tml is the reopening of cck library. I like the new books and the new environment. It looks cosy and comfortable. The smell and feel of the new books is fantastic. However, i'm not looking forward to tml. Hope it will be over soon. The need to do a library tour for the MP of Hong Kah GRC, CE and director spooks me all over. All the big shots, I never liked to talk to people of high authority status. I just don't. When I was teaching, I try to siam away from the P and the VPs. Go TV and radio talk talk is no issue. Make me play solo for concert, I will be glad to. This, I just can't. They should just shoot me instead of making me go through this. Oh for Zhuang zhi's sake, save me from my greatest fear!

Adventure on Bukit Timah Road, Adams Road, PIE, Newton Circus, CTE, SLE and Ang Mo Kio Central!!!


So much for my long-winded title. I will remember this for the rest of my life, my misadvanture over the weekend. I was lucky to make it back home in one piece, after getting lost along the roads of Singapore.

There is so much thrill to getting lost and not knowing where you are, wat road next to take. Its one hell of a experience that is unforgettable. The lessons you learn from it will etched in my memory for as long as I live. Two things: always plan your route with the street directory, ask your friends for the road if not sure before setting off! Next always have a street directory with you.

For some reason, I decided to take the family car to orchard to meet a friend. Not realising what is in stored for me, I happily start the engine and get off to a smooth start. Driving is nothing, after going for go-karts, without my family's presence, i was taking a smooth cruise.

Now the whole hellish experience started when i took wrong turns, I was totally relying on my memory on the turns and roads and what nots. It turns out that i was wrong.

I took a wrong turn and ended up in adams road. Damn shit, getting to orchard was the last thing on my mind. No fucking shit idea where the hell i'm heading. Getting home is also a uncertainity.

Driving aimlessly, I had to make decisions and choices. Every turn i make, every road i ended up, every highway i'm travelling on becomes extremely crucial. Plus, the adrenaline boost comes when my fuel indicator shows that i have a quarter tank left. I have no idea how much more distance i can travel. My first time driving by myself, and coming to think about it, I was pretty brave to wanna drive on that day.

Putting myself into such a situation, I had to think fast. I was on CTE, things look bad, i'm travelling to ang mo kio, to the central instead. I figured out that I must make the nearest exit and asked for directions and get some gas. That turns out to be the right choice.

I was in a totally unfarmiliar place. I was in Ang Mo Kio central. I saw lots of coffee shops. I have to stop at one and ask for directions.

Two things, where is the petrol kiosk and what highway to get to go back to BKE?

The directions given were not exact. You have to be really observant and alert. I was told to drive straight but it turns out that the kiosk is at the other side of the road, I had to take a u-turn to get there.

Here comes Mr Bean episode, At the petrol Kiosk! The attendent alerted me that the cover of the fuel tank is locked. I saw my father pulled a lever or something before, but I had the slightest idea where it was. I started pulling everything that could be pulled. That includes the engine hood lever, which suddenly flung itself to life. Folllowed by the seat rest, which sways backwards with my weight on it. Everything else moves, except the stubborn tank cover. I could see the stare and bewilderment from the attendent, who might probably doubt if I own the car. I won't be surprised if they start whispering among themselves, with one of them hastily making his way for the phone and the next minute, the police sirens roars and i'm arrested for car theft. What could be funnier if the police officer who steps out of the car is my friend, Officer Chen? He could laugh so much that he starts rolling on the floor and give me an escort home.

That was it. I had to get home. Forget about orchard road. I was on SLE, thanks to more confirmation from other people. SLE is pretty straighforward. I just to go straight all the way, not to be fooled by any other exits that pops out unless its BKE.

The first thing I did on monday, was to get the fucking street directory. With a traumatic experience like that, I would never want to get lost again. And I'm sulky that i couldn't get to orchard. I couldn't take that kind of failure and humiliation so I shall take on the roads again one day and get to orchard. But at least, if someone ever wants to meet me at Ang Mo kio, I had no problems going there. All I have to do is to take the wrong turn at Newton round-about.

More self-discipline please!

I have to remind myself, on my blog to maintain and keep up my self-discipline. Procrastination, laziness and punctuality is my three key weaknesses. I seem to enjoy piling up my work and using MSN at work. This is damn bad. Please scold me if any of you see me online during working hours. I have work to do actually but I just can't help myself but go online and chitty chatty. This bad habit carries forward from NUS days and still manifests itself until this very day. No MSN! No MSN! No more MSN during office hours. Listen music instead if feel the urge to log on. No more MSN! Hoping that I can psycho myself with this entry.

Until recently, yes, I highlight that it was at such a late phase of life, that I have a taste and experience of what happens behind closed door, closed doors of the chitty-chatty among the lovely ladies.

One thing that I'm aware of, is of how girls talk much more than guys. The fascinating discovery of the variety of conversational topics is as great as Fleming's discovery of penicillin to me.

We guys, I mean among my guy friends, our rather constricted scope of small talk, will revolve around how Ronaldo dribbles and scores. Our faces slapped with disappoinment, as we talk about another major upset, Arsenal losing to Stoke City. Then there will be a moment of silence, as we slip down our favourite ale. Oh yes, german light brew is soothing, try brewerkz too, they have got great beer. Guys like me need a moment of silence, where we get to enjoy just being out there, in a pub, drinking. We can't talk all the time, filling every single minute, every single second. Enough of the chat, let me savour my tantalizing ale, please.

I have every reason to believe that our right hemisphere of the brain, involved in speech, is not as developed our female counter-parts. I look at the econ-mini mart auntie at the void deck next block. And she becomes my criteria to judge how gossipy a women can be. In her forties, with her black framed glasses, everything seems to be be interesting to talk about. One thing, she's got a big mouth, i mean literally, like Mo Xiao Ling. So big mouth really carries that negative connoctation, as in a big mouth person, is really "big mouthed". Everytime I see a person who fits the econ auntie, the bearing and her appearance, I can safely conclude that they are of the same class of elites.

Our dearest female counterparts possess such acute observational skills and verbal capacity to talk at such details. I admire such talents, sincerely from the bottom of my heart. Their eye catch such fine details that would have escaped my eye, and they actually remembered it. Recollecting the event itself seems like it happened a few mins ago, even if it could have been a couple of months. Ask them to write a book, I think no problem on that.

Scientists should develop that acumen too, for them to make more interesting discovery. Such fine skills could take me a life-time to perfect.

The importance of having more than one computer

As much as I thought, computers are not as incredible as it seems to be. The promise to deliver is to be not taken for granted. Computers are invented by humans, and how far can it go with that in mind? Humans make mistakes too, and we should be more forgiving to computers.

Always have a back-up, this is one valuable lesson not to be forgotten. With one desktop and a laptop, a office PC, external hardrive and a thumbdrive, things should go pretty well.

My home desktop keeps displaying the CMOS at start-up. The time and date gets reset everytime I shut down my computer. My internet browser turns nasty and mean, displaying a window saying that the certificate of the website is outdated and denies my access. When did the culture of Singaporeans reverence for certification qualification became so pervasive? Even IE 7 is demanding for certificates nowadays! I think the site only has up to O-level, that's why I can't access. That is a great insult to MSN messenger mail. It is one of the many sites that pops up the irritating obstruction.

My virus scans detects a vital software as a virus, a crime as heinous as calling a guy who just done llife-saving CPR on you a leacher.

Owing to computers, we have new job opportunities for maintainence, making sure it works all well and runs smooth.

Remember to extend your warranty on computer products to 3 yrs instead of one. Saves you lots of trouble to buy a new one every year!