How To Live Till 98 And Have No Enemies???

All women should live so long as to be this kind of old lady!

Toward the end of Sunday service, the Minister asked, ‘How many of you have forgiven your enemies?’

80% held up their hands.

The Minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one petite elderly lady.

‘Mrs. Neely?’; ‘Are you not willing to forgive your enemies?’

I don’t have any.’ She replied, smiling sweetly.

‘Mrs. Neely, that is very unusual. How old are you?’

‘Ninety-eight.’ she replied.

‘Oh, Mrs. Neely, would you please come down in front & tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years & not have an enemy in the world?’

The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said,

‘I outlived those bitches.’

Adapted from: http://deesinbox.com/2009/01/07/to-live-98-years-and-have-no-enemies/
*Slightly editted

Choices?

It is times like this when I have to give things serious thoughts and planning. Often we are spoilt with choices so overwhelming in numbers that we do not know what to choose. Vexed and indecisive, we complain why can't there be just a few for us to choose instead.

Decisions to choices can be casual or important. The large array of foodstalls in your nearby food centre can at times change your mind over and over; If that food centre only have 2 or 3 choices, decision can be swift - we just have to patronize each every other day.

However, there are times when you prefer to have more choices than less. It's beyond my limits to explain, so I think I'll just stop here. It'll be good for people to ponder anyway.

Good night.

Year 1

Year 1

Last time, I have spoken of my concerns regarding what seemingly to be a stressful Poly life ahead. My concerns were unasked for soon after I have mingled around. Briefly, because I had talked about it in my previous annual reports of my Poly life except this year, I will talk about the initial formation of the clique. I first got to know Lawrence during the Orientation Programme when we were given the Donation can. During the SPICE training, I met Sabrina Tong and Fiona. Coincidentally, All 3 of them were from the band from their respective schools, and being a small country this is, Lawrence was Fiona's band senior back in Tanjong Katong SS. That was the beginning.

I can't really remember what really happened, but I will try my best.

That was the first clique, together with Wayne and Johnny who joined us soon after. We went for CCA drive, had lunch and attended classes together. I signed up for both floorball and rock-climbing but I couldn't fit in, so my only CCA was CLS club which I wasn't really involved in after the FO camp I helped out in the following year. In CLS club itself, I did make some friends and I had my fair share of joy by participating in some of the activities, such as the non-budget event, Poly50 and FO camp the following year as Gamemaster.

By some chance, we joined some other people to form a big clique, which was basically 1/4 of the class already. So there we have Lawrence, Sabrina, Wayne, Johnny, Madeline, Janet, Shirley, Sarah, Andy, Jun Rong, Zi Rong, Nicholas and Fiona. After the first year, Lawrence very much left the clique, and Sabrina progressed to be part of the Cardiac class.

Back to first year, one of the activities I still remember was during our Report Writing & Presentation module. Given a plain piece of paper each, our lecturer instructed us to have this empty paper pasted on our backs with the aid of masking tapes. Next, we were told to go around, with a pen, to write on each other backs the first impression you had on them, our only chance of back-stabbing. We all spent a total of 20-30 minutes penning our impressions on each other backs. The one thing that I am certained of was Shirley wanting to write that I was mysterious. Why? Because she turned and asked the next person how to spell it! She changed her mind and wrote something else after that, which I can't remember already. It was an interesting activity, a way to break the ice.

I wonder if chalet trips were really a tradition for students here, because I have had them with all my close friends for at least once. This bunch though, till date, had 6 altogether. Our first ever was quite evently, having made to move from room to room 2 times I guess. We were complained to be too noisy, and the security guard got us to shift. Well, that was to keep everyone happy, so he couldn't be blamed. In our effort to keep our volumes down, we played mahjong with a towel underneath, so we could shuffle by wrapping the tiles, minimizing the sound emitted that could wake our new neighbours. Fun, nevertheless, and it was my idea, so I was quite satisfied with the result in the end. HAHA.

We had much fun in year 1, and that carried on to year 2. By the end of year 1, we were really bonded, which surprised me as I wasn't as close to my buddies in secondary 4. Then I realised, it was not a bad choice afterall. These mates that followed me through the first year were fantastic. Never was a time I was in doubt of that. I anticipated 2 more great years that would follow for us, and they promised to be so.

God & Death

*As a notice, the following that you are going to read will be offensive to some people, especially Christians and some other religious devotees.

