Boxing Day 2011

Today i drove home via a long-winded way..what could have been a straightforward-expressway journey home became a downtown excursion - i drove through orchard road to get home..

Just thought i'd check out the 'aftermath' of the xmas celebration..& maybe soak up a bit of the 'post-xmas' mood..
Didn't realise i have this 'peculiar' habit of driving through the 'happening places' after the 'happening'..a quick glance of my previous entries reminded me that i did the same thing(driving through the exact same route somemore!) for 2 consecutive new years..

While i'm not exactly anti-holiday mood(i do kinda enjoy them, doesn't everybody?) I guess i kinda prefer the 'post' mood rather than the 'pre' mood..cos the 'pre' is usually a bit too excited, too hyper for me..while 'post' is of a more relaxed pace(and hopefully, contented mood too)

The other reason that i came up with..is that if one is mostly happy and contented..you don't really need any occasion as a reason to feel happy..

Word of the Day

Belong

Where/whom do you belong to..?

One of those perfect Sunday mornings..

Y'know..feeling a bit lazy..snuggling under the covers in the nice cool weather..with just one or two minor items on the day's agenda..

Took a little stroll in the light drizzle to Mac..Somehow on a morning like this, a sausage muffin coupled with a hash brown(hot potato!) seemed like comfort food to my by-now-half-starving tummy..this is the one(& probably only)thing i like about Mac - u know exactly what you're gonna get..no nasty surprises or watsoever..Of cos there was the intention of getting a happy meal toy(Puss-in-boots!) but alas, Puss was too popular and was sold out -.-

And what would a Sunday morning be without the Sunday papers..Oh my, Stefanie-ever-same-tutorial-class-with-me Sun is having her own column now too! Check out the comics..and according to the horoscope, i oughta 'stick with what is right in front of me'..hmm....

Of cos not forgetting thanks to the person who had to forgo her weekly dosage of doraemon for this sunday morning breakfast..


Recap - http://zxlagain.blogspot.com/2009/11/sunday-mornings.html

我们到旧地重游
收拾那些感动
选在牵手处分手
让回忆变朋友
落叶会记得大树的执着
在离开以后

我们背对背靠拢
数到十往前走
约好别回头别挽留
让爱多点洒脱
很多话哽在喉咙
说不说心都会痛
忽然你我都掉头
跑进彼此的怀中

爱情结束我和你抱着哭
四行泪洗出两条对的路
爱更加清楚不要谁变成包袱
才放手祝福

爱情结束我和你抱着哭
最后拥抱心懂心的无助
爱若曾付出会深深被心记住
伤痕是礼物

没有照顾好承诺
我想是我的错
感觉像冰块溶化了
感情无法挽救
少了我前呼后拥
你会难免寂寞
我同样也要承受
这段爱写下的错

不要怕孤独回忆中有我同住
远远的守护


结束 我们抱着哭
演唱: 古巨基 作曲:李思菘 作词: 十方

Sweets

Maybe it was the brilliant sunset today - haven't seen any sunset, nice or not nice, in the past few weeks..i drove home, chasing the egg yolk, with the intention of updating my long-neglected blog..

As usual, i will take the shortcut and publish previous drafts..

---

So Sweet #1 - Receiving a photo of a gorgeous sunset on watsapp..sent from 12000 miles away..

So Sweet #2 - Receiving a birthday card from old pal Wei(first ever!)..never mind it was late and i was even later in opening the card..In my 20 years of knowing her, this is probably one of the sweetest things she's done for me - thanks bud!

So Sweet #3 - Hearing 'hoops' again..

Life's sweeeeet..

A potato a day..

Potato - The edible tuber of the cultivated plant, Solanum tuberosum, of the nightshade family(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/potato)

In its raw and true form, a potato is hard..not particularly appetising..

Apply some heat and warmth..a hot, baked potato can be one of the best meals one can have..giving you enough nutrients n energy to get on with the day..

Spend a little more effort..give it a bit more time and heat, it can also turn into mashed potato..soft and fluffy..the perfect comfort food at the end of a long weary day..

And here i go..on my a-potato-a-day diet..

It's a lovely day today..

Thanks..

..to everyone who has made the effort to remember and wished me HB..

Thanks thanks..

I want you to fight for me..

~ Max from Real Steel

When was the last time you fought for someone?

:)

U know..there's the saying that you can hear a smile in someone's voice..it's true..even though it's through a recording..

I have lots of draft entries..

..of cos i chose to do the 'irrelevant' stuff..like changing the design template..

Will you..

I know i have an on-off relationship with u..and i'd really like to see u more often..in fact, i would love to have you as a permanent feature in my life..but..u require a rather huge commitment..n for you, i probably have to give up some, erm..pleasures..

I am of cos talking about..my abs..

While i did not always have 'photoshopped' abs(Crazy Stupid Love, anyone?), 'watever faint lines' defnitely have became even more 'fainter' in recent months..

And a badminton game just the other day revealed that I'm super unfit and totally out of shape..i was left panting after merely 20 mins, and i felt i had to use all my might just to make the cock fly further(i blame it on the inferior cock)

So i'm giving myself until my birthday(hint hint, it's exactly 1 month away) to regain (some of) my fitness and physique..

Jia you ZXL!

-

I've got quite a few drafts saved..random rantings..US Open..cats..but never got down to polishing them up to publishing standards..no time, no mood, no energy..

Anyway..let me answer the 2 questions i get asked most often these days:

- Are u busy making big money?
- Are you attached?

The answers(rather sadly) are no and no..

Post-holidays..

Someone reminded me that besides working(me), we also did lotsa eating/shopping for food..So here're the photos as proof..

Holiday..?!

This photo pretty much summed up my recent trip to Penang..while someone was happily swimming away(see the pool in the background?), i was surgically attached to my laptop throughout the trip..

And my only contribution to the trip was figuring how to take public buses(RM35 for a 15mins cab ride downtown is too much for me)

Let's go for another trip where i don't have to bring my laptop k..

More musings..

Referring to my previous entry on running a race..

How do you run a race when you're not even sure you're in the race in the first place..

Musing..

How do you run a race when you have no idea whether it's a sprint or a marathon..

Sunday Life's..like tat..

Some of you might have read about an article in the papers which quoted me and my company - THANK YOU to all who had 'congratulated' me on it..

