synecdoche

The Milestone

With the end of the wedding, is the start of a long and arduous journey of life, with the added obstacle - It is now a three legged race.I intended to write about how it is a milestone. The thought has evolved to how it is not a milestone. I am merely married. I have not succeeded at anything yet! Except for the fact that I tricked my wife into marrying me.

Indeed it is worth celebrating how life has come to a point where you can look back and realize how much you have put in to get to this point. Only problem is I realized I have not done much. My life has been a blur of mediocrity with a sprinkling of brilliance here and there. There really is nothing much worth celebrating.

With the potential came laziness that has prevented a gem from shining, the flaws that has not brought a diamond into brilliance.

I am blessed.

How little I have put in yet how much I have received!

I put in little to maintain friendships. Yet I have friends that have stuck and I am so grateful to them.

How little I have contributed to my work. This being typed when I am supposed to be working shows it all! Yet I am still gainfully employed with colleagues who had given me loads of help here and there to maintain my credibility.

I did not contribute much to my family. Yet they shower me with attention and assistance whenever I needed it.

How very much I neglected Meishan. Yet this helper of mine has never stopped believing in me. Never stopped in helping me encouraging me.

I weep as I type this… I have not reached a milestone to celebrate. I have reached a milestone to see how much I have fell behind on my dues yet received in abundance what I should have been paying for.

I do not know how much guilt is needed to make a person move.

I do not know when I would start moving.

I only know I need to move as soon as possible before I become so FUCKED that nothing I do will prevent me from saving my life from oblivion.

The Wedding

The wedding went well.

The morning was sort of a run of the mill kind of morning for Chinese Weddings. With the fetching of the bride, the sabo of the brothers (thank you Brothers for help me :P)

The time was a little… ok very much stretched and well we had some troubles with the projector coming late but all was in order soon enough.

The weather was slightly hot outside but started to cool as we signed (or scrawled in the case of Meishan) our names to the dotted line.

Then the buffet high tea with the lovely spread that I could not enjoy. I wish I was a guest at my own wedding. Well, it is once a lifetime. The setting is nice with all the flowers and the wonderful band… I really have to thank God that we hired the band! The music from our burnt DVDs did not work on the hotel PA system… duh…

The guests had a good time I think. The best phrase I can remember came from Meishan’s cousin in law. “This is the best wedding I have been to.” Oh my… Thank God for compliments.

Lots of photos, numbering in the thousands, were taken. Imagine if we wed in a time without digital cameras!

After the wedding the families that stayed behind got to enjoy the hotel facilities and the wonderful beach and the sun. I sat at the poolside lounge chairs with my mom, aunts and uncle and just lazed.

This is the best wedding I have been to.

The Games I Own

Ok, I did a bad thing. I bought more games.But who could blame me right? I only wanted to accumulate more stuff, to do my part in stimulating the global economy. Anyway I have about a dozen board games now.

Currently I own :

The Settlers of Catan

My favourite in getting someone to pick up board gaming. Simple, luck based game play and trading and bartering with your fellow players make this game easy to pick up and like. I bought a travel edition too, 1 year after buying the original edition.

Peurto Rico

My personal favourite involves no luck and pure strategy. This is an easy game to pick up but not one easy to master, nor like. I have not found another person who can win consistently yet. Meishan is getting better at thwarting my efforts giving rise to my theory of adaptive gaming.

Agricola

Numero Uno on Board Game Geek. This beats Peurto Rico on Board Game Geek purely because it is so bloody cute… it is so… irresistible. Close friends of Chris, Donny and Fynn bought a set because they liked it a lot. Shipped from the States no less. A bad hand may make or break the game though, so it isn’t tops for me.

Citadels

The first game I bought. Not really a board game since it is all cards. Simple mechanics allow a flexible and unique game that makes everyone guess. Fun for beginners too.

No Merci

French for ‘No Thank You’, this is a simple card game that makes use of cards and tokens and some daring bluffs to make the winner. Nice, easy game to pick up.

