TAXi

And so it begins. Today the new pricing scheme for taxis have kicked in, for Comfort taxis that is. I had the pleasure of riding a comfort taxi on its maiden day. I have to admit that I felt the pinch. The question on my mind -while I watched in trepidation as the meter, which seemed to be increasing at a uncanny and almost insane rate-was how am I going to pay for this? I don’t mean in the literal sense, I made sure I increased how much I carried by 49%, the same amount of the purported increase. Instead, the question of where this added 49% is going to come from is a more macro and long-term question.

The increase in the taxi fare is certainly warmly welcomed by cab drivers, yet what about the commuters? I do understand that this hike is considered ‘inevitable’ and that even with the hike; it is still comparable to the fees charged in Hong Kong. But this does not answer the question, which I am posing. Where is the added fee going to come from? My pay has certainly not increased by 49%! The end result of this hike is childishly simple. The commuters suffer. They have to now pay more for exactly the same service. Although the hikes may have been ‘inevitable’ does this warrant such a sudden and drastic increase? I don’t believe it does. The magnitude of increase is simply ludicrous!

Furthermore, I would like to touch on the simultaneous increase by all other cab companies, except for prime taxis (bless your souls). The liberalisation of the taxi industry by the Singapore government had been to incite competitiveness. Instead, all the other companies have conformed to the prices of the big boss (comfort). Where is the competitiveness there? If there were any competitiveness, it would mean that prices would be falling, as the firms will seek to lower their cost so as to produce cheaper price service to increase its customers. Instead, we see this monopolistic nature that we are so familiar with in the oil industry. Where the producers increase prices across the board so as to gain more profit. Undermining the government’s previous intentions to increase competitiveness.

Some say that this hikes help to solve the problem of the lack of taxis in the CBD during peak hours. Does it? If this were the case, why not just have the hikes only for peak hours. Instead, the hikes are effective everywhere, I did not know that there was a lack of taxis in the Clementi. This does emphasize that the reason for this hikes does not hold water. Sure, it is substantiated in the city during peak hours. But at other times, it merely looks like an unprecedented hike that lacks reason.

I do understand that cab drivers are complaining about the increase rents and how life is hard for them. Yet, it does not give taxi companies the right to increase these prices, thereby affecting another group of individuals-the people who take cabs. Instead of addressing the problem of higher rents, they have only tried to offset it by increasing rates. Ie, they are not solving the problem. Only alleviating it. Where’s the logic in that?

Sylp my yarbles!

Fuck it! its not going to fucking happen. You can't get STD from doing the tongue. Its as what they say, damn sway and damn unlikely. Anyhow whatever it is, I think this has reminded me to keep myself in check for a while. Besides, if anything happens she will show the symptoms first. Hahaha

Note to self: keep close contact with her for 90 days, thats the time they claim that the symptoms will show. hmm.

Aside from that shit, it was all good and prom was a blast. Finally that suit paid off. Shame that the $99 did not mean really good food.

Pity that we take things for granted and not fucking give a shit about the outcome till we are having breakfast at coffee bean and sitting around friends are discussing it.

Friendster and A Psychological illness

Ok, I know its abit early to blog again especially after the previous post, but I just could not help it. The topic: your stupid friendster profiles. The problem: number one, you don't use your real names. Number two, you have every other photo except yours. I mean how the hell am I to know who the hell you are.

To address the first problem. Do you have occasions in which you are surfing your friendster profiles and come across a name like 'Akura' or '3vil crazy' and '~l~'? I mean what the hell? I am sure your parents don't call you that do they? and if they don't call you that, they certainly don't give you those names. What are you thinking? '3vil crazy' it sounds like a name that the devil will give his son so that he can grow up to be like him. Ps: its not a good nickname either, unless you are really evil and crazy and in that case, why are you not located to Woodbridge?

