Dun mind me... I am just getting old and counting how fortunate to have had known so many in

Saturday morning went to Hilton to attend an information session about MSc. by NTU, just to arrive there after they finished. Neways, had McDonalds and after that started perusing the nice pictures exhibited on Orchard Road. Yann Arthus-Bertrand's pictures from the sky are extremely captivating and worth the few hours. I think there were at least a hundred lined from Wheelock Place all the way to Modestos. Pictures of Iceland, North Africa, South America (I love it) and other places around the world were shown in coulour and feel, all taken from the air.

Now listening to repeats of Keep It There written some one and a half years ago. Still miss all that Turnbull Avenue shit.

Today tried to get in to a grad dip course which was to start when? Yes today itself. However, my attempts to charm my way through were foiled by stupid university registration rules. Too bad cause a friend is already doing the course and I gathered it would be good company. Next semester? Perhaps then. Wanted to join MSc. in Financial Engineering, coz its hot currently. But the fees, unlike other MSc.'s by NTU, were exhorbitantly high - almost as ex as an MBA.

At sax class yesterday, the teacher gave us a quick demo. I was so inspired by the way he played the instrument. If only...

At work today. Yeay I survived not going into the fab for 1 day! But cleared some paper work, did some classification of parts, , some circuit drawing, some soldering... all in all not too bad a day. Called some friends for dinner at Bukit Batok. Yeap this is somehow familiar turf to me and the usual congregation place. While waiting for them, played some 1945 in the arcade. I know I should get a life. Somehow, did not feel the atmosphere to be real... all that CNY frillies going around... the songs, the reds, the frantic ppl buying clothes and stuff.. for a moment seems a little distant. Was also troubled by my mother's nagging me about not getting tix to go home. Yeah... well I dun know what the heck I have been doing the past 2 months.... kept procrastinating and by the time I was ready to place a booking on the tickets, they have already been sold out weeks ago. Yes... lest we forget .... the frenzy for home-going tickets those years I spent in Singapore... ha now its all coming back to me.... all too familiar..

Jayne is coming to Singapore and that is something to look forward to. Jayne is the first Aussie lady I came to know better about. I remember Monash Festival to Gumbaya Park. I sat next to Jayne in the bus and we spoke.. Gee, that was about 5.5 years ago..So many Monash Festivals had passed. So many ppl, or pockets of friends had come and gone...

Sun, Satsuki, Atsushi, Alex, Josiah, Vicki, Freddy, Farrer Hall guys ppl from the Halls mostly - Best characterised by our daily meets at 6:30 at the slops to eat cheap(sloppy to some but I like it) food.

Joseph, Roanna, Tommy, Mun Sum, Wu Shan Shan for all the summer a company a guy needs.

Chen Hoe, Allan, Sally, Bryan, Jiew, Jessica, Mandy, Ellyne, Virginia, Pek Soon, Su Kwong, Lenny - Best remembered for our crazy gatherings. Pot Lucks, steam boats, and birthday parties, the orientation bunch... most memorable ever.

James, Weng Kit, Khee, Kit, Thiam Peng, Alaric, Douglas, Steve, Leon, Michael Yang - Mech Eng guys from 2000 to 2002. We struggled a lot to scrape through. Remember the nights studying in computer labs, 4th year room, chem eng room, electrical eng room...

Yuri, Ashvin - Our attempts to play and record every Saturday proly wasn't helped by the fact that your bassist (yours truly) was crap! Though I had a good bass guitar.. unique "THE MAP"!!! we call it... was a priced-down bass guitar sold on South Yarra because it was rendered with the World Map... Sorry no Singapore I checked. Later on were joined by Wen Fung, Weng Kit, Shehraz, Josh and we became a bunch who'd enjoy good home cooked dinners..

Pooi Yeng, Mun Sum, Dana, Chui Li, Ah Seng, Sau Fong - The Irwin Street bunch... Went to Grampians and Great Ocean Road... driving.. And later, had spent countless nites in Irwin Street dining, and making fun of them/us not having a TV...

Calvin, Shireen, Julia, Yih Wen, Joni, Tristan, Jonathan, Ryan, Aaron, Irwin, Liana -The North Road ppl. Haha.. Boy that was the time I went to church most. I even played music? At church? Un-f*cking-believable. Those times... had Mt Dandenong, Grampians again, birthday parties, and beach going and drives.... What was the cat's name again?

Gul, Janet, Edwin, Tze May, Bryan, Jiew, Peggy, Jeannie, Hui Ling, Allan, Ee Ling, Rowena, Phyllis, Tone, Ryan, Renald - the MUISS bunch 2001-2002. Spent so much time organising our MMN, MCW, Inter Campus games bla bla.. had so much politicx going on... but we still had so much fun.. the nights out at mackers. Also drank most bubble tea those few months than my while life added together.

Zac, Molly, Edward, Darren, Jade, Tze May, Clifton, Geraldine, Sng - the Central Aussie bunch. What great memories man...

