Speed is Deceiving

The Lover's Dictionary

2012-02-15T17:36:00.013-05:00

You know how sometimes when you are riding the public transit and you see someone reading a book and go, "Why is he/she reading that in public?" Well, yesterday I was that, but the offending party. See, I was reading a fiction book entitled The Lover's Dictionary, written by David Levithan, and yesterday so happened to be Valentine's Day. Was I a little sappy or pretentious? I wouldn't blame you if you thought that. However, in my defence, I was already reading the book days before that dreaded day for singles, and to be completely fair, it is a brilliantly written novel. Short and succinct, it uses a mix of words that you can find in a dictionary, some fancy-schmancy while others simple, to bring a bittersweet relationship to life.

I don't usually tag sentences or paragraphs with a post-it note while I read, but I just had to for two different anecdotes in the book. And I'm sure as I re-read the book at various points in my life, each word and accompanying story would bring different meanings and reactions from my part.

From page 109:

harbinger, n.

When I was in third grade, we would play that game at recess where you'd twist an apple while holding on to its stem, reciting the alphabet, one letter for each turn. When the stem broke, the name of your true love would be revealed.

Whenever I played, I always made sure that the apple broke at K. At the time I was doing this because no one in my grade had a name that began with a K. Then, in college, it seemed like everyone I fell for was a K. It was enough to make me give up on the letter, and I didn't even associate it with you until later on, when I saw your signature on a credit card receipt, and the only legible letter was that first K.

I will admit: When I got home that night, I went to the refrigerator and took out another apple. But I stopped twisting at J and put the apple back.

You see, I didn't trust myself. I knew that even if the apple wasn't ready, I was going to pull that stem.

From page 203:

x, n.

Doesn't it strike you as strange that we have a letter in the alphabet that nobody uses? It represents one-twenty-sixth of the possibility of our language, and we let it languish. If you and I really, truly wanted to change the world, we'd invent more words that started with x.

No, there aren't any relevances of those stories to my reality. But they touched me. As I said, I might have been a little sappy and pretentious.

I hope everyone had a lovely, or love-filled, Valentine's Day!

Queen

2012-02-13T19:26:00.005-05:00

I’m on an Adele-high right now. I thank my lucky stars I’ve managed to seen her live, paying only 30 bucks for damn good seats, because now, I can never afford to see her perform in person anymore.

I bow to you, Adele.

Corby

2012-02-11T01:37:00.002-05:00

That voice. That face. *swoon*

Dragon New Year

2012-01-30T15:28:00.002-05:00

Lunar New Year signaled the beginning of the Dragon year - my year, the year of the 88ers. You might think this means it's good fortune all-year round, but contrary to that, it clashes with your birth year. Which means, I'll be down on my luck in love, health, and wealth. Basically, my life.

Nevertheless, we celebrated the arrival of this mythical creature with food, as usual. Reunion Dinner with the gang, and a sumptuous homecooked meal on the first day of the new year, fit for twice the number of mouths present. Even Emma wants in on the action.

Let's hope my year won't go by as badly as they predict...

Sounds: '11

2011-12-31T13:15:00.000-05:00

As per tradition, my list of albums that got me through good and bad times of 2011. To a better year ahead!

Adele - 21

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010)

City and Colour - Little Hell

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

Eli Lieb - Eli Lieb

Feist - Metals

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Florence + The Machines - Ceremonials

Hurts - Happiness (2010)

Ivy - All Hours

James Blake - James Blake

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Lenka - Two

Mt. Desolation - Mt. Desolation (2010)

Never Let Me Go (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Noah and the Whale - Last Night On Earth

Oh Land - Oh Land

Oliver Tank - Dreams EP

Sarah Slean - Land & Sea

Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires

The Black Keys - Brothers (2010)

The Black Keys - El Camino

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History (2010)

Year in Retrospect

2011-12-30T23:43:00.014-05:00

How should I begin this? 2011 has been an interesting year, mostly because it was the first full year without school and therefore my first full year as a full-time working adult, and also because it was my first year as an out gay man. The year came and went as quickly as you can say "two thousand and ele...," and now as I try to rack my brains over the good, the bad, and the ugly, I find myself grasping at straws. Nevertheless, I am going to give it a go and see what memories come to me.

For starters, the August of this year marked my fourth year at Indigo. Even with the stresses and every unpleasantness that comes with a job, I do still really enjoy working with the company. My role in the store has slowly evolved from being on sales when I first started to a task role where I would shelve in Fiction, my baby (I get very anal when it comes to how things are placed and very obsessive when someone else shelves in there and messes it up), and do merchandising. With my seasonal promotion to ACEM in November, I got a pay raise with the added responsibilities. Being able to authorize returns on my own is handy but I feel like a fish out of water when my colleagues turn to me for assistance about something more elaborate and out of my depth, without the proper ACEM training that I should apparently have had. Noteworthy, at least to me, I opened the store myself with my own set of keys today. There was a period of overnight shifts, the reason for my promotion, and I am glad they are a thing of the past now. I am thankful for this opportunity since it helps towards my permanent residency application. Hopefully, this seasonal contract gets extended; I think I shall be able to get a clearer idea once mid-January comes around.

Since coming out last November to my siblings, my life has changed. For the better, I believe. It has been less taxing having to be mum on the subject of my sexuality or if I am dating. Besides, I feel like knowing my siblings and my best friends are aware of it and are accepting of it, has made our relationship a lot stronger. It is pretty hilarious how open we are now with each other about people we are dating, about sexuality and sex, or about random cute guys we check out and rate. I now get free relationship advice from them, most of it sound. I told my parents and aunts in the summer and it was not pretty. They have now gotten over it and we are back on talking terms as before, but I wonder what would happen if I bring it up again? In the past year, I have went on numerous dates - one out-of-this-world amazing, some alright, some just impossibly awkward, and dated a guy for six months, which opened my eyes up to the inner workings of relationships, it being my first proper one with a guy or anyone for that matter. I have since moved on and I am back on the online dating scene, which sometimes really is a drag and disappointing. I have started casually seeing someone whom I really enjoy spending time with and am interested in pursuing something more with, however it is hard to tell exactly where we stand.

Moving on from my work and "love" life, my social life consisted of books, movies, music, television, eating out (a lot), and playing games, all with various people in my life, family and friends. I signed myself up for a 50 Book Pledge at the start of 2011; I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. It started off well, I was on track with a book a week, but then I met my ex, summer came around, I lost ground and never caught up. I am ending my campaign at #24. Yes, I could not even make it to thirty. I have been reading a couple books at a go for the longest time, none of those seeming to end. Nevertheless, it was a good run and the pledge did push me to read more than I usually do, from a book to two books a month! Hopefully, 2012 will prove a more conducive year for my 50 Book Pledge (surprise, I am always up for embarrassing myself). 2011 will also be a special year for me as it is when I watched a movie on my own for the first time in my life. And to have that honour go to Melancholia is well-deserving. Actually, make that two movies I have seen on my own this year, the other being Shame.