On this topic of names, have you notice this trend of adding punctuations to the front of it so that your name appears first in the list? (eg. ~name) I certainly have seen it and I find this utterly hilarious. What satisfaction do you get from being first on the list? (yes, adding these will make your appear first on a list of names) Last I checked I will chat to anyone whether you are in the first, middle or last place. Please, for gods sake, unless the punctuations are there because you want me to pronounce it that way, please get it off. Its embarrassing and infantile.

Secondly, the picture. How does one manage to have no pictures of one self in a 21 picture album? Unless you have boils going all over your face and worms festering in them, please add some pictures of yourself. How else can we identify you? (especially if have those special names mentioned above) i know this may seem like incessant ranting but, theres a deeper implication to this.

These 2 behaviors reveal certain characteristic of an individual. Namely a low self esteem and a sense of wanting to be known ie. attention seeking disorder. Although not serious in the sense of being a medical condition. It certainly reveals a lot about yourself and how you feel about you. word of advice, don't seek for others to define who you are, merely confirm it.

If you don't love you, who else will? I have to go now, my "m" is calling me.

Hmmm....

What a week this has been. To briefly summarize this week, I will pick up from Tuesday. Wednesday was mambo jambo night, and if you have paid attention to my display nick, you will realize that I spent most of it sprawled on the floor. The reason? simple. Wine, Contrineau and Baileys don't mix well in your body. Friday was out with Teresa and Jerome couple with dinner with Kenneth, his brother and his wife. Which brings us to today. Prom shopping,Hitman,gym, suana.

Phew, it makes me tired just thinking of it. Well it was fun and I am throughly enjoying this new post A level, "I have no more school for the next 2 years" life. But, whilst I was lamenting to myself while sitting in the suana, I began to wonder if this is all "right".

I mean, the lifestyle now is definitely more enjoyable then the one suffered 2 weeks ago. But am I am not just substituting one hectic schedule for the other? Does it really make a difference?

*************************************************************************************
I am typing this after a few moments of thought and I conclude that I like this life! it has been great! But now, more than ever, I need to strike a balance. I need to have some days where I spend the time to get lost. I need to have days where I can nestle on the couch and read a book. I need to have days where I will wake up early, watch commuters rush to work and take stock as to how good I got it. Yet, I need to have days of mambo. Days of boozing and endlessly strolling around orchard.

I guess it boils down to balance and I do hope that I can achieve that. You know what, screw this I am going to relax now and let my mind drift.Time is on my side and so is life and God.
Adieu.

Oh my freaking GOD. At last the As are OVER! the four weeks of torment has finally come to a resounding halt. It has been one heck of an A levels, and I kid you not when I say that four weeks is just too damn long a duration for any exam to last.

Anyway, aside from this the end of exams has been eventful. After Lit, it was water rugby and then dinner with Jerome, Han, Chris, Kiat, Yanni, Wei Ting before having some jugs of "get fucked" and "sex on the beach", before stumbling home.

Morning was spent packing hiding all that educational material from my "party going" eyes. Then it was Suana time and a light swim before waking up now. What an eventful day. Ok then theres mambo tomorrow and maybe a gym session.

Till next time

While I was being educated (part I)

This will be the first of a series of post that will be tittled "while I was being educated". The posts are aimed to kinda sum up what has been going on in the world as I have gone through my 12 years of 'fixed' education. I think it is somehow fitting as my JC years come to a close and I begin with a mandatory 2 years in the army ie a 2 year sabbatical from thinking, that I recapitulate what has happened these bittersweet 12 years.

For the first post, I will talk about the accession of reality TV series. In no other time period has the words "the tribe has spoken', and 'immunity' been so widely used. And lest we forget how traveling around the world could be such a strain. Top that off with multiple scandals caught on tapes and viewed by billions across the world. Yes! reality series has stormed themselves into our living room these 12 years and have become a staple diet in television programming.

