Linguisitc Interest

As I was chatting with Kenichi, I decided to make the monotomous conversation into something different and unique which may be interesting to us. So, I decide to type in Japanese to chat with Kenichi cos he knows a bit of Japanese. And then I converses with Kenichi in simple Chinese. Coming to think to myself, hey, my interest in languages has not worn off yet as I still am very excited to learn languages. Later on, I chat with Amaresh and I pop in some french phrases. It turns out that Amaresh knows a bit French but he said that he has long forgotten his French language.

I have made a vision 2 years ago that I must master several languages i.e. Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Korean and Italian. And I still hold this kind of vision in my heart.

Chinese（话语/中文）

Hi = 你好
Thank you = 谢谢(简笔字)/謝謝(繁體字)
Goodbye = 再见(简笔字)/再見(繁體字)
Sorry = 对不起(简笔字)/對不起(繁體字)

Cantonese

Bye bye = 拜拜 (baai1 baai 3)
Thank you (for gifts) = 多謝 (do1 ze 3)
Thank you (for services rendered) = 唔該 (m4 goi1)

Shanghainese

I = 阿拉 (ala)
You = 侬 (non)
Hell0 = 侬好(non ho)
Goodbye = 再会（tse wei）

Ｔａｉｗａｎｅｓｅ　（Ｈｏｋｋｉｅｎ）

Hello = 食飽未? (Chiah pá boeh?) = Have you eaten?
Goodbye = 平安 (Pêng-an)
Thank you = 勞力 (Lo-kat)
Sorry = 失禮 (Sit-le)
Embarassed = 歹勢! (Pai sey)

French(Français)

Hello = Bonjour
Goodbye = Au revoir
Thank you = Merci
Thank you very much = Merci Beaucoup
Please = S'il vous plait
You'r welcome = Je vous en prie (Zhe voo za pree)
Sorry = Pardon/Excusez-moi (ex-ku-zay-Mwa)
I dun understand = Je ne comprends pas
Do you speak English? = Parlez-vous anglais?

German (Deutsch)

Hello = Halo
Goodbye = Auf Wiserdesehen (owf Vee der since)
Please = Bitte
Thank you = Danke
English = Englisch (same pronunication as English)
Yes = Jaa (yah)
No = Nein (nine)
Do you speak English? = Sprechen Sie Englisch? (Spre zee Anglish)
I dun understand = Ich verstehe nicht (Ish fair Stay Nish)

Greek

Hello = γειά σας (Ya Sas)

Hawaiian

Hell0 = Aloha
Goodbye = Ahuihou (a hoo e hoe)
Thank you = Mahalo

Hindi

Hello = नमस्ते (namaste)

Italian

Hello = Ciao
Goodbye = Arrivederci (a-ree-veh-Dare-chee)
Thank you = Grazie (grats yeh)

Japanese

Good Morning = お早うございます
Hello/Good Afternoon = 今日は
Goodbye = さようなら・じゃあまたね
Thank you = 有難うございます
Can you speak English = 英語が話せますか

Korean

Hell0 = 안녕하세요
Thank you = 고맙습니다 (ko map su mi da)
I dun understand = 몰라 (mo lah)
Do you speak English? 영어 할 줄 아세요? (yeong gu ha jul a say yo)

Malay

Hello = Selamat Pagi (morning)
Thank you = Terima kasih
You're welcome = Sama sama

Portugese

Hello = Olá
Thank you = Obrigado

Spanish

Hello = Hola
Good morning = Bueno días
Goodbye = Adiós
Thank you = Gracias
Do you speak English? (direct polite) = ¿Habla inglés?

Tamil

Hello = வணக்கம (vana kam)
Thank you = நன்ற (nandri)

Welsh

Good morning = Bore da! (Bo-re-da)
Goodbye! = Da boch chi! (da Bo-khi)
Thank you = Diolch (DEE-olkh)
No thank you = Dim diolch (dim dee olkh)

Manhunt International 2006

Here are some hot contestants and some of my favourites too. It was held in Jinjiang, Fujian Province in China.

Manhunt International 2006: USA EAST, Jaime Mayo
1st Runner-up: BELGIUM, Fabien Hauquier
2nd Runner-up: CHINA, Zhao Zheng
3rd Runner-up: TURKEY, Gokhan Keser
4th Runner-up: SPAIN, Jose Mendez

From left to right: 4th runner up, Jose Mendez of Spain, 1st runner up, Fabien Hauquier of Belgium, Manhunt International 2006, Jaime Augusto Mayol of the USA, 2nd runner up, Zhao Zheng of China and 3rd runner up, Gokhan Keser of Turkey.

Have already registered for Singapore Triathlon 2006

This morning, I have just registered for the Osim Olympic Triathlon. Last year, I have participated in it and it is time for me to get real serious in the training for Triathlon in 2 months' time. I feel kinda motivated and focussed as I have my goals in place properly. I think it is important to know what you exactly are looking for and then start working towards these goals. Of course, one of my resolutions that I have made last year is to participate in triathlon every year. It does not matter whether I win or not. It is a matter of preparing myself for the race, beating the previous timing that really matters more. Rather than spending quite a sum of money just to participate in this race for a mere fun. If we ask ourselves that we just participate in this race for a mere fun, i think this novelty of participating in this race will wear off in few years' time as there is no real motivation behind it. If we think about it of how we can ace through this triathlon, saying that hey, i must improve my timing for all these 3 main components, say improving timing by XXX secs/mins, a small room for improvement is already considered as a significant improvement. I once read a book "Ultra Marathon Man - Confessions Of An All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes" which details his personal victory of pushing himself to his limit to participate in the world's toughest and most punishing marathon. Of course, Dean Karnazes is definitely my ardent idol to blaze an example to show that no matter how tough journey it is, we gotta stick to our guns and go for it. No complaint, No excuses, No laments and most important NO REGRET! DO IT NOW! As you can see these statements with are evoked with thoughtless impulse, it is actually a victorious statement that YOU have to inculcate in yourself.

"Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes claims "There is magic in misery." While it would be easy to write off his habit of running for 100 miles at a time—or longer—as mere masochism, it's impossible to not admire his tenacity in pushing his body to reach one extreme goal after another. Sure, it's gory to read about how he lost one of his big toenails from shoe friction during the Western States Endurance Run. But what registers more is that here's a guy competing in an event that includes 38,000 feet of elevation change--the equivalent of scaling the Empire State Building 30 times.

Despite his considerable athleticism, "Karno" argues that the first half of any race is run with one's body, and the second half with the mind. Without delving into excessively touchy-feely territory, he explores "the possibilities of self" as he completes an ultra-marathon in 120-degree heat in Death Valley, and later the first-ever marathon at the South Pole. It's an odd combination: a California surfer dude contemplating how, as Socrates said, "Suffering leads to wisdom." But Karnazes's self-motivation is utterly intriguing, and it's impossible to read this memoir without wanting to go out and run a marathon yourself.--Erica Jorgensen "


Another book "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong" is also well-recommended for those people who are fitness fanatics but this book is not just on the visible victory over all those races but also it includes personal victory over his own cancer without compromising his best performance for these Tour de France races.


"People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike. --Jill Lightner"

Tatler Hall of Fashion

Yesterday Gil invited me to attend the Tatler Hall of Fashion and he awarded 4 coveted awards to tai-tais (meaning madam). He also invited his gorgeous friend named Kenji who is half caucasian and half japanese. He is only 19 years old and he loves music. He hopes to come to Singapore to break into Asian music industry. He is from Perth and I shared my experience in Fremantle and Perth.

I have already placed the wall paper of Brent Van Zant and he is so gorgeous especially his dreamy eyes and his well-toned body. You can click on these thumbnail to have a better view of his sooooo beautiful face and his hot body. I really LOVE HIM A LOT ! heee

It fitting that breathtakingly hot DNA model Brent Van Zant was born in a place called Paradise, in Northern California. "It's a small town and it was a great place to grow up," says Brent Van Zant. "I spent a lot of my childhood fishing and camping." Brent Van Zant now lives in Hermosa Beach, which is a 30 minutes south of LA. "It's a real board shorts and flip-flop type place. I love that kind of laid back scene."

Brent Van Zant, 26, says his much drooled-over photo shoot with DNA photographer Lewis Payton has boosted his modelling career. "The offers have kept rolling in. I'm a late starter in the business and that shoot has really improved my book. I just did a Guess Jeans campaign which I shot in LA recently. I think the DNA shoot had something to do with it."

Brent Van Zant was a student and a construction worker before entering the world of modelling. "If you'd told me back then that I'd be flying to New York and Europe to be photographed I never would have believed you," he says.

Fruitful meeting

Wow yesterday it was really a busy day for me cos Jane and I were preparing for our roadshow to recruit more deaf and hearing who works with the deaf to join us.

Initially, I was a bit nervous cos I am not very good at signing and I fear that I may not sign properly for them to understand me. So, anyway at 7pm sharp, Andrew sms-ed me that Amaresh had already been there waiting for me. I rushed from the Bugis Junction to the National Lib and then rushed to my office to get my laptop. I went downstairs to look for him. I found him waiting by the window and I called out his name. He responded to me and he was tall and burly. He has wavy hair on the front of his head and he is very personable. Initially, I already knew that he is hearing but he really signed like a deaf that those mere acquaintances will find it hard to tell whether he is a deaf or hearing. So, we made our way to the lib at Level 8 and we chatted a bit before Ann-san and Andrew came.