(Btw, my business, while had picked up, is not 'booming' as one of you had smsed me..it sounded like so cos the journalist kinda wanted to hear tat)

What most of you don't know is that i actually also did a photoshoot with a separate photographer..which actually took longer than the interview itself..goodness know how many rounds i cycled so tat she can capture me 'in action' AND smiling into the camera AT THE SAME TIME..but of cos, in the end my 'beautiful' photos never saw daylight..haha

Once again, thanks to all who had supported and stood by me(and my company) all these years :)

不要让快乐也沉重

快乐需要理由吗?

很多城市人都感觉到: 自己与快乐成为陌路人,自己应该快乐的时候却愁眉苦脸。

追求快乐症候群?

有动机就有动力，有动力才能成事；所以没有内容的快乐， 是苍白且空洞的 -- 从小到大， 城市人都被灌输如此类的观念: 拥有才会快乐， 快乐的先决条件是拥有财富， 事业， 物质， 成就感， 健康。 快乐是与生活的理性交易,穷开心不过是感性的白痴。

路过一只睡猫，小孩会蹦蹦跳跳地绕它几圈先是欣赏， 然后蹲在一旁又逗又弄又模着猫的慵懒。 人猫各司其职， 却显得无所事事, 有着不拥有尘世的天地喜欢。

快乐之前，如果还要用脑袋来判断, 不如不思考。

(原文来自吴优律)

~ 有你陪我逗猫咪，我想我是快乐的小孩 ~

Opps!

I forgot to give credit to the original author of my previous entry - 吴悠律. He writes a column

私房搞 in Sunday's 早报周刊.

Mama > Sorry to disappoint, but i dun have so much 墨水..this week's article is quite interesting too, see if i have the time/mood to reproduce here..

幸福从习惯开始

习惯了，就适应了
适应了，就麻木了
麻木了，就蹉跎了

据说,

一个人一天做事效率最高的时间， 是早上9点到11点； 这时的脑袋最活跃，精神最集中。一日之计在于晨不是空泛的早晨祝语。但是在这段时间，大多数城市人也许正专注与浪费。
因为习惯。尤其是不知不觉的坏习惯。

习惯会上瘾，是建筑身心安乐窝最便宜，好用的材料。 科学家说， 动作重复三周以上形成习惯，重复三个月以上的习惯就稳定下来。

习惯也许因人而异，不能褒贬，就像睡觉原本就是一种享受过程。但是，如果拿未来的幸福当枕头，很容易会把快乐先睡死。这不是很难推断的结局， 选择其实明摆着，但城市人却心甘情愿地成为嗜睡的奴隶。

习惯也有生命，会贯彻思路，无中生有。墨镜戴久了，就会认定室内的灯光也会刺痛肉眼。

旧习惯难以死亡，除非新习惯找到动机。心灵一旦习惯了贫瘠， ‘我要快乐’便会继续成为缠根于脑海的念头， 怎么笑都不彻底，不痛快。

心理学家说:

播下一个行动, 收获一个习惯;
播下一种习惯, 收获一种性格;
播下一种性格, 收获一种命运’

想象能开创，自律加强执行力。 如果幸福被习惯偷走, 那么想象和自律，也许能把幸福夺回来归还你。思想决定出路，思想的修行更是点滴功夫， 没有捷径。快乐是一种习惯， 跟乐观， 热情， 积极，甚至成功一样。

明天的样子，取决于昨天的习惯； 若想改变， 就要抢当习惯的主人，

美好生活从今天的习惯开始。

*Bling bling*

I was doing some work-work on my laptop..then i was like..hmm..something feels different..Took me a couple of mins to realise..then bling!

The screen(together with the rest of my 'Windows 7') had been cleaned earlier(by a very helpful person)..no wonder it seems different! ^.^

Continuing from previous blog..

Despite having only 6 hours' of sleep on a squeaky air mattress and feeling lethargic due to the 'air'..we managed to get onto the tennis court to whack a few balls..

And guess wat? It was a grass court! Have always wanted to experience playing on one..and it's literally at the doorstep of 0.5's new home in KL..



Next..clay court??

-

I did not have my weekly dose of tennis this week since my regular kaki couldn't make it..so i did what i gotta do..

I took a 6 hours' coach journey to look for my other tennis kaki..

ZXL signing off from KL..

F I

So, there is a term for it - Focusing Illusion.

Focusing illusion refers to how people tend to exagerrate the effect of whatever they're thinking about, when they are thinking about it. Examples are people thinking they cannot get over losing a partner or having children make them happy.

I've always thought something to this effect exists..For me, it usually occurs when i crave for a certain food, thinking how good it was the last time i had it..and when i finally get to eat it, i get somewhat disappointed when it doesn't taste as good as i 'remembered' it to be..or more like i imagined it to be..

Or those occasions when i allow myself to get angry over something..and the more i think about it, the angrier i become..have u ever experienced that?

Anyway, this article also mentioned that happiness research has its practical implications, such as helping people to decide what kind of trade-offs they want to make in their lives. Interestingly, commuting is an activity cited that people never mentally adapt to..if one commutes the same way for 10 yrs and don't adapt to it - it's just gonna be unhappy all the way through. I guess that's why i still curse everytime i get caught in less-than-ideal traffic conditions..

Another point that i found rather intriguing, is that the author notes that all around the world, most people tend to overestimate what money can bring to them in terms of happiness.

But here's the clincher : Money can buy happiness, but only if people know how to spend it wisely. And this means spending it on experiences, rather than accumlating goods merely to signify status or privilege, such as branded bags or cars. If one uses money to buy gifts for friends or to fund a day out doing something fun, that could have a much greater impact on their happiness.

~ Full article 'Jobs aplenty, but are we happy?' first appeared in Straits Times, 27th July 11

Biggest Regret..No More!

Referring to my previous entry on my biggest regret, i'm proud to say that i've been there, done that!

The one thing that really surprised me(pleasantly) was that the queue for the Galatica rides were really short(average wating time of 2 mins or just the next ride), compared to some other easier(or warmup) rides which we had to queue for up to 40 mins..in fact, i managed to have 4 Galaticas in less than 1 hour, inclusive of cool-down between each ride?

I guess that's the advantage when you go on a weekday when the crowd is made up of mostly tourists and families with young kids :p

Sliding Doors

I thought i was random, until i read my pal Wei's entry..she wins, hands down, no fight. Hmm..maybe i should write something like tat too..& see if anyone understands..??

Dumbo did a little run..Dumbo ran 3km one-way to Jumbo..stopped, looked around, no Domo..Dumbo couldn't quite do the Mambo and so turned around and trudged back. Domo probably didn't see Dumbo since Dumbo was tomato-faced, plus wearing a red top..most likely blended in with the lobsters in Jumbo..