Many would have already known that I dislike people persisting to convert their friends or even strangers to be just like them. Sure they mean no harm and want to help, this kind of behaviour greatly disturbs me and I tend to pick a small argument with these people whenever they approached and went great length trying to recruit me. It is perfectly fine to ask me if I am interested, but some people are unable to comprehend my rejection to their offer. Again, I am not undermining your religion, but just how people behave. If you are already disgusted with what I have written so far, I suggest you navigate away from this blog for at least 3 months before I post new stuff and this post will be safely kept in the archives and not appearing on the home page.

This is not really a post actually, but I just want to share a particular section of a conversation between two characters in the book I am currently reading titled The Skull Beneath The Skin by the coveted suspense author P.D. James. Here goes:

Then she lifted her hands in an eloquent gesture of despair.

"Oh, don't you know? I thought George had told you. Death. That's what I'm afraid of. Just death. Stupid isn't it? I always have been - even when I was a young child. I don't remember when it began, but I knew the facts of death before I knew the facts of life. There never was a time when I didn't see the skull beneath the skin. Nothing traumatic happened to start it of. They didn't force me to look at my Nanny, dead in her coffin, nothing like that. And I was at school when Mummy died and it didn't mean anything. It isn't the death of other people. It isn't the fact of death. It's my death I'm afraid of ...(continues)...

I can't really describe the fear, what it's like, how terrible it is. It comes in a rhythm, wave after wave of panic sweeping over me, a kind of pain. It must be like giving birth, except that I'm not delivering life, it's death I have between my thighs. Sometimes I hold up my hand, like this, and look at it and think: Here it is, part of me. I can feel it with my other hand, and move it and warm it and smell it and paint its nails. And one day it will hang white and cold and unfeeling and useless and so shall I be all those things. And then I will rot. And I shall rot ... (continues) ... Now I've told you, and you can explain that I'm stupid and morbid and a coward. You can despise me."

Cordelia said, "I don't despise you."

"And it's no good saying that I ought to believe in God. I can't. And even if I could, it wouldn't help. Tolly got converted after Viccy died so I suppose she believes. But if someone told Tolly that she was going to die tomorrow she'd be just as unwilling to go. I've noticed that about the God people. They're just as frightened as the rest of us. They cling on just as long. They're supposed to have a heaven waiting but they're in no hurry to get there. Perhaps it's worse for them; judgement and hell and damnation. At least I'm only afraid of death. Isn't everyone? Aren't you?"

So that is the end of the conversation I want to share. How you want to interpret it is up to your imagination, but it sounds too true to me. Unless you have suicidal intentions, I can think of no other reason why you shouldn't be afraid of death, especially many of us still young and wanting, craving, to know more about this world. Unless you have done it all. Unless you have no regrets what-so-ever. Unless you have no more obligations to this world.

I personally feel this publicizes every one's inner thoughts about being alive, and death that inevitably follows. Who, in the right set of mind, can declare to the world that if tomorrow is the end of me, I will go as it comes without feeling unjust and unsatisfied? I can't.

It's up to you to agree, or contest what I have written.

One more message: if you think this world and life suck, think again if you're willing to let it go once and for all. I'm not asking you to kill yourself, that's just bringing miseries to people around you. If you think that there's still something to live for in this world - family, friends, knowledge, places, even being able to dream - the world is still a wonderful place to live in.

Cheers =D.

Carefree, Jobless Life

After a whole lot of procrastination, I decide to start blogging. I know it is not a long period since I stopped updating, I have gone missing for a longer period than this before. This post will be something a few of us bloggers in the class have touched on, or planning to do so. Splitting this in parts will help me in spending my free time away, and at the same time, let this acts as a build-up to our Graduation Day on the 27th May 2009.

Prelude
It started off with anxious O Levels graduands attending the Results Day in their respective schools in the Feb 2006. What seemingly to be a confident young man during the O Levels Examination period became a some what worried, at times timid, student.

My name was mentioned when the Principal announced students who had scored a total of 6 As. My form teacher (then Mdm Kavita) congratulated my performance in O Levels and wished me well in my future endeavours. Looking at my results, I was glad. Confused at the same time.

To me, Secondary School was a load of fun, hardwork and company. Throughout the 4 years, I had make acquiantances that I have not forgotten till date, and still very much in contact with a few close ones. Some, regrettably, were just class- and school-mates in name. I took part in a CCA which then, I felt, was my greatest achievement, but my involvement was minimal to the extent of just a mere player to make up numbers, I thought. Still, it inculcated an interest and habit in me to regularly workout and keep myself in a healthy state of mind and body.