We introduced ourselves to each other and he told me that he came to Singapore 9 months ago to work. Initially, he wanted to work full time with the deaf and he had tried his luck with the SAD. SAD, however, did not reply to his application for the job and he said that it is probably that the SAD knew him and his resume. I told him that it could be that SAD is rigid to accept his radical changes if Amaresh joined in SAD. Anyway, there are many ways to implement changes.

Finally, Ann-san came over with her new hair cut. Her hair-cut was neater and shorter. And she wore tight skirts, that could reveal fleshy butts and she always wore her ever-smiling face. She signed that Andrew would be here soon.

Then Ann-san introduced me to Amaresh and Amaresh did not know that I am Adrian. He thought that I was the other guy but Ann-san countered that I was that one.

Finally Andrew came over in his working attire with his shirts tucked out. We said Hi to each other and I annouced that I would start my presentation on MYMCA and Y-Deaf CLub to them.

While presenting to them, I tried to pace myself for them to read the powerpoint slides before they looked up at me. It was around 10 minutes and finally we came to FAQ section where I was bombarded with avalanche of questions about MYMCA and sign language courses.

Amaresh made his point that it was crucial to conduct the sign language course in a proper and with a quality control. He proposed to have a interpretation course or sign language course at University so as to raise more awareness of the sign language. He pointed out that it is not easy task as he has done it before in India. In India, he has been working very hard with the deaf to do intensive research on sign language and finally co-authored Indian Sign language dictionary and technical Indian sign language. He also shared that he had worked in Ireland, UK and USA, adding to his impressive knowledge of the deaf.

Until 9pm. we realised that we had to end our FAQ section and I gave out yellow feedback form to them. And then I rushed back to the office before I joined them. Jane just came in the lib and Amaresh had met her before during the Family Day. Jane updated that she had given her presentation to MHI representative and the MHI representative would arrange a good date for Jane to conduct road show for the MHI community.

Then I went to Cali gym to have rigorous upper body training before I went home.

DeaF issue.

Yesterday we had a long meeting at MYMCA, Steven Road and we discussed about what we could do in order to recruit more people to join our new deaf club Y!Deaf Club.

We explored on how we come up with unique programmes to differentiate our club from different clubs and yet we do not try to be at conflict with other clubs. I mentioned that I do not wish to see any programmes cannabalizing each other and in the end, there will be always infighting among the deaf community, leading to divided deaf community.

In New Zealand, the bill to recognise the New Zealand has been already approved, drawing round of applause and cheers from many deaf NZ. I believe many deafs in NZ have been tirelessly fighting to get the NZ govt to officially recognise NZ sign language as its official sign language.

See the news excerpt from the website

"

A voice for the deaf community

Friday, 7 April 2006, 10:37 am
Press Release: COMVOICES Media Release
For Immediate Release

07 April 2006

A voice for the deaf community

Community and voluntary sector groups have congratulated the deaf community on yesterday’s recognition of sign language as an official New Zealand language.

With the passing of legislation today, New Zealand Sign Language has been recognised as the nation’s third official language, alongside English and Maori.

“This is a major achievement for the deaf community, as they have been striving to have sign language officially recognised for 20 years. The legislation is a long overdue acknowledgement of the importance of this language within our community”, says Andrea Goble, General Manager of the Funding Information Service, who is herself hearing impaired.

There are approximately 28,000 people who use sign language as their primary means of communication. The implementation of the New Zealand Sign Language Bill will allow sign language to be used in legal proceedings.

“This is a real step forward for New Zealand. It’s great to see community and voluntary sector needs being recognised and implemented in the legislative regime,” says Joce Swagerman, National Fundraiser of the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand.

Representatives from the Funding Information Service, the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, Prison Fellowship New Zealand, the Stroke Foundation and Volunteering New Zealand all lend their support to the new legislation "

Ricko, a french deaf guy who had come to Singapore for his tour, shared with me that he had taken part in the demonstration in Paris to force the French government to recognise LSF as an official French Sign Language.

Looking at Singapoe and regional countries, Malaysia has already its own official Malaysian Sign Language, HK Hong Kong Sign Language, China China Sign Language, Philippines Philippines Sign Language and so on except Singapore. In Singapore, the deaf community never has any official sign language but we use SEE (Signed Exact English/Manually coded English) which is very much "artificial and not truly deaf language".

In fact, Singapore deafs never use SEE and we use PSE (Pidgin Signed English) and NSL (Natural Sign Language) which are commonly used among the deafs. It is interesting to note that the SAD (Singapore Association for the Deafs) strongly advocates the use of SEE for the sake of maintaining proper usage of English, paying close attention to its grammatical structure while the majority of the deaf does not use SEE largely in their everyday conversation.

So, it would really pave a path for us to embark on a difficult task to come up with the Singapore Sign Language which truly embody our own unique Singapore deaf culture.

Top 10 best skylines in the World

As I was searching for the website on the survey on the best 10 skylines in the world, HK skyline is definitely undisputedly on the top of the survey. As expected, I found the survey that HK skyline is indeed on top of the best skylines in the world. It is followed by Chicago. Singapore skyline does not fare badly as well as it is ranked best 6th skyline in the world. And furthermore, the Singapore government is planning to improve the lighting of the buildings in the CBD and Marina Square to make it more appealing and attractive. This lighting plan also enlivens the city and gives its own signature image to Singapore skyline with the upcoming IRs and BFCs in near future. Not to forget the upcoming world tallest ferris wheel-Singapore flyer-behind the Esplanade which definitely lends itself to an attractive postcard of Singapore skyline. To facilitate and encourage more building owners within the CBD and Marina Centre to install quality lighting for their developments, URA will be offering additional Gross Floor Area (GFA) or a cash grant to help defray part of the capital cost of lighting installation. To facilitate and encourage more building owners within the CBD and Marina Centre to install quality lighting for their developments, URA will be offering additional Gross Floor Area (GFA) or a cash grant to help defray part of the capital cost of lighting installation.

Top best 10 skylines in the world.

Hong Kong


Hong Kong has a whopping 43 buildings over 200 metres tall, 30 of which were built in the year 2000 or later!!! It also boasts four of the 15 tallest buildings in the world… that's all in one city! Hong Kong’s skyline shows a large selection of distinct sky-reaching towers, with beautiful night lighting and reflection.

Chicago


Chicago is the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. When Chicago built its first steel high-rise in 1885, it was not the tallest structure in the world but the first example of a new form of engineering that would change nearly every city on earth. Chicago has 19 buildings over 200 metres tall (three of which are among the top 20 tallest buildings in the world, including the tallest in North America). Chicago has some of the finest mid-century architecture and examples of modern skyscrapers.

Shanghai

Not to be mistaken for a space station, Shanghai is a real city! China's biggest and most advanced city, Shanghai was said to be the most cosmopolitan city in the beginning of the 20th century, but lost its glory during the “Mao era”. It is now quickly regaining its position as one of the biggest economic powerhouses in the world as well as a showcase of modern architecture. In Shanghai you’ll find 25 structures that are over 200 metres tall, one of which is the insanely tall, the 468m downtown Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

New York

New York City has one of the densest and most diverse skylines, with a huge collection of buildings and building styles. Thanks to Hollywood’s obsession with the city, it is also the most easily recognizable skyline in the world. New York City has an amazing 47 buildings over 200 metres - the most in the world! The four tallest buildings in NYC were all built in the early 1930s! Home of the famous, now destroyed World Trade Center Towers, the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations, New York City is the financial capital of the western world. Upon the completion of the new "Freedom Tower" (built on the old site of the World Trade Centers), it may rank higher in this list (depending on how good it looks of course).

Tokyo

Tokyo is the world's most populated city. Its skyline has a number of unique characteristics that set it apart from other big city skylines, among them 15 structures at over 200 metres tall (including the Tokyo Tower which changes colors every night). But because of the density and vast size of the city, every corner appears to have its own skyline. With the height restrictions and the required red lights that flash atop all mid to tall-sized buildings make the city look spectacular at night. Tokyo is filled with neon lighting and unique, contemporary architecture, and like New York City is also often portrayed in movies for its aesthetic and eye-catching cityscapes.

Singapore

One of the best (urban) planned and cleanliest metropolitan cities in the world, Singapore looks like an architectural model city come to life. The buildings cannot be higher than 280 metres due to air traffic control restrictions, but that has added a tall (but not too tall) and consistent building height and space pattern that makes this skyline unique: Three buildings are exactly 280 metres tall and 5 others (8 total) stand at just over 200 metres. The buildings are mostly light-coloured and there is a large expanse of greenery dotted around the city core. This South-Eastern city is definitely in a league of its own.

Toronto

Toronto is a meeting place, a crossroads of many cultures and ethnicities. Toronto is downtown Canada, the biggest city in the country with a skyline to match. Toronto has 7 structures in its skyline that stand at over 200 metres, including the astonishingly tall 553 metre, CN Tower, which is often referred to as the tallest free-standing structure in the world. While mostly untrue (because there are taller TV masts in the world), the CN Tower possess the world's highest observation deck, making this city's skyline one of the most immediately identifiable.

