I love exploring.
Recently, I was on a company trip to HCM (Ho Chih Min City) in Vietnam when I took it to some extreme. Being a young and hip man, I went to the in-house disco with some of my colleagues on the first night. It was kind of disappointing but we decided to return 2 days later to check out again, on a Friday night.
On the day of appointment, everyone except me did not show up. Being a man of my word, I went alone. To my delight, it was jammed packed with people and I sat in one corner. A veteran in exploring overseas, first rule of thumb in a foreign unfamiliar place is to hide in one corner and observe.
One particular observation interest me. The DJ stand was located high like an altar at the front of the stage. The DJ for that particular night was a lady and I must admit that she is quite a looker, naturally blessed with assets that would have put almost 80% of Singaporean girls to utter shame. Right in front of her were a whole dance floor of people, overflowing with obviously guys. As she was bouncing and dancing and swinging her arms in her station, everyone else on the floor was doing the same, dancing, swinging their arms and bouncing.
I can't help but thought to myself if those people are really bouncing to the rythmn of the music or the asset of the female DJ. I couldn't help but notice the matching rythmn and beat of both.
I later learnt that a lot of people in Vietnam go to discos for relief and relaxation. Well, I guess all of us needed an outlet for us to vent some stress to keep some sanity.
I was thinking, "are we that easily satisfied or are we just satisfied temporally?"
Monday, March 23, 2009
Choices, Choices, Choices
My first knowledge of Kuwait coincides with the first Gulf War when the senior bush declares war on Iraq for invading Kuwait. Names like Ramadiyah, Fahaheel, Ahmadi, Sabahiya, Abu Halifa, Maboula and Mangaaf sounds exotic and foreign to a boy just getting into his teenage years.
This ignited a lifelong interest and passion about the Middle East. It was this interest that led me to my current job and a career that i'm pursueing now. Never did I imagine on that day that I would one day set foot in the country that I barely know of and even being to those exotic sounding places.
My impression of Kuwait was that it is a war-ravaged country that had stood up on its own two feet and wings forming, ready to fly. Being there in person never change that impression. It is one of the most westernized Middle East country and affluent.
One of my turkish friend told me a wise saying that I agree completely! "To know how rich a country is, just look at the supermarket!"
On my off days on my oversea trips, I love to visit the supermarkets not because I like it but it was often the only place to go to. One other reason was to see what they got to offer. By far, I was most amazed and amuzed by the Sultan Center in Kuwait.
Boy, they had absolutely everything. For orange alone, they have an entire section of it which ranges from Taiwan Mandarin Orange, China Mandarin Orange, Ceylon Orange, Egyptian Orange, Colombia Oranges (???), Sri Lanka Orange, Australia Orange and even Malaysia Orange. There's another section wholely devoted to apples, water-melons, vegetables.
A quick glance in the vegetable department, you could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at a color platette. There are vegetables of all sorts, sizes and color! I seen for my own eyes a purple capsicum and that is so freaky!
Truly, only the affluent could have afford to have so much exotic fruits, food and vegetables imported for their consumption. My mainland Chinese friends and friends from communist or ex-communist countries all told me that during those years of the Cold War, they had only sweet potatoes and green vegetables, apples and orange on the shelves of their supermarkets. Even them, it looked more like a monochrome black and white television, rather than the dazzling radiant plasma color we are seeing these days.
The power and signs of affluence.
This ignited a lifelong interest and passion about the Middle East. It was this interest that led me to my current job and a career that i'm pursueing now. Never did I imagine on that day that I would one day set foot in the country that I barely know of and even being to those exotic sounding places.
My impression of Kuwait was that it is a war-ravaged country that had stood up on its own two feet and wings forming, ready to fly. Being there in person never change that impression. It is one of the most westernized Middle East country and affluent.
One of my turkish friend told me a wise saying that I agree completely! "To know how rich a country is, just look at the supermarket!"
On my off days on my oversea trips, I love to visit the supermarkets not because I like it but it was often the only place to go to. One other reason was to see what they got to offer. By far, I was most amazed and amuzed by the Sultan Center in Kuwait.
