Jolly Folly, Mighty Morphin'

Arrghhhh, cannot get work done. Surfing the web and just getting my eyeballs dislodged.

I hate to rant about the weather, but it really rears its head so disconcertingly, it MUST be mentioned. Today I rode my bike again (quite a dumb decision, but I needed to save time), and it fell sleet. Almost like sharp needles piercing in your face. So I was covering my face (ok, it was painful) as I cycled, gloves rendered useless as they were soaked. I got the whole black pimple thing going again today (ref to previous post) since the irregular road surfaces were full of puddles.

We had Singapore Country Night in our hall on Saturday and it WAS a success! Yours truly made curry vegetables with prata. It was 'fusion', considering the use of yam and pumpkin, but it turned out really well. Departing from tradition (an excuse for not meeting authenticity), yet uniquely Singaporean curry-vege a la mixed vege stall... Milky, thin curry, with soft cabbage and beans and just about the right tinge of orange-redness. The others mustered min chien kweh, which was awesome and again departed from tradition with the mix of savoury and sweet all in one pancake.

The PowerPoint presentation turned out to be an advertisement of sorts. What Singapore Girl la, what Changi Airport la, what first night safari in the world la, what Singlish la. And it was the Americans who corrected me, it's "Lah!", not "La". Otherwise, our country really intrigued the hell out of people's minds. What is this small island that I have heard of but not known of, mystical and untouched? What is this gum issue and why did Michael Fey and Singapore have in common? You can't help but feel that buoying uplift when yet another indistinguishable National Song plays in the background. It's amazing how general irritation with these lala-land songs give way to heartfelt appreciation in a land far far away.

Mr Melvin Mr Melvin, just remember what brought you where you are right now. Think about how fortunate you are and.... keep pressing on. No such thing as failure, just short of success. YEA! PUB depends on u!

Posted by Brandon at Tuesday, November 25, 2008 | Permalink

It has been snowing a shitload here. As white blankets cover poor grasses stopped short in their photosynthetic routines, things are really changing. My bike started to creak and make funny sounds. I have started to take the bus. I crave for hot apple cider or coffee in the morning and the feeling of it glide down your throat and warming your body.

Today, the sun rose especially early today and melted much snow and caused the streets to be wet. I rode my bike because I was running late. When going down slopes, you'd inevitably get water splashing on your pants, and this morning, I think I got splashed in the face, because the water tasted salty (they salt the roads here so snow melts). And when I reached the building where my classes were held, people were looking at me with weird glances.

LUCKILY, I decided to visit the toilet to pee before class, because, I looked at myself in the mirror and my face was covered with black spots. Like a lead pencil making its mark all over my face or... just imagine black pimples everywhere.

Ok, the water was mirkish-black but imagine if I walked into class and had class, finished class and walked around and went to the loo only during lunch or something. I would have been quite a joke.

Another of those things you negotiate with the BAD, COLD, UNRELENTING SNOW! It's not all snowman, snow fights, rein deers and santas, it's really brutally cold. Like you just don't feel like walking out because it just is comfortable indoors with the heaters and stuff... Like you just lose interest in doing things, because it gets dreary at 5pm and the sky turns dark. Just like how my bike is choosing to creak right now - and make funny noises.

Posted by Brandon at Saturday, November 22, 2008 | Permalink

A few of my muses:

1) I had always wanted to try a CHEESECAKE FACTORY cheesecake in the U.S., but damn, the nearest one is actually in Philly in Prussia Mall which is ermmmm 5,6 hours away? So it's been kind of elusive and the more my boss at Fullerton urges me to find it, the more it seems like a must-try. Then one day as I was walking past one of Cornell's dining facility, I SAW IT! We actually sell them!

It must have been heaven I reckon, because I vaguely remember myself drifting into my own caramel world and saccharine bliss. Sweets, they entice me more than a naked woman.

2) BAGELS are good stuff! It's newly recruited into my vocabulary of carbs. EXCELLENT when slathered with cream cheese or peanut butter. Denser, tougher than bread, and you feel like you are sinking your teeth into something substantial. That's a good feeling.

3) Before you think my taste has turned more angmoh, I still love my siew mais and fried rice.

Ok, before my stomach gets any grouchier from simply writing about food, I shall go to sleep. Saturday nights are the most shiok, I get to sleep in. Until tomorrow, I am a block of wood.

Posted by Brandon at Sunday, November 16, 2008 | Permalink

Today was a bad day. I bombed on the rowing/erg machine. Training 5 min-3 min-1 min piece x 2, and I started out good, and by the second piece was I really losing it and did so badly on the timings. Bad day. My legs are burning right now, and I dream of a really cold, water bed right now, with the smelly pillow back home with stains of dried saliva, and a round bolster instead of the rectangular body pillow they have over here. And just sleep without giving a heck of when morning comes.

On a positive note, we went to this Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and it was pretty good. Quite a good change from the chunky, oily foods in the all-you-can-eat dining halls. Immaculate, translucent Vietnamese wraps, through which you can vaguely see bright, red, complete prawns nestled amongst crunchy greens. Bursting at its folds, dipped in chilli soup, and my, they send you into hearty munches of healthy bites.

Life is such a funny thing isn't it. What chaos would it wreck if the Internet just disappears right now? And when cars on highways just stop moving. And Lehman Brother's and its likes come back to life. And we hoped we pushed a little harder on a race or treated someone better before his demise.

Funny, funny, funny, as we churn and churn our engines. Squeak, squeak, squeak, needs some oilin' and much restin'. And pondering of who's who and when's the time to stop short to just sink into remote silence - to feel what is ACTUALLY going around us.

Boom! Go to sleep!

Posted by Brandon at Saturday, November 08, 2008 | Permalink

My eyelids are forcing a close, tilting the chin so high amid hard squinting. I am sooooo tired!

What a day!

Sensationalising Obama's victory to mark the unprecedented election of a black president is such an irritating elusion of hype. How remote are those roots to be honest? I see him as a capable individual, charismatic and forward-looking, directed in speech, sharp in policy. All this racial politics is making one choose to vote based on the social desirability of voting for a minority. All very cordial and politically correct. Very skewed.

I wonder how Singapore is doing! Is there a new building in Orchard Road? Is the recession sealing pockets? How are all your studies... How's everybody. Say leh!

Posted by Brandon at Thursday, November 06, 2008 | Permalink