Oaky, Charmaine, later Sze Min, Chee Seng formed the South East Flats flank. Yep.. remember all those nights of dinners... and shoppings. K Mart shopping anyone? Janelle, Renee and more ppl would join in sometime too.

Jinny, Zac, Jeannie, Peggy, Ryan, Ee Ling, Maggie, Calvin, Byron, Ellyne, Ruby became then my summer friends of 2003. Those were the Blackburn House days. Loved that house to bits. Remember Lake Eildon fishing trip.

Molly, Darren, Edward, Roy, David, Greg, Tina, Eric, Beverly, some friends from India whom I can't remember their names now - the M. Business Systems bunch.. yeap.. again late nights rushing assignments.

Irene, Mish, Sulgi, Tina, Jason - in Trading Systems. Remember that dress up party we had in summer huh?

Sanny, Henjo, Kiki, Fance, Helen Kartolo, Frank Thanh, Fenny were the Advanced Computational Finance investment group... hehe... So many days and nights discussing all the portfolio shit..

Kee Hung, Ling, Byron, Zac... ppl of summer 2004. Also crazy asses like Phawin and Wu... the dirty trio (including me) coz we always crack horny jokes during SAP tutes.

Danny, Lai, Ling, Zac, Ryan, Ren, Oaky, some smokers and ppl who hung out in MUISS lounge... plus went for coffee at the Wellingtons, the Den, West End Cafe...

Eva, James, Chiang Wey, Catherine, Byron, Bryan Lim ... housemates at Turnbull. Visitors would be Allan, Calvin, Kee, Joanne, Charmaine, Bryan, Jiew, Alvin, Shaz etc..

Glen, Paul Arthur, Tim, Johnny B, Ken, Mohammed, Andrew, Andy, Harry, Paulo - the guys who I worked with in Toll. Had a great time working alongside them. A real glimpse at Aussie lifestyle.

Oaky, Ryan, Bryan, Allan - the few pple around Summer 2005. Very personal time for all us old friends, and also with Oaky. January in Turnbull has been chracterised by previous posts. Steam Boat for Chinese New Year was great.. Housemoving days...

Allan, Lauren, Elaine, Gary, Tim, Maggie... Days I spent in Allan's place was quite interesting. Frequenting Rich Maha... Allan, Lauren and I would crack all stupid jokes..

And for some brief moments... Wani, Grace, Daryl, Christine, Celine, Christie, Yuet Mei, Song Yee, Rick, James especially after the MUISS teambuilding camp 2005.


Wow... I have been truly blessed with so many friends from different circles. Sometimes I think I must have died so many times, reincarnated and got planted into another group :) And perhaps, just perhaps, life in its entirety was meant to be best played out this way... But throughout the years, ppl like Allan, Ryan, Bryan, Ren, Ellyne stuck through... Man... some ppl u just cant grow out of... just kidding.

Yes, today only a few remain in close contact. Again, the entropy of geographical distance does take its toll despite high broadband eras. I do not debate this as a challenge in life... forget about motivational pictures and 1 minute wasted equals 60 seconds lost shit... Fact is I wake up tomorrow and I am still that 28 yr old going 29,... I still have work to do, I still am a sitting duck awaiting a) Death; or b)Scientific breakthrough for eternal living (Crygenetics + biomolecular stuff + human genome + humanitarian/moral reconciliation) .... And I am worrying about how many friends I still have in close contact? Just as we digest this concept, remember life is too short... just too short.

Do your thing Furdy!

Something Crazy

Did something crazy last nite. Actually said something crazy.

Erratic behaviour is possibly influenced by this guy whom I came to know (we hardly knew each other) back in Monash. I knew from someone else that he was queer. Somewhere on the net he posted:

Just Let Go...
When I was a boy I fell out of a tree but I managed just to grab a branch. I hung there for a long time, terrified. The silence and the pain in my arms. And the pounding in my ears. And then I fell. I don't remember what happened when I hit the ground. All I can remember now is the agony of holding on. And the wonderful feeling, the wonderful of letting go.

I know what exactly is implied but am inspired by these words as a lesson in life. I apply it quiet differently but hope the results to be same. I don't know what drove me so, but would not want to spend time wondering if things were different. These days I lack zest in life, but things do move fast paced. Its either go or no go than get left wondering. For every step we move forward, we spend some energy in exchange of hope, and that is something I can't live without.

What about Joy?

Today I listened to Winston's Joy, I looked around me, and everything seemed foreign.

{ For about a year in 2004 I hovered on listening to the song from Borders. Those days, I thought long and hard before I bought any CD. So I'd listen to the same disc everytime I was in Borders waiting for movie to start. The thought of only buying the CD after I can play the song sent me playing on campus's piano room for a few months. I'd practice daily sometimes usually after lectures. Each day I'd learn a few bars more, as I promised to play for someone. But when assignments & exams came, I fell out on it. Early 2005, I couldn't find that disc in Borders anymore.

Valentine's day, a friend passed me a present given by that someone who'd since came back to Singapore. In it was a CD - "December" by George Winston. }

For a moment those days seemed distant, yet the memories are one jab too close to heart.