Uncle, Melamine Utensils Please

I have always been the kind of person to run back to the familiar, the familiar smell of home cooked food, the familiar sights of my residence, the familiar feeling of sleeping on my bed its contours forming a nest for my body. The unfamiliar is interesting, but ultimately left to the adventurers and the misguided. Whats worse then the unfamiliar? well, its the feeling of the familiar becoming all to alien.

Case in point, NEWTON HAWKER CENTRE. I must say that I had fond memories of the old Newton. Yes the one with the with really small stool like chairs and even smaller circular tables, where the light Blue paint tried in vain to hide the rust that had accumulated throughout the years there. Yes the Newton of old, where you were greeted with a warm humid fog before you even entered. No this was not any ordinary fog, it smelled of the wonderful hawker fare on offer. The Char Kuay Teow, the Hokkien Mee, the Chai Tao Kuey, the Stingrays, the Oyster Omelet, the BBQ chicken wings, etc. Yes my friends, that was a heavenly scent like sweet nectar from a rare flower in full bloom. The only thing that was better than the smell, was the the taste. Oh! the froth from the teh tarik, that spicy mee pok ta that seemed to transcend the spicy o meter, and could only be extinguished with some sour sop dessert or some sugarcane. The blend of old school charm, good food and the low attention to hygiene seemed to be the most brilliant formula that made Newton, well, Newton.

You could imagine my utter dismay and shock when I went to the new Newton. After a hectic week in the Emerald City, I was hoping for a reminiscent of her old school past. What I got was a slaughtered version of Newton, that saved for the name and a small nuclear of stalls, had nothing that brought the throngs of people it did just a few years ago. The stalls had become generic, the seating arrangements so awkward, the hawkers, so lifeless.

The food was worse, for a higher price and a smaller portion, I got to taste the "toast of Singapore", the epitome of Singapore's "hawker fare". In fact it did nothing to represent Singapore's quality food. I swear, I could find better food at the coffee shop next door. The hokkien mee could well be called noodles, the mee pok had by "decent" seal of approval, nothing like its 'die die must try' status bestowed by some television programme(i wonder how you got featured). The stingray was 'ok' but not the best I have had. And the teh tarik only "flew" once. I felt like the bigger clown getting fooled into buying from that store. All in all, it was a farce, a sad combination of gimmicks and bad food all served in Styrofoam plates and plastic cups.

You know what I say? I say, Give me back my melamine tainted utensils. I don't care if its hygienic or lacking in presentation. If it adds to the taste, then I am having it. I say, dear Mr Hawker, get yourself together, I can feed your excuses of cuisine to the 'old guard" and they would spit it out and take laxatives to flush whats left out of their system. Theres no more oomph, no more sweet melancholy. Give me back my NEWTON HAWKER CENTRE. I taste generic food whose taste could have easily come from flavoring.

I don't know what it is, it could be the sweat I drip when I eat, or the confusing ambience , but I love the old newton, the new one's just cold, lifeless. So yea, I can now only imagine the tastes and flavors that the old Newton brought, unable to realise them ever again. Viva la Modernisation.

Ritual

Well I have been dodging blogging for some time now. Its a bit difficult to describe this love hate relationship that I have with inmysenses.

On one hand I simply cannot enough of get the sheer bliss of exorcising whatever angst and inner demons that I have suppressed in my life. Yet, I can't bear to sit in front of my computer and perform this ritual. For you entertainment buffs, its like watching GOSSIP GIRL and not wanting the know the ending. On one hand, you want to watch what happens to Serena and our all so innocent Dan, yet you don't really want to see that happy ending. You feelin' me?

Well, like Gossip Girl, I cannot take it no more.The unknown and yet uncontrollable urge to blog has taken over. So here I am.

So, my parents have been gone for more than a week now and I must say solitude is not all such a bad thing. The harsh silence of the house has become a rather sweet melody that I enjoy humming to. Only to be broken by the smokey voices of Mrs Fitzgerald and Mr Sinatra, this is my version of a quantum amount of solace. Well I must say that this hiatus has been good for me to contemplate life in general.

I am gravid with thoughts and ideas. I am smitten by melancholy. I think its high time that I really reconnect with my friends I have met over the years. The Emerald City is a festering ground for failed relationships. Also, I have been thinking of becoming more laid back, I guess articles that quote stress as the major contributor to the common illness, has flash-backed and dawned on me. So here I am trying to me nice and more laid back. Ironically enough, its pretty stressful to change myself. (RAWR)

So now, as my purging is near complete, I guess this parent-less has been nothing short of interesting. Ideas in hand and resolve carelessly left behind, I venture forward to life. Thankfully I got God to help me. Can't see myself venturing into this without some divine intervention.


(In the spirit of Gossip Girl)
XOXO

Blog and Life Resuscitation

Its sad, almost tragic. What am I talking about? The state of my blog of course. I owe its dilapidated state due to the mundane living that I have been experiencing recently. The recent months have been an anti thesis to the stock market. There is no volatility, no highs, no lows, surreal sedentary. Its no wonder that there is nothing to talk about.

Like a black and white film in slow motion. I feel like the only guy standing still in a busy train station while everyone rushes about, doing their daily affairs. (I think I said this before).Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be emo or feel depress. Its just a salient reflection of what I am feeling now. I am lackadaisical. I am sluggish. I am bored stiff with this Emerald City!

Yet as life continues in cruise control. I can't help but feel a greater appreciation for her nuances, her quietness that paves a way unfamiliar melody,peaceful and calm some thing which has eluded most of us kids for the past 12 years. Like a distant star that appears to blink, its all but visual trickery, like how the star's light emits constantly, so my life sails by steadily. 

