The Knocker

The damn twilight ‘Knocker’ has just strike again. Recently there have been cases of some REALLY free asshole that would bang on my front door twice and run off. Damn pissed off man! Moreover, strange enough, it always occurred when I am the only one in the living room. Maybe I should install a hidden video cam outside to capture the identity of the culprit. Does anyone else ever experience this sort of childish act before? Just have to vent it out by writing or else I would go mad!

Funny thing is that not once did I hear any sound of footstep or ‘running away’ rustle after the knocking and there is no sight of anyone even if I opened the door within 1 second. Chinese seventh month is already over so cannot be that ‘sort of things’ right? It is most unlikely that I am imagining it. Hmm...I wonder.

Doing my part

I felt really good today man! Why? Cos I contributed to the government....in the form of a fine. Nevermind if it was involuntary at first but when the T.P. passed me my ticket, there is a sense of inner peace and satisfaction knowing I did my part in community building.

You see, as I was riding on the expressway on my way to view the unit of my choice from the recent walk-in-selection, a familiar white motorcycle rode along side with me. I was in the center lane. He waved to me ‘Requesting’ that I should pull over. I glance at my speedometer and it was pointing at 92km/hr. Hmm....Cannot be so suay and strict to book me for just a measly 2km over-speeding right? The cars around me are all zooming pass us. They are definitely over 110km/hr man! So why is he stopping me? Could it be that I won some kind of good road user contest since I am the only one abiding by them?

Anyway, we both pulled over and stopped on the road shoulder. As he walks over, he looks around as if he just lost a thousand dollars and was trying very hard to search for it. After going from back to front of my bike and bottom to top of me, he finally said,

T.P : “Your helmet not secured properly. Headlights also never on.”

Mr Lee : “Huh? Mine is the Velcro type lay. So sometimes the strap tends to be loose and I wouldn't know.”

T.P : “Cannot. No no. That is illegal.” Shaking his head constantly.

T.P : “Driving license, insurance and I.C.” Where is the “please” I wondered? Thought police officers were taught to request ‘politely' ?

I just keep quiet cos I am in a hurry and feel wonderful that a nice police officer had taught me the proper way of wearing a helmet.
When he handed me the ticket for a $150 fine, I was trilled!!

Nevermind that I was not told or taught 8 years ago that securing a helmet by Velcro is illegal.

Nevermind that I thought, since it was illegal why are the shops even permitted to sell them without informing the public?

Nevermind that instead of a warning (First time I was stopped by T.P. ever!) I was given three de-merit points plus a $150 fine.

Nevermind that the T.P look like he owes loan shark tons of money and was just trying to fulfilled his quota for the month so his bosses won't sack him.

Hey, he is just doing his job no matter how suspicious it seems. Thank you mr traffic policeman. I will give them my hard-earned $150 plus time and effort as payment for tuition fees. Isn't that a good trade-off?

Guess when the government promotes my organization with the slogan: “I don't get a ticket for breaking the sound barrier.”

They obliviously failed to mention. : “But I do get one when my helmet is not worn correctly especially when it comes to my helmet strap.”

With government like this how can we go wrong?!! If you get into an accident and die cos your helmet came off, they would say : “Shit man! Another valuable carrot-headed resource gone down the drain. How can we prevent that from happening?”

T.P : “I know! Or-gong them for not wearing their helmet in the correct manner! At least if he suay suay langa, we would have make sure he is doing his part as a good citizen by paying us before hand. Respectful right?”

I did my part in society building and it felt so good!
You people should chip in more often too! Especially those drivers who overtoke us today at the speed of light. Perhaps traffic police shouldn't wear sunglasses anymore. It ain't that cool and you are depriving some ‘Real’ good citizens from paying and doing their part. Let us all do our bits towards community building. (People with heart problem please do not try it out yourself. Hazardous to your conditions)

The Rush

I have been having the rush for the last four days.

Rushing to HDB hub to get best possible queue number for the latest walk in selections of HDB flats on offer.

Rushing to view all the show flats on display

Rushing to inspect and anlayize the neighborhood and surrounding areas of my choice units

Rushing to calculate the price and monthly installment my fiancee and I have to fork out every month

Rushing to shortlist all the units that gave us the ‘Good Feeling’ about it

Now I am rushing to sleep so I can wake up with a good enough clear mind for my appointment with HDB later.

So why on earth am I still blogging at this moment? I am a hopeless addict it seems. Ha-ha.
(Actually rushing to wait for my hair to dry so I can hit the bed cos just taken a shower. Too late at night to use the hair blower)

I just hope that the units we short-listed are available when it is my turn.

Just For Laugh

Thought I might share some jokes that were forward to me, which I found it funny.
(OK I'm on a study break now so I'm trying to relax a bit until I crank up my brain cells in 10 minutes)
These must have been really old jokes but they are funny as they are true in some sense.