My annual list of favourite music albums of the year will come tomorrow to end off the year. 2012 should be a fun-filled year since my friend is running a Games Night with board games and company every week. We started with Settlers of Catan when it was just the two of us, and have slowly expanded our repertoire to include Cranium and Apples to Apples, while inviting more people to join. Next Wednesday is the first official meetup with more games, so that will be something to look forward to! At the same time, the year will be equally stressful as I reach the final year of my post-graduation work permit so having to get my permanent residency application in order is of utmost importance since I refuse to leave this country I so fondly call home! So may the coming year offer me success in that and in my career, find me the love and companionship I seek, and the health to keep up with my business. And to you, may 2012 bring you what you wish.

See you in the new year.

The Reindeer Gang

2011-12-26T18:05:00.000-05:00

It's Time

2011-11-29T18:29:00.001-05:00

This video makes my heart melt.

風の通り道

2011-10-13T22:39:00.000-04:00

Wedding

2011-10-11T17:27:00.010-04:00

The gorgeous fall day of October 8, 2011, saw the wedding of Nora and Mark. The bride was radiant, the groom could not stop grinning, and the ceremony was so elegant. It has been years knowing Nora - first time meeting her was as my brother's high school friend and housemate, and upon settling in, becoming part of the clique. Then, through Nora, we met Mark. From the time when we once shared a place till now, years after moving away from each other, we have still maintained a close friendship. Needless to say, seeing both of them up at the gazebo reciting their vows moved me and many others to tears.

To witness the union of a two people in love led me thinking of myself, what it would mean to be able to walk down the aisle as a gay man with the person I want to spend my life with. It suddenly became apparent that my relationship with C was not what I had hoped for it to be, especially since it had no doubt been changed from the breakup a month ago. So on Sunday when the issue came up, it felt like a decision had to be made and it was. Single once more, and I must say, it is not as hard as the first time round.

Not that I do not trust I would never find comfort being single on my own, but would I find happiness with someone and in marriage? Nora and Mark's union leave me believing so.

Patchup

2011-09-08T21:59:00.002-04:00

He asked and I caved.

Breakup

2011-09-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

After exactly 5 months, a breakup came into play. Incompatibility, growing distances, change in attitudes, weariness in trying and waiting, whatever the issue is, doesn't make it any easier. A congested chest, uncontrollable sighings, toss and turns in bed. Good times are missed, bad times only make for lessons learnt. Friendship remains a possibility, but the wound is still fresh and the heart is on the mend. Don't give in to nostalgia. Strength and courage will be crucial in times to come, and I have nothing but gratitude to my siblings and best friends for the support they have shown me.

Long Labour Day weekend

2011-09-01T16:40:00.002-04:00

My Labour Day long weekend starts today! Four (and a half) days of freedom from work! It's been a while since I've had that many days off. Anyhow, I'm working on some job applications and listening intently to these two songs.

The Future

2011-08-27T17:44:00.005-04:00

‎"Future is just a fucking concept that
we use to avoid being alive today."

-- Brenda Chenowith, Six Feet Under

Fire and Blood

2011-06-20T16:12:00.002-04:00

The season finale for Game of Thrones was everything I expected and more. It made me tingle. And now, the 1 year countdown to season 2 begins... What a torture! At least there is the soundtrack to keep me company. I am obsessed with the "Finale" score.

Disappear

2011-05-30T13:13:00.002-04:00

I'm in an irritable mood today. I hate my job so much right now that I had persisting thoughts about quitting on the spot today. Life's responsibilities disagrees with such foolish thoughts. It feels like my adulthood is not going according to plan and I have stalled. I need a major shakeup in my life to give me some direction. If only I could disappear into the wild, into thin air, for an extended period of time, to, as clichéd as it sounds, find myself.

ADELEGEND

2011-05-19T17:57:00.003-04:00

I went to the Air Canada Centre last night to watch Adele perform live in Toronto. It was earlier scheduled for Kool Haus but the venue was switched after discovering how much more popular she actually is in North America (it was only half the ACC and I'm sure it would have sold out all the same if it was the full arena). We got priority seating and managed to get our hands on some sweet seats, for the price we paid with no extra costs.

Easily, this is the best show I've been to! Adele was funny, interacted so personably with us even in an arena setting, and her vocals were just dazzling. I still find it hard to believe I actually saw her live. Wow.

1-Month

2011-05-02T19:25:00.005-04:00

Today is the one month anniversary of Calvin and I dating. I have been very happy and it just proves that coming out a couple months ago was the right decision. Cheers to more great time spent together with him!

23

2011-04-24T16:01:00.008-04:00

Give me two more years, and I'll be at my quarter-life crisis. That's assuming I live to a 100. Or I could be fast approaching it, or passed it, who knows? I never liked celebrating my birthday anyway. I still feel 16. Younger even.

This year is different though. I had a laid-back birthday enjoying the sun with a special someone, food, gaming and a movie together with wine to end off the night. One thing I feel bad about is not spending it with my siblings. I feel like I haven't seen them in the longest time, probably because I haven't. I somehow managed to meet my best friends prior to my 23rd on April 23rd, but not my siblings even though we supposedly live in the same house. I wonder how frequently we will meet up when we move out on our own?

Holiday's over, back to my boring ole life.

Eyes on Him

2011-04-13T18:47:00.004-04:00

YouTube Find-of-the-Century!

At Your Side

2011-04-03T12:14:00.001-04:00

I'll be at your side, there's no need to worry
Together, we'll survive through the haste & hurry
I'll be at your side, if you feel like you're alone
And you've nowhere to turn
I'll be at your side

Love of Reading

2011-03-19T17:47:00.004-04:00

This is pretty old and it's been played at my house repeatedly, but we can never get enough of it. Effective marketing, well done Indigo!

Tomorrow is a Long Time

2011-03-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

If today was not an endless highway,
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all

Goodbye WWF!

2011-02-24T18:20:00.005-05:00

After thinking over it, I decided that my time at WWF had run its course. I told my supervisors today and they were very understanding about it. I have had a great year and a half volunteering there - learnt a lot and built some good connections. When I was walking home from the office with a folksy tune on my iPod under the slightly overcast sky, everything felt in place for the start of another chapter..

Job hunting. Dun dun dun!