Boy, they had absolutely everything. For orange alone, they have an entire section of it which ranges from Taiwan Mandarin Orange, China Mandarin Orange, Ceylon Orange, Egyptian Orange, Colombia Oranges (???), Sri Lanka Orange, Australia Orange and even Malaysia Orange. There's another section wholely devoted to apples, water-melons, vegetables.
A quick glance in the vegetable department, you could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at a color platette. There are vegetables of all sorts, sizes and color! I seen for my own eyes a purple capsicum and that is so freaky!
Truly, only the affluent could have afford to have so much exotic fruits, food and vegetables imported for their consumption. My mainland Chinese friends and friends from communist or ex-communist countries all told me that during those years of the Cold War, they had only sweet potatoes and green vegetables, apples and orange on the shelves of their supermarkets. Even them, it looked more like a monochrome black and white television, rather than the dazzling radiant plasma color we are seeing these days.
The power and signs of affluence.
Familiarity Breeds Routine
It is quite amazing to note the amount of time I spent in Dubai Airport Terminal 2 during my transits. In total, I had spent approximately 40 over hours there. As with each time I spend in transit there, it just amazed me what routine can do to a man.
By default, I would head straight down to the duty-free electronics section for a quick update of what's on and drop by the bookshop to get a book. After getting the book, it is time to bunk in at the Irish Cafe with a pint or two of Budweiser to attack the book. In between, I surf the net a little.
Well, that would probably make a pretty boring routine but it does always helped me get through those boring and lonely transits in Dubai Airport.
I'm glad that for this instance, routine helps.
By default, I would head straight down to the duty-free electronics section for a quick update of what's on and drop by the bookshop to get a book. After getting the book, it is time to bunk in at the Irish Cafe with a pint or two of Budweiser to attack the book. In between, I surf the net a little.
Well, that would probably make a pretty boring routine but it does always helped me get through those boring and lonely transits in Dubai Airport.
I'm glad that for this instance, routine helps.
The Singaporean Dream
We had heard of the AMERICAN DREAM..... let me present the SINGAPOREAN DREAM!
1. Live in Condonimium (Any district fine as long as it is condo lah. Have swimming pool, gym, bbq pit. Very important to have the word "Park", "Villa", "Rise" or any condo sounding words in the name. )
2. Son must be Low Ya (lawyer) and daughter must be Lok-the (doctor). Son-in-law preferred to be sign-on one (no 1st sgt or 2nd sgt ah, only ssss-kor-la need apply because must got stars one then after 45 got future... can go gahmen board lah. If not, sure go join AIG sell in-su-ren)
3. Have maid to do housework. No time to wash clothes lah. Maid also must get Filippino, the Ferrari and Lamboghrini of maids. Tell people my maid from Philippines is like driving a luxury car.
4. Must strike 1 time.. just 1 time TOTO jackpot during Chinese New Year (the biggest toto every year) or just 1 time 1 time tui bey pio (strike 4D) saturday and sunday both 1st prize... private or gahmen also can. If not, every week tin kong po bi win every EPL match betting... half ball, 1 ball, 2 ball or no ball also can. Just one time big one.
5. CPF account FAT FAT, so can withdraw 1 time and go batam start a 2nd life, not play computer one.
6. SARFA & NTUC membership - these 2 are the essential membership to cheap chalets, gyms and karaoke!
7. Wife or Husband must maintain body shape after marriage. eh, round or pear shaped not counted sia!
8. Gahmen everyyear cut this cut that and give shares or money every time there is election. Gahmen also must sack all those scholar sitting in office all day to think of new ways to make money of us. I hope every year election then got more cuts and money.
9. ERP and MRT prices better dun rise and COE drop ah!
Finally,.......
10. Be able to spot every single speed camera and "cop on the top" so can brake in time lah and hoh...CTE dun accident and jam every night can?!?!?!
1. Live in Condonimium (Any district fine as long as it is condo lah. Have swimming pool, gym, bbq pit. Very important to have the word "Park", "Villa", "Rise" or any condo sounding words in the name. )
2. Son must be Low Ya (lawyer) and daughter must be Lok-the (doctor). Son-in-law preferred to be sign-on one (no 1st sgt or 2nd sgt ah, only ssss-kor-la need apply because must got stars one then after 45 got future... can go gahmen board lah. If not, sure go join AIG sell in-su-ren)
3. Have maid to do housework. No time to wash clothes lah. Maid also must get Filippino, the Ferrari and Lamboghrini of maids. Tell people my maid from Philippines is like driving a luxury car.
