what a day...

rarely have i had such a densely packed day in such a while. didn't help that i woke 330pm again... the time i was supposed to meet the others to visit the archbishop at city hall. i swear, i've never flown out of bed with such speed and ferocity before at the sight of an alarm clock, especially in comparison with the past few weeks. i flew downstairs in a panic to ask mom for cash, flew back up again to shower and tell peter i'd meet them there direct since i was late. and within 15, 20 minutes of waking up, i was on a cab on my way to cathedral of the good shepherd.

the meeting went well, and we achieved our purpose and got the funding we needed... and after that it was off to hall for basketball practice. cos i was late, i tried running up the slope from hall 12 rather than wait for the bus go round nie... a move that left me *warmed up* (read: SHAGGED OUT), and the bus only came like moments after i lumbered past the bus stop. o well. i learnt a few things in my hour on the courts after such a long absence... and i had to rush back to town for my dad's birthday dinner at plaza park royal hotel. fortunately, when i reached the main road from hall, a free cab actually came by. God does provide in His mysterious ways i believe. and i'm thankful for that. ^_^

all in all, within 8 hours, i've travelled from the east to the centre, then to the west and back to the centre, then back to east of the country. crazy, but i guess it was well worth it... He really does provide =)

another legend takes his leave...

after struggling with illness, red devil legend george best has passed on. however, the northern irishman will forever be remembered for his fearless dribbling and footballing genius. while i've never seen him play, watching clips of him has made me respect his contributions to football and to manchester united. God rest ye soul, bestie.

'When the football was great and I was playing well, I couldn't wait to get up in the morning and that was the foundation of my life.' George Best, 1946-2005

wait for it.... wait for it...

release in ten and a half hours.

material science at 10 o' clock!

ok, it's a 9.30am actually. but since i'm a joker mood, i thought i'd use a phrase from a lame ass terminator clip i got from justin. will post it here when i get the chance. anyway, in the words of jose mourinho from one of my favourite joke files of all time, i am ready, i think. i swear, if they quiz me on the theory behind the 55 slide lecture on phase diagrams(which is more computational than anything else i feel), you'll hear about me in the papers when an ntu student attempts suicide in examination hall with pen. other than that, i think i'm ready for the meat of the last of my core subjects. surprisingly, i seem to absorb and understand a subject better when the exam is too close for comfort... *scratches head*...

is there life after roy keane? smudger certainly seems to think so...

a splendid first half performance and alan smith has to be the one to put manchester united up. all i can ask for is more goals... watch this space...

0100: well... there was a small scare in the 65th minute when charlton scored a sweet equaliser through darren ambrose, but united came back with guns blazing through van nistelrooy and rooney. ruud capped of a brilliant wayne rooney run with a superb volleyed finish and finished off the game with a powerful low drive into the bottom corner. nothing like a vintage united performance after being club football starved thanks to the international break.

back to material science. with a thoroughly satisfying 90 minutes and 3 great goals playing through my mind. =)

a ship without her captain...

here's the shock of the day for all you united fans out there... roy keane has mutually terminated his contract with the club. yeah. you heard me right. keano has left the old trafford building.

as a die hard united fan, any player who has brought to the table such distinguished service and dedication is always a sad moment. however, i believe the time is right for our old battle axe to move on, for it will allow the younger players like alan smith to step forward and claim his place in the united mythos. on a more cynical note, it's a signal to the world class players who can replace keano that they will be filling in a huge role at united, with the possibility of captaincy(hint hint michael ballack...). united cannot possibly rely on him forever, as at 34, his influence is on the wane and even proving detrimental on the red devils. even sir alex has admitted that the switch to the much maligned 4-5-1 system was to accommodate roy keane's ageing legs.

having said that, keano will always be a manchester united legend, up there with the ranks of sir matt busby, sir bobby charlton, george best and eric cantona. no one can deny that the centre half sir alex ferguson brought over from nottingham forest has blossomed into one of the best box to box midfielders in the world. an all action midfielder who refuses to give an inch, keano has governed and pulled the strings of the manchester united midfield like a true maestro, never compromising in his tackles or his leadership. no one has proven as inspirational and tenacious while he has held on to the skipper's armband. who can forget his inspirational performance against juventus, when the man from cork singlehandedly dragged the red devils to the finals of the champions' league at the expense of his own opportunity to play in that fateful treble winning night in barcelona. he is and will always will be a symbol of what manchester united stands for: an undying spirit that asks for no less than the best. even vieira speaks of respect for the man he always clashes with, on and off the pitch. it speaks bounds when your enemy has nothing but respect for you.

