the movie reviews that matter

2007-01-26T20:31:00.000+08:00

SMSS Sarimbun Sec 3 Camp

I just got back from leading a group of 19 SMSS girls at my first camp. For the uninitiated, I recently got a job with Innotrek following a hedonistic 1 month of pure ecstasy of getting wasted, drunk, stoned, and watching a hell lot of movies after the As which I really want to blog about but because of afore-mentioned activities I haven't got off my butt to do anything about that. ANYWAY that's not what you're here to hear me ramble bout stuff like that you want me to talk about my experiences leading an all-girls team, which should be pretty exciting for a person like me (haha inside joke).

So right SMSS (a pretty renowned all-girls school in the more expensive part of Singapore) hired Innotrek, and latter company sends us into the deep end because we were short on trainers. Following A DAY'S crash course I was tasked to lead this team named ZEPHYR!! which actually is a fuckin' cool name because compared to the original name which was picked for us (NIMROD) I was speechless. (I told Ain 'WTF WTF HOW CAN YOU GIVE ME AN INSULT TERM AS A GROUP NAME??') I demanded a change in the name immediately and got it on the actual 1st day itself (9th of Jan). Whew. Got past my first obstacle.

I bounded my ass off to SMSS early that Tuesday morning, sat about in the canteen as the girls sang the usual in the parade square. The mood was pretty anticipative then, because along with me there were a lot of new trainers as well, including Xin Ru, Calvin, Nicholas freshly graduated from Innova JC, me; Sufyan; Scott (who was not really new and actually did two other camps before this one); Ain (senior as well) and Cheryl from Yishun JC. Heh we bickered about the superiority of these two colleges, which haha was a joke in itself, especially me and Xin Ru and Calvin and Nicholas, then decided to look for a male toilet in the girl's school, which was a pretty hard place to find. Then at roughly 8AM we were formally introduced by the Discipline Mistress (?) to the girls.

It was a breathtaking moment. Polka-dots meet trainer-boys. As I would tell Germaine (a fellow trainer) later if I had been three years younger I would have wet myself. Peeps who know me from long past would probably know about my numerous crushes on SMSS girls from my secondary school days. Aah I tell you, right then the feeling was not one of swooning though, more like ‘oh shit what did I get myself into’ and a mix of ‘wow I can’t believe I’m doing this’. But having to be professional and all that I took the attendance and bundled the girls into the coach to be sent to Sarimbun Camp.

For those who don’t know Sarimbun Camp is located in a backward-assed place called Lim Chu Kang (which sounds like a rip-off from Chua Chu Kang) which basically meant that it was densely forested and all that, plus with the monsoon season the ground was wet and muddy as hell, a condition I had seriously underestimated. As I sat on the bus I wondered how the next few days would go. How would my group be? Enthusiastic? Sarcastic? Intimidating?

We gathered at the multi-purpose hall and here there was a bit of a mix-up for everyone. Peeps were going from one place to another not knowing where and what to put. In retrospect I now know what was happening, but I was not exactly clear as well because people kept shouting and my head was hurting from all that noise. A noise I would soon have to get used to, haha… Because of all the mix-up the intended orientation / ice-breaking session I wanted to do with my kids was cancelled, leading to a mere objective-stating session which I thought was pretty dull for the kids at this time of the day. But bearing the more important goals that we had to fulfill for the school (something about teaching the girls about leadership potential, realizing their EQ and AQ and all that stuff) I begrudgingly did it, and let them camper about.

Lunch for my group was fortunately Outdoor Cooking for the first day. I personally preferred the first meal of the day to be the Outdoor Cooking activity, which would usually suck because no one would exactly know how to cook the food well and make it platable enough. BUT I was pleasantly surprised when my kids took on the cooking with such efficiency and gusto I was silently proud of them. I figured they were more domestic than I was anyway, but their meal was better than anything I could ever do with just macroni, chicken and potato. They even made French fries which was really cool but a lil’ too hard on the inside. The trainers present there shared a mess tin of weird stuff like salted-with-oyster-sauce macroni and baked beans all mixed together. Needless to say I was hungry for that entire afternoon.

What would possibly be the best thing of the day was abruptly cancelled due to the bad weather. The girls missed out on the zipline (flying fox) and the abseiling challenges, so with a heavier heart I got them to the dorm corridor and tried to teach them this game which was not really a success because they were not warmed up to each other yet (I attribute this to the lack of the ice-breaking) but luckily the hour passed quickly and we got on to the next act which was first aid. I would later learn that some of the girls were pretty familiar with first aid being St. John girls themselves, so I guess the trainers looked pretty silly trying to teach them how to treat burns, scalds and basic things like that. We brought out the really smelly bandages and taught them how to do a simple arm cast. I was chuckling as I tossed the bandages towards the girls and they tried to avoid it like poison because it smelled really bad.

Nature hunt was interesting as well, we had this trainer called Elsie which did it very well. I myself learnt up a lot more on the antlion and how that cute thing worked, but since it was in the classroom I guessed everyone was pretty bored out of their heads.

Then it was dinner in the canteen. Camp food was surprisingly good for all the rest of the days, except for breakfasts. My hypothesis is that the camp cook can cook if it wasn’t too early in the morning, which explains the really crappy breakfasts that we had, some fried kway teow thing on the last day which REALLY SUCKED. I couldn’t eat half of what was given to me in the mornings.

Unfortunately I was gonna be part of the team that did the Night Hike. Now I remembered my own experience being a Scout back in my primary school days, I absolutely adored the Night Hike to bits knowing that it was all cool and relishing the real sensation of being immersed in nature – how grandly quiet it was. Now a trainer, the experience was vastly different. I went up the trail four times, placing light sticks and stuff along the way, slipping on fallen trees and slight ground dis-leveling. Naively I forgot to put on mosquito repellent, and getting stung by the mozzies along the way was really horrible. I returned to the camp site with Aziz (fellow trainer) then learnt that I had to do dispatch duties. I had to brief half of the 320 girls who were present. That very thought sent chills up my spine. Really, confidence is something I might have a lot more of if I had known it was guys I was talking to.

Surprisingly that went well, and pretty soon I had to send the kids off into the dark wilderness of the jungle. Anyway this was pretty uneventful – basically scaring them with a lot of hocus-pocus regarding ghostly sightings in the trees; how you should never turn around if someone taps you on the shoulder; and buncha nonsense like that. Actually I got it all from previous experiences in the same campsite – the seniors always scared me when I was younger. I figured now I was a ‘senior’, it would not be right if I didn’t. I owe the girls that experience as well. Heh. Then I got to touch every girl’s hand (=D) as I labeled them with a number to ensure we would get them all back safely, not missing anyone out in the meantime. Now how many guys get to do that, eh? =P

Soon after everyone got back safely we packed them off to the showers and had a trainer’s debrief session. We were told that we took up an hour later than usual, and I felt bad cuz it was probably all the nonsense I was sprouting during Night Hike briefing that caused the delay. They agreed and told me to cut the bullshit. I agreed. Then the trainers traded some anecdotes about the activities they had that day. Apparently Kayaking was not going very well thanks to the bad weather and strong currents, and that one group had to carry up all the kayaks themselves. We eventually ended at about 2AM, sleeping at 2:30AM.

And the goddamned rain just did not stop pouring. Thankfully though, although the ground was wet as hell and everywhere was choked and flooding, it cleared up for the second day, which would prove to be the most exciting day for the kids. Rock climbing was a blast, but during the briefing I found I couldn’t ascend to the halfway mark on the wall, which was pretty pathetic and I felt pretty pathetic because all the kids laughed at me as they saw me trembling on the wall. I HAVE A FEAR OF HEIGHTS I implore loudly at one of the kids who was teasing me about the trembling. Sigh… I was beginning to wonder if I could last the next two days. Yanti (buddy group trainer) refused to let me down knowing it would hurt my testicles if I hung on the harness for too long. That woman keeps making fun of me. Hmph. I had abrasions afterwards.

Kayaking was a bit of a letdown for me personally. I found the instructor that was brought in to instruct the kids was a bit slipshod on the briefing, and was quite dull as well. I noticed the restlessness on their faces as they kept glancing towards the sea. I foresaw disaster. However the buoyancy test would prove to be one of my personal highlights of the entire camp. I got my group to hold hands and I held their hands as well. In a circle we got into the sea. Right there and then, as we were in the sea together, holding hands in a circle, I felt like I could be doing this for a long time, or a lot of times for that matter. The kids who were shrieking as the water crept into their shorts, and me trying to get them to submerge in the water. It was an intimate and touching moment for me. I know it sounds weird but it really felt good being their trainer right then, seeing the joy (or pain) as they were forced to dip into the water. Heh.

Challenge Valley was just great! Due to the lack of time as well they only did two out of the four stations. I managed to secure myself to be in the Milo Pool (affectionately called because the water is a muddy-shade of brown mud) catching the girls as they went down the long slide. It was exhilarating for them and for me, I was just bemused by the fact that they were getting into a mud pool with me. Ahahaha of course not, I don’t mean anything by that fact. A bit nervous though, cuz the Discipline Mistress (?) was standing right by the station taking photos. I was afraid of being sued for negligence or something worse so I did my job as professionally as I could. But still. =)

Lunch followed and then Area Cleaning. Now I’m a bit of a stickler for cleanliness, especially the Great Outdoors. So I guessed I went a little too far in my cleanliness check, and kept demanding the girls follow me about to check on the A Hut grounds (where they slept) and they picked as I observed, sometimes helping them out as well. No scrap of paper left my eyes. The kids couldn’t believe how sharp I was, but really I couldn’t STAND a dirty campsite.

Then we had some time and the girls put me through a test of their own. They suggested we play Electricity, which is this really horrible game where everyone gangs up on you once you are in the centre. Guess who was. Anyway the game goes that all the other participants except the joke in the centre (guess who was) hold hands and squeeze each other’s hands until the ‘electricity’ is passed to another participant in the circle. Naturally I got into the butt of the whole thing. I was forced to make out with Xin Ru in front of them as a forfeit, which we gamely did. Heh. Sorry bout that Xin Ru.

Camp chief Mimi came over to help me out with the Team Building games. It was a great moment to see the kids really have fun on the moving platform thing. The game went that the entire group must stay in equilibrium suspended in air for 20 seconds, and I’m proud to say that my kids got 25 seconds. It was hilarious seeing them struggle to keep balance. However some of the girls at both ends got a little bored, so I was a little concerned. Never matter though, pretty soon all of them were in the fray. Joanne from my team got up to help, Cora gave instructions, Wanda, etc. Even Joy who I was concerned about throughout my whole camp (she looked really bored most of the time, which quite bummed me out) gave me a big smile as they all got off the platform, having managed to successfully achieve their objective. It was a great success lah.

Alas it started raining, and so the girls missed out the next activity, Hang Out, but nevermind. They went on to Tent Pitching! Which was understandably a little boring for em at first, but again the mood lightened up as the activity progressed. Unfortunately I had to run off near the end of the activity, being Night Walk I.C.

Night Walk was pretty much the same as the first night, and the squelching of mud against my quicksilver shoes grew steadily deeper with each step. I remembered it though, for being infinitely better on this night, due to the sudden change in mood as the real integrity of the activity came through – all the participants kept (relatively) silent as they did the walk. This male teacher gave us a little bit of attitude though, as we followed back behind the last group, constantly irritated by whatever noise we made as well as did shining of the torchlights. Me and Yanti and Germaine were a little ticked off by this, so kept our distance back. Well whatever, it ended successfully and more on time (thanks to less bullshit I sprouted during the briefing).

Thus ended another great day for me in the SMSS camp, and though we all slept even less that night (debrief ended at 2 plus in the morn) it was a good day, and all the trainers wouldn’t have it otherwise.

Day 3 began with a lot of fun. Area cleaning saw me and Yanti’s group handling the field toilets. Now the field toilets have been through a hell lot of stress, being privy to nearly 340 girls constantly cleaning themselves in it, and what followed was black humour-ish. I remembered recoiling as I saw the pink and wet tissue paper which I naturally assumed to be a pad, and the two choked toilets. But it was so darn funny as I handed the girls the pump to unchoke the toilets. I helped out with the worser one, which was really horrible. It stank of shit, looked like shit, and when I tried to unclog it a piece of shit oozed out of the toilet bowl. I was holding my breath throughout as I pumped it in and out and more pieces of toilet paper and shit particles oozed out of the hole beside it. Lucia, one of the girls from the other team, bravely went ahead to pick up that piece of crap in her hands (with a plastic glove thank god) to dispose of it, and the team’s respect for each other really grew that day. It was an unexpected Team Building activity, with me earning their respect (I think) by merely helping out. But I couldn’t help it, I just couldn’t stand a dirty campsite, and toilet.

Campfire prep was a really fun time for them. As I sat there reading their reflections for the past two days, penning down my two cents in each and every one of them, putting in as much effort for them as they did for me in personalizing my message for every one of them, and listening to their enthusiastic efforts in a campfire item they had to put up for that evening, it was truly remarkable what I had signed up for. Here was yours truly really being a trainer, being responsible for once – I know many friends would find this thought foreign – but it was true. I laughed at their campfire cheer/item, especially when they all went really high-pitched and did that ‘boink’ thing at the end of the cheer, I felt like I could really be doing this for a long time. This was what being a camp instructor was all about – you suffered, worked, and laboured your ass off for your kids, but at the same time knowing you have played an integral part in bringing fun and laughter, and sometimes tears for a full three or four days. The only sucky part was in parting at the end, and though inevitable, would only add on to that bittersweet feeling of having done something great for your kids.

These were merely some of the things going through in my mind that morning. The next activity was as fun as well – problem solving games. They were required to flip this groundsheet over with every one of them on it, and I delivered my first true debriefing for the activity afterwards. Sarimbun Challenge after lunch saw the group handling the different stations which tested their skills learnt previously. I wished I had handled the bull frog station though, instead of Trolley. But I had great fun as well. This camp didn’t feel like a job most of the time, unlike the next camp I was in.

Backwoodsman cooking was a nerve-wrecking one. I had never done it in my life, and Andre urgently briefing me as the girls in front of us had their briefing was the only thing left for me to stand on as they proceeded to cook these weird-assed things. An Omelette in an orange?!? What’s up with that? – I thought. It tasted weirdly of orange scented omelette. Weird man. Jungle Donut was great fun though, as mine was a mix of really toasted flour thing, which had a punch of a sweet flavour. Alas it poured again and again, and knots and lashing was a dreary one. Imagine being all rainy and stuff as you learn about some really boring stuff like tying knots and all. This girl actually beat me in square lashing, something I was not entirely happy about. I cursed under my breath as I tried to square lash the tightest I could, but still falling short of this girl’s square lash. Dammit I should know these things – I’m a friggin’ NCC (sea) kid for four whole years in secondary school!

Campfire was a BLAST. It was something to not have it in the open, and though the atmosphere was a little bit off in the MPH without the genuine fire, something erupted in that small space of the MPH. The air was electrifying, there was energy spilling out of that space as the girls cheered, sang and clapped throughout. I gamely did my part in cheering them on, and though a little unfamiliar with the songs, I did my best and had no regrets. Neither did the girls as well, as I would find out. Campfire was a great and raucous end to a splendid camp. And though during the reflection show the trainers put on this impromptu skit on for the girls, and generally being really gay (for the guys) – especially me and Xin Ru because we kept touching each other in front of them – for comic effect, the whole thing was just rockin’. Even the pictures we showed them in the end really made it all worthwhile. It was also the first time I saw the pics, and man it was a recap, a really touching recap of what had happened. With a heavy heart the trainers sent the girls for their last shower of the camp as the night’s event drew to a close.

Then it had to rain. And rain it did, heavily, and without mercy. Me and Xin Ru got out the umbrellas and gamely set out into the downpour to send girls to and fro the toilet, not being really successful but hey at least we tried. I hope they appreciated it though… After being soaked through and through, it was a lights off for the whole camp. The de-briefing was a real bitch though, as we went through the day’s events. Apparently kayaking had the same problem of transporting the darned kayaks and someone had problems with their group and all that. It was a relief to know we were getting up at 0750 hours instead of the 0630hrs we had to contend with the past two days.

The fourth day was a stinker for me as a whole. Knowing that all these were going to come to an end was a real downer for me, as I had really enjoyed myself during this camp. Hell even getting paid was starting to seem wrong to me, seeing as I had as much fun working with my kids. I was to learn later that SMSS was an ideal school to be doing. But as pictures were taken, and the final debrief by Iza drew to a close, and as we sang My S M lies over the ocean… my S M lies over the sea… etc I could feel the pangs of regret of not having known my kids more throughout these four memorable days. I sincerely hoped it had been great for them, as it was for me.

Life goes on. One camp came and went. One more school (hopefully) satisfied with our trainers. Our kids will come and go as well, but what happens during our contact with them will hopefully stay with both us and them - forever. I may not have the privilege of meeting up with these wonderful bunch of kids in the future, but I sure as hell appreciated them when I was with em. This was truly a great start for my stint as a camp instructor. If anyone of you is reading this, I just have one thing to say -if we bump into each other unexpectedly in the future, may we not be strangers as we were before. Miss you all lots! =D

2006-08-30T02:14:00.000+08:00

Submission Part 1

Submission Part 1

This short film generated much controversy when it seemingly attacks modern-day Islamism.

It unfolds in three acts: the first; the Muslim woman's protest against arranged marriages; the second: the Muslim woman's protest as she is beaten by her husband who is meant to be the 'provider and protector'; and the third: the ignorance of her father as she continually gets raped by her uncle.

Theo Van Gogh's short is tastefully done, and it is clearly done to incite controversy, and maybe even anger. But what is unfortunate is not the film itself, nor the women who supposedly have had those experiences, but of the religion it portrays which similarly (the same as Christianity) risks misinterpretation by its followers to then act upon those feelings.

Fatwas (a legal ruling) were issued calling for the death of Van Gogh soon after the short was aired on Danish television.

Famously, Theo Van Gogh was murdered by an Islamic fundamentalist as his throat was slit and a five-page edict written towards the Jewish, Christian religions and the other creators of his short film stabbed into his thigh because it 'offended him to a great degree'.

Thanks to Youtube, you may watch and judge yourself. I welcome comments on my tagboard.

P.S: Be forewarned that the video may be too much for some.

Submission Part I

2006-08-23T01:29:00.000+08:00

WHY I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN

I was just reading this from Shoutwire and before I post it out in its entirety below I would just want to say a few things.

I AM CURRENTLY AN ATHEIST, BUT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING BECOMING A SATANIST.

I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT I BELIEVE IN LOVE, LIFE, AND EVERYTHING THAT MAKES US HUMAN. I APPRECIATE, ENJOY AND LOVE THOSE WHO DESERVE MY LOVE.

I DO NOT HAVE AN EMPTY AND UNFULFILLING LIFE WITHOUT GOD.

I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE LOGICALLY, NOT FAITHFULLY.

DON'T IMPOSE YOUR RELIGION ON ME - AND LIKEWISE I WILL NOT ASK YOU TO CONSIDER LEAVING YOUR OWN RELIGION.

I DO NOT HURT ANIMALS NOR HARM CHILDREN. I DON'T RAPE MAIM OR KILL. I DON'T MOLEST NOR STALK. I LOVE MYSELF, I LOVE LIFE, AND I LOVE MY FAMILY.

RELIGION IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE HAVE WARS IN OUR WORLD TODAY.

RELIGION IS THE OPIUM OF THE PEOPLE ('KARL MARX'

I am done ranting, read the following for more. I am sick of Christians coming up to me asking if I have known God. I have, now get out of my face.

(from http://www.shoutwire.com/viewstory/24854/16_Common_Myths_About_Atheists)
16 Common Myths About Atheists

1. Atheists hate Christians and Christianity. No, we don’t. Personally, I do hate the atrocities that have been committed in the name of religion, the dishonesty of most religions, and the way that they encourage people not to think or question, and not to trust or use their minds. But I don’t dislike someone just because of their religion.

2. Most atheists started out as Christians, and stopped believing because of some bad experience with other Christians. Or maybe we simply started to question, to wonder what happened when we applied the standards of logic, reason and burden of proof to religion, as we already did to everything in our lives. Or, perhaps, we were never believers at all. It happens, you know.

3. Atheists have no sense of morality, since morality comes from God. Ah, the old “without fear of hell, there would be nothing to stop people from being bloodthirsty monsters” argument. It may come as a surprise to most Christians, but there are reasons for being “good” other than fear of punishment - which isn’t really a reason, anyway, and only shows Christians in a very bad light. Reasons like human empathy, genuine feelings for others, and, most importantly, rational principles. Behaving yourself just because daddy will spank you otherwise does not make you a nice child.

4. Atheists are a unified group, like a church. Are we? I must have missed the memo, then. :) If anything, I’d say atheists are more diverse than Christians, because we’re less “sheep-like”, and don’t accept things on faith, or from authority.

5. Atheists actually know, deep inside, that there’s a God, as that’s perfectly obvious; they are simply too proud and arrogant to admit the existence of something greater than themselves. Not exactly. You see, the existence of a god is only “obvious” if you’ve been brainwashed (either by others, or by your own irrationality) into believing it. We are truly convinced that there’s no god, and are not in denial. Really. I’m serious. :)

6. Atheists don’t really know anything about Christianity. Again, it depends. Some certainly know more than others. However, religion is so ubiquitous that, like it or not, we’ve all had varying degrees of contact with it, with its teachings, and with believers. Besides, a lot of atheists are naturally curious. I, myself, have read the Christian Bible - more than once, in fact. Now, dear believer, ask yourself how many atheist books, magazines or essays you have read. Oh, I forgot, they’re all the work of Satan.

7. Atheists’ lives are cold and empty, as they can’t feel the joy and love that comes only from God. Really? I’d never call my life “cold” or “empty” - I have the joys of friendship, love, family, and doing the things I love to do. And, what’s more, I’m self-sufficient, unlike anyone who says “I don’t know how anyone could live without God in their lives” - as many Christians do.

8. Atheists are depressive and nihilistic, since they believe there’s nothing after death, and therefore there’s no point to anything. On the contrary, we, unlike you, know how precious life is, because we’re aware that it’s our only one. And, this may come as a shock to you, but we can love our lives, we can feel the joy of being alive, because we don’t believe that “this is the devil’s world”, or that “this is just a test before the real thing”. Life is precious, and it’s our own - not any god’s.

9. Atheists are cold and uncaring. No, we are not. Having delusions doesn’t make anyone more “caring”. And, again, we treat life as precious, and do what we can to improve it, both ours and that of our loved ones. On the other hand, many Christians believe life is suffering, and that there’s nothing we can do about it.

10. Atheists are arrogant. What, because we dare to use our minds instead of asking “who are we to know”? No, we’re not.

11. Atheists want to forbid religious worship. Wrong. We just don’t want to be harmed by it. Want to believe in God, Jesus, Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? Be my guest. Want to teach your kids to do the same? I feel sorry for them, but it will still take many years until people realize how crippling one’s reason in childhood is like a bird crippling its offspring’s wings. (*) Want to give all your money to a guy with a Lexus and a bad haircut? Fine. But don’t try to “save” me, don’t harass me in the street or at my home, don’t get politicians to enact laws to give power to you, don’t try to teach your religion in science classes by dishonestly giving it a new name and disguising it as “science”, and don’t use my tax money to write your idiocies in public places. In short, do as you want, as long as you keep it to yourself - just like I don’t go to your place trying to un-convert you.

12. Atheists are incapable of feeling awe at simple things, like a beautiful sunset, as they see everything in terms of cold science, instead of miracles. Ah, unweaving the rainbow - the idea that beauty and poetry only exist if we know little to nothing about how things work. But I ask you: does the fact that you know about astronomy, physics and light make the sunset any less beautiful? Was it beautiful only because it seemed “magical” - or “an act of god” - to you?

13. Atheists live their lives in constant fear of death. Few people actually want to die - those that do are either depressed and suicidal, or are Christians who believe that the world is evil, “please, Lord Jesus, take me”, and all that. A reasonable fear of death is perfectly natural. Also, we may believe that this life “is it”, which makes us treat it as precious, but, at least, we don’t think that there’s a chance of going to a place where you burn and are tortured for eternity…

14. Most criminals are atheists (or, alternatively, the percentage of atheists among criminals is higher than among the general populace). Oddly enough, the opposite is true.

15. Atheists are stubborn and closed-minded. Not unless you define “closed-minded” like this. But, as Ebon said, Ask any believer what would convince him he was mistaken and persuade him to leave his religion and become an atheist, and if you get a response, it will almost invariably be, “Nothing - I have faith in my god.” Although such people may well exist, I personally have yet to meet a theist who would acknowledge even the possibility that his belief was in error. Many theists, by their own admission, structure their beliefs so that no evidence could possibly disprove them. Atheists, on the other hand, are easy to convince - all it requires is for God to show himself in some unfakeable way - say, for instance, by doing any of the many things he supposedly did in the Old Testament…

16. Atheists make bad parents. Again, there are good and bad atheist parents, and good and bad Christian parents. Atheist parents, however, would never do what Abraham was about to do to his son Isaac (and Christians see Abraham’s behavior as laudable!), because, to most atheists, our lives are our own. In fact, even if there was a God, it would not follow that our lives are his.

Note: There’s already a list, The Top 10 Atheist Myths, by Dave Silverman, but mine isn’t inspired by that one. I agree with what Silverman writes, but I don’t think all of those are necessarily the top myths. Not to say my list is better, but these are what I think are the top myths… and a couple of them are actually in both lists. Besides, my list has more myths than his, which obviously makes it better. :D

(*) There used to be something harsher there, where I seemed to (but didn’t) compare teaching religion to children to sexual abuse. I just meant to say that it was crippling, and should be seen as we see parents who refuse their kids medical treatment because they’d rather put their faith in god: bad parents who aren’t capable of being parents. As it was misunderstood, I edited it. Any (pre-edit) comments about it are still below, though.

EDIT: Don’t believe that many Christians actually think some these things about atheists? Please read my new post, Are the myths about atheists real or not? :)

EDIT 2: Because there are so many comments, and because most of them (including some of my replies) were getting too far from the original subject, I’ve closed the comments for this post, and created a new one: Christian myths about Atheism: discussion. If you want to comment, or reply to this post’s comments, please go there.

sincerely,
vincent

2006-08-06T12:44:00.000+08:00

hey guys so i got a little bored with the whole movie review thing, and I was just reading janice's blog and got a little inspired so i'm releasing these incriminating photos of my flamboyant lifestyle in JC and about.

Haha so here are some stuff that me and my class did last year and this: (i hope they don't mind that i put them up)

after promos last year

Being all young and youthful and sitting on the cheapest mode of transport: MRT! From left to right: Ian Chan; me; Allan

Same threesome looking whimsically outta the window

Photowhoring at Taka! This was meant to be like that - me and Allan..

yours truly in my best hairstyle yet! haha

Manneqified: Allan; me

College Day 2006

I sincerely think we have some of the prettiest girls in my class. It's no wonder I never pon school =D Seen above are: Aisha; Shereen; and Desiree

Heh. Desiree; Aisha; Angela and Shereen

But the boys are where it's at! woot! Me; Yan Guang and Ian Chan

Left to Right: Grace; Yan Guang; Jean; me; Sharon; Ian Chan and Carol

Charmaine; Aqilah

Desiree looking a little apprehensive of the Jester Yan Guang

Geography In-Class Debate 2005

Me chairing the debate and my geography teacher (who seems very amused by what I was saying hah)

Yan Guang as Proposition making a point

Doh! =D

Jean making a stand for sex education (I think) =D

Minghui from the proposition

Sharon from the opposition (you see where the distinction lies don't ya?)

Desiree making faces at Angela ha~

Fidelia looking ostensibly shocked

Sharon; Grace and Kalvin (?)

Bored much? =D

The Class Dictionary Jeremy - who could ever forget his quips? haha

David; Ming Hui and a very enthusiastic Yan Guang

Still looking very enthusiastic =D

Carol probably thinking about David =D

Ian Chan making a point

A close up for all you girls out there

Ian Fun interestedly looking at Shereen

Nithya in a rare enlightened moment =)

'It's all up to you bro' - Jeremy; David; Ming Hui and Yan Guang

STUDYING FOR THE PROMOS

Yep we're engrossed in our books celebrating our love for learning! Ian Chan; Ian Fun

Ian Fun; Chan; and half of Vincent at a late-night supper to take a 'break' from 'studying'

Ian Fun; Chan and whole of Vincent

Where the &^%$# are we?!

(a clearer) Where the &^%$# are we?!

Ian Fun feeling the Ian Chan love with surreptiously positioned beer cans on the left =)

For the Ian Chan fans

(we did study! even if pictures don't say so)

RANDOM PICTURES ABOUT CLASS

Jenny; Ian Chan; Aisha; Fidelia; Sarala; and Janah

Jenny; Fidelia; Janah; Nithya; Aqilah; me; Charmaine; Jia Hao; Ian Chan and Allan (covered)

A familar sight in class

Jenny; Aisha and Lynette

Moi Guitar

Me being all retarded

I Don't Eat Girls! (out)

Allan all chaste

Gotta love these licking pictures hehe

I owe it to this teacher for passing my chinese with a C5. Sarala who's beside her speaks chinese as well!

Yan Guang playing his Radiohead songs on the gee-tar

Sharon; Jean and Carol at the computer lab

Grace guiltily watching Youtube

A study session at the library

Bored much?

Nerd! David

Aisha and Kalvin

and that's it! i love my class and I love Yishun Junior College. We have really bonded these two years, and with the impending Prelims, lets not forget each other.

