Dude, where's my car?
Dude: Relax, on repair lah.

So I brought my car to dearie's uncle workshop for repair today. Had to change the whole windscreen. Luckily, it's covered by AIG's insurance plan. Auto protection plus. So I need to pay around $100 only. Then again, I don't know why I should even pay this $100. Grrr... shouldn't have happened. If only my sis more careful.. =.=

Indeed, she needs more practice, with an experienced driver beside her when she's driving, of course. I remember how I started off my solo driving with absolutely no help. When I just got my license, I drove the first time at night around my neighbourhood park with my dad sitting beside me. And it only lasted about 15 minutes. After that, I am on my way. No one taught me about parking at public carparks(without the poles in BBDC circuit), no one taught me how to manouvre the car around multi-storey carparks. Though I accidentally scraped my dad's car once on a multi-storey carpark, which had really pretty narrow spaces for the slopes, it made me learn on my mistake. Before that happened, I drove with "argah-ration" lol. But it's good lesson though got to pay quite a big sum. =.=

Got my own car last year. And everything went smoothly until a few months ago, when my car got bumped by that taxi. Couldn't believe how those taxi drivers actually got their license in their first place. Reckless driving, no tolerance for slow drivers or new learners, always speeding, etc. I think they need to be re-evaluated. Seriously.

Anyway, I don't think locals have that good impression of cabbie drivers. I mean, those who have taken a cab surely have some form of experience to speak of. Of long-winded uncles, of those who burped excessively while driving, of those who picked their nose unabashedly, of those who purposely took a different longer route(in return of more cab fare), etc.

That is why I avoid taking cab.

Or public transport altogether.

Thankfully I have a car. It makes travelling much more convenient. Especially when I have night classes, or when I need to go meet clients. Of course, it makes shopping trips and supper outings a breeze too.

Then again, I'm guilty of not maintaining my car well. Haven't been cleaning it diligently. Maybe after I get back it, I should pay more attention to it. Maybe time for a good wash and polish? Haha.

Ok. I'm gonna collect my Vios tomorrow! Yay!

Gotta stop waiting for the moolah to fall from the sky.

The most absurd thing I heard of regarding things that fall from the sky is fishes, frogs. If I didn't remember wrongly, that was part of some myths depicted in one of my Primary school Pets' Coursebook. It's a bit dumb why they name it Pets' Coursebook anyway. But I admit to enjoy finding the mini 'rabbits' and 'squirrels' on the pages. Haha.

Ok, before I digress further, my point is, *refer to the title*. Yeah, though it is just a figure of speech. In Chinese, there's a saying called 守株待兔, if you understand what it means. Seriously, my income flow now fluctuates quite a bit. There were times when I were so broke I thought Richie Rich should have laughed at my plight. At other times, I could still get by.

Other than the rising petrol fee, I don't think I spend lavishly. I think I spend quite a bit on food though. Good food. And of course, books, cds, and occasional movie treats. I remember how fascinating it had been during my NS days where I nearly spent all my monthly allowances even though there's only 2 days off each week. So, on a regular month, 8 days can cost me more that $550. Nowadays, I don't find myself spending that much. Ironic huh?

Still, I don't think I can go on like this without a full-time job, no matter how much I detest having a 9-5 kind of job. My other internet marketing job is more like some sort of business, except, I am running this business for another business - my company. I am still waiting VERY patiently for my clients to proceed with the deals. And if all go well, I'll have a new wave of confidence.

Nevertheless, reality strikes in. The exam period is going to end soon for my tutees. Will that mean a slow-down in my income? Gosh. That better not happen. And if that do happen, I think I need to utilise my piggy bank soon.

And the next absurd thing I would wish to happen is for moolah to fall from the sky. Except this time, I will not find it absurd.

Be patient, don't be a patient.

I would always remember this phrase. This was actually a safety message read by our officers back in my unit camp. One of our ARTY safety messages. I thought this message really makes sense. And I like how the ambiguity of the word "patient" is used here.

