Help!

Hanting's gonna kill me. With a penknife. Or he'll make someone do it.

All I did was flash this photo during my crim presentation!


And I wasn't even the one who created it! Die. Hanting, have mercy!

The Sound Of Settling.

Stuff has been happening, but I'm just too tired to blog. In a very small nutshell: 40 Days of Purpose cell group on Friday night. VCF Law Sub-Committee meeting on Saturday night. Supper on Sunday night. On Monday afternoon, an incident concerning chivalry, boyfriends and rainy nights. Mahjong at Rui's place on Tuesday afternoon.

Maybe I'll elaborate a bit another day. If I can find the time and energy.

P.S. Death Cab For Cutie is extremely good. The wistful, inviting vocals that just draw you in, the dreamy aural soundscape, the sheer lushness of the sound. Perfect for the quiet solitude of the early hours.

Big Radish!

Proof that Japan is insane.

Arrowed.

Because Rui told me to.

Rules:
1. Bold the following words that are true about you.
2. GREEN! the things you wish were true.
3. Add one thing true about you.
4. And then tag onetwothreefourFIVE more people.

I miss somebody right now.
I don’t watch TV these days.
I own lots of books.
I wear glasses or contact lens.
I love to play video games.
I've tried marijuana.
I've been in a threesome.
I've been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
I curse sometimes.
I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.
I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
I'm TOTALLY smart.
I've broken someone’s bones.
I'm paranoid sometimes.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost and scar-free.
I need money right now.
I love sushi.
I talk really, really fast/unclear.
I have long hair. (Not anymore.)
I have lost money in Las Vegas.
I have at least one sibling.
I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
I couldn't survive without Caller I.D.
I like the way I look.
I am usually pessimistic.
I have alot of mood swings.
I have a hidden talent.
I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
I have alot of friends.
I am currently single!
I have pecked someone of the same sex. (Do not ask.)
I enjoy talking on the phone.
I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
I love to shop.
Enjoy window-shopping.
I would rather shop than eat.
I don’t hate anyone. I dislike them.
I'm a pretty good dancer.
I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
I have a cell phone.
I believe in God.
I watch MTV on a daily basis.
I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
I've rejected someone before.
I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I want to have children in the future.
I have changed a diaper before.
I've called the cops on a friend before.
I’m not allergic to anything.
I have a lot to learn.
I have been with someone at least 10 years older or younger.
I am shy around the opposite sex.
I have made a move on a friend’s significant past or crush in the past.
I own the "South Park" movie.
I would die for my best friends.
I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza.
I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all.
Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it.
I have dated a close friend’s ex.
I am happy at this moment!
I'm obsessed with guys.
Democrat.
I am punk rockish.
I am preppy.
I study for tests most of the time.
I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I’ve ever met.
I can work on a car.
I love my job.
I am comfortable with who I am now.
I have more than just my ears pierced.
I walk barefoot wherever I can.
I have jumped off a bridge.
I love sea turtles.
I spend ridiculous money on makeup.
Plan on achieving a major goal/dream.
I'm proficient in a musical instrument.
I worked at MacDonald’s restaurant.
I hate office jobs.
I love sci-fi movies.
I think water rules.
I went college out of state.
I like sausages.
I love kisses.
I fall for the wrong people.
I adore bright colours.
I can't live without black eyeliner.
I don't know why the hell I just did this stupid thing.
I usually like covers more than originals.
I can pick up things with my toes.
I can't whistle.
I can move my tongues in waves, much like a snakes slithers.
I have ridden/owned a horse.
I still have every journal I've ever written in.
I can't stick to a diet. (Never needed one. Muahaha.)
I talk in my sleep.
I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distraction.
Climbing trees is a brilliant past-time.
I have jazz in my blood.
I wear a toe ring.
I have a tattoo.
I can't stand at LEAST one person I work with.
I am a caffeine junkie.
I cosplay or know what cosplaying is. (Know.)
I have been to over 15 conventions.
I will collect anything, and the more nonsensical, the better.
I'm an artist.
I only clean my room when necessary. (Well, maybe once a year. When I need a shovel to get to the window.)
I like a person of the same sex.
I love being happy.
I am an adrenaline junkie.
I have ridden an elephant.
I love chocolates and crowns!
I go to school NOT for the sake of lessons.
I can't ride a bicycle.
I think I'm the only person crazy enough to do this at 6 in the morning without any sleep for the night. (9pm, not 6am.)
I feel crazy.
I love tomatoes!!
I like peanut butter on bananas.
Been told "You’re on fire!"
I’m a netballer.
I believe in Serendipity.
I think the word "RASPBERRY" is sexaaay!
I love to look at people’s teeth.
I don’t wanna grow up.
I can cross my eyes n stick out my tongue and still look cute.
Gaining weight is a wonderful thing.
I am a PRO…procrastinator. (I have a T-shirt to that effect.)
I love listening to gossip. (Unfortunately.)
I can stand on my head. (And flip around and stuff.)