Tweeting the 50 Book Pledge

2011-02-13T20:40:00.003-05:00

HarperCollins Canada started an interesting initiative, The 50 Book Pledge, to encourage readers to read 50 books this year. I think this will be a fun way to keep track of my books and motivate me to read more and a little faster. I've given my pledge, so help me god for I'm a terribly slow reader. 50 books is about the number of books I've read in the past 3 years since working at Indigo, but if you think about it, with school and work, a book a month for three years is still pretty damn impressive! Well, wish me luck.

I started using twitter because of it. Follow me @chihoeho.

Rabbit New Year

2011-02-06T01:03:00.000-05:00

Someone Like You

2011-01-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

I'm currently obsessed with this song, as I was with "Rolling In The Deep".

Beatles Rock Band

2011-01-02T20:19:00.009-05:00

On Boxing Day, my brother got the Beatles Rock Band set that includes the drums, guitar and mic. We have been playing it frequently over the past couple of days. We finally decided to try the storyline just now and took a break right before Chapter 3. This was a memo sent out by my sister, a.k.a. lead guitarist George Harrison, when I was in the shower...

Here's the setlist:

1) Day Tripper
2) And Your Bird Can Sing
3) Drive My Car
4) Taxman
5) Paperback Writer

Practice hard guys, see you on stage!

Cheers,
George

Aye aye sir!

2011

2011-01-01T22:29:00.005-05:00

A chummy countdown and a cuddly first night for the New Year! 2011 is hopefully off to a good start. I don't usually do New Year Resolutions, but let's give this a try:

1) Find a full-time job.
2) Move out on my own.
2) Get my driver's license.
3) Keep fit with pilates.

My second resolution might not be fulfilled regardless of how hard I try since it's dependent on so many factors.. finding a job, the right place, having enough money, family's approval, and besides, my siblings have kept their messes to a minimum recently so they haven't been annoying me so much. It's a start so may 2011 be a smooth one!

Sounds: '10

2010-12-29T23:11:00.004-05:00

My 20 favourite albums this year (see 2009, 2008, and 2007). Most of these are 2010 releases with a couple from 2009.

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Brandon Flowers - Flamingo

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

Fran Healy - Wreckorder

Greg Laswell - Take A Bow

KT Tunstall - Tiger Suit

Matt Costa - Mobile Chateau

MGMT - Congratulations

M.I.A. - Maya

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (2009)

Patrick Park - Come What Will

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)

Robyn - Body Talk

She & Him - Volume Two

Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz

Temper Trap - Conditions (2009)

The Walkmen - Lisbon

The xx - xx (2009)

Vampire Weekend - Contra
I'm already excited for the start of 2011 music-wise, with new releases from Adele (21, January) and Cut Copy (Zonoscope, February). Happy New Year!

Hit me baby one more time!

2010-12-01T20:37:00.001-05:00

Fran Healy performing in Toronto at The Mod Club on November 26. There are more videos to enjoy!

Gay

2010-11-17T19:12:00.014-05:00

I came out to my siblings yesterday and I thought I would do the same for you too. Telling my parents or correcting anyone who thinks otherwise will be the next tough steps but it was time to take them. I saw this picture today and I thought it was appropriately coincidental, not that I have ever held a gun, but you get the idea.

Pogo

2010-11-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

Amazing! And if you haven't already watched it...

Classics

2010-10-20T21:20:00.005-04:00

I have decided to attempt reading more classics, starting with the ones at home. Perhaps I will try tackling Austen and Dickens again, but I would like to move on to the modernist literature company — Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Joyce, Mann, Rand, Salinger, Steinbeck, Twain, Woolf, et cetera. The last time I cracked open a classic book, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to be exact, I quickly set it aside despite the novel being very short. No, I will not be starting with Conrad this time around, although I will eventually get to his books.

Power outage

2010-10-17T18:59:00.004-04:00

Power went out in the mall today, affecting a day's worth of the store operations. We had to clear customers out, some kicking up a fuss. Then, we were put to work to begin this year's store renovations that officially starts tomorrow, shelving in the dark with small book-lights. I had to suppress my OCD and ignore how we were shelving without scanners, only trusting that inventory numbers matched up and that our instincts of where a book should go proved to be accurate.

A Saturday night

2010-10-16T23:28:00.004-04:00

Listening to Disney songs, snacking on chips and drinking pop while reading... A Saturday night, my boring Saturday night. But just what I need.

Oh no he didn't!

2010-10-06T17:34:00.004-04:00

I got profiled on WWF Canada's Blog and having no sense of shame, I am sharing it here. I thought my answers were decent when I was writing it, but reading it now makes me cringe because it reads amateurishly and really egoistical. And the photo used... Oh the embarrassment!

Ambitions

2010-09-25T17:02:00.001-04:00

Sandcastle

2010-09-19T19:41:00.004-04:00

My sister and I went to watch a Singaporean film, entitled "Sandcastle" directed by Boo Junfeng, at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. The movie has been getting quite the buzz for a Singaporean film, premiering at the Cannes International Film Festival to favourable reviews and making it's way to Toronto too. It was slow-paced and sombre, touching on some sensitive issues from Singapore's past and present. I teared up for two reasons: the subject matter, and the overwhelming nostalgia of seeing Singapore and hearing songs of home from home, especially a cover of Kit Chan's "Home" (See: two posts down).

So we meet again

2010-09-17T23:00:00.010-04:00

After 6 years of not having seen each other, I met up with Mahayana and Faridah from my secondary school days over the Labour Day weekend in Montréal. We also made a short tour to Québec City together. It was so much fun being in their company and catching up, talking with Maha about our time in the same upper sec class and recounting the Drama Club days with Faridah.

Both cities are such great places. We got to ride the BIXI bikes in Montréal, ate Queue de Castor's beavertails, sight-see in the old fortifications of Québec City, among others. It was sad having to part - Faridah to Boston where she is on exchange at, and Maha in Montréal, where she is wrapping up her stay learning French there and heading to France in a couple days to do her Masters. I hope I get to see them again, but till the next time, all the best to them!

Also, isn't this one of the most stunning full-fledged rainbow one can witness in an urban setting like Montréal?

Home, truly

2010-08-13T00:12:00.005-04:00

I thank Kit Chan from the bottom of my heart for this perfect performance. Being far and away, it captures my sense of longing for home.

PS And oh my that city skyline. How much Singapore has changed!

This Love

2010-08-07T17:58:00.003-04:00

Maroon 5 at Molson Amphitheatre a couple days ago. It never occurred to me how many of their songs I instantly recognized. I got some performances on video.