Having said that, I would think that I am a rather patient person. You need examples? I have plenty.

I am a VERY patient driver I think. There were times there were cars in front of me lagging to move off even after the lights turned green, I didn't think I actually horned. Also, there were times there were some drivers in their cars showing signs of disorientation when their car seemed to slow down somehow along a stretch of road. When I don't think I am in a rush, I usually just wait for the driver in front to make the next move without having to honk or flash my car's headlights. I guess I am a very patient and considerate driver, don't you think?

Other instances included one just yesterday. I was supposed to go for tuition lesson with my sec2 student staying Lim Chu Kang area, and while I was on my way there, he sent me a message saying, "I no want tuition hor. I don't have mood. I tell my mother already. You come I also won't tuition de." I called his mum but his aunt picked up instead and confirmed that I just go and give him tuition. Not to my surprise, when I went there, he locked himself in another room and refused to come out for tuition. His aunt called him several times and also spoke to me through the phone since his mum was not available. And after a few times, he still refused to come out for tuition. Guess what was I doing the whole while when I was waiting for him to have lesson? I was playing with the kittens at his house. LOL. Totally carried away. I didn't think I actually felt any form of anger. And when it was concluded I should just leave instead, I didn't feel pissed at all. Gosh. I AM REALLY VERY PATIENT+TOLERANT.

More daily-based examples could even include queuing up to buy stuff. Just a few days ago, I was at Subway when this guy in front of me was paying for his meal but he was confused why the two meals he bought summed up to an amount he never used to pay previously. He was acting very demanding and the staff had to like calm him down and explain to him many times, and even print the reciept out for him to verify. In my mind I was thinking, "What is wrong witht this guy? Be a man and just pay lah!!! For goodness sake!" (For your info, I dislike people who are extremely calculative. My tutee said today that his other tutor used to claim the money paid for buying assessments books up to the single cent! *shakes head*) Of course, all the while I was keeping my cool and waiting patiently for the staff to pacify him first.

I could go on with many more examples. My point is, I think I am someone who has a high threshold for tolerance. Seriously. Just don't go over my limits. I guess I don't like to 'overwork' my temper and cause unnecessarily anxiety on myself. I even heard someone said that I looked very composed. For real? Haha.

Anyway, two days ago, something happened that almost made me lose my "compose" mode. My sis who recently got her driving license not long ago insisted on driving my car to Jurong Point to meet her friends for dinner at home. Her excuses for driving? The show would last past midnight and did not want to spend money on cab. Another better excuse? She was eagerly wanting to practise her driving. However, I have sat beside her while she drove a few times and I clearly knew she was not yet up to the standard. That was why I advised her not to drive out alone. Especially when she had little experience going into the carpark area of a shopping mall. All the sharp turns and whatever. Didn't think she could handle well. Unsurprisingly, she called around 1am+ telling me that she accidentally lunged the car forward while waiting for the EPS barrier to raise, just because she was nervous and lifted her foot off the brakes. And the bottom right of the windscreen was shattered. There was a long scratch.

Seriously, after knowing what had happened, I tried to keep my cool over the phone. But after the conversation, I was really quite angry. But I decided to go back to watching a movie online. Was actually watching "17 Again" and did laugh out a couple of times without restraint.

Ok. So maybe she's not that experienced yet. And I also didn't think losing my temper would do any good. If I reprimanded her harshly, she might lose confidence of her driving skills next time. So other than to "nag" a little, I wasn't much agitated for long. I knew very well I used to bump my dad's CAMRY against the wall pillar of a very narrow access gap in a multi-storey carpark when I just got my license not long ago. I called my dad after that incident and he did not scold me, at all. He was very understanding and said it was "expected". So I guess I applied this "concept" on my sis' case and decided to just take it easy.

Key to note: TAKE IT EASY.