Tag? We-lls...just assume that by reading this, I have tagged you. Yes, you. And that includes you too, SML! And all you stealth readers!

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In other news, I am mourning for my hair. Most of which is lying in clumps on the floor of a certain hair salon in the Bukit Timah area. Unless it has been swept up and disposed of already; in that case it's probably gone up in smoke in some incinerator.

Farewell, my lovely locks. It was fun while it lasted, but you knew that one day, we would have to part. You will be remembered.

The fear is here.

I don't even know how to begin describing my last few days. They were just...weird.

Waffles at Gelare on Tuesday afternoon, with TG 8. The usual good company. A good breather from the madness of LAWR and Crim. Saw a young couple professing their love for each other. Felt old. Felt...jaded. Very tired. Very odd feelings. Little did I know that this was a harbinger of things to come.

Had a good lunch on Wednesday. Good food, good company. Thought-provoking conversation over excellent Japanese cuisine. Spent some time in town, then headed home for dinner and a quick shower before heading to school to work on LAWR. At one point in the middle of the night, I was walking out to the carpark with Xiang and Itishree, when I glanced up at the door which we were about to head through and saw someone from my past through the glass panel. Went through an instinctive fight-or-flight response. Then I decided that it was time to confront the past. And I strode up to the door and opened it.

Said hi to Claire.

She looked exactly the same as I remember her from my past; the same hair, the same glasses. When the voice came out, it was the same too. And yet, even as she measured up to my memories, I realised that I'd been the one doing all the changing. That things were so different now. If I bumped into my old self one day along the street, would I recognise the person I used to be? Would I notice? Would I be aware?

She seemed surprised. Who wouldn't be? I was surprised too, but there was also a certain inevitability about the moment. Like I'd known, without really admitting to myself, that someday I would have to face her. As though I'd been preparing for this moment, from the very day I'd decided that it was time to end the silence between us. She took a few seconds to recognise me. The surprise in her "oh, hi!" was real. There was little time to talk anyway; not that I desired that. A few brief words relating to the improbability of our chance encounter, and then we parted. And I cannot even begin to describe the tumult of emotions that were running through my mind.

Little else remains to be said. Left the moot court after 1am. Supper, then drove the resident Lord back, before heading home. Crawled into bed a bit before 4am. Overslept; woke up 20mins before class and went through a mad frenzy of throwing on clothes and rushing for a taxi. Went through the rest of the day like a zombie. And now, here I am.

I'm really scared now. What if we end up like that, strangers who shared but brief moments, only to fade away in the sands of time? The cruel games we play; the hurting, the recrimination, the pain. I don't want that to happen. It's a risk that I'm reluctant to take.

I see no easy resolution.

Exactly.

That's what I'm gonna do. Pout. Maybe I'll whine, too!

Restless.

So, it's been a rather edgy few days. And for no apparent reason either. Just been getting annoyed over small things, with no real justification. Perhaps it's simply the current chaotic backdrop in my mind.

I guess the foremost thing on my mind is how I just had a mini-argument with my parents again. Honestly...I'm really tired. The whole "student should act like a student" thing that's used to justify restrictions on my behaviour. And I always drop the argument, not because I think they're right, but because I do think that it's extremely disrespectful to argue with parents.

But that just leaves me annoyed and frustrated. And with no outlet. What does it take for me to be free to live my life the way I choose to live it? When will they let go? Does this make everything they say about giving me my freedom and having faith in me just...empty words?

I'm really too tired to deal with this. And all the other unresolved issues don't help either. And I can't even allude to them because it appears that this blog is getting wa-ay too public for my liking.

