elnino

Girls Generation made me feel the heat on 9th December 2011

2011-12-13T14:37:00.001+08:00

Watching Girls Generation live for the first time was a goal set two years ago and it was one of the most awesome experiences ever! You got to admire the effort they put in to rehearse all the dance moves, songs, and their own logistics on stage. Bought the tshirt and lightstick outside the stadium but I didn’t buy their third album which came with a free poster, what was I thinking?!

Anyway, it was kinda sad that Yoona, Yuri and Jessica didn’t really came to my side a lot of times but thankfully there’s Tiffany, Taeyeon and Seohyun who were super enthu. It was really awesome to see them up close. Taeyeon’s hairstyle makes her look very beautiful. And Tiffany and Jessica speak really good english! Yuri and Seohyun speak really good Chinese! No harm done when spoken with their sweet voices.

Supposed to be Seohyun and Taeyeon. Lousy phone camera. They were much closer than it seemed.

Should have brought a proper camera.

mid autumn

2011-09-12T21:16:00.002+08:00

I look forward to next year's maf, it is when i will truly be able to sense my liberation and say ord soon lo...

Going back to hc made me wonder how will the school celebrate its 100th anniversary which is not that far away. When everyone is 27 years old already, I wonder who will go back and truly say thank you hwachong, I'm successful now. I will come back an accomplished man, at least that is my goal. See you when you are hundred, hwachong.

jack is back

2011-05-15T12:21:00.001+08:00

Keira Knightley is no longer a pirate :(

aljunied awkwardness

2011-05-08T12:12:00.001+08:00

Losing the foreign minister but gaining an opposition voice, to be sad or happy?

first platoon

2011-05-08T12:07:00.001+08:00

when they say bmt is your most memorable period of your army life, they are absolutely correct. You go through the worst shit and the best shit of your life there and meet the best people there. Just to share my platoonmate’s essay on our unique life in bmt:

For many, the defining moment in BMT is field camp, most often thought of as the toughest experience during NS. However, what constitutes a defining moment? For one it has to be memorable; something that my platoon mates and I will recall decades from now. Secondly, it also has to be meaningful, which means that the experience must have had some sort of impact on a person's character or point of view. There are, of course, plenty of worthy candidates, like the nauseating smell of gunpowder of our first live shot, the nervousness of holding a live grenade, the cold unforgiving rain at SITEST, or even the despair we felt digging our first shell-scrape. Personally, I felt that none of these encapsulates my BMT experience as well as some of the routine day to day treatment my platoon received.
   I cannot say that this applies to the whole company, but Area Cleanings, a frequent exercise in the military, often send my platoon into a chaotic frenzy. People are shouting at each other, running around with buckets of water, and finding ways to reach inaccessible corners which dust and dirt apparently favours. Work is delegated, everyone rushes to do their duties, and every single time, somebody's figurative toe will get stepped on and tempers flare. It was one of these frequent, mundane exercises that defined my BMT life.
   Time was up, and IC frantically shouted at everyone to form up along the corridor. A sudden spike in noise level was indicative of the last adjustments the platoon was making. We breathed a sigh of relief as the strength was accounted for in the nick of time. We all knew in our hearts what awaited us at the end of the 20 min inspection, but still secretly hopeful that by some miracle we escape with a reasonable punishment.
   The Sergeant picks his way through our tidy bunks, scrutinising our work. Most people would be unable to find any speck of dust due to the thorough cleaning job, but not the sergeant. As if imbued with a sixth sense, he scans the area, then zeroes in on his target like a hungry predator. A swipe with his finger gathers no dust, so the sergeant drags his finger along the entire length of the bed frame multiple times.
   “What is this? One mistake.”
   Helpless, we watch as the sergeant inspects every nook and cranny, revealing mistake after mistake, enjoying like a three year-old on his first Easter Egg hunt. Our spirits continue to plummet as the mistake count steadily increases. Done with his inspection, the sergeant sends us scurrying to the gym.
                                                            ------------------------------------------------
Facing the floor, with sweat pouring off our chins, and our arms trembling with fatigue, everyone was pushed to their limits. At the back, several people developed breathing problems due to over-exertion. High pitched wheezing, heavy panting and even animal like groans were frequently broke the tense silence in the gym.
"DOWN!"
That was the word that we hated the most. All of us shakily tried our best to lower our trembling bodies with our arms. More sweat flows off our noses and soaks into the gym floor. Eyes shut, and with a grimace, we all sound off the count, "Thirty-nine!"
For my platoon, being called down to the gym often means intense, prolonged suffering. While each "session" may last only about an hour at best, the experience is certainly way more intense than any other in BMT. Doing PT with profanities being screamed and hurled at us, I found that it is during these times where my endurance and character are tested, and often pushed to breaking point.
   Simply exhausted, someone's gives in to the pain and attempts a brief respite by resting their knees on the ground. Things like these should never be attempted as they never escape the sight of the vultures perching on the gym equipment watching us slowly die.
   “Still cannot do properly? Cannot give me standard push-ups? START FROM ZERO!”
   It is only logical to expect that as fatigue and muscular cramps set in, people would be less able to perform the streamline body shape, less able to lower their bodies. However, since when have military punishments followed logic? Sergeants have long had the ability to reject reality and substitute their own. Wishing nothing but to get the session over and done with as soon as possible, we struggle but manage to continue pushing the ground.
   “Eighty-Five!”
   Around this count, we start to find out more about ourselves. The pain now is excruciating and some start to give up. On the other hand, those with stronger determination continue to shout words of encouragement. At this point, there is little I can do but dig deep for the strength and perseverance I never knew I possessed. To take my mind off the present, pleasant and peaceful images, such as my next family gathering or my simple guppy bowl, float through my mind.
   “One hundred and sixty!”
   Nothing is working now. My senses work but I feel nothing but an incapacitating fatigue and the burning of my arms. It seems that the closer you are to the end-point, the more acutely aware you are of your suffering. We take it one at a time now, as our bodies are unwilling to give more. At the end, we all collapse and gasp for air like fish out of water. An unforgiving voice booms “Ranger hops Change!”. Having no power over our situation, our suffering continues.
That evening, one hour and 500 counts of 4 later, we were greeted with a cool evening breeze as we staggered out of the gym. It felt like we were entering an air-conditioned complex rather than stepping outdoors, and was a much needed gift after an hour of suffering in the suffocating confines of the gym. Marching off to dinner, we all sang at the top of our voices, perhaps scared stiff of the prospect of further punishment, but there was also a sense of camaraderie and pride stemming from the fact that we had just been to hell and back in one piece. There was something intangible in the air, perhaps a new found sense of unity, and probably also the pure joy of being liberated from our torture. To me, the pride we felt as a platoon immediately after that fateful event was one of the greatest highs in my entire BMT experience.
Later, I met my friend, a 2-day-old enlistee in the cookhouse. He asked why my whole platoon wore dark green admin shirts. It was only then that I realised that every single one of us had soaked our admin completely, without a dry patch. When we look back, this will definitely be one of the episodes that stand out in our minds. When everybody suffers together, it brings the platoon closer, with another memorably painful shared experience added to our memories. I had trouble putting my spoon into my mouth that evening, as expected of victims of 500 counts of 4 of various exercises, but whenever my friends ask me where I'm from, I can proudly say that I'm from Platoon 1, Taurus Company.