Make love not war!

sexy people~~ of 129 and 225 '05 and '06

129 at the Beach '05

2006-07-16T14:08:00.000+08:00

I WALKED INTO YANGTZE CINEMA

I SHALL INTERRUPT THE USUAL MOVIE REVIEW BLOGPOSTS TO ANNOUCE THAT! okay so the cinema is not called Yangtze now, in fact the original Yangtze cinema closed down like six years ago or something, cuz the Singapore porn cinema market is too small for two players. BUT I WALKED INTO ITS EQUIVALENT - GOLDEN and watched one of its films: Bad Guy, by Korean director Kim Ki-Duk (R21 of course).

So whats this hype all about? Well before I went to the place I actually took the time to hear some of the stories: its a run-down cinema at Beach Road, and popular blogger Xiaxue reported that when she went there, all the old men had rustling sounds and sat at the back, doing stuff for themselves. Then there're tales of dried semen patches on the back of seats, dirty and haunted toilets, etc. etc.

To its credit I loved the atmosphere of the cinema. There is something special about men congregating in the dark recesses of the corners of the cinema, discreetly touching themselves to a 15-foot cinema screen image. Okay wait, I'm going a bit too far ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning of my experience.

So I was at Golden Mile Complex at Beach Road sending my parents off for their Malaysian trip thing they had planned for themselves (I love them, they're so sweet) and I realized that *THE* cinema was just beside the building. So before they left, I grabbed my dad and asked him to show me the infamous cinema. He was like: 'Heh, okay."

So we reached there and I was introduced to the main 'lobby' which was more like a concourse of sorts. There were the usual movie posters with girls lying in sexy poses, and timings and stuff pasted all behind the box office. So I walked curiously to the box office, and you know where you usually see timings and movies screening on an electronic LCD screen as like at Cathay Cineleisure and Shaw and GV cinemas? there are only small newspaper clippings of the advertisements of the films pasted on the desk, and my general guess was that the regular patrons of the cinema were old men who didn't really care much about the film as much as the sex. AND THEN I REALIZED KOREAN AUTEUR KIM KI-DUK FILM BAD GUY WAS SHOWING and being the avid film buff that I am you know I can't pass that up. And then I had a crazy idea to watch a film there.

But buying tickets was going to be a problem. Clearly I wasn't "attired" properly to pass off as 18, let alone 21. I looked up at the auntie selling the tickets, and smiled my sweetest smile, and pointed to the newspaper cutting and the timing.

"Let ai ze heng xi ah?" ("You want this film ah?)

"Ai, 9:30pm"

"Le gou sueh meh?" ("Are you of age?")

"Ah bo. Er shi yi sueh le ah!" ("Of Course! Twenty One Already!") *this is me acting all grown up*

*add suspicious stare by auntie*

"I.C leh?"

*face pales*

There was an awkward silence, and I realized my dad was laughing his ass off behind me. I turned and glared at him, and then as a sign of support, he walked over to the auntie.

"Wo ying kai shi gou sueh leh hor?" ("I should be of age right?") *Dad sniggers at this point*

*Auntie looks curiously at me and my dad*

"Aiyah sueh bian lah sueh bian." ("Aiyah whatever lah whatever") *hands my dad the ticket.

And we both walked off, I could still feel the auntie staring at us from the box office. Needless to say I was very happy though, and my Dad handed me the ticket as soon as we were at the safe distance out of eye-and-earshot of the auntie.

So after I sent them off onto the tour bus, I walked cautiously back to the cinema, with the grubby ticket in my hand. The ticket is simply wonderful, it could have easily belonged at the National Museum of Singapore.

I entered the lift to get to the 5th floor where the cinemas were. The lift stank like a rat's ass, and there were suspicious patches of yellow and white on the ground, but I survived the way up, and I reached the lobby. It was quite a nice big lobby, but being all underaged I quickly walked over to the (another) auntie usherer, who was thankfully less vigilant and didn't bother to even look at me and tore my ticket. With my heart still in my mouth I walked up to the darkened cinema hall...

I loved it. I loved how the seats were the old rickety-type where you can sink back into the chair and move it back and forth with your back and I loved how the cinema was shaped so that all the seats were like a level away from each other. It was so steep that the stairway upwards to reach the upper levels of the seats had to have handrails on the side for you to grab on. There were two levels of seats, and I sat in the middle (who cares where I seat anyway) at the most comfortable distance from the screen, which stared back at me, and I wondered just how many films have been presented through it. The air-conditioning, though smelled old and mouldy really just added to the atmosphere. The sound system was playing songs which you could have heard from the '80s, and as I sat there I realized how much we needed places like this cinema to remind us of the traditional old-type cinemas. Forget National Heritage Tours, all one has to do is come to this Golden cinema to enjoy the full atmosphere of old-time cinema hall history. In a time where watching movies is taken for granted by our generation, it really impressed me, as I sat there in the darkened cinema hall in my fantastic rickety-seat, what it was really like to watch movies again. The joy of watching celluloid with other Singaporeans, other families, enjoying film.

The entire cinema hall had around 200 seats, but only five people (including me) were present. Two old men were seating above me, obviously there with reasons other than to watch the film. But if they were masturbating, I could not hear it, even as the movie was playing (the volume was not too loud, unlike modern cinemas these days which try to kill you with their bass - Cathay and Plaza Singapura come to mind). A couple sat about eight seats beside me, an old man and woman who were conversing rather intimately, and using my peripherals I noted with interest that his hand was on hers and they (the hands) were on her thigh. I smiled quietly to myself. I can imagine it to be rather romantic actually (P.S Shimona my love we're totally going to Golden when you hit 21).

About four minutes to the starting of the film, the projectionist walked into the hall and into the projection room. He was a balding old man, and looked enigmatic as he entered the room. I looked up, and he was using an OHP slide projector. I looked back towards the screen, and this time I really smiled. The familiar "Walk Calmly Towards The Doors In Case Of Fire / No Smoking / No Eating Or Drinking" signs were all projected old-school style with the OHP projector! The lights at this time dimmed down some more, and the movie began.

As I sat there contemplating my good fate and the movie, the couple beside me started to make some comments about the film, and it was clear they were confused. I couldn't blame them really, after all a Kim Ki-Duk film is hardly one to go when you wanted a simple story. Basically its the story about this gangster who has an interest in this college girl, and after tricking her into surrendering her rights to her body and life to the mob, makes her a prostitute in S.Korea's red-light district. But the gangster doesn't actually want to have sex with her most of the time, instead he gets off more on peeping into her bedroom while she was having sex with other men. But as the girl becomes less and less rebellious (as all prostitutes eventually become numb) towards the men who have sex with her, something inside the man changes. His conscience, perhaps? Something nags at him, and I won't spoil the movie for you people reading but I would just say its a very weird ending, albeit a happy one. Kim Ki-Duk's 2001 movie Bad Guy is really good, throwing up questions on our secret desire to know more about everyone, and the issues of invasion of privacy.

So back to my cinema experience. The lady (of the couple) eventually gave up trying to analyze the film, and walked out with her male date in the middle of the film, and when it ended I left the cinema hall with the two other old men (reluctantly of course), with already a growing sense of poignancy towards the place. I just really really loved that place. You can't get closer to an authentic feel of Singapore, especially with the stupid Urban Redevelopment Authority 'redeveloping' historical sites like Chinatown making it all unnatural anyway. Golden cinema is one of the last in a dying breed, a neccesity for its patrons, yet underappreciated by many in Singapore as nothing more than a seedy 'porn' cinema for old men and lechers. This writer believes that Golden certainly deserves more than its reputation, but somehow I wouldn't want it any other way. From the air-conditioning to the seats to the smelly lifts to the screen and to the projector, I loved it. I admired how the usherers and the box-office auntie worked at the cinema with a dignified attitude that belies its reputation. Whoever said that the old aren't in the least exciting is dead wrong. The cinema, along with its assortment of characters, has really made a deep impression on me, plus its films shown are good (Spanish film Geminis was just showing earlier, and soon the newest by Monica Belluci Wont You Love Me?) as well. Arthouse and erotica are usually a good mix, and the lot is found at this Golden cinema. I dig the vibes of this cinema.

I sincerely hope that by the time I turn 21 they haven't pulled this cinema down, although chances are that its high. Golden cinema (for my lucky 21 year old readers) is located at Beach Road, nearest MRT station is Lavender MRT, just walk pass the IRA building. Go once in your lifetime, at least, and without a snooty attitude (cuz many people take it as a joke).

Front Of Ticket

Back Of Ticket

=) (P.S Notice how the ratings have not changed in the picture of the back of the ticket - how authentic!)

2006-07-13T00:50:00.000+08:00

Innocence

A truly sublime movie to watch and behold, which title only depicts its true depth at the last climatic scene in this film. Iris, a pre-pubescent girl, has just arrived in a boarding school that's unlike any other. She emerges from a coffin-like box, to a world where there are no boys, no adults other than her strict but benign headmistresses Edith and Eva whose only subjects of concern for their young girls are ballet and nature. Together with other girls, they explore this magical almost-imaginary world of nature and themselves with innocent and curious inquisitiveness. Their world is behind a stone wall, but everything within it is almost heaven-like. At night, however, Iris's mentor (another pre-pubescent girl) Bianca walks down a path marked out by sinister overhead lamps to an unknown destination, only to reappear in the morning just as normal. Just what exactly is happening here in this place? Will the girls ever find out why they were there in the first place? And will they ever get out?

Innocence, a movie directed by Lucile Hadzihalilovic, who was better known for her collaboration on the violent film by her French counterpart Gaspar Noe, whose main themes also include innocence lost; child abuse; and paedophilla. However, in her debut film effort, she evidently strived to distance herself from the more shocking director which she was always associated with, and brought to life this film - a beautiful and quiet testament to the human child innocence and has tried to portray the genial nature of female childhood and sexuality. Everything is symbolic - from the trees to the lights to the teachers to the gloves and to the wall. The movie's strength lies in steering viewers (with the aid of excellent cinematography, and soundtrack) to question what is it they are really seeing - is it really innocence? or is there something else lurking behind it? More than just a coming-of-age film, Innocence depicts the purity of a child's essence in its most unadulterated form. In a world saturated with media articles depicting acts of depravity associated with children, can one film still make a statement in this escalating miserable world that we live in? Can children ever really be innocent again?

Once again, this off-beat film has really caught this reviewer by surprise, and credit must go to its strong below-10 years old cast of all females (there is not a single male in this film) and the director for the courage to make this. Rated one of The Guardian's 10 Must Watch Films for the year 2004 - it is easy to see why.

For a truly extraordinary experience, and finally - a movie that teaches something to its audience without being too pretentious - Innocence (more than just its title)

2006-07-04T00:02:00.000+08:00

so its been the June hols and the Youth Day holiday so I thought I'd take the time to post some of the movies I have been watching these days...

Equilibrium

This film just continues to showcase how fantastic Christian Bale is as a versatile and dynamic actor. It is really something to see how a mediocre 'post-Matrix-y' film can really go further just by the actor's credit. Bale plays a Grammerton Cleric, the highest-ranking law enforcer in a world where war is eliminated; hate a foreigner; and feelings are outlawed. After missing a daily dose of Prozium (a drug that suppresses normal human emotions) Bale suddenly realizes the need for human emotions, and becomes the only person able to overthrow the fascist government. This film is much underrated, and the only word to describe it is 'cool'. If you enjoyed V for Vendetta; The Matrix series or Brazil or any of those post-apocalyptic films you will definitely enjoy this one. Its action sequences are hypnotic and plus the plot is actually plausible! This ain't one of those lame made-after-matrix films - watch out for the scene where Bale comes to terms with his estranged young son in a world that forbids emotions.

Amadeus

An epic film of the (almost) real life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I have been repeatedly bugging myself to watch this Best Picture for a very long time now, seeing classic scenes where the flamboyant (!) Mozart kicks Salini's ass at composition; his orchestral conducting and operas and so on. And finally I did. What a tribute to Mozart himself. The three hours that I had spent watching this Directors Cut was worth it. The costumes were magnificent; the cinematography stunning, and coming from the guy who did One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (director Milos Foreman) who fully deserved the Oscar, I'd say this was a fine effort. My only gripe is that it was not all true about Mozart's life, but for an adaptation this one certainly scores. However I would probably only recommend it for the music enthusiast, because I don't think many could sustain the long duration of the movie. Otherwise, presenting The man and His madness!

Also the actress has nice boobs.

Sex, Lies and Videotape

I got this off ebay which was darned cheap - paid only sixteen dollars in SGD total. Anyway long before our time when the Palm d'Or was still worth something and exciting new stuff like Pulp Fiction won it and not the meticulously tedious and boring Elephant and Broken Flowers which wins the award now - Sex, Lies and Videotape won the 1989 Palm d'Or. Upon watching this I was really sceptical, a film by Steven Sordenbergh would usually entail much dialogue and pretty much thats it. But this one was different than the recent work of his I saw, which I won't name here because it was bad. Sex, Lies and Videotape actually lived up to its independent hype! This was an intelligent film about fidelity, voyeurism, feminism, and dreams. A young man Graham played by James Spader moves back into his home town at the bequest of his friend he has not met in 9 years - and becomes entangled with the messy household politics of his friend, his wife, and his friend's wife's sister. His 'personal' project turns everything upside down - leaving everyone he comes in contact with completely changed. This talky film is an engaging social drama that digs deep beneath our wildest kinks - voyeurism. The cast is solid and Andie McDowell is extremely good at portraying the sexually-repressed wife of Peter Gallagher (from the more popular O.C) who is having problems of his own. This witty and charming film will have you facing your deepest desires.

Havoc

There's only one reason why anyone would want to watch this in the first place - who really cares if the 'wiggers' (white boys trying to be gangsta) learn their proper place in society. ANNE HATHAWAY'S BOOBS are the real reason. And no matter how much flak you hear about this film being all stupid and silly and a 'complete waste of time', ANNE HATHAWAY'S BOOBS are worth it. A group of 'wiggers' get involved with real black gangs when they try to act all tough. Anne Hathaway plays this simply-adorable girl who is attracted to one of the black gangs -16th street- as they call themselves, and gets far more than she bargains for. Yeah well what else do you want to know ANNE HATHAWAY'S BOOBS. You'll love this movie. I mean ANNE HATHAWAY'S BOOBS. You'll looove ANNE HATHAWAY'S BOOBS. (and plus this movie isn't really that bad)

Oh yeah and btw ANNE HATHAWAY was from the Princess Diaries! I love Anne.

Perth

Lim Kay Tong has certainly become way angrier than we know since his fatherly days in Growing Up. It is as if Andrew Seow from Growing Up has mutated the friendly father figure into this hate-filled rage-infested middle-aged man-pushing-50. Lim plays the archetype older-generation man you see in Singapore streets nowadays. Alienated by society, cut out by the paper chase, looked down by everyone including his own son, and driven to despair by his gambling wife - Lim has plenty of frustration. He envisions going to Perth to start over, where 'the buggers will (not) work you to death', thinking it is his perfect place to be and to retire. However he has one last job to complete, chauffering Mai, a Vietnamese prostitute who seems akin to his past true love, to her clients. Something seems to change in the man, something that draws his passions from Perth to protecting someone he loves. When Mai gets abused and badly, what will Lim do? This fantastic Singaporean film by Djinn Ong (the poor director guy who recently had to go through surgery for his leg in India) really cuts through to my parents, who watched this film with me as I excitedly bought it. It was a gritty and provoking film about our living older generations, and it was as good as watching it in the cinemas and as good as watching it on my newly bought DVD. Perth is a film that you will not forget, a disturbing testament to the maligned majority of our Singapore people.

Infernal Affairs and Infernal Affairs 2

Yep I finally watched this true blue HK classic. This film needs no introduction and as such I should not bother. I love HK cinema they're good. With twists and turns that keep you in a blender about whats going to happen next, I was suitably impressed by the ambition at which this film was trying to achieve. Whatever the movie fan you are, you cannot afford to miss out this good slice of the Orient cinema.

Election

This film however, is slightly different. Undoubtedly born in the same vein as the Infernal Affairs series, I have much respect for the director for this film, which kept me up when I was a wee boy watching his SPL film on late night Channel 8. This is definitely a rougher cut from the more platable Infernal Affairs, to which it has been unfairly compared to. Both films have their own merits, and frankly even though I watched this first, I enjoyed immensely the pace and the seedy underground cinematography of Johnnie To. He has always been able to capture with acute sensitivity to his environment, characters and story. This one is no different, and although the plot may not be as powerful as Infernal Affairs, it is a strong one nonetheless.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This film is a SCREAM! Leave those braincells at home and enjoy this wacky crazy cult film which left me mind-boggled, but in a good way! Transvestites have rarely looked so smulty and charming and funny in this weird-assed film which has 25 years and counting of a fanbase growing. If you have not heard of this film its because it was banned in Singapore (until recently) for transvestism. Sigh. We're a denied miserable lot.

Anyway this is the perfect party film! If your friends are lame and stupid and are drinking you gotta show them this film because they'll just die in the middle because everything makes no sense and THAT IS THE POINT. THAT IS THE POINT HAHAHAHAHAA DUMBASSES! WOOT! The Rocky Horror Picture Show is THE MOVIE TO SCREAM ABOUT.

I'M A SWEET TRANSVESTITE............

187

I love this underrated teacher-against-the-students film. We've seen the lot lately, from Dangerous Minds to even Mean Girls where the schoolgrounds are a far more dangerous place than even in Singapore. 187 is the phone number for homicide in the US, and when Samuel L Jackson, a dedicated teacher, is brutally backstabbed by one of his students, something inside him changes. How far would you go for the price of education? How far would you go to teach? Jackson is absolutely stunning with his performance as the teacher who takes the law into his own hands and weaves incredibly bizarre punishments against his tough as balls students. And he has the reason to do so. I highly HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this film for anyone who has ever taught a class full of shit-fucked brats. Teachers you have priority for my rental of this disc.

Pink Floyd's The Wall

"That's far out, man..." This film has often been touted the world's best rock-and-roll movie ever. And I agree. This is a bizarre surrealistic mix of animation and real life of Pink, a rock-and-roll rocker, who, after succumbing to the intoxicating brew of alcohol, drugs, sex and television, starts to live in his own fantasy world where he comes face to face with his past inner demons. Set to the soundtrack of Pink Floyd, whom you should probably know as the greatest and weirdest of all rock bands in human history, the film is a seriously weirded out experience which aims to impress but somehow only puzzles and disturbs me further. Recommended for serious rock-and-roll film type fanatics only.

American Psycho

You will watch this for Christian Bale and Jared Leto and Chloe Sevigny. This is one seriously twisted fuck of a film as Bale plays the perfect man from hell. His main goal in life is ultimate perfection. He has one flaw though, one big bloody flaw - his innate need to kill in order to feel a semblance to human existence as it stands. Everything else, every other emotion, he has already disconnected from to be the best that humans can be. He has perfect skin, perfect body, perfect job, perfect salary - perfect bloodlust. You will love the part where Bale marches out with a chainsaw on a rampage to find his girl. Fucking A dude! This is an intelligent bloody violent film about the degeneration of the alpha male. Highly highly recommended.

Best Dump-line: 'I'm sorry but you're not terribly important to me' - Bale to Reese Witherspoon's character, said in an off-hand manner. =D

4:30

Watch this film now, before its run ends in cinemas. A wonderfully whimsical tale about a boy and his unhealthy obsession with his korean uncle. The familiar Royston Tan characteristics are all there: alienation, obsession, loneliness, failure. Singapore films are seriously coming out, and if I could recommend one film right now - 4:30 would be it. The poignancy of communication, the intelligence of childhood love. Suddenly all falls into place, but just as it begins to be perfect, everything falls about yet again. This film will break your heart, as it has broken mine.

Oh yeah I got my poster autographed by Royston Tan himself!

Alright that's all the reviews I got for you today. Have a good one!

=)

2006-06-10T17:22:00.000+08:00

just a quick 1

sex and lucia (unrated version)

okay so I'll get the obvious stuff out of the way. YES Lucia has sex in this one. In fact there is a lot of sex and its not just Lucia. Is it a porno flick? NO it sure as hell ain't. Right so now i'll tell you stuff that you might not really expect.

For a film that is thematically very concerned with sex, it is a wondrous adult tale of love lost; found; and lost again. Note word: adult - because there is plenty of explicit stuff here that would merit an R21 rating in dear old Singapore or even the NC-17 in US (although it did get away with an R). Lucia, thinking that her boyfriend is dead somewhere, journeys to an island to recover from her loss, not knowing that all those around her harbour a deep secret and a past so passionate and explosive that it threatens to overwhelm them all. This Magnolia-like film is so elegantly and bewitchingly constructed that even though I was very tired while watching this, it never put me to sleep. And it is not because they were having sex - a lot - but its cuz there is always something else to keep you guessing, and wondering. Lucia's boyfriend, a writer is tormented by the past he cannot control, and emotions he cannot withdraw. Lucia herself is frustrated by her boyfriend whom does not share his feelings. And then there's Lucia's boyfriend's ex-lover etc. etc. etc.

This movie reminds me personally of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. While that latter film boasted of a surrealist dream and wonderful plot, this one does not disappoint either. The cinematography is simply wonderful, shots of the moon illuminating the seas. Or maybe I'll just say why its such a beautiful film - we have people making beautiful love; we have beautiful people making beautiful love; we have beautiful people making beautiful love in beautiful places. Honestly, this Spanish film is so darned beautiful you'd wish you lived on that island. Even the sex scenes are not drab and boring and in-your-face, but aesthetically filmed and never losing its power in passion.

If you like your romantic films uncliched, intellectual, and don't mind graphic depiction of sex (which you shouldn't mind anyway), you have to watch Sex and Lucia. It will make your head spin, when every little thing comes together nicely at the end. But the payoff is that you'll lavish in this beautiful Spanish film for the whole of the two hours that you would spend watching it. This gem should not be overlooked by romantics and even people who are pessimistic about romance - it'll make them believe again.

2006-05-16T08:23:00.000+08:00

UPDATED movie reviews (after a four month hiatus)

Hey so i'm back as usual, back to surprise you all! because i haven't been blogging for the last eon or so. So moving on to the movies which i've watched- i'm going to type out a list here so you'll know what will be coming:

Summerstorm

This is the first in many gay-themed films i've been watching. Forced to confront his own sexuality (and orientation thereof) - Tobias (i think) is attracted to his best friend, and his feelings come to a head when he and Achim (his best friend) head off for a sailing competition-camp sorta thing where an opposition gay boys team confront them. Although this one is hit with cliches after cliches (honest to god we have to stop having gay boys jerk off next to one another - just because it was cool in Y Tu Mama Tambien does not mean we have to watch it again and again) it deserves the credit for being full with heart, and should be appreciated just as a coming-of-age film, nicely shot and filmed by Marco Kreuzpaintner. I got this DVD from my outside unnamed source, cuz it's always fooked up to try to bypass SG Customs, and was pleasently surprised because (it got past them and) it was good! The cinematography is rich and luscious, the actors and actresses (!) are convincing and attractive - definitely not a waste of my forty dollars ha ha.

(The DVD is up for rental from me, so drop me a message or something if you're interested - and don't worry non-gay peeps can watch this and not be affected =p)
Brazil

THIS ONE IS OFFICIALLY ON MY TOP NO.1 FOR BEST FILM EVER. Shim sat me down to this film which CHANGED MY LIFE and I believe it would for you too. Set in the near future where a dystopian society kills an innocent man when a bug (literally) gets into the system, a civil servant determined to get to the bottom of the matter is thrust under the spotlight of a government conspiracy that tries to cover-up. More than a mere Orwellian-nightmare, this is also a very sad testament to the greatness director Terry Gilliam would have been.. if only he was not corrupted by Hollywood and made shit like 12 Monkeys.

Anyway! Brazil has plot, action, and special effects that blew my mind. The surrealistic monster-sequence totally blew my mind when I consider the circumstances in which the film was made in, and the haunting last scene that never fades away, no matter how many other movies i would watch. AND THE SOUNDTRACK. I'll probably never listen to 'Brazil' the same again.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I also got to thank Shim for showing this to me. Goddamn Jack Nicholson scared the shit out of me in The Shining, and he still does scare me even in this mild drama. He also owns everyone when it comes to acting, and after watching this film i realize what a great actor he really is. Nicholson is committed (a nice way to say 'imprisoned') to a asylum where he is to be determined whether or not he has a real mental problem. Along the way he fights the authorities, wrecks the place up with his penchant for booze and girls (ha ha that last scene) and basically brings in a little bit more life into the oppression that is the asylum he lives in.

This picture won seven awards including Best Picture and Best Actor (doh) and Best Actress and Bests of most other things. And it is easy to see why. The acting; the simple-but-effective storyline; the moralising Hollywood loves (think Crash of 2005); and the 'happy' end. This is a piece of celluloid most of us should appreciate at least once in our lives, and hopefully for more times to come.

Mission Impossible III

Ahhh the summer blockbuster season would not be over (or even started) if Tom Cruise does not jump in to earn a bit more of that twenty million US paycheck he gets per movie. In comes this star vehicle which boasts Tom Cruise, more Tom Cruise acting cool; and MORE TOM CRUISE all serious - and GASP! a plot! Frenetic actioneering, fast camerawork make this an exhilerating film to watch, from start to end. Oh and if you care, Philip Seymour Hoffman stands out in this film, although against Tom Cruise is sidelined (which is strange, considering who won Best Actor). Anyway nothing I say will sway your eventual decision to watch this film so yeah.

Brokeback Mountain

This was an interesting film to watch. Touted widely as THE arthouse film to watch, Ang Lee's sweeping cowboy film features everything from nice picturesque shots of the mountains and scenery to cute boys humping each other to Anne Hathaway's boobs. Heh heh. Well I can safely say that this film lives up to its hype, and it is a good thing, because the last thing we want is for a film as big as this to flop. The film is a slow burner, but the payoff at the end is worth it. Stunningly and subtly devastating, this is a film to watch. Check out also Ang Lee's earlier films including the much overrated Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and even earlier ones like that Pushing Hands and Eat Drink Man Woman.

Good Night and Good Luck

This political thriller is only going to be released now, after the General Elections. My personal theory is that if PAP allows this to be released before the GE, people would be thinking about revolting. The last nominated Best Picture film to be screened in Singapore this year, it is a strong and touching story about two men who at the height of a politician's strength and control decide to take down this corrupt figure, and needless to say they endanger careers, families and themselves as they stay true to their vision of a politic-free media and principles. Told in a film-noir style (black-and-white throughout), I personally felt little for this film, but maybe it was because it was late when I watched this. After all, it takes courage for you to stand up to Lao Lee. =P

9 Songs

Running into lots of problems because of its graphic depiction of sex (yes yes what you've heard is true - ejaculations, oral sex; and more sex) at its time of release, this film labels itself as 'a couple's relationship unfolding in counterpoint to nine songs at nine gigs: The Dandy Warhols; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Franz Ferdinand; Blur; so on and forth. You'll either love it or not, for me, I loved the concept, but felt it did not work as well on screen. Often you just see the couple having lots of sex. and then cut to another gig. then sex again. and a gig. and MORE SEX! wow! seems to be like my perfect dream, but it's not enough for a FILM. The only redeeming thing was running at 62 minutes, I had only wasted 62 minutes of my life, but I'd rather not have wasted it at all.

Capote

Another Best Picture nominated film. Again I don't know what to feel about this film. We have a lot of films this year that are Best Picture nominated but for whatever reason I don't feel for them. This is one of the unfortunate latter. Clearly, Philip Seymour Hoffman totally deserved to get that Oscar for Best Actor - it is impeccable acting really, in Capote. The story of an author who befriends a serial killer in prison for the superficial purpose of the promise of a story that could earn him money - In Cold Blood - the real book written as a result, it presents a morality divide - is Capote really a unfeeling person driven by capitalistic gains?

Cannibal Holocaust

One of those movies you're glad to have lived through. This gem of a horror film has the most goriest scenes I have ever seen. You want blood? You've got it in spades. You want real animal killings? Check out the part where they kill and eat the sea turtle (keeping in mind that this killing was REAL). You want rape, murder and debauchery? Yep yep yep, its all here for the taking. I watched this to see what the hype is all about, and ended up nearly throwing up. The story of four American students who go into the Amazonian rainforest to research on cannibalism, never returning, and only the camera footage left of their last days. You can imagine the rest. But more than just a shock-horror film, its message on white-man's destructive presence on the world is a more impressionable one, and for this to be effected, the gore was neccessary. Reputedly, the director was arrested and brought to court soon after this film first screened in 1980 in Italy, and was ordered to produce the actors and actress to prove that he did not really murder them for the film. It is THAT graphic. Turtle soup, anyone?

Hostel

Another gore film for the masses! This one is actually pretty darned graphic. The best way to enjoy this film is to not know the plot as well, and I personally didn't - and enjoyed every nervous moment of this film. Three tourists arrive in Slovakia to have sex and got more than what they wanted - and that is all you should know about the film. But needless to say I really liked it, not only did Tarentino produce this film so it has that gurantee that it is a film that you would enjoy, but the plot was quite fresh too. Just close your eyes at the bloody parts. Or not. I mean, thats what you're watching the film for ain't it?! =p

Eyes!
My Eyes! =P *hint hint*

Wolf Creek

Compared to Hostel, this one is pretty mild. Three urban Australians travel across the outback, only to face a serial killer. I thought it was pretty cool that the outcome wasn't as cliched as it could have been, but could have upped the gore factor. =X Good effort though.