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I don't wanna rock, baby don't wanna rock
I just feel I'm stuck up against the clock
I don't really wanna rock tonight
I only wanna hold you tight

I don't wanna roll, baby don't wanna roll
I just feel I'm cold like I'm getting old
I don't really wanna roll tonight
I only wanna hold you tight
Please, please don't turn out the light

- Travis, Village Man

Memorial? What memorial?

Started rewrite at 11pm on Friday night, finished at 9pm on Saturday night, with 5 hours or so of sleep in between. Fastest assignment so far. Nothing much else happening; it's been a fairly slack weekend.

Next week's gonna hurt - there's a very good chance that I've bitten off more than I can chew for my Crim presentation. Ah well, time to rediscover the joys of working alone in the library at night.

The Inner Tumult.

V for Vendetta is powerful. Go watch it. Orwellian, dystopic, but moments of oh-so-aching beauty and truth. A movie that critiques itself and its artform even as it fleshes out an idea about an idea. Musings on celluloid, art, truth, God, power, and ultimately, freedom.

The most intelligent aspect, of course, is how it manages all these things while remaining fun. The touches of dark humour, even in the most intense, truthful moments. The intense action. As usual, the Wachowski brothers use bullet-time, but at least it's been reduced to a single scene this time. And the powerful use of symbolism, even as it is discussed and dissected by the characters.

Allegory? Perhaps. But there are messages within messages in here - and I'm not even sure if I got them all. It appears that my next step is to pick up the graphic novel. I might even rewatch it, if only for the pleasure of revisiting art.

I'm no authority on the adaptation of graphic novels to film. In fact, two genres can probably never be compared - it would be like comparing sculpture to music. Different yardsticks, different standards, different premises. But as a person who appreciates graphic novels as an art form, the surfacing of graphic novels in the mass media's conciousness is a good thing - both for the development of the medium, as well as the artistic and literary development of society.

Then again, there's always the potential for disaster. Constantine, for example. Keanu Reeves mowing down demons with a crucifix-tommy gun? Sometimes, the film industry really cracks me up. In a sad way.

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In other news - chicks. Love 'em, hate 'em, can't live without 'em.

My current companions are...

The Beatles, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Travis, and The Postal Service. Beer, too. Just killing time before I head off to a party.

Don't ask me if I did any work this weekend.

Beer!

You Are Heineken

You appreciate a good beer, but you're not a snob about it. You like your beer mild and easy to drink, so you can concentrate on being drunk. Overall, you're a friendly drunk who's likely to buy a whole round for your friends... many times. Sometimes you can be a bit boring when you drink. You may be prone to go on about topics no one cares about.

What's Your Beer Personality?

Am I boring when I drink? :/ I do appreciate my beer, though!

Bittersweet conclusion.

So, another team got 32 people in. Did my share of brooding and moping, then decided to focus on what happened, and not what could have happened. At the end of the day, we did our best despite all the factors against us.

We had a very small window of opportunity: looking at the entire competition period, we only had a 50-minute window in which all the team members could gather to go for the challenge. The inflexibility of this window also meant that we didn't have the luxury of making another attempt if another team beat our figure - like it or not, our first few tries would be our only tries. We lacked practice, due to the very tight timeline we had to stick to, and we had insufficient small people, having to use a number of not-so-small guys.

But, despite all this, we accomplished something. We managed to pull together a motley crew of 40-50 people, squeezers and supporters included, from a pool of normally apathetic law students. Not only did we manage to get a crew together - our team was enthusiastic. A term I normally wouldn't apply to law students. Furthermore, so many of these people we managed to pull didn't even know each other well - yet everybody banded together in that moment to put up the very best showing we could.

More amazingly, this was all organised within a timeframe of just over 48 hours. In these 48 hours, 3 of us gathered the people (directly and indirectly), checked the vehicle dimensions, discussed the dynamics of the space, finalised the movement order, tied up admin issues with the organisers, and made sure that everything ran smoothly. On hindsight...the speed and efficiency at which everything was done is something I'm proud of.

Also, something I'm truly thankful for is that nobody got injured. It was something that weighed heavily on my mind; and I'm glad my fears were unfounded. And that's an important element! As Petripoo put it, squeezing one or two more people in might have made the difference and caused an injury. That was brought to my attention while I was brooding over the fact that we didn't win, and it eased my mind greatly.