Behind every successful woman, there is a satisfied man.
But behind a satisfied woman, there is an exhausted man
( Very true indeed!! )

Why was the 2-piece swimsuit invented?
To separate the HAIRY section from the DAIRY section.
( A bit lame lah I know)

Sex is like a restaurant.
Sometimes you get full satisfactory service
Sometimes you have to be satisfied with self-service
( It's worse when you have to pay for service charges when you didn't get any! )

Teacher: "What do you want to become?"
Little Max: "Doctor!!"
Teacher: "Why?"
Little Max: "Coz it's the only profession where you can tell a woman to take off her clothes and
ask her husband to pay for it."
( Ya man! Damn the system! )

An old virgin wanted her tombstone to read: BORN A VIRGIN, LIVED A VIRGIN, DIED A VIRGIN.
The engraver shortened it to: “RETURNED UNOPENED”
( No offences to vigins or ladies for that matter )

Bugs

The other night while I was doing my report, a bug (I think. Not an expert on insects) flew in and decided to make a pit stop on the side of my monitor. Being enticed by its appearances, I decided to take a snap shot of it.

So many different types of patterns and designs between them. Truly amazing.
(Or disgusting according to some woman which is beyond me)
Now I'm neutral when it comes to insect.
(Provided they don't try to snatch my food)
Nevertheless, I do wonder what family of insect species it belongs.

More Beyond Concert Photos

Not much of costume changes. Their focus is letting the music speaks for themselves.

Members of BEYOND from top: STEVE, PAUL and WING
The quality is quite blurring cos I utilized my digital zoom to the max that I can.

This is the distance I'm seated with my optical zoom to the max. Damn! Should have brought a 10x optical zoom camera.

All in all, a POWER performances.

Beyond Concert

I am REALLY getting Too DAMN OLD for this shit. 10 years ago during their first concert here, I was screaming, dancing, waving my hands and light sticks like a mad man, jumping up and down on the chair, wolf whistling and shouting out cheers.

The crowd settling in before the concert

10 years later, I couldn't even drag myself out of the comfort of my seat just to stand up and cheer. Heck, I don't even feel like putting my hands together and clap after every songs even though their performances were still good as ever. Tiring man!! By coincidence, the surrounding areas around me were seated with aunties and uncles or couples in their late thirties. Guess I fitted right in with my current mentality and mood. The concert was “ok lah” by my standards. Or was it because I no longer shared the same enthusiasm of those youngsters swinging theirs hands to and fro, back and forward, side to side, up and down throughout the performances. Feels like too much work.

Sigh.....give me a soft bouncy sofa and a cup of hot coffee while I lazed around in the comfort of my home with the tube on anytime.

See you guys in another 10 years time.

Money well spent?

After ten long years of waiting, it is finally here again. Yes!! I was just thinking bout it a month back and then they announced it on the air. Is it for real? Excitedly, I went on the net for inquiry. The monitor screen flashes the answer to my unconvinced state of mind.

Precious: “Dear, a bit expensive lay.”
Mr Lee: “Ya lor. But it may be the last time I see them together here in Singapore.”
Precious: “So you're going? Ok. I'll see you after it has ended.”
Mr Lee: “What after it ended? You're coming with me.”
Precious: “Huh? You sure? Wah then VERY expensive to pay for two people lay.”
(She already assumes I would be paying for her share. Women are good. Leave you with no room to bargain.)
Mr Lee: “Of course you're coming with me lah. (Heartache) I'm not going alone. Somemore none of my friends is able to make it. They have totally LOST their Mojo and spent their money on useless stuff and unnecessary luxuries to be able to afford it. Sad for them really.”
Precious: “Or you go alone and enjoy yourself lah. I'm ok with it since I'm not really into them.”
(Trust me, woman are NEVER 'ok' with it.)
Mr Lee: “Jump up and down by myself meh? Wait people say what is this Lao beng doing by himself how?”
Precious: “You REALLY want to go? Very EXPENSIVE lay.”
Mr Lee: “Hmm....Ya lor. Think forget it lah. Don't go lah.”
Precious: “Are you sure you REALLY DON'T want to go? Been 10 years lay. Maybe you have to wait another 10 years for them to come. If they do come again."
Mr Lee: “Err....nevermind lah. I will LUN! Could always listen to the CDs even if the feeling is different. ”
Precious: “You REALLY sure? The cost price divided by 10 years is considered ok lah. About $30 per year.”
Mr Lee: “Hmm...err.....I can LUN lah!”
Precious: “REALLY? Don't regret later you know.”
Mr Lee: “Argghhh!! Ok lah! We GO! I will show you how rock and roll your darling is all about during my youth.”