And then the next day, it was Domo's turn for a not-so-little run of 5km..round and round Domo ran, maybe Domo was too brown and merged with the trees in the background..so Dumbo didn't see Domo either.

How buddy? This writing style can or not??

Randoms..

*Motivated or recharge?
Friend asked me over lunch: How do you keep yourself constantly motivated(for work)? You always seem fresh and ready..

Another friend texted me after dinner on the same day: You should go for a holiday, take a break and recharge!


*All i've got now is the strap..the old strap
My timex watch strap cui liao..this most people know by now..the reason why i bought this watch was(and still is) cos i like the strap..so without the (original) strap, i wasn't very motivated to change the strap..

A kind soul had managed to buy the exact same strap & even cleaned and changed it for me..& i proudly wore it for 2 secs before taking it off(which i always do when playing racket games).

When i got home, the watch-with-the-new-strap was nowhere to be found..all i have inside my bag was the old(& burnt) strap..without the watch..


*Random meets random-er
While cycling today, he turned to me and asked 'Do you want somebody to take off your clothes?' This is the same guy that told me some weeks back 'You're delicious'

Can i sue a 5 yrs old boy for sexual harrassment..?


Life's like that ya..

(Almost) tragedy..

For some unknown reasons(to myself), i've been slacking in my postings..even though i have a handful of drafts saved..

Anyway, something happened today and i cannot resist not blogging - my yu yuan mian stall is closed! i had gone down for a few errands(as i always do when i go bt merah)..and just when i was eagerly anticipating my fave yu yuan mian served piping hot on a rainy day..Alas! it was closed for the day! No lights, no screaming auntie..

Why oh why oh why..

ZXL Moon Sports

As i'm typing this..my 13.3 screen in split into 2..one with this of cos, and the other..also of cos, of wimbledon..*at this very moment, tsonga(who will be now be known as the first player to ever win fed from 2 sets down) is 1-2 against djokovic, almost a replay of wed's match..

Ok, now that i've more or less accepted the great tragedy(of fed's loss), i can blog a little more about it..for posterity's sake..ha!

******
It started off promising enough..5 of us arriving upon Far East, determined to get a place to catch the Wimbledon(sleazy pub also can, so said twink) With the big 4 playing - Roger! Djokovic! Nadal! Murray!, we were looking forward to some serious action..

We flitted from pub to pub..screen too high up, table too close, seats too wet from the drizzle..and then we found a giant screen and almost immediately, we plonked ourselves at the table in front of it. Pimms were ordered(how appropriate for Wimbledon!), along with fries with the only-zxl-can-detect-spiciness sauce. And of cos, twink was the one to get the staff to lower the thump-thump music and on the volume for the tv(this is what i like about twinky!

For the first 30 mins or so, it was all smooth sailing(for Roger) and we were discussing how soon he can wrap up the match. And when he dropped the third set, we thought maybe he was too relaxed and made some unfortunate unforced errors..

By the forth set, we(or rather, urs truly) started banging the table a little more furiously and i had to get another beer to calm my nerves..

Fifth and deciding set, dear Roger got broken in the very first game..and i was thinking 'this cannot be good..' And as what the commentator said, slowly but surely, Tsonga is reaching match point..Soon, Tsonga was serving at 5-4 with 2 match points & it was over when Roger returned the serve half-heartedly into the net..

Sigh..it's the Wimbledon..how can it be..Will i ever get to see Roger win another Grand Slam..

Roger Out..

Sadly, for the second time in a row..i have to say that..

Still a little upset about the results..shall blog more about it after i finish mourning..

'Life's short..i'll take all the joy i can..'

~ Anna from Pinoy Sunday

2 Fat Men

Was out with twink(noo, the blog title is not referring to us) at the famous bak chor mee place..and of cos i ordered..the prawn mee..Ok, that's so not the point.

We then walked down the stretch, past a pub, eyed that the tv screen was on Mio, showing some not-exciting-at-all football games..and i did what i had to do - pushed twink to the pub staff and got her to convince them to change channel to Wimbledon..

It worked and we wasted no time in 'choping' the table right in front of the tv screen(we realised, only much later, that we had taken a table for 6 pax) The next 3 hours were spent staring at the screen, listening to commentary via twink's iphone(see, i'm starting to be partial towards smartphones) while knocking back a couple of beers..

Life's not too bad..

n.b. 2 Fat Men was the name of the pub we were at; decent food(according to reviews), good selection of beer and best of all, nett prices. Hmm..now that We2 and someone have been struck off the list for 'wimbledon hosting rights', this place seems like a good alternative..

Wimbledon

After the French Open..came the somewhat anti-climax Sg Open..and now, Wimbledon season is upon us..

Let me see..where shall i catch the games? Anyone offering? Wei? We2? Someone?

Hmm..when will i get to catch Wimbledon live at..well, Wimbledon?

The Last Train

Met up with WeWe and Pizza for dinner at KTM the other day..Gosh, was the place crowded..

I guess everyone is there for 'one last look'(fyi, KTM will be no-more come 1 Jul)..u know they're here not just for the beehoon goreng(0.5's fave) or mee soto(the other 0.5's fave) when every other person is holding a camera in their hands and snapping away..

My recent memories of KTM: supper with ssc folks..supper with cycling folks..supper with ys/rq..u get the picture..oh, and once, catching the world cup(albeit on a very snowy screen) with someone..

Sad to say..my somewhat fuzzy recollection of my experience actually onboard the train is not-too-flattering(uncomfortable seats, unpredictable schedules, etc). To be fair, i've not taken the train for eons and recent anecdotal talk seemed to indicate some improvements over the years..

So despite the train station being a mere 5 mins walk away, it was never really in my consideration as a mode of transport up north. Though I like the idea of having it at my backyard(literally), just as people like having a gym/pool in the condo, never mind that they don't ever use them..

I did make an attempt some 2 months back to catch the train to Danga Bay..but someone had checked the outdated schedule and when we were the ticket counter, we realised the earlier train left 4 hours ago and the next train is not for the next 5 hours..

More than once, friends have asked me this question : Can i hear the train from my place? My answer? I cannot say for sure(i could have been imagining things for all i know), but i thought i could hear the trains while lying on my bed at night when i was younger, much younger of cos..

I guess in a way, trains have that old-world romance to them..y'know..the classic scene where a person runs after the train as it pulls out of the station..where his/her loved one, face and palms pressed against the window, looks back..often with tears flowing down the cheeks. I had actually witnessed first-hand, quite a few of such scenes overseas, not as drama of cos, but heart-rending nonetheless. Running after a plane(not quite realistic) or a taxi(too common an ocurrence to have any significance) just doesn't have the effect..