Saboteur

Remember the games of Murderer we played in secondary school. This is a better version of that as the saboteurs pit themselves against the miners to get to the gold. No one knows who the other person is except for the actions that they perform which might hint on their alignment. Lots of laugh involved especially when people forget their jobs.

Power Grid

Number 3 on Board Game Geek. I bought this game in September 2008 and have not played a single game on it yet. Waiting for the right time. Sigh…

Lifeboats

I realized I have a lot of games published by ZMAN Games. This is another one. A game of no strategy and luck but based more on your persuasive powers. Get the other people to throw your rival’s sailors into the sea. Funny game but only works well with 5 or 6 players.

Wasabi!

This game was bought lately and it has proven to be a gem. I have not tried it with Laoshi but I bet she will like it. Simple tile matching game given a Japanese facelift. Who shall be the Japanese Iron Chef - Itamae-San?

Dominion

When I heard about this game I was shocked at the complexity of its mechanics. I bought it even though I guess no one would be playing this game with me regularly. It works like a Magic the Gathering card game. You draft cards into your deck and start playing with it at the same time. I love this mechanic as it would give an immense variety in the ways to win. Hope I get to try it soon.

Pandemic

First game I bought where the players are not playing against one another but trying to put a stop to the disease from spreading. I set it up once but we were too tired to play it. The mechanics are simple however winning the game would prove to be hard.

Fluxx

A card game that as the rules and goals changing all the time. Another new game I bought. Yet to try.

That sums up all the games I own. Hopefully I will have more of a chance to play when my flat is completed and I get a big wooden table to game on!

The Cyclist

 I participated in Cycle Singapore on Sunday.

Real eye opener it has proven to be. Woke up with some after effects of medication since I was down with flu on Saturday. Took an additional morning tablet and I was off at 4.45am to Woodlands Stadium for the transport. I met up with some other participants there and waited for the transport to pick us up.

The blaring of excessively loud music over makeshift speakers greeted us as we unloaded our bikes and proceeded to the start point. I went to collect my kit. Nice cycling jersey they included in the pack.

Met with Darren and his colleagues. Met Choon and Edwin back from those OBS days. The cycling was fun and the view and air was fresh. And after that started to get old, racing became the main theme. I had never tried drafting before. But I realized it was hell fun and exciting. My mountain bike, with semi slick tires, could barely keep up with those sleek racers. Draft, drop out, rest. Rinse and repeat.

Until somewhere between 24^th or 30^th km, I had to stop because my vision was turning to black and white. I scraped my pedal on the curb as I  lost orientation. Dismounting and shrugging off my bag, I had the mind to pick my bike off the road and on to the grass patch. The stomach twisted and lurched, launching a mouthful of water and mucus onto the grass. I dun remember tasting vomit for a long time. Passing Samaritans on bikes asked if I was alright. I was all thumbs.

Starting again on the track, I felt much lighter continuing till the finish.

Only to start the cycle home…

I left the F1 pit to Selegie Road then on to Serangoon road. Amazing place. The people really cross the road as if it were in India. I nearly knocked down an elderly Indian lady. I depressed both brakes and heard the tires screech. She stood real still and stared at me. I wonder if she was shocked or angry. I was nearly run down by an idiot who was chatting loudly on his handphone (no handsfree btw) in mandarin and driving at the same time. Made me lose a turn and I had to continue till Bradell to turn. When I reached Bishan, I did not need the help of Googlemaps on my mobile anymore. I cycled pass bikelink hoping that the boss could alleviate the brake rotor restriction. But I should have guessed that they were not open.

At the top of Gambas Hill, the T junction where links Sembawang Avenue, both my quadriceps cramped. Best thing was, I ran out of water 1 km before. I fished out the bottle that was included in the goodie bag and proceeded to gulp down the contents. Hoping around to get rid of the cramp, I came across a cab with a bike in its boot.

Dammit…

I proceeded to cycle the last 1.5km home. It was 12pm.

The Change

Lookout! Change is coming to this blog!