Kuala Lumpur

This is probably the most impressive city worldwide that has less than 2 million residents. Marvelous modern buildings reach the sky here, and while the skyline is not too dense, it does allow buildings to soar and stand out. Kuala Lumpar has three of the 25 tallest buildings worldwide, including the tallest twin buildings, the Pretonos Towers (which are arguably the second and third tallest overall in the world) as well as the 420 metre Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Shenzhen

What was a tiny fishing village on the border of Hong Kong in 1970 is now a buzzing metropolis of over four million people. With 13 buildings at over 200 meters tall, including the Shun Hing Square (the 8th tallest building in the world), Shenzen is a marvel of lights after sunset. You can’t help but ask yourself if you are in a video game or in a real city.

Seoul

This city's skyscrapers are divided into many clusters, spread amongst the main businesses and residential districts. Most of the recent growth in Seoul's skyline, however, has been of residential towers over 60 storeys high that are shooting up like blades of grass! There are 10 buildings in Seoul over 200 meters tall and much of the mid-rise to high-rise structures are lined up in a linear fashion, creating a "wall" of buildings like no other. Seoul is where the ancient Eastern world meets the modern West.

Hakka Linguisitc

The Hakka language has numerous variants or dialects, spoken in Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou provinces, including Hainan island and Taiwan. Hakka is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin, Cantonese, Minnan or most of the significant spoken variants of the Chinese language.

Hakka has kept many features of northern Middle Chinese that have been lost in the North. It also has a full complement of nasal endings, -m -n ŋ and occlusive endings -p -t -k, maintaining the four categories of tonal types, with splitting in the ping and ru tones, giving six tones. Some dialects of Hakka have seven tones, due to splitting in the qu tone. One of the distinguishing features of Hakka phonology is that Middle Chinese voiced initials are transformed into Hakka voiceless aspirated initials.

Amongst the dialects of Hakka, the Moi-yen/Moi-yan (梅縣, Pinyin: Méixìan) dialect of northeast Guangdong has typically been viewed as a prime example of the Hakka language, forming a sort of standard dialect.

The Guangdong Provincial Education Department created an official romanisation of Meixian Hakka dialect in 1960, one of four languages receiving this status in Guangdong.


Various dialects of Hakka have been written in a number of Latin orthographies, largely for religious purposes, since at least the mid-19th century.

Currently the single largest work in Hakka is the New Testament and Psalms, although that is expected to be surpassed soon by the publication of the Old Testament. These works render Hakka in both romanization and Han characters (including ones unique to Hakka) and are based on the dialects of Taiwanese Hakka speakers.

The popular Le Petit Prince has also been translated into Hakka (2000), specifically the Miaoli dialect of Taiwan (itself a variant of the Sixian dialect). This also was dual-script, albeit using the Tongyong Pinyin scheme.

See the example of chinese characters that are unique to Hakka

English Mandarin Hakka
I............ 我.............. 崖
We........ 我们.......... 崖兜
You....... 你.............. 汝
He......... 他.............. 佢
No.......... 不............. 唔/冇

Hakka Cuisine

The most particular thing about Hakka food is the cooking techniques the Hakka use, including pressure-cooking, quick frying, stewing, and the sauces they use. Hakka food tends to be vinegary and salty, including a large variety of pickled vegetables. The pickled vegetables not only replenish the salt lost through sweating caused by hard work, it can be stored for long periods of time. This falls in line with frugality considered so important by the Hakka. The most frequently seen types of Hakka food are rice flower dishes, snacks, and main dishes.

As a result, fresh produce was at a premium, forcing the Hakkas to heavily utilize dried and preserved ingredients, such as various kinds of fermented beancurd and much use of onion. Due to the hill country being far inland seafood is a rarity. Pork is by far the most favored meat of the Hakkas, with belly bacon being the preferred cut as it has alternating layers of fat and lean meat, providing an excellent texture.

One of them is famous Yong Tau Foo ( 酿豆腐 ). Yong Tau Foo is one of the favourite of among Singaporeans because firstly, it is healthy because the main meat used here is fish. Secondly, it provides some variety to Singaporeans life because they are able to choose the food pieces according to their current likings and preferences. And not much oil is used and vegetables are also available, suitable for the health-conscious.

Hakka Architecture

Hakka architecture is a building style in southern China unique to the Hakka people. They are typically designed for defensive purposes and consist of one entrance and no windows at ground level.

From the 17th century onwards, population pressures drove them more and more into conflict with their neighbours. As rivalry for resources turned to armed warfare, the Hakka began building communal living structures designed to be easily defensible. These houses, sometimes called tulou （土楼）, were often round in shape and internally divided into many compartments for food storage, living quarters, ancestral temple, armoury etc. The largest houses covered over 40,000 m² and it is not unusual to find surviving houses of over 10,000 m².

The architectural style of Hakka forts is largely unique in China and around the world. The typical Chinese house contains a courtyard and other than pagodas, does not often contain any structures higher than two stories. The origins of Hakka architecture have been traced to older forms of fortifications in southern China, as seen in Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms tomb models unearthed in Guangzhou, Guangdong and in Ezhou, Hubei.

There are many types of Hakka architecture that could be up to 100. But there are 3 most common types of Hakka architecture here.

• Phoenix house 五鳳樓
• Round house 土樓
• Piang Fong 平房 ( one-storied flat-roofed house )
• Others (u can see the rest of photos)

Phoenix house

A "Five-Phoenix" building, also known as a "Curling Dragon House", was an older type of earth structure, popular in the early Hakka migratory period and could be found in southern Jiangxi and eastern Guangdong.

The "Curling Dragon" buildings were the most representative of Hakka traditional zhongyuan (Central China) culture as they were built according to the imperial court pattern.

When the first Hakkas came to Fujian and Guangdong provinces, they could afford the luxurious "Five-Phoenix" houses, modelled on the style of housing in the imperial court. The houses were built on the same axis and comprised two or three buildings and a gate.

The Hakkas gradually lost their connection and relationship with the imperial court and had to compete with the local people on equal terms. They no longer had the support of the imperial court because it was hard for the imperial power to reach the remote areas where they lived.
Without imperial protection the Hakkas came under attack from the local population. This led to the construction of the defensive round houses, which evolved from the square buildings and the "Five-Phoenix" structures.

Round house

While the round building is fairly large, it has an inner ring, which is like a round building within a round building. For round building that built earlier than 15th century, they have other defensive features that would counter siege. It is said that during Ming dynasty as Japanese pirates intruded the coastal areas, they always leave the Hakka's Earth Buildings area alone.

Piang Fong

Later, these became more open Piang Fongs, which signaled a lower social status.

Others/

Hakka and its History.

As I was reading my email, I stumbled across an interesting link on History of Hakka. As a Hakka, I was intrigued by Hakka language, Hakka architecture and many related issues. My parents used to tell me that Hakka language is closer to Mandarin than Cantonese language although to me, it really sounds similar to Cantonese like ‘我不要‘. In Cantonese, it sounds like 'mm oi' and in Hakka, it also sounds the same thing. See this Hakka script " 崖冇愛 " When we say 'Thank you' '多谢', in Cantonese, it sounds "do sieh" which is also same as Hakka. Anyway, I am not well-versed in Chinese dialect and cannot comment much on it.

I will split this Hakka story into 4 parts: Hakka and its History (1), Hakka Language (2), Hakka Architecture (3) and Hakka Cuisine (4).

客家

Hakka (客家 Pinyin: kèjiā, ) are a Han Chinese people whose ancestors are said to originate from around Henan and Shanxi in northern China over 2,700 years ago. Their ancestors migrated southwards because of social unrest, upheaval, or by invasion of foreign conquerors since the Jin Dynasty (265-420). Subsequent migrations occurred at the end of the Tang Dynasty when China fragmented, during the middle of the Song Dynasty which saw a massive depopulation of the north, and a flood of refugees southward when the Jurchens captured the northern Song capitol, and the fall of the Song to the Mongols in the Yuan Dynasty and when the Ming Dynasty fell to the Manchu who formed the Qing Dynasty.

The term Hakka is thought to be comparatively recent. To aid the move which was initiated by Emperor Kangxi to repopulate the coastal regions, each family were given an amount of money to begin their new lives and registered as "Guest Families" (客戶, kèhù). The indigenous settlers who returned to their original lands saw the influx of newcomers. The original inhabitants were protective of their own more fertile lands, and the newcomers were pushed to the outer fringes of fertile plains, or settled in more mountainous regions to eke out a living. As time went by, local antagonisms grew, and it is thought that "Hakka" became a term of abuse used by indigenous settlers aimed at the newcomers. Over time, this muted down, and became adopted as term of self reference for Hakka peoples. The Hakka farmers were known to have used their feet while standing upright to pull weeds off rice paddies, as their cultural pride would not allow them to kneel and crawl on land belonging to the Manchus.

