Memories of BPGHS

I have wanted to talk about this for awhile already. But playing too much in Houston has sapped me of much energy and attention to actually settle my thoughts to write something on this, so after the quiet week, I finally put my tots into words….


A couple of weeks ago, there seemed to be a craze to upload “ancient” photos on FB, especially my BPian friends… hahaha. The photos they uploaded were like from secondary school (high school) of course. They were mainly class photos (it was 10 to 14 yrs ago man…), and to be honest, I don’t really recognize my face, but I found myself though as I remembered where I stood… haha


Anywayz, chanced upon this pic of me. How do I look ? Skinny… tanned… mischievous ? hahaha What happened to me now man ?? Just comparing the physical dynamics now makes me feel so different. People change… I do too… but for the better or worst ? U decide… hahaha



More importantly, flashbacks of the teenager times in BPGHS just rushed upon me. It’s like a kaleidoscope – The bad, the whacky, the hilarious, the good, and the great lessons learnt. Oh man… so many good old memories. Also, there were the “beng” and “lian” era, sharp combs and short skirts, the Alpha-numeric pagers and Boyband craze!! Not to mention all the interactions I had with the gang. And I must say I am real fortunate to still be keeping in contact with many of my ex-teachers; from Miss Eu, Mdm Quek, “Xiao Toh”, “Qiu Zang”, “Tiger”, Mr Sim, and many many more…. =)

I can’t wait for the next BP Anniversary Dinner to meet up with all the old pals !! And of course see how they have changed !!

Wherever I go, these memories goes with me !
Once a BPian, always a BPian !

=)

Road to Redemption.... Tim Thomas

I swear this can only happen in western culture. One can change from being condemned to being loved in a matter of few years.


Tim Thomas (PF/SF) was told by the Bulls to stay home after he was traded to them 3 years ago (Bulls fan term it “Tim Thomas” incident). He was later waived and picked up by Phoenix Suns; they went to the playoffs and Tim was a contributor. Then after a couple of seasons moving around teams, guess wat, he ended up being traded to Chicago Bulls AGAIN !!


So now, the Bulls fans were speculating if Tim Thomas will be “Tim Thomased” again. But man, he is like one of the better players on the bench. Just the Orlando game, he was 4-6 on 3 pts, finishing with 17 points. More importantly, he is spreading the floor and feeding Derrick Rose to lead the team. The Bulls eventually trashed The Magic 120 to 102. Good game all round for the Bulls. Anyway back to Tim Thomas, imagine the amount of pride he has to swallow to be back with the team. I am pretty sure in our eastern culture we will not be able to swallow the pride. Quote or unquote me from previous posts, some things are just so hard to swallow… hahahaha

This is another example of cultural difference between East and West. In the West, they tend to put “business” over relationships. Conversely, the East prefers to establish relationship before moving on to business. There is nothing wrong here, mind you; just a distinction on why cross cultural interactions can be so difficult sometimes.

But nonetheless, a virtue we should learn – to forgive and forget… hard to do … I am still learning…hahaha

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This reminds me, Lernik was just chatting with me on the car journey back from New Orleans. He was lamenting that it takes a little time to get accustomed to difference in cultures. As a Russian, his “way of doing things” can be different from say Mexicans or even the Americans. So, he says he is still learning… but it is never easy to shake away the imbedded norm to embrace the new styles of interaction.

I am still learning to integrate the different culture together too. Haha

=)

People get weirder by the Day....

On the note that people are getting more clever... but stupider at the same time...

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/sony_releases_new_stupid_piece_of
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary

links leeched from Tian Cai

Ex-Teacher Jailed for Lust or Love ?

Hmmm… just read news about this ex primary school teacher prosecuted for having sex with a 15-yr old teenager. He was her student back then.


This reminds me of an episode in “Nip Tuck” a couple of weeks ago. The story goes like this… a couple came to see the surgeons. The man wants to look older because his wife was 15 yrs older and he wanted to stop all the unnecessary pressures from society. The wife was his teacher, and she even got jailed 4 years for making out with him. So blah… blah… blah… in the end he did got old through added facial hairs. But… her wife cheated on him. She was caught in the bed with …. HIS YOUNGER BROTHER !!