What is all the fuss about? well I guess the reason why reality TV has gained such a foothold in TV programming is simple because we demand for it. We just can't enough of watching people have sex at night with completely unknown people, plot to vote off another person, scheme and bribe locals not to help others and basically to show the completely nasty side of human beings in which we wish we could enact but are unable to due to a supposed "civilized society". Well maybe it could be due to the highly fantastical notions of winning a cash prize and rising above ones social status. Either way reality TV has come a long way. The amount of spin offs from survivor, the amazing race, the contender, etc are too vast to count.

They have filled our TV sets with copious amounts of Darwinian theory in which the strongest survive. Where the weak are preyed upon and there is a constant struggle to maintain dominance through any means possible.

Is this really what we are advocating? To struggle? to scheme? to as what Pip says, show a very "bad side of human nature"? This I leave to you my readers to decide on you own.

This week promises to be a rather relaxed one. The irony of this being that I am technically still having my A levels. Anyhow I will try to maintain my momentum. I hope.

On a lighter note, met up with Jerome and Chris yesterday for a spot of shopping, and coincidentally enough met xiang un along the way. Interesting how small Singapore is. Well I shall spare you the tiresome details of the experience only to let you know that everyone left with a plastic from Zara, Pedro or Kino. But it was a great time to catch up with friends. I NEED to do this more often, maybe with a nice mug of Heineken next to me.

I started to reflect and I think we need to enjoy life and take it easy. Life is too short for us to be running this rat race all the time. After all even if we do win this race, what does it make us? A champion rat? not an inviting thought. So I think it is time that we sincerely learn to appreciate Life. I use life as a noun simply because I am treating it as a living object.

You see, we have hardly considered Life and have simply been going about life. What Life gives us is more a wholesome, rich and meaningful. Yet we neglect her and treat her without much reverence.

Its time that we live Life and love Life.

"4 for more?"

As I write this post, i am heaving a huge sigh of relief. Well, the bulk of the papers are over and the tensions of the A levels are slowly winding to a much anticipated close. The past four days have been a real mental and physical test. Four papers in four days and ten and a half hours later, I am still having a pretty sore right hand and an exhausted brain.

It did however, end on a good note. Had a good time with Han, Jerome, Xiang un, Boren, Shi han and Kiat last night, mm, this morning to be exact. Followed up with water rugby and Tin wai birthday celebration. I have literally gone 48 hrs with about 4 hours of rest.Boy! thats fun.

I do not know if it is some form of epiphany or not, but I think I have come to realized the profound importance of friendship. You know how we are told in school that friends are important and how and what a "good" friend should be. Yet, it is not until we really experience the deeds that allows not just our minds but our heart to comprehend. I guess it simply means the company, I am sure that we will not always agree all the time and sometimes we can say the most irate of things. Yet, somehow or rather its just a fleeting thought, a mere outburst of emotion.

Allow me to concrete this rather abstract idea. Look at friendship as a tree as the years go by, it will become bigger and bigger ie. the friendship fosters and begins to grow. Secondly, along with growing up, it grows down too. thus friendship, like a tree goes deeper into the soil of your life and reaches into deeper recesses in which pain and happiness occurs. Thus building a friendship that is stronger too.

Of course sometimes it sours, like when a primary branch of a tree is cut off. Sometime even the bark disappears. Yet, while we may feel that it is a loss, there is hope. Like grafting, we can grow that once dead branch again, and start anew.

Ok, I have rambled enough. I need to sleep.

Months later

With a sudden spur of emotion and the need to get something off my chest, I have decided to resuscitate this dying blog of mine.

My my my, how much things have changed since the last time I decided to post something up. The A levels have hearald their arrival by giving me THE most stressful time in my life (so far), and my emotional life has been twisted in and out, and back in again fortunately or unfortunately not as bad as Han.

Well, time to bitch a little about this A levels. Dear Mr MOE, let me pour out my feelings about this wretched examination that I am experiencing. The revised A level program of 3H2sand 1H1 is not want you have claimed it to be. Instead of being a "lighter load", it has turned out to be like lead. Small but dense. Yes you heard me right. This perceived streamlined curriculum has done nothing to make our education more aerodynamic. Instead it makes us, well at least me, to feel that the load is heavier, the subjects more varied and ultimately, the A levels more difficult.

