I watched  Wall.E with the usual bunch of 6/3 people today, well not really since it's just the 3 of us, I don't see how come we can't have a proper class gathering from time to time, but this being the last year I'd probably head back down to RSS, it was sort of disappointing but I couldn't blame anyone because they were just either super busy or super can't-be-bothered-because-nobody-informed. Then again, I'm supposed to be the slovenly one. Shrugs.

First of all, I thought that Wall.E looks just pretty damn good, reason being because these things are robots and there's no limits to what inanimate objects can look like - and it's reasonable design as well, because technically Wall.E is a trash packaging robot and he looks just like his job descript. I thought that Pixar did a damn good job with this as well, second from what Finding Nemo was, because I thought the only other Pixar movie I really enjoyed was the water animation and physics of Finding Nemo, just that they brought it to a space level. But anyway it's just a visual orgasm in simpler words.

I think Wall.E is a fantastic show because it has such great humour even though there's so little dialogue. Slapstick nonetheless, but it's really really creative. The fact that Wall.E and Eve the Recon robot makes such cute whinging sounds that pull on your heartstrings, their romance also adds on to the entire flavour of the show. I'm not gonna spoil anymore of that movie though, because if you want to spoil it yourself you should just go straight to Wikipedia to check it out. But all in all, I think the producers made a fantastic job on the motifs and the buildup of the show.

What's so fantastic about this is also how it can be so realistic - Earth will eventually die, and how there's so much more character in the robots than the humans that it makes you wonder what's ACTUALLY GOING ON. I'm just so amazed, like really. What's more it's really logical. The robots behave just like they should in science-fiction flicks. Kinda reminds me of Star Wars, but Clone Wars fails so much more epic than this. Wall-E is hardly a fail anyway, it's an epic win.

I think the best part is still on how the human beings are so fucking fat. It's unbelievable because everyone just got obese and useless - and let robots take over the whole damn world. It reminds me of the whole i.Robot conflict where the Viki suddenly evolves her intelligence and takes over the damn world. Somehow I still like robots with a glitch, they introduce you to a whole new world of Artificial Intelligence paradoxes and things like Deus ex Machina, which kinda made me 'lol' in the early days.

Fuck High School Musical 3, why can't the Disney fuckers just leave the world alone for a moment? They're breeding more Britneyshits. We want more Wall-Es, not dancing and singing pseudonymical icons for young children.

Being a caregiver allows me opportunities to sit and relax while hanging out with my care recipients at their homes. This is one such case in the Paradise Valley of Livingston Montana.

Three days before my 60th birthday. How should I feel? What am I to think? I rested on the brown-stained deck staring up at the silvery-green cotton wood leaves flickering in the forty-mile-an-hour wind. It seemed their rustling branches swaying to and fro were trying to tell me something.

Hypnotically, I heard wind-struck chimes ping rhythmically against the 90-degree sky. Five hawks soared and dove over and through tree-tops. If not for the fierce wind, I would have also heard a faint, babbling brook racing down the late summer-scaped mountainside.

What wonder! Whittling away moments of time; stripping away layers of memory. First this happened, then that happened, next I was remembering what I had forgotten or remembering the same thing in a different pattern. Our thoughts backwards rearrange events in various patterns.

I reflected on a time when I was married and living in the melting hot Arizona desert. I thought about how I yearned to move back to Montana two summers ago in August. How could I have ever left? How glad I was to be gone from there!

Another thought rushed in about my grandson, who I will visit in Billings tomorrow.

And then I remembered how I lusted over Montana and how eager I was to move here from Wisconsin in August of 2001; less than two weeks before witnessing the horrific explosion of two towers in New York City. How could this be?

I thought about my son, Andy, the writer in Minnesota who helped me get back in touch with my creative side. He pours out words and ideas on his web site called Mental Dimensions.

Rose-pink lily petals artistically arranged in an amber vase distract my thoughts. Layer upon layer, petal upon petal falls to the table next to my page.

I feel more secure and content now. Now there’s an interesting word. Now was a key word when I was selling cars for eight years. “What do I have to do now to sell you a car today?” I would ask my customers.

How do you talk to someone who can’t talk back? Answer: like you talk to anyone else. When I was finished writing this in my composition book I asked my care recipient if he would like to hear what I wrote. He said, "Yes," so I did.

There you go...no stop and no disturbance until the mission is accomplished..looking around - first time after
a long time you look at the wall for spiders, cockroaches, ants...oh! god, are we useful to these many creatures..? well, but no excuse...and no philosophy...go for a kill...destruction starts in the name of house-keeping..wow..what a happiness it brings to drive these guys out and what a shame it brings when a creature escapes...finally it is so nice to see the white wall with extra white to it now.!!..