i'm sure all true united fans around the world will join me in saying thanks for all the great times you've given us keano. and all the best in wherever your future lies. you will be missed, but you will always have a place as a legend burning in our hearts.

when is it we go too far?

ok... another musing session, a takeaway from discov again... does Man have the right to control the weather and do with it as we please? doesn't matter if it's for the sake of war or saving lives and property... do we have the right to tamper with the forces of mother nature? weather is a raw, primal and uncontrollable power. are we playing with fire when we try to stick our hands into it and try to string it up like a marionette for our whims and pleasures? sure... if we did control the weather, storms like katrina are a thing of the past. no more tragedy, no more sufferring... but we're still interefering with the natural cycle of things. is this right?

rekindling my love for REAL reality tv...

reality tv is crap. well, at least to me it is. the whole idea... is just unnatural... training cameras on people in a gameshow... just not my cup of tea. i'll tell my idea of reality tv. and that's stuff like discovery channel and animal planet. gosh. the things you get on those channels are phenomenal. if you remember my friendster blog, i have raved about discovery channel before... and it's been a heckuva long time since i've watched discovery channel.

on the menu tonight was crocodile hunter and deadly women: obsession, on animal planet and discov respectively. for all his exaggeration, steve irwin is really informative. his brand of documentary is fun... and seeing him handle dangerous animals and talk about them at the same time... you know he knows his stuff. and the knowledge he imparts is mind blowing... like how he reads animal behaviours and puts them into use. simply astounding.

and now comes to the main attraction: deadly women. female serial killers are scary. male serial killers seem like your average murderer in comparison to the freddy kreugers that were on display. female serial killers are very... in a morbid and macabre way... creative. guys do the slashing and stuff... the methods girls come up with, at least in the case of the 4 shown, twisted and very different methods and reasons. i swear, i don't ever wanna get into any girl's bad books. arsenic, torture, starvation... very disturbing indeed.

well, that's discov channel for you. once you lock onto a programme you find interesting, be prepared to kiss an hour good bye... cos it grabs you.

heavy colour light friend...

something i wanna mull about, zhong she qing you... pardon my lousy han yu if i spelt it wrongly... when is it too much? sure... at some point of time or another in all our lives, we'll all be leaving our friends in the cold once someone from the opposite sex catches our eye. question is, when do we cross the line with regards to spending time with that special person and taking our friends, who probably have been through waaaaaay more things than that special lad or lass, for granted?

a recent example has pointed this little issue to me and caused me to muse about it here. our council guys are a solid bunch. well, most of the guys anyway... we call it our little brotherhood. we've been through thick and thin together, and we've seen each other through lotsa things, officially, 4 relationships and numerous crushes and infatuations and the like. 4 officially, 2 contributed by yours truly, 1 by jem, and the only still surviving one with chung (ganbatte bro... =). of course, some things aren't on record... and i can't possibly know the sordid affairs of some of the others who i haven't seen or heard from in a while. ok, there are some on record i don't wish to mention, but then again they weren't part of the true core of the group. i am no less guilty of doing such things before... but i do make it a point to try and make up for any loss time with my brothers who've been through the rigours, backstabbing and political wrangling of our wretched council in due time. i believe it's a fine balance one has to maintain when choosing between their friends and the one they choose to lavish their utmost affections on. having said that and knowing what it is like, attaining that balance is as tricky as negotiating a dense minefield on one leg.

sadly, in the end, one side will suffer. but that's when it pays to have friends and an other half with plenty of understanding. of course, everyone being human, there are limits to things like patience, so we've all got to be extra careful and not tread too hardly on anyone's toes. i guess it's something we've gotta learn as we grow up... the skill of juggling one's time and commitments in a harmonious and unending cycle... as well as the art of being understanding and sensitive to one another...

permission to engage the enemy, sir!