This is exacerbated by the paradoxical 'teach less learn more' theory. It is hard to learn more when teachers teach less and although self learning and discovery is suppose to substitute the teachers or 'mentors' , the problem lies in the fact that there is seriously no time for this fantastical idea of 'self discovery'.

Although I do have to admit that this education has churned out many bright minds and wonderful citizens, I just cant help feel that this system is not working out for me now.
Well, time to insert this life story here. Chances are, no one is going to read this post and even if someone does, probably apathy and this natural sense of "its not happening to me" mentality will set you. I am not exempted either, I will probably forget this episode once the papers end and I start the alcohol sessions.

Well, at least this is off my chest I really do hope that something will be done, but knowing this world, I don't expect too much.

"blackbirds fatten best in hard weather, why not I in these dog days?"

Carpe Diem!

Well, before I begin this post, I would like to mention to you that this would probably the most sentimental one that I would be writing.

Life is a fragile and unexpected thing

My maid’s husband has just passed away and it is needless to say that she is in a shattered wreck right about now, and not even our condolences and the constant promise that we would be sending her on the first flight back to her hometown is doing anything positive to the situation. Of course the real impact of the situation is not being impressed upon me, partly due to the fact that she is just a maid in which my family hires and she has been here for bare half a year. However, I do feel for her. It is only the natural thing for me to do.

In life, nothing is definitive, especially when it comes to departing this world. Today you may be here; tomorrow you may not. You see, this is the thing about life, you don’t really dictate its movement, sure you can dictate the events within your life, but you just cannot dictate Life. Who knows if you will get stomach cancer? Who can safely say that they know that they will live to 70? I can’t.

Although I feel a bit ashamed of using this anecdote to illustrate my point, I do feel that the lessons that we can draw from this is worth it. In life, we can never know what would eventually become of us. Thus it is pertinent that we seize the day and any of the opportunities that she brings to us. For the opportunities may not come again, and it would be a shame that we have to live to regret it on our deathbed, slowly de-generating away.

Let us not live our lives on ‘what ifs’. ‘What if I had turned over a new leaf?’, ‘What if I had studied for that exam’, ‘What if I had not started drinking?’. We should instead make all these ‘what ifs’ into action and curb all our bad habits. For we may not be able to amend them, if we procrastinate them for another day.

I conclude this post in remembrance of all our kin and friends who have transcended the physical boundary which we call earth. May their lives be a testimony to which we can base ours on.

March-ing on

Ahh the holidays are here and I guess it is once again a sweet intermission from stress. However, I would like to take this post to encourage my freinds who have not made it back to their JC of their choice.

You know how life is like a baseball game, and trouble, the thrower. You never know what he will present to you. It could be fast ball, a curve ball or a fake. Regardless of it, you can never be too sure of what to expect and more importantly, how to handle it. However this does not imply that you dont handle the situation thrust upon you. Instead, what you should do is to make the best out of it. Hit the ball and start running to the bases.

The same thing in school life. Dont be stumped at the current trouble that life has thrust upon you, instead handle it and dont lament on the problem. Sitting around and crying over spilt milk would not put the milk back into the carton. So what if you did not get what you desire? so what if your appeal fails? so what?! the world does not give a second chance! instead seize whatever you are given and try your best to hit a home run. Dont worry if you miss this chance, it is a player and only a game in the season called 'life'. there would be more chances and oppurtunities to come.

"Today we walk down this darken alley,
The walls tower here are blinding and scary.
I hold you close trembling in fear,
The only thing that eases my mind is that you are near.
Please don't go..."

CNY?

Ah, Chinese New Year is here, a blissful intermission from the hectic race called 'life'. Managed to get some socializing time today, met up with members of F.O.S for a CNY celebration that ended up in a game of hide and seek in PS.

