offer.
It's all about the brighter and
funnier side of life.
For everything else, you would
have to discover for yourself.