Look around see the ceiling fan..what a nasty color, how come i sleep without noticing this for months together..well get the soap water..start the wiping and cleaning...Ho god...what a mess under the cot..hey come on..this pen is hiding here? oh..that tennis ball...soon children run across here and there with full of happiness as if they got a treasure..and even you..seeing one of the bills found there..

It is full of sweat and you take a break to have a cup of tea and you realize the meaning of 'hard-work' and 'full-fillment' You get to breath with sense of satisfaction and such a fragrance in air and it is all cool there as
the water is spread in the floor and you know that - it would be a great night to sleep that day...

Andy's best guy friend was Matt. Matt was dating Anne. Anne and I were friends. The four of us hung out every day.

That December, I was "kind of" dating this guy named Ben. And by dating, I mean I had a crush on him and he would give me just enough attention that I would follow him around thinking we were dating. (Side note: Teenage girls are so stupid.)

It was New Year's Eve. Andy, Matt, Anne, and I were at Anne's house. It was about 8:00 pm and I still hadn't heard from Ben. When you're that age, New Year's Eve is almost as important as Valentine's Day. It's a MUST to spend that evening with your significant other. Andy and I were sitting in Anne's kitchen. He was being goofy and making me laugh, as always. The phone rang. It was Ben. He said, "I'm just going to hang out with my friends tonight." I hung up the phone and started crying. How dare he stand me up on the second most important night of the year? (Earth to teenage idiot: Because you weren't really dating!)

Andy handed me a tissue and said, "I'll hang out with you."

We walked outside onto the porch. The air was cold and the stars were bright. There was only one chair, so I sat on Andy's lap. He wrapped his arms around my chest to keep me warm. I said, "I think I'm going to marry you one day." He replied, "Yeah, probably so." Little did we know, that simple conversation would change our lives forever.

That was 14.5 years and 3 kids ago. Today we're celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary. I love him more every day of my life. He always has been and always will be my very best friend.

The wind was howling and screaming against the window panes. After what must have been several hours in front of the computer, I took a break .At the same time the power went off. The temperature dropping rapidly, the howls of the wind getting stronger, it started raining.

For me , like always, the most natural thing to do was to pour myself a hot cup of bitter coffee, grab a favourite book and come out into the balcony to make silent conversation with the rain.

Isn’t this exactly where I had been sitting yesterday at the same time? But yesterday, I stepped out into the rain. And all that splashing around left me a little feverish and tired. So today, I don’t dare step out. May be tomorrow.

By the time I settled down in my usual sanctuary, the rain was raging hard. “Raining cats and dogs”, isn’t that what they call it? The coconut trees and neem trees were swaying to the wind rapidly at dangerous angles.

Goosebumps crawling all over my body, I sat and stared at the murky and gloomy horizon. Didn’t feel like reading the book. Birds were swiftly flying back home. So were people. Some of them covering their heads with whatever they could grab. And a myriad of colours of umbrellas sprang all over.

It is ironic that when people are safely tucked in their homes, they sit back and enjoy the rain. While the same people are caught off-guard by the rain outside their homes, they just want get back home as soon as possible. Though that is not the case with me. Any rainy day leaves me romantic and cheerful, whether I m inside or outside.

Watching the water flow in the ditches always brings back memories of those days when we would make paper boats and set them sail in the gutters. We as kids were told stories of “Gudugajji”, meaning Old Lady with Lightning Whip, who whiplashed naughty and disobedient kids who wandered about in the rain. Perhaps, I was the only one among the kids in the family who didn’t believe in this bogus story back then. Until one day, when I was scared out of my wits after I saw a lightning strike close by our home as I was sneaking out to play in the rain while my mom and sister were napping. I went back into the house screaming. From that day onwards, I too started believing in the existence of “Gudugajji”.

The howling of the wind has stopped. Its still raining although less fiercely. I am finding it really hard now not to step out into the rain. May be I won’t get sick afterall. Wait.I will be back in a minute. Its getting irresistible.

I am back! That was truly refreshing. It is just a gentle spray now. Hope I don’t come down with a fever.

I have these baby aloe vera plants in small pots, that are all now gleaming with tiny droplets of rain water clinging to every thorn. They look fresh and beautiful.

The rain has stopped now. The power is back too. The coffee left untouched is cold. The horizon gets darker by the minute. Time to get back inside.

Life goes on.

Please agree that you think it's funny too. Contributed by ZZ from our earlier ranting session.

Anyway, it felt damned good to be finally back on wheels again, even though there was the addition of the stick that we had to carry around. I felt a little lost back there, not being able to manuover the stick as quickly as I'd like to. Still kinda refreshing, nonetheless. Bak Chor Mee after the session at Harvest Kopitiam was good.

Just want to share with you people this really cute site that sells........... Soap lollies!!

Cute! Did they bring back some childhood memories for you? The watermelon and fudgey pops look the most appetizing to me.

