postscript

the cake was very acceptable

last day

-- in, well, that place, and contemplating my cleaned-out desk with some satisfaction. Someone left a slice of chocolate cake on my table while I was away with the word "sackee" (I think) scrawled in a very curly font on the top. I'm not sure exactly what that's supposed to mean. Went to the airport for lunch. There's going to be a proper send-off one of these evenings as well, and I am told there will be a proper gift at the time. Subtle hints about the desirability of Borders vouchers have been dropped.


Well. It's been a year since graduation, and I have not come very far. I suppose you could make an argument for strength of character and accumulated wisdom, but that's really neither here nor there.

The thing is, I'm afraid of being judged, afraid that if I don't make a beeline for "success" -- whatever that is -- people will assume I'm messing around or making a hash of things. Which is stupid for two reasons: first, that the people who truly care probably aren't assuming/judging anyway, and second, my perceived failures are only failures to reach standards that I've set for myself. Life lesson learned? Get over yourself, you idiot.

I could use a jackalope though.

on achievement

I was watching Boundin' with Jiahao the other day (the Pixar short film that ran before The Incredibles) and marvelling at its subtle yet indubitable brillance. On the commentary track, Bud Luckey talks about how it was his pet project from start to finish, and although he doesn't sound like the most personable guy, you just have to love someone who spends 3 years building a story around a depressed sheep and a tapdancing jackalope. (The Pixar president says that the short is Bud Luckey) His co-workers go on to call him the "unsung hero" of animation, and -- get this -- he was the one, back in the day, who drew the Ladybug's Picnic on Sesame Street (you all know the one. 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9, 10-11-12, ladybug's twelve...at the ladybug picnic. If you don't know it, please don't admit it to my face because then you will not be my friend/sibling). There's a lot a person can behind leave for posterity, but honestly, if I could be remembered for just one thing after I die, I could do a lot worse than the Ladybug's Picnic.

And, just for fun, here are the words for Boundin':

Here's a story on how strange
Is life with its changes
And it happened not long ago
On a high mountain plain
Where the sage brush arranges
A playground south of the snow
Lived a lamb with a coat of remarkable sheen
It would glint in the sunlight all sparkly and clean
Such a source of great pride that it caused him to preen
And he'd break out in high-steppin' dance

He would dance for his neighbours across the way
I must say that they found his dancin' enhancin'
For they also would join in the play

Then one day...

[Lamb gets sheared]

Then a-boundin' up the slope
Came a great American jackalope
This sage of the sage
This rare hare of hope
Caused to pause and check out the lamb

(Jackalope:) Hey kid, why the mope?

(Lamb:) I used to be somethin' all covered in fluff
And I'd dance in the sunlight and show off my stuff
Then they hauled me away
In a manner quite rough
And they sheared me and dumped me
Back here in the buff
And if that's not enough
Now my friends all laugh at me
'Cos they think I look ridiculous
Funny and pink

(Jackalope:) Pink? Pink?
But what's wrong with pink?
Seems you've got a pink kink in your think
Does it matter what colour? Well that gets a 'nope'
Be it pink, purple or heliotrope
Now sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down
When you find that you're down, well, just look around
You've still got a body, good legs and fine feet
Get your head in the right place, and hey, you're complete
Now as for the dancin', you can do more
You can reach great heights, in fact you can soar
If you just get a leg up and slap it on down
And you find you're up in what's called a bound
Bound, bound, bound and rebound
Bound and you're up, right next to the sky
And I think you can do it if you give it a try
First your leg up...slap it on down...

[Much boundin' ensues]

So every year, long about May
They'd load him up and they'd haul him away
And they'd shave him and dump him all naked and bare
He learned to live with it, he didn't care
He'd just bound, bound, bound and rebound

Now in this world of ups and downs
So nice to know there are jackalopes around

food blog?

Friday evening: FS and I explored this ratty little restaurant in the corner of Punggol Park. Bliss Waterfront Dining, I think it was called, the "waterfront" in question being the murky pond that the park was designed around. Reason I chose the place was because I had heard things about a decent wine cellar. In that respect, the restaurant did not disappoint (our Cabernet Syrah went down very well), although we did not appreciate the feeble attempts to push their Australian labels. (A lucky draw? Come on.) The food (gratin steak and some chicken dish) was fine for the price. Very reminiscent of the Silver Spoon, when that used to be open.