Sigh...Guess once a true blue rocker, always a rocker. Though I am more into jazz nowadays. But I always have a thing against cover versions and supported original works.

Tonight I will ROCK the stadium with my buttercup and all the frantic fans. Once you have been to the live session before; the energy, the enthusiasm, the power, the unanimously sing-a-along, the feeling of unitedly. It will consume you and get you addicted. Oh well, let me indulge a bit tonight cos I haven't done so in a long time. My buttercup is more of a classical and pop queen while I am the "Rocking" king. ( Pun intended)
I just hope she don't fall asleep due to boredom!

A Sucker for the Blues

These are some stuff I would be wasting my money on. Hmm….I wonders if it is because I can’t wait to start my own family and have kids or because the author’s brand of humor really gets to me?

Faith

These past weeks have been really hectic. My fiancee got a new job that pays a lot. However, she is having second thoughts due to many reasons. Be it personnel or environment induced, they are all reasons that are valid. Suddenly the reality of what I am currently involved with sank in. Money, prospects, the unknown future. Though she has not even reached half the number of years that I have been tolling with work, she is getting a lot more salary than me. Is it due to her overseas qualifications? Do not get me wrong. My honey is very qualified and focuses on what she does and puts in a lot of effort in learning new work-related stuff and most of all, tolerating with incompetent bosses. I am really glad and proud of her. However, I admit I am a bit of a male chauvinist pig in some senses that I feel man should always be the breadwinner and earn more than women. Blame it on my egos and traditionalist values.

If possible, I hope to earn enough to provide for her and my family and that she can be the tai-tai she wants to be. Since the age of eight I have been working. Even during secondary and poly, I have been working part times with many odd jobs to support my studies and myself. My buttercup always complain that I have no childhood. What to do? I need to eat right? Where got time to watch cartoons or play 'five stones' ? Should I blame it on fate or that my parent are humble folks who just desire a simple life and puts the welfare of their eldest child second compare to theirs. I did not complain to them then and I will not complain to them now either. Since young I have been supporting myself and know the values of money together with all the strings of evils attached to it and that, survival is really bout the strongest, not the richest. The 'Never say die attitude' . If the world were to end tomorrow, I KNOW I can still manages to stay alive longer than anyone else does.
(In Singapore, people are used to pampered lifestyle. Third world countries would possibly outlive anyone else if Dooms Day came)

I do not have the luxury of a stay at home mum who cooks for her children. I am however grateful to my grandma who took over the task of being my mother while I was an infant and let me say this now though she won't know cos she does not use the internet.
(Sometimes for guys, it is hard to say sorry as suggested in one of Chicago's songs [It's hard for me to say I'm sorry] )

Ah Po, please forgive me if I shouted occasional at you for nagging. I am sorry. I hope that I would be able to let you lead a comfortable life when I really make it big and to let you carry your great grandson soon. (Dear dear, you know what to do now right?)



I have been in the force for almost seven years now. Due to the fact that the market clashed in the 90's and someone needs to help the folks pay for expenses and such. Therefore, I decided to sell seven years of my life to the force. After six and a half years of sweat, blood, time consuming, youth wasting, soul giving and a row of unappreciative bosses later, I am still where I am. Physicality battered, mentally tortured and just marching on the same spot where I was when I sign on the dotted line. There is no significant increase in my salary cos let's face it, we are civil servant so do not expect the government to give you much unless you are some sort of scholar. Actually if you are really a distinguished scholar, you should not stay in the force cos it will be a waste of talent. Unless of course that is where your interest reside. I am beginning to resent the word “civil servant”. Are we just disposable tools that the government can disregard now and then? If you can pay $4,000,00 to someone who changed the name of "Marina Bay" to "Marina Bay", which is actually the same as before, I'm sure you can come up with better description for us government's workers. How many incompetent supervisors and bosses are there in the government sector? Too fucking many! And yet, their seats are iron cast while we are just sparks of dust that are feathered away when they feel like doing some spring cleaning or system modifications.

Some of my colleagues told me that if their girlfriend/spouse earn that much, they would stop working or are able to 'relax a bit' . I was thinking to myself: “Huh??!! You're serious?!!” I mean come on! Those words are supposed to come from a woman's mouth. Isn't it the man's job to bring back the dough?

What happened to the men of today?! Is the society of this era going through a reversive role between the two chromosome species or am I THAT....... back-dated and old-fashioned in thinking?

If I were brought up in a 'normal' family, would I be better off or much worse? Would I also be a pampered spoilt brat instead of being independent now? Would I have at least succeeded in accomplishing one of my dreams and lead a better life? Just how do I even define the term “A better life”?

Does having more money equal more happiness? Makes me wondered about the road I choose. Am I on the right path to success? Am I on the way up or way down? Am I just wasting time?