During the first centuries, the migration of Hakka groups generally trailed behind the whole Han Chinese southern expansion. As a result, Hakkas had to settle on the less desirable lands (mountains etc.). With limited prospects in agriculture, Hakka men have turned more often than other Chinese toward careers in the military or public function. Consequently, Hakka society puts an extra emphasis on the working abilities of women, who had to take up a bigger load of work on the farms while their menfolks were studying or at war. Foot-binding was considered foolish and never practiced. Another consequence was the higher proportion of Hakkas with academic achievement. For example, some Taiwanese believe that the Mei-nung area in Kaohsiung (having a high concentration of Hakka) produced more doctorates than other areas in Taiwan.

The Hakkas have emigrated to many regions worldwide, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (West Borneo), Thailand and East Timor.

Hakka people have also emigrated to Australia, Canada, the United States of America, and many countries in Europe, including Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Hakka people are also found in South Africa, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Mauritius and the islands of the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica.

Hakka people can be also found in South America (Brazil, Trinidad, etc).

Most expatriate Hakka in Great Britain have ties to Hong Kong, and may have emigrated when Hong Kong was still a colony of Great Britain.

There has been a Hakka community in Calcutta, India of previous, considerable size, but most have migrated to Canada, the United States, Australia, and Taiwan.

An anecdote has it that the north-most restaurant in the world close to the Arctic is in fact a Chinese restaurant run by a Hakka. :) I dunno whether this anecdote is true.

Today there are about 90-100 million Hakka speakers around the world.

The Hakkas have had a disproportionate influence on the course of Chinese and Overseas Chinese history particularly in the field of revolutionary and political leaders. This continues to be true in modern Chinese history where some of the most prominent Chinese leaders have been Hakkas. In the 1980s-90s, the Hakkas had the unique distinction of having all three political heavyweights of all three Chinese-led countries Hakkas at the same time: People's Republic of China's Deng Xiaoping, Republic of China's Lee Teng-hui and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew.

In addition, Dr Sun Yat-sen, Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew, all Hakkas, are three of the four Chinese named as 20th Century's 20 most influential Asians by Time magazine.


Last note, I have found the website on Chinese restaurant in Greenland. No information about their Hakka origin. I am thinking that I must go to Greenland one day before the glaciers and magnificient fjords will melt forever. See this article

Had a long run..

Yesterday I had a long run from my gym to Kallang River and then ran along the Marine Promenade from Kallang Park on the way to Esplanade. While running, the Singapore skyline was distinctly unique and colourful though not as beautiful as HK skyline or NYC skyline. But it affords many runners a easy accessibiliy to have a nice view while running along the Marina Promenade. I am not sure whether in HK, you can run around in the CBD amidst ubiqutous and roaring traffic unless you run up the Victoria Peak to its peak in its vicinity. Then on the peak, it definitely affords you a breath-taking and panaromic view of whole HK Skyline. I have not tried it before but I would definitely take a run up the Victoria Peak if MYMCA has confirmed to send me to HK for deaf camp.

This Sunday, my HK couple would be coming to Singapore for 1 night. So, I may meet them for dinner on that day to catch up with each other. I know Raymond since my University days and he has worked here in Singapore for a couple of years before returning to HK. He told me that he really missed Singapore food and the pace of living in Singapore. He preferred to stay in Singapore to HK as he has lost confidence in HK future. But I pointed out that the future in HK could be renewed as HK has a huge hinterland and China has a huge potential market. So, Raymond could have more possibilities to explore in China than in Singapore.

A lazy weekend to be spent... (3/3)

Last Sunday, I was supposed to go for the dragon boat training. However, since I had taken my cough mixture, by that time, I woke up, it was already 12:45pm and it was already a bit too late and it would be too rushed for me to pack my stuff for this training. I sms-ed Jane that I was still not feeling well and needed more ample rest.

Meanwhile, I went to my parent's room to watch Out of Africa DVD which I also bought in Shanghai. It described a Danish baroness who left Denmark to marry a British philanderer in Kenya and how she spent her life with her husband in a loveless relationship and how she met another man in her life, Bensy. At the end of this story, she realised that she could not have 2 men whom she loved with her heart.

I asked myself whether my personality was like an African lifestyle which refused to be tamed or tied down by the relationship. During the quarrel between Karen and Densy, Densy told her that "...I cannot love you more just because of the paper..." when Karen told him that she wanted to settle down with him by going through formal marriage. True enough, just before we broke up, my ex told me in his sms: "I really need you more than you need me". And my mom once remarked to me: "I never expect my son to be like a lone ranger, explorer or adventurer. All my family members including relatives are not like you and I never taught you to be one. I don't know why you turn out to be like that". So, the final question I ask myself is that am I really ready for the love relationship and even if I am, would my committment to this relationship compromise my lifestyle dramatically?

Here is the symposis

The film opens in Denmark as an older Karen Blixen (Streep) briefly remembers hunting in Denmark, then the years she spent in Africa (1914-1931). Looming large in her memory is the figure of Denys Finch Hatton (Redford), a local big-game hunter she met when she arrived in Africa to start what she thought would be a dairy farm together with her husband, Baron Bro von Blixen-Finecke (Brandauer).

Things turn out differently for her than anticipated, as the blue-blooded but poor Baron has used her money to purchase a coffee plantation instead of a dairy farm. He also shows little inclination to put any work into it, preferring to hunt game instead. While from the beginning, their marriage is depicted as mostly symbiotic (her family has money, while the Baron has a title), Karen does eventually develop feelings for him and is distressed when she learns of his affairs.

To make matters worse, she contracts syphilis from her philandering husband, which at the time was a very dangerous condition, necessitating her return to Denmark for a possible cure using the (1910) medicine Salvarsan [Arsphenamine] (before advent of penicillin). Correction, the film lends the thought that Karen contracts syphlis from her husband however according to a DVD release of the film with special bonus features, the director reveals that her condition was genetic from her father, hence his suicide when Karen was only 10 years of age.

After she has recovered and returned to Africa, a relationship between her and Denys begins to develop. However, after many unsuccessful attempts at turning their affair into a lasting relationship and possibly marriage, she must realize that Denys is as impossible to own or tame as the African wildlife itself. His eventual death in a plane crash is foreshadowed in the movie by the tale of Maasai people who would perish in captivity. At his funeral in the Ngong Hills, as Karen prepares to toss a handful of soil into the grave, she hesitates, then turns away from the other Europeans, brushing her hand instead through her hair, in the native custom.
As coffee prices have dropped dramatically after the First World War, Karen is forced to give up the plantation and return to Denmark where she becomes an author, writing about her experiences in Africa. The film Karen is forced to return to Denmark after a catastrophic fire that destroys her entire crop of coffee. There is no mention, in the film, of a fall in coffee prices.

The movie tells this story as a series of six loosely coupled episodes from Karen Blixen's life, intercut with her narration.

The final narration, about Denys's grave, is from her book Out of Africa, while the others have been written for the film in imitation of her very lyrical writing style. The pace of the movie is often slow, reflecting the book, "Natives dislike speed, as we dislike noise..."

After I watched this DVD, I went to Sembawang Library to borrow more photography books to educate myself with rudimentary concept of photography.

A lazy weekend to be spent ... (Part 2/3)

Last Saturday, i was supposed to meet Jane for humping at Bukit Timah for our regular training. However, it rained unexpectedly and we had to cancel our plan. And also I was not really feeling well as I was down with sore throat and slight fever. So, I needed ample rest so that I did not have to apply for MC leave this Monday though I hoped so. So, that afternoon, I watched Oliver Twist DVD which I bought in Shanghai and I had some sketchy ideas about this Oliver Twist which was written by Charles Dicken, a famed British writer.

After watching this Oliver Twist, it left me a quiet moment to ponder about. Such a poor orphan who had struggled so much in life and eventually, he found his true happiness and love with his adopted family. It chronicled his life from the point when he asked for more broth in an orphanage, his escape from the orphange to London, his encounters with the pickpockets and their leader - Faggin, how he got wrongly implicated in the pickpocket issue, how he met his kind benefactor, Mr Brownslow, to the happy ending on how he managed to escape free from the pickpocket circle to attain his true happiness and new-found love with his new adopted family. And it also spoke volume of Oliver's big heart to show his gratitude to Fagin by visiting him in his cell before he was hung in the square.

Then, that night, I watched another life story about Forrest Gump. It was about a boy whose IQ did not qualify him to study in the mainstream school and how his mother fought to inculcate the lesson that Forrest was not being different from others and he was special in many ways. This story unfolded to show the tapestry of human emotions which included his relationship with his mother, childhood lover, Jenny, his best friends during Vietnam War and the outside world. At the end of this story, it was really a tear-jerking moment when Forrest cried profusely at his newly-wed wife's graveyard. Despite Jenny's numerous rejection of Forrest's love, Forrest's love for Jenny remained stoical and steadfast. Jenny's death causes Forrest to question the nature of life when he asks the question "I don't know if Mama was right or whether it was Lieutenant Dan. I don't know if we each have a destiny laid out for us, or if we're all just floating around on a breeze accidental-like; but maybe it's a little of both."

