X-men - The Last Stand is a great movie to watch. Like the previous two X-men movies, The Last Stand is once again about the fight for mutant rights and to fight for the co-existence between mutants and humans. The effects this time are far much grander than before. The new characters that were introduced added some elements of action, drama and of course humour. A word of advice, appreciate the credits for this movie.
Doubt leads to fear.
Fear leads to truth.
Truth leads to hurt.
Hurt leads to pain.
Pain leads to suffering.
Suffering leads to anger.
Anger leads to resentment.
Azure skies are never blue. There is a hint of green in it.
Crimson roses are never filled with love. There are thorns in them.
When faced with doubt, do you fear it or confront it.
When the truth surfaces, are you engulfed by the hurt or do you move on.
Choices
That is what life is all about.
It is about making the choices, however right or wrong they may appear to be at that instance.
What matters is to live by the choices you make and move on with life.
---till later---
I am a person who cannot sit down for hours and do absolutely nothing
I am a person who will not succumb to threats or fears
I am a person who thinks others are shallow when they only present a mirage of their true character
I am a person who cannot stand people nagging at my ear like a buzzing mosquito
I am a person who most certainly do not like dealing with conformist.
Everyone is made from a different cookie-cutter.
No two people are alike.
Yet, how and why do we expect the people around you to conform within your expected norm of thinking and worst, your idiosyncrasies.
I am a person who likes things to be different.
I am a person who is a harsh critic who may just be too cynical at times.
I am a person who enjoys being in good company and let an overwhelming spontaneity take control.
I am a person who likes things neat and in its pristine condition.
I am a person who embraces simplicity and the sub-urban.
I am a person who keeps his thoughts and feelings to himself.
Yes, there are times where I thread on thin line and rub people on the wrong shoulders.
Yes, there are instances when I feel like not doing anything and tears just roll down my face in utter defeat
Yes, there are moments when I distance myself from people and appear aloof.
It is like a Ferris wheel.
It is a cycle that goes on and on but with every new turn it gives you a different perspective, a different emotion, a different feeling altogether.
Perhaps, I should ride on one sometime soon.
---till later---
Materialism is an attitude towards life. It is an attitude that either controls and dictates our lives or one in which we have the control and final say. It is often a misconception that only the wealthy can afford to jump on the bandwagon of materialism. Materialism can indeed affect the bourgeois and even the poor. This attitude towards life is shaped by a string of factors such as advertisements, commercialism, the media and even your peers. This attitude stamps from the very root of the human desire to want more for personal glorification and indulgence rather than need and the herding instinct in all of us.
People work harder or some even trade monetary incentives with grades with their parents just so to attend to the intrinsic human desires of want and belonging to. Sometimes we get to enjoy the things that we have. However, such enjoyment are but only momentary and of a fleeting moment. When the initial thrill of the moment passes and the sense of realism kicks in, what then are the feelings you have? Would it still be the same initial sentiments of joy and pleasure or regret, remorse or the want for more. When you try too hard to belong to a group and demands change according to the wants of a selected few in that group, do you still follow or do you take a stand.
In the biblical sense, when materialism becomes the key thrust of your life and your faith and trust in God is of secondary importance, it becomes a worrying sight as your spiritual relationship with God is twisted and compromised. With all the blessings that God has given you, and more of it you want, will you spend the same, or more or less time with God upon receiving His blessings?
There is a line to be drawn and that line is a line of satisfaction and contentment with what you have. It is natural for people to want to dream, just like Martin Luther King. Yet, at what price does your dream come? Not every want becomes a reality. Some wants are just for that split second of a moment for indulgence and lost thereafter. Some wants are to spur us to work towards a goal or a dream if you may call it. But these goals and dreams are pragmatic ones which do not thread on the line of personal glorification. Some wants are just in the eyes of others, a pure waste of money.
When is enough enough?
---till later---
The Da Vinci Code was expectedly a thought-provoking movie with it's merits and demerits. The movie religiously followed the book to the best of it's ability leaving some parts out. Ian McKellen as 'The Teacher' was a commendable effort on his part as he managed to bring out the essence of the character. What was however disappointing with the movie was nothing new was presented nor were there any real objectivity on this contentious issue. It showed basically what the book presented and nothing else. Yet, that being said, the movie was worth watching nonetheless.