The Laze

Yup. I have been lazing around for some time now. It was ages since my last post and saying I have a writers block is not going to cut it since I am not a writer.

A good 3 months has passed since and I have lots to update.

Firstly, I bought a whole shit load of games. Boardgames. Will be writing up some reviews of games I have bought so far.

I bought a bike! A bicycle. Cost me quite a bit but it is a really good ride. I have been cycling around like a madman for 2 weeks now. Averaging a distance of 50km a day.

Meishan and I has confirmed that our wedding shall be on the 21st March! I am really excited about that. Seems like there is still a lot of things undone for the coming wedding. One of which is the taking of wedding photos.

Things are not as smooth on the career front. My ICT coming at an extremely busy period and I could not defer. but heck it is over already. Just have to be careful with my work.

Updates soon!

The Snowboarder

He looked through his fogged up goggles and grunted. Lifting them off his eyes and tightening them on his beanie-covered head, he squinted, attempting to look through the wall of white.It had been snowing from the time he was traveling up. Now at the top of the mountain, the clouds had merged with the snow covered peaks to form a sheet of continuous white. The wind whipped up the loose powder and swirled around obstacles. Vague, dark forms can be seen but the images did not look like they form anything tangible.

“What the fuck…?” he mumbled.

Using his gloved hand to shelter his eyes from the whipped up snow. The guy considered his gear.

A black, slightly damp beanie covered his head and to a lesser extent, his ears. The useless pair of goggles sat over it. It had long since lost its usefulness after it first fogged up. He wore a cheap $10 yellow neck warmer that he bought from a shop around the village. ‘Would have been black…’ he thought. ‘If they had black…’

The yellow hired parka hung loosely around his frame. His friends told him it looks too big. He thought it looked cool and gave him the room to move his body in. Underneath he wore a t-shirt he bought in Thailand that had a silly print.

His hired waterproofed pants worked very well. Under which he wore a mere pair of shorts.

His boots were the coolest set he has seen. Except for the pair of Nike’s he seen earlier on someone who fell… Oh and the pair of red Vans…

Looking around he saw a few guys coming off the ski lift on skis. The ignored him and carried on to the way down slope.

He sighed. It had been 20 minutes since his previous trip downhill. This may be his last run for the day. His companions were probably back at the lodge to get warm for dinner.

Looking at the sky, the man grunted again. It was turning dark rapidly. The days are indeed shorter Down Under.

Sitting down on the slight slope he panted as his body labored, fitting the boots onto the board was not an easy thing when you are wearing this much gear.

“Now for the easy part.” he encouraged himself.

Standing up, he felt the board slide effortlessly down the slight slope onto his lead leg. His stance was goofy though he was just as comfortable with his left being the lead.

As he gathered speed down slope he managed to make out the blue sticks, which said ‘To Village’. Leaning on his heels he veered gently to the right toward the poles. Switching to natural he managed a course around a crop of rocks.

‘Wombat’s Ramble’ a sign said.

He nodded absently at the sign and pointed out of habit, at the direction he was traveling. His instructor had told him to do it so as to better guide his body.

Knees bent, body hunched and eyes focused, he felt none of the pain and aches that he developed over the numerous falls and tumbles he took. The wind was all he could hear. But that too faded when he felt himself gathering speed.

“I am faster than the wind!” he thought. Twisting and switching from natural to goofy, he performed a ‘falling leaf’ maneuver.

He placed himself into another goofy stance for a gentle corner. Crouching down low he gathered more speed. He leaned back on his heels and let his right hand brush against the snow, executing a sharp turn in a gentle corner as a result.

He headed towards an opening between trees. An unconventional route to most, this path was the one that he had most difficulty with. It was filled with very loose powder since the heavy machinery required to pack the snow could not access it.

He twisted and turned around the tiny dunes that were formed over the natural landscape. He came to an opening within the trees where it always felt silent… where the wind could not reach him. He performed a ground shifty that sufficiently slowed him down for some tight turns ahead after which he burst forth onto the hard packed path again.

He accelerated onto the main line and turned, this time on his toes.