4. Must strike 1 time.. just 1 time TOTO jackpot during Chinese New Year (the biggest toto every year) or just 1 time 1 time tui bey pio (strike 4D) saturday and sunday both 1st prize... private or gahmen also can. If not, every week tin kong po bi win every EPL match betting... half ball, 1 ball, 2 ball or no ball also can. Just one time big one.
5. CPF account FAT FAT, so can withdraw 1 time and go batam start a 2nd life, not play computer one.
6. SARFA & NTUC membership - these 2 are the essential membership to cheap chalets, gyms and karaoke!
7. Wife or Husband must maintain body shape after marriage. eh, round or pear shaped not counted sia!
8. Gahmen everyyear cut this cut that and give shares or money every time there is election. Gahmen also must sack all those scholar sitting in office all day to think of new ways to make money of us. I hope every year election then got more cuts and money.
9. ERP and MRT prices better dun rise and COE drop ah!
Finally,.......
10. Be able to spot every single speed camera and "cop on the top" so can brake in time lah and hoh...CTE dun accident and jam every night can?!?!?!
Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa. The name ignites with fond memories in my mind. As soon as the name began to form in my mind, the music started playing.
Rocky remains one of the most influential movie figure in my life and the lives of many others. From the cold-war era to the recent years, Rocky had been inspiring many and the seemed as the story of good triumphing over evil.
In each of Rocky movies, he would say something to inspire people on. It goes in the line "life's (circumstances) going to give you(us) such a beating that you(we) go down but what you(we) got to do is to punch your(our) way up and the other guy down."
The good old underdog formula never loses its magic either. It always inspires and gives hope when hope seem waning, especially in such tough times as now. I watched the latest in the Rocky franchise this afternoon (again) and was all in arms cheering my childhood hero (Stallone aka Rocky) on!
It does not matter he loses but all it matters was that Rocky stood up one more time. It only matters that Rocky threw one more punch. It only matters that Rocky push his opponent to the fringe.
It sort of reminded me that it does not matter if it is tough time or crisis time now. What matters is that we punch our way out of trouble and we stood up one more time.
Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
Rocky remains one of the most influential movie figure in my life and the lives of many others. From the cold-war era to the recent years, Rocky had been inspiring many and the seemed as the story of good triumphing over evil.
In each of Rocky movies, he would say something to inspire people on. It goes in the line "life's (circumstances) going to give you(us) such a beating that you(we) go down but what you(we) got to do is to punch your(our) way up and the other guy down."
The good old underdog formula never loses its magic either. It always inspires and gives hope when hope seem waning, especially in such tough times as now. I watched the latest in the Rocky franchise this afternoon (again) and was all in arms cheering my childhood hero (Stallone aka Rocky) on!
It does not matter he loses but all it matters was that Rocky stood up one more time. It only matters that Rocky threw one more punch. It only matters that Rocky push his opponent to the fringe.
It sort of reminded me that it does not matter if it is tough time or crisis time now. What matters is that we punch our way out of trouble and we stood up one more time.
Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
Sub-zero Experience
I still remember the evening I was doing dinner with a friend (Jimmy) at a jap resturant at Kallang Leisure Dome. He was sitting opposite me and describing to me the sensation of eating ice-cream in the sub-zero temperature. From then on, it entered one of the "Top 10 things to do before I die" list.
Finally, today, I had done it. The feeling of the ice-cream melting in our mouth and the warm gush of the ice-cream circulating internally while your whole body is freezing on the outside. It is just out of the world experience. To top it off, I had bbq-ed night snack out in the cold too.
I had experience sub-zero temperature many times but this is the first I had the opportunity to relax in such a climate.
Now, I got to find another "top 10 things to do before I die" item to replace this.
Finally, today, I had done it. The feeling of the ice-cream melting in our mouth and the warm gush of the ice-cream circulating internally while your whole body is freezing on the outside. It is just out of the world experience. To top it off, I had bbq-ed night snack out in the cold too.
I had experience sub-zero temperature many times but this is the first I had the opportunity to relax in such a climate.
Now, I got to find another "top 10 things to do before I die" item to replace this.
