Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I was going down the escalator, heading towards the MRT platform, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed this guy standing next to me. It had vaguely occured to me that he had walked down a few steps to stop right next to me. I turned slightly to glance at him, and as I turned away, it seemed like he was starting to say something. Without thinking, I turned to look at him again. D'oh.
"Excuse me, can I know you?"
I instinctively held up a hand (like you would when declining a flyer), mumbled "Err.. no" and walked away towards the crowd, meanwhile trying to stifle laughter. I wasn't compelled to laugh at him per se, but more at the situation and the absurdity of this psuedo-pickup line. (Also, I was thinking of how it's been quite awhile since I've heard that line.)
I have quite a low threshold for bad English - it makes me want to cringe and snicker simultaneously, although I'm not sure how that would work out. I mean yeah, Singlish is fine, I use it a fair bit myself. I do think you can indulge in this homegrown sub-language whilst maintaining some semblence of decent speech. But alas, many a Singaporean has crossed the proverbial line, venturing into the dark side where they turn into metaphorical butchers with the English language on their chopping blocks.
Personally I find Singlish quite endearing. Used in moderation, it makes one seem more approachable somehow.
On another note - but still on the topic of bad pickup lines - I'm reminded of this incident where Jie was an unsuspecting victim of a middle-aged man's (supposed) boredom. We were at Toast, and they have this big, long table which you pretty much share with strangers should you choose to sit there. So there we were, just sitting and talking, and I notice the man right next to her keeps turning around to look at her. After sometime, he (surprise, surprise) initiates a conversation.
He points at her Powerpuff Girls tumbler on the table, and goes, "Just curious, but why do you carry this? Is it for your kid?"
At this point I give this incredulous look whilst thinking "OMG IS THAT THE STUPIDEST LINE EVER OR WHAT".
Honestly, it seems Singaporean men need some sort of handbook.
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World
Monday, August 29, 2005
Not particularly compelled to write very much today, so be content with short informative sentences.
Watched Red Eye and The Skeleton Key. Both are pretty good, I think. (The fact that both have hot leading ladies - Rachel McAdams and Kate Hudson respectively - also helps.) I kinda like the basis of The Skeleton Key's plot. The culture of New Orleans, voodoo and all that stuff, is rather intriguing. Creepy, but intriguing. Plus, the place is synonymous with the early beginnings of jazz, so what's not to like? I suppose this interest was first piqued by many hours spent watching the travel channel. I want to go on another holiday! :(
Oh. By the way, I've watched I Heart Huckabees. It's one bizzare film. Not sure if I like it, since I don't think I fully comprehend it. The peculiarity of it kinda reminds me of Eternal Sunshine, somehow. I plan to watch it again before I actually resign myself to the fact that I am just not very smart.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Finally got to watch Garden State! I don't know why, but even before I actually watched it, I had the feeling I would like it. And I really did. I loved the whole down-to-earth mood of it. I loved Natalie Portman's quirky Sam, and the juxtaposition of that character with the emotional numbness of Zach Braff's Andrew.
Rented "I Heart Huckabees" as well. Just reading the synopsis has left me rather muddled. Let's hope I actually comprehend the film, let alone enjoy it.
With the amount of free time on my hands, I think I'm going to become an ace movie junkie. Not that I'm complaining. Film recommendations are more than welcome.
The Shins - New Slang
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Thus goes the standard question posed to children - their naïve responses at which you take with such amusement that is to be expected when a little one who comes up to your hip tells you he wants to be Superman.
Imagine that from the time you are born until you die, you hold a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. You begin life with a clean slate, no prior experiences or memories. With questions as such, you start writing down what your ideal life would be like in the next 10, 20 years. You do so with fervour, excited about what future the big, big world holds.
But as you go through the process of growing up, you find yourself looking for an eraser, because you need to rewrite your aspirations. You see, reality is a teacher whose mission is to tell you why everything you dream of doing would be most unfeasible. So you drag that eraser across what you have written before, and replace it with something else which conforms to the teacher’s expectations.
And as this cycle starts to gain momentum, you write with a little less force and conviction each time, expecting that you’re going to have to change it again sometime soon.
You began with a superhero, only to end up with a ragged piece of paper and a vague existence. And lurking in the background, amidst the shades of gray, are the faint traces of all that you’ve ever wanted to be.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Friday night dinner with the girls again. Back to our all-time favourite Sakae. We are such gastronomical bores, I know. Oh well!