Ever since The Straits Times published an article related to whether cinemas in Singapore are adhering to the movie ratings, checks have been rather more than random especially at GV Marina. Some kids, given their small sizes and height, tried to slip pass the cracks but were unfortunately caught. Perhaps Lido could be a different story altogether?
I bought an iPod Nano for my sister today from apple@ orchard. The offer was irresistible and made economic sense. At least now, she will not be stealing furtive glances at my iPod mini when I am listening to it.
Lunch at TCC was $45.00 for two people. Ridiculous! I can over-feed three people with that money. Oh well, it's not everyday that I go to a place where the smell of coffee or some say aroma fills the air.
I saw three women during Lunch. My sister, a woman in her late-twenties and a mother of a daughter. The woman in her late-twenties kept looking at my sister and the mother. In her head, she must have thought why couldn't she recapture the youth that my sister has and how long more would I look like a haggard mother who couldn't care less about how she presented herself to others. I think she seriously was considering SK II. I have never seen women, Singaporean women to be more specific, rejecting free food just for SK II products. The lovely magic of the pitera and beauty. Women.
'My temper is like a traffic light just that it slants more to the red and skips the amber' Let's put it to the litmus test shall we? But I do know that my temper is something that can swing in all directions but at the end of the day, everything ends on a cheerful note.
---till later---
Mother's Day celebration this year was celebrated on a rather large scale.
On Vesak Day, I went to my aunt's house to celebrate my grandfather's birthday and two others and of course, Mother's Day with my paternal side of my family.
Yesterday, my mum, sister and I went to The Paramount near Parkway Parade for a dinner with my maternal side of the family. The food was not too bad and there was sashimi too. However, that place at night is not really one where I would say is family-oriented.
Today is mother's day. My church had a special service to celebrate mother's day and to show their appreciation to all mothers. Each mother received a bag of mushrooms. Hundreds of bags of mushrooms were distributed.
I am thankful to my mum for her sacrifices and unconditional love. She was and still is the provider for this family. She single-handedly raised two very different children up and never failed to give us the best of everything. She made things possible for both my sister and I.
Mother's day is not just the day where we should honour our mother. We should do it every single other day and appreciate her as much as we can
---till later---
I read with interest on the article 'Finding an Acceptable Balance' in today's Straits Times.
The release of the movie The Da Vinci Code here in Singapore has raised certain issues with the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS).
The article states that the NCCS asserts that while "artistic license is one thing, but when non-facts are presented as facts to strike at the very foundations of our faith, people get upset." In response to NCCS, the Media Development Authority (MDA) stated that "the film should be viewed as a thriller and a piece of fiction...The film can be shown but at a higher rating as only mature audience will be able to discern and differentiate between fact and fiction."
The article then hovers around the difference between the conservative NCCS and such similar councils in the Western countries who are apparently more liberal. This I shall, however, not comment on.
The Da Vinci Code is a book primarily based on fiction rather than fact. What has been presented in this book is purely for entertainment sake and of course, for interest sake. While certain thought-provoking messages and themes were portrayed in this book, yet, granted the nature of such themes and messages, it should therefore be evident that this book is purely playing on fiction rather than fact.
I do not agree with the stand NCCS has taken in response to the release of The Da Vinci Code. I feel that while non-facts are indeed present in the movie, yet these non-facts have in no way been advocated as facts. Rather than to cement their argument on the deprecation of the foundation of the faith, they should, instead, draw references from scripture and use it as a basis of their argument to counter the non-facts as presented in the movie or even in the book. The issue here is not about the foundation of the faith, but rather it is the confidence of NCCS in it's believers of the faith.
I am wholly in favour of MDA's NC16 rating for this movie owing to the provocative themes displayed. What this movie requires is a discerning eye and of course an eye for pure entertainment. This movie should be treated like any other kind of movies that have been or are or will be showing in the cinemas.
I will watch The Da Vinci Code in one of the cinemas purely for entertainment sake and to see whether the director has managed to capture the essence of the character of the book.