It may seem contrary, but come to think of it I am beginning to like this foreign life of mine. No so much for the lack of women but for the lack of personal worries. For example, last week's only worry was, who the hell bought those 4 AK47s at Zouk on Sat. Not really your "bailout" decision/worry. Its great. Like a third person watching the world whizzes by. Like the man enjoying his cup of cappuccino in DeliFrance while watching the busy office people rush by in the rain. How all so fantastic.

But can't wait for the uni holidays, maybe it would inject a little excitement to Ian's consistency. I am still young you know.. resuscitation 

"It'll Be Just As Quiet When I Leave, Like It Was When I First Came Here"

Bonjour Monsieur/ Madam and all you Madamoiselles. So I rolled into a month of French class, and I can't say that I have become those fictitious French lovers. My French does not swoon women, it causes them to fall, and roll in laughter that is. 

Well, I am in one of my melancholic moods once again. Wondering how the pleathora of friendships made in JC are slowly fading into nothing-ness. Friends slowly assimilating themselves into different social networks or continents. Oblivious to their gradual departure.

I seem to be stuck in a silent movie. Where the main character just stands in the middle of a square (or train station) while everyone else is walking along their way, and in fast forward. Well, as I am hit my the on rushing revelation that people move one, let me take this time to tell you me friends that I am truly blessed to meet you. 

So as the credits role and Rachel Yamagata's "quiet" comes to an end. I think my melancholy has once again be kept in check again. But save for the tears and the fact that I still have a cadre of friends. Its all very depressing. Very depressing. 

Adieu

Lamentation

While listening to "season of love", the OST of RENT the musical, I just wondered how pessimistic that song was. As if 525800 mins were all that we really had. I mean can't we sub divide it to to view even those precious seconds? Well maybe the watch was not as complex as it was then. Food for thought.

Well after that rather forgettable lamentation, I wondered how life was a tad bit mundane now. Life in the Emerald City has not been all that exciting. I mean sure, pure regimentation and discipline create predictability and I don't really like surprises. But I want some thing more. Hopefully those French and driving classes would help. Its all rather surreal to me at the moment.

I guess its the transition phase of life. A pity that the girls are not enjoying this phase. We could all use with some 'hang' time. But no, they go on with the usual monotonous cycle of education. Learning more to learn more. wondering about the future and the job prospects. Instead here I am completely clueless as to what I want to do only thinking about the 'now' and not even giving a fleeting thought about the 'future'. The dichotomy is obvious and worst of all, I seem in no hurry to consider the later.

As I finish my glass of dark rum and lime, I think I will reserve those thoughts for another time. No need to rush, its time to take it easy and try to enjoy the Edmerald City as much as I can.


Music of the type:
Artist: Bananarama
Song: Love in the first degree/ Venus

Facebook Memories

Well, even though the medium may change, the effect is still as profound. While I was surfing facebook, I stumbled upon a montage of photos during the AC days. Something that somehow awash my memories of the rolling good times that I had not too long ago. Those images were so recent yet so distant. As though they had happened a decade ago. But well, they are less than half a year old.

That old melancholy rose up again, like a tidal, it fills me up with the excitement that I felt when I was still studying and not wearing green. Its amazing how we don't really miss something till it is not there. How we were all so eager to grow up and 'face' the world only to regret it later and wished that we could reverse the clock and go back to our infancy. The innocence and clueless-ness of adolescence life. Tis, we are now made to face the maturity of our soon to be adulthood. More aware of the situation and more distinctively clear of the material concerns encircling our lives.

I can't help but look back at those JC days with great joy and regret. Joy for all the good times that it had generated, for the great friendship that it had bloomed and all the quirky moments that it ensued. Yet, I am tainted with regret. Perhaps, I could have done more in AC, perhaps, I could have made more friends, Be a better senior? (Nah) and perhaps, I could have made it last longer ( that idea has not left my mind since j2). Well all that said and done, all that I can do now is muster the remainder of my memories and jot them down into this journal of sorts. All I can do is can them in the world wide web. SO that when I am down and alone and feeling blue, there would be a source to remember them. Maybe one day the class of 2aa5/2007 will sit down and laugh back at these times. But till then, as scan the facebook profiles again, I can't help but feel a sense of school patriotism welling inside me. I guess, and I hope that the best is yet to come.


Music for the type:
Tittle: Round About Midnight
Artist: Gotan Projet

Hiatus

Ok, after a very long 4 month hiatus, I think I am back to blogging. I guess, the hectic life of post enlistment and of course the need to remain in contact with JC mates had taken a toll on my online time. But, as I said, I think I am back.

So much things have happened in the last few months, too much in fact to narrate it here on this blog. Instead, lets talk about the greatness of what is going to develop soon. Army has gone into cruise control- the constancy of it is amazing. The need to keep in touch with my friends have not been easy. Its hard to go from seeing people on an everyday basis to possibly a monthly basis. slowly but surely, it results a depreciating of contact. Like denatured tips of synapses, the efficient of friendships have fell. But it should be all good soon. Its not like friendship is a presidential campaign, is it?

Ok as i sink into my melancholic mood, I can't help but feel a sense of over expectation and surrealism. Its as if I am not really living this life. As in this phase of life is just a dream- a realistic one at that. 2 years, of carefree living, 2 years of not really doing anything and getting paid at that, well it does sound good.

As i try to pull my thoughts together, i just can't help but sink and render myself to my melancholy. So till the next time when I muster the strength to type again, adieu.


Music of the type:
Artist: AMY WINEHOUSE
Album: Frank