*****

Seriously, I think I am a growing optimist. One of my tutees mentioned that I am very inspiring. Could you believe that? Well, I think I am, on some degree. Hahaha. The thing is, I always like to tell them what I strongly believe in now, that the real learning takes place beyond the classrooms and textbooks. That was why my tuition sessions tended to be somewhat different sometimes. I like to engage with conversations with them. And really, forcing them to work isn't a great option. I mean, I have been there, done that, and I knew reasonably well what's their mindset like. It is a growing phase. And I am glad I am there to help them out with their work, albeit via a non-stringent way.

But you see, sometimes, too "relac" with them, they take advantage. Anyway, guys, if you are reading this, examinations are just around the corner. Better study hard meanwhile. Don't play play ah. There is always a time for work and a time to play. Learn to prioritise.

*****

Back to "events" mode, daily-updates mode. On a rare occassion, went for school yesterday. Yes, on a Saturday night for lesson! Cos Monday was a public holiday so the lesson was postponed to yesterday. Had SSC203(Organisational Behaviour) module lesson. It was quite interesting. Although there was a substantial amount of absentees, I had fun working through the case study given with other course mates.

After that, went for supper with dearie, Qiaoyu and Luther. Went to have prata at the shophouse near West Coast Park before going to Mc Donald's @ West Coast Park for another supper continuation. Haha. I LOVE to drink the Himalayan Tea Latte at Mc Cafe. Caramel-flavoured with a hint of spice and strong mixture of milk. Yummy. So ya. When I returned home, it was already close to 2am. And I slept only around 4am.

Woke up around 8 plus for tuition today. Felt quite tired but still managed to pull through all 3 tuition sessions! After that, I treated myself to a movie at JP. Watched "Inglourious Basterds". It was a really brilliant film with much satire, humour, and not to mention gore and violence. But what an impressive movie! It was directed by Quentin Tarantino. Definitely a director to watch out for.

Wow. What a lengthy entry huh. I am pretty tired already. Going to bed soon. Another new week commencing. What "adventures" might there be? =]

Dearie just turned 23!

Had a bunch of celebrations, though nothing "extravaganza". Still, she spent some great quality time celebrating with her bunch of loved ones. And that definitely included me! =D

Went Aji Tei @ Taka last Saturday to have an early celebration dinner with Qiaoyu, Luther and Celine. The food's good, and the dessert yummier!

Lovely pics ain't they?

Just yesterday, brought dearie to Kui-shin-bo Japanese restaurant for dinner. What a sumptuous buffet we had. And it was a much rare occurence to see me chewing delightfully at the famous snow crabs. For goodness sake. Those who know me well know very well that I don't like eating seafood like prawns and crabs. But I made an exception yesterday. Cos the crab meat were just so so sweet and succulent.

After that, brought dearie to check out Jurong Safra's KBOX for the first time. And an added surprise element when my sisters were there too, ready to celebrate with her and sing throughout the night! The pics weren't up yet, but I'll post them once they are ready!

*Updated pics!*

Hereby, would like to wish my dearie princess bun to have a sweet happy 23rd birthday and stay lovely always. =)

Always loving you,
Mr. Bun

How do you stay still when your mind keeps working?

I realise I'm someone who can't really stay put. In a way, beneath this shell of mine, I am a very 'active' person. Sometimes, it got me thinking if I have ADHD(Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder). You gotta be kidding me, I know. It's more of a common disorder in children. But then, the symptoms are...

According to wikipedia the symptoms are divided into three categories,

Predominantly inattentive type signs may include:
Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
Have difficulty focusing on one thing
Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new
Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
Not seem to listen when spoken to
Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
Struggle to follow instructions.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type signs may include:
Fidget and squirm in their seats
Talk nonstop
Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
Be constantly in motion
Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

and also these manifestations primarily of impulsivity:
Be very impatient
Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

And then I thought I could still stay put if I want, read a book if I want, sit quietly if I want, watch television on the couch if I want, complete a meal without any hassle...

The symptoms are for children only right??

In case you think I am freaking out, I am not. Although I think I am someone who likes to move around a lot, especially in the day time.

You see, perhaps it's just me, or it's my unwillingness to sit down and do nothing. I might walk around looking for new things to observe, for new lessons to learn.