right... after this i'm going for mass, and then i'll be engaging the final enemy of the week. geez. these 4 days in hall have been the longest 4 i've ever gone through thus far. physics had me freaking out cos i blanked whenever i looked my tutorial worksheets. terrible feeling. fortunately, the paper went rather smoothly... should pass... =)

and today we have lit. HL101. easily my favourite of all my 6 modules, sadly it's only an elective. bah. ah well. sliding doors is a fun old show... not side splittingly funny, but worth a chuckle and awwwww or three. ah well. anyway, i want my one week break before material science! =D

status report

well... ain't this quaint... my ankle's decided to swell up on me with a rather nasty red patch of skin to mark the lovely site of impact where the edge of the stair decided to say hi to my ankle at. might i add that it still hurts like hell and i don't know what to use to soothe it. zambuk or counterpain?

anyway, whining about painful knocks aside, i'm a third done with my exams. 4 more demons to slay with physics and lit coming up within the next 2 days. just hope i can do my physics justice... and replicate what i did in my As and get a good grade compared to the others... hopefully much better than a C for that matter...

and i love my lit. what other subject is there for me to study that allows me to watch a film and read a book and consider that as revision for the subject? muahahaha...

geez... what am i doing in engine? =)

dammit.

how the hell i fell down the stairs and hit my ankle is totally and utterly beyond me. slight swelling, but it's gonna be a nasty bruise. sheer brilliance on my part.

incoming transmission... please standby.

the battle will be joined once more. after a half week furlough, we should be fresh enough to engage this new enemy. it should be noted that while the area of conflict is similar to the last, the tactical parameters are different. the enemy will not hesitate to employ biological weaponry and we will be confused. the enemy's troop strength is estimated to be at 70, but scouts report the use of hallucinogenic agents that will distort our perception, so stay sharp. we will engage them ruthlessly, and shade this enemy out of the picture. we will break off for sleep, reveillie is at 0800. we will prevail.

Liberi Fatali (Children of Fate)
Final Fantasy VIII

Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Excitate vow e somno, liberi mei. Cunae non sunt. Excitate vow e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus non eat. Surgite. Invenite hortum veritatis. Ardente veritate Urite mala mundi. Ardente veritate Incendite tenebras mundi. Valete, liberi, Diebus fatalibus. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec.

Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Wake up from your dream, my children. There is no cradle. Wake up from your dreams, fated children. The dream is not going. Arise. Discover the truth of the Garden. Burn with truth Scorch the world of evil. Burn with truth Set fire to the world of darkeness. Goodbye, children, From the days of destiny. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec. Fithos. Lusec. Wecos. Vinosec.

[TOP SECRET] Intelligence reports on upcoming adversaries.

Commander,
Enclosed are reports obtained by our recon units on the enemies that our forces will face in the days to come. Our scouts have encountered 3 different enemy camps, and while most managed to return with the data, casualties were heavy. Details on the opposition as well as suggested courses of action are stated within.

Enemy Force #1
ID: FE1004
Codename: Life Science
Specialization: Biological warfare
Description: Extremely adept at biological warfare. Troop strength is expected to number at around 70, though reports are conflicting. Reports indicate this particular camp employs viral, bacterial and genetic weaponry with deadly effect. Scouts that have engaged these forces report that they experienced hallucigenic effects whilst engaging the enemy, often seeing 4 images of each oppfor trooper. Reports are sketchy, but apparently the enemy camp also somehow uses animal and plant troops.
Expected date of engagement: 081105 0930h
Suggested course of action: Troops must be outfitted with biological warfare suits when stepping into combat with such a foe as well as be well versed in how to deal with such biological agents. Vaccinations are recommended, however in view of the short time frame, not all troops can be immunised. Heavy casualties are expected, but nothing our forces cannot handle with a few reminders and knowledge on how to engage such hostiles. Snipers could be employed to take out troops from afar without experiencing the effects of the hallucinogen.
Expected time required to clear enemy: 2.5 hours

Enemy Force #2
ID: FE1001
Codename: Physics
Specialization: Conventional warfare augmented with thermal and gas weapons
Description: Highly capable in the use of projectile and kinetic weapons. Scout reports also indicate that these foes also use thermal weapons coupled with gas bombs. Reports also indicate that the enemy might employ fluid weapons such as acid and pressure bombs. Intel suggests there are 4 troop types that specialize in a certain field of combat. Very forceful in combat.
Expected date of engagement: 101105 0930h
Suggested course of action: Certain documents as to how the opponent's weapons operate have apprently been leaked onto the internet by spies and other espionage agents. Troops are encouraged to check out such intel, but be wary of false information. They should be trained in the drills that resolve the encounter of such forces as well as how to react when faced with the various types of opposition weaponry. This is not a proven formula, but it should be noted that troops must be flexible enough to detect similar weaknesses inherent in the 4 different kinds of enemy troops and use them to their advantage. This battle is expected to be extremely tricky and tough, so heavy casualties are to be expected. The commander might see it fit to specialize in a certain field of combat to maximize damage against certain troop types and hope that the remaning forces are sufficient to stave off the enemy's other attacks.
Expected time required to clear enemy: 2.5 hours