Alone is OK

2010-08-05T18:08:00.002-04:00

My brother and Anya posted this on Facebook. Such simplicity yet so powerful. Apparently she is a friend of a friend of my brother's too.

SGNDP10

2010-08-04T10:27:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the Foo family, a Singaporean gathering was held at Pam's condo to celebrate this year's National Day. We met a week earlier of NDP on August 9th but that didn't stop us from getting into the festivities by cooking up a storm of Singaporean food that we shared at the potluck!

Chai tow kway

Teochew braised duck

Hainanese chicken rice

Chicken rendang

Kuching laksa

Half of the feast (more came later but I was too busy eating to take pictures then)

Pastry desserts

Happy 45 Singapore!

Siblings Rivalry: The Hos vs. The Foos

void deck

2010-08-01T23:48:00.001-04:00

We have started an online apparel store by the name of void deck, inspired by Singapore's HDB void decks. We just got our first customer and that has put us all in a frenzy. Help spread the word and support us!

Films, food and... shoes?

2010-07-22T18:44:00.015-04:00

The Toronto Singapore Film Festival this year was held very much later in July rather than in April. Why this was so, I will not get into since it brings up negative, almost terrible, feelings towards one particular individual in the organizing committee. In any case, the festival went on this past Friday and Saturday, with its fair share of ups and (more) downs.

Volunteer Coordinators Marielle and Alison, and I (Photo credit: Marielle)

Photographers David and Louis, with Alison and I (Photo credit: Marielle)

Opening Night at Revue Cinema (Photo credit: Louis)

Chicken rice, ngo hiang and mango salad at Opening Party (Photo credit: Louis)

Opening Party at European Shoe Boutique (Photo credit: Louis)

TSFF 2010 poster out on Day 2 (Photo credit: Wilson)

More Singaporean delicacies, nasi lemak and otak-otak (Photo credit: Wilson)

Screening at Innis Town Hall (Photo credit: Wilson)
How relieve I am that this is now over! The attendance was not as high as last year's but we did have a good time - enjoyed some local delights from home and met more Singaporeans and Malaysians together than Toronto would regularly offer. I will not be signing up for a spot in the TSFF 2011 organizing committee, unless someone capable and friendly takes over and runs TSFF upwards, not down into the ground. I think I just gave away that one particular individual who I have a beef with, but will remain anonymous, still.

Now, moving on with my post-graduation job search for permanent, full-time employment. I am officially in job-hunting mode, but how I hate it already.

The Day of First Action

2010-07-03T17:07:00.001-04:00

This is how I shall remember the day.

Independent TriHo again

2010-07-01T15:23:00.005-04:00

Papa and Mama Ho have left Toronto and are flying back to Singapore. I was über ecstatic to spend time with them but conflicts arose as time passed on with their constant nagging and our inherent stubbornness. As bad as that may sound, the Ho family works this way, as many other families do (I hope). You can be pleasant to others of little matter to you, but it becomes easy to disapprove and bicker with someone close since "none will bear overnight grudges", as the elders in my family put it. Still, dare I say I am happy to have my mattress and freedom back!

Energy-zapped in Montréal

2010-06-20T20:09:00.006-04:00

The family is in Montréal at this moment. We found a little suite with two bedrooms at the UQAM West Residence that operates as an auberge in the summer. I like it, but the absence of a much-needed air-conditioner or a telly proves to be quite a disappointment to these temporary residents. The heat and humidity has zapped the energy out of us, especially after being on the bus for the ride from Toronto. There is the ceiling fan which will get us through the night but there is no immediate gratification from an air-conditioner's coolness upon our return from a hot day's outing. As for the TV, we are on a trip to explore the city not be a couch potato, yet the lack of background audio is odd to us.

We walked a bit of the city. My dad does not see what the big deal with Montréal is since we spent most of the time today in the newer core along rue Sherbrooke and rue Saint-Catherine. I shared the same sentiments on our first day here last October. Wait till he sees Vieux-Montréal tomorrow!

Big fat black cat

2010-06-15T21:34:00.004-04:00

There is a black cat that has been out on the corridor of the floor I live on. He/She has been there since this morning when I returned home from work, laid spread out next to the door of my neighbour's unit. We have tried searching for its owner to no avail. Now, a group of 7th-floorers are seated next to the big fat black cat in its makeshift cardboard shelter with food and milk. Superstition aside, the cat has brought out more neighbours chatting than I have seen together in the 3 years I have lived here. What a charmer isn't he/she?

I'd rather dance with the Kings

2010-06-11T20:55:00.009-04:00

My parents have been in town for the past few days. The weather has been unkind but even if it had been warm and sunny, I am running out of ideas of where to bring them to. We booked transportation and lodging for our Montréal trip from next Sunday till Wednesday after much back and forth debate. My siblings and I are excited about visiting the city again - it feels longer than the 8 months it has been since we were first there together!

This past Tuesday, the night before my big convocation ceremony (more on that to come), I left my naggy parents with my siblings and went to a Kings of Convenience concert with Marina. The Norwegian duo of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe were supposed to perform back in February which we got tickets for but that was postponed due to Eirik's illness. Postponed, thankfully, not cancelled. I skipped an awards ceremony at UTSC for this, so I was praying with all my might the concert would not turn out to be a bust.

My prayers worked. They had such great humour, interacted extensively with the audience, and sounded harmonious together and with us - The Fan Choir. We mainly "oooh-ed" and "aaah-ed" but we kicked some major butt. At one point, KoC mentioned their love for Canadian artists and I think my heart stopped for a moment, thinking Feist was here since they have worked on each other's albums before (see: Feist on KoC's "Know How" and "The Build-Up", and Eirik on Feist's "How My Heart Behaves"). False alarm, Feist was in Spain. Everyone collectively sighed in disappointment. I am sure if she was in Toronto, she would have made an appearance but it was not to be this time. I wonder if they had performed here in February, would Feist been able to have made it?

Be sure to watch KoC perform "I'd Rather Dance With You" and "Misread". They asked us what song we would like them to play for the encore and many shouted "Misread". They strummed their guitars to an unfamiliar start and when they finally got to the actual opening of the song, everyone cheered.

I tend to overplay the songs of the musician whose concert I go to weeks before and then stay away from said music after the event until something kindles that yearning for a certain tune or lyrics. Having had months in advance to prepare myself for KoC, I was surprised to find myself diving right back into their 3 albums and searching for videos on YouTube. Says a lot about the band, their music and the concert. I have no regrets about skipping that awards ceremony.