A Lazy Weekend to be spent...(Part 1/3)

Last Friday, I did not meet up with my new friend cos I was not feeling well. I got a flu-like symptom so I decided not to meet him anyway. So, I sms-ed Gilbert where he was as I knew that he would be watching Fundoshi - a comical satire to make fun of the Singapore government's media censorship. I have given a little introduction about the Fundoshi 褌（ふんどし） in the next paragraph. So, prior to meeting Gilbert at Raffles Hotel, I browsed through the photography section and found a very interesting book Wildlife Photography which was commissioned by BBC to cover award-winning outdoor photographs for two decades. As I browsed through the book, all these award-winning photos simply blew me away and instilled renewed inspiration in me, firing up fleeting imaginations in my mind. One photo captures a lonely white toadstoal amidst the moss-covered rocks with sinister-looking trees in the backdrop. It was like I was running with Hobbits in our hasty escape from the Orcs in the Lord of the Ring movie. After much contemplation, I decided to shell out money to buy it before I rushed off to meet Gilbert. We chatted for an hour while he was eating his dinner and then we went off together to the National Library. Nicholas, Gil's friend would be probably waiting for Gilbert there at the third floor and then i went off home.

ふんどし
Fundoshi （褌）

The Magic Fundoshi is a saucy comedy made up of three parables poking fun at human frailties and our fleshly instincts.

With naughtily sparkling wit, wacky slapstick action and sumptuous sets and costumes, The Magic Fundoshi promises an exuberant evening of pure unadulterated joy!

Glen Goei sets out to outdo last year’s smash hit comedy Boeing Boeing with a brand-new revival of his award winning production.

This exciting production stars an outstanding ensemble comprising Singapore’s favourite and most versatile comedians: Hossan Leong, Jonathan Lim, Koh Boon Pin, Robin Goh and a special appearance by Emma Yong.

The Perfect Servants

The servants of two noble Japanese households are willing to do anything and everything to uphold the public reputations of their lazy master and mistress. Their determination to keep up appearances leads to hilarious consequences when they find themselves staging a passionate courtship on behalf of their employers – from writing letters and serenades, to a full-blown hair-down legs-up lovers’ rendezvous!!

The Magic Fundoshi

Taro-Kaja has left his fundoshi at his mistress’ home, and must find a replacement before his wife discovers his infidelity. With a cunning strategy inspired by “the emperor’s new clothes”, he tricks a passing samurai into giving up his fundoshi (loin cloth) in exchange for a ‘magic’ one - which is only visible to adoring female eyes!

The Misplaced Goddess

When the revealingly-dressed statue of the Goddess of Love and Potency goes missing, two sham priests and two lecherous pilgrims frantically take turns posing as the statue to avoid being accused of stealing it. The shenanigans escalate into a riotous wild-goose chase - but there’s more to come! Soon, the Goddess herself appears….

Reviews

“A bawdy, delightful, laugh-a-minute outing. The Magic Fundoshi is a fine, and
increasingly rare, celebration of pure, mindless comedy.” SPH - The Straits Times

“Highly entertaining, intelligent in its subtlety and hilarious in its high comic drama.” SPH - The Business Times

Background

The form of Japanese comedy known as Kyogen （狂言) developed around 1400 as comic interludes between Noh dramas. These classical Japanese kyogen (literally ‘wild words’) provided a dazzling contrast and light-hearted relief from the bleak, slow-moving Noh　（能） plays; and to this day, kyogen still has Japanese audiences rolling in the aisles in laughter.

Kyogen are delightfully everyday celebrations of human foibles; and lust, sloth, vanity and other human appetites are the stuff of which kyogen is made. The traditional kyogen repertoire features whimsical tales of the Everyman (and woman) – of servants outsmarting their masters and scheming tricksters getting into bizarre screw-ups - always playful, always mischievous, always hilarious.

In 1966, Donald Richie, one of the foremost Western authorities on Japanese culture, in particular theatre and cinema, wrote 3 plays which he labeled ‘modern kyogen’. He based these plays on his extensive knowledge and experience of the kyogen form, but made them more accessible to Western audiences by giving them a contemporary attitude and a playful respect for the foreign language – English – in which they are written. The first performance, in Japanese, premiered to great success in Tokyo in 1969.

In 1993, Glen Goei, as Artistic Director of Mu-Lan Theatre Company, brought the trilogy to the attention of the English-speaking world by staging the World Premiere of the English version in London. He christened this production “The Magic Fundoshi” (the title of the second play in the trilogy). The production was a huge success with audiences and critics alike, and won the London Sunday Times Award for Best Comedy that year. This production toured successfully to Singapore in 1994 and 1996. Donald Richie’s Three Modern Kyogen have since been staged in Japan, Australia and the USA.

A little glimpse into Japanese culture on Noh and Kabuki
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
When I was in Tokyo staying with my ex in Jiyugaoka 自由が丘(じゆうがおか), most of the time, I was on my own exploring the Old Tokyo (Edo - 江戸）which was around Asakusa (浅草）and certain part of Ginza (銀座). As I was walking down the Ginza street which is the famed for most expensive street in the world, I saw a famous traditional Kabuki (歌舞伎） theatre which looked rather quainty. What really striked me was its interesting Japanese facade with purple curtains in front and quite a number of kimono-clad patrons thronged through this theatre.

Kabuki (歌舞伎, kabuki) is a form of traditional Japanese theater. Kabuki theater is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by its performers.


Noh or Nō (能) is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Together with the closely-related kyogen farce, it evolved from various popular and aristocratic art forms, including Dengaku, Shirabyoshi, and Gagaku. Kan'ami and his son Zeami brought Noh to its present-day form during the Muromachi period. It would later influence other dramatic forms such as Kabuki and Butoh. During the Meiji era, although its governmental patronage was lost, Noh and kyogen received official recognition as two of the three national forms of drama.

Noh is unique in its slow, spartan grace and its use of distinctive masks.

Noh is a chanted drama, and for that reason, some people have dubbed it Japanese opera. However, the singing in Noh involves a limited tonal range, with lengthy, repetitive passages in a narrow dynamic range. Clearly, melody is not at the center of Noh singing. Still, texts are poetic, relying heavily on the Japanese seven-five rhythm familiar to all who know the earlier waka and the much-later haiku, with an economy of expression, and an abundance of allusion.

Then I continue to the part 2 cos I do not want my posting to be very lengthy.

URA to spiff up Singapore

SINGAPORE is often cited as one of the best cities in the world to live and work. Most recently, Asian readers of Time magazine voted Singapore their favourite business city. This is a result of the concerted effort by the government to create an environment that helps to position the country as a leading regional business and financial centre.

The world's top 55 cities offering the best quality of life

Survey: Singapore top place to live for Asian expats 2006

But Singapore is facing increasing competition from other Asian cities, not just for international interest and investments, but also for global talent. As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his 2005 National Day Rally speech: 'This has to be a city which is full of life and energy and excitement, a place where people want to live, work and play.' For the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the development agency for Marina Bay, this last element has been a top priority in their plans for the area.

Says URA CEO Cheong Koon Hean: 'With Marina Bay, we want to present a new signature image of Singapore. It is more than a place for serious work, it is also a place where you can live life to the fullest.

'To that end, URA is striving to ensure that developments at Marina Bay are designed with people in mind with a mix of residential, commercial and entertainment facilities that will give it a 24/7 vibrancy.

Marina Bay, she added, is also about creating a city of the future that will provide an excellent quality of life in a modern metropolis. At the same time, it will be seamlessly linked back to the city's rich multi-cultural heritage.

Perhaps the most anticipated project at Marina Bay is the proposed integrated resort (IR). Bids for the project, which is attracting strong international interest from the likes of Harrah's Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands and Genting International, will close at the end of the month.

Whichever company wins the bid, one thing's for sure: it will be a resort like nothing Singapore has ever seen.

The integrated resort will complement other entertainment attractions at Marina Bay including the Esplanade as well as one of the world's highest observation wheels - the 178 metre Singapore Flyer, which is set to provide a stunning view of the city.

Spearheading the development of Marina Bay are the commercial sites at One Raffles Quay and the new Business and Financial Centre (BFC), a mega project comprising 3.55 hectares which will provide some 438,000 square metres of office, retail and residential space.

Said BFC Development, a consortium comprising Keppel Land, Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Holdings and Hongkong Land Holdings: 'Our plans for Phase One (of the BFC) demonstrate our confidence in Singapore's growing property market and its continued development as the financial services hub of Asia. We believe that this strategically located site fronting Marina Bay will be transformed into one of Asia's landmark integrated mixed-use developments.

'Both the BFC and nearby One Raffles Quay are being developed by the same consortium.

One Raffles Quay, also designed by America-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and Singapore's Architects 61, features large, regular column-free floor plates of up to 1,900 sq m and 2,800 sq m at each of its two towers, specifically designed to meet the requirements of leading financial institutions and multinationals.

To date, more than 70 per cent of the space has been pre-let to global companies such as ABN AMRO, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Barclays Capital, Ernst & Young, and Societe Generale Private Banking.

On the residential front, both towers of The Sail @ Marina Bay, a luxurious residential development designed by renowned architect Peter Pran of New York-based NBBJ, sold out within weeks of their launch. The 70-storey condominium will be among the world's tallest residential buildings when it is completed in 2009.










Other developments in the pipeline include the world's first double-helix-structure bridge, designed by award-winning architect Philip Cox, who also designed Sydney's National Aquatic Centre (used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics).

The 280-metre-long pedestrian component of the bridge, linking Marina Centre and Bayfront, features two opposite spiral steel structures held together by a series of connecting struts. Its resemblance to the structure of DNA - the basic building block of life - symbolises life and continuity, renewal and growth, reflecting our aspirations for Marina Bay.