The Last Lecture (by the late Randy Pausch)
I stumbled upon this book at the bookstore yesterday. I bought one for a friend and one for myself to read. The foreword itself was captivating.
To a teacher, lecturer, the defining 'moment' of their lives would be to give THE lecture. But just what will one talk on for the very last lesson. I like this book and Randy Pausch.
Instead of leaving behind some patchy stuff, he left a legacy behind for his children - a legacy that will be remembered forever.
Somehow, it prompted me to ask myself, how will my "last lecture" be... what will i be talking about... what will I be sharing about.
To a teacher, lecturer, the defining 'moment' of their lives would be to give THE lecture. But just what will one talk on for the very last lesson. I like this book and Randy Pausch.
Instead of leaving behind some patchy stuff, he left a legacy behind for his children - a legacy that will be remembered forever.
Somehow, it prompted me to ask myself, how will my "last lecture" be... what will i be talking about... what will I be sharing about.
Forgot to Top Up (My Way - the Singaporean Version)
And now, gantry is near
And so I face the ERP Gantry
My friend, I'll say it clear
my cashcard's nil, of which I'm certain
My cashcard always been full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And go past many gantry, I forgot top up!
Regrets, I've had now
But then again, too late to mention
I did what I had to do and mark all ERP on my map
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the highway
And siao, wo si bay sway, I orgot top up
Yes, IU beep few times, I'm sure you knew
When those beeps sounded non stop
But through it all, my cashcard zero
summon letter is generated and send it out
I faced it all and I pay fine but still forgot topup!
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I forgot to top up"
For what is a man, what has he got?
it's not warning, it's 30 dollars summon
To forgot to to top it up and no money in the cashcard
The record shows "insuffient funds" and forgot to topup!
PS: For the record, the fine never arrive.
And so I face the ERP Gantry
My friend, I'll say it clear
my cashcard's nil, of which I'm certain
My cashcard always been full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And go past many gantry, I forgot top up!
Regrets, I've had now
But then again, too late to mention
I did what I had to do and mark all ERP on my map
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the highway
And siao, wo si bay sway, I orgot top up
Yes, IU beep few times, I'm sure you knew
When those beeps sounded non stop
But through it all, my cashcard zero
summon letter is generated and send it out
I faced it all and I pay fine but still forgot topup!
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I forgot to top up"
For what is a man, what has he got?
it's not warning, it's 30 dollars summon
To forgot to to top it up and no money in the cashcard
The record shows "insuffient funds" and forgot to topup!
PS: For the record, the fine never arrive.
The Magic of Snow
Being born in a tropical country like Singapore, we have no chance of experiencing snow unless we venture overseas. Snow is so romanticized in our culture to be so wonderful and an extremely magical event. If you ask anyone in the streets of Singapore, they would have told you that they would love to go to a snowy place and play with it, especially when it is Christmas season. I had just that opportunity that many would have die for.
I was in Tianjin for about 11 days last December for a job service aboard a FSPO off the Bo Hai. I spent a week or so aboard the vessel. It was not my first time aboard and it felt a bit like home to me. (To me, everywhere feels like home except Singapore. No reason, just the way I'm wired)
Not too sure how to make of this but the weather grew from bad to worse the moment I got on the vessel and it started to snow. "Wow! Snow! Great! It is the first time I will have some contact with actual snowing!" I thought to myself.
However, that baptism in the cold is nothing sort of exciting, magical or as we imagined it to be. Well, I had to perform some work under harsh snowing conditions, in the deep cold with icicles on my brows. To add insult to injury, every drop of snow added to my misery while I'm out there. I thought that was miserable being but that was not the end.
The few days of snow we had was actually the greatest snowstorm Tianjin ever had in 50 years! I ended up staying more days on board the vessel than I should and had to wait for the weather to clear up before there is any planned flight to take me out of there. (I will not consider the sea option because the last time I took the boat, the ride lasted a good 14 hours amidst the stormy seas.)
When I finally got back onshore, I had expected a great white landscape worthy of a picturesque painting. To my dismal, I was greeted with an ugly scene of dirty frozen grounds and dirt water flow. "Is this the magic of snow?" I thought again.
It may be possible that I'm the only one whose first experience with snow is not a pleasant one but I'm sure, that my lesson out of this is not whether snowing is magical or not.