So..go on..catch the train for one more time..while you still can..
The crowd looking on as the night train prepares for its departure (the train is somewhere in the middle of the photo..sorry for the lousy pic - taken with my lao kok phone)

Puke-on-demand

I dunno whether to be impressed or disgusted with myself..

For some reason i was feeling a little unwell earlier in the day..dunno is it cos of wat i ate..or how much i ate..or just generally unwell..

As i was waiting for my student, i started to feel the urge to puke..i tried to suppress it and actually lay down inside my van to see if i can get the urge to 'go away'..at one point, my hair even stood on ends(it usually means something serious for me)

Shortly after, my student turned up..and i forced myself to be a bit more perky(wat to do - 6 yrs old boy with 'issues')..survived the first 20mins..then the boy needed a toilet break. Mom took him..and during this 5 mins break, i actually allowed the urge to surface and 2 moments later, i puked..big time..

Just as i was wiping my mouth, my student came back. And i continued with the session as if nothing happened.

When the session was up, and i was done sending them off(with a smile no less), i threw up again.

Done puking, i drove myself back home.

Pattern more than badminton

Here i am..watching badminton..where players stretch, leap, dive..for a cock..i feel tired just by watching..

Yes, yours truly is rather tired too..having played tennis and table tennis consecutively, for 3 consecutive days..haven't been playing so 'intensively' for a while.. Now my right shoulder is feeling damn sore(even sore-er than the i-give-up-treating-it left shoulder) from all the whacking of balls..big ball and small ball..and the legs, oh the lactic acid buildup from chasing balls and children..and of cos cycling(tats my regular job)..BUT i like it..haha..i'm even 2 shades darker now(din get so dark from work..)

In the middle of typing this, i got distracted by a cry or rather, a yelp..a player stared, somewhat disbelievingly, at her racket..as though the racket had done something wrong(rather than the player holding it)

Think i've mentioned it in some previous entry..the raw emotions on the athletes' faces..to me, tat's the attraction of watching sports live in acton..A pump of fist in the air when a smash lands right on the line..the look of exasperation when the cock just tips over the net into the wrong side of the court..the determined face when facing 5 match points down..The expressions are just so genuine, so spontaneuos..

I may not be playing sports at an elite level..but I do think doing sports is one of the rare times when i can get rather expressive(running being an exception since i'm usually too breathless to talk during a run) Talking to myself, talking to my racket..i'm guilty as charged..

MCQ

Recently, I did a few things that shocked myself..

Things that people who know me well enough would be surprised to hear about..Without going into detail..u know, like a MCQ :

Qn. Which of the following would ZXL NOT do?

A) aaaaa

B) bbbbb

C) ccccc

D) ddddd

Ask 10 of my frens(ok, maybe 5..not sure if i have 10 frens who know me 'well enough'), and i think they would probably ALL answer 'B'(hey, i would answer 'B' myself)

Then, 2 moments later, i went to do 'B'..

Since i'm 'free' at work now..i managed to tidy up some blog rantings..so here goes..

I had asked a friend out the other day..with the intention of 'cheering' her up..given that she confided in me recently that she's quite troubled over some family matters..

Of cos, during this period i have whined to the entire world that i'm not feeling 'good'(too stressed, too busy, too tired, blah blah) and this friend thought that i needed to unwind and destress a bit.and so was nice enough to accept my jio-ing..

So in the end, i thought i was cheering her..and she thought she was cheering me..while i brought her one CD to try cheer her up, she brought me THREE CDs to cheer me up..

I guess this is wat happens when 2 people with similar traits cross paths..

Working away from work..

Been doing a bit of moonlighting these days..so-called moonlighting cos it's not my 'regular' job(though my regular job is sometimes not that regular..)

So why do i do it? Several reasons:
1. Interest. I've always been kaypoh in sports-stuff. Front-end, back-end, competitive, non-competitive..u name it, i'd most probably have done it before.

2. Staying updated with the industry..latest developments, technologies, who's who..

3. It actually allows me a break..physically..technically it's not a deskbound job but it's definitely not as strenuous as running after children-gone-wild

4. It pays. Tat goes without saying, for most people. But money usually isn't the biggest motivator for me..but well-meaning friends have been advising/nagging at me to take $$ a bit more seriously..So yes, it pays reasonable(ie. not fantastic, but cannot complain to MOM yet)

ZXL blogging-while-on-the-job

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..

After quite a few 'the world is really small hor' moments during last Sat's dinner, this newspaper article struck really close to heart..And the last 2 paragraphs echoed exactly how i felt during my vagabond days in UK..

..While Singaporeans moan constantly about overcrowding and a city that seems to be bursting at the seams, a population of 5 millions is still tiny. The consequence is that the denizens of our little island don't just live by the poverbial 6 degrees of separation, but by 5, 4, or even 3.

The upside of playing the 6 degrees of separation game is that in 2 minutes, you've struck up something - or someone - in common with the other person. She can't be that bad if she knows a friend of mine, you tell yourself.

The downside is that it can all go the other way. In an ideal world, everyone should get to begin on a clean slate. But on a few occasions, after going through the rigmarole of who-knows-whom and from-where, i've often made snap judgments about what 'type' the other party is.

"Oh, she's part of 'that' crowd'," i've caught myself thinking. "Not really my cup of tea then."

And what if you have a few skeletons in your closet?

The dozens of associations that link Singaporeans together in some way give us away too freely. Even thousands of miles away from home, you can't escape who you are, who you used to date or the mistakes when you were a freewheeling teenager.

Eventually, at a house party of chicken rice and Tiger beer, someone will catch your eye and say 'Hey, weren't you the one who..' before launching into an embarassing tell-all about the time you lost your bikini top at Zoukout.

Suddenly you realise: Yah man, Singapore is really that small. No doubt, having an intricate network of social relations is a boon. Perhaps that is why we feel a great sense of community towards fellow Singaporeans when we meet them on our travels. But the grapevine that comes with it? I'm not so sure.

People often ask me why I love London. In this respect, I love the anonymity of being in a big city, where i can lunch alone in a park without bumping into someone i know. I love that human interaction is more unpredictable, that i get to meet people outside my usual circle of friends.

I love that because many people here have come far and wide and from varying backgrounds, no one has a clue - or gives a damn - about who you once were..

(Edited by ZXL; Source: Sunday Lifestyle, 12th July, by a Singaporean journalist based in London)

Cheers..

..to 20 years of friendship with my pals Wei and TPH..