Walked around abit before dinner. I love the dressing rooms at Tangs, with the whole plush lounge feel. Being the camera whores we are, we couldn't pass up the photo op. :) Here's an excerpt.
(Doesn't the picture on the left just scream something along the lines of "MAKE ME A STAR!" ?)
Dinner was good, as always. We threw annoyed glances at another table of six girls who were making quite a ruckus, although we knew that we probably can get quite loud ourselves. Sat there till about ten, just talking and taking pictures. I was quite adamant about staying out, but alas, two tired girls against one equals a very dull Friday night.
I need some retail therapy.
Foo Fighters - Everlong (Acoustic)
Friday, August 19, 2005
I am going to try to refrain from sharing too much here, even though I find it so much easier to communicate my feelings through static text rather than confide in a living person. I guess the ease with which one can pour their feelings out on their blogs is due to the lack of a physical audience. It's pretty convenient to vent your frustrations in the lone presence of an inanimate object such as your computer.
But no. I am quite done with that thankyouverymuch. I hate the thought of strangers reading my entries and judging me purely based on that. I'd very much hate for people to read what I write, especially the negative entries, and define me within those parameters. I hate people telling me to "relax" or "take it easy" as though their saying that will magically make everything well again. Saying that probably makes me sound cranky, but you know it's true! Those are just weak placatory words used for the sake of putting your two cents in, no?
That said, I don't know exactly who reads what I write, and neither do I have any control over it. What I have control over, however, is what I decide to include when I hit 'Publish'.
Yet, I don't think I could give up blogging. For now at least. I suppose it does serve as a suitable medium for self-indulgent ranting.
Going off on a tangent here, but I quite dislike the word 'blog' and its variations (i.e. 'blogger', 'blogging', etc). I don't like the way it sounds or the way it looks. Could quite possibly be because it's discussed so rampantly now, that the word itself has become such a tired cliche.
But it's an ugly word to begin with.
Don't mind me. I'm just idiosyncratic.
On another note (oh, I am too good at digressing), I had a totally dumb moment today. My right shift key has been pretty screwy recently - hence prompting the whole 'which shift key do you use' issue - and I decided to bring it down to the Apple store today. So the guy starts trying it out, typing haphazardly while occasionally pressing the shift key.
"It seems to be working fine", he says, while he shows me that it indeed is. I start to get abit embarrassed, and try it out for myself. It works.
"Uhh, but sometimes it doesn't work when I use it. Is there anyway you can check it for sure?" (PLEASE let there be SOMETHING wrong!)
He tries typing again. With a slightly quizzical tone, he says, "Uh, it seems alright."
"Oh. *nervous laugh* uhhh okay, it's uh, okay then!" I scramble to shut down my laptop and scuttle out of the store in absolute mortification.
Oh you scheming, embarrassment of a laptop.
Audioslave - The Last Remaining Light
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Why cats would suck at hide-and-seek.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
I feel like I’m stuck in a bloody rut.
It’s as though there’s simply no need to know what the date is, or even what day of the week it is, since the minutes and hours just seem to melt into one another. Opening your eyes in the morning, you feel no sense of urgency, no purpose that brings you to your feet in anticipation of what this new day would hold. So you go about your day, constantly thinking of what trivial little activity you can do to get through the hour.
I do wish I could accumulate these underused pockets of time, and stow them away for the future. It's quite distressing, really.
I wish I had the strength to treat this with insouciance, and so-called enjoy the break that I've inadvertently been given, like many have told me to. But it's tough to sit back and relax when the view that stretches out in front of you is dark and very uncertain.
Positivity is rare and fleeting at this point. You can only go on so long 'living in the moment'. The reality is that if the moment doesn't come with a fixed salary, you're pretty much done for.
A word of warning: if you're going to comment, kindly avoid the word 'job' at all costs. (Don't you think that's an understatement?) Some things are just easier said than done.
Please excuse me, but if you haven't already noticed, the bleak state of my life just invites spurts of intense frustration.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Maybe cynicism is just a defence mechanism against disappointment. Most people hate to be wrong, and by not believing in something, they are thus exempt from the repercussions should it backfire. If and when things go awry, you can simply say that you saw that coming.
Some time ago, a friend was telling me about her relationship, and how she could see a future for themselves. She started off her sentence with, "I know you're going to be all cynical about this but..."