So my point being, there are all kinds of people in the world, some just like to go “young”… way too young. And personally, this can be wrong because some might just lust for young blood. That’s why there is a need to legally stop people from doing that. And honestly, I think this Singaporean teacher here is weird because she went for a primary school kid. Oh come on, who in the right mind would do this ? The kid probably has not even reached puberty yet for goodness sake !

The world just gets weirder by the day. And hopefully I don’t get to see it too freaky anytime soon !!

Haha


Bemused YC


PS: For those who don’t know, 16 is the legal age in Singapore, so sex is illegal with anyone who is under that age.

Mardi Gras – New Orleans – 20 to 22022009

Back from New Orleans and Mardi Gras.




New Orleans has this part of downtown called the French Quarter where they housed many of the traditional French houses. And man… they are beautiful man… walking along the streets just felt like Europe although I have never really stepped onto that continent yet (I compared to what I see on TV). Artists, cafes, bars and restaurants were everywhere along the streets and there is also the French Market where it is a flea market for all sorts of stuff. And everything is just situated aside the Mississippi River… the view is fantastic !






And of course, there is Bourbon Street where all the night life is ! And enough said about Mardi Gras. There was partying … partying and more partying. To know more, ask me. Too much to talk about in a post. Haha

Next up: St Patrick’s Day in New York Trip… wooohooo !!!

Bulls - NBA Trade Deadline

Okay… my beloved Bulls, having been less than good for the couple of years since I raved about them beating the Heats in the 06/07 Playoffs, finally decided to pull some trades.

Bulls Traded:
Larry Hughes G/F
Drew Gooden F/C
Thabo Sefolosha G/F
Andreas Nocioni F
Cedric Simmons F
Micheal Ruffin PF

Bulls Acquired:
Brad Miller F/C
John Salmons G/F
Jerome James F/C
Tim Thomas F/C
1st Round Pick (09/10)

Talent wise, it is an upgrade for sure. And the best part is that Larry Hughes is finally outta here. I mean I really don’t like his style of game, telling everyone how good he is and who well he can be and should be a starter. One thing I do know, he sure knows how to chuck bad shots (see also: www. larryhughesstoptakingsomanybadshots.com). Drew Gooden was serviceable but he is too sloppy and slow for the Bulls offensive game. Besides, he has limited post moves for a F/C. Okay, now to the acquisitions.

Brad Miller (C) and John Salmons (G/F) – via Sacramento Kings

Brad Miller, like Gooden, is slow; but, he can pass and shoot better. Miller could also be an upgrade at the post position, something the Bulls lacked tremendously. I know… because I saw how they got burnt by Yao Ming at Toyota Center. So Brad Miller as a starter center would ease the offensive pressure from Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose for sure.


To further improve the arsenal, Salmons is a G/F that can flat out shoot; so, he kinda replaced Nocioni at the 3pt department.

Jerome James (F/C) and Tim Thomas (F/C) – via New York Knicks
This is a salary dump and cap relief here. Basically, Larry Hughes’ contract is “split” into 2 to make future trades easier. James could also be injured longer and then there might be cap relief from NBA. So, it is not as bad as some people made this trade out to be.

1st Round Pick (09/10) – via Oklahoma City Thunders
Sefolosha has been a hard worker, just that there wasn’t enough opportunity for him. This acquired pick could most likely help Bulls net a veteran star in the off season if they package it along with their first round pick.


All in all, the trades are necessary to move forward. Cap relief, talent upgrade and future flexibility is what the trades are about this time round. Hopefully, things will turn out better for the Bulls. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

As for Nocioni, Sefolosha, they had been assets to the Bulls and all the best to their future NBA careers.

Go Bulls !!!

Kuyt: Beware Man Utd, Liverpool have yet to reach their peak

Yeah Liverpool team definitely has yet to reach the performance that their fans deserve… but wait a second…. Reach their peak… we are talking about potential here… every bloody team in EPL has the potential to get the CROWN… but only one will actually reach their potential. So, to me, he is toking cock !


Besides, no disrespect to Liverpool fans, this Liverpool team is very unlikely to get the EPL CROWN anytime soon…

Lack of Playmaker(s)
Liverpool always depended heavily on Gerrard as the “soul” of the team. Often the captain and playmaker, he initiated the offense and pulled the work behind the strikers. And man, he used to operate primarily as a Defensive Mid, but after these years of playmaking, he is awesome at that now !