Just say no

2010-12-08T15:08:00.001+08:00

Played monopoly deal from 1am to 1pm. This is life. And the awesome new rule: Use $10 million card to get all the money from one player’s bank. Just say no.

Hoot

2010-10-29T12:50:00.001+08:00

AAAA/AA

2010-10-29T12:48:00.001+08:00

better later than never

steven gerrard

eat shit ac milan

this candle has met its match

2010-08-31T12:13:00.001+08:00

need to get a freaking a for gp

my prayers have been answered…but at the wrong time

2010-08-26T19:23:00.001+08:00

i wrote at the start of the year that one of my new year wishes was for snsd to come to singapore and guess what, they are actually freaking coming, but it’s together with the gay boyband bigbang and some other not-so-nice bands. And the kpop night concert is like 2 weeks before A levels fml. I’ll wait for the ticket prices to be announced before deciding.

tomorrow may just be another usual friday for the common salarymen and housewives, but for me and many others in hwachong, it marks the end of a 12 year uniformed education. Joyous occasion? Anyway, to add the icing on the non-existent cake:

It’s the freaking japanese version mv, and they are developing the habit of constantly revising the definition of awesome with every new mv.

the present is a good time to present the present

2010-08-24T15:53:00.001+08:00

olivia bontempelli

2010-08-23T17:24:00.001+08:00

she’s damn good, and she’s damn freaking tall what’s wrong with her genes?

http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_games/en_games_bio.html

who is the singapore basketball girls’ coach?

2010-08-19T17:17:00.001+08:00

wtf, she didn’t know the tv camera was on her as she mouthed the f word when the opposition scored a point. felix bach is one pro shit, the german rower guy.

yog is exciting

2010-08-17T09:49:00.001+08:00

okay i watched the basketball, swimming and weightlifting with the minimal free time that i had. It was damn exciting man watching usa own in basketball. Woah then weightlifting there’s this chinese girl who looks like a freaking guy and she lifted like more than 2x her own weight. how do they train man. and oh i think i fell in love with the german basketball girls already because they are just so pro. Their average height is like taller than average guys in singapore and they also have that distinct german beauty. There’s this girl in the team I think her name is Huffgen, who is so good, she shot like 6 or 7 baskets, all went in. And there’s this german rower guy called felix bach, he’s sick i tell you, he won by a big margin without even breaking a sweat.

yog aside, there’s math and bio tests this week. bio is as usual gonna be a mindfk.

wtf is with the “monsters”?