There is a sensation brewing so strongly in my heart, equips with the ability welded in my brain telling me that I could do better, if I give my all in the outside world. But the fact remains that I am currently bonded with the force and my wings clip off to prevent me from flying. However, in six months time I would have my wings back (Going to ORD soon!) but will I be too old then to soar? Have I wasted too much time rooting in the slump that maybe I have forgotten how to fly? My courage have been failing me lately and things which once makes me energetic and gives me anticipations no longer trills me with any excitement. Is this a sign of age? Have my limbs and mind been so inactive that I no longer dare to dream and seize the day?

No..... I need to stop dwelling on the past. What is done is done. I need to focus on what I am currently doing and concentrate on the future. Life is never fair. I never wished I were born with a silver spoon. Satisfactions only come after all my hard work pays off for me. Not when it is being given to me. No one will treasure things that are thrown to you whenever you asked for it. They will only treasure it if there is a need for them to fight for it. At least for me that's the case. If I were able to turn back time, I wouldn't change a thing.
(Well, maybe two or three. Like buying the winning combinations for all the previous 10 million dollars New Year Toto lucky draws)

I am proud of what I have gone through and achieved in the past to what I am now. The future is forever uncertain. Like a soccer match where two or three goals can be conceived in the last five minutes, just when you think the opposition team has won. ( It may seem K-long a bit lah but still...)

I will focus on the present and give my all. Life is about not living in regrets wondering what would happen if you did not accomplished what you should have done. The key word for me is focus and unweaving faith in the face of obstacles. One day, hopefully not in term of decades, I WILL attain my goals and accomplished my dreams

Suggestion

I reckon you people would already know about the ban on smoking in coffee shops and public bus stop including some pubs or disco. Until now, I have heard tons of complains from just about anyone. From coffee shop uncles and aunties, pubs owners saying the move will cause a decrease in business to other non-smokers saying the move is useless as smokers will conjured up new places for their fag and in turn causing great distress to non-smokers in those areas.

The government have tried to prevent the number of smokers by “Su Ga Su Ga” increasing the price of cigarettes. The Normal way things are done is that when there is a shortage in supplies, price will inflate. Like oil, gold, precious metal, rubbers and such. I do not think there will ever be a shortage in tobacco right? So why is it still increasing? To "keep up with the global rates" and prevent youngsters from starting? When there's a will to smoke, there's a way to pay. Just look at all those illegal contrabands cigarettes peddlers on the streets. Yes, cigarettes is relatively expensive in European countries but do we have to even set our cigarettes exchanges rate to be similar like them? If the government is TRULY concerned about the health of Singaporeans, perhaps they should just ban the whole thing. Like what they did with chewing gums. So why isn't it done yet? Revenue that's why. Billions of dollars in government tax revenue. Not to mention the complications of import and export agreements between other 'Investing' countries. Well, Singapore needed the money! Can't really blame them.

Being a smoker myself, may I suggest an idea, which caught my interest while I was overseas. The pubs and disco there also banned smoking within their premise except for a designated area or “box” where smoking is permitted. (Something like the yellow boxes we had in camp but instead of being in the open, it's more like a transparent plastic room) In addition, there is a ventilation fan to suck the smoke out inside the room. You know, for people who felt that cigarettes are getting too expensive, here's an idea. Just enter those rooms and breathe in all the second hand smoke they desire. It's free right?! Hey if you brought a compressor tank with you even better. That way, just suck in all the second hand smoke, compressed it and bring it back so you could unwind later in the comfort of your home with enough smoke to last you for a week. Save quite a lot of money if you are a smoker don't you think?



Sooner or later, almost all of Singapore's public areas will be banned for smoking which is good in some sense and smokers will have to watch out for signboards telling them where they're allowed to smoke.

It's Finally Here

I have been a fan of [Baby Blues] since forever. Reasons? Because their humor is, something I can relate to and very much similar to what is happening in real life. Yes, for those young families with a couple of kids, you will find that what the characters Daryl and Wanda went through to raise their family is not much different from us. Though I may not have my own children yet but I can already picture myself in that same situation. Anyway, here is their latest release and a brief intro for those of you new to the heart-warming strips. Guess my monday won't be so blue this week afterall.



"Baby Blues is the hilarious cartoon strip that depicts the perils and pratfalls of raising young children in suburbia. Daryl and Wanda MacPherson are a couple in their mid-thirties struggling to juggle work and three kids with hectic schedules-and maintain their sanity. Zoe, the talkative eldest, is seven and more worldly than ever. Hammie is the newly anointed (by the recent birth of baby Wren) middle child. At age five, he's a willing student for Zoe and a virtual Velcro board for blame. Wren is the newest addition to the MacPherson clan-so far, all giggles and sunshine . . . with a few clouds on the horizon."