But here’s the kick, he is injured ! Which player doesn’t get injured once in a while ? So, who is his backup ? Benayoun, Babel or Kuyt ? Oh please, Benayoun is largely inconsistent since his move to Liverpool, Babel is a winger, and Kuyt is the striker version of Darren Fletcher – No skill, just can run like a horse. Hahaha They used to have Robbie Keane, which I felt was a good move because he could relief the pressure from Gerrard as a good backup, and he could also play some striking role(s) if needed. But a certain Rafa just sold him off lightly, making a loss too !!

Inconsistent play from Reserve Players
As I have mentioned, some of the Liverpool players are just not performing consistently, especially the reserve players. Again, this is probably the result of tinkering in the starting 11; something Rafa Benitez will never learn because if you ask me, I think he is a hardcore CM gamer… hahaha play too much game arh… lolz… On the contrary, look at Man Utd, Giggs could perform consistently as a winger or a playmaker, Scholes could be rested a while for the robust and dynamic Anderson. Even Darren Fletcher, he is a solid work engine to ease the pressure from Carrick or Hargreaves. Defender wise, there are the upcoming Brazilian Silva bros and the promising Johnny Evans to cover the starters. We shall not talk about the strikers, because like my dear fren NCR always say, Liverpool only has Torres !



Not enough Money to splash on players
This is a fallacy. Yeah, it is true that Man Utd spent heavily on players like Anderson, Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and even Nani; however, Benitez has been changing batches of players every season. He could have just used a lump sum and bring in specific players that meet the needs of the team, just like wat Man Utd did. He didn’t. Meanwhile, make a comparison on the bench players, how many from Man Utd are bought and how many from Liverpool are bought? I rest my case….


So my conclusion is, Liverpool starters are just not as good as Man Utd’s (quote: Martin Samuel from dailymail), and their reserve are not as consistent as well. So there you have it, Kuyt, please wake up your idea !!

Hahaha

Obama – The Art of Defining

The American Presidents normally needs an “enemy(s)” to start their tenure. Just take a flashback from history and you will see:


George Bush Snr – Iraq (Saddam) and Gulf War
Bill Clinton – Africa (Hezbollah, Hamas, Sudan)
George Bush Jr – Iraq (Saddam), Osama, North Korea (that guy that looks like a bust… haha)

Generally, each of these presidents needs to find a “bad” guy at least, so that they could portray their regime as World Police fighting against the criminals. At least that is what I feel. So what’s Obama’s no. 1 enemy ? Seems like he found a convenient one in our good friend Osama… haha… sending 17,000 more troops into Afghanistan. He probably just doesn’t have additional time to look for someone else since he is so caught up with the economic crisis at hand. Haha


That is how he is different for Bush. But don’t get me wrong, from a perspective of an outsider, I think Bush has been an okay President. In a nut shell, he is just dwelled into the bad timings and tough decisions. You know… the Conservatives are different from the Democrats after all.

But I felt that Obama’s administration did one thing better than Bush’s administration so far – defining who are your friends and enemies. Bush declared war on terrorism, but he couldn’t shake off “going against the Muslim World” because he did not really make a vivid differentiation from it. With Hillary’s visit to Indonesia, Obama has clearly drew a line, isolating Taliban, Osama and what have you from one part of the Muslim World. I would think that he will turn his attention to the Middles East soon to further segregate these targets. This is what I call smart politics.


=)

V-day on a flight

I spent the first hours of V-day on the flight from Houston to California to find Tian Cai, not that it really bothered me as V-day has no meaning if one is single… hahaha



Looking through the night scene of Houston from my window seat, and thinking about my life in general, it dawned upon me – I am someone who is not romantic. On top of that, I don’t really fall in love. Perhaps because I never really met someone that I feel so connected to; I am like too rational and it is not really something you would want to fall in the sea of love.