---till later---
When all infrastructure carrots that have been promised are delivered, what more can political parties offer? The election of tomorrow will be one that centres on ideologies and propaganda. Political parties of tomorrow will also need to contend with more opinionated people with their own individual train of thoughts and perceptions. This election is only a prelude to the imminent ensemble.
People should not be afraid of the Government. Government should be afraid of the People.
[V for Vendetta]
Politics in my unit is turning people against each other and tensions are now, in my opinion, at an all-time high. Perhaps, I may be over-sensitive here. Yet, I often find myself caught unintentionally in the midst of all this frenzy. Perhaps, people are just tapping on me being out-spoken. Perhaps.
Time to watch the election results live from the television
---till later---
Our R&R was scheduled for two days and two nights. However, if we wanted to leave for R&R a day earlier, we would need to pay NT $900 for the transport out from camp to the hotel and the night's stay at the hotel. Everything you see in the picture there were either last pieces or items that were one-of-its-kind. The blouse is for my sister by the way. Apologies for the bad lighting and blur picture. I think I was a better bargainer this time around. In total I saved, in a manner of speech, NT $200 from all that shopping above and that helped to pay for my lunch at Taipei 101 on the third day which came in very handy considering that I was already on a tight budget of NT $7000. I actually could have brought more money up but I chose not to as I did not want to spend all that money away. One of my friends spent NT $20 000 across the three days of R&R. I was amongst the small group of people who spent the least there. I think I should get an award for that! Taipei 101 is like your typical mall at Taka that sells high-end products. At the basement If you want to take a ride up to the top of Taipei 101, one will need to pay NT $350 for that panoramic view of the city. The place there is a financial district and hence the place is more chi-chi and not for the bourgeois. On the last day of R&R, everyone somehow decided to gather there and take a good look at all the hype and fuss about Taipei 101. It seemed almost coincidental. Daniel was good company and we had great fun shopping and talking along the way. I think we both really enjoyed ourselves at the end of the day. This time around, I managed to cover more ground (sounds like a political walk-about) and managed to scrutinise each shop and their products at a deeper level. I felt very much at ease and did not feel the need to be in a crowd to feel that I was with company. I was myself and I truly enjoyed every wee bit of that moment. ---part three ends here---
It was porn on the move, literally, while en route to the hotel at Taipei. It was apparently a turn-off considering the thin plot and weak cast. I preferred the view outside the bus. The life of the people.
For some of our tardiness at the first and only pit stop where we had lunch and some light shopping, RSM went on a barricade of vulgarities to prove his existence. Sadly, he left no lasting impression on me.
I bought 3 boxes of tai yang bing or sun biscuits if you would allow a direct translation. It came in four flavours, Traditional, Honey, Coffee and Black Sugar.
I reached Vienna Hotel in Taipei at around 2.00pm. Changed my hotel room partner, dropped my stuff in the hotel room, played with the light switches and TV console, left for Xi Men Ding.
The first walk to the Train Station took us a pretty long time. I think we deviated from the path we ought to take considering the number of people we had to ask for directions and umpteenth time we stopped near the road to scrutinise the map. For the record, we took a hell lot of time walking to the station and it was a further station than the one we wanted to head towards.
Xi Men Ding requires a good sense of direction and a spirit of adventure. The best deals and better bargains are often found in shops located in quieter and rather obscure alleys. One also needs to be prudent when it comes to shopping and should actually move from one shop to another to sieve out the better price for a seemingly similar item. As expected, in Xi Men Ding you find shops selling similar products scattered meticulously around.
It rained on the first two days I went Xi Men Ding. It really dampens your spirit and dulls the entire atmosphere. Yet, if you are in good company like what I had, it provides a nullifying effect eventually.
Ay-Chung Mian Xian is a very popular shop in Xi Men Ding. It has been featured in magazines and television programmes as well.
At a first glance, it looks like a bowl of dark brown gluey substance with a ball of bee hoon in it. It looks very sticky and unappetising. Yet, you will be surprise at the crowd.