The Descent

I really liked this one. From the director of Dog Soldiers comes his latest offering of a scary film. More effective without being overtly bloody or gory, its claustrophobic nature and clever use of lighting is already a suffocating blanket of nervousness. Throw in cannibalistic creatures in the dark ready to leap out at you a.k.a. Aliens and you've got yourself a nice scare-ride. I love this film, and if you're up for some quality scares and shocks, watch this one. You sure as hell would not be bored.

That Tammy Video

(I WISHED THERE WERE PICTURES)

It's a bitch getting all five parts to this. I watched like, Part 3, and okay, the dick-sucking. erm. it was. okay. Sigh. Singaporean youth are getting more frisky, and I don't understand why! :P

Well that's all for this time. Check back soon for more details! And remember, if you have trouble looking for these movies, you can always ask me! =)

2006-01-26T00:30:00.000+08:00

Bumper Crop of Movie Reviews

Hi everyone, so sorry for the long delay in reposting. Well I’ve been watching quite a number of interesting movies lately that I’d like to share with ya’ll, who’d otherwise not know about them… (of course if yo Bumper Crop of Movie Reviews

Hi everyone, so sorry for the long delay in reposting. Well I’ve been watching quite a number of interesting movies lately that I’d like to share with ya’ll, who’d otherwise not know about them… (of course if you do, that’s great for ya). Anyway what happened was that I was posting just two days ago when my browser crashed and I got pissed that I had lost my blog post, so it was only today after my dear classmate Carol sms-ed me asking me about one of the movies I’d posted that I realize people still read this. I think it’s only nice that I try to give some back to the community, especially those that do not have the chance to view these films.

Anyway, on with the films…

Suicide Club

I knew before I watched this that it was no Walt Disney film. The first scene is enough to have people running for the Stop button on their DVD remote. Sion Sono’s cult film about the impact of pop culture on society and especially society’s impressionable kids makes a deep impression. What happens when 54 Japanese schoolgirls jump off a railway platform onto the track as an oncoming train arrives as a fashion statement? Is society sensible enough to handle this turn of events? In Sono’s apocalyptic world that offers no easy answers, society isn’t. One of the most harrowing scenes takes place immediately after said scene – a group of Japanese school pupils on the roof of their school, amazed and awestruck by the 54 girls - decide to form a Suicide Club right there and then, consummating their bond to this Club by committing suicide together. A girl shouts: “Come watch me kill myself!” and the other students shout their approval. Their teachers can only watch in horror as the whole lot jumps off, except three students. Two of the three students – a couple – hold hands and jump. The last remaining one smiles at her friends behind her… and jumps off too. Given any other instance one would think this scene as absurd, but trust me – it feels too real to be comfortable at any rate. Sono does not spare anyone. In the spirit of the recent fad of events, four women hang themselves together, a housewife chops off her fingers, a hawker seller gulps down a bottle of sleeping pills. Suicide has become the new fashion, and as the police try futilely to stop these from happening, they become sucked into a deceitful web of whodunit. A J-rocker Genesis rapes and kills girls in an abandoned bowling alley in the spirit of becoming the next famous Charlie Manson, a pop group Dessert whose hit single Jump Off is mysteriously heard before each suicide, and a website that predicts suicide before it happens…

A harrowing self-examination of pop culture and society’s impressionable behaviour as a result of these fads – destined to become a cult favourite – you’ll either hate it or love it. I’d love it. Plot-wise this film is a bit abstract, and suffers from some major plot loopholes – but one is prepared to forgive as Sono’s main thesis is important to take seriously. The Japanese have done it again.

A cult film in every sense of the word.
*** ½ / 5 stars
R21 for strong violence; gore and mature content
TLA Releasing – The Suicide Club (Jisatsu Circle)

Broken Flowers

I don’t ever get Jim Jamusch’s films. I just don’t! I remember buying his DVD Coffee and Cigarettes and I just don’t get that film either! Bill Murray is back in this latest offering that won the Palm D’or of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2005 where he plays an ageing bachelor who suddenly receives a cryptic letter from one of his ex-girlfriends saying that he has a son who is 19 years old and is looking for him. So starts off his road trip to find the lady who has neither left her contact address or her name in the letter, and in the course of doing so, finds out a lot more about himself. The main problem with Broken Flowers is that its humour is so abstract that its only funny in some places, but during other times its just boring. Jamusch has the reputation of taking 20 years to film the last film I watched Coffee and Cigarettes, and although internationally acclaimed, I just don’t get it either. And in this film, although it had a decent ending (still irritating for some people who just won’t bother thinking about it – and there’re a lot of people like this and I don’t blame ‘em) it just doesn’t save the draggy and slow scenes that simply isn’t worth putting yourself through them.

If you want a funny film with heart look elsewhere, otherwise if you are a masochistic arthouse lover of ‘funny’ films like the dudes at the Cannes Film Festival who obviously dug this film more than me, then ignore this review altogether and watch it for yourself. I really hope you enjoy it.

A ‘funny’ arthouse film, with ‘arthouse’ being the operative word. The scene with Sharon Stone and her daughter is the saving grace of this otherwise tepid film.
** ½ / 5
NC-16 – Sexual References
Focus Features: Broken Flowers

Memoirs of a Geisha

Zhang Ziyi is cute. She is very cute. She is so cute she out-cutes Gong Li, who is probably the only girl who can have perennially messy hair and still look so sexy and slutty. She is also the one who has the most sex in the film. I think Gong Li deserves for being a real good bitch in this film – in fact she’s the best bitch I’d ever seen since Mean Girls. I really felt for Gong Li even as she is forced to speak the most horrible sounding cross between Japanese and English accents – along with the rest of the unfortunate cast. Memoirs of a Geisha is a faithful adaptation of the acclaimed novel, and running at 145 minutes it certainly does deserve some credit. As per any Hollywood blockbuster, this one has its sights set on that Oscar, and it certainly can hit all the right notes. It’s my guess we’ll be seeing this one then. But for us fortunate people Memoirs is a beautiful film with a very lucky premise of dedicated actresses who withstood controversy to create this film and a director who stayed true to the book. We cannot ask for anymore, but Memoirs delivers it with brisk cinematography and appropriate dashes of art. It is ultimately a very beautiful film.

Another wonderful thing is that they sell virginities then! When I’m old I’ll buy virginities. Apparently I can buy Zhang Ziyi’s virginity for 15,000 yen, which is about SGD$300. Haha!

It has also taught me to buy Ice Kacang for small girls. In fact, maybe one day one of the small girls grow up to be like Zhang Ziyi or even better looking than her, and then I’d know it has all paid off. I’ll also give you my handkerchief for you to fondle. =D

A wonderful adaptation of the novel, watch out for Gong Li’s arch-bitch acts and Ziyi’s surreal dance in the middle of the film.
**** out of 5 stars
PG – Sexual References
Memoirs of a Geisha

Green Street Hooligans (or Football Hooligans as it is known in Singapore)

This gritty and unflinching look at football hooliganism in the UK that has been garnering lots of positive responses from both sides of the Atlantic does deserve its accolades. A story based on a thousand other true stories from the annals of Britain and its football frenzy. Elijah Wood plays Buckner who is kicked out of school due to a misunderstanding, looks for his sister and finds himself drawn towards the life of a football hooligan played by Charlie Hunnam. A ‘firm’ for a football club functions pretty much like a gang, except that they fight and drink almost on an everyday basis (here in Singapore you just fight stupidly in teenage gangs). A nicely interwoven plot within a plot has you on the edge of your seat as you watch these men fight it out over their favourite sport. Fandom has taken a violent step, and we’re just lucky to be watching from a distance. The movie is an engaging, social drama made by the guy who did Chicago, and throughout the movie you’ll be either repulsed by these people, or better still, start to love them for what they are.

This movie has often been compared to the lesser-known more indie flick The Football Factory, and both have had its good points. My recommendation is you start by watching this film, it’s a good and well-directed drama piece. Recommended for anyone who bets on football or watches football. May this be a jolt to your senses.

A gripping, emotional tale about football hooliganism in the UK. For fans of football who want to know the real story behind football in the UK.
**** out of 5 stars
M-18 for Coarse Language and Violence

2006-01-02T01:34:00.000+08:00

Haute Tension

I'll just say that this is one of the most bloodiest shits i've ever watched. And if you know me personally you know i watch some of the pretty bloodiest shit ever put out on celluloid. Or if you don't believe me I guess I don't care. High Tension follows two girls who arrive in the French countryside to have some peace and quiet to study for their university exams (yeah I know, like wtf even I'd kill em) but big Bad Phillipe Nahon as the psychotic killer arrives and fucks up their plans in a big bloody way.

ANYWAY Haute Tension (or High Tension) is absolutely B-grade, that does mean its not Oscar material, but who needs to give a shit about such high civics and morals when you've got director Alexendre Aja to give you buckets of blood?! This baby of a horror gore film has it all - the corn field running scene, the blood-splattering-on-the-wall scene, the axe-in-the-chest scene, the kick-the-toilet-door in scene, the chainsaw scene.. basically its a whole lot of shit piled up upon more shit as you watch these two lead girls run away from Phillipe Nahon as the psychotic killer (absolutely brilliant here, if you've watched the lesser-known Gaspar Noe debut I Stand Alone you'd know what I mean) who rampages through a household, leaving behind a headless father, a slit-throated mother and a shotgunned little brother. There's hell breaking lose in the rural countrysides of France. Exactly how sick are we talking about? It's just fucking sick. There's necrophiliac masturbation, everything's just there to punch you in the gut with the sickness of everything. And if you're sick as I am, you'd absolutely love it.

Anyway at the risk of sounding like a delusional fucked-up stereotypical youth, this film does have its film merits. Homage to all the traditional 70s style grindcore violent films - this Tension certainly does know its roots and respects it. If you're looking for a mindfuck of a good time, and not grimacing at buckets of blood, you're looking for High Tension. And I know you would want to.

BTW you gotta love the cover art huh =) that chainsaw sure looks sexy...

R21 in Singapore (but if i'm not wrong it was still cut)
strong fucking bloody violence, disturbing masturbatory imagery. bring your little ones with you - it'll shut em up.
a superb, straight bare-to-the-bones simple story about a killer and his victims. Watch out for the Saw-like ending which is just the icing on this bloody cake =)
****1/2 of five stars

2005-12-19T22:46:00.000+08:00

Lord of War

Lord of War is a film about arms dealing. Nicholas Cage plays this dude that globe hops around the world selling and buying arms from disfunctional military bases and basically earns a lot of money through his risky operation. He buys arms from bases in Serbia right after the Cold War where there is a stockpile of weapons with suddenly no war to be used in, and his schemes to get away from being caught by pesky Interpol agent played by Ethan Hawke. More interestingly, the movie depicts the dangers faced as an arms trafficker, as well as some brilliant monologues about some philosophies in life that ask many questions and draws its own convoluted conclusions. Cage is especially brilliant, and while some might say he has lost his acting abilities you just gotta hand it to this guy when he outtalks the President of Libya with the gun to his face while dealing in the arms black market. "Relationships end up as lies and deceit, so it is only logical that we start from those" is how he starts his wooing by setting up the beautiful Eva (played by the girl from Hitch) to his hotel and buying her information with money. But amidst all the action another character (played by Jared Leto) stands out - the cocaine-addicted conscience-riddled brother who joins in at first but fights to keep his conscience clean at a climatic last scene where everything else falls apart.

Lord Of War doesn't just prove to be a slick movie from Andrew Niccol, the guy who brought us S1mone and Gattaca, it is involving and enriching. Critics slam this movie thanks to its overwrought plot and movies-that-have-done-it-before feel, but I personally feel this is a refreshing look on its subject matter. Black comedy and that oh-so-awesome opening scene where it follows a bullet in production to its use to kill a child - Lord of War is simply incredible to watch, if not for the great acting and solid cast. It does not disappoint.

(not available in singapore)
strong violence, drug use, language and sexuality
an intelligent, strongly directed and cast film - overall
**** of five stars

2005-12-19T19:47:00.000+08:00

the movie review site for all the latest movies that matter.

i started this because i needed some way to keep track of all the movies that i have been watching. i've watched a lot of stuff (and i still am) that i think not many people would have the chance to, so this is my way of sharing with ya'll. If you're interested in anything maybe i can help you out. If you know me, contact me. If not i guess you can leave your message at the tagboard. I don't support piracy. If the latter word disgusts you - don't contact me. =)

(this used to be a personal blog too, but i discontinuted blogging because everyone's life is special and unique and that makes everyone pretty normal. I am not a fan of self-normalcy.)

2005-08-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

the brad pitt song.

hey guys sorry for this extremely late entry. then again its my blog i don't know why i'm apologizing. it seems i've already told ya all to ignore this blog cuz its really dumb and its written by a really dumb person and henceforth all thoughts are really dumb too. but here i am again preaching and indoctrinating the world with Wise Thoughts. Speaking of indoctrination, is it me or is the stupid National Day song thats been playing at all McDonalds outlets fuckin' irritating or what!? And speaking of things being fuckin' irritating, I THINK ALL TALENTQUEST SHOWS OR THE LIKE ARE BULLSHIT because 1) no one really cares about Superstars from this-or-that shows; 2) the real stars are here. HERE. (me).

And speaking of real stars! SEFT HAS A FRIENDSTER account. yeah its all an effort to boost our fandom and so add us because we won't add you. We're cool like that. AND because we've just written our second song! It's gonna kick your ass cuz its so hardcore! It's called the Brad Pitt song and hang on a moment while i pull the lyrics out...

The Brad Pitt Song.

(verse 1)
Something's up with the world today
People walking about
Feeling shit, feeling fat
Feeling like they ain't good enough for
Anyone else...

(pre-chorus)
You got your new Ipod?
I have no Crumpler!
But I got my Durex
And we are gonna have
And we are gonna have
And we are gonna have so much fun...

(chorus)
And we are all a slave to this world of
Pre-conceived notions...
Advertising! You are my God!
I love you! I adore you! We want to be yoooooou...
I'm hotter than Brad Pitt!
I'm hotter than Brad Pitt!
I'm hotter than Brad Pitt noooooooww...

(verse 2)
Things that I don't need
Things that I won't use
T-shirts DVDs the new Britney Spears CD...
Fuck! Where's my Gulp?
Ding-dong! We are a store and more!

(bridge with insane hard-ass-banging solo by Andrew)

(chorus)

As you can clearly see Seft has Serious influences. Because we're more than just a rock band. We are a band with Deep Thoughts and Meanings. And you're gonna hear the first from us right here, so maybe that's one reason why you are gonna still read this dumbass blog. Heh.

ANYWAY i mentioned in my eonic post ago on the Emo Kids. Yeah what happened was that we holed up at Janice's place with Matthew, Hazri and Izyanti, watching Adult movies and pushing the frontiers on pre-marital sex. Nah i wished. Heh but we DID watch Adult movies, we watched that kinky Y Tu Mama Tambien, which everyone says is porno cuz of all the sex and the fantastic menege a tois at the end but I deem as arthouse. So there you are. It's arthouse. And we watched Fight Club and a whole bunch lotta other movies i can't remember right now from the top of my head. Oh yeah there was Matchstick Men too. Kudos to Matt for recommending that!

And then back in school i'm suddenly involved in a lot of bands. I'll try to make a list out here, hmmm.. there's the one with the famous Ian Chan (the dude that all girls seem to fall for - if you don't know who he is and you are a girl go ask around you'll find out sooner or later) and we're doing some dumb chinese pop song... there's the one with the Guitar Ensemble peeps Victor and Illyas and we're going Green Day and (hopefully) System of a Down... then there's Seft. Ah. Seft. I love Seft. I love Seft.

Speaking of kickass concerts! SLIPKNOT IS FUCKIN COMING TO SINGAPORE. i don't know how the hell they could approve Slipknot coming down to singapore, but I predict even though Singapore will never recover from the carnage they are gonna do to Fort Canning, and that they are never going to invite another metal band down, at least I've seen my God. OH my oh my. I even got my party shirt to the Slipknot gig. It's gonna be so fuckin hardcore and i'm gonna upload some kickass photos so WATCH OUT FOR IT!

School's been pretty dandy as usual. Teachers Day is coming up and im the committee preparing for it and all, and somehow i feel i'm quite a liability haha. Prom though is cool. We've just gone down to the hotel to take a look at it and all and besides the SGD$16000 price tag we're still having it. This is how much we love YJC. Ahahaha. And oh yes! National Day just passed and HAVE A GOOD YEAR AHEAD TO OUR NATION AND SINGAPOREANS. Yes if you've not realized by now i'm actually a closet patriot of our nation and my college. Sssshh don't let it out, i'm actually wearing red and white underwear now...

Well then, i hope all goes well for you people. have fun make love more often and don't forget your Durex! or Akamoto! or if you're a sorry ass lonely bastard like me don't forget your Johnsons and Johnsons! (yes the baby shampoo brand has lubricants, thats something you don't learn everyday!)

vincent
Proud Wanker of Seft Student Council Yishun Junior College Singaporean

-and happy belated birthday to you again, i've missed you. you know who you are.

2005-06-16T18:50:00.000+08:00

OBS and Emo kids.

It's been a week since OBS ended, and I kinda keep remembering what happened during those wack five days. Anyway this would serve as a reminder of sorts, so that when i grow up and sex does not interest me anymore i'll come back here to vincentquek.blogspot.com and then reminisice and all that jazz. Yeah so that means it'll never happen.

So where do i start? I shall choose to start the night before the actual event. Sunday night 5th June. Packed bag in the evening, was bugging me the whole night. I was frankly irritated that the whole of my following week was gonna be gone cuz i went for this stupid course. argh. I was f'effing irritated. Plus at around 10pm Iz messaged me and said there was this CAP get-together for our little clique which i was hence gonna miss. Suffice to say that the mood was not a particularly enthusiastic one when i set off the following day.

Monday 6th of June. Ah Punggol jetty. I had missed that place. I didn't realize i was gonna miss it even more than ever during the following days. Bumboated to the Ubin, where the familiar sight of the OBS campsite greeted me. Then we settled into our groups and all that admin shit for the morning happened. I don't remember telling you guys about that stupid dude which i got into a fight into back at my college, which was largely unresolved up till then. Well the point of that is that very same dude i almost fought was in the same group as I was, doesn't take a genius to realize that both of us were staring daggers at each other. Truth be told, i hated that ass. But during the subsequent ice-breaking games when we were asked to introduce each other, I told the group: "let's bury the past" and then proceeded to stare at him to register the message.

the message registered. for the rest of the day we seemed to click off with each other. I was myself quite surprised by this magnanimous attitude towards each other in both parties. In fact I think we fooled quite a lot of people who didn't know us then that given any other situation the both of us were gonna be pissed off at each other's presences. But all was well. The activity for the afternoon was rock climbing and I am proud to say I managed to climb one surface completely, but it was not without sheer determination and peer pressure from my other team members. I licked the top of the wall when i reached there, much to the disgust of the female members in my group, but they were gonna see worse of my character anyway. Haha it was all good as we retired for the day that night.

Oh yeah i forgot to acknowledge my group. I was in Barker, 8 girls and 6 boys, and our OBS course was shared between Victoria JC and Yishun JC (me), and we were all in residential. Now for all those people who say that Mobile is much more fucked than residential I'm not gonna beg to differ, but residential had its tough moments too. As you'll see.

Tuesday 7th June. I had slept quite well, and for those unacquainted with the Residential module of OBS what you basically sleep in for the first night are beds. REAL BEDS. those with the mattresses and pillows and clean linen and fresh water and showers and all that kinda jazz. You call em Dorms. and before i patronize all you readers further let me just say that I kinda thought we were frickin' comfortable for that night. Too bad, for the next few days we were actually gonna embark on an expedition. More on that later.

The usual happened. PT and breakfast ensued. Our first leg of the expedition was gonna be Kayaking, and I was appointed the expedition IC. Actually to be more truthful i kinda volunteered, so to say that I was appointed was a little too humble for my proud self. Ahah. I am stupid that way. Anyway what happened was that we got our kayaks and set forth to journey through the island via a series of waterways and unmarked channels through swamps and mangroves, all the while following a general direction and hope for the best. The funniest thing was, I sure as hell wouldn't trust someone like myself to work my way through all the rivers and channels and swamps. I knew I had just hired the biggest asshole to bring all of us through the island, and oh fuck I was the jackass bringing all of you guys! But being the expedition leader had its perks, one of which was: Looking extremely important; looking extremely thoughtful; looking extremely knowledgeable. Well I now know how most extremely looking important or thoughtful or knowledgeable people feel - they're just scared shitless of not doing a good job. For real. So help me God.

We set forth with high spirits. I contemplated tellin em not to be so chatty but heck, the mood is there so why not? Better happy than worried - I told myself. I almost missed the river point where I was gonna have to turn into, so thank you Daniel (who was the co-facilitator for the other group - my group's co-facilitator was this chick called Cindy). So we turned in, and I realized that was the easy part. I think the people started doubting me when I started to keep looking at my own map, and checking my compass. After I hit a dead end (goddamn fallen trees) the buzz regarding the journey there and the asshole in charge hit a peak. I kept calm and told them we were 'reaching' when i knew we were anything but. If there was one thing i learnt was NEVER put doubt in other's people's minds even though you might somehow or did something wrong.

It was not all without its fun though. We had protege points which basically meant getting out of our kayaks and carrying across land towards the next band of the shore - and one of the protege points we had to walk through soft mud. You know that kind of clayey soil that looks grey and is extremely squishy and it makes soft sucking sounds against your feet when you sink your entire foot in? Yeah. We had to go through that. Thank you for all the clay, thank you for all the crazy boys who started throwing clay at girls or smearing every one else with clay. Thank you thank you.

Nevertheless we were all bushed when we reached our first campsite with MUCH difficulty. After all the swearing and questions posed towards me i had managed to finally get everyone to the next campsite! on this part I thought I did pretty well for a jackass, so applause please people.

Daniel and Cindy brought us to the quarry. This quarry is famous among all the OBS alumni (me included) because it is simply beautiful. Granite mined decades earlier had created this huge hole in the ground where rainwater filled up till it was at least 30 metres in depth. Now to give you an idea of how deep thirty frickin metres is that would be roughly the height of a ten-storey HDB flat. One storey of HDB flat is about 3.6 metres. Go figure.

Anyway it was to be our bath of sorts. We floated about, felt like the peeps in that horrible show The Beach (I think it was horrible cuz Leo Dicarp was in it - yeah i'm biased that way) before our facilitators shook us out of our fantasies of naked people walking in perfect harmony and swimming in perfect harmony and procreating in perfect harmony. Heh. Okay i don't know if that's everyone's fantasy but there HAS to be someone with my fantasy right? Right?

So we exited the quarry. And went to build our basha, which was basically a really horrible version of a tent. Just two sticks, one tarp for a top, groundsheets and a whole lotta rocks became habitable conditions for one night. Done in pitch black. Field cooking ensued. This was the hilarious part. I think I had chocolate cookies and uncooked maggi mee for dinner. I didn't constipate though, this would surely attest to the strength of my Mighty Stomach! Vincent's Mighty Stomach! I did fart a lot though.

The last thing I remembered was the buzzing sound of the sandflies and mosquitoes hanging around the basha we had built, and the pungent smell of repellents and mosquito coils which quite sadly don't work. I remembered it was seriously fucking hot, but with the help of several rather good ghost stories from fellow campers I managed to drift off into an uneasy sleep. Awoke at 1:30AM and 3:30AM before waking up for the last time at around 6AM.

Wednesday 8th June. We began the day innocently enough, unknown to the fact we were gonna be soon schooled in the School of Human Produce (or Defacation, whichever the reader prefers). After a hearty breakfast (please realize I'm kidding by now) our group was selected to do area cleaning duties. And my oh my the things humans do!

In the midst of all the jungle there was several designated areas for where "toilets" were. These shady spots were dark and hidden full of secrets. We started out cleaning the male secrets. And in fact, (and this is where i love my gender more) apart from the really strong ammonia smells nothing else was present. The occasional soiled tissue but that was it. BUT FUCKING HELL THE FEMALE TOILET was a place of despair, a place of pure shit, everything a man could wish for in a, say, woman with a shit-fetish. There was shit everywhere on the ground, large mounds of shit, mostly soft shit, not those hard bally ones, and the FUCKING SANITARY PADS were all over the place. Some girls threw the pads away from the "toilet" area and got caught in the lalang all around the toilet area making a statement in the warm morning sun and tissue-like whiteness with a brush of red in between. After clearing out the place I swore to God never to touch another frickin sanitary pad in my life. And oh yeah you think its only the Pads? DISPOSABLE UNDERWEAR. Now THAT'S bad. Halfway submerged between all the mounds of shit was the disposable underwear. Wow wow wow seems like someone has some anal-retentive issues.

We covered all the mounds of shit only to discover another problem. Some group tried to bury a whole mound of bread and sweet bread nonetheless, and now there were large red ants crawling all over the campsite. I will never forget that morning. Ever. Getting rid of shit was bad enough. Getting rid of ants. The combination of both will make your day.

The first activity that morn was making a raft to measure the depth of the quarry. So we got our equipment and I am proud to say we managed to do so without a hitch. Although we failed the main objective everyone was happy to return to the tranquil quarry yet again, and it was simply fantastic. A sea eagle flew directly above us, white sea egrets flew all around the area, and the blue freshwater was enough to put the horrors of life (shit) behind us. Beautiful, simply beautiful.

The main activity for the day was going to be a four hour trekking into the jungle. Sounds like fun. We packed up everything and left to find checkpoints. We went up to the highest point of Pulau Ubin (and its fantastic), walked and saw Singapore just across the horizons, fantasized about a can of ice cold Coke, and walked on. We walked and walked and walked and walked. I think i was carrying close to 15KG of load on my bag, but i knew my friends carried more. The trekking would prove to be one of the most tiresome activities for the entire OBS course, but the prize at the end of it all was worthy of its effort. We arrived at last at the old OBS campsite, affectionately called Camp 2, it featured clean water taps, grassy patches for bashas (try sleeping on rocks) a shower area and water coolers. That night we ate and ate and ate all the remaining canned food. I remember eating from a freshly opened metal can emptied of its contents. Never underestimate the power of your plates ever again. Burnt rice, sardines and lotsa small talk completed the meal before we retired to our bashas. Oh being young adolescants we played pranks on each other in the tent, stuff that I would care less to reveal here. Haha. No actually we didn't do anything. *smiles*

Thursday 9th June. Awoke at 7AM, a quickie breakfast and we were gonna proceed to the last leg of our expedition back to our original campsite. The spirit was clearly there, as everyone remembered their first night in OBS with the beds, hot cooked food and showers. We had started to stink, especially me, who forgot to bring enough clothes for the whole expedition, Go me! Anyway the activity was boat rowing, and our dear facilitators informed us that we were gonna be against tide and wind at sea for the entire day. Lovely. But before that we had the customary jetty jump, and that was the better part of the day. I shouted that I wanted everyone to be gay for the rest of the course and jumped. Others wanted peace of mind and make more friends and all that kinda jazz. I'm more realistic and literal. Heh heh.

Boat rowing was a bitch. Currents and wind were a deadly combination. Majority of the boats had to be towed past dangerous waters (middle of sea routes) because we were just going too slow for comfort. It was nearly 7 hours of boat rowing till 6pm before we reached our destination. The reason we reached our destination was because our facilitators had to pull us back due to time constraints. That was to be biggest setback of the entire OBS course. For the first time, we did not complete our objectives. Feeling extremely demoralised, coupled with the feeling of wanting to defecate, was the worse way anyone could row a boat. Needless to say I felt a sense of finality when i finally pulled into the beach next to the OBS campsite. I realized then tomorrow was going to be the last day. The Last Day.

Friday 10th June. I had gotten seriously sunburnt and as i am typing these my skin is peeling by the layers. This is all thanks to that boat rowing thing i had yesterday. Oh well. We started off the day fairly usual. The best sleep in the five days can really put back energy in your bruised and battered body. PT in the morning was a breeze, and our final acitivity was to be at the pirate ship proudly displayed at the entrance of the OBS campsite. We were told to write down something we had all gained and learnt experience from in the course and asked to climb to the top of the ship and scream it out in a bid to remember and carry out our commitments. My committment was to be more assertive and be a responsible student leader. Now that i think about it, it sounded kinda kiss-ass. Then again, there wasn't anyone who wanted his ass kissed anyway. Then we all exchanged numbers, and closed the entire camp with an ice-cube. The ice-cube is supposed to be symbolic or something but all i knew was that i was gonna drink the ice-cold coke dude. Heh.

An eventful five days indeed. The next few days are gonna be much better, but more on that later. First my dinner. I'll catch up with you guys later.

2005-06-04T12:58:00.000+08:00

post effects.

it looks like i have abandoned this blog. TA TA TAAAAAAHHH it is time for me to utter these fateful words.....

VINCENTQUEK.BLOGSPOT.COM IS NOW CLOSED!

nah kidding. i love it when you type my url to find out more about my life and you see the same shit over and over again. i think it is about 2 months ago since i last updated. you probably have enough of Set THIS fucker off! and if i don't blog soon enough all of you would start hurling fire extinguishers at me. BUT I AM BACK.