Wasn't exactly that successful at my hibernation attempt..with someone's birthday and quite a few work obligations..and of cos meeting up with good ole pals..

Wei, TPH and i had met for dinner..at a somewhat-quite-appropriate venue..not far from our alma mater and stone's throw from our first 'restaurant date' eons ago..

Besides quality catching up on each other's lives..it was yet another dinner with lotsa revelations(had one some weeks back)..and my, were they revelations on the other side of the court..Yes, drinks were involved again(dinner is never complete without drinks with TPH around..) But i'm sure it wasn't the drinks..All i can say is, i'm glad for pals like them..

Wei has no qualms telling me that she was tempted to take a cab down to my place(since she doesn't drive) and give me one tight slap when she found out that i was slacking in my life(okok, i'll stand in a corner and pull my ear >.<)

And as for TPH..despite not meeting her as much, she is not shy to exclaim 'how can u do tat..? we've been friends for sooo many years..!'

Yes yes..i never doubted our 20 years of friendship..

French Open

Just finished watching the match..still feeling a bit of the 'haiz...' Oh well, at least i totally lost myself in the game during tat few hours i was glued to WeWe's 42-inch screen(thanks WeWe!)

I must have asked the half the world who is watching the game where(and unabashedly inviting myself over) I had spent the past 2 nites trying to catch the matches online but staring at a 13.3 inch screen with a 5-sec lag is certainly not motivating to stay up till 2am. We even walked into a pub on Fri, asking if they could switch channels(oh c'mon, they were showing CNA!)

I probably used up half my month's sms quota msging updates and comments to everyone and anyone who happened to just msg me, whether or not it was related to the game..i even replied fish's sms on her exam stress with 'i'm feeling very stressed for federer too' :p

Anyway..like i mentioned in my previous entry..and just like the results of the match..it's 'Roger Out' for now..

Hibernation..

Again..i think i have had too much human contact lately..too much with people-not-so-important and too little with people whom i'd much prefer to spend time with..

I knew i reached the tipping point when i had a run-in with a random stranger(of cos i thought he was super guai lan and unreasonable), and i totally lost it and argued with him until my colleagues had to pull us apart(think they were worried that it might escalate into a fight) Thank goodness, a cat and a fish helped to calm me down after that..

***************
The rain today did me some good..all 4 lessons got washed out..hurts the pocket(but heck, never really motivated by $ anyway) Oh well, at least it also gave me the opportunity to spend time with me and me alone..

**************

This is it..i'm going into hibernation...right after i finish the French Open..Wei> U're with me on this ya?

My emotional chart for the past 1 week..fluctuations between highs and lows..

Oh well, there's always French Open to look forward to..it's like the most exciting Semis ever lah!

Message of the Day

Guai lan begets guai lan

Message of the Day

Drive safely - Think of your loved ones

Stirrings..ok, maybe feelings - Captain Jack Sparrow

Past few days were a mix of extremes..extreme weather, extreme chaos, extreme stress..

Decided enough is enough before i had a breakdown..Boycotted some work(money can always earn next time)..Switched off phone(thereby missing a fishball mee date)..and even went for a movie! (on hindsight, i couldn't believe i did that..think my colleagues will kill me if they know)

Managed to lower my blood pressure a little after the few hours off..didn't even dare to drink my teh-siew-dai cos i think it will make me gan cheong spider(of cos, it's probably not the only reason why i was so jittery)..

p.s. thanks to all those who have to put up with my whining and constantly-sending-smses-mode recently..

Thought of the day..

Giant seems gigantic today..

Chirp Chirp

As i'm typing this..i'm having 27,819 thoughts running through my mind..

Over the past few days..a lot of things happened..

Some were joyous occasions(3 weddings between me and someone)..some were 'life's like tat' moments(being offered 'leftover' parking coupons TWICE in the same carpark in the same day)..And more than a couple of times, i went 'oh-wat-a-coincidence!' ..and then, there were even a few 'almost-can't-believe-it' revelations..

Talking about revelations..in my sober-er moment(like now), i think i might have revealed just a little too much info during dinner the other nite (no doubt the 3 glasses of port played a part *.*) Over this very interesting dinner, i've also taken on a new incarnation..birdie(rated 2/4), with full potential being a peacock..

Does this make sense to anyone out there reading?

It's all very confuzzling..isn't it..

Of phones and such..

I've received the strongest 'hint' so far to change phone..to a smart phone to be exact..dear fish has smsed me from 10,000km away, informing me of her new smartphone - thank goodness it wasn't an iphone, and casually mentioning 'it's cheaper to send message to u if u have watsapp'

And of cos, she went on to sell me the benefits of a smartphone(still via old-fashioned sms) In fish-language, it simply means 'why don't u just go get a smartphone with watsapp'

Hmm..an average of 20 - 30 overseas smses per month might just swing my vote a little to the 'dark side'..

************
Resolution for the year(or wat's left of it anyway) - Refrain from using mobile phone while driving..TRRRRYY..

-

As with every other Singaporean, i was infected with the GE fever for the past week or so..(i actually left Jolin Tsai's concert early so i wouldnt miss the live results..jolin tsai really deserves a solo entry after wat i've gone thru over the past 2 nites..but neh mind)

There're quite a few entries on GE saved as drafts(I was actually trying to resist publishing new entries for a while...so MM can stay as cover labbit for a little longer), starting from the time i realised that i'm one of the 6% of adult Singaporeans who do not have the chance to put a X for the candidate i want(such is the irony)

Was browsing through some articles..when i came across Marine Parade's response to Ms TPL:

'TPL,of cos, was a factor - So you do know..

We knew she was young but we know that she will grow. I think that's the key. We wanted her. If anything, we knew that she would be young and inexperienced but we are quite happy - Happy with what exactly??

And the main thing is, she got through - Of cos lah, must still give u face right?

And that's the reason why people are unhappy - that such a young and inexperienced person has got through - That's stating the obvious right? Duh!!

In politics, it's transcient. We have 5 years. If after 5 years, TPL remains what she is, then of cos, she would still be a factor at the next election. But at this stage, looking at her action, in 3 years, she would be a different TPL' - So why get her in now? Why not just recruit her 3 years later for the next election?

I always thought a candidate need to prove him/herself first before we vote them in..Since when do we elect MPs, pay them $15k a month, so that we can groom them over the next 3 years???

Anyway, for more Singaporean voices on the GE, i thought my buddy Wei aka SJH aka SHM had a pretty good piece - Courage of Conviction

Why Do Trolleys 'Stick' On Escalators?