The original manuscript can be found here if you have an account: http://anglicanhigh.moe.edu.sg/portal/oss/suggestion/view.php?id=627

If not, it's just below:

Lengthy post precaution!

Topic	Academic Matters
Subject	Failure to Launch
Poster Date	TAN JYE HOW JONATHAN Sat 16 Aug 2008 13:11
Situation	It would be a crying shame if I were to simply walk out of this school after four years, keeping the comments all to myself like how the rest of the quiet, docile majority of us 16-year-olds would do, putting behind the bad memories which hindered the good from coming, not all that merry would it be? But such melodrama can be strictly put aside for what I want to bring to your attention for today. After all this time, I brazenly take assumption that the batch of '92 have put up with quite a lot of these 'paradigm shifts' that have been coming on and off throughout these years. This may be seen as a complaint, a petition, name it what you may, but I hope that by the end of this, the school will rethink through its policies and give an appropriate account for all that has happened in this time. Let us bring things down to the basics, facing reality in its ugly nude without having to put up with all the pretentious glamour the school demonstrates. There are a few main aspects of the system that we're unhappy with, or at least I am which I would like to cover: briefly the proper values which we overdo, the transparency of school operations, and the lack of justified reasoning in which we tend to find ourselves still very much confused about what seems to be important situations. Let's start off with the values. As much as it is noticeable in the current years that students have become less bothered about the specific values that the school has so painstakingly held by over its 40-year odd history, it does not mean that students are failing in their character development and hence should deserve sessions of 'tenacious', overbearing talks that are harsh in tone, very much sarcastic, and tend to exaggerate what is often not the fact. As quoted by one who loves the use of heavy analogous material, “I am a firm believer in progression... just like a spark can set off a bushfire in Australia... your words can destroy the very home which we live in”. I believe such an anecdote is totally unnecessary, what more to hold back students for 5 minutes, for which we would've dispersed from assembly already. I appreciate the kind and wise intentions the teacher has for us, but to go to such lengths, is dubious and questionable if it's just an entire joke. Also, just my 2 cents' worth on the late coming – like other minor offence such as the personal grooming issues with the boys in the school, are definitely inconvenient and bothersome, but it again, does not require voracious sarcasm in the reprimanding which could take up more of the precious time the students could use to rush their last minute work, if any for the case. I understand that school rules are things that adhere the community together, without which could devastate whatever social fabric there may be. However, to impose on unreasonable demands of people with complexity issues with their outlook, should it necessarily mean that the school-look is the 100%-look? Just to 'abuse' a minor fact that since we regard Christian values so strongly, is it wrong for us to look our best for God, in which I do mean simply the decent look, where hair is just slightly longer than the standards which would otherwise make us look like soldiers in a dog-fighting squad. But that's just a minor issue, why then should we even give such emphasis to use precious time, insipidly going through each and everybody's cover? Maybe I'm being immature, but just like the other kiasu students sitting for the overrated 'O' Levels this year, time is seriously our number one concern. Would you hence be more considerate? On another note, let's move on to the point on school operations. First, it was last year's Secondary 3 Bonding Camp that was moved out of the itinerary and got replaced by some Show and Share sessions which, as seen so far, have been such an astounding phenomenon. I don't see why we have to put in time and effort, when it is easier and more effective to spend some money to send classes to experience an adventure and have some fun while at it, giving them a memory to keep when they leave the school, rather than just have this impression that the Show and Share was merely some presentation they had put up just to deal with the programme for assembly. Thing here is, the school has this happy habit of not seeking the request or views from the pupils on whether the school should go ahead with a particular plan. There was also an E-learning day which apparently messed up because we hired an incompetent agency to wrestle with the system, and the ongoing issue about the Teacher's Day celebration which happens to have its date changed, conflicting with the Secondary 4 Prelim Exams. Just to note, why bother holding an assembly to ask us on our opinion about carrying the day forward when you will intend to do so anyway? It no longer turns out to be a request, but rather a notification, and like usual, all that time we are to spend on that thing just could've been put to better use, such as, hmm, studying? To get better scores for our L1R5s so the school looks kind of nicer at the charts? Hmm? I find myself unable to carry on onto the third point, but I believe enough has been said anyway. Well the third point is more like an indication, you know, like in romances where the girl usually drops the boy some hints that she wants to be accompanied home? Well that is if you truly treat us like your darlings in the first place. We, or at least I, demand proper explanations that clarify most things to us, rather than just issues that come in times of urgency. It's always easier to have the bigger plan drawn out, elaborated to people, and we all follow this grand plan just like the Ten Commandments, to our promised land. I always thought that was how organisations work together anyway, they set a goal, they work towards it, leaving no one behind, isn't it? I might be entirely wrong about the whole thing. I might be making a fool of myself here. But then again, who would be to blame if the student is not properly addressed and cleared of his/her doubts? Not that there's a need for finger-pointing. And if, just if I'm wrong, how much has this got to say about the teacher-pupil relationship in AHS? Also, just to raise one last pointer, if we truly are bringing up and educating “Accomplished, Honourable Servant-leaders”, why then is everybody still so awfully unaware and indifferent? I am sorry if throughout the course of this appeal, I have been rude or personal, which I do not have any ill intentions of. I have tried to be as objective as I possibly could. I appreciate the staff of this school who have worked hard to helping students such as myself, as well as giving whichever support we may need. I'm but here to uncover the buried hatchet, and learn from our past mistakes, shouldn't that be how learning, and progress is attained? I thank you if you have finished reading this, it must have took quite some time and attention. -
Suggestion	Just for experiment's sake, how about we just leave it as it is for ten more years and we'll see what kind of calibre the school will eventually rank in? Really, I might just still be proud of it. Might. Would you?