I AM BACK.

first up, yesterday was Nithya's bbq thing at east coast. reached there close to 8pm, for this i humbly apologise. BUT BUT BUT you will love my present! as per normal vincent-standards, i have got one of my best presents for you! I got it from the House of Condom at Lucky Plaza a month ago, managed to walk in without too much trouble, AND managed to buy it without much trouble either. heh heh. i hope it expands as much as it should!

haha. and all the rest of you people scratching your heads at what i got for her - its an expendable rubber dickie! WAHAHA. its one of those weird sex toys things people buy to revitalise sex lives. Which means i probably don't need it. I'm Sex. I'M SEX personified! Hello!? SEX. SEX. SEX.

BAAARGH SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX.

(i am NOT sex-deprived)

=)

okay that point put across. I left Nith's bbq thing at 9pm next, and went to get high with fellow secondary school mates. The booze and the electronic music left us all with that hazy yellow feeling in all of us, and i think there were yellow and green butterflies all around us, and the grass was blue, and the sky was not dark but bright pink... Yeah. it was a fantastic night all right. Everything was just grooving along, just us spending time with friends again. Oh and now i've officially pee-ed into a beer bottle, and into the canal as usual. haha.

good times. good times.

andrew pissed me off by switching the beer bottle which i peed into and the actual booze, which got me super pissed because i almost drank my own piss. Wow that was the most number of "piss" words i used in a sentence. Anyway he was really apologetic about it, but fuck if I HAD drank my own piss that was gonna be it man. He can go eat shit and die. But of course its andrew, and i hadn't actually drank my piss, so all's cool. Oh we sounded gay on the trip back because he kept apologising and i kept forgiving him. Yeah. really gay indeed.

Reached home at 3AM with a fuckin throbbing headache. I plunked my ass on the bed and was dead to the world till 10 in the morning. So here I am again, that's the usual agenda for friday nights.

Oh and did i mention? I'm going for OBS next week, because i'm now officially a YJC student councillor, and there's this leadership camp (OBS) so I'm off till then. That's why i was feeling pissy about this whole week, cuz i just kept thinking of next week's OBS and that was enough to put anyone off. My last OBS experience was simply horrible, if you are interested you can go over to my old blog at http://vincentquek.easyjournal.com to find the entry on my previous OBS experience. Not good, not good.

AND PLEASE STOP CALLING ME STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT I'M NOT! (yet) heh heh.

Enjoy your weekend and next week, i probably won't blog till after it. Take care all, have more sex and procreate often! =)

2005-05-08T01:23:00.000+08:00

Set THIS fucker off!

that's right all you nincompoops out there. this is especially going out to assholes who like to pounce on unknowing strangers out there, shouting a loud "BOO" before walking off as if nothing has happened. Let me say this to you assfickers: if you do that shit to me or my friends one more time the closest thing in my hands that is disposable i will hurl at your fuckin heads. I hope it breaks your skulls and you collapse to the ground bleeding and screaming out in pain, and I know that people all around you won't help you because they have just seen this crazy fucker breaking your head and they sure as hell don't wanna be next. You will be lying there, screaming as blood flows and ebbs away from your head, with my hard object plastered in red beside you, and a crowd forming around you. Your friends will stare numbstruck, unsure of whether to go ahead and help you, while I look around for the next hard disposable object. in the event i see a fire extinguisher, you sure as hell better ask your friends to run away, splattered brain won't look good on their tee-shirts. When the police come you'll probably be dead. If not I hope you will be paralyzed from the waist down, and can never achieve another erection or control your periods. That's right - the girl that did it to Andrew today - you better hope i don't find you on your Period day. I will break your fucking womb. You fucking assholes. Do that shit one more time and you will suffer a premature death. BOO!

fucktards.

2005-04-27T22:08:00.000+08:00

sex and me.

ho hum hi everyone. i hope you all are sick of Ken Park FUCKING sucks. haha I know it's been staring at some of your faces ever since i haven't updated, and I snigger at your faces whenever you want a new piece of me but you don't have it. AHAHAHAHA.

Well before i piss of a new group of people, i'd just want to say its been a fantastic April. Just last night i went to the Velvet Underground (!) for their Tuesday night Poetry Slam and it was helluva interesting and fun. I almost bought something alcoholic at the bar but i didn't cuz i am like, a good citizen and wouldn't dream of breaking the law. *dramatic music* ohhhh i shall be rewarded for my consientious behaviour! I love old people! I am Polite! Smart! Kind! Handsome! the wonders never cease on me.

been listening lately to a couple of quite extreme stuff. I'm quite in love with Dark Tranquility (but i forsee it being a passing phase). They have the rammstein-vibe in them, but they make much better metal music than the latter, making Rammstein look pop. Oh and I'm AGAIN seriously considering getting Death Cult Armageddon, Dimmu Borgir's 2003 masterpiece - fantastic melodic (death?) metal. I've been raving about it for quite a long time now, maybe its time to finally get it.

my class has been through quite a bit, i'm proud to say. you can check us out at http://madnessinc-.blogspot.com, i think there're some photos and stuff to look at. plus one entry by me if you're a diehard fanatic of vincentquek. heh heh heh. i know, wishful thinking.

i really want to go jamming, and heaven knows my band has been egging us to go jamming again. The last time we went, we tried to do our own shit, and it sounds a lot like alt-rock, cuz i'm like whining away at the microphone, and andrew's doing his bass minimalist jive shit, hanrong and his power-chordal guitar riffs, equally kitschy, and iman with his climatic drum rolls. Very reminiscent of Radiohead, Mindless Self Indulgence kinda-music. It can get you high, really. I only wish we had alcohol or booze or something when we were doing it. When you scream really loudly and really incoherently your mind sorts of like, rushes blood to your head, and you get really dizzy, and happy, and fuckin' migrained. I know you guys don't understand what i'm saying, but that's how it is man. It's really cathartic.

anyway tomorrow's my Guitar Ensemble SYF thing, so i hope they do well and shit. Here's my good wishes for them tomorrow (like this will affect anything) ahaha...

oh and did i say? i got nominated for student council. more on this next entry. heh.

is this what they call sex?
-vincent-

2005-03-31T20:59:00.000+08:00

Ken Park FUCKING sucks.

Hello all. This is just a quick update to let all of you know that the movie Ken Park SUCKS. This would go down the line as one of Vincent's worst-watched movies OF ALL TIME (the last two was The Eye 10 and this french arthouse gay (erotic?) flick Grande Ecole).

First, a synopsis. Ken Park: skateboarder. At the start of the film he skateboards around the neighbourhood, till he arrives at a skateboard park. There, he skates to the centre, gets off the board. Takes out a videocamera, sets it out in front of him. Takes out a gun, smiles at it. Points gun to head. Smiles. Looks around whimsically. Smiles. Smiles. Smiles. Blows his fuckin head off. Boom. We just watched our title lead actor shoot himself in the head.

Cut scene to boy: Shawn. Shawn just went over to his girlfriend's house. The girlfriend's not in, but oh! the younger sister is watching soft pornography! Nevermind, I shall fuck the mom. Walks in, looks at girlfriend's mom: can i eat you out? Sure Shawn, just let me finish folding the clothes. Oral sex ensues.

You get the idea of what the rest of the movie is about. Horribly pointless, disgusting, pretentious piece of horse-shit. After Shawn, we get treated to graphic acts of sex, including but not related to: extreme close-ups of hairy penises, full-blown autoerotic asphyxiation masturbation, hand jobs, incest, paedophila, blow jobs, a menege a trois thrown in at the end for good measure. Sometimes I wonder why there is a close-up of penises. It seems like the director likes looking at penises. There was this one totally unneccessary close-up shot of some boy's father pissing. And there's NO storyline, just vignattes of the so-called "suburbian" lifestyle in America.

You must be wondering why I was watching the movie in the first place. Well there was a GP project and I was researching this movie called Kids, also by the same director of Ken Park, Larry Clark. Hence this unfortunate incidence.

So alright, apart from this totally wasted two hours of my life, life's been pretty okay so far. I am back with my tempoary OG as a permenent OG after loads of shuffling about the classes. Had to talk to the college's VP to change classes, but all is well. Oh there's some pretty amazing girls in my class too. Lol, it seems that we've got a cute girl around..... =)

Will update with more soon. See? To blog, you need to piss me off first. How true huh. ;)

2005-03-24T18:17:00.000+08:00

Economics Is Useful.

Hey all looks like we didn't need to wait long for this lazy ass to blog again. Well i'm listening to this extremely warped version of Placebo's English Summer Rain (they added like, 'cool' beats to it) and before i start to piss off...

aaaah yes it's Radiohead! 2+2=5 - 'tis is fantastic.

Well basically i just got back from school and am bored. I've been indulging in various Internet voyeurism activities - mainly skimming through Friendster checking out girls' photos; skimming through blogs checking out photos; skimming through favourite picture sites checking out unknown cute girl photos... getting cute girls to send me their photos. Aaah the wonders of photography!

But really, the one great thing that Friendster provides is like, you can view photos. VIEW PHOTOS. Do you know what that MEANS to boys like me!? It means! It means... it means an afternoon of boredom suddenly replaced by excitement! Primal excitement! Orga..!

Okay i'm kidding it doesn't really turn us on like that (unless you're the weird male who seems to like jerking off to clothed girls in which case don't look for me i'm au naturel). But it's really fantastic how this whole Friendster thing works. I never know how much people are connected to each other UNTIL NOW and there's this great function which you can see how the contacts in your friends' list are all connected to you! Fantastic, i tell you, fantastic.

Oh and of course the photo function. Thats quite duh. woot!

So yes i'm still in Yishun junior college oh wow isn't this great everyone! NO it was not sarcastic, really! I've grown quite attached to this institution it is amazing how many people I know already from my level. I've also been pimping Korny (yes you know Korny he's disembodied voice is found here: http://korny.easyjournal.com) and he seems to be getting more attention than me! Thats stupid doll, argh! But everything is okay, everything is fine, except for the shitload of homework that Economics has left me. But never mind that~ it's all good here!

Customs has gotten ahold of another dvd i'm trying to get in here. I waited 2 weeks for this stupid package to arrive and i got this citipost letter which says my video is a 'controlled item and has been sent to the mda (media development board : government board) for vetting'. What crappy arse shit. You can vet my ass. Gone are the days where they just let everything come in through the mail. Now Vanilla Sky is stuck with the MDA. God knows when I'll get it then. Oh yeah i gotta pay 11 bucks more for 'administrative costs'. Dammit.

The Beta Band is playing now, with the radio edit of Assessment. I got this fantastic Altern-rock album, more like a compliation really, for all those that like the genre - at HMV for 10 dollars ($9.90 if you really want to be exact). Its a gold case, that says The Alternative Album - 20 full-on tracks from the best guitar bands around! So if you're a fan of brit alt-rock it's a good buy. Go try The Dandy Warhols - We Used to be Friends. I'm pissing off everyone in school with my bad rendition of it, lol.

And yes! thank you! thank you for coming to CAP iz! Thank you everyone who loved it! it was quite an effort pulling it off, so i'ma head off now before i start self-praise. See you all around! Watch this space! Uncle Vincent is au naturel, so don't worry little girls! =D

2005-03-20T01:07:00.000+08:00

heya all

the main problem with why i can't blog as much as i REALLY wanna is because i've lost the desire to bitch. i have lost the desire to bitch because i think the world is screwed up in some way and I have, gradually over the course of this period of my life (i.e 15 to 17) , just got used to it. Plus I really have no idea why anyone would want to find out about my life anyway. It's VERY boring, it's not as dramatic or exciting as, say, http://pwan_madthingy.livejournal.com <-Karen, or Iz (http://beyondlogic.blogspot.com) or anyone else for that matter. So to give you a rundown of how boring it is, recent "events" come to mind:

I have finally found copies of really rare films that I really wanted to watch. I made my rounds in the Malaysia shopping malls and they have interesting operations. It was fascinating, if anyone EVER wanted an excellent model for Economics regarding Factors of Production and Supply and Demand you gotta look at the piracy market. They KNOW that singaporeans are ball-less creatures who faint when they get too close to Customs with illegal discs in their hands and they KNOW that this will hurt their buisness (and main consumers from Singapore) hence the pirates come up with this interesting gimmick: you buy twenty or more discs from them and they ship it to Singapore for you. I was of course, bemused by this whole affair, and being an uprightous and proud citizen of a country overrun by bureaucratic policies I chose *not* (twiddles thumbs) to dabble in such CRIMINAL activities.

Ahh I feel patriotic and noble! Take me, Singapore! TAKE MEE! *prostrates furiously before singapore flag*

On a brighter note, today's CAP outing went well despite some minor hiccups. Honestly I thought it was all falling apart when Dennis (the head of our organising committee) came down with some gastric flu and me and Phoebe had to rush up with everything else. ACJC's Writing Circle came down to join us and pretty much we had a ballsy time. I hope the feeling's mutual though. Oh yeah, I have also made myself known as the FILM CO-OP for CAP and the filmmakers' of Singapore! Woot! We had watched Short Cuts from the Singapore Film Commission and afterward had quite a chat with some of the filmmakers and this kind dude gave us (and hence, me) his namecard so we could contact him should we have any inquiries into this whole filmmaking buisness. As you all probably would know, or want to know (yeah I know this sort of thing interests you voyeurs!!) muh lifetime ambition would be to write, produce, direct, and possibly - act, in my own FEATURE FILM. Not a SHORT, mind you, a FEATURE FILM.

This brings to mine, what should I shoot about? Maybe I can direct Singapore's first pornographic movie! WOOT! Heh heh heh i'll train under David Hamilton or that dude from Playboy or Penthouse magazine, or that Caligula dude (its this really old-fashioned majestic film set to orchestral score that basically had orgies fluids and lotsa lotsa fornication). Yeah I know it's dumb. I'll go to Malaysia and shoot it.

It seems like some people still come to this dead hole and for goodness sake don't you have anything better to do with your time than come to this shitty cliched angsty-looking blog which owner is just another ordinary guy (a.k.a dumb prick) who has lost his humour and his motivation to bitch. I hate everything about this darn blog. I hate the darn skin, I hate the whole 'school-SUCKS' theme, i hate the small letters in grey this stuff is published in, I hate the stuff this stuff is about. WAAAAARGH. But no matter, I know this post will only boost this blog's ratings and everybody will start coming here again and this will at the same time, also aid my plan in taking over the Singa-pore government. I shall propagandize anti-Singa-pore policies right here! You will hear it from me first!

Meanwhile this dead-beat politician has to go catch up on some sleep first so following this will probably be another two month, or two week, or two day, or two hour hiatus. My dear reader, no matter. Somehow or rather we shall work in harmony to overthrow the Singa-pore government! I shall contact you. You know my no. It's 1800-i-love-Vincent (999). Or you can tag "I-worship-Vincent-he's-too-cool-for-me" and I know you will be under my spell. I am good. I am goooood.

2005-01-26T01:07:00.000+08:00

Inspiration doodz.

Yes I have been reading through my past blogs and I realized that I was a lot more wittier, funnier, lovable, attractive, goddamn sexy on http://vincentquek.easyjournal.com. Seriously, if you compared me then and the me now, I have no idea what the hell happened in the middle. I was so THAT FUNNY, i was that WITTY and now im just another bored-as-hell blogger. So today, I have decided to try and recreate that.

I realized how I used to do it. I would choose a topic that was pissing me off that day and write about it. Well okay, what has been pissing me off lately? I think...uh actually nothing exactly has been pissing me off. Well fine I'll just talk about school. OH how boring, you say. Yeah well you can feed me inspiration! (piss me off *hint hint*)

School has been a dandy lately. It's fantastic to wake up at 7AM, scratch my backside in the shower at 7:15AM, eat my breakfast leisurely till 7:30AM, walk slowly downstairs by 7:35AM, and by 7:40AM I'm at school. It's incredible. I so rock! Yay for closeness of YJC to my house!

Then the majority for the rest of the day is the Countdown. the Countdown is basically me counting down the amount of time left before i can chiong home after school. So lets say its 8AM now and school has just started, I start the Countdown. Normally what I do is I look for someone as dumb as I am, in which case the answer is obviously muh best friend (ooh mushy talk) Andrew. So the first lessons of the day is normally Economics. We'd do really stupid stuff at the back of the auditorium, for example today we had Pen Sabre Wars (The Return) which consisted of two sabres (yellow highlighters), two dumb kids, and a whole lotta jabbing at each other. It's amazing how much you can know about your opponent when you do stuff like these. For one, I discovered that Andrew is equally, if not more, dumb than I am, and secondly, I discovered that I was retarding in my intelligence! Go me! And of course his girlfriend (who's sitting beside him) would roll her eyes at us and go "aaah boys". I'll just ignore her. Sometimes you can't blame someone who doesn't feel the Force with them, because I'm THAT good baby!

Following Economics would be English Literature. It's fantastic what you can learn in english Literature. Just the other day we had this lesson on limericks. For the uninitiated, limericks are just really really naughty rhymes. The teacher showed us some pretty interesting and naughty limericks, and then gave us 7mins to come up with our own. I'm quite proud of mine, so HERE it IS! In its FULL glory!

Escaping from the tunnel one day
He stood straight up, erect, to convey
That dratted liquid!
Which was not fluid
Isn't that an embarrassment today?

From now on I'm a MAN OF LITERATURE. I LITERATURIZE, I AM LITERATE. Didn't you feel that ingenious vibe in that above limerick?! I KNOW! It's THAT good! I'm a genius! Woo-hoo!

Geog's pretty lame. I mean, its not particularly bad, nor unintelligible, but its a whore to try learning new stuff from. The teacher is especially good I must say, but to me, tourism can take its shoddy arse and its Butler's model and kiss it up someone else. I really wanted to do physical geog and my first topic gotta be tourism!? Yeah so currently its still on neutral ground with me.

Music is quite cool now. It's WAY difficult. I don't really know how Im gonna fill 20 minutes of recital time, plus one of my good friends in that class just withdrew from our school today (joel Y dude let me know how are you yeah?). Sad lah. Everyone just seems to be leaving everything else. I've already seen three people withdraw from my school, but I'm gonna soon be one of those people after three months, so I can't complain much.

About now the Countdown would be almost over. I'd rush to the entrance and the security guard will ask me to wait while he sets up the Ez-link card reader thing for our Departure. Yeah thats right! it's like im taking a bus or something. Heh.

Okay I must admit, Im really shitty stoned right now. Its 12 plus AM and I should go sleep and Im not particularly witty today. Aaaah *rubs eyes* okay I'll catch you guys around tomorrow or something, give you some of my movie reviews (you know I always will bitch about pretty boys like Leo Dicarp and how I'm always sexier than all of them lot but no one appreciates it) so ya'll just WAIT right?!

You have yourself a good day. Stoners. +D

2005-01-19T20:50:00.000+08:00

I really miss you. Whenever i do something at school or, just about anywhere, even when im walking home from another movie alone, my mind would just drift to you. Its like an instinctive reaction. I really can't help it. I know I should move on and hopefully move on to better things, in my new school, with all our new friends and acquaintainces, but youre always there, stuck in the back of my mind. When im hanging out with friends and quite thoroughly enjoying myself, something would catch my eye, be it a recognizable schoolbag, a familiar shoe, a bus to the airport, a cinema which ive not gone to in a while, and it would be all about you once again. Whenever a girl catches my eye and I'd go "hey cute!" and then you're in my head again. I know that someone in your school has caught your eye and I'm glad that you feel that way, yet at the same time feel a little sorry about how we turned out, and how we could have been. We had it all, just that I wasn't smart enough to hold on to it better, and now it has all come to this. Another self-pitious entry, filled with adolescent emotions, by an adolescent who just can't believe he could ever be stuck in such an adolescent position. I know that you'll probably deny that this entry is about you, but hey, deep down, you know who you are inside. And now all thats left is just me at a computer keyboard putting all of this online in the faint hope that you ever read my blog at all.

(oh how cliched we have all come to be - the better part of myself struggling against these emotions, the other half wanting to let go.)

I miss you.

2004-11-12T22:51:00.000+08:00

The Penise Monologues.

So hey everyone what's up again I'm back. Nope I've not finished O levels yet (yeah thats right after 22nd YOU'RE HISTORY BITCH!) but I'm well on my way. I thank all of you for your muchos concerns and taggers could you PLEASE leave some form of contact, a name or a telephone number or e-mail address - I'm still your good friend Uncle Vincent, willing to hear from females who are too bored and would like to expand horizons. "horizons". Heh.

So that award-winning play(?) The Vagina Monologues is back again for its (jesus christ!) FIFTH run?! Amazing. I for one, didn't really expect the ramblings and rantings of the female genital to be so popular. I mean, I hear too much from the other orifice already (up there on your FACE!) from females that really, um, what can you expect a Female Genital to not say except too much? But then I further read on the newspaper article and apparently its some good stuff too. Supposedly its just these three women who're relating stories that the Female Genital wants to tell - i.e about this sexually-abused girl who finds pleasure in making love for the first time and so on and so forth. Yeah, that kinda thing. That impressed me a 'lil, so I took a look at the ticket prices. And...

Let's just say that the Female Genital and all their wonderful stories really I THINK you don't NEED to pay THAT much to hear 'em. I almost dropped my nuts. I started to love my own sexual organ even more. Hey you know what? You wanna hear about the Penis and His rants? I'll give you one. For free. Right here, right now I present: THE PENISE MONOLOGUES!

(this is an actual event. this really happened. Guys out there you know what I mean - don't be ashamed to unite against the spread of such bastards!)

I think the toilet cubicle is a wonderful idea. I think that the days of yore where I had to hold my owner's urine to wait for an empty room cubicle (which the ladies STILL use) are gone. Nowadays in this age of convenience, all you gotta do is stick me in to those white enameled cutely shaped cubicles you find at the walls, and release. It's that simple. Like that, fast, sweet, comfortable. Pssh!

But unfortunately, dear friends, this age of convenience has ushered in a new breed of perverts. Yes that's right! PERVERTS. You know what I mean! Whenever I release for my owner I look up and I see that STUPID OLD MAN BESIDE ME STARING AT ME!! and that ASSHOLE is actually SMILING while looking at me! Pssh!

Hey! Where's the dignity in pissing anymore? Gone were the days you just looked straight ahead and minded your own buisness, shook me a little after that to get some of those irritating last drops of pee outta the way, and zipped up. That's it! Fast and almost too bloody simple. BUT THESE PEOPLE don't get the friggin' idea!!

Pssh! And now I think my owner has caught on. He chooses the last cubicle and aims and faces the side wall. But I remember that stupid Caucasian man who probably thought he had to get an ego trip laughing at Asian uh, members. Of all the five empty cubicles beside the one my owner was using (his was the one closest to the wall) that stupid guy HAD to choose that one beside him! And I remember him (after me and my owner were done) smiling at us in an encouraging way. An ENCOURAGING way!? EXCUSE ME. I'll TAKE my own time to develop myself as I bloody well like! Wanker!

Pssh. This is a serious message to all you voyeurs. Please. Keep. Your. Retarded. Eyes. To yourself. OR Else. I will ask my owner to Give you a Hand at urinating - literally right there on the spot since you need to look at Tutorials. And don't you smile at me. I'll smile too and twist your nuts.

I think I need to take a piss now. Take care everyone! I'll see you after I'm done with this Bitch! (o levels lah... my lovely Ladies - Uncle Vincent means no offence! *smile*wink wink*smile*)

2004-10-15T23:10:00.000+08:00

okay im going to open today's entry with a lot of angst. Pardon me, those under 18 or are unsure of their sexual orientation should refrain from reading on.......

20 points. l1r5. SUCK DICK BALLS HAIR PUBES FARK SHIT ASSED FUNKY CHICKEN WHITE BOY ARGH *breathe* WAAAAAARRGGHHH!!

here's a breakdown for you idiotic voyeurs:

english - A2
chinese - c6 (June O level grade I'm not retaking this for ANYTHING)
e maths - b4
combined sciences (phy/chem) - c5
combined humanities (ss/lit) - a2
pure geography - b3
music - b4

right methinks posting my grades up on a public blog ain't gonna bode well for me but I'M PROUD OF WHAT I'VE DONE AND ALL YOU OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE TOO ASHAMED TO TELL YOUR STUPID L1R5 POINTS SHOULD DIE a HORRIBLE and UGLY death by the river with your head in a plastic bag and your legs stuck in the sewer by the Singapore River. Hey maybe now we've got something to crow about other than our oh-so-farked results.

You know what the best thing about this is? I actually improved. WAHAHA i cut 30 points since midyears to 20! So if you're talking statistics - I should actually get 10 points for Os! Yup yup this is good. I shall celebrate by committing suicide when i show my mom and lovely daddy my blue and white report book with my oh-so-bootiful results. Fuck me (sorry i can't keep typing "fark" all the time it's not good to restrain myself I might do something violent eventually).

So I think it's going to be more metal (songs), arthouse movies, lots of bad language, and heavy mugging and more porn for the next month up till O levels and until it ends. Pardon me, uh, I have to stay normal. Please. oh and if you want, let me know of your results too! (yeah i know you guys WON'T EVER TELL ME YOUR RESULTS well DIE!!!) =) =) =) stay happy! =) =) *+_) <-- punched face

bleah. unorthodox high.

2004-09-05T09:56:00.000+08:00

whoa woah i'm back sooner than expected! *whistles*

short memo of how much I dig MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE's music right now. I just placed a reservation of their new cd Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge and I'm not sure how I'm gonna get through the first song (incidentally it's playing on repeat on my Winamp right now) Helena, and damnit i've not even gotten to their hit single yet!

lately my friends are pissed that i've been getting a shitload of cds for mucho cheapo prices. the source of my secret? hehe you all need to hang around Far East more often. The second floor? It's called Inokii. Just go towards the source of metal music, and you got it! list of stuff I've got off cheap lately: Soulfly's Prophecy $5, Sum 41's All killer no Filler $5, Slipknot's S/T $10.90. In addition they have an AWESOME amount of metal and hardcore stuffs Hanrong got his Arch Enemy and Avenged Sevenfold CD there too. The bloke behind the counter has a heaven listening to hell cds (heh heh deliberate oxymoron).

Anyway if you're up beep me on MSN. I'm gonna be heading down to CreativeX to grab that *awesome* Travelsound! On a more dire note, prelim practicals are next tuesday, and following this week would be the actual prelims itself. I've been lately cramming phys, and soon to be chem. I'm gonna screw chem up so badly - SOMEONE explain frocking Organic Chem to me!

And YOU BUGGERS OUT THERE STOP ASKING ME FOR SONG INTROS JUST READ MY MSN NICK AND FIND EM YOURSELF IF ITS REALLY SO HARD BEEP ME AND ASK FOR A SEND there i've let it out. you guys can go play now.

-vince-peace-

2004-08-31T23:51:00.000+08:00

okay, um, um, hi everyone.

This blog, is dead. Well it was, and here's the part where I go "NOOOOO don't panic you fools! it's still ALIVE!!" (heh heh) and I WILL still say that, unfortunately I can't say so so confidently this time around because, um, PRELIMS, and O Levels.

An update:

I've been lying to my mom about a lot of things, mainly that I was jamming for my school's Talentquest and I bring my music books out to make the fake more authentic. How ironic right - me faking music studies for some music-making sessions, albeit loud ones. But never mind. I did this for like, three times now (and just in case you were interested, the subjects I faked were in this order: music, music, physics), and today was the actual Talentquest. Keep in mind that I have kept my parents in the dark about this entire thing, so I was actually quite proud of my lying abilities (heh heh heh) and I got my friend to videotape us.

Surprise surprise! Not only did we do two popular songs, we did them well enough to earn us the first spot in our Talentquest! The band (me, andrew, hanrong, samuel, willian and zhongyan) were friggin' emotional about the entire thing because this was our third consecutive Talentquest since they restarted the event in our sec 2 year, and this was the first time we actually got some recognition for our work. I remember our first year, we did New Found Glory's My Friends Over You - and sucked. I remember we sucked so bad it was legendary, cuz kids were talking about it even after we were done, and they were not good comments. Then sec 3 came and we tried Finch's New Beginnings and a last-ditch effort at the popularity poll with Simple Plan's Perfect and screwed up Finch, and pretty much followed up with the mediocore effort of Perfect. Even till now, people sing that song to me and I get pissed. Perfect was so pop, I hated myself for ever doing that song. But no matter. That year we got the Most Popular Award for that effort, at least it seemed to salvage that situation too.

Sec 4. Oh boy. Sec 4 rocked so hard. Finally we had it in our heads to do something that we loved as rock and still made the audience love us. We decided to do at first, The Calling's Wherever You Will Go, and Jet's Are you Gonna Be My Girl. Somehow along that lines we ditched The Calling and decided to do only Jet. THEN we decided to go crazy and try that new Dashboard song (okay so it was not THAT new, but yeah) Vindicated. So today....haah we did them.

I personally thought Vindicated was pulled off pretty well without that much a hitch. Unknown to many people (the audience had probably no idea) we had NEVER done that song in the jamming studio, and we had like, two days before the actual event to try and coordinate the entire thing together. So like, no regrets. Even though general consensus was that I was singing monotonously, and the instrumentation was a lil' messy..

But fuck yeah Jet was done with such rapport, such energy, such vivaciousness that I never would have thought we could have pulled off from our past performances. Halfway through the song I started asking people to stand up and most of our friends from the sec 4 cohort stood up and Douglas and our die-hard fan Anne made this banner and started waving it like crazy... and videocamera-man Qi Hao did such a wonderful job videotaping us I was amazed we looked pretty cool on camera! And then when it was all over I did that Rock On hand sign on my knees in front of 1500 pupils and teachers.