According to ZXL-pedia:

To avoid escalator trolley accidents, airports and supermarkets employ any of the following means:

- Trolleys with automatic brakes that stops the cart once the handle is released

- Strong magnets on the escalator floors that hold the trolley in place

- Trolleys that have specially designed wheels that locks in on the grooves of the escalator floor to prevent movement(The wheels on the trolleys ride on the outside edges.When they go onto the escalator the outside edges go into the gaps causing the wheels to sit onto the high part of the track. This prevents the wheel from tuning till it reaches the level ground again)

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Dangers-Of-Escalator-Trolley-Accidents-And-How-It-Is-Prevented/881848#ixzz1L7WRnQ3N

Hey, i got 2 out of 3..not bad!

Thought of the day..

The best imax experience can be had on a picnic mat..

My biggest regret is..

..I haven't been to US(Universal Studio, not United States hor) yet..

Honestly! Talked about it with 0.5, Ms Chan, twinky before..but ya..never action leh..

To 0.5:

6 years ago..when ZXL left to see the world...a certain 'labbit' accompanied her throughout the journey..inside this labbit carried the thoughts and wishes of many people, including a 0.5..

Today, as 0.5 is leaving to see her world, ZXL will return the favour via the very same labbit..

(The strike-throughs are the irrelevant or not-so-flattering stuff about yours truly, such as how i puked in TTSH..opps! Anyway, half the world have had read it umpteenth times already)

The Return of MM..

Nope..not the MM for my area..but..

My Melody! Remember exactly 6 years ago..



Stay tuned..

SJH? SHM?

Was having a long-overdue lunch with my dear pal Wei when she suddenly 'complained' to me 'how come i am just 'wei' on your blog huh..& not some cool nick like 0.5(not 50 cents, tat's the rapper lah!) or twink..?' Truth be told, i wasn't the one who came up with the nicks..they were invented by some very creative(& bo-liao) colleagues back in the good ole days..

Wait a min..but i'm also just 'ZXL' on ur blog..isn't it?

Anyway, she then went on to think of a 'cool' nick for herself..SJH - Serial Job Hopper(she considers staying in an organisation for 2 years a VERY long time)

I've got another one for you..SHM - Serial House Mover, how about that? (she moved house so many times i've lost count..)

So..SJH? or SHM?

Well Done ZXL!

Just the first week and i've already exceeded my target..i actually ran 12km this week..Not bad not bad..

And i've even recruited another lamb and 'designed' a 2-6-8 programme for her..With the help of a $2 skipping rope(cheap & good!), she'll aim for a 6-pack in 8 weeks..

9/6 2011

Browsed through previous entries..i had a 9/6 last year too..It was Project 9/6 - 6pack..

And i decided to have Project 9/6 again for 2011.. 9/6 - 10k

Every week from now till 9/6..i shall run 10km(total of lah)

Run ZXL run!

What I Like About Runs..

I've been accompanying people to runs for a while now..By that, i mean they run, i watch..Some people might find it bo-liao..but i dun mind it a bit, in fact i rather enjoy doing so..for the following reasons:

• Catching sunrise - Most runs start in the city area, which usually gives a good chance of watching the orange orb climbing up to start the day..caught a rather pretty glimpse today :)


• People-watch - To say that seeing (toned)people in sportswear, drenched in perspiration turns me on, may be a little far-fetched..but I do like to watch sports participation(occupational hazard..?) and runs are the perfect opportunity to do so..


• Breakfast - It's usually quite difficult to drag friends out for breakfast(esp on a weekend), but runs are a convenient way to 'con' them out.And i get to indulge in my teh-siew-dai without worrying that i'll get too hyper :Þ

****** After the 300++ Run today, we went to Amoy St for breakfast. There's this famous lor mee there which i wanted to eat since my brief visit to the hawker centre couple of weeks ago. I reckon, it's early morning..on a sunday..at shenton way..and lor mee is not a typical breakfast item..shouldn't be that much of a crowd right? I was totally WRONG.

At 930am on an ordinary sunday(not PH, not sch hol), there was a line of some 20 pax in front of the stall! Where did these people come from?? It's Amoy St, not exactly a heavily populated residential area...people staying in the swanky serviced apartments nearby will not come and eat lor mee right(purely my assumption)

Anyway, i joined the queue(not much of a choice, since it was the selling point that i used to convince someone). A quick glance around the surrounding tables showed that 90% of the occupied tables had at least 1 red bowl(used by the stall). And i realised nobody in the queue was just buying one bowl, everyone was buying at least 3, 4 bowls..with others da-baoing 7 packs(really!) But to their credit, the line was moving at a decent speed..And the queue never fell < 15 pax deep in my 1 hour there..in fact, i think it grew longer as it got later..

A bowl of lor mee, 1/4 of a oyster-less oystercake, 4 carrot cake fries, a teh-siew-dai, a few sips of an 'artistic' bubble tea..what more can i ask of a sunday breakfast?

Headlines for the day..

Blueberries - 2 punnets for $5.50!

There's fishball and there's fishball..

It's one of those days..nothing much better to do..and wat does ZXL do in this case? Go eat yu yuan mian lor..Bad mood go, will cheer me up..Good mood go, will be in even good-er mood..so why not right?

This must be the n blog entry about MY yuan yuan mian..but never mind..

Actually i was inspired to go for MY yu yuan mian after i learnt about the demolition of a quite famous hawker centre with a not bad yu yuan mian..I think if ever one day, i turn up at MY yu yuan mian stall and found that it's no longer there..i will cry..3 days 3 nites..

**********

It's one of those days..nothing much better to do..and wat does ZXL do in this case? Dig out a magazine and show off(an article on me) to Choc Lady..

Don't think she was very much impressed..since her only comments were 'You put on weight in this photo hor?' < PAUSE > 5 secs later..'And only your face is fatter hor..face and body like not the same person'(disclaimer: these were not her exact words, but meaning is there lah)

Coming from someone who barely knew me for a year..i suppose this is quite keen observation(since i'm no good at it - i keep observing the 'wrong' things..like thinking someone cut her hair when she didn't or someone put on makeup when she wore contact lens, etc)

Anyway these days..with my exercise FI(frequency and intensity) dropping, i'm starting to be a little concerned that my fishball face might make a reappearance..(i browsed through some old photos..ohh..indeed..fishball is an apt description)

*Thought of posting some photos of my fishball face..but decided against it..lest i get called narcistic again..*

Not-bad..

Had a not-bad teh-siew-dai at lunch today..then for tea break, i had a not-bad mee soto followed by a quite-good cheng teng..