Does anyone else want to start a common food blog? I've been surfing the web for them, and some are rather entertaining. It even seems like it's permissible to employ Bright Colourful Pictures in lieu of having any actual knowledge of gastronomy. All in favour make noise.

up

-- at 5:15 this morning to pick my aunt up from the airport -- she's in town a day before heading on to chiangmai. it took THE LARGEST CUP OF COFFEE KNOWN TO MAN to get me going at that hour, but we got there and back without mishap, and i suddenly find myself sitting at my desk, able for the first time in months to enjoy the cool morning air and the slowly dissipating grey outside my window. the day holds promise.

on leave

= catching up on sleep + good breakfasts + getting through the pile of unread books on my shelf.

Currently reading:
Like Never Before - Ehud Havazelet

death to mormons

after a bazillion years of being 2 minutes down the road from me, the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints has finally closed its doors, and is being torn down as we speak. this seriously calls for some kind of a celebration (notwithstanding my dad's doomsday pronouncement that they are probably demolishing it because it's the site for their new cathedral). sing it with me now:

no more mormons bugging me!
doo-dah
doo-dah

in related news, i am shocked (shocked!) at the size of the congregation that frequents THE ROCK in suntec city. i mean, what? they have to be let into the place in batches (my guess is so that they don't contravene fire laws). or, as cp would say, because the handbaskets only seat so many people at a time.

I am pleased to announce that after many years of dwelling in darkness I have finally coughed up for a premium library membership. Browsing through the Esplanade Library movie catalogue convinced me that it was worth paying for. Took out Plan 9 from Outer Space, which made CP ill, and The Sweet Hereafter, which I go to watch...now.

galilee

having forgiven galilee for the recent rewards card debacle, i returned the other day only to be slighted again, this time by one of those clueless cashiers who has not yet learned the very fundamental concept that the customer is, indeed, always right. (there was some offer for ice coffee and a sandwich for $5.90 which i didn't see, and she wouldn't let me take back my order of caffe latte and a sandwich because she'd already punched the buttons on the cash register. come to think of it, i'm surprised i didn't make more of a fuss. i must be shedding my pugnacious tendencies. good news for waiters everywhere.)

that unpleasantness aside, the food does seem to be improving, for what that's worth.

the theology department called, they want their degree back

From ST Forum, 21/05/05

Give no quarter when issue impacts directly on others
Pamela Chong

...

Mr Low is not completely wrong to say that it is necessary to allow the people the opportunity to make their own moral choices in order to strengthen the moral fibre of society. Even the Garden of Eden had a tree of forbidden fruit. But one must note that God put only one tree there, not 100, not even two. Yes, freedom of choice is important, but so is minimising the "evil" choices to the degree that one must be as gullible as Eve, so to speak, to fall prey to them.

yes, revenge of the sith fleshes out the star wars mythology nicely, but it still had jiahao, cp and i in stitches (hayden christensen: i don't understand, senator; cp, as ian mcdiamond: that's hardly surprising, since i haven't said anything yet). other clunkers too numerous to spell out. still, some of the strongest bonds of friendship i know have been forged over bad movies, so lucas, for your contributions we are eternally grateful.

Currently reading:
Wonderful Fool - Shusaku Endo

for minz

the history of science, in brief

1. everything happens by magic
2. the sun revolves around the earth
3. the earth revolves around the sun
4. sheep are cloned
5. computers rule the world

seriously though. we will have galen and teacakes.

belatedly --

-- i'm starting to feel excited about leaving this place. life in singapore numbs the senses; sometimes you just can't let yourself feel for fear that it will hurt too much, the consequence being that the good stuff doesn't hit you either, just kind of pokes at you ineffectually.

but the clearance form has arrived, and the exit questionnaire, and tentative questions about farewell dinners and the like are being asked. there's nothing like official pieces of paper and free food to make one feel like departure is close at hand.

Joy!

un-christian

board the bus after my run at spe. the woman behind me has this pda/phone contraption, and it has her rapt and complete attention, so of course she walks straight into me. the nokia takes a spill and she lets out this soul-rending cry of anguish. at the time, i am not yet quite aware of what happened -- mostly annoyed at being jostled, really, but when i turn to see what the big deal is, she's staring daggers at me as if i'd just raped and murdered all seven of her children and fed their carcasses to the wolves, and at the precise moment that i register what she has done, the black thought crosses my mind that i really, really hope her pda is broken. irreparably.

i) it wasn't
ii) i don't think i'm sorry

Currently reading:
The Photograph - Penelope Lively

bbq

-- departmental. was kind of reluctant to go at first, but i forced myself and i guess it was ok. absent: beer. present: meat in large quantities, a sizable tray of frosted brownies* (me), random loaves of banana walnut bread, and a small tupperware of tepid garlic mashed potatoes. news of my imminent departure broke to the few relevant people who had not yet heard, and i'm certainly glad that bit of unpleasantness is done with.