It was all over so fast. Shit, it was. Like, we've been doing this shit for so long and suddenly its all over. Then everyone started to give us high marks for our performance. The three judges gave us (upon 10) 8, 9, 9 consecutively. And the audience, our last judge, came up with (in Mr Leek's words) an amazing 10. TEN. Shit. Shit. And then we started hugging each other.

Well that was it for whats been happening lately. Of course I'm still legitimately studying, but now its gonna be full-tilt. After the first place at Talentquest, where do we go from there? If you're asking what Seft's got up their sleeves, I've just given our guitarists a musical idea I came up with last night on my classical guitar, and hopefully we're gonna create something awesome outta it. Making songs will be high on our lists, and the creative juices won't stop flowing! Who knows, maybe Asian Beat? haha...

Some shoutouts - Mr Ng, PHS(NCC Sea), the entire sec 4 cohort, teachers who have taught any one of us, and teachers generally. If there's one thing I cannot put in words is that the effort that pays off eventually - especially from this experience - that is hard to describe. It's like... like, magic. It was magic happening on that stage today, and till now I tremble when I think of what had happened this morning.

Well i guess following this will be another two month hiatus =) from my blog. I'm going to develop the video footage and converting it for small file sharing. If you're interested beep me up on MSN, or leave me a message here.

P.S: Iz: sorry for disappointing you with my no-show on the blog! Go do your stuff! (it's ALIVE! it's ALIVE!); Dudette: do leave me a contact with how I can contact you or something, I would like to hear more comments on what you think of my work; Jill: YEAH! I Love girls you love boys!! hahaha!! *

-vince-seeyaall!-

2004-06-30T19:44:00.000+08:00

High

Somehow the panic attacks that seem to have struck just about everyone else just hasn't found the time to strike me yet. Since the mid-April, when everyone was starting to mug for the Chinese O Levels and my classmates have started to cease contact with the rest of the world (me) I have gotten a faint whiff of something that I have missed for the past years of my educated life: mugging.

I hear it all the time. And now, from this side of the holiday I have started to hear that word even more than ever. At the end of the Chinese Os I was thinking to myself "hey dude you so-called "mugged" for the week before the Os you need a break DUDE." so I have managed to maintain this part of my conscience, and now that school has started this conscience has started to break down and deteroiate.

Well of course, there were many other oppotunities that I have become suddnely idealistic and decided that I needed to take charge of my life and you know, FOCUS on what is really important to me! Which is the end-of-year exams! But somehow, you know how it works, idealism dies. Hey if you think about it, isn't such a bad thing, because if everyone was successfully idealistic we might not have so much bad things in the world right now. Oh wait, was that a good or bad thing.

Anyway the point is, this is very bad. I have not felt the panic kick in yet, and I KNOW this is very bad, I just don't FEEL very bad. I'm not sure this is making much sense at the moment, maybe it's because of my sickness (yes people I'm sick right now) or just my regular high. Any ways, dinner is waiting and if I don't head off now I might have to face two irritating screaming adults at the dinner table. No points for guessing right who they are.

2004-06-25T09:34:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow Comes Today

Uh huh its reaching the end of another holiday. Another new week of exams are coming up (thanks to my school's opening ceremony i have exams that are split up before and AFTER the holidays) but no matter.

So yesterday was the CAP dinner. Actually it went pretty well for a person like me, I think. I said considerably more to people than what I normally do for such events =) this is a sign of me opening up! But hell yeah the climax (or what some people would deem as the anti-climax) was me and Hazri performing Third Eye Blind's Jumper and Dashboard Confessional's Places That You Would Fear The Most on stage. And to no great surprise, we kinda sucked.

Maybe i should backtrack a little, tell ya'll a little about how it all began. Uh it was on Sunday (the immediate Sunday preceding this) and Haz comes up to me and Andrea asking us if we wanted to perform for the dinner. I was all for it, but Andrea had some holiday thing going on so she opted out. But no matter, on Tuesday we were all set and Haz had come down to my humble abode and we started sourcing out for songs. We found Jumper, and practised it until six that evening. The next day he came again, and we found Dashboard, and practised it from 3 in the afternoon to 9 in the night. And then of course Thursday came, and we deided to up the practising a little, and he arrived at 2, jammed till 4:30, and then we went down to the Guild House.

On a bright note I was wondering if we could have been worse. And all the bad things that could've happened did not ALL happen, so I guess for that I am glad. I lost my guitar pick when there, but hell we still put out a show. :) See guys? This is me being faintly optimistic.

Saw a buncha old CAP people at the dinner too. Yi-an and Galven, who I've not seen in a BLOODY long time - here's a shout-out! My film mentor Mr Lee Thean-jeen, who heralded my Film class in my own CAP last year - ANOTHER SHOUT-OUT! Mr Aaron Maniam, whom I was afraid to approach cuz he might not have remembered me BUT HE DID! WOO-HOO! Shout-out! And of course, all the old faces, especially those I've not seen for the past month or so except on MSN - Karen Kass Matt Iz Virg (heck I don't even see HER on MSN) Becca Amanda and all the people I'd forgot to mention. Argh! Well, i've got a feeling we'll not be meeting up again for a very long time, but hey it was nice to see familiar faces.

Now I apologise for the long blog delays, sometimes it's just hard to do so yeah? Keep listening to music and plugging it in all the right places. I meant music. =)

-vince-

2004-06-07T23:42:00.000+08:00

a Title.

Suffice to say that this is the holidays, and as you can plainly see I have ignored this little piece of Internet real estate for quite some time now. Thank you all for your generous responses to the little piece of writing below, I have considered each and every one of them and I have taken them into account.

Right, so these days have been rather eventful. I have been playing basketball after every June Holiday Rememdial (which lasts from 8AM to 5PM every single FRICKIN' day) and have tried (unsuccessfully at times) to master the Correct Technique To Properly Throw A Ball. Now people, this sounds simpler than it actually is, To Properly Throw A Ball one must first: 1) Grasp right hand firmly at the base of the Ball; 2) Rub one's Left Hand at the side of the Ball; 3) Look carefully at where the Ball is gonna come, and how you want it to shoot; 4) Fantasize a little about the PERFECT spurt (*a little sound effect here *Pish!*) of energy; and then 5) Release (climaxing), tugging a little harder at the ball and slap it hard towards Desired Target. You will then achieve the best possible situation in which to Properly Handle a Ball.

Of course the tutorial above is not exhaustive for basketball circumstances. You might like to try it on other kinds of balls if you prefer, or if you wish, let me know of your little triumphs of Handling Balls. Female opinion is of course, MOST desired.

Lately even though my famous boyfriends Slipknot have released their newest album and stuff and I have been reacting strongly (*Pish!*) whilst hearing their brand of music I have also been in search of a little soul therapy. I have found these through the form of movies and songs. I have made A Remarkable Achievement - I HAVE FOUND ALL OF COLDPLAY'S SHEET MUSIC BAAABBYYYY!! This means I have been learning my ass off on playing The Scientist and Cocks and I generally prefer playing Cocks than the Scientist for the simple reason that it makes me look cooler. I fantasize about whistling girls and immense blowing fans that blow huge air drafts towards my face while I'm practising on my instrument - thereby making me look cool. The girls would scream "AAAH VINCENT I WURVE YOU I HATE ALL TAIWANESE BOYBANDS YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE FOR MEEEEE" and I would be there, you know, just playing on my instrument, not giving not one hoot about all those girls blowing me. I'm sorry I meant WIND. That'd SO totally rock my world!

Also did you see Hermione Granger in that new Harry Potter movie? SHE'S SO HOT she should be renamed Hormones Graging! Okay so I haven't really seen the movie yet (i'm still searching for the uncut version on the Internet ok fine SO I HAVEN'T FOUND IT YET WAIT TILL THE PHOTOSHOP EXPERTS GET A HOLD OF IT) but from all the trailers and those posters I think it's gonna be just one major blowout. You know - blowout. But anyway I've also just seen Kill Bill Vol. 1 and that JAPANESE girl is HOT too. You know what I think? I think that cute girls should be BANNED from ever acting in movies cuz they erm, prove to be too much of a distraction to the plot. One's a quirky cute arrogant girl brandishing a wand, the other's in schoolgirl uniform brandishing an iron chain ball. HOW DOES ONE GUY CONCENTRATE WITH ALL THE FEMALES ALL OVER THE PLACE!?!? And bloody hell, these directors (male, of course) know just what the heck all the deprived poor male souls (me) need. They're GOOD.

And anyway I have to head off now, perhaps Yahoo! or Google might have something on their images section when I check again this time heh heh heh see you cats around!!! Hope ya'll don't miss me too much! Keep practising those Balls! Stress-relievers! =D

2004-05-25T23:56:00.000+08:00

Re: Requiem

All right guys I'm very sorry for the terribly bad posting of my essay "Requiem". Let me just tell you that I hated the way it appeared on my blog, and I have no wish of letting you read through all those stupid symbols that appeared right smack in the middle of the essay making it look all gibberish. In any case if you want a clearer image you can download the entire thing here; just right click and save as.

So some of the questions I got from the shoutbox was whether I wrote it myself - this is a definitive "Yes." I got the inspiration from my school environment, actually. Because Christianity is all about God being a saviour to the evil sinners who believe in Him. During the exam (yes I wrote this for my mid-year, slightly different but no less of expleitives, which would explain my barely-passed mark) I was trying to come up with an idea, and this came in the form of "Requiem". I was pondering over how much God actually pays attention to each and every individual "child" - for those who believed in him they're called as such. I was thinking to myself how exactly would God choose to approach his followers and how much time does He devote to doing so. The last ironical phrase: "I work in mysterious ways." was a result of me (just last year, actually) asking a "child" of God something about Him, and for lack of an answer I was given the above. I was of course, dissatisfied and hence, my dissatisfaction.

I think all of us question our mortality and this topic is one that cannot be easily broached. In "Requiem", the dead hooker is asking God why exactly did she have to go through all those suffering in her life. We do so too, perhaps not in her extremities - but to a certain extent, we do. The lack of answer, as shown in the "Requiem", is also kinda symbolic of how close we do want to get close to God, we can perhaps never be able to in our lifetime, because, well, God works in mysterious ways - it is even more shocking that even in Death, perhaps we may never know our true calling, our true reason for being on Earth, instead going on to another stage in "life" - death. It can also be taken as a representation of how the cycle goes on, and that we are just mere objects of a Greater Plan that is in store for us. Life on Earth, before that? Death in Hell/Heaven, what about after? Such is the sensitive issues that have been tackled and though "Requiem" leaves us with no answers, it does provide us with a different perspective that will hopefully leave readers with a sense of befuddlement and a quest to truely ask ourselves: "What are we?"

Am I against Christianity? one of my readers has asked me through the Shoutbox. Well, let me put it this way - how sure are we that the God in "Requiem" is really the one true God? Could it be just another instrument of a somewhat greater God that is above this one that has been depicted in "Requiem"? Questions questions with no answers. Am I against Christianity then? For the record I am not. I never will be, I never will not be. I am simply asking questions about the religion, and about all beliefs that preach of a Superior Being that sees unto all of us.

For those who still have questions about the "Requiem", you may ask me through the Shoutbox and I shall answer to the best of my ability. I also believe that there will be more further collaborative efforts between the reader and the writer, and my blog, with me being the writer, will be the most effective way of improving all our skills - my writing skills, and your judgement on good literature, or bad ones. I write plenty bad ones too, lol come to think of it. I might just put one up soon.

To all those sec fours cramming for the Mother Tongue Os coming up in less than a weeks' time, all the best and may we see each other through these dark dark times. With that I leave you with a quote,

It is not neccessary for the less-wised to choose the wise path
Nor is it the wisest who chooses the wise path.
But whichever the case, may we find each other
At the end of our wise paths.

(This is also for my friend who's leaving school at the end of this term. Wish you well.)

2004-05-23T20:31:00.000+08:00

Requiem.

Title: Requiem.
Word Count: 1258 words

“Where the fuck am I?”

Silence.

“Hello.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“I am God.”

Silence.

“Is this where I think it is?”

“Yes and no.”

“Huh”

Silence.

“So anyway, what am I doing here?”

“We’re here to talk a little. About you.”

“Really. Doesn’t God have anything else on his agenda?”

“No my child, nothing. I am for real. Perhaps, you could tell me about your life?”

“I thought you knew. You’re fuckin’ God.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to tell me again, would you?”

“Yeah fuck whatever.”

Silence.

“What can I say? You sure made my life a fairy tale. My mom considered aborting me when I was still in her fuckin’ self. I was already in her eighth month of labour, that fuckin’ bitch. When I came out, it was all welfare home and all. Fuckin’ Dad slept with one other whore every one other night, my mom being one of those whores. Thankfully they both died when I was five.”

“How did they die?”

“Dad died of an STD. Mom died when she was snorting some coke and she had a little too much of it. Guess it didn’t help that she was all alone in her motel room with me in some fuckin’ bathtub. The welfare people found me in her vomit. Happy childhood.”

Silence.

“So, what happened to you next?”

“Was sent to some uncle-of-some-distant-relative or whatever. He liked me a lot - as much as he liked all the little girls he would bring home and use every other day. When he wasn’t able to trick them on some of those days, I was his backup. Every night, I would wonder why he kept groaning against me, his hot and putrid breath against my body. I bleed occasionally, when he forgot to use his lubricant. Hell, I remembered how much I bled the first time it happened. It was fuckin’ hot, like – really hot and all. The curtains were closed, and the cigarette smell all over the room. I was playing with one of his used condoms, for Christ’s sake. I thought it was some kinda glove, some new toy coz’ it looked like one of those rubber gloves the nurse used on me once to give me a shot. I remember putting my hands into it, and was wondering why it was all slippery and shit.”

“Go on.”

“Didn’t take much of a genius to figure out what happened huh. He came up to me, and said: ‘You like that don’t you?’ and then he pulled me to his bed and started rubbing me. And rubbing all over me. He showed me a few more of the same new ‘toys’, and he said: ‘Put it on me.’”

Silence.

“God I don’t want to talk about that anymore.”

“It’s all right. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Fine. So anyway I got fucked up pretty bad, literally. I was discovered yet again, when I was eleven, when the police called up to check and turned up on his front porch. It was such a funny sight, I remember. He was doing this other girl in the other room and I was playing with old cassette tapes of his porno videos. I remember him screaming and butt naked when he was pulled out of the house. The girl was hysterical and crying out for the police to help her out too. Somehow no one noticed me until much later. I was pulled out too, eventually. They brought me to a hospital to have check-ups done on me. And then I was thrown back into the welfare home.”

“They sure were careful this time. I was put in the care of another, more decent foster home. With people who knew about my past but still bothered to take me in. I spent some three years in the welfare home, before moving there, so I was around 14 then. The father and mother were nice to me, very nice in fact. They were, I think, the nicest people that you let me encounter.”

“Yes I know them.”

“Yeah. Unfortunately you could have removed that son of theirs while you were at it.”

“I know. I am sorry for that.”

“Guess you know all about the night fucks. Fucking bastard. It was the second week after I arrived, that fucking bastard.”

“Calm down my child.”

“Fuck you. FUCK YOU GOD. WHY THE FUCK COULDN’T YOU HAVE JUST LET ME BE BORN TO NICE, FUCKIN’ DECENT PARENTS? HUH? FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK. YOU. FUCK…YOU.”

Silence.

“Do you need a tissue?”

“I’m okay. I’m done crying I guess. Do you have tissue in this place anyway?”

“Of course we do. I’m God, remember?”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“…I meant me. I have tissue. Go on.”

“I guess it’s really a bit silly to be telling you every detail huh God? Since you’re GOD and everything. Basically I ran away from that foster home and drifted about ever since. I met my first “boyfriend” at some frat party and had consensual legitimate sex at the age of eighteen. I drifted about, had sex, became a hooker after I realized at my eighth job interview that I had no qualifications other than “Biggest Pussy Ever”. I had my bad days, and my good. I remembered this nice old bloke that bought me coffee after we hooked up. And he paid the highest too – maybe he was a first-timer and didn’t know our market price. Yeah and there was also this bastard that wanted to run off with my underwear after we did it. Some fetish-freak. I checked myself into a hospital after I had pus around my vaginal area. Officially contracted AIDS at twenty. Funny how you planned for me to die the same way as my mom, minus the baby. Knocked myself out with the last money I had from my last fuck with some alcohol and some pills.”

“Was that how you died?”

“Yes of course that was how I died. There. I’ve finished. What the fuck else do you want from me huh.”

“I was just asking you about your life. You take it as though I was taking something away from you. Why?”

“Because… because you never fuckin’ responded to me. After every horrendous night I prayed. Oh God - I prayed every… every fuckin’ night. I prayed that you’d liberate me from all this pain, all this… men. This fuckin’ shithole. Do you know what it’s like? To be calling out for help, for redemption and I received no fuckin’ answer? I thought you’d help me. I THOUGHT YOU’D HELP ME. And what the fuck did I get out from it? NOTHING you PIECE OF SHIT. NOTHING.”

Silence.

“Isn’t God supposed to help those who called out for His name?”

Silence.

“…hello?”

Silence.

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t help you because you were not asking for help. You were asking me for money. For the drugs.”

“Fuck you. What about the time I was at the motel? Before I died?”

“I responded, didn’t I?”

Silence.

“Well I suppose I’m going to Hell right?”

“Yes you are, I’m afraid. And our time is up. You are going to have to go now.”

“Fuck.”

“Do you have any last words?”

“…why… Why this life? God? Why? Just answer me this time, don’t give me another question.”

Silence.

“I work in mysterious ways.”

Silence.

“It’s the door to your right, my child. The red one.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And she was gone. Just like the others.

2004-05-13T23:50:00.000+08:00

Coma Black

My life has been subjected to quite a change. This means the following: 1) Mid-years are cut up into two phases - just four papers before the June holidays; the rest after the latter; 2) my school's Opening Ceremony is tomorrow and it promises to be a grand affair (yours truly was the victim of two events at above-mentioned Ceremony - more about it BELOW); 3) I have this entire week free thanks to both parents relocated to Australia and although the orgy idea didn't quite work out I had quite a good time being by myself without them craetans yelling hock neck at me for not revising for the Chinese Os ("for heavens' sake I STUDIED SEC 3 ALREADY ALRIGHT?!"); 4) I have (from now) about four school-free days thanks also to the above-mentioned O.C.

Life's been going quite good for me, however of course there's always some glitches in my perfect world - such as: I seem to be finding lots of faults in my friends in school nowadays. And plus the fact I snap at people more often than usual. Also losing focus of my life.

Lately my classmates (the girls started all of it) are caught up in this postcard-writing frenzy. I mean, writing postcards and stuff are fine and I have absolutely no objection to them writing postcards to - lets say, their penpal in some other country perhaps? Or someone that you don't normally meet anyday or someone who lives overseas. But NOOOO the girls in my class write to EACH OTHER in class. Still this is okay, I'm not that a prude - but they're MASS WRITING to each other. So a girl could spend the first half of the day (the two hours of lessons before recess) writing at least three postcards to five or even six. Now this is not just the plain text that you'd expect from ballpoint pens. They have progressed on to higher-tech stuff like stickers and glitter and some gooey-pop-up goo you press out of a bottle and coloured markers and highlighters and THEY'VE TURNED INTO FULL-TIME DESIGNERS FOR POSTCARDS thats all I'm saying.

What's worse is that they do it during lesson time. So when my poor teacher is trying to tell us more about oil palm plantations in Malaysia they're secretly writing under their table and if they get caught (which is often but why they don't stop doing it is another bafflement) they'd just smile with their cherubic faces and grin as though unknowing. Or my chinese teacher is trying to impress upon us the importance of Getting The Right Amount of Marks for O Levels to Get an A1 - you know how the Chinese teachers are: old and harrassedly abused and bullied by their ungrateful students to no end - I bet even ya do it to your mother tongue teachers too! - they'd be grinning away at a postcard they'd just receive from their friend who erm, sits just next to her.

Okay so maybe that's doesn't sound all too bad to you does it? I know most of you are thinking: "Don't worry about them Vincent! You're not involved!..." but this bug and disease has spread to the BOYS TOO. This is holy fuckin major. I have boy friends who are now using highlighters and stickers and coloured markers and I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THEM THERE'RE TOO MANY INSTRUMENTS OF CHILDISHNESS PERSONIFIED and they just keep writing and writing and writing...

and writing. And this makes me pissed, because as you know I have lost faith in the female gender long before time (at least at my classmates - this need not necessarily apply to you! don't walk away from meee...) so now I have to lose my faith in the male gender which I hang around a lot. Then who the heck am I supposed to talk to without using those INSTRUMENTS OF THE DEVIL puff puff WHEEZE... I need air.

Thankfully it is only a handful of my guy friends, at least the rest are still sane and such. But I'm worried O Great One, I am worried for my friends - yes, even the girls - who still haven't got it in their thick skulls that it's the friggin' Big Exam Year. I am worried for my classmates who have fallen into this sucking chasm of childishness, hence impeding on their Path To Maturity. I know lots of people reading this would find it hard to believe BUT ITS ALL REAL and yeah, as much as I try to put myself as a self-centered, arrogant little bastard I cannot not ignore the pathetic state of my classmates and I care about every friggin' soddin' one of them.

What is more interesting is what they write in their postcards. I tried to ask them, and why would they want to use postcards and wouldn't oral communication be more effective? More succinct? The answer I got was "there're somethings that cannot be directly said out so this is where the postcards come in". I'm like "wtf how many things you've got to say you write friggin five cards every single morning", but of course your dear Uncle Vincent has Lost Touch With The Young And Free 'Uns oh and Help Thou Understand the New Ways of the World and I think this would explain the incredulous expression on their faces. Do I look like some guy who has a lot to talk about in postcards? Do I seem to hide a lot of things beneath my oh-so-cryptic surface??

I mean right, if you've got something of an issue with me or some question just ask me orally. If it's sensitive or private call me up or drag me to some quiet place and tell me - I just don't see the point of the postcards. None at all. No redeeming quality of it at all. And now there's a mass syndicate made up of mostly girls plus a few odd boys (I continually pray for the boys especially - hope that they would see the Light out of this Darkness) mass propaganding and carrying out this PostCards Are Fun For Private Buisness You Don't Want Me To Know About.Inc and it spans classes of my level. You would expect secondary four kids to know better right well GUESS AGAIN.

I can only hope we'd be able to erm - grow up would be a fantastic option. Meanwhile I'm struggling with the Opening Ceremony (hereafter termed the O.C.). I have been called upon to serve the school with my whole body, mind and spirit and ever am I the good soul I was put down to be a Student Presenter to my beloved Acting Minister for Education, and play the piano for him while he is stuffing his face with dinner. That's right people - yours truly will be a Presenter and a piano soloist. That sounds kinda big huh, maybe I should just mention the previous sentence and leave out the fact that it killed off two of my afternoons and oh-my-precious social life I have carefully accorded before being dealt a helpful hand at the beginning of the week with them being dead like yesterday's news. But of course I had to grin and bear it. So I did. Sigh... it all boils down to tomorrow people - my principal said there'll be news coverage and radio coverage and press coverage and all sorts of coverage and there'll even be like, celebarities like Mr Jack Neo and other distingushed guests coming so it'd all be like, this mega-mega grand event held in my school. You might even catch our school up on the news channels and if you're lucky enough catch me in the background snorting white stuff to keep myself sane...

In the meantime, I have lost my focus of life. It used to be a Her. This Her would motivate me and actually wake me up in the mornings with her soft voice and make me bathe and change and go to school to see Her. Unfortunately Her is a victim of the above-mentioned PostCards Are Fun For Private Buisness You Don't Want Me To Know About.Inc and my god she was part of its co-founders! But anyway the point is, she has shown to me again that perhaps I have built up a false perception of her being more matured than her peers. Sigh... I'm currently in a state of loveless limbo. Oh yeah add two more to the list of wannabe-relationships - I saw the two new couples (I hadn't realized there were THIS many!) and I was forced to look in retrospect at my own life again but you don't need to know this you already know all of my grouses from my previous entry scroll down and read....

So yeah. Wish me luck and stuff I'll see all you cats around, hopefully safe and sound and all too well. And please don't fall victim to this new evil corporation PostCards Are Fun For Private Buisness You Don't Want Me To Know About.Inc. Maybe let Uncle Vincent take care of you for a while, I promise to be gentle! Tee hee!

2004-05-11T00:05:00.000+08:00

erm...

Right as far as school events go, I try to keep a low-profile. My low-profile does not seem to be making much of a progress, I have been SELECTED by my good-intentioned teachers to do more "services" to the school. The first one (piano-playing) was cool enough with me, but it was the other one that kinda bugged me a little. It involved speaking, and after the horrific debating incidents that have happened during the first half of this year I find speaking more of a chore, a burden really. But what the heck, I would just have to grin and bare it. I mean, BEAR it - just like all the other times I have been called upon to donate my services to the school. I can't bitch about it here too, it seems that the web has eyes.

And anyway I am anxiously awaiting some new movie downloads to finish up. I have just discovered possibly the sickest show ever filmed on Planet Earth - it goes by the name of Salo: the 120 Days of Sodom based loosely on the Marquis De Sade's epic novel that was banned in many countries - not to mention the film itself (Singapore never received it commercially, shown only once last year at some film festival) I read the film's itinery and was disgusted. Apparently it was all graphic and bordered between insanity and exploitative. But who am I to say I have not watched it yet.

Ha! Actually it was so horrible (the critic's descriptions of several scenes in the film which included a teenage girl swallowing nails hidden in a cake and then bleeding from the mouth or the boy forced to eat his own faeces - necrophilia / fascism) that I looked it up on Kazaa, and decided against discovering more. It is these times when I would draw the line even at the expense of my movie appetite. Instead I am downloading the more subtle A Clockwork Orange, supposedly this landmark shocking film from Stanley Kubrick. Meanwhile I'm trying to find more information on these films. Oh yeah and Gaspar Noe's (of Irreversible fame) earlier works like I Stand Alone kinda intrigued me, so as soon as I find a way to watch I will. Also trying to download all of The Godfather, another landmark trilogy series, and finally High Fidelity - the movie turned novel by the few authors which I actually read Nick Hornby.

That about sums it up. My life seems to revolve around movies and such, I just hope I wouldn't be too adversely affected by the movies that I watch - i know there is a danger of me doing so. I just hope I won't be. Anyway its 12:16AM and I have to stop procrastinating online and go sleep - hell, Radiohead's Go To Sleep mp3 is on - so I'll catch all of you cats around!

2004-05-10T00:10:00.000+08:00

-i think God's temperature control broke again..-

It's FUCKING HOT damnit. I think the humidity just went into overdrive in Singapore, and all the human air-cons don't frickin work. My tee shirt stinks of my own B.O, and I don't EVER have had B.O before today, and I have it today so that must say something about the weather.

Erm I hope the climate control in other countries is better, and if it is I share your pain. In the meantime I'm chilling out listening to some Do As Infinity and Dream Theater. Try Raven and As I Am (respectively), it rockz!

So I was hanging out with Shaun and Andrew and Hanrong yesterday, and we did a some calculations - here's what we came up with:

THE END OF THE O LEVELS as of the 9th of MAY 2004 counting down to the 19th of NOV 2004 12 noon

5.2 months
156.5 days
3756 hours
225360 seconds

The countdown has started... Frankly I have no idea what I'm gonna become after this has expired. I was thinking burning my textbooks, but that's quite cliched. Maybe I'd go tear out the pages one by one and erm, make paper underwear out of them? Uh huh, when I figure out a more novel way of celebrating I'll let you guys know or something. Meantime it's 12:15am in the morning so I'd better go get some snooze. Catcha kats around!

2004-05-05T19:03:00.000+08:00

The Birds.

Right, so my best friend (at least, the last time i checked) just got a new girlfriend after a year long hiatus. She's sporty and stuff and totally his type, but of course who am I to know - I was just basing this on his past girlfriends (who were sporty too). I however, was more concerned over the possible repercussions of this recent behaviour, and how his character has changed because he met this new girl. By this I mean, for purely selfish reasons, how in reality I was not the hot charming bloke I had hoped to be. I guess being a buddy of a hot charming bloke (a male buddy) puts your own love life in harsh perspective.

Also I've been hanging around several guys in my class and they ALL have girlfriends. I have contemplated this at great length and I have come to the conclusion that I can probably never find a girlfriend because I hang around guys all the time! Plus I have also figured out that it would be my fate that I would always be the jock beside the hot guy, and I would always be the one that all girls would turn to if they want my friend's - the hot guy - details and phone numbers etc. etc. I remember this girl once right, during primary six, my best friend at that time was this seriously happening dude who chewed girls' hearts up by not giving a shit about them at all. And since I was the neutral dude that seemed to have some form of association with him I was the guy that this girl turned to. Every single evening at 4pm she would call me up and keep interrogating me about his actions and his behaviour and all of that. Then one day my friend found out what was happening and he rejected her right there and then, and THEN the phone calls became more persistant. I was kinda like, wtf?? but talked to her at length about him. Eventually I pesuaded her that she was all right and he was just another dick she shouldn't care about and she stopped calling. This was quite a Fond Memory of Vincent's Childhood - like, I have never talked to a girl over a phone for long periods (the calls lasted 2 hours plus-plus) - granted that it was all about my buddy but who cares right? I got to hear a girl's voice for 2 hours everyday.