I'm glad that in the midst of my "misery", I had that wonderful unforgettable experience of waking up one morning to find it snowing outside. Boy, I felt like a kid! That, to me, was well worth braving the cold and enduring the dirty scene.
I was in Tianjin for about 11 days last December for a job service aboard a FSPO off the Bo Hai. I spent a week or so aboard the vessel. It was not my first time aboard and it felt a bit like home to me. (To me, everywhere feels like home except Singapore. No reason, just the way I'm wired)
Not too sure how to make of this but the weather grew from bad to worse the moment I got on the vessel and it started to snow. "Wow! Snow! Great! It is the first time I will have some contact with actual snowing!" I thought to myself.
However, that baptism in the cold is nothing sort of exciting, magical or as we imagined it to be. Well, I had to perform some work under harsh snowing conditions, in the deep cold with icicles on my brows. To add insult to injury, every drop of snow added to my misery while I'm out there. I thought that was miserable being but that was not the end.
The few days of snow we had was actually the greatest snowstorm Tianjin ever had in 50 years! I ended up staying more days on board the vessel than I should and had to wait for the weather to clear up before there is any planned flight to take me out of there. (I will not consider the sea option because the last time I took the boat, the ride lasted a good 14 hours amidst the stormy seas.)
When I finally got back onshore, I had expected a great white landscape worthy of a picturesque painting. To my dismal, I was greeted with an ugly scene of dirty frozen grounds and dirt water flow. "Is this the magic of snow?" I thought again.
It may be possible that I'm the only one whose first experience with snow is not a pleasant one but I'm sure, that my lesson out of this is not whether snowing is magical or not.
I'm glad that in the midst of my "misery", I had that wonderful unforgettable experience of waking up one morning to find it snowing outside. Boy, I felt like a kid! That, to me, was well worth braving the cold and enduring the dirty scene.
One Night in Banchang
(For those who are unaware, Banchang is in the province of Rayong in the land of smiles, Thailand)
To someone who had been umpteen times to Thailand and especially familiar to Rayong, there is always not much of excitement of being sent there. I had my time in Thailand and a long time there.
One day, I was just deciding to give myself a break and get loose a bit, going for a drink. I took a cab and hit a pub in Banchang. Unfortunately, there a lot of sleazy pubs around but nevermind, I'm just looking for a drink. Being selective, I found one which look the most clean and with the least girls sitting outside "fishing".
Once I'm inside, I like the place partly because there's a pretty fair lady sitting behind the cashier. (I found out later that she is from laos. Come on, it is okay to admire pretty beings.)
Into my 2nd rum cola, an elderly Aussie walked in with a very young girl, probably 18. We exchanged greetings and started chatting. The girl is actually his girlfriend and all of 19. He is more than double her age at 63. I was thinking "Wow! This is quite out of the norm as we expected."
I like the Aussie man and we chatted very well, exchanged political opinions, our views and we were both very animated. Thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. He used to work for a newpspaer and in fact, he worked for a paper that had closed down in Singapore. On top of that, he had the opportunity to have an audience with Singapore's first Prime Minister.
True to anyone who had meet Mr. LKY, he had great praised for him and respect as well. I was thinking that a man like Mr. Lee is had to come by.
One particular thing that we talked about and left me a great impression was that many "fru ren" (foreigners) had settled in Thailand with a girlfriend or wife so much younger than them. In fact, he told me that he was born in England and is an Aussie but he is still a Briton. When the southern province of Thailand caused some unrest, the British Government actually contacted him and he was told there were about 2000 englishmen settling in Thailand.
He had led a good life, having a satisfying career in journalism and owe a resturant chain that he left to his ex-wife he left in Down Under. Upon retirement, he took his savings and his pension and settled in Thailand comfortably, owing large farms of rice and several apartments and of course a pretty young sexy girlfriend.
Somehow, it just got me thinking if this is the path for me to go down but well, I just shrug it off but it just amazed me how life got started for these gentlemen at retirement age. A large number of them are doing well and a quick asking proves that a large number of pubs and resturant in the area are owed by these gentlemen from overseas.
Who says life end at retirement?
To someone who had been umpteen times to Thailand and especially familiar to Rayong, there is always not much of excitement of being sent there. I had my time in Thailand and a long time there.