Unfortunately sir, the 3rd enemy has proved to be rather elusive. Intel suggests 3 divisions involving various fighting styles as well. However, it is expected that the 3rd force might not be so critical to engage all out. More on this situation as the intel arrives. That is all to report sir. For now.

the red wave surges once more

hell yeah. what a way to stop the rot by toppling the league leaders. well done united. it could've been better and to be fair to chelsea, they played hard. but we were firm and while there were lapses, fortunately, lady luck was with us.

how can i put it in words? it was a solid performance, well ground out and fought out. absolutely stellar with good football from both sides. no better tonic to stop a slide than claiming the scalp of a seemingly invincible foe, and hopefully this will translate into the next game. joy, relief and finally, pride that has been resurrected like a phoenix.

and added joy for me. alan smith got the man of the match award. booyah. =D

one last song before i turn in...

one more song... this one being one of my favourites from those rurouni kenshin days... yes it's in japanese but i'm including a translation... beautiful words... hope you like it =)

Namida wa Shitte Iru (Tears Know)
Suzukaze Mayo

Japanese Lyrics Kimi ga namida ni yureru toki Dousureba iin darou Sora wo miagetemo Kokoro ga itai Kizu tsukanakute ii koto ni Dare mo ga fureteshimau Mizu no tsumetasa ni Odoroku toki no you ni Tonari ni iru dake de Nanimo dekinai kedo Arittake no egao kimi dake ni Kakaete okuruyo donna toki mo Shinjite ii yo yume wa yattekuru Kimi no tame dake ni Naitemo ii yo donna kanashimimo Tsubasa ni kawaru no sa sono mune de Dareka wo mamoru koto nante Kantan ni dekinai ne Kimi ni furuame mo Tomerarenai yo Dakedo akirametaku wa nai Chippokena yuuki demo Itsuka honto no Tsuyosa ni nareru naraba Chiisana chou de sae Umi wo koeteyukeru "Itsuka, kitto" sonna kotoba shika Ienai jibun ga kuyashii kedo Shinjite ii yo niji wa yattekuru Kimi no tsuma saki e Shinjite ii yo kimi no toki ga kuru Mousugu atarashii kaze no naka Sou sa kanarazu yume wa yattekuru Sono mune wo hiroge Kitto namida wa sore wo shitte iru Oshie ni kitan dayo ashita kara Shinjite iiyo yume wa yatte kuru Kimi no tame dake ni Naite mo iiyo donna kanashimimo Tsubasa ni kawaru no sa sono mune de

English Translation When you did nothing but weep, I was also at a loss. I looked up at the sky and my heart was in pain. When you are uninjured You can be hit at anytime by anyone. It is the same surprise as when Touching cold water. I'm only next to you And I can't do anything, but For you only I'll make a present of All the happiness in my smiling face, Carrying you anytime. You can believe your dreams are coming Just for you. You can cry because you can make any sadness Into wings in your heart. Protecting someone Is not an easy thing to do, is it? I can't stop the rain From falling on your head either. Even with only a little courage-- I don't want to give up. Someday, if I become used to my Real strength... Even a small butterfly Can cross an ocean. "Someday, for sure," is all I can tell you, But that frustrates me. You should believe a rainbow is coming To the tips of your toes. You should believe your time will come, Soon, in the middle of a new breeze. So yes, a dream is definitely coming Spread open that heart. Your tears knew that, without a doubt. I think they came from tomorrow to tell you. You can believe your dreams are coming Just for you. You can cry because you can make any sadness Into wings in your heart.

a lament on technology...

geez... i never thought the day would come to say this... but to my venerable PIII 733, that has been with me since those sec 3 days of CS, red alert 2 and the early days of warcraft 3... you're completely obsolete now my old friend.