I guess I'm just ermm deprived and stuff. Frequently during my trips home on the MRT and on the bus I would see young couples holding hands, neighbourhood schoolkids my age smiling at a secret-something that only they themselves know between them - enjoying lunch or dinner at the Macdonalds or the Burger King (depending on which fast food joint I was at people-gazing). And then I would wonder just exactly what I was missing out on, and then (more depressingly) what exactly was wrong with me. My friends all have girls that go after them, they never did have a problem with attractions from the opposite sex. There would always have this kinda huge void between us whenever my friend has to choose between hanging out with his girlfriend or our group of boy buddies. Usually its the former he chooses, and although I don't blame him, I just wonder just how fortunate they are, and lament on my own loss in this area of intergender relations.

This is also true because just last year I really liked this one girl and went all out to woo her and stuff but it all ended up in futility. For a month after that I was depressed and stuff, and now that all these recent things are happening I start to remember that period from last year and go all teary-eyed and melodramatic (ahahaha of course not). Maybe I just need time again to recuperate from all of this.

2004-05-03T22:21:00.000+08:00

where is my mind.

My Internet Browser is set to my blog's address, so whenever I want to surf porn or important stuff like that I will inevitably be let into the total gayness of my PURPLE site (this is important in determining my future endeavours. Maybe be a Barney-wannabe). Also I will continually see the stupid pussy song as my last entry plastered all over the screen. This, I got sick of, and so I vowed that "vincent today you SHALL BLOG".

Ergo, with great reluctance, I am blogging again.

Today our school conducted erm, our all-important English mid-year examinations. I was contemplating to myself what I would write before hand, and had actually sat down the night before to watch a movie to get some Inspiration and such (No I don't mean that stupid William Hung album - this I shall talk at great length later in my entry) - not only did I get nightmares I wrote a story that was completely not about the movie I watched, which was Requiem For A Dream. But anyway I wrote about a hooker having a conversation with God, and it was based on the topic of Regret. and I told myself to include in the following sentences to make my entire essay seem related to the topic:

"Do you regret being this way?" (God)

"Well fuck no. I don't have a fucking choice, right?" (unnamed-hooker)

Well guess what huh, I didn't write these sentences down. Which means I have written off topic AGAIN. Which means I will fail my Paper 1 AGAIN. Argh argh wtf this would join the ranks of Stupidest-Compositions-Written-By-Vincent-at-Important-Examinations - this list includes last year's Final Year Exams gay-men-sleep-together-ends-up-chopping-hands-off compo.

Also, I have a problem with the education system. It seems that ever since primary four I have never been returned a single examination composition I had written. This is tragic BECAUSE... all the great and important works by the myself have been lost FOREVER. I used to have dreams about teachers staying up into the dead of the night, when they are assured that all their students are asleep they'd go out into the school field, hold hands and make a huge bonfire in the middle of that satanic circle and throw all the students compositions one by one - i.e symbolically killing off creativity - and they would sing Campfire's Burning Campfire's Burning Draw Nearer! Draw Nearer! And then when it was over they'd stand in one straight line and chant unintelligible verses of the Teacher's Pledge while mopping up the charred remains of CREATIVITY. Yeah this was how paranoid I get about my lost works. They'd better return me my Hooker's-convo-with-God composition OR ELSE....

Um um, lately I have also been in a constant state of self-denial. I don't know whether it'd be wise to do something about it - It being something that has been left over since last year. It has been bugging me every single day I go to school, sneak a look at the corner of my eye, or at home, where I'd pull up search pages of her name. Perhaps I should stop this.

Right. Lately this whole William Hung fiasco has been making waves in the world's entertainment industry (which is why we will all go to hell one day for over-commercialisation bahh). Actually on the personal level I did not have any grudges against that poor sodden bastard until one day I turned on the telly and the first thing I saw was the EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE of his music video She Bangs. I was like wtf this guy who looks way worse than me on my worst days (even you can't deny this) is rubbing bodies with this totally hot! (and wet) girl - I think it was at the end of the video and they had the fake rain and everything and she's looking at him with hey-baby-lets-get-it-on eyes and at the end of it he totally rejects all the girls he was dancing with. I mean, there's a limit between coolness and stupidity. Coolness is walking off the girls without saying a single word - ya know, the "cool" feel; stupidity is saying "YOU'RE NOT MY GIRLFRIEND I CANNOT BE WITH YOU" and THEN walking off. And William chooses the latter. Wth this guy is on some puritan moral trip or somethin, heh maybe this is a new kind of publicity stunt for the guy to keep his appeal going, I can see he needs it.

Also I read his past weeks' Sunday Times interview and the whole interview through he kept "looking for a scripted entry". This guy is totally out of originality - not only does he rip poor Ricky Martin off (now where the heck did THAT guy go?) he has to fumble for scripted answers. It's like he's programmed for gross commericialisation, its like, oh-lets-throw-him-about-and-see-how-long-he-sticks-with-the-audience thing. What's worse, is that people pay GOOD MONEY (his Inspiration album has sold past 3,000 records the first weekend it came out in Singapore) for trash like him. Perhaps I'm going against the wrong party here - maybe I should curse his record company - but c'mon now, a guy his age? Supposedly studying Engineering at some US University and he allows himself to be exploited like this? If that's not dumb I don't know what is. Plus (and I just realized this while typing) Singaporeans actually allow themselves to be ripped out of their money with the record numbers climbing the top 10 CD charts - what kind of signal will it send out to the world about our appetite in music? Clearly not the discerning one!

But what the fuck huh, I'm not bloody William Hung. I am living in a society taken over by senseless "reality TV". We're the society that has been overrun by American Idol, taken over by Survivor and gave Mr Trump a run for his company! Uh huh - that's right! We're gonna take over reality-TV video programmes! Because we are the ones who are on "Reality TV" in the end. We're the ones that are put up for Who's Hot Who's Not! except in this case its Who's Dumb Whos Smart! Reality TV is so fake, someone rip off Simon Cowell's mask and expose the mechanical human inside who's programmed to give us "amusement" at the cost of our own.

I just realized I turned this good-natured entry into a rant on Reality TV. Ahahahaha. Now was that reality for you?

2004-04-25T21:06:00.000+08:00

heh. right

I just stumbled onto a BLOND song. Heh, check it out:

(in case you have no idea what a BLOND is - you know that saying "dumb blonds"? yeah.)

"Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me,
Callin me, all the time like blondie
Check out my chrissy behind
It's fine all of the time
Like sex on the beaches,
What else is in the teaches of peaches? huh? what?

huh? right. what? uhh.
huh? what? right. uhh."

If you loved that one ^^ you'd die laughing with this. Here's another: (add in meow sounds)

"I wanna see your pussy
Everybody says it's nice
Can I come and visit?
I'll be at your house tonight
They tell me it's soft to touch and really smooth
I can hardly wait to feel that pussy too

*meow!*

You wanna play with pussy all the time
To hide that kind of pussy is a crime
You say your pussy's clever and so slick
But I think you're pussy's kind of sick

*meow!*

I wanna see your pussy, show it to me
Let me see your pussy, show it to me
Show me your pussy, show it to me
I want to pet your pussy, show it to me

*meow!*

I bring my pussy everywhere I go, mm-hmm
To watch my little pussy is a show
You say that your pussy's really clever and slick
But I think your pussy's really thick

*meow!*

She turns into a tiger when she's ready to eat
My pussy's always hungry for a big chunk of meat
So lay your little pussy right next to mine
You can bring her over around dinner time

*meow!*

"

That's right people. I need help.

-vince-
-Sunday-April 25-2004-

2004-04-18T13:36:00.000+08:00

the alternative album

it's a great thing that nowadays I seem to be going for a lot of school-related activities, and no, I'm not talking about good ole' Presby here. I've already went for two plays and two concerts and while they might not be terribly fantastic, was a total eye-opener for "sua-ku" Vincent. What's even more fantastic that my social circle has widened considerably much, thanks to my frequent trips to MGS for my MEP lessons every friday, and CAP.

Just this week alone I'd had two CAP reunions with my clique of MadCAPpers and the alumni, and while I don't talk a lot to all of them (there are instances where I don't talk at all for worryingly-long periods), I think it is great just to be a part of them - a part of something. It was great to see everyone doing so well and in good health, especially some of whom I've not seen for quite some time now, like Karen and Don. I hope the feeling's mutual though...

And then there's my MEP friends Irina, Lucien and Elaine. We (with the exception of Elaine) went out on Friday night, and had a great evening out. Had dinner together and we all just talked nonstop for that few wonderful hours. Its fascinating to discover how families from altogether different backgrounds from me are like, and yet again I was selfish, cuz no one really asked about mine, so I didn't really say anything about myself :)

But of course, my closest friends are still that stupid Andrew, Hanrong and Shaun. How many stories have we collected? I've lost count. The rave party at Andree's place, the alcohol binges, the roadside singing, pole dancing... I hope I never have an exhaustive list of such memories.

There's something beautiful between all of us. Everyone which I have mentioned here, and all those that deserve to be mentioned just for talking to me everyday in school, during CAP, during MEP... I hope we'd never get past that. I know its very hard to double-click on a person's MSN icon and start a meaningless conversation about nothing except the intention of trying to get to know the person more, especially when you feel you are imposing on the person and his/her time. But it is my sincerest feeling to never forget what we are all about, and perhaps walk out of our time feeling more than satisfied I've achieved something with the people I live with everyday.

6 billion people on this planet - I wonder just how many people I can get to know more of. For the rest of them, I'm Vincent, I'm not very smart nor handsome, but I hope we can get past that. ;)

2004-04-04T00:21:00.000+08:00

Britney Spears. (a news flash!)

Have you heard her new song Toxic? No? Well the hell you should! Today we, your sexy, enigmatic boyfriends (namely Hanrong, Andrew and Me) were talking about how she was going to revolutionize the music industry with all the heavy metal music she was producing as of late. We thought that it was a good thing, and it meant that metal music was going in the correct direction, cuz now that music genre is sexier - which was a major component lacking in it in the first place. Plus we realized that Busted - the newest death metal act (the genre which spits Satanism in your face) was going to be the guest performers in her newest video, Dance of The Flying Metal Forks. This is incredible news for everyone here in the music scene today, and we are anxiously awaiting the results of this exhuberent pairing the likes of which have never been seen!

Also - because we brought them up - we heard that Busted was already in their studio making their next record - tentatively called "The Death Of Slayer" - and we have the EXCLUSIVE interview for you with Busted's frontman, Charlie Wheresmydick right here, on METALWEB.com!

**

METALWEB.com: So Busted, we hear you have come up with a new record. What's it gonna be called and what's it like?

Charlie: Well we don't know. I think it's gonna be the Death of Slayer, and will feature some awesome guitaring and this new record will feature our version of Westlife's Uptown Girls.

METALWEB.com: Wow that's gonna be so hot. We hear that the metal crowd out there is anxiously awaiting the latest news from the band, now that you have come out of jail for scaring a girl with your penis during a one night stand, can you update us on the situation now?

Charlie: Well yeah, I mean, that stint in jail was no biggie. I mean, that girl didn't appreciate my penis, but the boys in jail sure did! Some dumbass forgot to switch off the damn lights when we were making out, but that's no big deal - I've already taken care of it.

METALWEB.com: Thank goodness for people like you Charlie! When's the new record coming out?

Charlie: Humm... Actually we wanted to release it on the 25th of December, but I don't think the Holy thing will work out for our band. We're gonna release it on the 6th of June this year, cuz it's Satan's birthday and all. And everyone out there knows we love him, so 6th of June it will be!

METALWEB.com: All right thanks for your time Charlie!

Charlie: Anytime. Stay (sic)! *shows dick to METALWEB.com*

**

Also, recently we've heard rumours that Westlife, Blue, and A1 have collaborated to form the new heavy metal band called Why We're Still Doing Songs Which Suck. WWSDSWS is currently in talks over how much money should be paid to each member of the band, and during a recent press conference the frontmen of both Westlife and Blue started fighting. When questioned later why they did so they claimed that they were going to show the crowd how much of a metal-head they were. One reporter at the scene had this to say:

"Dude, its like, wow they were really going at it. Kian (frontman for Westlife) splashed his cocktail on ??? (frontman for Blue). ??? started to look sick, than started whining like a little girl. Kian jumped onto the table and reached out for ???. ??? took HIS cocktail and splashed it on Kian, and then jumped onto the table. Kian started to whine like a little girl, so now both Kian and ??? were whining like little girls. ??? hit Kian lightly on the cheek, and it was obvious to everyone in the area that there was going to be a moshpit fight in front of them. Kian grabbed his cheeks and blushed, and stomped along the table towards ???. ??? stomped back along the table, and they put their hands on each other's shoulders and attempted to wrestle each other off. Kian was stronger, so he managed to slap ??? a few times on the face. But ??? was smarter, and kicked Kian in the balls. Kian managed to slip in a low brow (a sharp aim at one's crotch) before tumbling off the table howling for his Mommy. ??? just stared at him bewildered, and in true heavy-metal fashion, started to sing Barney's I Love You You Love Me at the top of his voice."

When asked about where was A1 during the entire event (they were noticeably missing), METALWEB reporter was told that "they were taking a piss in the ladies' room".

Fans of WWDSWS can view the DivX version for the entire press conference can be viewed here at Why We're Doing Songs Which Suck.com.

AND finally we at METALWEB.com would like to say that we will continue to bring you the latest and hottest news in the rock/metal scene! Keep checking back for more updates!

-Sirvincent-
-at metalweb.com-

p.s: I wondered how many of you clicked on that link above. LOL.

2004-04-02T21:14:00.000+08:00

Cuteness.

My mom broached me on her favourite topic today in her usual way. So as usual I was sitting about the sofa, lazing about watching the telly and trying hard to understand how to properly call the toll-free numbers for the porn videos, when she sat down beside me (during which I hastily switched it to Channel 5), she ruffled my hair ever so lovingly and said: "Boy ah... you used to be sooooo cute leh..." with that very loving smile.

Without skipping a beat and remembering how she had once told me never to lie about the truth, I said in reply: "But I am STILL cute Mom!".

She smiled back at me knowingly, with all forty-six years of her wisdom in knowing how to identify cute children. I got a little trifle irritated, to say the least, and continued...

"Am I not cute now Mom?"

"Ohh but you are, my dear boy! You have only changed that little!" and the ruffling of hair got little more agitated.

I breathed in hard, trying to keep calm in the midst of this comforting family "talk". But I knew, deep in my heart, I could no longer kid myself...

So I retired to my room in a huff (she doesn't know that I as pissed - mothers don't seem to have a knack for noticing stuff like these; they can tell when you've been doing something wrong, like surf a porn site or masturbating in the toilet - but they NEVER seem to know when their kid is angry) and I started to think about lots of stuff. I was thinking of 1) whether my sex appeal was still there now that I have arrived at this revelation a few minutes ago; 2) whether I was still cute in the eyes of my other Fellow Females (because this is important in realizing the Vincent Plan of Getting Laid Quick).

This is where I need Your Help! YES you! Simply leave me a message with your name and address, giving your sympathies and your well-wish that I will get laid quick, and as an extra MANDATORY section for the ladies: your personal address and your available days and an UNRETURNABLE attached photo (nude preferably). I totally promise to reply to all of you! Totally! No-frills! Non-obligatory submissions!

-vincent-friday-april02-
-im such an ad-whore lol-

2004-03-30T22:16:00.000+08:00

pulse of the maggots

A brief update:

1) Geog Malacca Trip was a blast!
2) Won the last preliminary round of the JG Debates!
3) Two great new songs from Slipknot's latest album
4) Realized I needed more than a miracle to pass my chinese (actually I'd already knew this subconsciously - but it just hadn't surfaced until now because of the increased regularity of mock exams and all the pretty red stuff on my papers)
5) Realized film plot for my Art
6) Writing above-mentioned film plot
7) Finding true love! (nah but it was a good try right??)
8) Have not much inclination to blog anymore (resulting in recent scandals over my blog recently)
9) Will not close this blog anytime yet (all those Vincentniacs out there - CHEER!)

-vincent-tuesday-
-10:25PM-

2004-03-24T08:43:00.000+08:00

2+2=5

Are you such a dreamer?
To put the world to rights?
I'll stay home forever
Where two & two always
makes up five

I'll lay down the tracks
Sandbag & hide
January has April's showers
And two & two always
makes up five

It's the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream & you
can shout
It is too late now
Because

You have not been
paying attention

I try to sing along
I get it all wrong
Ezeepeezeeeezeepeeezee
NOT
I swat em like flies but
Like flies the burgers
Keep coming back
NOT
Maybe not
"All hail to the thief"
"But I am not!"
"Don't question my authority
or put me in the dock"
Cozimnot!
Go & tell the king that
The sky is falling in
When it's not
Maybe not.

2004-03-14T23:52:00.000+08:00

Malacca.

That's right! I'm going off to Malacca for my Geog field trip! This is going to last four days and stuff... I'll see you all cats when I get back!!

-vincent-

-loves.kids.girls.girls.girls.girls-

p.s: see im unashamed. Die all secretly-horny-buggers!

2004-03-09T10:48:00.000+08:00

Thoughtless.

I'm at home in the unearthly morning when I'm supposed to be in school, mainly because i've developed chest pains and my heart feels like its been pressed against my lungs and rib cage. My doc says I have to make sure I don't start to suddenly hyperventilate, cuz that would mean there's a hole and I might need to be thrown into hospital and be injected by intravenous needles. No really, this IS true.

On Friday's JG Debates we lost to Overseas Family School. Contrary to what many may think, I thought they shouldn't have won but hey, it almost always ends up like this. Sometimes I don't really know what the adjudicators look for. I'd have bet that we had more substance and style that all of them do. Yet, I don't know what the hell went wrong. Maybe I was too rude or something (cuz I eh, rebutted them a little too harshly), but it doesn't constitute us losing right? But anyway, we lost and that was that, we're out of the quarter-finals.

Saturday went quite well really. Because of afore-mentioned debate I didn't manage to wake up in time to go for NCC training, however I DID manage to rush down to catch NYGH's school play Alice? and it was quite good - contrary to what a lot of people would think. But yeah again, I have no basis for comparision simply because this is the first ever school play I've watched (being in a neighbourhood school and all doesn't bring much recognition in the arts area), it was an eye-opener nonetheless. Kudos to Karen for managing to sneak me a ticket in =) Thank you!

We went jamming on Sunday again, threw out Ataris and managed to get Goo Goo Dolls - Slide right. It was a relief really, for it was such a long time since we had our last jamming session last year - the itch to recreate music is strong. For two hours homework school and o levels were thrown out of my mind, and it felt good. Like, a drug, numbing pain if not for those two hours we were in there. Of course after that, as fast as we walked out of that door it was back to reality. I don't mean to say reality sucks - oh well, yeah it does, but nevermind.

And now on Monday I have developed chest pains. It's still bugging me as I blog here in this box. I think this is not a good sign, but hey, as long as I'm still alive it feels good to be (alive, that is). I have ceased to try and overcome this, meanwhile I'm lasting out on painkillers which don't really work (*cuz theres still pain). Listening to some quiet Debussy music - try Reverie pour piano by him - taking a little quiet step backwards, and hopefully not for the last time.

Am in a deeply contemplative mood, I can't really explain this. I hope you all will bear with me as I make my quiet exit from my computer...

-tuesday-vincent-

p.s: all the best for your OBS you! =)

2004-03-03T22:40:00.000+08:00

Pi.

Okay I'd apologise for not blogging for long. I suck (therefore I don't float away).

Anyway this week is Debate Week again, we've got a really dumb motion of THBT the Internet should be free from censorship. Codswallop, in my opinion (homage to H.P), I think heck, the Internet should be free for EVERYONE! Let the Free Porn out! But as always, fate is against me, I am Opposition. Which means I believe that the Internet should not be free from censorship, and again contradicting myself. Oh hell, the school I'm going up against is Overseas Family, I think this is major stuff, cuz its an international school and everything. I feel kinda depressed sorta, especially since this is Wednesday night, and debate's on Fri.

Let's move on, shall we? =D

OH yes I've been fulfilling my appetite for great movies by watching THREE more incredible, incredible movies. And I realize I love City of God so much that I actually bought the DVD on impulse, but I shall go into this later. Anyway the two movies I've watched so far are Dogville, Raising Victor Vargas and Pi. They have shocked, astonished, baffled, intrigued, fascinate, but most of all, impressioned in my mind. They are SO SO so GOOD! However depressing, they scared the shit out of me. Really.

Dogville was essentially of how Nicole Kidman (she's called Grace. GRACE?!?!?!) was sexually and psycologically abused by the village that took her in (she's kinda outcasted and hunted down by society), and this is supposed to show how human nature is bad and evil and all-things-of-that-sort. The amount of abuse she takes is unbelievably brutal, it's especially jarring at the parts where she gets raped again. And again. And again. And the part where her precious china got smashed to bits by this bitch of a woman in the village. I went like - 'FUCK!' - and poor Nicole Kidman has to endure all this shit (until the end by *ssssh spoiler-spoiler*)

Oh and then there was Raising Vic. I think this was kinda not as good as I expected it to be. I mean, the show did have some good and bad points. But then after a while I realized that it wasn't really going anywhere, cuz the boys in the movie resort to low life stints to try and get laid (as always, I don't know why guys are always being branded with the PRUDE status - its like, we CAN be Nice, Sweet, Gentle if you want us to! after we get laid, of course heh heh). Although the Grandma and Vic shared some quite sentimental moments, it kinda made me think of my mom and me. Like how she'd irritate me with Good Sounding Morals which I Supposedly Don't Have, and how Masturbation is Bad for You and Your Body. Nah I was kidding on that last one = its not.

But something funny happened though. Cuz when I watched the movie I was in my school uniform, and I was not legitly sixteen yet. So it was still cool when I was buying the ticket at the box office, but at the admission area the usherer took one look at the ticket and one look at me, and then said:

"Erm sir, can I retain your whole ticket?"

Then I went like: "erm, sure. But our movie has already started."

"Oh alright your cinema's at the end..." and he went on and led us there. At the cinema doors there was another sign which stated "RAISING VICTOR VARGAS: THIS MOVIE IS RATED NC-16. PLEASE DO NOT ENTER IF YOU ARE NOT OF THE APROPRIATE AGE". I shuddered a little and walked in to see Victor already lying prone on this fat girl.

I was kinda afraid that he would like, go call Management of Cathay Cinemas and march right into the cinema and then create a big brouhaha with the security guards coming in and carrying my pathetic shell of a man and dumping me outside the cinema, shoved with the NC-16 sign in my mouth. No, seriously, throughout the movie it was really scary for me. And the fact that some latecomers kept opening the damn door during the movie made me jump a little in my skin. Fucking hell it was scary.

And then I was watching this movie Pi. Pi is essentially the formula you use to calculate circle area and circumference and all that shit. Basically it's the title of the movie is the symbol Pi = 3.1415...(infinity). So it was about this crazed mathematician on the verge of discovering the very root of the universe at the expense of his own sanity. And then in the end he suffers his own horrible demise. This is really really sad. I realize that I've been watching too many art house (and therefore violently or sexually explicit) movies, and although they WERE good, and provoked many a thought in me, I'm starting to get worried about my own mental well-being. But 1) no girl affected by me in an adverse manner yet = check; 2) girls affected positively by me and therefore-would-want-to-have-sex-with-me = negative. Oh dang it. Still the same.

So anyway, debate's coming up in two days time. Sincerely I want to get it over and done with, and I want to enjoy my first-EVAR!! school play! Yeah, it will be held in a highly-classified location in a highly-classified area with a highly-classfied plot. Oh who am I kidding - I have no idea what I would expect. I was told to expect something really horrible but I highly doubt so because it comes from the O-Great-Karen-of-Wit and knowing her (she always lies to me - oh damn i was totally NOT supposed to say that!) it probably would be good. But nevermind this, all in all I shall walk in there with an empty mind and heart...

So, catcha kats around!

-wednesday-vincent-

2004-02-24T23:40:00.000+08:00

Annunciate While You Masticate. (no I don't know the meaning to this, its just to make me look cool)

I doodle too much in class. Today I brought in one of my Japanese Idol Girl magazines (the kind with lots of full-colour page Japanese bikini babes at my age) to keep me entertained, and suddenly I had the entire class of boys pouncing onto the book. This kind of male activity surprises and startles me, for when I am happily fantasizing about a world where all girls are naked and prance gaily upon the sight of me and suddenly this grosssome boy's face is stuck in front of me with drool all over his mouth. I cannot begin to comprehend this behaviour, but I had to surrender that Jap Idol Girl book for their animalistic pleasures. With great reluctance of course.

I burnt an Legal Copy of Irreversible for a friend of mine even though I told him it was all French dialogue and he cannot understand shit (much less the importance of the Graphic Scenes) he still wanted it so I let him have it. I edited the cover for that CD with Photoshop and this I'm quite proud of, it shows I'm improving and stuff.

Got my Static Lullaby CD in the mail today, after three days of frantic searches of my e-mail inbox to see whether the seller had ripped me off. Was SOOOO glad and overjoyed, now I'm listening to above-mentioned song and the entire thing is just so so so GREAT! Fantastic artwork and songs, and given that this is their first record and stuff they have a huge way to go, but i have faith in them! Go screamo-rock!

Tomorrow it's Mother Tongue common test paper and I just blew an hour and a half to go through the friggin eight chapters. Even though I feel that familiar sensation of satisfaction and all, it was not enough to delude me from the Eventual Fact that I was going to Fail With Flying Colours yet again. I think Chinese culture and history and everything is just fantastic and all, but the bloody language is so difficult to master. And the worst thing is that i'm going to let down my chinese tuition teacher down again, she's been with me for the past 4 years, and now its the final year I'm going to let her down again. I'm such an ass sometimes, but I never do stop praying that one day some smart scientist will invent a chip to implant into my head the entire textbooks of information. In the meantime I'll just try and stick it through, wearily ploughing through pages upon pages of chinese phrases I'm sure I'll never use again in my lifetime. Such is the irrationality of it all...

I think some girls have a problem with boys or something. I don't blame them frankly, because a certain number of males are just smartasses or plain perves (i'm one of them). But generally the rest of us are pretty much hard-working, cute, droolsome, and the kind that will blow you mind. Like I was informing the whole of madCAPmayhem, I think these girls should come over down to lil' ole' Presby High, and come to the second floor, 4 Humility classroom and we can show them where the Action's At! Satisfaction Gar-ran-teed! (for both parties heh heh heh). But seriously though, I think this will not bode well for the Future of Singapore, because like, when I'm 25 years old and serialistically looking for a wife, about half the female population will be so career-minded they'll find it hard to differentiate a paperweight to a baby. Plus the painful fact that sex will no longer be an option in the bedroom. Oh yeah, and girls now want guys to be SMARTER than them. This goes down doubly hard on me and since now I have problems with Exams and Intelligence I don't know how to lure them into my bedroom no more... (oh dang did i just let that slip?!)

I think when I'm really desperate or something I'll go lie down on my piano provocatively with the other hand clasped around the sexy classical guitar of mine, while the other guys will just walk around with their BORING certs of degrees or their diplomas. My hypothesis is that the girls will choose me for great sex, and the boring guys for their SO-called Sense of Security. Actually I am quite happy with this arrangement. I'm feeling upbeat yet again! =D The Future Looks Bright For Me!

But anyway I have to go and scratch my balls again, so I'll see you mad cats tomorrow or something! Stay cool and sexy! Make more babies! (I'll never stop campaigning this)

-vince-
-won't bother to put dates and time because my blog is great that way =)-

P.S: And Karen just reaffirmed her status as Goddess of Lameness! With her latest entry, I feel like a dumbass. Her bullshit is just that GOOD...

2004-02-22T23:15:00.000+08:00

A Little Something I Did.

Name: Quek Meng Sen
Title of essay: Machinery
Class: B
Topic Number: 1
Word count: 1480 words

The huge two-storey high iron cogs groaned as they performed their mundane tasks in an ever-turning cycle. Beside them, countless number of steel gantries allowed the workers to rush forward and persuade the worn-out drills to function. Beneath all of the orchestrated chaos, the Earth’s core churned and occasionally provided what the workers wanted – a burst of geothermal energy.

Worker Two-hundred-and-eighty-five paused from pulling a wheelbarrow and tried to wipe some of the sweat and grime from his face. He failed to, and resisting a sigh - begrudgingly resumed his menial task, much like the iron cogs.

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A young boy sits eighty-six kilometres away from the National Geothermic Mines. His thoughts were hardly on his father. After all, his PSLs (Primary Standard Levels) were coming in a week’s time, and it would not be wise to lavish any second away from preparing for them. And like all other children in the country, they have all heard about the horror stories of people who fail their PSLs – jobs so labourious and menial that it actually increases the average senility age! And anyway, his father worked at one of those Forbidden jobs. The child had seen for himself the way his father looked behind those hard opaque grey eyes that speak volumes of the wasted life he had already undergone.

But the child had also heard of the wonder stories of people who excelled. These people would have reached the upper echelons of society, being appointed highly-respectable jobs and ultimately, reaching the skies of fame, fortune, and even the un-eventuality of death itself (drugs that curb the mortal death – so rare and expensive that only those at the very top of the human chain could be given the privilege to use them). These people, whose names were so sacred that no one dared to use their names in vain or mention it casually – for it would be SUCH an insult! An insult to their knowledge and the people who had gone so far!

The child silently thought all these over in his head. Every time he looked over the dinner table, over at this empty pathetic shell of a man he barely knew but still called “Father” - he told himself – I MUST ace this PSL of mine. I must go FURTHER than all of the others have ever gone! I must… I must… for there will be no more second chances. This was the make-or-break single most significant and important day of anyone’s life in this country. And everyone knew that screw-ups were inadmissible.