*considering how simple brownies are to make, it really is quite shocking how good they taste. story of my life really -- always going for the option that's minimum effort/maximum reward. the cheap shots, something for nothing. i know it sounds like the obvious thing to do, but a lot of people i know don't believe in that, for reasons of too light winning making the prize light, or something. me, no. i'll wear the laurels whether i deserve them or not.

what did the grape do when it was trod upon?

yeah, well, i have no comment. except maybe that blogging was a lot more fun in the old days.

they have been piping in a continuous loop of vivaldi full blast over the PA system for two days now, and everyone is climbing the walls.

in more interesting news, guess who's taking over my job (you will get a prize, unless you are yen and found out through unscrupulous means.)

notes

1. i have now heard john denver's calypso three times in as many days; if this is a sign though, i know not of what.

2. primary berry graham (ben and jerry's) is passable; however, strawberry cheesecake ice cream does get much much better. why can't they make strawberry ice cream actually taste like the fruit? does anyone remember how the toilet down the corridor from our classroom in rjc smelled like a giant strawberry? ice cream should not taste like that.

3. thinking back, i may actually owe much of my present quality of life to 3M

4. the commentary on the arrested development dvds is awesome. the show is not discussed; instead, the entire cast is sat down in one room to yammer on about hairstyles and cameos by mitch hurwitz. and there is a shout-out to TWoP.

Currently reading:
Trash

fluff at last

thanks chris!

book 6

i'm thinking that i may not pre-order from borders after all. the media circus for OotP was rather revolting, and i feel like i may have better things to do that saturday morning than stand in line. like actually reading the book. i'm guessing that the other major bookstores will open early as well anyway, minus the need to deal with fake wizards and the paparazzi.

straw poll: who dies?

notice

ok, that settles it. anything published here is now by Sue Doughnim and her Anonni mouse.

tendered resignation yesterday. there was no confetti; i'm not sure if it was even satisfying. bad habits of expectancy i blame it on, the tyranny of what-ifs. note to self: live in the now.

snerk

From Today, (5/5)

A dozen !cons appointed for Speak Good English movement

...

[Though] some of the ambassadors are media personalities, ordinary Singaporeans were added to the mix to show that anyone can speak good English.

Chairing the movement this year is Professor Koh Tai Ann, professor of English Literature at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Nanyang Technological University.

Said Prof Koh: "It is vital for Singaporeans, especially our youth who are all English-educated, to speak good English of a standard variety that is universally understood, such that we can remain competitive in the region and globally, as the service industries become increasingly important to our economy."

nunc dimittis

it is ironic that after nine months of desperate groveling, bootlicking, tears and panic, deliverance should come in what might more accurately be described as an affirmation rather than an interview. in essence, the conversation went something along the lines of:

him: you're good
me: i agree
him: you're hired

hubris is ill-mannered, but this hardly seems the moment for humility either. thus: the bubbly.

p.s. it's a research psychologist position in the singhealth mri labs

lemonade game

oddly addictive

life lesson

you know how in movies they have cats sitting in people's laps all cute and cuddly? what they don't show you is the part where they slide off and you need plasters.

to cp

you were right, it was marx borrowing from hegel

the context of this (and i would like to tell cp's teacher story as well, if i have permission), was a discussion of how our seething discontent is to a certain degree mitigated for those among us who have instant feedback/reward in their jobs. doctors, say (the patient, he lives!), or teachers (the student, he understands!). yeah, not exactly what marx meant, but that doesn't detract from the point (or the natural extrapolation to my particular case).

update

friday: odyssey to serangoon gardens with su-lin and jianyi, mostly for ice^3. unfortunately, the second visit did not live up to expectations created by the first. too-small portions, and for every acceptable flavour of ice cream (caramel sesame, peanut butter) one that left much to be desired (cheesy strawberry, chocolate indulgence). su-lin orderd a completely inedible cheesecake, and left most of it behind (it was to the waiter's credit, however, that he offered us a free piece of cake in exchange when he noticed). fortunately, the conversation made up for all other disappoinments.

saturday: times book fair, expo, with friend shaun, su-lin, and (briefly) rashidah. bought: gould's book of fish: a novel in twelve fish, voyage to the end of the room (tibor fischer), dirt music (tim winton), the book of illusions (paul auster) and others i have forgotten. dinner at a mediocre french restaurant that shall remain unnamed, then home for conversation that would have gone on longer but for FrSh needing to get the last train.

sunday: jiahao's. the return of the king, extended edition. billy crudup being gay and loving it. home.

Currently reading:
All Quiet On the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque