breaking of the MUSIC/}!

Friday, January 27, 2006

Happy Lunar New Year << 新年快乐 >>

Dear readers,

I'll be away in Malaysia from tomorrow, Friday 27 Jan to Tues 31 Jan. This coming Lunar New Year will be spent in the comforts away from the hectic island of Singapore with my maternal relatives. This is especially more so when one of my aunts is hosting the entire family for the first time in her new home. Basically, it's going to be an interesting way for me to start the year of the Dog, which actually promises a level of ambiguous uncertainity for Tigers like me.

Hence, I'll like to wish all of you hear a Happy and Prosperous New Year. May you strive well in your future endeavours. May you be in good health. May you always remain prosperous. Last but not least, may you always find great company and happiness, always living life to the fullest.

By the way, there's a message that I originally intended to circulate by SMS, but given the fact that Starhub does not provide Autoroam services to subscribers of age less than 21, here's it:

新年将来到，我的祝福不迟到！愿你抱着平安，拥着健康，幸福，快乐，搂着温馨，带着甜蜜，索着财运，吉祥，迈入新年，快乐度过每一天！

祝你在新的一年中有棒棒的body, 满满的money, 多多的happy, 每天心情都很sunny, 无忧无虚像个baby, 新年快乐！新的一年加油哦！

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
00:15

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Of Libraries

Yesterday was a rather great day for me. I found myself rather lucky that I did not get to meet any familiar friends whereever I went, and for once, I really appreciated the sheer solace while I went on with my work. Anyway, I took a few pics from my Nokia 6020 to highlight what I was doing. (Yes, I know the pictures are damn small)

I took a train from my Mum's salon in nearby Orchard to the Orchard Library at Takashimaya, which is named library@orchard. I sort of like this library given its contemporary interior design. This library is good for fiction and leisure stuff; but not very strong for its academic non-fiction. This explains why you can notice a very relaxed mood in this place.

I had my lunch at the adjoining Cafe Gailee. While waiting for my food to be served, I snapped this picture above. Yes, grabbed a few magazines to read. Myself being a serious researcher, I realised the library@orchard wasn't really the place for me. Was so hungry that I forgot to snap a picture of my lunch. Had a Gailee Special (Spaghetti with Chicken Chunks) and a Cappucino. To be frank, their unique dish didn't really make an impact on my taste buds.

And yes, a sneak preview of what I was doing the whole day.

After reading a few magazines, I packed my bags to head to the National Library. The above picture is a scene from the Bugis MRT station. Can you believe that it took me about 7 minutes just to alight the train just to board the escalator? My goodness. I didn't know that Bugis is more 'hot' than Orchard. I simply wondered which place do youths prefer, when it boils down to Bugis Street and Orchard Road.

Walking along the street to the Library from the MRT Station. Victoria Street is at a virtual standstill, and I simply do not understand why. After all, Victoria Street isn't a very significant place if you compare it to Orchard Road and Chinatown. (Unless you count in Waterloo Street, then I would understand.)

The BIG SQUEEZE just to cross the road to get to the Bugis market opposite. I wondered if our opposition parties would capitalise on this, considering that I took this picture just when the traffic light turned green. LTA, sometimes the zig-zag crossing simply don't work especially in such a busy area. Open your eyes, please before somebody gets killed thanks to your road barricades and narrow pedestrian crossings. My guess is that those people squeezed out were left stranded on at least half a lane's width.

Just took this for fun along the way. I wouldn't say that the library has transformed my life. Rather, it would be better to say that the books in the library have transformed my life, and I did not depend on the library per se to acquire my knowledge. The library to me is simply a library, or rather, a respository for me to acquire what I desire for my own enrichment and projects. For libraries like Chung Cheng and libary@temasek, it's a place to silently mug for my exams as well as confide in hushed, secret gossips and thoughts with my peers. For places like libary@orchard, it's a place for the holistic enrichment of my mind after work and after school. A good place for meditation and to seek solace, especially when there're headphones providing music. For the National Library, it's the place for my intellectual enrichment of my mind, and a good place to engage in individual self-study. (I never liked study groups.) Good for academic research, but its Central Lending Area is a total mess. For the rest of the NLB libraries, it has been overrun by the babarous donkeys, as their parents helplessly watch on.

Anyway, no pictures from the National Libary as photography is prohibited. Their security guards are very particular about what you bring. I cannot believe that I cannot bring in my own personal books and files inside. Come on, your sensors can still detect if someone smuggles a book out. Your Big Brother cameras are also enough. Their security standards are comparable to my RPs at my camp, almost on par with them, which is considered rather overreactive for an installation in which terrorists would most likely give a miss.

That's all for now. I may engage in more work soon. What a sunny day man....

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
11:30

Friday, January 20, 2006

On one's toes

Dear readers, I intend to let this flooble chattlebox on your right shut off by itself, considering that you all rather be ‘silent readers’. That’s rather weird for a blog of a rather popular person and for a blog where one has many readers, regardless of whether they identify themselves or not. I’ll let the comments tab (run by Haloscan) continue on, in which I would expect my faithful readers to give comments which are specific to the corresponding article. Might as well keep only one feature for comment if the other is not utilized…

For the past two weeks, my mind has been sort of “mixed”. A lot of issues and thoughts have been circulating in my head, that blabbing them all on my blog will result in an intellectual clutter, and more likely scaring you as the reader away. Nevertheless, one main thing that remain affirmed in my mind is that I cannot wait for the Year of the Dog to start. This year, I’m going to travel to KL to visit my maternal relatives. The last time I spent my CNY overseas was in 2002. My relatives just got a new house, and come April, one of my cousins will get married (he’s an ASEAN scholar by the way). It’s going to be an interesting new year for me. I really yearn to find an opportunity to get to a place where I can forget that I’m a slave of the establishment.

My previous articles have painted an ominous picture of the year ahead. True enough, we continue to be on our toes over whether we will have a pandemic. Singaporeans are on their toes over an upcoming general election, where we all speculate on the election date as well as the performance of both the PAP and the Opposition. The English football community are on their toes over their performance, all determined to delay Chelsea’s Premier League Title. I am also on my toes, firstly due to an ominous outlook painted out by Chinese geomancers; and more importantly, the establishment wants to banish me to their island for a debt I have yet to clear. Yes. Like what I’ve expected, 2006 is indeed an ominous year for all.

I am going to spend the weekend pondering over something my superior has given me. The crux of the issue he has asked to ponder upon is something I have never think about before. This topic is of interest for me, for I have never contemplated on it during my academic life. I have never experienced being in his shoes, for I have not have the chance to do so. I think a period of time in the library where I can reflect upon his idea will do some good. For once, I am doing something meaningful this weekend since the start of the New Year.

Apart from this, I am also contemplating over how I should make use of my newly-issued SAFRA and Chevrons card. Both of them are MINDEF-sanctioned clubs. I must emphasize on the word ‘club’ because it is considered one of the 5 ‘C’s in Singapore. As Singaporeans work hard, they want to play hard. Hence, many of them will not hesitate to spend thousands in country club memberships, provided their finances allow so. After all, a materialistic Singaporean who has the 5 ‘C’s in his hands would have only attained it if he able to make full use out of it. By the way, some of my colleagues are surfing used car websites. I think it is also time for me to know what it takes to buy a car. So many Singaporeans have the licence but not the car, courtesy of the COE. Adios for now.

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
22:57

Sunday, January 08, 2006

2006 --- Faster, Higher, Stronger

Hey everyone! This is my first post for the year 2006. Frankly speaking, the year started rather on a busy note. Yes, the beginning of the year is always hectic as one starts to pick up the momentum to strive towards fulfilling one’s goals and responsibilities. I’m not going to go into some serious writing this time, but what I envision for myself for this year will be like last year, which was a year of long transition for me. I am counting to the ninth of December which is the day I once become a civilian again. It may be long compared to most of my peers who will ORD in November, but at least I do not need to wait till the following year.

What I would expect for myself this year is that of an ominous one. I do not know what I would be by the time I ORD. I do not know whether I will return to Pulau Tekong to do my recourse. Nevertheless, I take a cue from the Olympic motto of being “Faster, Higher and Stronger.” I remember a conversation with a fellow Army colleague where he gave me some simple advice for getting on with my life. He told me that I was someone who could’ve made good company if I was more cool and steady, and if I spoke a little bit softer and gentler. He is a very good Legilimens, mind you. Ever since the day I learnt to talk I have always been trying very hard to calm myself down. I lose my patience and temper very easily, henceforth making others being irritated as a result. Being in a rather unpredictable working environment, I tend to get very emotional whenever events do not go the right way. There were times where I did slip into a mild state of depression, and where I vented my frustration on my innocent colleagues.

I can remember the time when I was in my office. I was there when I heard the news of the drowning arising from last June’s Maritime Counter-Terrorism (MCT) incident. The horrible incident shook me emotionally. I was asking myself, why must he die and why must it happen? I asked myself what would happen to the image of the Commando Formation. I wonder if the efforts of the Commandos to repair their damaged reputation after the CST case of 2003 have gone to naught. Half a year on with the HBOI being released, we can only hope that we can move on peacefully, regardless of the consequences. The results of the HBOI for the Heli-Rappelling is yet to be released, and given the fact that one out of five NSFs undergo this high-risk task, the devastating backlash from the public may yet to materialize. Hence, one important resolution of mine for this year is to lead a peaceful life. My hope is that this year will not be shaken by grim disruptions, untimely deaths, merciless epidemics and so on. We need peace to attain the goals that we desire. After all, Olympians do not engage in sport in times of war and conflict.

Nevertheless, I hope that I can fulfill the unfinished tasks of last year within this year. I am not giving up the race of being in the scholarly class. (Better keep my targets secret for the moment.) I am not giving up the task of improving myself both physically and spiritually. Journals such as the Economist, and perhaps many other books will continue to nourish my mind (being prescribed by my mother, my peers and myself). Being novels or scientific discourse, I will not hesitate to digest as long as I have the time to do so in the midst of the hectic office lifestyle. The physical challenge will be a bit difficult to attain. I am rather ill disciplined when it comes to this. This month is going to be the time I’m going to get fat, courtesy of the delicious food coming this Chinese New Year. Perhaps I can only get fitter after the festive season, if I can get the sparks going. What specific goals I’m going to attain concerning this, I still do not know.

The year 2006 is going to be very interesting. Singaporeans may go this year to the polls. In the US, President Bush faces the midterms, as well as managing the Iraq saga. In Germany, we watch this midyear whether Brazil will defend its World Cup title against the tough European Competitors. We keep vigil for Ariel Sharon as we pray for a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We watch in vain as the bird flu virus spreads mercilessly…. So stay tuned, as Draco Dormiens continues to give you exclusive views from Zelig’s point of view, as well as exclusive takes on his own life…

zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
20:09