One day, I was just deciding to give myself a break and get loose a bit, going for a drink. I took a cab and hit a pub in Banchang. Unfortunately, there a lot of sleazy pubs around but nevermind, I'm just looking for a drink. Being selective, I found one which look the most clean and with the least girls sitting outside "fishing".
Once I'm inside, I like the place partly because there's a pretty fair lady sitting behind the cashier. (I found out later that she is from laos. Come on, it is okay to admire pretty beings.)
Into my 2nd rum cola, an elderly Aussie walked in with a very young girl, probably 18. We exchanged greetings and started chatting. The girl is actually his girlfriend and all of 19. He is more than double her age at 63. I was thinking "Wow! This is quite out of the norm as we expected."
I like the Aussie man and we chatted very well, exchanged political opinions, our views and we were both very animated. Thoroughly enjoyed talking to him. He used to work for a newpspaer and in fact, he worked for a paper that had closed down in Singapore. On top of that, he had the opportunity to have an audience with Singapore's first Prime Minister.
True to anyone who had meet Mr. LKY, he had great praised for him and respect as well. I was thinking that a man like Mr. Lee is had to come by.
One particular thing that we talked about and left me a great impression was that many "fru ren" (foreigners) had settled in Thailand with a girlfriend or wife so much younger than them. In fact, he told me that he was born in England and is an Aussie but he is still a Briton. When the southern province of Thailand caused some unrest, the British Government actually contacted him and he was told there were about 2000 englishmen settling in Thailand.
He had led a good life, having a satisfying career in journalism and owe a resturant chain that he left to his ex-wife he left in Down Under. Upon retirement, he took his savings and his pension and settled in Thailand comfortably, owing large farms of rice and several apartments and of course a pretty young sexy girlfriend.
Somehow, it just got me thinking if this is the path for me to go down but well, I just shrug it off but it just amazed me how life got started for these gentlemen at retirement age. A large number of them are doing well and a quick asking proves that a large number of pubs and resturant in the area are owed by these gentlemen from overseas.
Who says life end at retirement?
Marley and Me
There's both a violence side and also a more gentle heart-warming side to me. Typically, action and violence appeals to me more in movies selection (shoot 'em up, underworld, outlander....commando, platoon, rambo.)
I must admit that "Marley and Me" is a nice movie and it brings out the heart-warming side of me. No, I'm not some emo, SNAG fellow. And I never will be. It is just a natural human show of balance in emotions to have this side surfacing once in a while.
Well, it is nice to watch a movie when boy meets girl, boy marries girl and starts a family and work on getting it all together, with a pet. Watching it, I can't help but think of the people around. This is a perfect story and there are many around me. Yet, there are many sad ones too.
Somehow, a part of me is envious of people who are able to put their foot down and make that commitment to be married and, like Owen Wilson, love his wife and family so much. It is not that I can't do that but somehow, it is just not time for me to do yet.
Perhaps, a part of me is like Owen's character in the show... wanna be the reporter and yearning so while being the columnist. Envying his friend who is having the time of his life doing big feature reports and getting read all over the United States. Yet, he does not realized that his friend had always been evnious of him for the family he had.
Watching this show brings out a lot of thoughts in me. I was led to question a lot of things and I was led to answer a lot of things. There will be a time that everyone got to settle down but for me, the time probably have not come.
I'm speaking from a position where I'm going away soon for possibly quite some time. I wondered how things will remained when I returned. I had done so much travel in recent years that even surprises me. it is a dream for me to be going places but the places I had been... only God knows how much I wanted to go some of these places.
People told me "Marley and Me" is romantic comedy and blah..blah...blah. To me, it is simply a journey of a couple's (Jennifer and Owen) efforts to put together the dream of their lives and live it out. That is why it holds some meaning to me especially in my case. It is a good show and definitely worth the money you are paying for.
Plus the fact that Jennifer Aniston is still as hot and beautiful as ever and 15-16 years ago when I was just another teenage boy smitten by a 25 year old beauty acting in "Friends". How time flies!
I hope and know that I would be able to look back years later and be proud of these years that I lived my life... freely. independently.