Yet, as I listened to her, I felt no urge to scoff at her romanticism - but instead I was genuinely glad for her. It seems that I am capable of some smidgen of positivity when it concerns anyone else's business but my own.
Perhaps 'skeptical' is a more apt description; I am wary, but not totally unable to accept certain notions. I suppose, as with many things, all it takes is the right incentive.
...
The face that makes everything peachy, if just for a moment.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Yet another faabulous outing with the girlies! Met Jie and Lea for dinner at Crystal Jade. We really didn't do much except eat, walk around, and take photos. So it pretty much saves me the trouble of having to describe the night out.
Pictures! I can't believe we took 112 pictures (that is, after weeding out the ugly/blurred ones).
On an entirely differently note, I'd deeply appreciate it if everyone could take part in this little poll: Which Shift Key Do You Use?
That is, the right or left. I've just realised that I may be an abnormal shift-key-user! Oh, the horror! So anyway, I am in the habit of using the right one. But I have been exposed to the harsh reality that most right-handers probably use the left one. Please participate in this little activity borne of my questionable dysfunction.
Everclear - Everything To Everyone
(is it just me or is this song vaguely reminiscent of 'Local God'?)
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Got my camera back yesterday! Received a very pleasant text informing me that my 'Canon equipment is ready for collection'. I know, whatever happened to good ol' calling huh?
So anyway, I very gladly made the trip down to Harbourfront once again, this time in much better spirits. And I didn't even have to fork over a single cent! Something about them not having the parts, and getting it from another camera instead. So I had my camera back and I saved myself $70. That just totally made my day. I was so eager to start taking photos, but there wasn't really anything nice to snap. Sat at Delifrance for abit with pastry, tea, and a book, before making my way home.
My favourite subject! (albeit a very fidgety one)
Wala's last night was good fun. A night well spent! Heehee.
On the music front, I am quite hooked on Nirvana, Feist, and KT Tunstall these days. Have rediscovered Everclear's 'Wonderful', and am fucking infatuated with its lyrics. Especially when I can relate to it to some degree. Here's a good excerpt:
"Promises mean everything
When you're little and the world is so big
I just don't understand how
You can smile with all those tears in your eyes
Tell me everything is wonderful now
Please don't tell me everthing is wonderful now
I go to school and I run and play
I tell the kids that it's all ok
I laugh a lot so my friends won't know
When the bell rings I just don't want to go home
Go to my room and I close my eyes
I make believe that I have a new life
I don't believe you when you say
Everything will be wonderful some day"
To HELL with optimism!
:)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
On those train rides home, I often have nothing to do for seven minutes but to either stare into space, or at the people around me. And most of the time, what I see leads me to think.
I see lots of quasi-simple people; simple as in appearance-wise. I don't mean it in any way that is to be interpreted as negative. I just mean people who do not seem to live for the material things in life. I know the whole spiel about not judging by appearances, but I suppose sometimes you can, to a certain extent. These people are dressed simply, carrying minimal accessories, and perhaps a bulky handphone circa early 90s. Such observations are humbling for obvious reasons. You can't help but wonder if they are indeed satisfied with living life the way they do.
I like to assume that they are.
Can money really buy happiness? Well, perhaps. But most of the time the effect is only temporary. Just because humans are fickle creatures. Today's treasure is tomorrow's trash.
So I look at the amount of things I've amassed thus far, be it clothes, gadgets, whatever - and then I look inside myself. Am I happy?
I need not even hesitate, for my answer's been the same for a very long time.
Feist - Let It Die
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
My feet are still suffering from the vestiges of a four-hour marathon (on heels, no less) at Zouk last night. It was surprisingly - but pleasantly - uncrowded. Imagine. I never would've believed that the word 'uncrowded' could have the privilege of dallying with the word 'Zouk' within the same sentence. (Not that there is such a word as 'uncrowded', but you get the idea)
By the end of the night, it felt like giant blisters had formed on the soles of my feet. This was the extent of my pain and discomfort. And no, I am not exaggerating. (I do not indulge in hyperbole like laywer boy. heehee) Took pre-emptive measures against any hint of a possible hangover and popped a vitamin C pill before collapsing beneath the covers.
Was kinda disappointed that I didn't get to watch old school cartoons on Kid's Central this morning, like I had planned to before the decision to go out last night. Looney Tunes! Care Bears! Smurfs! Sob! (For the sake of the daft ones, no, that last one isn't a cartoon named after a cuss word)
Had an urge to bake brownies today. It's amazing how I mustered up the energy, but I did. And as I stirred the melted chocolate, the delicious aroma led me to believe that this was what Willy Wonka's chocolate factory would probably smell like.