Building on Singapore's Garden City legacy, three world-class waterfront gardens (94 hectares) have been planned for the area. Each garden will feature a distinctive design and character. A 13-kilometre-long promenade and connecting bridges will link the gardens, forming a continuous public waterfront loop. To be completed around 2010, the gardens will be a green sanctuary for all visitors.

Gardens by the Bay


In addition, Marina Bay will feature a series of distinctive districts clustered around major public spaces and signature streets. Unique planting schemes combining different tree and shrub species will also help to differentiate the individual districts. In the next phase of development, there will be two exciting sites for investment opportunities. One of these sites is at Collyer Quay, which is planned as a waterfront lifestyle development and will be put up for sale as a confirmed site in June.

The historic buildings at Clifford Pier and the former Custom Harbour Branch will be rejuvenated to provide more lifestyle, F&B and entertainment facilities for the community. The other site is the Central Promontory site in front of the BFC, which is planned to be developed for public attractions. No timeframe has been set for its release.

The government has adopted a strategy to provide timely and appropriate services and facilities to enable the smooth functioning of Marina Bay, having pumped in close to $2 billion to build the infrastructural base, including a Common Services Tunnel, Rapid Transit System, the Marina Barrage, and a new waterfront promenade and bridge.

The first phase of the Common Services Tunnel, providing essential services to the area, will be operational soon. The Rapid Transit System is also being extended into the area with the construction of a new downtown extension, which will have three new stations at the Marina Bay area. With the completion of the Marina Barrage in 2007, Marina Bay will be transformed into a large water playground offering a wide range of water-sports activities from powerboat racing to canoeing and wake boarding.

The whole Greater Marina Bay, including Marina Channel and Kallang Basin, can be used as a stage for special events. Last year, Marina Bay started the New Year's Eve tradition of lighting wishes on water.

And while it will take another couple of years before the developments are completed, it looks as though Marina Bay will, as Prime Minister Lee said, 'be a city in our image, a sparkling jewel, a home for all of us to be proud of'.

The writer is head of Marina Bay Development at URACopyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

A little except from "What Should I Do With My Life"

Last few weeks after I read on Ultramarathon, I stumbled across my old bookshelves for any books that I have not completed reading. It could be that I grew bored while reading this book as it perhaps does not stimulate my fast-thinking mind or perhaps I am not in the right frame of mood. Anyway, I saw this red book with the scribbed word "What Should I Do with My Life?" which was written by Po Bronson, our generation writer.

Let me summarize the content of this book from its back.

"Po Bronson's new book tackles the biggest, most threatening, most obvious question that anyone has to face,

What Should I Do with My Life?

It is a problem, he explains, that is increasing encountered not just by the young but by people who have lived half their lives or more. With the intoxicating days of the 80s and 90s behind us and the world entering recession, many people are being forced to confront their real aims and desires. And the modern route to self-discovery, Bronson suggests, is to trade what you have for a completely different way of life.

Bronson's book is a fascinating account of finding and following people who have uprooted their lives and fought with these questions in radical ways. From the investment banker who gave it all up to become a catfish farmer in Mississippi, to te chemical engineer from London who decided to become a lawyer in his sixties, and the institutional investor who gave up his job and moved, disastrously, to Germany on a whim; these stories of individual dilemmas and dramatic - and sometimes unsuccessful - gambles are bound up with Bronson's account of his own search for a calling."

As I read through the first few chapters, fragments of memory of those people who are determined to cruise through their lives in search for their inner callings and how they learnt to deal with ups and downs. Of course not all of them are successful in their quest for their callings and somehow, for those who are unsuccessful in their quest may find themselves spiralling downwards in the quicksand of depression with altogether give-up surrender.

I would continue to update this post while I read along these chapters. I only stop at Chapter 11 but I thought that it is good to document some insightful of why they did, and how they overcome their difficulties in their quest for their callings. And also, it could be a good source of reading materials for others who are interested to explore. That is why, this blog serves as an inner sanctuary to document my inner thoughts and also cross-fertilize with others as well. They are welcome to give their comments freely if they want to. Pls note that it is based on my personal observation which differs from others.

==============================================
Chapter 3 - Synchronicity or not

" The thing was, Kat never really cared about money. She didn’t spend much and had little desire to acquire possessions. The idea that she needed more money to be free wasn’t her idea, it was an ethos of the industry she worked in. She’d listened to it rather than to herself."

" This hard work had changed how she told her story. Her sense of this choice being “right” no longer hinged on a Tarot reading and a timely conversation with a neighbor. After all, it wasn’t just luck that steered her to a new life. Her heart told her not to take that dream job. Her gut told her not to move to San Francisco. She’d wanted to design gardens since she was six years old. She finally listened to that desire. She would have got here, synchronicity or not. She now got her sense of “rightness” from the joy in her life. She was fulfilled. She was proud of her work. Every day, this “rightness” reaffirmed itself."

" She said many people in her shoes would have taken the double salary in order to save up for the leap into garden design, believing that money is the path to freedom. She didn’t, and she’s found that true freedom comes from the confidence she can live within her means, whatever those means may be. Between her hourly pay and her rented bedrooms, she’s made it work. More importantly, her sense of purpose and meaning aren’t tied to her pay, because she’s getting so much psychic income from her calling. It’s been clarifying, releasing her from vanities.
Kat knew her job would change; she didn’t realize how much she would change, being surrounded by nature rather than technology. High-tech celebrated new ideas and wanted to rewrite the rulebook; horticulture honors wisdom passed down for centuries. The internet treated the world as one big global market. Horticulture respects that all gardening is local; what grows in the greenbelt of Brighton might not grow in London, et cetera. It’s a very different mindset and approach to life. Katt believes nature can teach us, nurture our souls. It makes what she does feel important."

C'est La Vie.....

Yesterday, Ricko has left Singapore for Bali after staying in Singapore for 5 days and 4 nights. We really enjoyed each other's company, and I, of course, definitely missed his warm-hearted, comical and personable antics. I would not know when we can meet each other but we can keep in contact with each other through MSN. Ricko had taken his trishaw tour with Danny around the historic central district, covering Chinatown, Little India, Mohammad Sultan, CBD, Singapore River and famous Merlion Park before meeting me at his hotel.

Together we went to Wisma to have lunch before we headed for Changi Airport Terminal 1. I told him that in 2008, Terminal 3 would be opened, adding the total traveller capacity to the current passenger handling capacity that is borned by Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 will have a flat but intriguing roof consisting of many skylights allowing natural light into the terminal building. The roof will limit the amount of direct sunlight into the building through the use of louvres suspended above and below the skylights, filling Terminal 3 with diffused, ambient light during the day. At night, artificial light bounced off the ceiling creates a soothing and comfortable environment for passengers. This unique feature of Terminal 3 will also be seen by passengers waiting to collect their bags at the baggage claim hall. And an interesting thing to note that Terminal 3's roof is the FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.


Passengers using Terminal 3 can expect to move around with ease and minimum dependence on signages. This is possible as Terminal 3 will adopt a see-through layout concept, making it easier for travellers to orientate themselves. This is part of the four guiding principles adopted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) when designing Terminal 3, namely, clarity, natural lighting, external views and maintainability.


Terminal 3 and its associated works will cost S$1.5 billion. It will add a capacity of 20 million passengers a year, bringing the total capacity of Changi Airport to 64 million passengers till the year 2020. When opened in early 2008, Terminal 3 will add another 28 aerobridge gates to Changi Airport, with up to eight that will be designed to handle the new generation of large aircraft, the A380. (See information below on A380)



The first Singapore Airlines A380 takes shape at the final assembly line in the Airbus Headquarters in Toulouse, France with the installation of the tail fin measuring a whopping 14.1 metres high and 12.9 metres wide. The historic mounting of the trademark Singapore Airlines logo onto the aircraft fuselage could take place only after transporting the fin from Hamburg, Germany to Toulouse, which took two-and-a-half hours, and then waiting an additional painstaking 11 days for further paintwork to be completed. The aircraft will first be used on the Kangaroo route between Singapore, Sydney and London.

Singapore Airlines will be the first airline in the world to fly the Airbus A380 in 2006. The Airline made the order for 25 A380s (10 firm and 15 on option) in September 2000.



There could be a possibility that Singapore may build Changi Airport Terminal 4 in 2020 if the passenger handling capacity is beyond the maximum passenger handling capacity.

Finally, after Ricko got his boarding pass, I quickly ushered him to the Thai Airline office to change the departure date from 6th April to 8th April from Bali to Bangkok. The airport staff is very friendly and helpful. Within minutes, it has been settled and the airport staff issued him a confirmation slip. Then we went downstairs to JollyBean and we had a last soja drink together. Finally it is time for Ricko to check in. We hugged each other and I bade him Bon Voyage. No one would know when and where we can meet and finally his familiar shape has diminished into air while he walked to the right. Goodbye Ricko till we meet again. Au revoir Ricko jusqu'à ce que nous nous réunissions encore. Time really passed so fast since we met last Friday.

