+ Eyes Shut Mind Open

Thought maybe I could just type something here till I get sleepy. Couldn't sleep for the past hour. Eyes shut, but my mind is still running.

Went to meet a friend earlier, who wanted to show me this business he was in. An opportunity he said. I do agree that it is an opportunity. Concern for me right now is to first find a job. That side of the business can wait. I am not ready just of yet.

It was commented in an article somewhere that opportunity is everywhere, just depends on whether you see it a not. Sometimes, they coming knocking at your door, but you just brush off it aside. When it comes to opportunities, it's about making that first step to go into it. Like all businesses, effort is required. But the moment you take a little too long to decide, you'll fall right back into your comfort zone and that opportunity would be lost. Are you going to regret that afterwards?

Fear could be another factor that causes you to hesitate. Would it be risky? How would I know if the returns would be great? What if I fail? These are common thoughts and questions that you might ask yourself. Let me put it in another way. How would you know if the apple is sweet? Those who have tasted it claims so. Would you have bought what they say? Well, the answer to this is really simple. You got to TRY it and see for yourself if it is true. Only then would you start to believe in it.

Pick up line from a guy to a girl: "Hey, are you tired? Do you need to rest?"
XX: "No. I'm not tired"
XY: " ' Cause you've been running in my mind the whole night ;) "

In Limbo....Zzzzz

+ Biggest Obstacle

I was on the train today, on my way to a talk on IT security diploma course. As my mind started to wonder off again as I looked out of the windows, it dawned upon me that....the biggest obstacle to oneself is none other than MYSELF. How very true! No one dictates what you should or should not do, how you feel, act or behave. The only person that can do that is you YOURSELF.

Likewise if you are able to bring yourself into the slums, unhappiness, you would also be able to bring yourself out and into the sunshine. Where has my positivity gone to?

There's always different ways of seeing things, and if you begin to see the positive side of things, you'll be able to overcome barriers and obstacles and emerge stronger. You can CHOOSE, therefore to be positive or negative, happy or sad.

Look on the bright side of things. Life isn't so bad after all if you compare yourself to that of the less fortunate who have to worry about survival.

THINK +VE

+ 1:32 AM, In Limbo

It's this time of the night. Having seated next to the balcony as I type this out, with the cool night breeze blowing into the living room and music from Class 95, all is peaceful here. I could still hear the crickets or toads downstairs. Peaceful I say? But not so right here in my head. I've been thinking a lot for the past hour. Random thoughts mostly.

Now that most of my peers have found a job, I'm still here looking for one. Here with me is the paper that I've been studying all these 16 years for (I didn't use the word study hard if you noticed). And with this I can be employed into the workforce and hence the start of my career. "What's too difficult about that?", one might ask. I am 'qualified' do to the work of an engineer, which is just what I would not want to do if given a choice. This is the difficult part.

As I look for the jobs available for me (I'm still keeping all options open, not restricting myself to just engineering work), I thought to myself, "What do I really want to do?" I found that I could not really answer that. I have not much of a clue yet. Maybe I would know it after I start off somewhere. Days go by, pretty much too quick for my comfort actually, and I drift into a 'sian' mode. The drive, fire, desire, excitement, confidence are slowly dying off. Slowly and yet subtly, you will feel like you're being sucked into this other dimension. You don't really feel like you are living, but just purely existing. And you associate yourself as 'him' and not 'I'. You are not sure what you're doing actually, just the routine set out for yourself day after day.

Just read what I've written, it does sound a little psychotic.

Alright, what's going around the world today. First off, Roy Keane, the Manchester United captain has left last friday. The supposed inspiration that holds the team together is no longer with us and we shall see how Man U will go from here. Ariel Sharon has quit the hardlining Likud Party and started to form his own. All those in the Middle East are watching closely and hoping that this is indeed the road to peace. An 18 year old college student was made a town's mayor after beating at 51 year old to it. This kid shows determination and the town's people probably trust him as much as to let him govern the city. The Viet drug trafficker should face the consequences of the Singapore Law, as it is the law that governs every one of us here, and all visiting Australians included. NTU and NUS will be given autonomy and we shall see from here how they grow into world class universities. I see more money being donated to NUS than NTU. Do they have a stronger alumni community than ours?

Before I end this, I would like to ask myself, how am I able to help in save our planet. I will start slow by reducing electricity and water supply. Up next will be recycling and reducing wastage. This I have to remind myself everyday, or somehow it will die off later. I hope this is not another spur of the moment thoughts of doing something good =)

End 2:16AM

+ Top 10 words to use/avoid in Resumé

Top 10 words to use
- achievement
- active
- developed
- evidence
- experience
- impact
- individual
- involved
- planning
- transferable skills

Top 10 words to avoid
- always
- awful
- bad
- fault
- hate
- mistake
- never
- nothing
- panic
- problems

Tips for an impressive CV:
- Keep it specific
- Stay Brief
- Customise
- Error-free
- Keep up-to-date

(taken off Recruit on 15/11/05)

+ Great Weekend

It was indeed a great weekend!! My first Saturday and Sunday rest days in a few weeks and I loved it. But now, my body is aching from all the exercising I was getting in these 2 days.