Parents incoming

2010-06-06T11:20:00.004-04:00

My parents should be somewhere flying over the Pacific Ocean on their Cathay Pacific flight right now. They will be in Toronto for the next few weeks for my convocation ceremony on Wednesday and more. It has been two years since their last visit so I am quite excited that they are arriving tonight. Then again, this might mean greater limited freedom. Quite a stretch here, but them being here can hopefully get my brother more involved in housework.

The scare the Little Devil gave

2010-05-29T23:37:00.016-04:00

Emma has been spending the past few days with us since Marielle is back in SG and Yiwen is at NYC. She will not be living at our place as long as she did last summer since Wen returns on Monday. Nevertheless, these few days have been traumatic, both good and bad. Good, she gave us much joy. Bad, read on.

Last night, we returned home to find her poo all over the house. Oh and a ripped open bar of dark chocolate. I was infuriated with the cleanup I had to do and it was not until she started vomiting after drinking lots of water that it struck me of what Mel had mentioned before: chocolate is poisonous to dogs. We were unsure of how long Emma had ingested the chocolate but we tried purging it out of her anyway by making her lick up water continuously. She did regurgitate quite a bit of a gooey water-chocolate mixture, and when her breathing became laboured, we rushed to the 24-hour Vet Emergency Clinic at Rosedale.

Triage was called when we arrived. The vet gave her some drugs to induce vomiting and then administered activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins. It was all done in 2 hours or so and when Emma emerged from the ER, she was very much herself which brought so much relief. We decided to take a stroll and walk home from Rosedale. She enjoyed every moment of it, strutting up Yonge Street and even running after a subway train passing by Davisville.

She is doing great now. If only she learns her lesson to stay away from chocolate.. Who do I kid, dogs never do and definitely will the Little Devil not.

Lost is the end

2010-05-24T02:25:00.005-04:00

It really is over...

Thank you for the epic journey and everything that came with it - the shock, joy, hate, tears, frustration. I don't care what people say and I know some are going to hate on it, but the finale was brilliant and it ended the way it should and had to. I'm beyond satisfied and it will be on my mind in the time to come. What's going to happen to the future of television, now that LOST had ended?

The end is lost

2010-05-23T14:02:00.002-04:00

LOST ends tonight. Party at Theresa's place with countless hours of LOST - the 2 hours recap first, followed by 2.5 hours of the series finale, and another 2 hours of a LOST special on Jimmy Kimmel. OH MY GOD!

How the night sounded

2010-05-22T02:18:00.009-04:00

Greg Laswell, of Grey's Anatomy music fame (speaking of which, holy mackerel, what an intense season finale on Thursday!), was in town to promote his new album. Marina and I got some cheap tickets to see him at the Horseshoe Tavern. I don't know, he sounded off to me in a couple of songs, yet he pulled through and managed some fantastic performances. My favourite:

More videos are on my YouTube page. Check them out!

Cupcake, I'm judging you

2010-05-16T20:28:00.008-04:00

I love watching the original Iron Chef and have always wished to be a part of such a competition, either as a taster or a competitor. I got that chance today.

Anya and I were at the lovely neighbourhood of Liberty Village, just to the west of the downtown Lakeshore core, tasting and judging cupcakes from competitors of the monthly IronCupcake contest. Hosted by a custom cake store, For the Love of Cake, the competition began three months ago and it has already generated a pretty impressive turnout. The secret ingredient for May was flowers (the first was beer for St. Patrick's Day and the second was coffee).

This is how it worked... Five bucks gave us a random ballot with two vote categories: Best Taste and Best Display. We each got a bottle of water and a plate with five cupcakes to taste, their numbers corresponding to the numbers listed on our ballot for Best Taste. All fifteen cupcakes of the competition were on a long display table for us to judge. Eating them is self-explanatory, but we did have quite a discussion about how we should tackle the judging. Should we gobble them fully or take bites so that there is a second round to make our final decision with?

My plate minus one (#01-#05, #03 was a no-show).

Anya's plate (#11-#15).

#01 lavender, #02 hibiscus.

#04 lavender, #05 rose and cardamom.

#06 lavender and lilac, #07 cherry blossom.

#09 lilac and daisy, #10 rose.

#11 lavender, #12 hibiscus.

#13 orange blossom, #14 lavender, #15 lavender.

My pick for Best Taste, #02.

My pick for Best Display, #13.
Anya went with #12 for Best Taste and #06 for Best Display. I was too pleased in my tummy by the time the winners were announced so I just clapped and smiled along. The results were tallied and Best Display scores were added to give People's Choice... #01 was the runner-up and #14, I think, won. #11 came in second to #12 for Critics' Choice, so score for Anya! It is a pity IronCupcake will not be held over the summer since the cake store has to deal with wedding cake orders. Oh well, till September!

We walked around Liberty Village finding a way out, then walked along King Street towards Spadina Avenue. Could not ask for a more beautiful sunny day to do that!

Gotta catch 'em all!

2010-05-15T17:30:00.008-04:00

My co-worker, Aaron, is on a quest to capture all 493 Pokémon from scratch and he is blogging about his epic adventure. It is an enjoying read so I greatly recommend you click on the link to his blog on the right. Browsing through his posts got me excited about Pokémon again. It has been years since I left it behind with my Game Boys (old, pocket and colour, remember those?), relicts of my childhood, but the nostalgia did spark the obsession I once had. That obsession never got past the second generation of Pokémon Gold/Silver, so I never had a chance to play the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald ones with the Game Boy Advance and the current versions on the Nintendo DS.

Thanks to Aaron, or not, it is back. The Game Boys are still hidden away somewhere in Singapore and I am too cheap to invest in a DS, so I took to the web, found and installed an emulator that will allow me to play GBA games on my MacBook. For the past two days, I have been on my Pokémon Emerald mission, fighting the bad guys and catching, as much as I can, every Pokémon I come across. Never will I attempt what Aaron is attempting - I do not think trading Pokémon is something my emulator will allow me to do and because I do not have as much a motivation to keep me going. All the best to PokéMaster Aaron!

With the new generation, Black/White, about to be released, it got me thinking if I should buy a DS. On second thought, the Xbox 360 I got in December, the impulse buy of my life-so-far, has not been played much. Besides, my enthusiasm would likely wane off by then.

Pixelized

2010-05-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

If the world were a village of 100 people

2010-05-12T11:53:00.011-04:00

via Wilson

Handsome Men's Club

2010-05-04T22:42:00.001-04:00

How did I not know of this epic video sooner? Comedic gold!

All books and no pay

2010-05-04T10:22:00.005-04:00

The trouble with working in a bookstore is that a good chunk of my salary goes right back to the employer. Tasking every single day brings new books and also obscure ones to my attention so much more than just being a sales representative. I make mental notes of those that interest me, some will eventually escape me so I must thank my weak memory, but I often find myself at a cash register even before the books I bought prior have been read cover to cover.