So while I don't actually have a full-time job now, I still need to find myself doing something in the day. Apart from waking up late, I've been trying to fill my time by going for more tuition, surfing the internet for new updates on tuition assignments, looking for jobs online, talking to random strangers online whom I think might help me in some way or another, looking for new clients for my internet marketing company...

So, I get pretty "busy" in a way. That's why I like going to school sometimes, though my classes are all in the evening.

And when there's nothing on like today for instance, I chose to walk around town aimlessly.

And I think I like the idea of meeting new people. You never know who you might meet, or what opportunities that may bring.

Speaking of which, I'm meeting a new client this week. After a long hiatus from work. At least, someone still bothers to respond to my mail regarding my company's service. At least, someone still bothers to entertain the restless me... and give me work to do!

Now, what am I saying? I'm not weird. I'm just atypical.

Some tragic news of an acquaintance

An acquaintance I knew has just passed away. I am still reeling in from the shock. If you have read the news about this 21 year old diver who drowned while on his first job, you probably heard about it too.

I guess I was quite affected by the news especially knowing that this guy was once a close friend of my other close friend Elaine. Though she's not in SG now, I think she must have been very shaken by the news as well. Went to the facebook page of the guy and his girlfriend appeared very brave. She started a page for him and asked for friends to pray for him to be found when he went missing last week. And when news broke that his body was found, she urged friends to remember him and to come for the funeral. It all seemed to happen too quickly. And you see how comments poured in every minute or so. Friends and loved ones of the guy.

Although I do not know him personally, I met him once before. And once is enough to make an impression on someone. Once is enough to make a friend out of an acquaintance. Enough to make an emotional connection to the person. That was why I think I am also quite affected by the news. Some more he was such a young man.

Who could have thought such a thing could happen though?

No one would.

It makes me truly understand how the unpredictables in life can be. So, please do cherish all your loved ones. This is a permant reminder. Don't leave permant scars of pain that you would never forget...

Rest in peace, Gerald.

Two new books today... and yesterday's tutorial in school...

Albeit the fact that I still have a whole shelf full of unread books. I don't know. I guess I'm just drawn into the whole reading thing, though I don't quite consider myself an avid reader. But seriously, my patience level for reading ain't that high. And what's more? I like to read literature books, and they usually require more attention and more reading-between-the-lines.

Anyway, the two books I bought today are The Dog of Marriage and other stories by Amy Hempel and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. I got to know about Amy Hempel through Chuck Palahniuk's website. Apparently, he adores the lady. And out of curiosity, I decided to check out her books in Kino. To my surprise, there is only this title left on the shelves. All her previous books were published more than a decade ago. I decided to take a few read and I thought she had a very unique and special way of writing in a minimalist manner. I suppose this is why Mr. Palahniuk displays hints of Hempel-ism in his writing. But I think Palahniuk's stuff getting a bit too extreme. While I used to read his books, his later books seemed a bit too dense and out-of-the-world.

The other book I bought was by Daniel Goleman. Actually, I heard of the book before. It's not until my tutor in "Organisational Behaviour" class yesterday showed an interview of Goleman talking about how Barack Obama used EI(Emotional Intelligence) to win over during the presidential elections. That really sparked my interest to find out what's that book about. Hope it comes in handy.

On another note, yesterday's tutorial on "Organisational Behaviour" was surprisingly interactive and entertaining. I missed the first tutorial so yesterday was technically my first. It's good to know that there are 2 people in class that I know! One is my JC school mate and the other lady happened to take the same module as I during my first ever module classes in UniSIM. Cool.

So, one of the activities our tutor asked us to take part is to come up with one name each of the following to represent yourself.

1. animal
2. food
3. thing

To be honest, I had quite a hard time trying to come up. I didn't write it down on paper. But for animal, I was thinking a "chameleon" and for food I was thinking "cheese".

The reason why I chose "chameleon" for the animal part was because I would like to be able to adapt to different environments, to "change colors" accordingly. Haha.