And now, as i'm typing this entry, i'm having a spiderweb bread(though i still dunno why it's so-called) and guess wat? It's not-bad..

Oh, i also visited a sinseh today(for wat else but my this-is-taking-way-too-long-shoulder injury), think he's not-bad..i seem to enjoy a bigger ROM (range of movement) without as much sng-ness now..

Ya..i think my happiness index for the day is not-bad..probably a 7.8..

Yes..?

An actual sms conversation:

ZXL: Hi, is it still 4pm at the usual place today?

Mrs X: Yes, but can we make it at 415pm today? Also, do you mind coming over to our place instead?

Hmm..makes me wonder what the 'yes' at the beginning of her sms is for..

There's breakfast..and there's breakfast..

Think i've blogged about this before too..

Y'know..having a leisurely breakfast, reading the papers while enjoying my cuppa teh..It's been a while since i did tat..& i kinda did it today..well, kinda cos it wasn't exactly a 'peaceful' meal(there's the bickering tats become so ingrained in my dates with Choc Lady) and i had only 2 pages of newspaper to read..

Anyway, i figured a good way to 'avoid' all these bickering is to go someplace where we can't really talk out loud, eg. libraries..cinemas(though technically it will not work if we're the only 2 pax inside)..some atas restaurant(maybe the rabbit place)..though the last one hasn't been tested out yet..

p.s. Thanks for the staying 'perky' despite being not-sick-just-not-well

p.s.s. I will try styling my hair better next time

p.s.s.I think my happiness index, riding on the compliments received, rose a little today..

There's movie and there's movie..

Remember the Uncle Boonmee movie which i blogged about previously(it's the 'plain weird' one)? I mentioned it won the top prize at the Cannes Film Fest..i thought it was maybe it's some angmoh award and sometimes they've got warped ideas of a 'great' film..but guess wat? It won another Best Film award, right in asia! Oh my..tat's it..i officially CANNOT appreciate such 'arty' films..i know a certain someone will certainly agree with me..

Anyway, i caught M&M today - Max & Mary..It's an animated film, but it's definitely not a 'cute' one..it's classified NC16 and rightly so..Based on a true story, it's about these 2 random strangers - a 40+ yrs old who was eventually diagnosed with Aspergers and a 8 yrs old totally naive-and-clueless girl, and how the 2 of them developed a friendship over continents through letters(wonder if 'penpals' still exist today?!) Poignant little film..and so much more deserving of film awards (in my opinion)

And according to M&M-pedia, we have a new word - confuzzled, it's a combi of confused and puzzled..So..am i confuzzled?

Supersized..

I'm referring to the moon..

Yes..the moon..as i had commented to at least 2 people over the past 2 days..the moon is ..well, huge and round. No doubt it was the 15th day in the lunar calendar..but it was certainly huge-er and round-er than usual..

ST, 20th Mar

Yesterday's full moon was not its usual size.

The 'super moon' is the biggest seen in 20 years. This is because the moon was actually 50,000km closer to Earth yesterday, rather than being on the farthest point of its elliptical orbit. The last time it was sighted was in March 1993.

It is much rarer than the blue moon, which happens once every 2.5 years.

Despite its perceived size, the moon is still about 357,000km away from Earth..


So next time instead of 'once in a blue moon', i'll just say 'once in a big round moon..'

According to ZXL-pedia

Qn - Why is it when it's raining the water in the swimming pool is warm but when it is sunny the water in the swimming pool is cold?

Ans - It's all about how your body reacts to relative temperatures. The truth is that the pool temperature is not likely to be the culprit. It's more about how your body perceives the difference between the outside temperature vs the pool temperature. The transition from standing in the hot sun to getting into your pool makes the water feel colder than it might feel than if you are standing in cold rain before entering the pool.

Source: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_it_when_it's_raining_the_water_in_the_swimming_pool_is_warm_but_when_it_is_sunny_the_water_in_the_swimming_pool_is_cold

Happy Bday Pal!

Just made it in time..for my annual bday greetings to my know-for-almost-20 yrs buddy..

Wei > Hope you had a great one!

-

My whole life had revolved around work these 2 weeks..'slept' from 530AM to 9AM, and 'napped' from 230PM to 9PM today..which explains why i'm up and alert at 1152PM..as though i just had my cuppa teh-siew-dai..

And since my dear pal Wei has given the 'endorsement' on elephants, this gives me another reason to indulge in more elephant nonsense..wahaha..

Somehow or the other, i have since evolved from Snuffleuppagus into Dumbo..

Let's see..if my long lashes remain..add in a dash of pink(esp at the ears, since i blush easily..) and this..


..is my latest image..cute leh?

Pissed!

Angry..so angry i need to let some steam out...

Was just out cycling with my 'son' today..just like any another day..And then, in the middle of the path stood 2 uncles chatting away..

I did what a normal, logical person/adult/instructor would do and told my 'son' to go right..the space was a little tight(the 2 men, with their bikes took up 2/3 of the path) and my 'son' knocked, or rather, just brushed lightly against one of the bikes..My 'son' being a little 'special', cycled off after that(i mean it was just a tiny little knock) and i, being the responsible adult, apologised to the 2 uncles 'Sorry about that'

Just as i was about to cycle off, one of the uncles said 'ya, he has no eyes' And i was like..wtf??! So i stopped, turned around and told him 'It's not nice to say that' and he actually has the nerve to repeat 'Ya, no eyes, cannot see, blind' That's it..i couldn't take it anymore, i got off my bike and went up to him 'In the first place, you're standing in the middle of the path blocking the way?! Ok, so maybe he's not so good as to go around you but it's still very mean and rude of you to sat that about him'

Guess what was his answer? 'Then he should be locked up at home'..WTF?!! This man is really incorrigible!

So tempted to scold him ^%$@$&(%.. but i shall not allow myself to lower to his levels..i just told him 'Then people like you with no cycling ettiquette shouldn't be out either' And i cycled off..

Bloody pissed off..

More on elephants..

I was, again, being compared to an elephant today..but never mind about that(since it's not as flattering as the previous comparison on eyelashes)..

Hands up..those of you who never heard of the saying 'elephants never forget'? Let ZXL-the-expert-in-useless-info enlighten u..

In a top of intelligence, humans are followed by apes, elephants and dolphins. The elephant brain is denser than the human's, and the temporal lobes, associated to memory, are more developed than in humans. Elephant's lobes also have more foldings, so that they can store more information. That's why elephants have excellent memory. (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Why-Elephants-Have-Such-a-Long-Memory-77563.shtml)

Scientists believe elephants use their good memories to recognise others, and remember who is a friend and who is an enemy. They also use their good memories to find food and water. (http://www.whyzz.com/why-do-elephants-never-forget)

So..i reckon, again, being compared to an elephant is a compliment..