I now have plenty of untouched books sitting on my shelf - of which, some are on my immediate to-read list, some I still am excited about once the time comes to get to it, some I believe will eventually sneak in between previously mentioned categories or otherwise be replaced by books I buy in the near (and distant) future, some I question why I bought in the first place and wonder if I ever will try tackling them, and others I bought on a whim because, silly reason, the cover or the spine of the book looked "cool" enough to decorate my bookshelf with.

Today, I just bought 6 more books to add to my collection. Moving will be a pain with the additional weight to pack. But at least when it does come to that, I will have plenty of "cool" books to decorate my new living quarters with and I would appear more worldly and well-read to guests than I might actually be. Really though, reading is fun and I do it for the right reasons. Although, the funny thing is I am reading more now than I did before I started working at a bookstore, which probably translates to: I actually care enough about the job to increase my product knowledge. Yay?

Never Let Me Go

2010-05-03T01:13:00.006-04:00

I just finished reading a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro called "Never Let Me Go." Not to spoil the plot too much for those interested, it has this dystopian theme to it in the background - it is handled in such an ordinary manner that you never get the sense of how out-of-this-world it is. What the story truly is about at the front and center is the friendship of three friends through time and the revelation of what their lives are about. It really moved me, especially the way it concluded.

There is a movie adaptation of the book soon to come out this year with Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan as the two female leads. I do not know about the casting choices, but I definitely do look forward to it regardless just because of how brilliantly the material was presented in words.

Like A Star

2010-05-01T21:59:00.017-04:00

I changed the layout again. As a matter of fact, I modeled it after my own tumblr which was inspired by Yiwen's. Speaking of a new layout, I should really help my poor little sister with hers. She has been going on about how I have been changing mine but not hers even though she has pleaded with me repeatedly. Hhmmm.

Last Friday, I turned 22 and spent it with the usual suspects. Mostly a day of food - dim sum brunch at Chinatown and then for dinner, Wen cooked bak chor mee for us all. Feast your eyes (not your mouth)!

On Monday, it was off to Corinne Bailey Rae's concert with Teresa. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre was down by the waterfront at Exhibition Place. The great acoustics of the venue was perfect for a raspy voice like CBR's.

Her performance of "Like A Star" and "I'd Do It All Again" gave me chills!

If you cannot tell, I am enjoying life without school quite a bit. The 5AM work shifts are quite a drag, but they do give me the option of doing something during the day, albeit with exhausted enthusiasm, especially when the time comes around for my afternoon nap. Sometimes, I fall asleep only to awake towards dinnertime, after which I find myself having to head back to bed early. Yet I never do nor can.

22

2010-04-23T04:46:00.003-04:00

I'm up this early to work. On my birthday. Serves me right for not "caring" enough about turning 22, or any age for that matter, to take the day off to sleep in. Yes, that's procrastination the first thing in the morning of April 23.

Graduation in Sight

2010-04-09T18:43:00.006-04:00

After today's exam, which I did give up on it and have no care on how I did, my years as an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto is coming to a close. It has been a good and bad five years, and I am just glad to finally say that "I AM GRADUATING!"

The Convocation Ceremony is set for June 8 and my parents will be here. Till then, anything goes. Korean, guitar, gym, Xbox, Indigo. Right, and job search for a position that will give me the experience I need to get Canadian permanent residency. Grad school is not one of the options, not now. I have spent too much time in school to commit myself to another few more years.

In any case, bring on summer!

Nostalgic Traveling

2010-03-21T00:46:00.008-04:00

Every time I look back at pictures from my trip to Montréal with my siblings, I yearn to be back there - breathing the air, seeing the sights, feeling the joy. It must be the fact that I have been cooped in Toronto for years since my first step into Canada, not counting Niagara Falls because that is nowhere close to being comparable to Montréal. That Thanksgiving trip was the one and only real "holiday" I had while traveling to some place else.

My siblings and I have been in discussion on where to go next - Québec City? Vancouver? The Maritimes? Easter is around the corner but we have decided to wait till after our exams to fully enjoy a long trip. I hope plans materialize, because I really need that boost felt in Montréal again. What for I am not sure, since I will be done with school (for good!) by mid-April. I know, a well-deserved break, after all that is the whole point of traveling, is it not?

Is Community college really this fun?

2010-03-13T01:31:00.004-05:00

I am in love with Community. For more funny clips, watch this, this, this, this, and yea, I can go on. I watched 17 episodes in less than 2 days with school and work, and have officially caught up to the eighteenth episode. Hello withdrawal.

GGOOOAALLLDDDD!

2010-02-28T17:58:00.004-05:00

Sudden death goal from Canada's Golden Boy, Sid the Kid!

GOLD FOR BOTH CANADA MEN AND WOMEN HOCKEY TEAMS!
(Sorry USA, you will always have your Silver)

:)

Sex on Ice

2010-02-23T01:16:00.003-05:00

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir win Canada's first gold medal in Ice Dance.
Flawless dances. Perfect couple, amirite?

BAD APPLE

2010-02-02T00:59:00.002-05:00

Pilates crunch

2010-01-19T09:03:00.004-05:00

I had my first pilates class yesterday at the AC and I now feel the aftermath of it in my abdomen. Says so much about my fitness level and how much this workout is going to be helping me in the next 10 lessons. I look forward to it!

Saturday Night Studying

2010-01-17T02:06:00.003-05:00

Even I have surprised myself - I'm studying on a Saturday night.
Damn you insects!

The art of chopsticks manipulation

2010-01-12T15:24:00.035-05:00

I was at Chinatown after class today for lunch and to pick up some groceries. Looking around the restaurant, I could not help but observe everyone's grip on their chopsticks with varying methods and skills.

When I was much younger, my handling of these sticks, as with a pen or a pencil, were clumsy and not aesthetically pleasing. My family would say, "As Chinese descendants, it is an embarrassment not knowing how to use a pair of chopsticks correctly." And so, my aunts would put me through much torture to hold it properly - not low nor too high up, the lower chopstick resting on the ring finger and the crook between the thumb and index finger, while controlling the movement of the complementing chopstick with the thumb, index and the middle finger. It took much practice, but boy am I glad I was put through that. Chopstick-handling requires quite the concentration and muscle flexibility, unlike the fork with does half the work for us.

Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, demonstrates how to use chopsticks the East Asian way. Although in my opinion, using the pinky and the ring finger to hold on to the lower chopstick adds more work to the finger-cramping process. Or take advice from this instead, whose accent is definitely of a Singaporean or Malaysian. Check out Ferriss' other blog entries too, there are some cool stuff on it.

