Mid-Autumn

Lanterns along my side fencing

Whats the story behind the Mid-Autumn festival? Some dont even know that it is called the Mid-Autumn festival. The cool Sunday night was just the start of the 3rd week of Spring in Aussie land. Mid-Autumn? Well, it is, according to the chinese calendar. The 15th day of the 8th month.

Invited some friends over for a Mooncake and Tea party. Was truly an impromptu arrangement. Wanna come? Bring a Mooncake. "Today is Mooncake festival ah?? Wah, so long never play lantern already" Pat n Nicky bought a set of lanterns and lined them along my side fencing. We were lucky not to have strong winds that night. We had 8 mooncakes and Ed brought Korean style mooncakes over for us. It has been a really long time since i last ate a snow skin mooncake.

I remembered a couple of years back, mum lighted a few lanterns and displayed them in the balcony at my S'pore apartment. We were never interested in those super hi tech battery operated kinda lanterns, some even has built in 'cool' tunes when you switched it on. We turned our backs for less than 2mins, there we have it... 5 balls of fire were on display to the whole estate. You think calling it Mooncake festival is bad? My brother called it "Deng Long jie".. Lantern Festival.

oh when the powder come marching in......

I woke up this morning to a pretty aimless 'end of the week'. What's so bad about fridays? Everyone looks forward to a friday... TGIF!!! City late night shopping!! Myers closes at 9pm... kindof night. If you are in my shoes, friday isnt a day you wanna know that it is here. Why? Because if i dont hear from the immigration department today, then I'll have to wait over the weekend. The office doesnt open on a saturday. But of course, if you are lucky enough, you might get some news on saturday morning mails of delayed transfers from the previous days.
Gonna head down to the tracks after this. Build up some testosterones in a pair of running shorts and T. Perhaps shape my muscles for the summer season, where it would be visible when wearing those bermudas. But believe me, love-handles remains, "6-pack" stella artois still exists on me. And talking about that, 4months ago, Nicky and I bought a carton of 24 stellas. Ok, it was a mistake because we should have chosen corona instead. Anyway, we had like 9 bottles left from that purchase. He said he could have 3 tonight, I dont know how much I could drink. Maybe 2? or 3? Im not much of a "Malt teaser". But better be over a good conversation!
Im looking to finish Marching Powder by tommorrow. It is a very good read. I have very little knowledge about the South American scene, but this book summarizes the Bolivian prison life, the corruption and cocaine trafficking down South. What is best about it is that the prison tours given by Thomas (an inmate) is featured in Lonely Planet guide book. I think Thomas has been released, but I wonder if such tours are still available. I would surely visit it when i am in LaPaz, Bolivia.

Sex & Tech

In the midst of all these waiting, it is great to find someone to have a great conversation through a really cold thursday night. The temperature tonight reaches a low of 6-8 degrees, and it is suppose to be Spring. More like a surprising chill.
Dinner was alright, ginseng chicken soup prepared by Shules and nasi goreng from left over rice since Sunday, i think. She even made a fruit platter... less whipped cream which we both know there should have been.
After dinner conversations with Lovebell was hilarious, exciting, overall great!! I have to mention this, she is "Someone i chanced upon while trying to locate my ex-colleague with the given email, but happened to chat up her sister instead" While she had 2 rounds of Bailey's and milk on the other side, I have nothing, or pretty much water to soothe my throat from all the laughter. Communication tech is so convenient these days, 12yrs ago i was marvelled by Internet Relay Chat, then came ICQ, which i use as a messenger for the longest time. But i still use it to send free SMSes (only particular networks) these days. Then just about a few years back, MSN became the more frequent messenger for me. Yahoo didnt kick off for me, i only used it for Aunt Phyllis and my brother sometimes.
Then there was the introduction of internet phone, video/audio conferencing,.... mostly free. I tried using Skype but then i did not have many friends on that. Then Ling introduced me to googletalk, well, it isnt anything better really, but the internet phone has a better reception for me. Then again, im not expecting my list of frens in googletalk to add up anymore than what i already have because no one seems to be interested in it.
(Damn! sudden craving for meat pie)
I have been having late nights with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte for the past 3 nights. Oh which reminds me how excited my houseys and I are with our brand new futon!!! oh yes! Back to SNTC nights with Flisha. We have one more episode to the end of season3. Sadly, i had to return the stash for a brief moment.... just when i am getting use to the New Yorkers' dating and sexual lifestyle.
During my Poly days, my classmate Kevin told me about adverts on Yahoo Singapore classifieds. I havent been checking it out since then... until tonight, when I happened to talk to Lovebell about men putting up for sale, I surfed in to check if what Kev said was true. And he was soo right, there are many 'services' available for the ladies, then of course, as a guy, I looked out for the vice versa. Well, i managed to find 1 among the million adverts. Is it the money? Is it the boredom, or perhaps they have it and flaunting it in this manner? I think sexual lifestyle is such an individual thing, leading it just the way you want it, just the way you love it. I might actually try to put myself up for a speed dating thing, I dont think it is about desperation, but perhaps how you can introduce yourself, selling yourself right enough to get the other person's attention. It is like improving to write your cover letter each application you send. By the 8th person, you would probably learn how to get his or her attention to be interested in you. Am I short selling myself?
(Craving for chicken wings)

Patience

Back from "I have no idea where"