Then I walked down the basement to take a free shuttle bus to see the budget terminal which recently was opened. It was just a simple warehouse with just a word "SIMPLICITY" describes this one-floored and 'minuscule'-sized terminal which only requires 5 minutes' cursory glance before I headed back to the Terminal 2. I took Bus 36 down to Orchard to browse travel books in Borders Bookstore and Gilbert sms-ed me where I was. I told him my whereabout and we met up for dinner. We shared a lot of things together about work, and other matters before we went home.

As I was walking towards the Orchard MRT Station, I paused at a moment and asked myself why I am here for and what I am doing on this earth. I remembered one of our conversation between Ricko and I that we must live for today, not living in the past or far future. We never know what tomorrow may bring and what the future holds for us. What is the point of painting fairy-tale and rosy dreams of the future that we want to be or we want to have, and yet these dreams would never or may not come true? Anyway i shrugged and mumbled to myself, "C'est La Vie....Life goes on."

A typical Tuesday goes on...

Yesterday, I arranged the meeting between Kenichi and Ricko in the City Hall MRT Station at 7pm as Kenichi might want to go to Paris. So at least Ricko could be there to lead Kenichi given his zero background in Francais language. We went down to Esplanade @ Bay and we explained to Ricko that this Esplanade's rooftops is shaped like a pair of spikey durians or ugly eggshaped roof-top. We signed the word Esplanade in a way we use "E" letter and placed both hands on our eyes to show the shape of the houseflies' eyes. At that time, it was around 7:30pm and the night has already fallen. Ricko went to the end of the viewing rooftop to take photo of the beautiful Singapore skyline with the merlion in front of the skyline.

You can see the photo of Singapore skyline from the Esplanade rooftop. I explained to Ricko that by 2010, the Singapore skyline will be changed drastically and forever. Beside this present famous Singapore skyline, there will be a major development of Marina South with the inclusion of Singapore flyer which will be scheduled to be opened in 2008. See some of the photos here.



I also explain to Ricko that Singapore has already legalized the gambling and it will be the first Asian city to have Integrated Resort by 2010. Integrated resort proposed casino-based resorts in Marina South and Sentosa. The government claims that it would boost the Singapore's tourism industry which is facing intense competition from other destinations around the region, particularly from Bangkok and Hong Kong. In addition to the casinos, the IRs will have other amentities including world-class hotels, restaurants which serve international gourmets from French to Japanese, convention centres, theatres, museums, and theme parks. Currently, there are 4 major bidders for this IRs at Marina South. The winner of this most-coveted IR will be known in June 2006. See the examples of IRs put forward by IRs bidders.




Artist Illustration Released Of Planned Giant Ferris Wheel In Singapore. An artist's impression of the Singapore Flyer, a giant observation wheel at the Marina Bay in Singapore. The giant observation wheel, set to be an iconic visitor attaction, will be 178 meters tall with an unobstructed radial view of 45 km spanning Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia when completed in 2008. The wheel will be built in Singapore's Marina Bay area, where the city-state also plans to build a casino. The S $240 million (116 million euros) Singapore Flyer project was said to be financed by German banks Delbrueck Bethmann Maffei (DBM) and Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG (HVB).

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SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, MR MAH BOW TAN AT THE BRIEFING ON MARINA BAY KEY DEVELOPMENTS AND BRAND LAUNCH ON 21 JULY 2005 AT 9.30AM, TOWER CLUB, 62ND FLOOR REPUBLIC PLAZA

MARINA BAY: A BEACON OF CHANGE AND PROGRESS FOR SINGAPORE

Introduction

It is my pleasure to be here this morning, to celebrate the launch of the brand name for the Marina Bay area. From this vantage point in the heart of the CBD, we look with pride and anticipation at the significant developments in this area, as well as the future possibilities in the making even as we speak. Much has been achieved in the development of Marina Bay in the last five years, and many more new exciting things are being planned.

The hardware: pieces of the jigsaw falling in place

Like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, the significant pieces are rapidly falling into place to create the picture of a distinctive waterfront city in a garden.

Our vision for Marina Bay is that of a 24/7 live-work-play environment that epitomizes the global city we envisage Singapore to be. Marina Bay is to be a place for thriving business, gracious living, and endless entertainment. It is to be a place of creativity, arts and culture, architectural excellence, world-class recreation, global commerce and modern city life.

Live

What has happened on the ground is most gratifying. The construction of the first landmark residential development, The Sail @ Marina Bay is well underway and the development is expected to be completed by 2009.

Work

The NTUC Centre is fully operational while One Raffles Quay, which will provide Grade A office space, is substantially underway. Just last week, yet another big piece of the jigsaw fell into place when we awarded the Business and Financial Centre (BFC) to a consortium comprising Keppel Land, HongKong Land and Cheung Kong Holdings. We need to ensure that Singapore remains one of the most pro-business countries in the world and a gateway to opportunity throughout Asia. The development of the BFC supports this. It will cater to growing demand for prime office space in our CBD over the next 10 years and beyond.The BFC tender attracted nine bids from local as well as regional players. This signals confidence in Singapore’s economy and is a stamp of approval from developers in our plans for Marina Bay.

Play

The Marina Bay will also be one huge playground for Singaporeans and visitors alike. In about 4 to 5 years, the Integrated Resort, the second Botanic Gardens, the promenade, and the Marina Barrage will be ready for our enjoyment and entertainment! Not far away, the Clifford Pier should also have been transformed into another activity hub.

Infrastructure

The successful development of Marina Bay is supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure. We have taken pains to provide timely and appropriate services and facilities to enable the smooth functioning of Marina Bay.

We are close to completing the first phase of the Common Services Tunnel (CST) which will provide electricity, water, cooling water and telecommunications for the entire area. Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to implement the CST on a comprehensive scale for Marina Bay. Tenders for the second phase of the CST and supporting infrastructure have been called.

Singapore's MRT network will also be extended to the Marina Bayfront area, with three new stations added to the Circle Line now being built. To be called Downtown Extension, it will offer seamless connections to and within the Marina Bay area.

Software: the colour and the shine

Marina Bay is not only an important addition to our business and commercial scene, but also a great place for people to live and play. The entire area is designed to create living communities, nodes of life and memorable events. There are plans to create public spaces for the public to gather, and to develop lifestyle and F&B uses along the waterfront to generate activity. Marina Bay will also be a great venue for mega events that will draw people from all over. The software will not be neglected. While buildings may give shape and form, it is the people and activities that add soul to a place.

This will be an important factor in setting us apart from other cities, and was a major consideration in the development of our brand name for the area.

Facing competition

Cities around the world are experiencing a new burst of energy, be they New York, London, Dubai from further afield, or Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Shanghai or Hong Kong nearer to home. We face increasing competition amongst many cities for the same global pool of investment, talent and jobs.

Singapore is consistently ranked as one of the most competitive nations and best places for business. We are also ranked as one of the best places to live. However, globalisation has made cities increasingly similar in what they can offer. The key to Singapore’s success lies in our ability to distinguish ourselves from the rest, capitalizing on our strengths and uniqueness.

As the Development Agency for the Marina Bay, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has moved beyond its traditional role to act as a place manager for Marina Bay. It will not only co-ordinate infrastructure development, but also will work with other agencies and stakeholders to also give Marina Bay a true sense of place. It will promote the area and attract people to visit or invest in it. To add to this effort, URA has come up with a branding exercise to help us market the area both locally and internationally.

The brand

Place branding, like product branding, is one of the means to create a differentiation that will appeal to the buyers’ emotions, and interest them to invest and to visit. Place branding goes beyond the logo and tagline. It has to define a compelling central idea and vision that will set the place apart from its competitors, while staying relevant and inspirational to the audience. The brand must also be credible and credibility is achieved through consistent actions in the product, processes and communication.

Today, I am pleased to formally launch the brand for the area: Marina Bay.

The brand was developed through research and consultation with developers, retailers, restaurant owners, entertainment companies, tourism interests and many others.

The name is not new. But what has been used informally so far has now endeared itself to all parties. “Marina Bay” has a strong connection with people. The locals and even some foreign investors are familiar with the name. URA has market tested the name internationally with professionals, investors and lay people and they have found the name to be attractive and at the same time, evokes an appealing imagery.

URA will promote Marina Bay overseas, via this new brand, which also fits well with Singapore’s international positioning as a great place to live, work and play.

The brand builds on this with a new tagline of Explore, Exchange and Entertain.

Marina Bay will be a great place to live, where people will explore the waterfront, the botanic gardens and the many cultural options available. It will provide new housing for city living.

Marina Bay will also extend our commercial district, with state of the art offices where people will exchange ideas and learning.

And Marina Bay will be an important entertainment centre, with major attractions like the Integrated Resort and the Singapore Flyer, complementing facilities like the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay.

Making it happen – a partnership

No one party can make Marina Bay a success by itself. It requires a close collaboration by many different players to bring the place to life.

Today’s launch of the Marina Bay brand is an important milestone for us but its ultimate success lies in what we do over the next few years to promote it and develop it.

We are looking forward to this journey and showing how Marina Bay – and, indeed Singapore - is breaking new ground in the way cities are planned and developed.

Thank you.
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Then we went to Marina Bay to have a dinner and then I took them to Bugis Village to try durians. It was Ricko's first time to sample stinky fruit yet succulent and yellow flesh.

Taking Ricko around in Singapore..