Anyhow, it is the new year! No resolutions this time... I dont follow the lunar calender. But it is a good time to sit back and take stock of the year so far. It has been an eventful one, filled with the most wondeful of times and the most melancholic of moments. For the purpose of not divulging my life to the readers and to dampen their holiday mood, I shall not elaborate further.

You know, the funny thing about life is the bittersweet moments it throws at you, I was thinking the other day, 'what is my place on earth?' . Although it is philosophical and the answer relative, it is important to use this question to be your guiding light to the decisions that one makes. How can we ever tolerate living an existence without a meaning? Life is full of mystery and surprises, but there is a meaning to it. So this CNY, dont go about your daily innings without a slightest clue as to the reason you are doing in. If you do that, we are nothing better than the animals that we see in the zoo.

Happy CNY esp to all you 12 year old piggies

Bleh

Finally, after many weeks of being trapped out of Blogger, I am finally back. Thank you Google for planning to monopolize the entire web. With out you, I would not have a good excuse not to have blogged for so long.

However, the timing of my return is rather apt. This Wed is Valentine's day, It is a day where we would receive gifts from the ones who love us, etc. Well, I was thinking, do we really need this day to remind us that people love us? The answer is telling in the way that you would see this day. Don't get me wrong, I am not a pacifist here, by a realist. In our lives we will encounter people that we love (actually 'like' is a better definition), do we need this day to tell them that we "love" them?
Anyhow, I will be single for this valentines day as with all the other 16. But I am not Bitter about it, nor am I trying to dampen you, the reader's mood, all i am saying is this day is not very special, it is just unique.

So just soak up the festivities and well, enjoy the day.

Amoursanretour or something like that....

2007... so far

Sighs, it has been a hectic start to the year, and thus I am unable to post as much as I intend to. What has gone on within the last 2 weeks of my life?

Well there was orientation (which was a blast) and then it was back to school where I got reaquainted with my notes and those boring lectures where watching the grass grow seem to be a better prospect. Anyhow, the homework has been piling, the teachers have been yelling and I am getting the shelling. It is very plain to see that I need someone here with me, but my hopes are just as realizable as the lecturer in math shutting the hell up.

'amoursansretour'.... or something like that

Resolutions?

Well, it is the year 2007 and I guess the new year is suppose to usher in a whole new set of wishes and goals that I want to achieve in the year ahead. It is at this time when ppl start blogging their goals and aims, but this blog is different. My resolution for 2007 is to have no resolutions at all. The reason? Life is simply too short.

What do I mean by that, it is a known fact that resolutions are hardly ever achieved and life is too short to be chasing after goals. Dont get me wrong, to have a plan in life is important, but out time here is too short to be chasing after things and never having a minute to look back and appreciate the things that we had done and the problems that we have conquered. It has been a bad habit of ours to never see what we have done and only focus on the things undone.

Life is too short even if we live till 100, we only have 35,600 days to live. That is not alot of time, considering that we would sleep for a quarter of that time. You see, life is too short to always be chasing fantastical ideas with out having to halt for a moment to appreciate what is done. 2007 should be the year where we look back and take things easy. Let 2007 be the year where we live day by day apprecitaing what life has to offer. Let 2007 be the year of appreciation and not chasing and joining the rat race. Even if you do win the rat race, it only makes you the biggest rat.

Mantra for 2007:
Trust, rest and appreciate.

This Christmas...

Well, christmas is around the corner and as expected, we are all rushing about buying presents and doing some shopping. But at this time of the year, can we not forget what is most important here. No it is not the spirit of giving or the idea of celebrating the nativity (YES they are important and all).

But what is the single most important thing is the idea of coming together as a family unit and thanking whichever god you belive in for a wonderful year and how he/they have been gracious to you and protected you for the past 360 days of the year.
No, it is not the time for you to be going out with your friends and getting pissed drunk and mistake your flushed nose to be Rudolf. But it is a time to sincerly look back and well, appreciate it.