i've always thought... ya know, the 733 will last me a good while. even when my younger sis got a 1.4gig and i got my 1.7gig rig that i use for gaming, i told myself, i won't write off this old battleaxe. never. firstly, all my old junk is in there. mp3s... movie files... photos... when a hard drive has been with you for so long, you'll understand why. secondly, it's linked up to the net, and for all the power of the new rig, the wireless has never worked, leaving the good ol' datamini to carry out the duty of chatting. thirdly, being in the family hall with the cable box definitely helps improve the amount of usage it got.

but after tapping on my lappy for so long, especially now with a working wireless that allows me to hide here in my room with impunity (and with air con... =), my poor old datamini has finally shown its age. i'm loathe to admit it but i've been spoilt by technology. i'm a firm believer in the theory of "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" and whiney my 733 maybe, it sure hasn't broken down completely yet. it does things so slowly, and, running on win 98, many functions and programs are starting to be phased out of reach of my dear old dog. i hate spending money that doesn't need to spent when it comes to expensive stuff like 'puters... but the ancient one, like all dogs, has had its day. guess i'll hafta start preparing and clearing out my stuff from there...

lyrics time again...

got this song from goose... it's from a game and the title isn't exactly very flattering... but it's a beautiful song... enjoy the lyrics =)

The Boat Song
Lunar: Silver Star Story

Wishing on a dream that seems far off
Hoping it will come today.

Into the starlit night,
Foolish dreamers turn their gaze,
Waiting on a shooting star.

But, what if that star is not to come?
Will their dreams fade to nothing?
When the horizon darkens most,
We all need to believe there is hope.

Is an angel watching closely over me?
Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?
I know my heart should guide me, but,
There's a hole within my soul.

What will fill this emptiness inside of me?
Am I to be satisfied without knowing?

I wish, then, for a chance to see,
Now all I need, (desperately)

Is my star to come...

sue me, i'm in the mood...

Love is patient and kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
Love never fails.

Corinthians 13: 4-8

one down, five to go.

one skirmish is over, and hopefully the remaining 5 battles at hand won't be as messy as this one. pretty mixed feelings over this paper, considering how easy the integration turned out to be, and i put in so much bloody effort into trying to deal with it. curse me for a fool for not preparing well enough, but what the heck, you reap what you sow. this little sortie is over, with the next major hurdle being physics. now that i've got ample time to prepare and i have better preparation methods for this, hopefully it'll yield a good return... for now, seeing one bogey go down, though it could've been better, is reason enough to heave a sigh of relief...

the hour is at hand.

at 0930 hours on the 2nd of november 2005, yours truly will be engaging himself in warfare till 1200 hours in a bid to conquer one his greatest enemies in the form of calculus. the battle will be long and hard and bloody, with no mercy to be shown from either side. there will be no lapses in the fighting, which will come thick, fast and furious. ink will be spilled upon the pristine white landscape at the site of combat, previously marred only with uniform lines, within a climate most chilling. no punches will be held, no quarter given. weapons of the most cutting edge in the fields of intelligence, memory and manipulation will be employed alongside traditonal formulae in a bid to counter the trickery, cunning and complex tactics of the enemy's numerical advantage. rest assured, none shall rest till the final moment of the final hour. one shall stand, one shall fall.

Come Holy Spirit
Replace any tension within me with the peace that only you can give.
Replace any disturbance within me with a sacred calm.
Replace any fear or anxiety within me with a quiet confidence.
Replace any darkness within me with your gentle light.
Replace any cold within me with your loving warmth.
Replace any emptiness within me with a true sense of purpose.
Grant me a calm, clear focussed mind;
a keen memory with a sharp attention to detail;
and the fighting spirit of a true Lasallian.
Dull the edge of my pride.
Sharpen the edge of my humility.
If I should go astray, bring me back to the right path.
May I truly believe that your grace is enough for me. Amen.

mochamochamocha...

2 sticks of nescafe gold. condensed milk. hershey's chocolate syrup. add a third a cup of hot water. stir. add ice. stir again. poof. you get mocha, and a hyper and twitchy undergrad with too much energy to spare and uttering absolute nonsense online whilst watching maths lectures to prepare for an exam. whoopdeedoo.

strange it may sound, i've never really harnessed the power of the humble little coffee bean before. never was a coffee person. though i guess that's changing right about now. i feel strangely awake... heightened senses... with edgy, jerky twitching in my digits...

and one helluva funny conversation with eric who's studying anatomy at 0530 over in aussie. lol.