“Don’t fall… don’t fall…” he prayed as he managed to switch back to a heel based descent. Exhilarated, he punched the air. He had just performed a maneuver that had always been difficult for him. His confidence rising, he thundered down the slope, crouching lower than he could ever remember.

Within a few more twists, he reached the bottom of the path. Scrapping to a halt just beyond the ‘Slow’ signs. The air has cleared to give a better view. Many of the skiers in this area are walking to their lodges, skis and boards over shoulder - the end of a busy day at Falls Creek.

Looking at his watch, the snowboarder quickly released his bindings and hauled the board over his shoulders.

“Shit… I better not be late for dinner” he cursed as he ran toward the lodge, dodging others trudging through the snow.

The Proposal

“Meishan, will you marry me?”"Get up you silly pork! Don’t embarrass me here!”

“I won’t until you answer me properly!”

“Aiyo… Yes lah yes lah!”

“Yes what?”

“Yes I will marry you!”

There was I, kneeling on the cold sand in the middle of St Kildas Beach, Melbourne, Australia, proposing to my girlfriend of 5 years. It was a sunny, yet cold day - 13 degrees it was on the Celsius scale.

It was evident that she was touched. She had never expected me to have bought the rings. Proven from the fact that she had prodded me into jewelry chains multiple times during the last 2 months. Asking me to look at rings. Painful time for me as she has expressed that there were nicer designs elsewhere.

There was even once that she doubted that I would buy the rings to propose marriage. But I held my ground and did not divulge the secret.

Kein was the person who had thought of such a plot. Along the way he had sent me samples of photographs and satellite images of the place that we would be going to. He even engaged the President of the Photography Club - Chandra to take the pictures. It is with my most sincere thanks to Kein that the entire thing was a success.

I had the jitters for weeks before the actual event itself. Whenever I thought about the coming overseas trip, I would start to feel nervous and exhilarated at the same time. I was worried that it will not go well. What if it rains? What if I forget the rings? What if I want to change my mind?

Yes I thought of that. Why did I though? I questioned myself on my purposes of a proposal. Did I do it so that I can have free sex for the rest of my life? Unlikely, since being in a marriage is harder than anything else I know of.

I realized my proposal was due to many different reasons all cumulating to a single consequence. I love this woman. I admit that finding a soul mate in this crazy world and worse, society is a real hard task and that I may be the most blessed man to have found one. I wanted to recognize that this is the point where we have decided to commit to each other and to Him. I wanted her to know that she means a lot to me for me to want to do this. I wanted her to be able to tell her friends that I proposed at a place that shall always be in her heart. I needed to do it proper so we can move on to the next stage in our love live - marriage.

It was a happy occasion, a day when the seagulls flew easily on the strong winds. A day when the yachters adjusted their sails to match the currents. Where the penguins came out to meet the swans.

A perfect day for a proposal.

The Light and the Dark

The eternal light shines through the dark. Never has the darkness feared as much as it has now.It is amazing how our world is filled with opposites. Yet, men have always thought that they would attract one another. How true it is that opposites attract! If one should notice, darkness is attracted by light but it does not encroach it. It creeps around the bright. It hides in shadows and dark spots. How has man hidden in the shadows spewing putrid poison and vile venom, when the ones they slander stand in the light, righteous in their ways and their paths.

I have never erred in having put down my thoughts here. I have never sought to find solace in pelting peat at others when I write behind anonymity. I wish only made known, my feelings which can be vibrant at times to the masses therefore the unhidden journal thus.

Yet I still wonder, what perils, does lie in the hidden pits of darkness that light cannot penetrate?

What evils lie beneath the veil of uncertainty and artificial beauty? I must rely on my senses and principles and attempt to pierce through the seemingly impenetrable fortress that is the darkness. I must reinforce myself.