With that set of results, my friends persuaded me to join them in JC. Being a stubborn person, the more people persuade, the more I would not like to go with the flow. Time and again I rejected their constant persuasion, if persuasion was what they intended. I chose my path to enter a Polytechnic.

Which Polytechnic then should I choose? A pact was made with a few guys to enrol into Ngee Ann Poly, so we would have the usual company and join the same CCA. Many heeded the pact, while I secretly chose Singapore Poly as my first choice. Perhaps it was due to the familiarity I had that made me want to look elsewhere. Simply put, I didn't want to be kept within a small world of our own. It would have built a stronger friendship between us guys, but that would also mean a decreased chance to meet new people and develop into a person I am now.

Posting result was soon released and I was accepted into SP as a Diploma in Biomedical Science student. Enrolment soon followed, as well as Freshmen Orientation Programme AY 06/07. A new chapter, a whole new experience. Never did I expect something good to happen, as from the looks of it, many of us scored pretty well in O Levels and they looked intimidating. What I had expected was a solemn and hardworking class of students, all eager to out-do one another and vie for a place in the Director's list. Then, I regretted for choosing SP as my first choice.

Elsewhere ... The clique people should all be experiencing similar jitters I had. People from Compassvale, Nanyang Girls', Beattie, Fuhua, Tanjong Katong and a few others I can't recall. All with different CCAs and interests, and it was still fascinating how we got together as a clique. You'll soon find out how, and the crazy stuff we did together. I'll try my very best to give a detailed recollection of the past 3 years we had together in SP.

*Hopefully my enthusiasm will not fade after this post and I can complete it when we have finally come to the Grad Day =D.

A Game of Blind Mice (Mouse) Catching

As a routine, I took my wallet and mobile, put on my slippers and went out for a take-out. It was a lunch-time thing, heading to the nearest coffee-shop to order a take-out. It took me 2 rounds of viewing at the never-changing stalls before deciding on the char kuay teow. Don't worry, this post has nothing to do with decision-making. Read Janet's if you're more interested in that. Haha.

Something sparked my interest while on my way home, all happy with the packet of char kuay teow that I would soon devour. *By the way, it was a huge packet, I wondered when the uncle increased the serving for just $2.50. No Kidding.* There was this bunch of juniors from PEPS hanging around a playground, and one of them shouted, "Let's play blind mice catching la?! Only the blind mice can touch the floor, the rest cannot!". Did it bring back childhood memories here?

Of course I'm not going to elaborate on how the game is played. It is just a game consisting of a/some blind mice (blind-folded of course) trying to catch the rest of the people scaling the play area (a complex of slides, ladders, etc. etc.) without touching the ground.

This suddenly brought about a thought while i was walking home. While those kids were in their own world of mice, everyone of us is not seeing anywhere near clearer. Think about this - on planet Earth, all of us are blind-folded, searching for that something we want ultimately. Sometimes, certain targets are easier to achieve than the other. Sometimes, although we have the whole space to wonder, we do not know where to go, what to pursue. Sometimes, when you reach a foreign ground, you do not know whether to take a risk or not.

You are the blind mouse. In life, you have a few goals. Goals like achieving straight As, earning big bucks, becoming a successful businessman, maybe becoming the best char kuay teow's stall owner/cook. Perhaps some one out there aim to strike lucky with 4D and Toto all the time. There might even be people who sit whole day in front of the TV, observing the fluctuations in the stock market, analysing the best time to invest, and hoping to strike big one time.

Here you are blind-folded. You have captured an image of how the world looks like, so it's time to choose where to go first to capture your first target. Maybe the stairs, since it's the easiest. Next the slide. Followed by the firemen's pole; No, maybe you should start with the slide. Paths to choose, paths that confuse. When you have finally decided on one, often it's too late to turn back. You can change paths nonetheless, but that would mean you have taken a huge detour.

And now, you have achieved the easier targets. There are areas you haven't explored. Maybe too dangerous a path to tread. It can be the roof of the complex, or the underside of the slide. Those are places the tougher targets are hiding. However, there are risks to take. You might fall and end up never again able to reach that target, or it can just be a slight hiccup and you learn from your lesson. Being more skilful and experienced help, as your chances of falling are reduced, but only a few are capable.

So many goals, so many targets. Among these group of targets, some are good at hiding and climbing to higher grounds, while some are unable to. This presents the distinct difficult and easy targets. If you are capable enough, the easy ones will be a breeze, and the tougher ones will be within reach; if you are not, the easy ones may prove to be difficult, and those tougher ones may seem totally unattainable in your lifetime. That of course, separates high-achievers from others.