-

It's one of those times when i had a month's worth of work squeezed into a few days..Imagine doing the same briefing 8 times over 2 days..think my colleagues were bored with my jokes after the 2nd time...

One of my stress-relief outlets is thru whining(and secretly hoping for some sympathy)..so i sent out a sms 'From the moment i wake up at 545am..i'll have to work till 12 midnight..' And of cos, my dear fish replied with a parallel sms 'i went for the third college interview today, it was a group interview' Oh well, i don't really suppose such kbkb smses will register in anyone's memory anyway..

As expected..the day went on, the physical exertion and the mental fatigue started to kick in..

And at quarter to midnight..this sms came thru 8 time zones..'15 mins more..hang on there' and suddenly the day didn't seem so bad afterall..

ZXL = Elephant?!

I was compared to an elephant today..not any ordinary elephant..but the imaginery-friend-elephant of Big Bird..yes, Aloysius Snuffleupagus, pronounced snuh-full-UP-puh-gus(If you dunno who/what that is, u're probably not from my era..)

Ok, i dun think she was referring to the size..as much as i might have put on weight, i really dun think i fall into that category yet..

Rather, it was my eyelashes..people close enough(literally) to me would have realised i have, relatively speaking, long eyelashes..

And this i reckon, coming from Choc Lady, is a pretty big compliment..


Does this look like me?

-_-

It's scary how some people can read me..through a sms across continents..a game across the courts..a meal across the table..

Sometimes i think i'm rather aspergers in certain ways..like how i always fail to read facial expressions..

今天是元宵节

Someone was a little confused over 元宵节..ZXL-the-Chinese-festival-expert to the rescue..

In its simplest definition, 元宵节 is the 15th day of CNY, which also marks the end of CNY and also the first sighting of a new moon(technically the time for crying wolf..Ah-Woo?!)Yes, it's another day for reunion..and in some regions(not so much in sg), a day for lantern(that's why we 猜灯谜) and a day to eat 汤圆(though i would think in sg, 汤圆 is more associated with 冬至)

And..元宵节 is also a version of Valentine's Day, seriously..if u dun believe me, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_xiao_jie

So..Happy V Day to you!

But hang on..isn't there another chinese V day..? If your answer is yes, you're right too..there's the 悄节 or

七夕节..which is also the niu lang zhi nu day ---and guess what? It's also considered V day! ( http://en.wikipedia.org/qi_qiao_jie)

My my..aren't Chinese a romantic lot..

Acupuncture..a placebo?

Referring to the article 'Pinning down acupuncture: It's a placebo' (ST, 12 Feb), i was shocked to discover that 'acupuncture is astrological in origin but also the astrology is based on a model of the universe which has the earth at its centre.' Does any of you knew about this??

And the article also mentioned that a study on chronic low back back pain was done and the results showed that real acupuncture treatments were no more effective that sham acupuncture treatments. There was nevertheless evidence that both real acupucture and sham acupuncture were more effective than no treatment and that acupuncture can be a useful supplement to other forms of conventional therapy for low back pain. In other words, it means : Please use acupuncture as a placebo on your patients, just don't let them know it is a placebo.

And the astrology part..it said that the 12 main acupuncture meridians and the 12 main body segments correspond to the 12 Houses of the Chinese zodiac..it went on to talk about the 'qi' flowing in the body..a bit too confusing for me to understand, and too lengthy to type everything out..

Of cos, now i'm left wondering..did my acupuncture do me any good at all? Or is that why my shoulder's still not fully ok yet?!

The Nostalgic, the Intense and the plain Weird

*Dun worry Wei, i'm not trying to rival your movie reviews..just expressing my 1.5 cents here

Caught a couple of movies over the CNY weekend(judging by the number of patrons at the cinemas, i bet every singaporean has caught one too)..

Among the movies i caught are It's a Great, Great World, The Swan and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives. The genre ranged from nostalgic to intense to just plain weird(in that order).

Great World is acceptable for a local production..and maybe it's Great World(one of my preferred hangout in today's context), so i'm more lenient towards it. Am rather surprised by the liberal use of dialects(and how it's not classified as a 'foreign' language movie)

The Swan is a showcase of Natalie Portman's acting chops(pity Winona Ryder though). I didn't exactly like the storyline, a bit too dark and depressing..but i'll have no issues if NP wins the Oscars for the role(as if i'm a deciding factor..ha)

And oh..Uncle Boonmee..the movie got me raising my eyebrows(^.-) and someone asking if we can leave halfway..It left me with more question marks than my economics textbook(Purchasing Power Parity, anyone?) This is a review lifted off 8 Days:

'The 40 year old Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul has landed on the world map by reinventing the language of cinema with his mystical tales Blissfully Yours, Tropical Malady and Syndromes and a Century.

Apichatpong won the 2010 Palme d'Or top prize at Cannes for Uncle Boonmee, which Tim Burton, the head of the jury, likened to a 'beautiful, strange dream.'

Many may simply find this gentle, beguiling, mysteriously hypnotic movie strange.(i guess i fall into the 'many' category)

A dying farmer, Uncle Boonmee, returns to the jungle in northeast Thailand to spend his last days clsoe to his loved ones and is visited by the ghost of his wife, by his long-lost son in the form of a red-eyed monley spirit, and by memories of his own previous human and non-human incarnations. The last involves a pricess having sex with a catfish under a waterfall(yes, one of the eyebrow raising moments for yours truly)

We are the sum of each other, passing through death and rebirth into interconnected lives of shifting states of being. The Buddhist precept of transmigrated souls informs Apichatpong's animist fable, even as the director, who is possibly better known back home for his anti-government stance, maintains a sidelong glance at his country's concrete troubled politics with allusions to the Laos-Thailand tensions and the 1960s Communist suppression.

His is world of commonplace, matter-of-fact magic, where the mundane is at the same time made sublime. (rated:4/5)'

It was the high rating and the fact that it won the top prize(didn't really take the fact that Tim Burton was the head judge into consideration) that got me curious about the show. Other than the fact that i understood probably 15% of the storyline, it was extremely slow-moving(and i'm generally ok with slow movies, so i thought) with some pretty amateurish effects(of cos this is no Hollywood production)..so i really dun quite understand the rave reviews about the show.

Oh well..i guess there's always the King's Speech and Winter's Bone to look foward too, at least they won't leave me with tired eyebrows..hopefully.