One interesting observation was that the people who purchased a bowl of mian xian or mee sua as it is commonly called either stand around the shop or squat near-by and eat from a rather small bowl, using a plastic spoon.
What more can I say, it's an Evian shop selling an array of Evian products.
Evian bottled water, Evian beauty products and the list goes on. It is almost like The Skin Food or The Body Shop situated not far from this Evian Outlet except that this place sells mineral water.
This shop is apparently the only one in Xi Men Ding. What a rare encounter I must say.
At night, I went to Shi Lin Ye Shi with Daniel of course and we did another round of window shopping. Sh
i Lin Ye Shi has a number of shops selling sport shoes and at much more affordable prices than the ones at Xi Men Ding. Take for example a pair of puma shoes of similar design can cost NT $1980 at Xi Men Ding but NT $1020 at a shop in Shi Lin Ye Shi. Similarly, Puma shoes are actually much cheaper in Taiwan than in Singapore. Shi Lin Ye Shi also boasts pretty good and cheap street food. The Ji Pa that I ate with Daniel cost NT $45 but required two people to finish it as it was really very big.
One of the reasons why Daniel ended up going out with me throughout the entire R&R was because of the fact that both of us wanted to buy shoes. I am pretty particular about my shoes. I wanted something of a darker shade in brown and looked more like a sneaker. There were some that caught my eye but there were some details in the shoes which I did not fancy. Take for example, I realised many sneakers come with a rather school-shoe like white base as it's sole which does not really appeal to me. I went from shop to shop looking at shoes to shirts and to bermudas. Because of the rain on the first night, we left Shi Lin at 10.30pm and took the train back and decided to follow the map and walk back to our hotel never mind about the fact that it was raining quite heavily and we were without an umbrella that day. I told myself that I will remember to bring an umbrella the next day. I had to.
The walk was a disaster. I mistook an underpass for an overhead bridge. I misread and confused myself with the Chinese words for east and north. We spent a good 45 minutes walking from one point and then back to the train station and then from another and back to the train station again. When we finally realised our mistake and decided to scrutinise the map in greater detail, we then found our way back to the hotel. By then, it was 12.00am. Though we were pretty much drenched and appeared in a sorry plight, yet I felt a sense of accomplishment when I found the way back to the hotel rather than to listen to one shop keeper's advice to take the cab back. The one thing I realised about the street names in Taipei is that it is very confusing and they love to name every single street and alley that they can dig up.
Breakfast was a scrumptious meal of Dou Jiang Yo
u Tiao and some Chinese dim sum at this shop near our hotel. It was good breakfast I must say.
Breakfast on both days cost less than NT $110 and it sufficiently fed two very hungry people.
This shop was frequented by many of the locals who stayed around the area. Affordable prices and good food, who can ask for more.
Travel to the places I went was mainly on foot and the train. Their train system in Taipei is so
mewhat more complicated than what we have in Singapore with slightly more intersecting lines. Their train routes also only converge at one station, Taipei Main Station. This makes traveling a hassle and opens a Pandora box on connectivity and accessibility.
I realised that the 
people on Taipei are very much more laid back than people in Singapore. People there do not seem to have the urgency to rush and move faster. Rather, they prefer to wait and wait longer.
The fare system would appeal to Singaporeans. Unlike Singapore where Train fares can go as high as $2.80, in Taipei, the train fares go at most NT $30 which roughly works out to $1.50 in Singapore.
There are only 56 seats in one cabin and I think that is slightly less than the number of seats we have in our trains here in Singapore. I am also pretty awed by the higher standards of cleanliness that the trains in Taipei upholds.
After the second day of another round of shopping at Xi Men Ding, Wu Feng Pu and Shi Lin Ye Shi, I went back with these. Wu Feng Pu is something like Shi Lin Ye Shi only that it operates in the day and the prices there are much steeper than Shi Lin Ye Shi and the variety pales in comparison to both Xi Men Ding and Shi Lin Ye Shi. The stall holders there are not that friendly either.
however, you find your ubiquitous Samuel & Kelvin and
Gordiano. There is a Market Place there also where I had lunch. I finally got a chance to eat my squid.