Sometimes, you do get lucky. By some chance or another, you managed to reach for the tough targets. True enough you've reached, but are you good enough to hold on to them? Are you, in anyway, capable to capitalize on the luck and chance to hang on tight to this target of yours?

Then come a time the game ends. You see the world much clearer now. You see some of your targets far away, while some already in your grasp. When you notice that some targets could be achieved through a certain path you are more than fit for, regrets sink in. Then when you look at some of the captured tough targets, and you re-kindle the sweet success you had.

Well, so which mouse are you going to be? One who had worked hard to go for all the targets, or one who have too many regrets to speak of? One who had regrets not worth talking about, or one who have glories not even worth mentioning?

Happy playing the game =D.

*I will finish my char kuay teow before I start this hide-and-seek again =D*

Thoughts.

There is no absolute reason why I'm writing at this moment. It is a random thing to do when you have nothing else in hand. Just want to pen down some things.

Thoughts.



The past few days spent was kind of fast, yet unproductive (boring time usually passes slowly, it was exceptionally fast in those days), except yesterday with those people =D. Will talk about this in a second. Maybe in a few minutes instead.

Thoughts.

I always thought only through failures, you can learn your most valuable lessons, applying your newly-earned knowledge to deal with new challenges everyday. That was how I always got to pull out from negative situations by thinking they were not bad experiences afterall. It is only recently when I found that, although I did learn a thing or two, facing similar challenges again is not any easier. Everytime you get lost in thoughts, perhaps too engrossed, it became difficult to apply those knowledge you've subconsciously kept. Maybe you forget.

Another thing. When some one tries to conceal, he usually reveals the most to his surroundings. Through his actions and words, people around pick up hints - though might not be of the person's true intentions - and make suggestive comments and implorations. Often enough, these intuitive reactions proved to be correct, genuine, and even accurate in that sense, such as an animal detecting the changes in atmosphere, climate and weather, migrating to greener grounds or store for hibernation to prepare for the eventual change in season. People act too. The changes in behaviour of one bring about a consequent reaction among surrounding people, transmitting a strong sense of make-belief which leads to true exhibition of events. Seldom, the weather switches at the wrong time of the year, resulting in false acts of urgency and response, leading to confusions. It is only after a series of similar events that will draw a clearer picture and idea, recalling that state of sanity to react (or to return) as of appropriate.

I have no quite clear ideas on how many of you get my drift, but if you do understand, we're on the same powerline. Good for you =D.

Anyhow, back to the what I was saying. Yesterday was a real hilarious day. Not forgetting of course that reminiscing meal at Seoul Garden. I'll dispense with the details of Table BBQ People and Stick-on-Balls, jumping straight into the small lil' prank we played on April's Fool!

Well, a brief summary of the story we built on - Janet and I got together soon after the chalet, and we were supposed to act as close as possible. This prank was intended for Shirley and Sarah, who very happily tried to prank us before by declaring they were pregnant and attached respectively. It would not be successful without the roles of the others, which I thought was absolutely brilliant. However, I felt a little guilty for some things, but well, I do hope it didn't bring grudges with it and gave everyone a good laugh towards the end (again if you are running along the same frequency as I am, you'll know what I'm talking about).

To my knowledge, Sarah was already suspicious of our actions and thought that Janet and I had really got together at the dessert shop. Shirley was intrigued at the sudden closeness Janet and I shared, and thus raise suspicion too. The decisive moment was when I left a massive hint by asking Janet if she wanted to come along to my granny's place for dinner the next day. Shirley was dumb-founded and couldn't believe it at first, though she had presumably made assumptions that Janet and I are kind of compatible, which of course both Janet and I knew of. We carried the joke out well, further rousing the curiosities within the two innocent hearts.

Along the way, we acted pretty close, but in fact, we're just whispering on more strategies on how to declare the joke and stuff. After some slight struggle, we settled to announce to the April's Fool-s while we headed for the MRT platform. For a moment, the both of them look as though they were clueless about what exactly happened, until we clarified with a little more inside jokes to brighten them. How wonderful. I cannot describe the scene as vivid as it was, but if you were there, you will just be as thrilled, guaranteed.

The biggest prank I have ever played was so successful that I couldn't believe that I make such good actor. Of course, like I have mentioned, without the rest, this wouldn't be convincing. My first, real April's Fool Day =D.

And that's the entry for the day. I completed this in 2 days as I stopped for dinner on the 2nd April's night. It's 3rd April today and I have just come back from Nicholas' place, as we played mahjong overnight, and some random stuff, sleeping only at 7am and woke up at 830am *for me*. Good morning everyone~