It has been more than 2 months since i last jotted something down in my blog. Im still around. Definitely not leaving all of my thoughts to myself. Well.. loads of things happened for the past month.
Im not gonna tell tales here. I would just have to dig into the events and start writing all over again.
"when you have little time left in your exams, you may list down the facts"

1) Moving into 5 Murphy Street 8Aug
2) My parents arrival for their first visit into Melbourne / Singapore National Day 9Aug
(Lovely and generous Adrian offered to pick them up from the airport at 430am) isnt he sweet!!!
3) Convocation 13Aug
4) Short retreat @ yarra valley 16-18Aug
5) Parents departure (End of their holiday) 20Aug
6) Lodged in Australia PR application 24Aug
(This is where the WAIT begins)
.
.
.
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7) Finally finished my $1 book which i bought in sydney 3Sept
Started on a local novel (Behind The Moon)
8) Job trial at Uni Cafe Mitey Bites 5Sept
This is the day i treated myself to a movie, but lost the ticket half hour before the commencement.
9) Job trial at QVM cake shop 8Sept
10) Finished "Behind The Moon" and started on "Marching Powder" 9Sept
On this night, went to watch a Uni Mudfest production "Jesus Christ Superstar". Nicole was the Set & Stage Manager for the production.
11) TODAY 13Sept

I dont understand why i had so much confusion for the past weeks. But i felt all better now. The restlessness inside me... Money, Job blah blah blah. It has only been 3 weeks since my application. I've got to be patient and persevere and take things by the day. Still waiting.....
Chatted up with a fellow coursemate an hour ago, and she just received her PR. Great for her!
Just FYI: Im back

"This year and next you will have wild grain to eat, but the following year you will be able to plant vines and eat grapes. Those in Judah who survive will flourish like plants and send roots deep into the ground and produce fruit" 2 Kings 19:29-30

Proud but not Proud

This battle, when did I last fought
Up on Mount Sorrow, Down to Sad Valley
The gloom in their eyes
Give just a little peace and that could suffice

The stares pierced into my hardened heart
Made me remember of my most recent charge
Young, handsome but unprepared
Sorry I had to feed you with my bayonet

Fireworks in the snow are magnificant
The grandeur killed more than one person
Had to drag myself away from pain
Still it left my best friend lame
Bullets, tracers fired above our heads
All in a confusion state

I have passed through that very road
Now i turn the happy pages of the book
When i turn, i turn to see the light
I am proud to say I had done my fight

Be Early When She Calls...

Trampling across the room;
Furious, very furious
Lying in the corner, a pan and broom
Dusty, still dusty
No sign of life, just the fat flies near the pie.
Delicious, not at all delicious
Where is my dog? Where has he gone?
Rusty! Oh Rusty!

Kicked the door open, still the smell of Ralph Lauren
Messy? not messy
She asked me to come back for cake
I was just an hour late
A short note lied on our bed,
Dont tell me she is dead.
Must be from the kidnapper,
Where has he taken my girl?

"I cant wait any longer,
Had to be done sooner or later.
Run away, I must run away
Do not look for me,
Precious, no longer your precious"

Words of the Day

Internecine - 1. Mutually Destructive. 2. of or pertaining to conflict or struggle within a group. An internecine feud broke out among the students in the rally in front of the state library 3. Chracteized by great slaughter, murderous kill out; exterminate

Facade (fe-sard) - 1. Front of a building especially an imposing or decorative one. 2. A false or superficial appearance.

Reproach - 1. To find fault with (a person, or group); blame; censure 2. To upbraid or scold 3. To be the cause of blame or discredit to 4.(n) Blame or censure conveyed in disapproval 5. An expression of upbraiding, censure or reproof 6. Disgrace, discredit or blame 7. a cause or occasion of disgrace or discredit. 8. An object of scorn or contempt

Calescent - Growing warm; increasing in heat, becoming warm

Virile - 1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a man, masculine 2. Having or exhibiting masculine strength 3. Characterized by a virgorous, masculine spirit 4. Capable of procreation

Slow, Quick, Quick Rhumba!!

The last week of examinations for most students in University of Melbourne, but the first paper for Clar who sat for her Chemistry paper today. The first thing i did when i got up was to invite Pat and Nic over for breakfast, sending an SMS from the bed (still wondering whether it was wise of me to kick myself out of bed to prep breakky). I slept late last night because I was chatting with Sandy on MSN. Sharon woke up just in time to join us too. I prepared half boiled eggs, teh-O and kaya toast for them.

It was a very exciting afternoon for me. My first ballroom dancing class began today!! My instructor, Nicole, taught me a lot for the first lesson. She gone through the basics for.. Foxtrot, Rhumba, Tango, ChaCha.. and the difficult ones Jive and Salsa. Continued to do some administrative work on the PR application after the class.

The next activity lined up for the afternoon was to watch the Korean horror flick "A Tale of Two Sisters". Watched it with Sean and Eric (a pity InYoung and Steven couldnt join us) It can be quite thought provoking, and as Sean had said, There are many angles to the story. The movie was made to have a really fractured jigsaw-puzzle story board underlying it. Would i say that it is better than "The Ring"?... 'ATOTS' makes you think a little harder and there are more open ended scenes to keep u wondering, to put the pieces together...
However, i must admit that there werent many instances of sudden fright impact on the audience. Overall, I would agree with a local movie critic giving it 3 1/2 of 5 stars.

Last but not least, I'll like to wish Nicole Happy 20th Birthday!!!