And, selfishly...I'm glad I did this, because I wasn't sure if I could pull off the co-ordination required. The, uhm, managerial role. Because leadership is a mantle I'm not comfortable wearing. It's a role I don't I feel I'm good at. But...it worked out. Nobody got hurt, everything was done efficiently, and everyone was happy. And, perhaps, just perhaps, I should start giving myself a little credit in that area. While I'm mainly glad because everyone had fun, I'm also glad because I proved to myself that when push comes to shove...I can get it done. With help from my friends, of course - but ultimately, it can be done.

But, yes - everything hinged on the enormous amounts of help I got from all quarters. And I am still amazed at and thankful for all the spontaneous and enthusiastic help I received. If there's another reason to be glad that we did the carsqueeze thing, it's that I got that much closer to so many people (and not just physically, hurhurhur.) It was a good chance to work with some people I didn't really know, and a chance to broaden my social horizons. It's not just about the individual relationships. It's also about the shared empathy, the shared experience.

Years from now, I'll look back and remember it as a weird, fun thing we did together. And for me...it's a memory to be cherished.

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Photos, as promised. Because a picture paints a thousand words and my descriptions cannot do justice to the event.

The vehicle we squeezed into.

Some strange guy who was shouting and giving instructions.

The preparation leading up to the squeeze itself...

People start to wonder what they've gotten themselves into.

Final words before we start...

And we're off!

Oh. My. Gosh.

How can they be smiling?!

Compromising positions...

Is this insane or what?

The human jigsaw puzzle.

This may be the first and last time that my butt is pressed up against a window for the world to see.

The aftermath.

The final result!

Unrelated, but...

Ok, I didn't really want to deal with this, what with the carsqueeze and all, but I've seen her 3 times in the last week (pure coincidence, I'm sure) and I'm still running away.

And, cracks showed in another relationship. *edit* Settled.

The irony, of course, is that in the past 2 days I've co-ordinated a bigger group of people than I have in the last 3 years (at least), but I still cannot sort out my personal relationships.

Maybe I'll go for a drive. *edit* Cannot, fuel prices just rose :/

30.

We did it!

So, Legal Theory ended late for both classes, and we had to rush down to the Forum to get it all started. After I discussed the rules with organisers, got the safety aspects sorted out with the team, and finalised the entry order, we went for it.

And then it was just one mad minute of squeezing and shoving and pushing and breathlessness and tightness and general discomfort.

Then we emerged from the vehicle and tallied our numbers. Official count for the first attempt: 24. Good, but below target. And I knew that we could do better than that. So I talked to the team, and we decided to go for a second run.

The second attempt was even crazier - by then, we'd gotten the order down pat, and it was just a matter of compressing people even more. Minimising the empty space between bodies. Fitting the human jigsaw puzzle together.

This time, we hit 30. Happy? You bet!

And I was amazed to see such an outpouring of support. So many people came down to watch us, to cheer us on, to help us push people into the vehicle, to even spontaneously jump into the vehicle. When I saw the poster on Tuesday morning and made the decision to form a team to compete, never did I expect so much enthusiasm and support from so many people - and not just people from my immediate circle of friends, but also beyond. Somehow, along the way, it evolved from my personal quest to win a share of the $888, to a fun event involving Law School. And, truly...it was a rare moment of camaraderie. And at that moment...I felt proud to be part of the faculty. Like I belonged.

So many people to thank. But, just to name a few - props to Chong Yi, Daryl, Eugene, Winston, and Venetia for being at the bottom of our taupoks. And to all the guys for bearing the brunt of the weight. To Marie, Huiling, and Rui, for taking on the weirdest, tiniest, compartments. Especially Rui, for helping me to contact everyone and co-ordinate the people to make this happen. Also, thanks to everyone who had LAWR at 12.30pm or 1pm and managed to squeeze the event into their very tight schedules. And all the girls who risked compromising positions and unglam photos to squeeze into the vehicle. And everyone who came to support us, just by your presence or by helping us to push people into the vehicle and close the doors. We couldn't have done it without you all. And last, but definitely not least, thanks go out to Jean, for telling me "hey...can ah!" when I asked her about the competition, triggering this whole shebang.

Photos when I manage to grab them off people.

Soda.

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you. People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

But I like Vanilla Coke! And I don't enjoy Dr. Pepper. *mutter*

Team Lawst.