First up was the much anticipated match against a more veteran UF team at NUS. How excited are we? I tell you how. We have players who have new boots, had lunch before 12 to ensure they do not vomit at the game which started at 4pm, all had at least one banana which gave us that extra boost of energy and many more bananas leftover.

Anyway, here's the match up. The opponents in blue, made up of mostly NUS alumni (I think) made the first point before leading 2-0. After that, we in white managed to make our first point and soon it was levelled at 3-3. With a few substitutions after each point was made, they went further ahead to 6-3. We didn't defend as well and have to admit that they had really fast players. With a few strategic substitutions , we finally scored 5 consecutive points to lead 8-6. That brought us to half-time and much delight to the team.

In the second half, the blue team changed strategy and employed man-marking. This indeed worked on us as we struggled to complete our passes and even to score. With confidence shaken after easily beaten by a few more points, we decided to switch to man-marking instead of zonal D. But this was still not good enough for us to hold against a more experienced team. In the end we lost 16-10 which was pretty respectable. Cheers to the DRATSS!! That was a good exposure for us and we now know what we're missing.

A dinner trip to NYDC couldn't be more apt as we heartily tucked into our pastas, baked rice, lasagne and ice-cream on brownies :P There was much laughter at the table and we even took 4 pictures (counted the number of times I had to get up) in total.

Sunday was when I felt so tried from all the competitive play. Didn't wanna get up cos my muscles are all aching. But that didn't stop me from having lunch, read papers, nap and out for UF again. HAHA. It was a practice session for just the 4, more hardcore, people like us to meet at Bishan park. We picked up with others to further improve ourselves and learn from the more experienced. As usual, dinner couldn't be better without mouth-watering food like Fish-head curry, Rojak crispy chicken and Fried french beans with ikan-bilis. YUmmmmy.

Why do I have this feeling that I'm having some life again........:P

+ Kopitiam Uncle == Me

Maybe not an uncle yet, but probably few more years down the road, and you can call me that. At the rate I'm patronising these neighbourhood kopitiams, I'll join their ranks real soon.

What easier way to meet up with friends at night then to meet for kopi at the kopitiam. First of all, it is indeed convenient. Just a few streets down and you could be there before you say "AH" 2000 thousand times. It is also cheap. You have teh-o or kopi-o for 60cents, teh or kopi at 70cents, teh-si at 80cents while milo-peng, kopi-peng or teh-peng is at a dollar. Compared to an ice-coffee at TCC which costs about $3-4. I ordered once and I prefer the one at the kopitiam. Nasi Lemak, Bak Chor Mee, Wan Ton Mee, Fried Chicken Wings, Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Tiao, Rojak, Indian Rojak, Prata, Zhi Char, Kway Chup and Dim Sum are just some of the food you can order.

Thirdly, you do not have to dress up. You can be seen in singlet and shorts and slippers without feeling out of place. Another point being it's al-fresco. Just by the road-side like those in Italy or France. And lastly, you can almost park anywhere you like, that includes illegally, thereby saving that dollar of parking.

So are we the new breed of kopitiam young men? I don't think so. There is actually quite a number out there like me. And I do like the fact that you can catch up with your old time friends, just eat, laugh, talk cock and reminiscence about the good old times.....

Shall end here while I ask for our drinks...."Uncle! Teh-si, Teh-o, Jia Jia, Lemonade!"

+ In less than 24hrs...

No big deal, but the end will be in less than 24hrs. Rather, a new beginning will come and I better get my act together. Think I've been having it too easy so far, I need a hard kick in my butt to get going. Only person who can do so better be myself. Come to think of it, I'm always slower than others and it's high time I move up into higher gears. Get into this race to some place that all of us seem to be heading and hopefully, I'll find my way there.

Soon....better be NOW!!!

Enjoyed my dinner. Had good company. All smiles and hazel eyes :)

+ Ice-cream Eating Hazard

This tinted-spectacled guy in khaki berms walks around the shopping mall with his chocolate coated vanilla ice-cream in his right hand. And on his left hand, he's holding the tissue just beneath his ice-cream.

As I closed the shutter to go to wash up, he asked if I would be closed for the day. I replied that I'll be back in 5mins which he said he would wait. When I came back, I saw him faithfully waiting outside the store as he peered through the glass to see the products we carry. Something caught my eye!! Two chunks of dark brown objects were on the white tiled floor outside the shop. "Chocolate ice-cream!!! Heng it isn't in the shop." Came along the cleaner, armed with dustpan and broom, he cleaned up the mess and looked at the culprit with disapproval.

Thinking that he would be considerate and wait outside till he finishes. But NOOOooo.
He came in anyway, so that a small chunk of it could fly off from his mouth and land on the flooring. "FCUK!" I pretended I didn't see it and waited for him to leave before cleaning it up.

But as I peered outside, the cleaner came back once more and looked at him. Seeing that he still hasn't finish and still walking around with the ice-cream, he shook his head and decided to follow the ICE-CREAM EATING HAZARD. haha.

+ Excited. Relieved.

Excited.




Relieved.




=)