Back in the restaurant seeing patrons fiddle with their chopsticks in ways that my family members would shake their heads to (crossing chopsticks, holding it too low, hands in a fist rather than streamlined, pointy-looking), my only lament is how this art form appears to be fading. Not the utility itself, the use of chopsticks will always be around, but the artistry in holding a pair no longer seems to be of concern to many. Keep practicing, till the day marbles can be picked with a pair of chopsticks without the awkwardness.

School's bringing it on

2010-01-07T12:59:00.006-05:00

I am sitting at Sid in school after class and lunch, and also feeling the heat of school on this very day, my second day of classes. The course I just had is FOR307, Forest Insect Ecology and Management, and boy what stresses me is the insane amount of minute details that I have to know of 36 North American insects - important biological entities, pests, whatever you want to call them - from their scientific and common names, to their morphology and life history.

Is this seriously what I miss of school? Yes, and now that I'm back so does the procrastination.

Bed down

2010-01-05T19:26:00.003-05:00

At 6AM this morning, my bed came crashing down with me on it. Tried fixing it just now, but I think that's it with my bed. It's the floor, mattress and me now.

First day back, not

2010-01-04T12:28:00.003-05:00

So, my instructor emails the class of 6 people informing us that the first lesson is next week. And here I was looking forward to returning to school after months without it. Ugh!

tumblr.

2010-01-02T23:22:00.002-05:00

I have gone crazy. Not only did I switch my Blogger URL address after years of sticking at the previous one, I'm now tempted to make the switch to tumblr. as a whole after I played around with it, beginning with the trio-collaboration food blog. Do check it out, comments are appreciated.

To a new decade

2010-01-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

2010 here we come.

Sounds: '09

2009-12-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

In what has become close to a yearly tradition for my blog (2007 and 2008), here are the 20 albums of 2009 I enjoyed this past year.

A Fine Frenzy - Bomb in a Birdcage

Barcelona - Absolutes

The Fray - The Fray

Jack Savoretti - Harder Than Easy

John Mayer - Battle Studies

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted

Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Mat Kearney - City of Black & White

Metric - Fantasies

Miike Snow - Miike Snow

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk

Norah Jones - The Fall

Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms

Regina Spektor - Far

The Swell Season - Strict Joy

Uninhabitable Mansions - Nature is a Taker

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Onward to the sounds of 2010! Have a happy new year.

Musical inclination

2009-12-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

If there was one thing I wished I was good at, it is to be more musically inclined, be it in playing an instrument, singing well, having a good sense of rhythm, or understanding music theory. Growing up, the only exposure to music instruments I had was the simplistic recorder that all primary school kids were allowed to fiddle with during Music period. It is a pity my family did not push us beyond what was required; but who can blame them - the arts and music scene in Southeast Asia years back were not particularly the supplier of bountiful jobs with promising, long-lasting careers.

In 2006, the last time my brother and I were back in Kuala Lumpur, my aunts enrolled us in a guitar course for beginners with a one-on-one private tutor. I remember the classes being fun but nerve-wrecking. We invested in a handmade classical guitar from Romania (to my embarrassment, an acoustic guitar was what I thought we had up until recently), which we brought over to Toronto when we returned from our summer vacation. Even though I had meant to continue with guitar classes here and build on this one musical skill whose seeds have been sown, the instrument had been in the storeroom ever since our return. Until now.

One of the To-Do item this free semester off from school was to dust out the guitar. The year is almost at an end and school starts in a couple weeks, while the guitar is only making its way out. I purchased new strings, a tuner and a capo, and I am happy to report that I have successfully strung and tuned the guitar for the first time. I have also been reviewing the lessons I did 3 years ago, and to my surprise some of them are coming back to me easily. All I have to do now is practice, practice, practice. "Practice makes perfect" - we will see about that. Maybe for once, I can become adept with a music instrument if I keep up with this...

"Listen bitch, are you for real?!"

2009-12-13T23:37:00.000-05:00

My brother loves replaying this clip from The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy show from the 1980s. Not going to lie, I usually get annoyed with the videos/music he plays on loop (it's an underlying brother-rivalry thing on my part), but some of them are actually good, like this one.

Good Monday

2009-11-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

My day off today, I did three loads of laundry, cleaned the toilet, cooked dinner, read more of George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, and obsessively listened to the soundtrack of Where The Wild Things Are. Furthermore, not a single speck of snow for the month of November, a record for Hogtown. It has been a good Monday.

"say hi to forever"

2009-11-19T16:36:00.001-05:00

When I read that model Daul Kim was found dead in Paris this morning, I was shocked. I have always admired her body of work as a model, her blog and videos are entertaining, plus she grew up in Singapore. Apparent suicide at the age of 20. To be young and beautiful with a future ahead of her, I wonder what pushed her over the edge? Perhaps how Korean netizens were on her case over a nude modeling gig she did, and we all know how they are. May justice be upon them for their viciousness, not only in this case but the many incidences of Korean celebrity suicides resulting from these netizens' words and actions. And why did Daul give in - if only she hung on and sought the help she needed. I can never comprehend how anyone can take their own life, no matter how tough the world is for one.

Making things more depressing, she blogged yesterday with the title "say hi to forever". Rest in peace Daul.

School is missed

2009-11-16T16:33:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe this, I actually miss school. Not so much the studying part, but the rushing off to classes, having erratic sleeping times, being under pressure from assignments and all. At least I somehow manage to have more of a social life than I do now. Ever since returning from the cottage and Montréal, both I also miss greatly, my life has revolved around waking up at the dawn of the day to work, lazing around upon returning home in the afternoon, falling asleep till dinnertime, then heading back to bed at hours that will make my mum proud.

January cannot come sooner! Oh, last night I officially indicated my intent of graduation for the June 2010 Convocation! (:

On laziness

2009-11-08T22:40:00.001-05:00

I hate being a lazy bum. Especially when there is a mountain high of errands to do, like clean the house, laundry, books to read, things to learn. My mind lists the items to do at the start of each day right before work, I get home and that mental list evaporates. Believe me when I beat myself over it when I turn it at night. More to do another day, I tell myself.

But sometimes, one gets too lazy trying not to be lazy. So the cycle persists.

Soft Shock

2009-11-05T18:08:00.001-05:00

YYYs should do a purely acoustic album.

Refresh!

2009-10-31T01:17:00.001-04:00

A new look for my blog. It was time to retire the old layout seeing how that has been in place for some years now. I am very pleased with how this turned out.

The three most eventful activities during my absence here have got to be:

1) Being away from the city at a cottage for one full week with people I enjoy being with.