I must admit that "Marley and Me" is a nice movie and it brings out the heart-warming side of me. No, I'm not some emo, SNAG fellow. And I never will be. It is just a natural human show of balance in emotions to have this side surfacing once in a while.
Well, it is nice to watch a movie when boy meets girl, boy marries girl and starts a family and work on getting it all together, with a pet. Watching it, I can't help but think of the people around. This is a perfect story and there are many around me. Yet, there are many sad ones too.
Somehow, a part of me is envious of people who are able to put their foot down and make that commitment to be married and, like Owen Wilson, love his wife and family so much. It is not that I can't do that but somehow, it is just not time for me to do yet.
Perhaps, a part of me is like Owen's character in the show... wanna be the reporter and yearning so while being the columnist. Envying his friend who is having the time of his life doing big feature reports and getting read all over the United States. Yet, he does not realized that his friend had always been evnious of him for the family he had.
Watching this show brings out a lot of thoughts in me. I was led to question a lot of things and I was led to answer a lot of things. There will be a time that everyone got to settle down but for me, the time probably have not come.
I'm speaking from a position where I'm going away soon for possibly quite some time. I wondered how things will remained when I returned. I had done so much travel in recent years that even surprises me. it is a dream for me to be going places but the places I had been... only God knows how much I wanted to go some of these places.
People told me "Marley and Me" is romantic comedy and blah..blah...blah. To me, it is simply a journey of a couple's (Jennifer and Owen) efforts to put together the dream of their lives and live it out. That is why it holds some meaning to me especially in my case. It is a good show and definitely worth the money you are paying for.
Plus the fact that Jennifer Aniston is still as hot and beautiful as ever and 15-16 years ago when I was just another teenage boy smitten by a 25 year old beauty acting in "Friends". How time flies!
I hope and know that I would be able to look back years later and be proud of these years that I lived my life... freely. independently.
Recently On My Flight Back Home.....
Steward: "Good afternoon Mdm, would you like the fish with potatoes or chicken with rice?"
Elderly Old English Lady: "Fish with potatoes."
Steward: "Would you like some wine or drink or coffee or tea to go along with it?"
Elderly Old English Lady: "Red wine please."
Steward: "You seemed underage for alcohol, Mdm."
Elderly Old English Lady: "Really? Is this a one liner?"
Steward: "I was just commenting that your skin is very youthful looking for your age."
Elderly Old English Lady smiled.
Turning to me, steward: "How about you, Sir?"
Me: "Fish with potatoes."
Steward: "Drink Sir?"
Me: "White wine."
(Steward served me)
Turning to Elderly Old English Lady, me: "I think I look older than you for all my 30 years. "
Elderly Old English Lady: "I'm 60 and under age for a drink."
Elderly Old English Lady and me had a good laugh.
Elderly Old English Lady: "Fish with potatoes."
Steward: "Would you like some wine or drink or coffee or tea to go along with it?"
Elderly Old English Lady: "Red wine please."
Steward: "You seemed underage for alcohol, Mdm."
Elderly Old English Lady: "Really? Is this a one liner?"
Steward: "I was just commenting that your skin is very youthful looking for your age."
Elderly Old English Lady smiled.
Turning to me, steward: "How about you, Sir?"
Me: "Fish with potatoes."
Steward: "Drink Sir?"
Me: "White wine."
(Steward served me)
Turning to Elderly Old English Lady, me: "I think I look older than you for all my 30 years. "
Elderly Old English Lady: "I'm 60 and under age for a drink."
Elderly Old English Lady and me had a good laugh.
"Hey Jacky!"
I remembered that I visited Egypt a number of years back for a job in Alexandria. It was one of my most memorable trip because Egypt had always been one of the country I wanted to visit. It conjured up a lot of feelings in me from all the movies I had seen when I was younger.
One of my most fond memories is while I was exploring the city with my then-colleague. We were walking around the beautiful and scenic Alexandria. It is a beautiful and fabulous city! It was also the first time I came face-to-face with a traditional ship building shipyard.
While the two of us are standing there taking photos, two little boys call out to us and posed some kung-fu stances. I was thinking, "boy, is it so unsafe and are we that pathetic to be singled out by 2 young boys to be robbed?"
As a staredown ensured between the four of us, thoughts in my mind are racing about how to evade this. All of a sudden, one of the boy broke into a jiggle and shouted "You Jackie Chan?" and displayed Jackie Chan's most famous snake fist.