An exercise especially such a long and tormentous one should at least have something for me to seek solace in. I had 
Andrea Levy's Small Island for company.
Small Island speaks of racial discrimination in particular between the Coloureds and Whites in England after World War II. While racial discrimination is the main thrust of this literature yet the emotive and intriguing plot that centers around each of the four main characters in this literature adds a greater oomph and zest.
This book primarily speaks of acceptance and understanding for people who are different from you. It speaks of forging a bond of unification.
Small Island is indeed worth a second read.
On the last day of the exercise, I wrote something while I was on duty shift.
In the beginning...
We trudge to where we ought to go
We get lambasted for the things we do
We sleep in the wee hours of the night
We ask ourselves when will all these end
We ask ourselves why we are here
We ask ourselves why others are here
We ask ourselves why we are not somewhere else
We ask ourselves why others are not here with you
After the beginning...
Something seems misplaced
Something seems missing
Forlorn
Tears
Memories flood
Our minds start to explore a realm we hardly enter
Solace in the company you find
Comfort from the laughter around
Peace that newly unravels from the heart
When the beginning ends...
Life still ain't a bed of roses
The coffee smell still fails to wake you
Mr. reality still knocks on your door
Yet we an air of estacy lurks around us
Home
Missing you
---part two ends here---
When forty-nine people are in the same room, things do can get ugly sometimes. Compromises will sure have to be made. Yet to what extent? Never will I wish to sleep on a double-Decker bed. The thought of having to climb up to your bed and having to endure the awkward sudden jerks during your sleep just kills all the fun from a good snooze after a long day. Choosing good sleeping partners also takes good wit too. I think I made a pretty good choice.
The first night's off was treated with much fanfare. Most of us went for a quick shower despite the cold icy water and changed into our civilian clothes. We booked out of camp on a pretty high note. We went to one particular food outlet near the camp which was situated rather deep down the lane.
The place was sufficiently cosy enough and it also allowed us to indulge on the television. Who couldn't ask for more! 
Yet, as predicted, I had serious problems with the menu. It was written in gibberish old Chinese words which took me great pains to decipher.
The food was worth a second bite though it was a little oily.
The first night's off was a splendid moment for most of us.
The exercise lasted 6 days. I was scheduled for the day shift. I was asked to pen down three objectives that I wanted to meet for this exercise. Many thoughts crossed my mind. I was thinking about rest and welfare since it has been an open secret that people from my unit ain't exactly getting the required amount of rest they ought to be getting from any form of exercise. I thought of laughter and joy as I was sort of missing the euphoria around me. I thought of murdering my RSM for sucking in another person's well-deserved oxygen. I really question his purpose for existing in this world. I thought of not doing anything since more than half my mind is already filled with plans after I ORD. Thoughts.
The exercise was a movie fest for me. I watched the entire season one of The OC, The Corpse Bride, a number of Korean Movies, Fearless, Ultraviolet, Wild Things 3 and the list goes on. I truly found ways to entertain myself.
Portable water is scarce in Taiwan. From hearsay, SAF spent 3 million on mineral water for all soldiers involved in this exercise. Yet, many crates of bottled water were in the end either ridiculously emptied or given away. At the very least, the soldiers were all meticulously well hydrated.
Life in camp was mundane if not trite. All lights had to be switched off by 10.00pm. The water supplied to the camp was pumped from an adjacent one and the water heater was only turned on at 6.30pm and switched off at 10.00pm. Bed bugs were plentiful and so were the mosquitoes and flies. The standing fans only came much later but they were of not much use to people like myself who slept on the upper deck of the double-Decker bed.
Every morning at 5.30am, patriotic Chinese music will blast though from the speakers and will end at 6.00am with Mao Ze Dong in the lyrics. For the first 10 odd days, we were greeted with morning physical training at 6.30am. Wearing a singlet and shorts in such a cold and chilly weather was somewhat like an endurance training to many. At 9.45pm, the speakers in the camp will start to grumble again. However this time, the music slants towards Chinese Pop. Every thing becomes hush hush at 10.00pm. Bet you would not know that Taiwanese soldiers even have 2 good hours of an afternoon nap every single day.
---part one ends here---