And in the span of a few short hours, the team's been formed.

We're targetting no less than 25 people in the car. Maybe 30. The sky's the limit. Because we are small Asians squeezing into a hatchback, not big caucasians squeezing into a mini.

This is going to be a VERY interesting next few days.

The Great Squeeze.

If you're a, uhm, relatively small person from Law, drop me a msg or something. There's this competition going on that aims to squeeze as many people as possible into a vehicle, and the top prize is $888. We'll probably be heading down to the forum after Legal Theory on Thursday, and with luck, it'll be a fun thing to do together! Any win will be a bonus!

If interested, contact me asap =)

*edit* This is the target. Not for the faint-of-heart.

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Oh, and wasp bite update - the red has faded to a dark brown, and it's starting to clear up. No more numbness or itchiness. Well, it's about time.

Those who await.

Taken from Indie Surfer Blog:

The Red Hot Chili Peppers plan to release the follow-up to 2002's multiplatinum By the Way, dubbed Stadium Arcadium, in early May. Originally conceived as a trilogy of thirty-eight songs, the Rick Rubin-produced effort will be a twenty-four-track double album. Song titles include "Charlie," "Snow," "Animal Bar," "Wet Sand," "Desecration Smile," "Hard to Concentrate" and "Dani California," the album's first single ...

That's more than 2 months more. Crap. Still, a double album is something worth waiting for indeed.

The Human Condition.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

- Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and The Carpenter

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I'm starting to believe that it's my calling to talk to people. To lend a listening ear. To share my views. Is that my true purpose? I don't know. But I'd like to think so. And I intend to find out.

Thank you, Lester, Rui, and Yaolong, for making this a weekend of thought and contemplation, of intellectual and theological discourse, of personal and spiritual growth. Thank you for challenging me, for engaging me, and for sharing your thoughts with me. Thank you for being my friends.

In other news, the area surrounding the wasp sting is red and swollen. It's about the size of 2 50-cent coins, and it's alternating between itching and numbness.

Follicle follies.

I happened to be going through old photos. Alright, not that old - most of them were taken less than a year ago. But I realised what a difference hairstyle makes to the overall look.

And you know what? I seriously prefer my current hair.

Nevermind all the assorted weird comments (to date, I've had mushroom, muppet, ah beng, beatles, ringo, retro, samurai, japanese, and a whole lot of other nonikers I cannot remember.) All my older photos, with my shorter hair...I look too young. Like, really kiddy. And I look at more recent photos and I figure, the look's better now. Maybe it's slightly too long, but it's heaps better than the times when the hair that was too short. And, most importantly...I like it.

Incidentally, while my leg did not swell up like an elephant, the bitemark is itching like crap now.

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Went for the first cell group for the 40 days of purpose campaign I'm going through. It was extremely good - very thought-provoking, with lots of challenging questions asked and lots of introspection. Looking forward to future sessions. For those of you who have no idea what this is about and want to find out more, ask me - but in a nutshell, it's essentially a 40-day program that focuses on helping us to find our true purpose and meaning in life. Basically, the hard questions that we'll have to ask ourselves eventually (if we haven't been asking already).

Highly recommended.

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Also, photos from the night of the Sheares Hall Production:

Tris still looks like a perv; this will serve as the obligatory defamatory shot.

I don't know, Rui looks positively demonic...

Token shot of the ladies.

Supper is...

Leg of Khel with onions.

So I'm lying down in bed preparing to drift off when I feel something on my leg so I try to brush it off and the next moment I get a red hot sting on my thigh. So I shout something unmentionable and leap out of bed and flick on the lights and I see this wasp-like thing on my wall and a stinging pain centered around an angry red spot on my thigh.

So my parents tell me that rubbing an onion on the sting is probably the best thing to do because it's starting to swell and I can feel needles of pain still. Not a dull ache, but a sudden poke every few seconds. And apparently, the onion juice will help to clear the toxins.

So here I am, alternating between typing on my laptop and rubbing my thigh with the cut half of an onion.

The funny thing is, this is probably the first time I've ever been stung by a bee or wasp. Well, actually, there's nothing funny about this.

If I don't turn up for Crim tomorrow you'll know it's because my leg has swollen to the size of an elephant's leg and I'll be lying in bed writing my will and regretting putting off signing up for that insurance policy.