Yet in strengthening my beliefs and principles I must undergo a metamorphosis of sorts. A transformation that takes me from being strong in path and sight to weak and susceptible to attacks by the devil and his minions. Oh how the devil revels in the pain he inflicts to others. How he celebrates the losing of the mind and the struggling of the soul. Indeed I have felt the conflicts within, struggling against the hands of darkness clawing at me with their fetid, rotting appendages. How I felt the rawness of wounds spewing open with nightmares, memories of failures and past anguish.

Yet I did not submit.

Anger arose and abated. Fear came and left. Terror ringed within my ears.

Yet I did not submit.

Fighting, screaming, arms trashing, I resisted the temptation to give in. I held my ground.

Redoubling his efforts, doubt fills my mind. What if truth was spoken in these words? What if I had erred? What if I, too, have succumbed to the darkness, or even worse, was the one who lead them there?

I pondered.

I questioned.

I screamed. I sought refuge in known light. And there came salvation.

Waves of warmth swept over me, as I knew, that I have been and has stayed on the path of the righteous. That I have stayed on the straight and narrow. That I am within the light.

That I am… the light.

High Tech Pants!

Been meaning to finish this little article. Now you get to see it.I have read an article once about how technology has affected fashion, especially men’s fashion. Look at the clothes that come with an ipod pocket etc etc.

More specifically, the article has highlighted how microfibres and nano technology is utilized to make crease free clothes.

I think the researchers are all either

a)      women

b)      men who pee seated

Why do I say this?

The reasons I highlight here would probably turn off a few people so this here is a GROSS FACTOR warning.

I speak for all the men out there that pee whilst standing. Peeing is an art form that is hard to master, let alone perfect. I am 27 and I dare say that 27 years of peeing, though not all the 27 years, has not taught me the art of not getting pee on myself.

No matter how carefully, how clinically precise my aim was. The splash of the pee cannot be avoided. This is an act that I repeat at least 8 times a day and I have yet to master it. Having so many tries a day I have tried to change the way I pee to see whether it helps.

As you can imagine how a normal urinal would look, a urinal would be a standard size and shape. It is a personal urinal, meant for use by only one person (preferably male) at once. Sometimes the urinals a placed lower than usual to allow children (preferably male) to use them. No matter how urgently one needs to pee, he should never use kiddie urinals unless he is of the appropriate height.

The different variables that increase/decrease splash back are listed below.

HEIGHT

First, would be height of attack. That would be the origin of the stream of pee to the contact point at the bottom of the urinal. Theoretically, the higher the origin is, the greater the splash as the control would be lost at the end of the stream. To add to the problem, gravitational acceleration would also speed up the pee, allowing the pee to accelerate further to a greater velocity causing more splash back. Gravitational acceleration also cancels out the effective control of the stream of pee.

PRESSURE

Second would be pressure. The more urgently you need to pee, the higher the tendency for a splash back to occur. This is due to higher velocity achieved when there is high pressure in the bladder. Effective use of control can help maintain the pee to reduce splash back (if you can do this, you should be really good in bed because the same muscles are involved).

AIM

Third would point of contact. This would be the effective aim of the person. He can aim at the fly at Terminal 3 all day but still get splash back. It is true, I tried it. The better one’s aim is, the lesser the tendency to get splash back. However like I mentioned earlier, good aim is just a component of not getting splashed.

DISTANCE

Fourth will be distance. Distance refers to the parallel distance between the pee’er to the urinal. This differs from height because greater distance can only be achieved with higher pressures. Of course due to trajectory, taller men can also achieve greater distance. If you use a urinal that is placed lower, naturally you can achieve a greater distance. But due to gravitational acceleration, more splash back may occur (more around the ankles if you are using a kiddie urinal). I have a friend that pees so far away from the urinal that you wouldn’t fancy using the adjacent for fear of the AOE of his pee splashing back.

ENVIRONMENT

This is a highly variable factor. It actually means in what kind of place and the kind of environment it is housed in. For example you would tend to pee faster and disregard splash back nor would you care if you were in say, a gay bar’s toilet, or, in Alaska.

All these factors will affect the amount and intensity of splash back. I shall be examining the methods and how these factors can be negated tomorrow.