Christmas is here and to me there is more to it then just presents and gifts. It should be a time for rememberance. For christians, it is to remember someone who gave his life for you. For others, it is a time to remember people who would give their life for you. It is a time to take stock on the quality of your life and be thankful for it. Just for this day let us not chase ambitions and goals without first taking time to look back and reminisece about the goals that we have accomplished

So this christmas, let us not get wild and over the top, let us not use the excuse of a mistletoe for a free kiss and let us not think christmas is some lightshow that makes Orchard rd more pretty (although it is not the case this year). Let us instead appreciate the friends and appreciate the love bestowed on us.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL.

Thanks

This post is dedicated to the person who managed to help me get all the links into the blog! Tks Colleen, sorry I dunno what is html or any of this programming things, rather noob at this. Thankfully you know this IT thing...





PS: notice the role reversal in this modern world. What next, female Phua Chu Kangs? Hmmm

Bloody Bas***d Breeze!

The problem with technology is that it is not 100% reliable! I was trying to access the e-learning portal which contained my holiday homework and well, lo and behold, I cannot get in and school is starting soon and there is a test for this topic! (go figure).

I mean why can we not stick to paper and pen? There is a saying, if there is nothing wrong with it, don't fix it! Sorry for this flusttered post, but it is very irritating when I cannot get something which I want done. Anyhow, it has been a quiet week, and nothing realy meaningful has sufficed.
It pains me to wonder how the definition of the term 'holiday' has been brutally mauled by the Singaporean education system. No longer do we get to rest, instead we are given homework.

What is this world coming to?

Confessions of a Cab driver 2

Well well , I was on the way back from a cab on Wednesday morning (2am), and I met another interesting cab driver with his own anecdote about life.

He was sharing with me how difficult life was being a cab driver, and how the increase in fares did not just affect us, but him also. He complained of how the new fares had turned off customers who would rather wait for the first bus or first train rather than take the cab. He had also talked about how his 2 children would starting primary school and how he had to single handedly put rice on the table for his wife, his children and himself. Sigh such is his predicament.

Well, he had mentioned about the constraints that he had faced and how he only had primary school education and how it had led to him ending up driving since he was a tender age. Of course, he had also mentioned how times had changed and how one needed an N or O level cert to drive a cab. Subsequently, he was worried that his children would not be able to adapt to the society for them in the future.

Sigh, times have really changed. 3 decades ago, noodles could be bought at 50 cents and things were so much easier. Education was fun and people were happy. Nowadays, we go about our daily innings with this 'computed' mindset and with our even thought or appreciation for life. Life has become such a bitter struggle to make ends meet and has been hard on the general population. I respect this uncle who has chose to struggle on and to continue to work against the odds and try to support his family. The education system has been taxing on us, and I guess, we really need to change and adapt, or else we would be sorely left wanting.


'let us not take the roof over our heads, the food on the table and the starhub cable as simply necessities, when somewhere just maybe a few roads down, these maybe be luxuries.'



PS: if the taxi driver and the passenger is at the loosing end of this new meter system, who is making the dough? Rather obvious eh.

Changes

Friends are back from Aussie-land! Anyhow, Ben has to go for army now, so wont be seeing for long.

Its amazing how things can change since the last time I saw them (which was a year ago). I guess it just emphasizes how we all change and how 365 days can mould someone to a completly new person not jsut physically, but also in terms of his/her character and mannerisms. Well, I think ACJC has changed me alot in both good and bad ways, but then again I am not like the gahmen, I accept that pros come with cons.

Well, I was wondering to myself, can we ever remain true to ourselves? When we first started off as children, we had always claimed that we would never (emphasis on 'never') tell a lie. But looking back, I am afraid that the lies I have made can make you a millionaire if 1 lie cost $1. Well, we say that we would not smoke, not have pre-maritial sex, but how sure are we that we do will abstain?

Tsk tsk tsk, the temprement of the human will, so easily to change, so easy to turn 180 degrees, so easy to love, so easy to hate, so easy to give in.