What I love about baking is the sense of accomplishment you get when you pull a perfect cake/cookie out of the oven. And next is the feel-good factor of giving them to your loved ones. Plus, you get to lick the spoon.
Nirvana - Come As You Are
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Opening up a tub of The Body Shop's passion fruit body butter - which I have not used in awhile - I was hit by a wave of familiarity that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Perhaps it reminded me of several months back, when I used it on pretty much a regular basis. It brought to mind the act of trying on different items of clothing till I had settled on the right outfit; of attending classes in school; of coffee joints and girly conversations. Random things.
It is common knowledge that smells trigger memories. Of course, visuals work in the same way. But somehow, prompts by way of scent seem to be much more powerful, in my opinion. I think we're more likely to forget a physical object than a particular smell. Like a perfume reminiscent of someone, or a whiff of a pot of lip balm that leaves me feeling nostalgic.
Maybe the appeal is in the intangible nature of it. It is there, yet not quite. You can grasp it not with your hands, but only with your mind. It goads you to mentally unearth the memories, and connect the imaginary dots. And in the end, you are left with a picture constructed entirely out of compartmentalized memories in your head. All that, from something that could possibly be as utterly mundane as a bar of cheap soap.
Friday, August 05, 2005
It is 8.45 am, and the jarring sound of the alarm jolts me out of an awful dream involving a very unpleasant public toilet. I sit up in bed to avoid accidentally falling asleep again. Now, if you know me, I usually only wake up at such ungodly hours for reasons to do with either school/work or a sale.
Fortunately - but at the expense of a career opportunity - I was headed to a lingerie warehouse sale with Jie and Lea. :D
It was pretty crowded considering the fact that it was 10.30 on a Friday morning. Don't these women need to work?! Apparently discounted underwear wins meetings and paperwork hands down.
Managed to score some pretty good buys, and proceeded to queue for about an hour JUST to pay for our piles of stuff. Was so friggin tired by the time we stumbled out of the slightly claustrophobic venue. The bounty makes it all worth it though :)
Lea and I went over to Jie's place yesterday, for what was supposed to be a "reading day". But the plan of intellectual activity was sidetracked by lemons and an Indian comedian. Go figure. Ordered pizza in and camped out in front of the telly, managing to watch various shows at a time, thanks to Jie's 'superb' channel-surfing skills.
Junk food, laughter, and a remote control - what more could one ask for?
I quite like this photo-free space that my blog's become, somehow. It's made me think abit more about what I post here, since I don't have visuals to distract readers and lull them into a false sense of being entertained. *grin* Besides, the blocks of pictures kinda breaks the flow of the paragraphs. Sometimes I look at my older, longer posts and marvel at the very length of them. I enjoy the thought of having so much to say, and being able to string the words into lucid sentences like a sort of literary tapestry.
This probably confirms all suspicion that I am a closet geek.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
I've always been a solid-colour kinda girl when it comes to clothes - just about 95% of my wardrobe is made up of such tops. Even when I tell myself it's high time I stopped buying these and start stocking up on stripes, paisleys and the like, I still have this inexplicable attraction to rich blocks of colour. I don't know what it is, but maybe to me, colour is best left unblemished (except in the case of donut frosting and rainbow sprinkles), and left to revel in its own vivid, infinite coloured-ness. It's an abstract theory, and it sounds a whole lot better in my head.
But I suppose it all works out in the end, what with my huge love affair with accessories.
Caught Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today! (all thanks to my dearest cousin, although it boggles the mind how you managed to book it by accident. Haha) I can sum up the immense appeal of this movie in three 'C's: Characters, Colour, and Chocolate! The whole thing had this quirky aura about it, and some scenes really made my eyes light up with glee. Plus, I had a major craving for chocolate after.
But now I occasionally hear that bordering-on-freaky trilling in my head - "Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!"
Had a faabulous day with my gorgeous babes yesterday. Met Boo for the last time before she left this morning. It was lunch at Sakae as usual, followed by dessert at Toast. Unfortunately, she had to leave quite abruptly, since the silly girl hadn't started packing yet! So for the rest of the day, it was Lea, Jie and I. Our plans to sit at Spinelli's to read was foiled by one camera and three very chatty girls. Check back in a day or so for photos :D
Audioslave - Cochise