Since Ricko had arrived in Singapore from Bali, he told me that he would be going back to Bali this coming Tuesday for 2 days before he would head to Bangkok. As I have read about the volatile situation in Bangkok when the day draws nearer to the voting days, I become worried for his safety in Bangkok. Fortunately he has a Thai deaf guy who could spend his time with Ricko. Hope that Ricko would have a safe time before he heads back to Paris. Again, Paris is still besotted with the riot cos of the labour law which allows the employers to sack young people who are below 25 years and have worked for 2 years. Ricko had explained to me that nowaday, there would not be any "iron rice bowl" given by the French Government and wanted the French people to be more self-reliant and entrepreneurial. However, the French people, who stil have not shaken their old belief that they have to re-learn their new ropes, or to learn to deal with fast changing situation so as to move on quickly. It is like in US, or Singapore where the employers would retrench semi-skilld or low-skilled workers who are deemed to contribute little to the companies. It, thus, raised a big controversy in Singapore for quite sometime but we never had any riot or demonstration demanding the Singapore government to step in to pick up the pieces. Instead, Singapore govt would encourage the older workers or lower-educated workers to upgrade themselves with new and marketable skills so as to be re-employed in other sectors which need more workers. There are some people who are still complacent about their skills or refuse to give themselves a chance to learn new skills, would find themselves jobless or their uncertain job prospect.














Coming back to the topic, on Saturday, I took him to Orchard Road after meeting Tracey. He remarked that in retail lines, Singaporeans are still working till 10pm unlike French who only work from Monday to Saturday. The French would not work on Sundays and they have more public holidays than Singaporeans. And according to Ricko, the French is still demanding lesser working hours without compromising their pay and they want to have more life for themselves.

I have searched thru the Google website.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/27/60II/main704571.shtml
And I have extracted the snippet of the article to corroborate the above information.

Like most Frenchmen, Marchand has no guilt about taking so much time off. In fact, it’s the law: full-time workers in France are guaranteed at least five weeks vacation -- guaranteed those long lazy days in the sun, and leisurely lunches in outdoor cafes.

On top of the five weeks, there are another dozen public holidays, and a maximum 35-hour work week, with no paid overtime allowed. Managers like Marchand, who work more than 35 hours a week, get more time off.

As for me, when I went for my long expedition, I had to apply for no-pay leave in lieu for my 4 months vacation having my pay being with-held before I returned to work.

Then we continued to saunter along the Orchard Road until Jane met us later for lunch. We ate famous local delicacy - chicken rice and vegetable in oyster saunce and ordered local favourite drink - soya bean drink. Soya bean is made from fresh soya beans which would be crushed to release the soya juice. I am not too sure about the actual process and Ricko suddenly loved it. For few days, he always kept on asking for "soja" - French word for soya bean. After that, we continued to saunter along the Orchard Road and Jane, most of the time, entertained him with her experience with her french deaf friend. Then we took MRT to City Hall MRT Station as Jane wanted to exchange the damaged item for replacement at Carrefour. Carrefour was one of the major French departmental store which has many branches over the world. We also dropped by Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore and we lead him to the French section.

Along the way, Ricko told us that in Bali, he loved to buy printed tee shirts from Giordano and he wanted to buy more tee shirts from Giordano here. He went around Giordano shops and he wanted to look for tee shirts with "XXS" size. This size was quite hard to find and I had to request the counter staff to call other branches for any availability. Finally, we managed to find Giordano branch which met his request and asked her to reserve 3 tee shirts for us. After we arrived at Carrefour, we met Ann and Joy who were waiting for Jane there. Then i introduced Ricko to 2 girls and teased Ann a lot in front of Ricko.

After that, we left Carrefour and took bus to Plaza Singapura to collect the reserved tee shirts. As we arrived there, he tried them on to see whether the size fitted him and he liked them. He finally bought them and then we headed back to the hotel. We quickly changed into clubbing attire and then I sms-ed Kelvin to meet us at Far East Square. I was feeling apologetic to Kelvin for waiting patiently for us so long and we finally met him at the bus stop. Kelvin, donning red and baggy t-shirt, introduced himself to Ricko and began casual conversation while we were on the way to 5th floor to try famous Indonesian chicken rice at Indonesia restaurant. We, especially Kelvin, chatted a lot till Kelvin told us that other 2 deaf guys went to Mox. We left the Far East Plaza in bus and along the way, Ricko was enjoying his animated and lively conversation with Kelvin. Finally, we disembarked at a bus stop which was quite a stone's throw away, and we ambled on our way there. Suddenly a deaf guy accosted Kelvin and I did not know him. That deaf guy introduced himself as Danny and he explained to us that he is working as a tourist guide in the trishaw. I suggested to him why not he took Ricko around this Tuesday before Ricko flies back to Bali. An agreement was sealed before we continued to make our way to Mox.

Gilbert sms-ed me that he was waiting for us there and has already reserved a huge table. He said that we had to come quickly before other people took the table. I told him that we would be there very soon and then we met Kelvin Ong outside the Maxwell Market. 4 of us went together to Mox while Kelvin Ong started his conversation with Ricko. Finally, we arrived in Mox and I quickly went in to find Gilbert. But I could not find Gilbert near the black piano and Kelvin Ong beckoned me to that place where Gilbert looked disappointed sitting on the arm of the chair quietly. I rushed over to Gil and apologised to him for being late. He slowly lit up and told me that his reserved table has gone because he has been waiting for us too long. So, we had to stand around and other 2 deaf guys spent time chatting with Ricko. I chatted with Gilbert most of the time and then 3 deaf guys went to the empty table. Then Daniel came over and joined them.

Until around 12:30am, we decided to go down to Happy and I said good bye to Gilbert. Before we entered Mox, Ricko was pleased to see that there are many Asians dating other Asians not like in Bali where the Asian would date the Caucasians. And he could feel the pulsating night life in Mox and he enjoyed it. Then we went to Happy and it was as usual packed like sardines in the can. Mostly, the Asian clubbers were there, dancing crazily away there. Ricko was visibly impressed with the decor, flashing lights, and many other effects. He highlighted that it was quite similar to Paris and we explained that Happy is one of the best disco in towns and there are some other clubs too. I saw a full catalogue detailing the whereabouts of pubs, saunas, restaurants, and other interesting places and handed it to him. We groped around through sweaty bodies and found a tiny place which was sufficient for 5 of us. Them we lost our sight of other 3 guys and tried to look for them by walking back to the entrance. Again, we could not find them and walked back to that tiny place. Alas, we found them and Kelvin Ong suggested we all went down to the dance floor to have fun. We danced crazily, soaking ourselves in the atmosphere and one guy who was on the top dance floor, trying to pull Ricko and me onto the dance floor. Initially, I tried not to accept his persuasion to come aboard on the dancefloor. Ricko pulled me onto the top dance floor and danced among three of us.

Finally, we stopped dancing and we ordered free drinks from nearby counter and went outside to have a quiet chat. Ricko shared that he was immensely surprised that Singapore has a vibrant and pulsating night life and what is more, we have night shopping scene that would not close before 4am. I told him that not only Singapore does not sleep at night, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong and other major Asian cities share this "city-never-sleeps-at-night" life.

Then after, we went to the nearby Maxwell Market to have a quick supper. Initially Ricko was surprised that Singaporeans still continue to eat after midnight unlike French who has 3 square meals a day.

After that, we retired before the next day, we arranged an appointment at East Coast Park for rollerblading. We woke up late and had to rush down to Bedok to grab the bus 401. We finally reached there and other guys had already left. I sms-ed Queen Mother where they were and he sms-ed me that David would be there at the Coffeebean. We rushed down there and met him. I asked him to help to call Queen Mother to meet us at the rollerblading station as Ricko and I wanted to blade before we headed to Ethan's house for party. We paid for 1 hour's rental of roller blades and other guys finally came back to the station. Ricko amazingly bladed very well and his rollerblading manoeuvre was simply smooth and effortless. All of us had their jaws dropped to the floor while he bladed through the air like a professional Olympic skater. We bladed for 1 hour and we reached Bedok Jetty where we took photo together.


Finally, we bladed back to the MacDonald where other guys were waiting for us. Then we went off to Kembangan for the party. It was raining heavily and we cabbed down to his house. I sms-ed Gil and Sunny that we were on the way there. We met Ethan who is currently serving NS after he completed his medical practice in the hospital. We went up to his room and there were around 15 people there. I introduced myself and Ricko to them. Later on Gilbert came over and we started photo slideshow on their ADLUS' trip to Terranganu. Ricko asked quite a number of questions about Malaysia and Kelvin and I explained to him.



After 2 or 3 hours, Gilbert needed to go off for his auntie's dinner while we left Ethan's house to have dinner at Katong. Kelvin was drunk as he took quite a number of cups and he complained of his splitting headache. To add to this problem, he could not finish his dinner and later on he vomitted in the toilet. Other guys wanted to move to other stall for dessert and coffee and Ricko and I went back to the hotel.

At the hotel, I explained how he would go to Sentosa and after that, we would meet up for dinner with American deaf guy for chat. I left hotel and reached home around 12midnight.

Wow....so busy weekend for both of us and I hoped Ricko would have an enjoyable weekend in Singapore before he leaves Singapore this Tuesday.