"Where do babies/you come from?"

Managed to bring a smile to myself thinking of the past. Ahh.. The good ol' times. Just being stupid lil' kid with nothing to worry about.. xD

I remembered vaguely when I first asked my parents the big question. I was around 7-8 years old at that time. My mum grinned to my dad. I don't understand it back then.. Lol. And then dad, took out pen and papers and tried to explain it to me in terms of sperms & ovum.. Sperms from men and ovums from women. How they combined to form an embryo.. And I asked how on earth did the sperms and ovum get together? Dad speechless, mum too. LOL. Wtf?! If I'm not at campus pc lab now, I would be bursting in laughter now! Unfazed, i continued asking. Dad gave me the standard answer I think every parents gave to their child - You will know when you grow up.. -___-!!

That was dad's version of answer. Mum came up with a simpler answer to my question:

Aiya son, we pick you up from garbage bin one lar... -__________-!!

Hate it when i thought of how mum always tricked me when I was little. Well, that's another post for another time.. Reminiscence.. Aww.. What's yours? Hehe..

Last year, I couldn't be with my (cousin) Sister for the Rakhi Ceremony. Boy! Did it take some cajoling to get over! This year around, I've kinda made amends and what's more, both us brothers were present which made the occasion all the more special. Even though its a once-in-a-year occasion, the bonhomie and togetherness that one feels on such days, when the whole family is together, is very very special. Happy Raksha Bandhan to all!!!

On a sidenote, I remember last year, a Google Image Search for "Rakhi" would yield more pics of the festival and less of the femme! But that's kinda changed this year....more femme all around. And in case you're wondering who's the femme here, just do an Image Search for Rakhi and you'll know :P

Coming back to Rakhi - The Festival, I'd like to share here two images - one from Flickr and another, an older one that's been doing the rounds on Email forwards for quite some time now:

That adorable child in the pink bathing suit is me. The girl in the bikini is my friend Martha. We still get in touch about once a year, because I stalk people maintain friendships like that. Notice the green frog-shaped pool? I realize it looks slightly ghetto in this picture, but I'm here to tell you, that was my little slice of paradise for about three summers straight.

Courtesy: http://picasaweb.google.com/vagabondstore/VagabondArtwork/photo#5128650486005137362 (for the above picture)

Ever one is busy and rushing not knowing the beauty of a LAZY Sunday...TV volumes are high at neighboring homes and sounds of washing and vehicle cleaning are heard and observe each of this activity with due diligence and focus - sure sounds are adjectives to actions around. zzzzzzzz....the wind blows and rrrzzzrzzzz the trees shake and phat phat phat the drying clothes drum..a little girl somewhere around recites the poem "Chubby cheeks...". Millions of thanks to the creator for this wonderful activities...

Amma finally comes with full force and says "what the hell has happened to you?" it is now 12.00 and i think you are wasting your time more than an hour.." Looking me lost she comes and takes the posture along with me and it is such a beauty to get lost with amma..for amma can only understand what you see and hear with out any explanation...

At last i utter a sentence to my amma, "I wish I should have fever on a week-day to see the world during the interesting working hours".

No answer from amma .....and I am back to my posture with amma...

Random Quote of the day:

Mortal lovers must not try to remain at the first step; for lasting passion is the dream of a harlot and from it we wake in despair.
C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963), 'The Pilgrim's Regress'

Having known her since I was in secondary 3, I think this angel-mortal relationship rocks my socks. We''re always on the same boat, and I also lost our most recent bet. (Notice one of the neos read: Single and Desperate! HAHA.)

Sakae Sushi someday again my dear mortal! (:

It's really interesting how I got to know her. Something buried deep in my deepest thoughts. Hahas. Anyway, we met up and took neos today. A few months back we also took neos. Apparently we take neos everytime we meet, and we seem to be improving when it comes to creativity.

Neos (June)

That's all for now.