Hunching over his worn book of Building the Perfect Country (by Sir Carl Dan – one of the first to achieve human immortality), the child began reading from the beginning for the sixteenth time.

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During dinner that night the man wondered whether he might speak to his son about something pertinent. He knew he sounded silly actually giving thought to such a thing. I mean, I’m his father! Why should I even be wondering about having some interaction with my son? But still… the gulf that separated them both became yawningly wider as he struggled to find the right words.

“Son, I know that your PSLs are coming in a week’s time. I want you to know that whatever the outcome might be, I will support you all the way…”

His voice trailed off. His own son! Did not even look up to him when he spoke!

“…And I know that you have been hearing all those horror stories about the people so-called ‘failing’ their PSLs, and that they are supposed to deem themselves a less worthy human. Daddy wants to let you know that that is not true. I mean, that’s simply ridiculous to say that once a person fails once he fails for life…”

He stopped. His son now stared obstinately into his eyes. There was a certain coldness he had never felt before through that intense gaze his son now fixated on him. Without breaking his stare, the son delicately cleared his throat.

“I Do Not Want To End Up Like You.”

Every word was emphasized with the hint of a squeak that all children have. And the father considered his options. He could hit the boy – but to do so was to admit that he was what the boy was implying – a failure. He would also stretch the gap between them, and never have the chance to ever speak to him again. For he loved the boy so, and would do anything to prevent the boy sharing the same fate as him. He loved him.

He could also choose to let the matter rest.

The father started trembling and felt a little light-headed – the result of all those fumes from the geothermal mines. The father tried to balance his thoughts out. Finally, with a quaking voice, he replied:

“I know I’ve not been a good father to you. I know you want to live a better life and you want better things. I also know that you have been working very hard to achieve these things, and I know someday you will. But I just want to say that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you…”

The choking in the father’s voice got steadily more imminent, so did the light-headedness in his head.

“I just want you to do your best, and should you not do as well as you wanted to, I want to remind you that it is okay. I will be here for you. I love you, son...”

The son had already left the table.

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How DARE he! How DARE this “daddy” actually come up to me to tell me that people who failed their PSLs are still worthy?!

The boy breathed deeply. His chest hurt from all the heavy breathing he had been doing. Sitting at the corner of his room, he thought back on his life.

Mommy had left them when he was just two, and he remembered that his daddy had told him that Mommy was taken away because of her protest against the PSL. One day the Government came and without question, took her away from the house and both of them never saw her since.

The son swallowed his pride, and could hardly keep the grin off his face. He was going to take his PSL soon! He was going to prove his worth in this world! Whatever Mommy and Daddy thought was right for him, it would be gone. Mommy was no more, and Daddy is a stupid lowlife who sits at the dinner table expecting me to call him Daddy. The euphoric sense of achievement was bubbling within the boy, and soon, all thoughts on the father’s dinner-table speech were gone. The boy was smiling again, in that kind of warm genial smile that could only come out from a boy with innocence personified over that warm smiling face.

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Day of release of PSL exam results

Worker Two-Hundred-and-Eighty-Five paused. Today was the day of the release of the results, and he was tense regarding the release of the results. His son might be taking the test, but it was him who was doing all the worrying. He knew that his son had worked so hard and so long, enthusiastically toiling away at his desk day and night, until sometimes he barely knew whether his son bothered to sleep. But today was what matters. Today, the son would know his destiny in this world.

The father shivered with anticipation, slightly frightened by the immensity of it all.

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Grief was something many had been taught to ignore. Miss Parkinson was trained so thoroughly by the Government to impart this knowledge onto her children that she herself had forgotten the only time she felt grief; the only time she failed her PSL; the ways and means she had prostituted herself in front of the Government to give her a better suited job than the Geothermic Mines. She had ended up with the far more “prestigious” job and ultimately, the job of distributing back the result slips of the children she had coached.

In fact, Miss Parkinson was barely ruffled by the sight of a scrawny-looking boy of about age twelve (she barely knew everyone’s names – she didn’t bother) who, after receiving his result slip, walked straight over to the side of the school building and made his life decision. Miss Parkinson stared at the empty spot near the window where the scrawny-looking boy was just a few seconds before, and there almost seemed to be a struggle within her to comprehend what she had just saw, or even perhaps try to get in touch with a moral side of herself she once used to have. Failing this however, she looked back down at her result slips, and begun calling out other names of students whom the Government had plans for to be a worthy servant of their Perfect Society.

2004-02-22T15:43:00.000+08:00

Gattaca.

Sometimes I think it is worthy to be alone with oneself sometimes. Like, I feel particularly deep in thought and contemplative whenever I'm walking or travelling from one place to another when I'm alone. Even though I feel I'm at my best whenever I am out with friends or so, there still comes a time when I just wish people would leave me alone for a while, and when I'm satisfactorily sick of being so - then I would resume normal transmissions with the Rest of The World. I feel that I'm a loner at heart, I think this came from my childhood of being the only child in the family, but yeah, I do feel amazed sometimes at how I had come so far to become the happy-sociable (I hope!) part of Vincent that makes people happy and glad to be with.

I have absolutely no idea how come I am suddenly speaking such Big and Meaningful Thoughts. I have just finished my Chinese Tuition and am suddenly stuck here at my comp, drumming away on my keyboard. Maybe it's the music I'm listening to - Gattaca's Theme, the one they play at the scene where Ethan Hawke's character finally gets to realize his dream - you remember? and others from likewise soundtracks.

Oh yeah about soundtracks. I was just looking into my collection of CDs just the other day, and was kinda shocked to realize that many were of soundtracks. I have soundtracks of all the Matrix movies (The Matrix, Matrix Reloaded, even The Animatrix - I didn't bother to buy the Matrix Revolutions' one heh); Varsity Blues (bought it because it was a bargain of S$3!!); Freddy VS. Jason (hard-rocking bands and tight songs); Vanilla Sky (I LOVE Radiohead and REM on this one); the Pianist (like, duh I HAD to get it =D); and xXx (this one was an impulse mistake - but Rammstein was great). That's about EIGHT soundtracks for EIGHT *quite* awesome movies (with the exception of xXx and Freddy). Which then I wonder: what would be the best soundtrack for my life?

Right, so let's see. A typical CD would have eh... 700 megabytes? so I can most probably have... 16 to 18 songs. Hmm... this is a good one to ponder on =) So below, would be my soundtrack to my life... (as of now, that is).

vincent quek's ost his life

01 - Seal - Kissed By a Rose

- I remember this one very well. I had just watched Batman and Robin (the one with Jim Carrey as the Riddler) and I happened to pass by this record shop. At that time (I think 1995) we didn't have a CD player, and I was pestering my mom to get it. She violently desisted, but I kept on and on pestering. When she finally got the cassette for me, I listened to it for hours on end. And I loved this song so much that by the third day I had memorized the lyrics and could sing it acapella. Unfortunately I lost the CD, lol. A good way to start the CD, even if it's only because of chronological order.

02 - Toy Box - Barbie Girl

- I know my rock friends will kill me for this, but I LOVED this pop group - so irritatingly POP at that time - when I was in Primary Four. Along with my then-best friend Ilhamni, we would belt out song after song from Toy Box, and this one was our favourite. I remember in particular, me and Ilhamni hoping for every bus field trip to be our longest, and we would sit at the back of the bus and sing and sing and sing. Most of the time our other classmates would join in, and we would turn the whole bus into one very frenzied and messy acapella singing session. Those were the times, I remember so well, and this song would turn the heat up and was most often the most-requested song from the two of us. Those were the times, really.

03 - Dance Moods - Midnight Express

Okay, the only reason why the artiste is Dance Moods is because I don't know the artiste for this song. That's the album name. So eerily haunting and memorable, the cover art for this song as well as the song itself. Those green eyes that stared out of the cassette jacket, and the piano for the song, even if I hadn't realized it at that time, brought me to new levels of my subconscious as I would close my eyes and just immerse myself into the atmosphere of the whole experience - the train ride that never ended; the music of that tunnel the Midnight Express would travel through in my imagination.

04 - ABRSM Grade Two Examination Pieces 1998 - Sticky Toffee

Yeah I have to admit, I don't do good jobs remembering the performers for all the songs. But whatever. This song was the one that propelled me to take piano in the first place. The friend that lived upstairs - his name was James - was one hot guy with girls at my primary school, and before I met Ilhamni (and thereafter became his best friend) I had James. Being close friend of his was a bit of an irritation, as I had to contend with request after request from girls who wanted his phone number, who wanted to leave cryptic love notes for him. One reason why they loved him so much was because he plays the piano. I was superbly impressed by this myself, but I won't show it because it would just hurt my pride even more =). One day I heard him play this song when I was over at his place, and hell, I LOVED the jazzy light-heartedness of the whole thing. That wasn't what pushed me to try piano. After the GIRLS got hold of him playing this song, THEY crowded around that lucky bugger. Till now, I attribute a lot of my pianistic inspiration to my jealousy towards him. =D Really, to be young again.

05 - Limp Bizkit - My Generation (Edited Version)

Yessss. THIS was the one that put me into a frenzy with the rock world. GONE after hearing this song were the days of me thinking that Robbie Williams was the coolest shit in the music world with Rock DJ, after primary 6 friend Idaly let me listen to one song off that intimidating Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water (the one WITH the PARENTAL ADVISORY label - omigod omigod omigod!!). I might laugh now, but I used to flinch everytime the singer said the "fuck" word SOO SOO many times during the chorus. At that time was the ole' innocent me, and I swore NEVER to hear this SINFUL song again the first time I heard it during recess. Three hours after that - when school ended - I pleaded with him to let me hear it again. =D

06 - Eminem - The Real Slim Shady / Stan

I think the only reason why I listened to a bit of rap in the first place was largely attributed to this guy. The Real Slim Shady hooked me up with the beauty of rapping with the catchiness and dumbness of the whole thing. It was after the PSLE-to-Sec-1 holiday break that I got this CD. The first time I got a CD, and the first time I got something with the Parental ADVISORY label. In fact when I went up to the HMV counter to purchase this CD I was half afraid that the cashier might take one look at me and say "I'm sorry, you're not of age yet". I was THAT afraid =) and THAT dumb. Anyway after I listened to it, these two songs stuck to my head, and I thought that Stan was the Greatest Piece of Music ever written... the descriptions, the morbidness of the whole thing just stuck to my head. It was THAT Good.

I guess this is all I could think up of for now, my life isn't over yet! I will constantly add more to my Soundtrack as the days go by. In fact, all I want right now is to just plonk down onto my bed and take a lil' afternoon nap, I think this goes a long way to ensuring I have a Healthy Mind and Healthy Body.

So to my readers, take care! oh yeah, have More Sex, it's good for Your Body. =D Really!

-vince-
-Sunday:4:27pm:22nd Febuary 2004-

Recommended Hearbytes:

Kent - Beskyddarren
Kent - Socker

2004-02-19T22:37:00.000+08:00

City of God.

er, no this is not gonna be another entry lamblasting God and all that usual shit I used to resort to doing when I was bored and dumb months ago. Actually it is about the movie I had watched when I was sick yesterday. It was a toss between Dogville and this one, and I chose this one, ergo, I watched it..

The opening scene was pretty much forecasting the rest of the story. A chicken is tied by string to prevent it from escaping, and it watches almost helplessly as it sees its other fellow chickens get killed and washed and its entrails pulled out and made for chicken meat - to the beat of the hot Brazilian sun and the salsa dance of the city of Rio, which is where this movie is set. The chicken looks pretty pathetic at first, but it soon discovers it could escape. When it did, the shop's owner calls for the city's "hood" - or the slang term for gangsters - to run after the chicken to get it back. What seems to be a rather normal thing anyone would do soon turns into a bloodlust and cry for the chicken to get caught. We see these "hoods" of the slums of Rio, children really, brandishing guns and pistols and all other forms of arms, and running through the streets and alleyways in their thirst to get the chicken back. When the chicken eventually reaches into the middle of the road, a young photographer is caught in the middle with the chicken with it; the children with guns on the one side; the policemen on the other. We see the cops running off, and then the appropriate flashback, which thrusts us into the atmosphere of the entire story itself.

City of God is told over a period of 3 decades, and is told through Rocket, who is the photographer in the opening scene (the one with the chicken). Rocket narrates what essentially is happening in the Cidade De Deus - or the City of God - where a group of three teenagers called the Tender Trio - initially out to do good, in a sort of Robin-Hood manner, rob the rich, and give to the poor. Always tagging behind is Lil' Dice, who is the younger brother of one of the Tender Trio. One day they decided to rob a motel, which on that night was hosting a mass orgy, and then one by one, the members of the Tender Trio get eliminated, with Lil' Dice behind. We see how the young Lil' Dice, at a tender age of 8 years old, satisfying his bloodlust when, after his teammates had escaped (and then subsequently died in a manner of ways), goes in shooting all the whores and all the men, even the hotel staff he was not scared of, all the while smiling! This eventually leads to the second decade, as Lil' Ze (no longer called Lil' Dice), starts his drug (and blood) monopoly of the slums of the City of God.

Throughout the movie, I was depressed at how the people in the City of God are held in a vicious cycle of poverty, greed, drugs, corruption, prostitution. In fact, there was more than several scenes where the movie shows "hoods", after falling in love (either with a girl or with the chance of an honest life somewhere else) decide to leave the City of God, but however, through a mix of remarkable coincidences, we see that they ultimately fail in leaving it. This is ultimately ironical in the sense that once the City of God has you, you can never hope to leave it.

Also it was also ironical towards the second last part of the movie, where a kid of about the age of 10 and 11 gets caught by the rival gang of Lil' Ze. When questioned why did he join, he said that he was "a man". When the rival hoods all laughed, he protested violently: "I have killed, I have traded drugs, I have shot a gun, I am a MAN!". Through this single scene alone we see how differently the youth in the City of God portray themselves as reaching adulthood, and the reality of this sad fact - that they were still so far away from being so.

In another memorable scene, a child of about 12 has to prove his "worth" joining Lil' Ze's gang. To do this, Lil' Ze himself rounded up two of the other Runts (the kids living in the City), shoots them both in the legs, and thus making them invalid, and then gives the gun to this 12 year old kid, telling him that he needs to kill off either one of these two to "join". The camera then focuses a lot on the expressions on all of the kids' faces, especially the ones whose gun barrel were facing them. This was a very painful scene where ultimately the gun was shot, and the 12 year old has almost an excruciating expression on his face, almost as if he was telling the one who lived that he was "sorry" for shooting him. This was perhaps one of the most painful and tough scenes to digest for me.

Ultimately, the tight story, salsa dance music and the hot Brazilian sun make this an irresistable treat for any truly-appreiciative movie-going fan for a gritty and honest look at the lives and society at that level in the slums of Rio de Janerio. What made this movie even more remarkable was the fact that it was all true, that Lil' Ze did exist, the overpowering drug trade that empowered this corruped community, the policemen who ran from the face of evil - they were all true. I had all these in mind whilst watching the movie, and I can tell you, this is some truly neat handling of the storyline. Put it in another way, this movie would not have been as impactful if it wasn't for some of the really authentic acting by the actors and children (the cast was picked up directly from the streets, no real trained actors in it), and of course, the story. And I suppose I need not point out that the title for this movie was its greatest irony yet.

Showing only at Orchard Cineleisure, with an R(A) rating.

(I got my copy off sources too legal to let you know =)

-city.of.god-
-vince-
-Thursday:11:24pm:19/02/04-

Recommended Movies:

City of God (if you can view it, you HAVE to)
Last Life in the Universe (NC-16)

2004-02-15T22:31:00.000+08:00

Shadow Stabbing.

Oh ho oh I'm back!

Valentine's Day was shibby yesterday. Awoke at like, 6 in the bloody morning, went down to SAF Yacht Club to have sea training with our new Basic 1 peeps. Since it was their first time out at sea and all I felt curiously obliged to check out all their failures and misadvantures outside at sea, and then there was this frantic incident when I capsized my canoe (with me in it and poor Shaun) in my excited bid to catch a pair of my Basic 1s trying in vain to rescue each other. It went like: "OOH SHAUN THEY'RE DOING RESCUES!!"; "whoa cool! let's go!" and WAASPLISH! we were in the sea. And the sea there is awful, with oil traces lining the top of the water from the nearby Sembawang Shipyard and I think I saw a pair of sodden jeans floating about suspiciously just about a few metres to the right of me. But overall it was all good fun, the best part was I got to skip the afternoon training NCC planned for us. To much dismay of my good gay partners Andrew and Shaun of course.

And for the afternoon I got the chance to check out devious JC Debate Teams at NUS. And when I was there I realized just how MUCH I hated debates. For reasons I shall not state here (because anything I say here can be used against me - time and time again I've been reminded of this fact) I realized that debating is a shitty buisness. It really is - the conniving, self-centered way they all talk, the tactics some of the teams resorted to to win... It was a really shit-assed affair. And now I've got to try out some of the shit-arsed things THEY did for OUR debate. Like, bleah.

Anyway, that night we went out as usual. Now Valentine's Day was in full swing, so I was kinda pissed because 1) I didn't have any dates; 2) no girl asked me out; 3) Andrew and Shaun both had FEMALE dates. So I was all alone at Lido, eating pathetic Long John Silvers instead of spending a romantic evening out with a special someone which I actually WANTED to ask but decided not to because she was too good for me anyway.

So anyway I arrived there at 7:30pm, and got calls from almost everyone from my school who were in the Orchard vicinity, apparently they all suddenly wanted to go out with me, because their girlfriends all had to go home early and they really missed me (yea right). So when the last soddin' bugger arrived at 9:30pm (andrew himself, apparently, because he was still pissed about me leaving him behind that morning) all of us waiting (especially me) were intensely bored and pissed off.

SO (as usual) intelligent Vincent thought up of a great plan to quell the boredom. I went to the back of Long John Silvers and got out a huge piece of cardboard, and borrowed a marker from the friendly people of LJS, and I wrote, in huge letters: "OUR DICKS ARE BIGGER THAN HIS" and as a footnote: "...we don't know why we're still single." as a strike back against everyone who has a girlfriend or a partner to share that night with, and for the people like me who should be getting girlfriends but aren't! All Hail the Singles' Movement!

And so me and Andrew proudly held the cardboard up over our heads and paraded down Orchard Road, and stares we got, and stares we shot back. It was FANTASTIC, until we reached Cineleisure and had to put it down because well, our hands were tired. It was a STAND, a SHOUT-OUT for all who should have someone to lock their arms around but have only air to embrace! For all those who are not getting laid but should be! For all those who got rejected by girls who they attempted to date that night! For the people who are still single but shouldn't be - WE STAND FOR YOU!

And thus, we ended the night. If you ever see me around, DO request for your no-frills, interest-free membership card to our new SDH club (Single, Desperate but most of all, Handsome) people. I hold weekly orgies for all my members. Animals need not apply.

-in a happy mode-
-vincent-
Feburary 15th, Sunday, 2004
(-For One, For All, For SDH-)

Recommended Movies:

(I watched this movie the night before Valentine's Day, and I shall comment on it soon enough, but for now just try and watch this)

Last Life In The Universe (only at Orchard Cineleisure - NC-16)

2004-02-15T00:45:00.000+08:00

Boom.

Okay, basically my life's been a bit down, except that tonight's Valentine's Day and something *interesting* did happen but I'll tell you all more about it when I get like, 20 hours of sleep now...

peace!
nite.

-vince-14-02-2004-Saturday-12:41AM

2004-02-08T13:25:00.000+08:00

Blew Job.

If you haven't heard about it yet, we lost the first preliminary round of JG Debates. We got called "nasal" by some stuck up CHIJ girls who thought they were so cute cats would die when they saw them. My fellow debaters told me that the second Fairfield Methodist speaker had the hots for me ("Did you see her? She was like, FLUTTERING her eyelashes while you were speaking!!"). And I guess I haven't blogged because I was too sad and tired to.

But nevermind that, I got over it. It was just another "blew job" and I think we did the best we can and I was happy and glad that it was over. At least for two weeks.

Then NCC Welcome Function was yesterday, I was stuck at the beach trying to fill a pail up with flour and sand and water and dead spiders and grasshoppers for my Fear Factor game. It was great and Armageddon was cool. And I have lost my sense of humour in this entry. I don't feel like blogging now. This is so lame.

OH right, I was at Far East yesterday, and I spotted this ULTRA-ULTRA RARE CD - BLINK 182's - The Mark Tom And Travis SHOW!! Let me give you an idea of how rare this CD is, on ebay it was going for S$67.90 and the bidding price was still rising; and I managed to grab it for just S$13.90!!! That's stoked! It looks so beautiful, and I'm gonna just put up the artwork here...

So anyway, chinese tuition's up next, and peace be with ya'll!

-vince-
Sunday:1:53pm:Feb8-2004

Hearbytes:

Blink 182 - the Mark Tom And Travis show! (like, duh)

2004-02-04T23:43:00.000+08:00

Annievel.

Debate is getting me nauseous. Everytime I think of it I kinda go all blank and all shivery, even if I'm third speaker and don't have to do stupid reply speeches. I think this debate thing is a bad idea cuz it's like most of my CAP friends are from debate, and they're all enthusiastically talking about how they have got good proposition cases, or even worse, how they've got good opposition cases. I'm taking this all in my stride and trying to pretend I'm confident and all to give the impression of machoism (cuz you never know when a girl might want to hit on you, but this is classified information so you just shut up) on my part, hoping I'll get laid sooner than most.

Basically today we had a little mock debate on our exact topic with Outram. We played according to 'C' division rules (because they were a 'C' division team) so that meant no POIs (I think Points of Information is stupid, they should change it to Evil Ways of Making Me Look Bad - therefore: EWMMLB = "An EWMMLB sir!"). I won't let you know the results of that one, but we screwed up more than we should, and its now like, two days from fucking debate - I think we're kinda hosh-toshed.

I'm scared, really. I can't imagine giving a speech to a hall filled with people. I can't imagine the horror I'll feel when people start scratching their heads, wondering what the hell am I talking about. I can't imagine the embarrassment when the opposition gives a POI and I'm like; "...should I accept or not?" and then foolishly accept it and then stumble about to find my answer. But most of all, the most highly-debateble topic I have running through my head is: Have I made the right choice to join the ELDDS of my school? and also How Low A Level Must Sweet Vincent Stoop To Make The Opposition Look Like Crap? How despicable must I be? I panic.

But I guess many of my other debate "friends" are reading this now, and they're secretly going "one less team to contend with for 'B' Division, heh heh heh..." and I know they are right. They're most probably right. But I don't care, I wished I had done something more thereapeutic and stuff: like gardening or rock music. But unfortunately, I'm in debate. This means that I have to contend with the fear and horror every two weeks in between, the sleepless nights, the constant fear of stage fright and shit like that. I hate myself for having stage fright. Fuck! Oh I'm sorry, you didn't come here to read about Real shit like this didn't you?

I have this theory about certain information that the adolescent books and their-like have mentioned wrong. They claim that girls mature faster than boys, about 1 to two years later for boys. I think perhaps this is true, especially on the physical side (you know what I mean by this *nudgenudge*) but when I take examples from my class I find that mentally perhaps, the boys are mentally more matured than girls. Now now now girls keep your hat on! Don't reach for that feminist-rights-group telephone number! I'm just comparing this to my class. Perhaps it's just me, but when a guy talks about sex or something highly-suggestive, girls would all go "eeeeEEEEE you lao tiko (perverse guy)!". And most of the time, more often than not, I'm that guy, and now girls shun me because I'm a perverse guy to them. This does not bode well for my sexual libido, and a psycological need to get laid - but that's not the point. The point is that I'm just a guy with more contact and understanding with his sexual side, and just because I talk about sex more often than most doesn't mean the REST of the guys don't have a sexual side. Frankly I'm just waiting for the day they (the girls in my class) get laid and then find out about this horrible fact. And then they'll realize that Uncle Vincent used to be that open and frank about such taboo topics and they'll start thanking me for all the sex tips I'd dropped in class. And then they'll realize that I'm not such a bad boy after all. But it'll be too late by then, and I grieve for the other males who are stuck in my position. Alright, hands up there! Don't be shy! I know there's a lot of you out there!

Also, the disturbing tendencies for them to ogle over some new (or even old) taiwanese, japanese, even hong Kong male pop stars can rival the equally (if not more) disturbing tendency for Karen to sexually fantasize about Ian McKellen. I mean, seriously! Anyone can get that kind of hairjob if one has the money and resources! Goddamnit I can be hotter than most of those guys plastered over teenage magazines, and I keep reminding all the girls in my class of this fact. But of course, like girls they were, they didn't believe me. In fact, some of them faked puke. I tell you, when I get hot like them (actually I don't even think they're hot, but the girls do - so this is a very Important Yardstick in Vincent's Love Life), and when the girls come after me like a queen bee and her workers (i'm the queen bee duh), I'll just fake puke too.

Oh wait, I can't goddamnit. I have to keep smiling and try to remember my Taiwanese lyrics. Oh you DIDN'T KNOW I COULDN'T SING?! Oh.. oh oh sorry slip of tongue, you NEVER HEARD THAT.

So anyway, debate's up in two days. I'm nervous and shit like that. I hope I'll just get through with this round and get it over with, I can't wait for Saturday where I have to parole around my NCC Welcome Function.

-wazooing (this actually means Vagina - cool huh) the world since 12:07AM: Thursday: 4th of Febuary 2004-
-vincent-

Hearbytes:

(as usual)
Coldplay - Parachutes (the CD)
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (the CD)
Cranberries - Dreams.

2004-02-02T22:51:00.000+08:00

Sock.

It started raining again today. I was pissed. That means no more ball-scratching-felines today. I'm sad. I'm very sad.

I was back at debate discussion again, another productivity afternoon. This is my third straight day doing debate, I was really majorly crappy with my debate team today. I was quite tired with the whole thing, and I'm NEVAH gonna look at the words "Cost" and "Space-Exploration" again. For starters, I initiated this whole Crystallized Shit thing going, how it'd like, smash onto stupid (phallic-shaped) space shuttles or satelites - thus causing Undue Damage etcetra etcetra. I was so tired by 5PM, cuz we kept going on and on about satelites. Hot damn I was so sick with satelites, everything looked good to Satelite to (you know, Set Alight?).

We ended at half past eight. Nauseous by then with trying to bring my head down to Earth, I gobbled down some really horrible soggy McChicken burger - there, my dinner. And tomorrow we're gonna stay till 9 plus, I have no idea how I'll cope. I think I'll just bloody burn down any pictures of satellites and space shuttles I see now.

But one good thing happened after i got home, I was blog-surfing yet again and I found that Karen and Yarn has admitted their unrequited love for me! This is Progress. This shows I'm loved! Somehow, this will go a long way to my personal sick self-gratification with Human Affections.

Ah, I must apologise, I don't seem to have anything particularly significent to make fun of today. But hey! Let's see what tomorrow brings...

-feeling loved at/on Monday:11:26pm:2/2/04-
-vince-

Hearbytes:

Coldplay - Sparks
Coldplay - Trouble
Coldplay - Shiver
Kent - Beskyddaren (thanks Andrea! =)

2004-02-02T00:40:00.000+08:00

Sparks.

A bright and colourful day, the day the Sun actually came up and smiled upon glory Glory Earth! I believe if all of us just looked outside the window for once, we might see Great and Beautiful Things! Nevermind that I live in a claustrophobic environment (eh, HDB flats) BUT! when I look out of my window, in the middle of the carpark I see lazy male felines scratching their balls giving me all the more reason to smile and think to myself: "We aren't that different after all..." - IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!

And yes this happy little fact was further complimented by a fantastic debate meeting at Zhang Mei's house. So there we were, sprawled out all over the floor, with mahjong paper and coloured pen markers scattered all over. We made a huge mess out of everything we did, but somehow we still managed to keep points and events fairly congruent by the time we left. This is THE BEGINNING of the 'B' DIV Presbyterian DEBATE TEAM!!! HOO-YAAAAAH!!! *fakes ninja strike*

Past that I met up with the my usual two gay partners - Andrew and beloved Shaun. As I ruffled his (Shaun's) head and smiled lovingly at the sweet memory of what we did together the first time his eyes met mine (something down there went hard), he was telling me about this Really Influential Book he had read - something called The 5 People You Meet In Heaven. He went on to tell me the entire synopsis of the book and he made the entire story sound REALLY fantastic. In fact, I just KNOW that when I get baldy and all I'll sit with his grandchildren at his house, and Grandpa Shaun would tell his Fantastic Mr. Fox stories and his Five People He Would Love To Meet In Heaven (i.e strippers, free unrestricted voyeuristic access to japanese schoolgirls - AHAA DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO DENY THIS ONE), and his wife will walk in with fresh cookies baked for all of us attentive listeners... yes, the future is bright for the both of us...

Andrew was really engrossed in his Guitar World magazine, I was totally pissed about this, I mean - you don't really get to interact much with your fellow Human Beings and we should treasure every moment to - and THERE he was reading bloody 100-Best-Metal-Guitarists-Ever-SPECIAL!. This is my philosophy, that when you are out with friends or fellow Earthlings, don't EVER do anything you can do by yourself or when you are at home - which is why most of the time I'm majorly angry at people who bring homework and do it when they're supposed to be enjoying themselves with us. Or people who keep listening to discmans and don't talk to, or even bother to listen to their company of friends. What's the point of hanging out then right?