2) Visiting Montréal my very first time with my siblings during Thanksgiving weekend. Met Yixuan, who is on an exchange, there too.

3) Attending Mika's concert the Thanksgiving Monday straight after returning from Montréal.

There are so many pictures and videos to choose from - just looking at them again bring back plenty of good memories! I miss Montréal, tremendously! I do hope we get to go on another mini-Canadian trip soon. Perhaps Ottawa, Vancouver...? Also, I definitely have to work on getting licensed to drive, learning to play the guitar again, and picking up the Korean language. If I might say myself, I appear busier even with my supposed semester off from school.

But till then, I am volunteering with the World Wildlife Fund which hopefully will serve as a good job prospect in the future, and I will be working at Indigo for the holiday season (6AM shifts god dammit!). Christmas is in less than 2 months!

Please don't go

2009-09-07T23:36:00.001-04:00

Bonjour!

2009-08-02T02:19:00.001-04:00

C'est moi. Désolé, j'ai eu peu d'heure au blog parce que je prends à un cours en français cet été. C'est difficile, mais j'aime apprendre une nouvelle langue. Je réussirai!

Live shows

2009-05-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

I went to see Travis on April 21 for the second time in two years. It was in the midst of my exam period, but I thought I deserved a birthday treat and an exam booster. Travis damn well knows how to put on a live show! And thanking us "weirdies" for seeing them instead of Kings of Leon and Flight of the Conchords, then encouraging videos to be posted on YouTube, brilliant!

And for sticking it out through the semester, a pat on my back came in the form of a live Patrick Watson concert. He performed in a church that provided an intimate setting with great lighting and acoustics for the show.

In other news, my interview with the Toronto Zoo did not yield a positive outcome. Bugger, it just means summer school for me. I am quite looking forward to it since the courses are French, and at the downtown campus!

From the zoo to a film festival

2009-04-09T00:50:00.001-04:00

Classes for Winter 2009 have come to an end. I have exams on the 17th, 18th and 25th; I am going to see Travis and opening act The Republic Tigers on the 21st and Patrick Watson on the 2nd next month; and I have an interview with the Toronto Zoo on the 21st!

Speaking of the Zoo, I was there recently as part of a behind-the-scenes visit for my "Roles of Zoos in Conservation" course. I learnt so much from that 2-hour tour - from the keeper's job and the zoo's operations to anecdotes of animal care and conservation efforts.

The Toronto Singapore Film Festival had its fourth run this recent weekend. A smaller event than last year, it ran quite well besides some snafus. With, erm, added responsibility this year, I only managed to catch the opening film, Rice Rhapsody, and another feature, Invisible Children, with the latter surprisingly being more impressive with its subtlety. The people from E-Snacks were there and they remember us from last year, thinking back of the amount of food we bought from them then and this year too (my sister didn't have time to volunteer or catch a screening but somehow found time to get some food). Ryan was in town visiting for a couple of days as well, so he ended up acting as a tourist/volunteer while hanging out with Yiwen and I.

Midterms pwned...

2009-02-25T15:45:00.001-05:00

I think/feel/guess/believe/hope.

I have had, let's see, only 12 hours of sleep since Sunday noon. Yup, still hyper from the caffeine and sugar intake. Yes yes yes!

And libraries do work! They are my favourite exam hangout spots now.

Our eyes will be on Coraline

2009-02-19T18:09:00.001-05:00

I can't get enough of Coraline's soundtrack.. especially this!

Le sigh, I should be studying as I'm way behind. But distractions are evils to overcome, and so is my bed.

Deergate '09

2009-02-16T23:49:00.001-05:00

It was pretty amusing to find a leaked email correspondence between some of my campus faculty. What's more hilarious is the intensity (and stubbornness mixed with a dash of pompousness) in which they "discuss" the topic.

Here's how the story goes... Professor A sends out a request on helping with feed for deers that live in the wilderness of our campus grounds, especially since this practice has been burdening the staff of the on-campus childcare centre financially. Professor B states his reasons on why this should be discouraged in a very diplomatic, scientific manner since a deer population explosion may occur among others; and is fully supported by Professor K. After a flurry of replies stating the wonders of having the endearing creatures in our immediate surroundings (DISNEY! BAMBI! NATURE EDUCATION!), K rebukes on how everyone has disrespected B (and in essence, himself indirectly) by not heeding B's advice. This leads to a professional showdown between Professor M, who so happens to be the spouse of A, and K.

The email leak was stopped and god knows how Deergate was resolved.

Watch out, deer crossing ahead

2009-01-07T22:44:00.001-05:00

There is this road signage near my school with a leaping deer on it. This evening I discovered that it does indeed serve its purpose of cautioning drivers. Two fawns were spotted steadily crossing the busy road with traffic coming from either side. It was dark, but their silhouettes were clearly outlined against the streetlights. Seeing their majestic bodies climbing up the roadside slope made me smile.

The bus driver shouted across the bus, "You saw them?"
"Yeah, I did. All three of them actually."

"Congrats! You got your first A+ in a course with a professor you hated so much you failed him in his evaluation, something you've never done before".

2009-01-06T23:03:00.001-05:00

Yes, that about sums it all up.

Sounds: '08

2008-12-30T14:32:00.001-05:00

My favourite 20 albums of the past year:

Adele - 19

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Chairlift - Does You Inspire You

Coldplay - Viva la Vida Or Death And All His Friends

Cut Copy - Bright Like Neon Love

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Emiliana Torrini - Me And Armini

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Greg Laswell - Three Flights From Alto Nido

Keane - Perfect Symmetry

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain

Santogold - Santogold

She & Him - Volume One

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns

Steve Reynolds - The Carnival Papers

Tilly & The Wall - o

Travis - Ode To J. Smith

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
Onward to the sounds of 2009! Have a happy new year.

Night owl cooped by books

2008-12-09T05:09:00.001-05:00

Exams start Thursday and end next Monday. Pretty quick. The problem is, I have no motivation to study, none at all. I sleep in, wake up and somehow end up snoozing again. I then awake in time for dinner and some telly before spending the last few hours trying to cram. Cram I may, I usually end up doing random things on the laptop since my notes are on it. Digitalizing my lecture notes this semester, which I thought would be my part in saving paper and the environment, hasn't turned out to be that much of a rewarding action for my studies thus far.

The Saturday before, fun times:
Which is why my exams need to end soon, for Round 2!

When I say Hey!

2008-11-15T23:09:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful kind of day.
Where you can learn to work and play,
And get along with each other.

I was Arthur the Aardvark for the day. Kids loved me. I loved them back too, but would have loved them more if not for the sweat and the visionless suit.