2010-08-15T00:13:00.001+08:00

Let me show you a hwachong girl who is the antithesis of a hwachong student, click here.

so sad

2010-08-11T16:47:00.001+08:00

oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah hey!

2010-08-10T11:44:00.001+08:00

I think the first part of the ndp performances was the best, the one where all the different races’ (what do you call these stuff?) carriages/showvans/display vehicles? came out and there’s this suona guy playing singapore songs lol

Other than the lip-syncing and the part where they keep looping the yog cheer, it was quite nice. Oh i spotted like a few seniors in saf band.

check the number of a-list actors in this movie

2010-08-10T11:37:00.001+08:00

i think the amount of testosterone in this movie is enough to fill a maximum level security prison.

his name is javier hernandez

2010-08-10T11:31:00.001+08:00

But call him Chicharito

i lost forty cents…

2010-08-03T16:44:00.001+08:00

by forgetting to take back my exlink card then realising it on the bus then asking everyone on the bus for change and one woman who only got 1.40 for my 2 dollars…

ellen page is pretty

2010-08-02T15:59:00.001+08:00

Hi, I’m from the American Association Against Alliteration Abuse

2010-07-29T19:14:00.001+08:00

So apparently some random person or rather his/her parent complained against nsp which led to some discontent stemming out from the man himself. And for the first time, I’ll be actually doing the bio tutorial essay questions. Cos the great Mother Foo will be conducting the freaking lesson on monday. Seriously is there any significant difference if the mother foo conduct the lesson? Bio is all about understanding anyway, you just memorise the notes what’s the use. Read and understand please. No matter how clear mother foo’s explanation is gonna be, if one still can’t grasp the basic concept, even if some nobel laurete scientist come and teach, it will still be the same.

I sold “lots” on my first day as a property agent

2010-07-24T16:17:00.001+08:00

“Err… I need 1 more mark to jump grade…”

“Okay help you add 1 mark to language.”

physioTHErapist

2010-07-21T21:50:00.001+08:00

Trust me. I’m Physio the Rapist.

the trumpeter blew it while auditioning for the symphony

2010-07-19T15:49:00.002+08:00

some korean anime song sung by snsd

the german team is a bunch of gays?!

2010-07-17T00:03:00.001+08:00

feels abit slack to go home before sunset on friday.

same gp situation, different exam.

2010-07-13T16:55:00.002+08:00

Struck by the gp curse yet again. Essay fail like shit but compre do well like shit. To put it into perspective, if I multiply my AQ score by 4, that's my essay score.

in the end it's destined to be spain

2010-07-12T15:29:00.002+08:00

Spain played really really well. I have been saying Fabregas should be in the starting lineup since the start and yesterday you saw why. He almost solo-ed a goal and he got that pass.
Netherlands they are damn pitiful, of all people, it has to be Arjen Robben who missed the chance. I think they really heckled the Spanish very well, aka the likes of Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong. Hell, now I've realized the quality in their side, young people like Gregory Van Der Wiel definitely will be better.
Come to think of it, actually Spain got a bit lucky, just so the ball fell to iniesta at the 116th minute. Sad, if it were penalties, Netherlands would have won.

70% possession

2010-07-08T22:41:00.002+08:00

Oezil should have gotten a penalty, that's all I have to say.
And f u paul, fancy getting screwed by an octopus.

blocks is like holidays

2010-07-05T01:31:00.000+08:00

i wish there's blocks every week. It feels more like a holiday during block test week than the actual holidays. Guess school's gonna be over before you know it. Dunno why people keep complaining that they can't finish studying for this and that, fk stop wasting time pouting and go study man.
mon gp, hope i finally pass gp essay in an exam, compre was ok. tues econs, 8 mark qns can do, 10 mark ones not so sure, the rest are negligible. wed chem, fk call myself a H3 organic synthesis and mechanism student when i totally shit my pants by the ten mark deducing question. thurs bio, whattheheck. fri math, "suggest why function hg does not exist." hello, i'm here, wonder if i get a mark by writing that. And some 1mark question on why students' taste of canteen snacks may not be equal, wonder if i get the mark by writing because these students are guailan and hate cakes. fri, went to watch Knight and Day, awesome movie with the always awesome tom cruise, cameron diaz looks damn old though, pity...
capriccio one month, is it me or does "nobody" sound the best of all?
worldcup, actually i have been sort of rooting for germany since the 2006 world cup, which was when i got the pencilcase, yeah still germany for me. Hope they win it this time, they stand a great chance. I'm not a girl so I wonder if this guy "Mesut Oezil" is handsome, some says he is but nonetheless he plays great. Schweinsteiger too, Khedira, Mueller, Podolski, wtheck the whole team. But Joachim Loew should not sniff his armpits or dig his nose during matches, not cool.
New kpop girl group on the scene, none other than "Orange Caramel". Like it or hate it, they are cute (but much less than the all-time beauties snsd of course), reminds me of by2 though, this new group.