So yeeaah... I was quite angry about this, but being the good asshole that I am I kept quiet. I think he was just tired so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt... Enough about that.

I got home at around 12 mid-night. Mom and Dad didn't make such a brouhaha over it as they would have if this happened two years ago. I consider this a Major Achievement in My Adolescent Life. Kids, listen to Uncle Vincent (because Uncle Vincent is nice and gentle with you, heh heh). Just bear getting scolded for the first five times you defy your parent's curfews, and then you will realize you are getting away scot-free for the rest of the times you go out late. Parents have a panic-attack whenever they realize they lose control of their Sweet, Young and Innocent Kids, so give them time to adjust to your Important Teenage Timetable on Valuable Night Lives. No - seriously, you should. You would get so much out of your teenage years than you think you would...

Anyway it's late and everything. Another debate meeting up tomorrow, I'm bummed. Screwy, I'm off!

-wazooing the world yet again at Monday:1:16AM:2/2/2004-
-vince-

P.S: Happy Birthday Zhongyan! =D

P.P.S: Oh don't shun me Karen. Denial is a Very Horrible Thing. =)

2004-02-01T00:28:00.000+08:00

Yellow.

A slow yet productive day I must say. I woke up at the amazing time of eight in the morning, got changed and rushed off for debate training. There we threw up and thrashed about ideas of how the Costs of Space Exploration Far Outweigh its Benefits. We're on the proposition team, and I was kinda sore about it because I'm a major big space fan - I pride myself on little bits and pieces of space trivia I throw up at the oddest of moments to make myself seem more of a cleverer person than I actually am - but anyway, I was being a total ass trying to tear down the very thing I love and still do believe in since primary school. Personally I feel that sometimes people should have Worthless Ideals to redeem the Terrible human Kind. Like, the rock that they picked up from Mars - we can use it comfort ourselves like, when the world is collapsing upon itself over the effects of adverse human activities and the ozone is opening at its seams by the second we can hold it in our hands and say: "yeah humans are terrible creatures, but at least we got this Rock from Mars!" (you get my idea). Expectedly, after a while I was pissed at myself deep inside, but that's my morning and yeah it kinda sucked due to this fact.

Following that was this amazingly productive afternoon. I'll just say this because it doesn't happen often, I actually did THREE things I can be proud of myself! I did 1) my debate points all well and organized when it was all messy and jumbled up at first; 2) practised the piano for an hour; 3) still managed to cram in time online. I think hardworking-ness is a trait I can use to remind myself, like - when I'm lazy and stuff and feel horrible about my inept productivity I can recall that distant Saturday afternoon when I actually DID something useful for myself (following which I will most likely just forget that and continue to be a slob - but that's beside the point). It's cool, really - in fact, when I went out later with my friends I actually felt shagged because of all the Big Productive Things I did in the afternoon. I'm actually quite proud of this.

Oh yeah about going out with my friends. Andrew had his birthday yesterday, it was cool and all, apparently he got shot with whipped cream and pineapple juice but I MISSED IT ALL I feel terrible and out-of-sorts, because this means I had missed out a Very Important Moment In His Life. This sucks, because if we become gay he would tell me about it and I would say: "ooh let's recreate this moment" and we would go out and do the boogie on the bed (we'd experiment with whipped cream and pineapple juice. Oh shit what am I saying). Rebecca if by some instance you're reading this you can rest assured HE'S NOT THAT KIND OF MAN. He's sweet and gentle and everything. Unless you want him to be da DOM (lol at this).

Yeah so we were being treated to a very posh restaurant and we had crispy chicken and Vodka. Oh who am I kidding it was just Long John Silvers. Hanrong's sis was in town and she was overage and all and she was the one who got us the vodka so it was all cool. Had a little chat about the extremely horny instructors of NCC - if my juniors are reading this now YOU'D BETTER 'X' YOUR WINDOW BROWSER NOW BECAUSE MY COMPUTER HAS THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY YOU AND THEREAFTER GORGE OUT YOUR EYES - and traded stories on how we would look down blouses of certain people (*coughteacherscough*). After a while we were all kinda wasted and Nic wanted to watch Band of Brothers on TV so we left. A great weekend, as always. =D

(I think the Great-Karen-O'-Wit will be very pissed at me. Apparently she hates people copying her journal stuff, while I am not guilty of plain plagarism I am trying to imitate the crappy attitude she has in her journal. Again I pledge allegiance to the writing style she has. Bloody brilliant. =)

Anyway it's all good. I've bathed and I'm clean. I'm all ready for my bed. Blastin' off now!

-wazooing the world since Saturday:12:04AM:1/2/04-
-vincent-

Hearbytes:

I just bought Parachutes by Coldplay. Another brilliant record of the alternative rock music genre. Check out little-known singles like Trouble and Shiver. Yeah basically that's what I've been listening to. =) you should too.

2004-01-30T21:57:00.000+08:00

Meme.

Okay, so apparently my Internet knowledge is not completely wrapped around the world yet, there's actually stuff like Memes that I gotta do. Basically a Meme for those not in the know (don't worry you're not *that* bad if even I don't know, heh) is a person asks you five questions and you gotta answer them on your blog. So here goes a Meme from a friend of mine - Karen (for those who know her and her merciless attitude towards poor sods like me *grin*):

Question 1: "What 'area' of art (eg. music, painting, sculpture, prose, poetry) appeals to you the most? Which field have you done pieces in that you are most satisfied with? Don't be modest, Artboy, we know you're practically a prodigy by now. No hiding it from US."

Basically music is the only one thing currently that really excites and appeals to me the most. I mean, music seems to be the only thing pumping up my adrenaline, taking me higher to my own personal utopia. If I could, I would bring my rock band to compose our own songs and then we would get signed on to a record company-or-sorts (ROADRUNNER!!) and begin rocking the world. Yes, that is my dream - to be able to put out a really tight rock show. Of course, the probability of that happening is slim, therefore, a more realistic dream for me would be to become more of a pianist. What I would really want to do is take my piano playing to another level, start on and complete the Diploma in Music, and then entertain the masses. Yeah, that'd be what I really would want to do. I've not done any particularly interesting pieces for the piano or the band, therefore an area which I'm really proud of (in terms of artistic qualities) would be my essay writing - of which I'm very thankful for the abstute skill i have of putting formless alphabets collectively to form - words. Prose. Mostly prose. =D

*whoa that wasn't so bad after all... lets see what else Evil Karen has up her sleeve*

Question 2: "What's your favourite book/artwork/musical piece, and why? Yeah, I know the questions are totally skewed towards art things, suck it up, I'm dying to see your answers anyway."

Lol, sorry to burst your bubble, I know I'm supposed to quote something complicated and totally unorthodox, but I'd suffice with just saying that perhaps the single-most influential book (which also, eh, influenced my writing) would be Roald Dahl's Stories For Sleepness Nights. It's like this really thick book with lotsa adult short pieces in it, stuff like Taste (where this guy loses his daughter and his possessions to this really sly character over a bet of fine wine), the Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (yeah this one is also in it), Turtle (the one with the young boy escaping away from humankind with a giant turtle); and The Man From The South (a man disillusioned with his fetish for human fingers) all used to intrigue and creep me outta my wits since I was just primary four. Up till now I would occasionally pick it up to read again and again, to uncover again and again these really hidden gems in all of Roald Dahl's works. So yeah, Roald Dahl's Stories for Sleepless Nights (The Omnibus Collection) is my favourite book - or at least up till the time in writing =D.

*...still not too bad eh?*

Question 3: "Desert island: you can bring 5 things with you, for the purposes of the question you can consider people 'things'. What/who do you bring?"

I would bring along 1) a guitar (so if I die I'll die happy with music surrounding me); 2) 5 large logs (to escape from the island since its desert anyway I'd might as well try to escape since I can bring any 5 things right?); 3) Rope (see above reasoning); 4) Machete (to chop the bloody thick rope); 5) Water (to last me through the ship-building process)

And no I'd choose not to bring anyone with me because I think anyone dying with me on a deserted island is a very sad case indeed =D. Really.

Question 4: "Sex: Dom or sub? You can tell me, laddie, I won't tell Matthew. If you don't know what a dom or a sub is, shame on you, ask Andrea or maybe Bernadette."

(Vince: after an entire useless minute of trying to stop her from giggling I finally got it out of her: dom = dominating partner in bed (the one who uses the whip); sub = submissive partner (the one who gets whipped))

I guess, I would be the submissive partner. +D Not that I'd be too wimpish to try anything on my partner, but I'd rather have my partner uh... achieve her pleasureable modes first? (I think they call it ORGASM but ssssh I'm not supposed to know about such Sins). Hey! If as long as she's happy I'd be happy! And DON'T you tell me that I'm slacking off in bed BECAUSE i'm not and its purely because of the above reasons that I do what I don't do! Grrr...

*phew, made it finally, this is it... the killer!*

Question 5: "Okay, the dom/sub question is totally ganked from other people's interviews, I think it deserves to be made a tradition, as does this next question: you got any crushes? You can say anyone except 'Ian Mckellen', who is totally mine."

Hmm. I kinda expected this question to come out. Yeah i do have a crush, but I don't think of her as a crush, simply someone I get along very well with both outside and over MSN. I think a huge part of what attracts me to her is that she's crazy and she's too interested in stuff that she shouldn't be too interested in (i.e coughsexcough), and she's arrogant and bitchy and totally someone Andrew would shy away from (uh-OH! I took a potshot at you darlin'!) - which is a good thing lol. Don't get me wrong there! =D Yeah. I wouldn't want to say anything else here, for fear I Might Be Found Out.

*thank GOD its over* (rushes away as aftermath of Meme caves in around me)

So there! that's it! I've done MY meme! Heheh... Watch out for my questions! I'm gonna so totally trash you Karen! You're D.E.A.D.

Hearbytes:

Fiona Apple - Across The Universe
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay - Don't Panic
The Cranberries - Zombie
The Cranberries - Animal Instinct
The Cranberries - Dreams

2004-01-25T00:16:00.000+08:00

Pans Peter.

I tried looking for answers as to why I thought Peter Pan wasn't that great a movie as Ong Sor Fern said it was - she gave it four out of five stars. Then I was thinking, during the movie, maybe I should not have taken it too seriously. After all, it was a family movie, not some Irreversible-and-the-like movie. And then I was pondering over what the movie was telling us, like - KIDS ALWAYS GROW UP (AND THEREFORE THEY WILL SUCK) (- credit goes to the antagonist of the movie Captain Hook for showing me the way) and I realized that hey, that was right after all - I mean, look at Macaulay Culkin or Marilyn Manson. And then like all premonitions do (they hit you - like, doh) I was struck by the sudden horrible thought that hot DAMN I was growing up too! Does that mean I will never have to FLY again!?! Does that mean hot girls like Wendy Darling will never try to hit on me again?! This is TRAGIC!

I watched PP with a group of my self-assertive friends who seemed to connotate everything that was happening on the silver screen to some sexual position or another. Unable to block out my hearing, I was engaged in some guilty giggling as I watched Captain Hook try to get Peter into a succumb-able and submissible position for some hot back-and-front rubbing action, and the amount of sexual tension was so immense between Peter Pan and Wendy Darling that I'm sure in any other adult movie the two would be having lots of procreation activity by the time the second half of the movie starts. It was kinda fascinating, as I saw Peter lean casually over to Wendy's ear and say: "I can teach you to FLY..." I was having fits from trying hard not to laugh loudly on the outside and thus humiliate myself. Like, whoa I was bummed, here was this supposedly 13 year old "kids" already exploring their sexual sides to themselves and I was thinking to myself, 'hey at 13 I had just started porn'. This Is Bad.

BUT (and here's the climax BUT part where you're supposed to stop stop holding your breaths and wait for the mightly revolution to sweep upon and descend on your puny souls muahahaha) I was reminded that I was only thinking such thoughts only because i was (the horror of!) GROWING UP! I was in fact, GROWING UP! I was having impure ADULT thoughts! I was judging the film with the kind of sceptic eyebrow-raised snotty-nosed ADULT critic who thinks he can make a genuine touching rare gem of a family movie. I was BASTARDIZING the movie thanks to some of my horny-raging hormones in me! Geez I HAD Horny Hormones?!? ARGH!

*sigh* I am growing up. This could signal a change in me everyone. From now onwards I shall put forward a facade of me being a fun-loving immature kid who believes he can fly by jumping off the banister of his bed, but *shudder* I shall have to retain the mature, serious type of character inside me. I will Deceive! I will Trick! I will Lie! I will become irreparably - an Adult.

2004-01-23T17:24:00.000+08:00

Karaoke.

So CNY is upon us all yet again. It seems only yesterday I was telling everyone I was in Secondary 3, and now this year, boom its sec 4 with the whole 'O' level glory upon us.

It's really kinda sad, and even I noticed it, cuz like, CNY has become this big PR mission for each and every Chinese individual of every family in Singapore. C'mon now, we can all admit it - Given the choice, most of us do not want to have CNY at all if not for the two admissable public holidays. I mean, its giving the ang pao or the pestering of your personal status among relatives - something there doesn't give. Yeah we all know it's all for family bonding, but the material-thinking people of our country these days - lol, seems like everytime we give away money we give away our precious bullets for killing them later.

Anyway, I've done my fair share of PR with my relatives for the first two days. I've shoken hands with people I'm absolutely sure I will never meet again in my lifetime, I have shoken hands with people who do not even look at me when giving me greetings, I've shoken hands with people who shoot daggers at my eyes when they hand over the red packets. I mean, c'mon now, put some effort into it yeah? Heh heh the money's gonna come over to me sooner-or-later given my innate capacity to tap into your bank accounts and mysteriously permeate your consciousness to infiltrate and transfer large amounts of cash over to my side to fund my ultra-secret Program of Overthrowing The Government and It's Evils Of Education. Heh. Oh, I'm sorry - I meant RED PACKETS.

But there was something in this whole gargantously-misleading operation that showed me the true spirit of being a Family. On Chu Yi's night (the first night of the new Monkey Year), the paternal side of my family gathered to sing Karaoke at Fourth Brother's place. I guess I didn't mention, my paternal side has a total of 10 siblings (actually 12, but back in the 1940s child-giving was a kinda common thing) - that's five brothers and five sisters. This entire group (with the exception of one or two siblings I can't remember which - there's so many of them) turned up at Fourth Brother's place and we took his 7000-song MPEG karaoke files to the test. First it was Micheal Learns to Rock, and before long we were at Capacabana and Xiao Yan. It's kinda funny really, I mean, the video footage looks like it was off some soft-porn flick (what with bikini babes and lovelorn women walking down the park paths looking oh-so-lonesome) played to the karaoke song, but on the general it was fantastic, cuz everyone was totally enthusiastic about it, and we just kept belting song after song. The smoking and drinking started soon after, and even I had the nerve to try out some of the oldies that they were playing (I mean by taking the mic and peeling their eardrums off with my lovely voice amplified through the speakers).

In short, everyone had a great time. It was especially meaningful for me cuz I was singing Copacabana with my dad's second big Brother, who's around 60s reaching 70s. It was a once-in-a-blue-moon kinda thing, cuz here there was two generations together. Ah yes, I think about the little things too much - you might say. lol.

Oh did I mention? They actually have CALIFORNICATION by RHCP on the Karaoke file list! But too bad sigh, no bikini-clad women with tight thongs. DAMN!

We left during Singaporean Cowboy, but it was all-in-all, a fascinating experience. Truly is one.

-vince-

Hearbytes:

A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras
A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless
A Perfect Circle - The Hollow
Incubus - Megalomaniac (FANTASTIC SONG WITH GREAT VIDEO)

2004-01-21T22:35:00.000+08:00

Basketball.

Lately my group of Brothers and Sisters have some rifts going on between them. It seems that just one person's actions that differs from what and how he/she used to behave can change a friendship forever. So this person right, started to lavish much more attention on his/her soulmate, and begans to talk incessantly about him/her. While this is cool with me - I mean, I understand how it is like to be in love - it doesn't seem to bode well whenever the person hangs out with us. Every little thing is such an irritant thing, and as much as I try to sympathise with all of them, and hear each and every one of their feelings about the situation, I myself am getting a little pissed at ALL of them. I mean, just because someone talks more about someone over something they did together doesn't neccessary constitute a vote to throw the person out of the group he/she has been hanging out with for the past three years. In fact, we should all be happier that someone we are close to is attached. Unfortunately, its this little thing that causes all the problems and disagreements.

Ergo, these few days have been fucking irritating for me. On one hand I'm trying to comprehand what the fuck is going wrong with our Brothers and Sisters group, cuz we used to be this small tight-knit little group that would hang out after every school day to grab lunch and mess up my house, and now we're divided so much that it is just simply painful for anyone to watch. I feel like telling all of them to shut the hell up and return to what it was like before. But even I, idealistic and all, understands that this is all just a phase that we all must grow up and out into. Welcome to the Adult World, friends. Where every little thing could be a huge stab in the back for anyone. And notions of carefree lameness and ejaculating Super Soakers get thrown out of the window.

I am guilty of the same thing. I indulge too much in my little fantasies. The memory of CAP is still sweet and it is still as poignant as the first day I woke up at 6AM thinking I still had CAP to go to. I indulge in it too much that I keep telling my OTHER group of friends about CAP, and now THEY'RE pissed because I talk too much about it. And because of this simple trivial issue, I'm getting pissed because they're perfectly capable of projecting sarcastic comments over the people I meet in CAP - and they do. They let me know through the subtle-lest of statements through MSN that I keep talking about CAP. And I can tell they're irritated. But it's like - c'mon now, if you didn't like what I was saying you can always tell me right? Why bitch about it in such means? Fuck, now I'm left wondering what the hell I did wrong. Am I only permitted to talk about you you and YOU everytime I hang out around you guys? I try and organise outings for all you people every single time. I have to think of the itinery to please you all, I have to come up with ridiculous places just because you think City Hall and Orchard is boring. And then when I do come up with something, you flat-out reject it. If YOU think you're that fucking intelligent and creative to come up with a dozen and one different itineries then I would like to see you try it. Hell, I'll even bitch like you do.

This is turning out to be one really angst-ridden entry. I'm sorry guys, I've these issues boiling up inside of me at least for some time now. There's only so much I can take from all of you.

Placebo's been playing and replaying in my playlist now. The Bitter End, Every You Every Me is flat-out rocking my system today. Oh, my teacher just lent me this really interesting book called Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. Basically the synopsis is that the Japanese Government kidnaps an entire junior high class (that's sec 1 to sec 3 for us here) in the name of "educational research", brings them over to an island where over the course of three days, all of its students (42 in all) must kill each other using provided arms and only one person - the sole Survivor - can leave the island alive. The others will have to die. Apparently there're really graphic descriptions inside - and the best excuse I can give for wanting to read this is that its a modern-day Lord Of The Flies.

Plus it makes me feel good that I'm reading books. Like, I feel smarter and more knowledgeable already. The last time I picked up a book to read was last October, Harry Potter. I Rule.

So I'm done ranting. Have fun you all. Take good care of yourselves and keep procreating!

signoff
-vince-

Hearbytes:

Placebo - The Bitter End
Placebo - Special K
Placebo - This Picture
Placebo - Every You Every Me
Placebo - Pure Morning
Queens of the Stone Age - First it Giveth (I'm beginning to REALLY like this one) =)

2004-01-19T23:05:00.000+08:00

Starbucks.

A couple of my friends and I sat around chilling at the Yishun Starbucks. It's one of those little get-together things that I really appreciate and work for especially in the extreme background of the O level exams and all. We talked basically a lot on life, which ended up in me commenting on the latest R(A) movie Irreversible (yes I've watched it already - through my own unlegal ways, of course) and its graphic rape scene. Its not very healthy, I realized after a while, at the energy I was putting into describing every excruciating detail that was happening in that 8 minute affair. Pretty soon I realized I was freaking them out, and therefore I digressed and spared them the misery of listening to the gay brothel part.

Today was a pretty eventful day for me. There were a lot of surprises springing up at school, and a major thing for me was the release of my mock exam results (let me repeat, which I COMPLETELY did not study for and therefore expected lousy and abysmal results). Apparently I was one of the only two in my class to pass my Science (Physics) paper, and I actually did ace (the second pass for my literature since sec 3) my lit paper with a 32/50. I actually did do pretty well with my Chinese (a most horrible subject since day one I stepped into the Education System) with a 63% and my maths wasn't as horrible as I thought it was gonna be. I really am starting to feel the need to study, the whole ideaology of me appealing frantically into a JC after my Os is getting me a bit panicky. And with good reason too.

I did not get into the CAP Mentorship Programme, and I was kinda depressed for one night (and day, if you count the hangover I had). But then again, I was cool with it - I mean, it doesn't mean I was necessarily bad off then all the other of my peers. I did get into CAP - which it itself is a really prestigous thing (so says my former English HOD, Miss Ang, who took the pain to make me come up with a portfolio to submit and hand it in). The Mentorship Programme, no matter whether I got in or not, still stayed with me as one of its bonuses, and truly I felt the fruits of this were in the friends I made.

I'm not gonna go through all the friends I had made during - I believed I already said too much about them =) in my former easyjournal blog. But I would like to give a shout-out to all of them right here - you ROCK my world! =D

I've been getting into guitar lately, and I seem to be constantly irritating my family members with the new sounds of me plucking and strumming to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's Californication and Scar Tissue. Seriously, I think they would have preferred me playing Bach's Sarabande and Rondeaux, but somehow, the allure of the guitar seems to put everything out of reach the minute I step back home. I would plonk my bag down, reach for the guitar, blast out the hi-fi, and start playing. This is getting really bad, I would envision myself as the next Slash, playing the outta-the-world Guns' N Roses' SWEET CHILD OF MINE intro and solos! Ah yes, the beauty of rock and roll. In the words of Jack Black and AC/DC? (I think) : "To the Defenders of Rock and Roll - I Salute You."

I'm addicted to blog-reading - particularly Karen's one. I feel like a parasitic leech, leeching off other people's misery of reading too many books at one time, or being too smart for the System. Albeit I can't possibly be like them, as smart as them, or as cool as them, but I love the funny shoutbacks to a world that does not seem to contend with their high IQ. And then I look at my own life, and smile at the simplicity of it all.

Lately some of my friends have been having a few problems with their life and the world in general. I feel so helpless sometimes, because they have personally come to me to tell me all of their problems and sometimes I don't know what to tell them. Sure I'm a pretty good listener, but to be a bearer of good advice, wow, thats hard all right. To tell you the truth I actually fret about what I might say as a response to what they are saying - like for example: whether it was the right time to inject an advice or so; whether the advice I was gonna give would be accepted or not; whether I was speaking in a too-patronizing tone... etc. It's hard, really - to lend a shoulder to friends. To hear their problems, to listen to the problems that they face. Life can be hard sometimes, which is why I'm there for almost everyone most of the time if they need it.

I realize I'm not putting up as good of a post as Karen's one - you can go check her's out at http://pwan_madthingy.livejournal.com. LOL. The things in life i worry about. Most of the time my posts tend to be reflective in nature, and not talon-pointed towards anyone or anything. Which makes for a rather boring read for my readers - ain't?

I grouse. Today's a good day. That's rare. *grin*

=signoff=
vince

Mentionable songs:

DO check out:

RHCP - Californication
RHCP - Scar Tissue
Starsailor - Silence is Easy
Guns N Roses - Sweet Child Of Mine
Queens Of The Stone Age - First It Giveth
Placebo - Every You Every Me
Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently
Tenacious D - Tribute
Tenacious D - Wonderboy

2004-01-11T16:08:00.000+08:00

Yes I know that's an age-old cliched topic with me, but I'm still not done ranting.

I recently discovered that I have a neighbour living below me (yes you rich kids, I live in a HDB flat, like all the other commoners), who loves to sit by his window-sill and chain-smoke. I saw him in the act once, doing all of the above, like smoking is the nirvana for him. Hella, I'm pissed. This afternoon whilst having tuition, I could smell the putrid smell again. It just wafted in, and I almost knocked into my tuition teacher rushing to pull the glass door of my balcony shut.

I think smokers in Singapore have gone far enough. Many people have this stereotype that smokers are mostly old people, while there are still some young people who pick up smoking, but eventually smoking will kill itself out. This is what many people who don't bother think. Well I have this to say to them, that's not true honey. Being a member of this 500,000 strong student committee, and in a neighbourhood school, I can safely say that many young people are picking up early the habit of smoking - in fact, as early as people start developing eggs and sperm.

I must highlight one thing if anyone from the Government or anyone particularly significent in Singapore is reading this (highly unlikely - yes I know). I would want to highlight that all the anti-smoking campaigns; the pictures of tranculated ulcers in the esophagus, the black tar that flows out of the lungs and the bloated stomach and burnt throat - all those pictures; the printed stripes on roads which state: "DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF TAR IN YOUR STOMACH AFTER X YEARS?"; the free help-lines for all the people who want to quit smoking; the handouts you give out to every school kid about the effects of smoking (that most likely just turn up at the recycling centre) - its just not working. THEY'RE ALL NOT WORKING.

But I will tell you what's working. All the harmful effects that you mention for passive smokers (like, me) - they're ALL still there. And they're working beautifully too. I think I have shortened my lifespan by at least 3 years breathing all the stupid white sticks of Death being put into TOTAL STRANGERS' mouths. Can you imagine how fucked that is? I'm actually DYING, because of some COMPLETE STRANGER'S smoke. I'm actually going to go to Heaven (or Hell - you never know about such things) 3 years sooner - three years of my QUALITY time on this beautiful Earth, just because someone smokes or light up.

So don't tell me to apologise. I used to apologise to friends of mine who smoke. I'd avoid them and keep asking them to not smoke in front of me. When they confront me I'd just apologise and say I was sorry for intruding on their space. But not anymore. I will not apologise if you intend to smoke in front or in my company, and take my valuable life away. I will not apologise as long as that stick of white Death stays in your mouth. I will not hesitate to tell to stop doing that, and I will not say sorry for my own good common sense that as a passive smoker, I actually stand to lose more than you. You.

Singapore is doing a good job trying to keep this smoking problem down to a minimal - but its not good enough. Kids nowadays - I'm telling you this, because I've personally seen it myself - are smart enough to bypass laws. They are smart enough to sneak into an R(A) show, they are certainly smart enough to ask an adult (i.e their brothers or their fathers) to buy them a pack of cigarettes. And this is what usually happens. A gang of smokers, underage smokers included, usually will ask the oldest - normally one with legal means to purchase cigarettes - to buy packs upon packs of it. And they'll all go on smoking. C'mon now, you actually thought THAT didn't happen?

I snort in derision.

Kids too, also have the means to actually fork out the money to pay for these little white Killers. And you think the 10 dollars you give your kid everyday for pocket money went to his lunch and maybe some arcade games?

I intend to do something about it, something more drastic than just bitching about it in my journal, or pinning notes to the back of my bag asking Smokers to Fuck Off. I actually like the Straits Times forum - I mean, you have the ability to remain completely anoyamous, and yet get the chance to share it with at least 2 million people in Singapore. If you're a smoker, and you intend to kill me after you read this, please note that its not much of a difference to me if you keep smoking. I'm going to die anyway, and come to think about it - we're all going to die - its just a matter of when. If I'm going to die because of something stupid i.e crazy fanatic Smoke fan kills anti-Smoke student; becoming a WILLING passive smoker - God forbid I won't help it. Over my dead body am I going to die and not do something about it - because of these stupid reasons.

So smokers, you have this one chance to give it up before I do something about this in my own special little way. If you think I'm just a puny student with no hope against the Big World Of United Happy Smokers you better go watch some Home Alone movies - and see how I can put you through Hell metaphorically.

2004-01-06T22:19:00.000+08:00

Tuesday - 10:14pm - Withered

It's almost one year since I've started blogging over at http://vincentquek.easyjournal.com. For obvious reasons (I think you would all agree with me, the amount of pop-ups is fucking irritating), I've decided to switch over to blogspot. I hope this would be much better than shitty easyjournal - wished it was as good as when I first starting blogging there.

Anyways, its a new year. I've got physics and E Math exam tomorrow which I have totally not studied for - which is such a bitch. I've discovered something - adults actually think that us teenagers have it easy by not working from 9 to 5 - but I think that's bull. I can personally vouch that studying at our age is way way harder than ANY 9 to 5 job. But I guess, that's just me.

I don't know what's gotten into me. Lately everything's been... neutral. Slow-moving, like some lucid dream (flashes of Vanilla Sky here ^^). I would like to state that at this point of my life, music is the only one thing that I really do look forward whenever I wake up in the morning, all the way till night. I send my friends lots of songs, sometimes for ulterior motives *smile* - but overall I believe music is the only one thing that doesn't scream back at me for doing something not right - or for not doing anything at all.

If only we could all stop breathing, to just ... stop. Close our eyes, and then breathe deeply. Imagining ourselves in a timeless and floating space. Naked, free from any human habitation. I *have* tried this, late at night, whilst lying in bed (I'm of course, dressed), waiting for night to fall. I think about my day, I think about the people I have met, I think about... at this point I don't think about anything - coz I would have already have dropped dead. It is such a beautiful, yet cursed thing - our human life.

I know a lot of people will not like what I have put up here - I don't blame them. It's too much of smart-aleckness in all of these. I guess people would want me to be sarcastic, or to put up some horribly-funny remark and make them laugh. But I do want to achieve one thing with this blog - at least be true to myself - which I found was horribly lacking in my past blog.

You can still read it though - over at http://vincentquek.easyjournal.com. Yep. And that's all I have to say about that.