For food, I chose "cheese" cos I love eating cheese. Ok, that sounds cheesy. But I was thinking, not everyone can appreciate cheese. Those who love it will truly know its "worth". And that probably explains how I think not everyone that I know would understand me for who I truly am, only closed ones get to see the real me...

Quite ingenious huh? Hahahaha.

As for thing, I couldn't bother to think of one.

Having said that, I still prefer to be human please.

LOL.

Eventful past week full of pretty pictures.

It's been a while guys. But I'm back again. So what have I been busying with recently? Nothing much really. I think the most busy day of the week for me currently is Sunday, apparently, cos I have 3 tuitions in one day! But well, cos the exam period is coming soon. So that means more tuition for some of my tutees. But well, the exams will be over soon. That means they are gonna take a break. And that means my income flow from tuition is meeting the inevitable fate of taking a break too. Oh no.

That's why I say, you can never depend on tuition alone to be your main source of income. Unless you are a dedicated full-time tutor with impressive/undying patience/passion for teaching. Unless you think that you are born to teach. Unless you really look forward to meeting your tutees each week and unless you can keep on coming up with new stuff to teach......

So anyway, last week had been quite eventful. The main highlight of it was my sis Larel's birthday. So her boyfriend organised a range of activities just for her, from singing karaoke, to one night stay at Mariott Hotel, to another day stay at Sentosa's Costa Sands resorts hotel, to an organised professional photoshoot just for her... So sweet right? Of course, we siblings took part in some of the activities as well.

First day of the celebration, we went to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner together with dearie and her sis. Wah, that place was really nice. The music was good, and the food was very good too. =)






Few days later, went to Sentosa for a photoshoot that Joe had originally planned for. The theme was "Retro King Pin" style. It was so cool! And the whole photoshooting process was very fun. I haven't got the photos from the photographer yet but I did take some using my sis' digicam. And they looked just as good too, don't you agree? =)

Look, most of the photos were taken by me. Ain't I such a good photographer? I think I seriously am. Hahahaha.

Ok, more events coming up! Looking forward and getting excited! =D

New book on the shelf

I find it getting more and more difficult to settle down to read a book when the entertainment value on television and the endless boundaries of the internet are hard to dismiss. Is this part of the new world that we are living in?

But still, I had to buy this book from Kinokuniya today. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It has a somewhat similar premise as Battle Royale, a very terrific thriller book by the way. And I got to realise that I like reading plots with dystopian themes. Ahhhh. While that is a theme I used to study back in JC, I didn't really read those required books then - Brave New World, The Handmaid's Tale, England, England. Gosh.

Anyway, after reading loads of good reviews on http://www.goodreads.com/, I am convinced that I like the nature of the plot and that I wanted to get it. Even though I must have mentioned before that I usually don't read books written by female authors, I knew I wanted that book cos the plot is sounds very intriguing.

About the plot. "Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place."

Ok, great. Now I have another book to put aside on my shelves, alongside those many unread books. I think I have to finish reading my copy of American Gods first.

And I am pretty satisfied with my buy, by the way. Though I haven't yet got past the plastic wrapping. But I know for sure, it's good stuff.

Gosh. I am such a geek. Whatever.

Hello again.

Much have been going on lately for me.

Just a brief recap..

I went for a casting audition for commercial print ad. Got some contacts from my friend who's into acting. It was an okay exprience though. Nothing exciting. Just a couple of photo shots. It might spell the start for my acting stint though, who knows?

Yes. Something that got me really excited... I was actually called to cover an event as a writer! Remember I mentioned about the writing job? Yeah. I got to do some interviewing as well. Talking about writing in the real life. And I actually get paid for it. Awesome!

So yup. Besides that, have been busy with tuition and with my school work as well.

By the way, I think 方大同 is brilliant! I love how he put emotions and soul to the songs he sang. And his various renditions for the english and chinese classics.

Oh well, it's raining since morning. What a bluesy day.

I have been writing more articles and poetry. Go check them out at http://www.triond.com/users/nightcharmer :)