My then-colleague and me broke into a laughter simultaneously and he replied "Jet Li!"
"No. No. Jackie Chan." The two boys said, still maintaining the pose.
By then, we realized what they meant. They thought that all chinese nows kung fu. The only chinese they ever come in conttact with is Jackie Chan. I found out later that they are showing Jackie Chan kungfu movies on the TV, abeit in Arabic. After a short sign language conversation with them, we posed for a picture (unfortunately lost of my hdd crash). Obviously, we have a hard time communicating.
This little event left me feeling awed and also amazed. Such was the joy of those two boys when they saw us! Although they saw us, they felt as if they had seen Jackie Chan in person. The influence of a movie star or a pop celebrity cannot be more examplified than this little event.
It is also always such a joy to have such a heartwarming experience so far away from home. It is these experiences that keeps us sane!
One of my most fond memories is while I was exploring the city with my then-colleague. We were walking around the beautiful and scenic Alexandria. It is a beautiful and fabulous city! It was also the first time I came face-to-face with a traditional ship building shipyard.
While the two of us are standing there taking photos, two little boys call out to us and posed some kung-fu stances. I was thinking, "boy, is it so unsafe and are we that pathetic to be singled out by 2 young boys to be robbed?"
As a staredown ensured between the four of us, thoughts in my mind are racing about how to evade this. All of a sudden, one of the boy broke into a jiggle and shouted "You Jackie Chan?" and displayed Jackie Chan's most famous snake fist.
My then-colleague and me broke into a laughter simultaneously and he replied "Jet Li!"
"No. No. Jackie Chan." The two boys said, still maintaining the pose.
By then, we realized what they meant. They thought that all chinese nows kung fu. The only chinese they ever come in conttact with is Jackie Chan. I found out later that they are showing Jackie Chan kungfu movies on the TV, abeit in Arabic. After a short sign language conversation with them, we posed for a picture (unfortunately lost of my hdd crash). Obviously, we have a hard time communicating.
This little event left me feeling awed and also amazed. Such was the joy of those two boys when they saw us! Although they saw us, they felt as if they had seen Jackie Chan in person. The influence of a movie star or a pop celebrity cannot be more examplified than this little event.
It is also always such a joy to have such a heartwarming experience so far away from home. It is these experiences that keeps us sane!
Sporadic Scribblings
I had been thinking about this for quite a long time - write about my experiences. I thank God that I'm blessed with opportunities to go places and to have different kind of experiences are everybody else.
So it is time to jot these down and share with all of you all of my funny and unique experiences overseas. In this, you will also discover the humourous and witty side of me, a side many believe to be the "El Dorado" of my life - the lost city of gold.
As the title suggests, it is all scribblings and sporadic... okay. I will try to make it as non-random as possible and do not worry, my famed "Engima Encoding" style writing is not available. It is all type written. (For the benefit of those who do not know, my teachers used to said that I encode my homework because they do not understand my handwrittings.)
Hope you will enjoy Sporadic Scribblings!
[PS: I have to thank one person (I promised her to do this.) for helping the hibernating brain of mine to come out with a name I like - sporadic scribblings. Believe me, the names I thought of ( "Notes from 36C" - 36C meant to be an airline seat number and not something else, "Rumblings from a Voyager") are not quite what I wanted to convey across. Kilauea, thank you!]
So it is time to jot these down and share with all of you all of my funny and unique experiences overseas. In this, you will also discover the humourous and witty side of me, a side many believe to be the "El Dorado" of my life - the lost city of gold.
As the title suggests, it is all scribblings and sporadic... okay. I will try to make it as non-random as possible and do not worry, my famed "Engima Encoding" style writing is not available. It is all type written. (For the benefit of those who do not know, my teachers used to said that I encode my homework because they do not understand my handwrittings.)
Hope you will enjoy Sporadic Scribblings!
[PS: I have to thank one person (I promised her to do this.) for helping the hibernating brain of mine to come out with a name I like - sporadic scribblings. Believe me, the names I thought of ( "Notes from 36C" - 36C meant to be an airline seat number and not something else, "Rumblings from a Voyager") are not quite what I wanted to convey across. Kilauea, thank you!]
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