Even as a brother and son in the family, I am someone who always relates things logically, at times forgetting the element of empathy when come to the people closest to me. And I guess I am just someone who couldn’t really express my concern in a loving manner. Like nowadays, I tend to look back at myself and call myself a bad brother because I have been real hard on my sis, especially when she was younger. As for my parents, I often neglect their feelings and go for the right and precise ways of doing things. I am getting better though… as least I am really trying as hard to change…

Back to the falling in love thingy, I guess I just don’t believe in falling in love… hahaha. It is such a complicated thing for me to understand, so I tried to rationalize it to natural selection, smell, genes even needs/desires. I do hope someone can change my view though… I really do…

I still believe Miracles do happen !

Haha… just another “emo” piece of writing from me when the night seemed so mesmerizing and tranquil.

Happy V-day to all love birds !!

=)

I like My Wat I am Doing now...

Did a conference call with people from Tuboscope and Downhole this morning. I was helping my department from the last rotation on some research thingy. The meeting was okay actually, just that the more I listened, the more I realize there is just so much that I still need to learn and experience before I could actually get to their levels. The stuffs, specifications and the considerations went beyond what I knew in just 7 month in this industry.


Maybe I am a little impatient, but I really want to reach their levels asap, but I too realize that this takes time to build up. Just like building on foundations, the firmer the foundation, the more stable the whole structure is. Perhaps a mixture of bad economy and me “tuanging” too much in office these days that I am starting to be a little anxious. You know, that feeling of knowing there is so much to learn but you just can’t finish learning in merely 3 months.

I know my strengths lie in my ability to relate to people, my planning/liaising and coordinating skills with an advantage of having engineering knowledge, so this is where I really want to start my permanent position come the June draft. Hopefully, all turns out well. And I am really starting to like this industry and my program for that matter.


A VP in Asia… that is my goal now.

=)

Part II

Was talking to VERA and she reminded me:

5) Men needs to be reminded by the lady if she wants to get wat she wanted

oh well< i am not really such an MCP afterall

LOLZ

*winkz*

He's Just Not That Into You

Just caught the movie "He's just not that into you"


So here are something I got from the movie:

1) Dun demand and you shall be given. Hahaha

I am very sure many guys will agree with me on this, women have their every right to remind... but to demand something that is just not possible. Why try so hard ?

2) Be honest

If you are not ready, you are not.... something is not right... it is not right !! Dun try to psycho yourself like you are, and be honest about it. The worst one could be is to lie initially and then break the truth in the most horrible way possible - trust me, it feels like being slapped in the face literally.

3) A guy will always be a guy (linked to 1 and 2)

He will never change just becos you want him to. He will change when he wants to... not forced to !!

4) there are always EXCEPTIONS... that why MIRACLES HAPPEN all the time !!

And as much as I dun understand it, I accept it that it can be magical and wonderful how things will click.


=)

Just some random thoughts

Have a nice day !!

Life is so unfair…

Well yesh life is pretty unfair… good people always kana the bad things sometimes… heard a bad news from a fren… thus the agreement to life unfair sentiments. But at least there is still some good news in that they knew about it early, so hope is still there ! Hang in there buddy !

(Quote and unquote my mum): In the meantime, you gotta stay strong and healthy to brave through everything.

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Speaking of life, that is why I tried to understand all the fortune telling stuff actually. I am really not into the notion of knowing when I would die or when I would become rich. Rather, I am more into knowing myself better. Understanding like the tendencies of my life/character and thus tried to minimize any form of “inauspicious” impacts while maximizing “auspicious” ones. But… but… at the end of the day, the pre-condition is that one has to work hard to strive towards their goals. Give an example, there is no point in knowing the stars saying one will be rich and powerful, but he/she don’t work hard at all… money and promotions will fall from the sky ? hahaha…
Oh, and there is another sentiment from people in general that the bad guys always get away with their sins… or do they really ? Well, I kinda think that it is a perspective problem. Like I always tell people, retribution often hits when you (bad guys) are less prepared for it… or it could be a long lasting shit happening like unfortunate things happening to the later generations. Well, let’s just say the good guys gets bullied, but ends up in heaven while the bad guys bullies and ends up in hell eventually… it is always good to think positive man !

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The past few weeks has been so exhausting man… not a single bit of rest from all the travelling and moving around. Not that I mind though, just that I am concerned if my body could take another run like that. Next week, I am flying to San Diego, California, followed by going to New Orleans in the following week for Mardi Gras; so, I need to build up some stamina man… I will upload the pics asap…

=)