paradigm shift

i've always liked to type when i'm drunk.

like tonight for example.

or that night, many, many years ago...i'll try to keep all my gramatical and spelling errors here. Free typing, typing without correction, that's what tey call it.

Isn't it bliss? ?
as a matter of fact, i'm typing with my eyes closed....those of you who know me will know that i'm really quite capable of that...no big deal it is, just typing away with those lid of yours closed...

so what was the poison of my choice tonight? red wine, white wine and beer.

what's the event? i would rather not say. as a matter of good fact, i'm enjoying myself in this dew of pure bliss right now, alone, by my lonesome... typing alone when drunk, melo songs in the back ground... whitewine in the foregrouund...

i'm having Liquid Tension Experiment's - Hour Glass playing right now... piano solo. something not to be expected from a progressive rock group...

let's take another sip of wine...

so what's first on my mind now? ...London. And JR Inkjet. And Pieter. And Moe. And Ben. And Sarah and James. And Ratcha, Dong Yu, Tomoko. Paula.... the other American girl.

I'm a foreigner. I hate being local. I hate Singapore. I don't want to be a Singaporean.

I'm Jealous.

I'm jealous of all those around me who are able to choose life as they want it. I hate it when i'm to choose a life that i do not want because i'm responsible for those around me.

I can't say that. I love my father. I love my aunties. I would not want to give them up even for my own satisfaction. But there's my own satisfaction, there's my own life. There's my own happiness. I want to settle down in the place i want, with the girl i love, with the life i like. NOT WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN! I want to live in London, in New York, in Tokyo!! I want to live life alone with the one I love, my own partner... not my family. And yet i can't forsake my family. I can't do that.

I ddidn't want to leave London. I didn't want to leave England. I didn't want to. I've had a chance. I gave it up. Willingly. I had the capabilities. I had what it takes.

I couldn't do it, i had to give it up. Willingly.

I had to return to singapore.

I don't have someone i could i love... i don't know how to love. I've given up on Church, though I still belive in God. Life's unfair, really...to me at least, but at least that's all that matters.

Many, many times i wonder. Why? Why do pepple who don't belive in You live a much better life than I do? Why do people who belive in you live a more harsh life than they should? Why? Why ? Why?

Leaving London was like leaving a girlfriend, albeit this time, I did it willingly. Prospect Road, Essex, Rainham, Woodford Green, Ipswich, Russell Square...these are places i cannot easily forget. The train delays, the bomb scares, the stench of stink, the robbers... who gives a shit? London is beautiful...a beautiful, beautiful rose.... the English rose.... the rose of hope and glory....and yet i've go return to Singapore.

Yet Singapore...singapoe....i don't know... i'm proud to be an Asian. But not a Singaporean. Singapore's a large baby-care centre. The people are rude...boring... selfish...

i'm drunk,

ui can't rite anymore.

good nite.
#

To hang or not to hang?

Heard about the execution of the Australian drug smuggler? Shrewed businessman he is, a bit of a risk taker, even knowing full well the consequences of importing happy medicine into Singapore, he goes ahead and does it anyway!

It's all about managing risk; You eat left over curry, you may get diahorrea. You play golf, you may get struck by lightning. You cross a road, you may get hit by a car. So everyone knows that if you try to bring in drugs to Singapore (or most parts of Asia for that fact), you will be sentenced to hang if you're caught.

And our good 'ol mate got caught.

Poor chap, but don't miss him yet, he's probably making more money than a whole year's salary of you and me put together in just one deal. He's probably laying more chicks than you and me too!

Well, some people think that execution is barbaric (but don't tell that to the steak you had for lunch). I think it's swift punishment. And effective. And saves us money.

A personal point of view: If i knew that bringing in marijuana, or any sort of drug would result in only a prison term or death sentence, i would take a risk! Imagine the sort of money you can make! Then again, the street value of the drugs would probably be lowered anyway cause a million other likeminded businessmen would be thinking the same way too. Everyone would be high on crack every nite...well, that may not be such a bad thing would it now?

Execution, i believe, is also a sympathetic way of sentencing a criminal. Let me explain: Imagine... having to have to spend the rest of your life in a prison cell, washing dirty garments and getting violated by horny cellmates. How would you like that? Wouldn't you pray for an early death instead?

But in the case of Singapore, I believe is merely a case of cutting costs. Why should tax payers money be used to support a criminal for the rest of his life? You've got to pay wardens to look after him, councillors to keep him sane, feed him, clothe him, pay for his medical needs, care for him... All that when a rope would do the trick!

And then Mr. Mark Hilder from New South Wales think's it's wrong for us to dish out punishment.

He's probably the same guy who will be complaining of stoned kids vandalising his car and molesting his girlfriend. Sod it, maybe he's a crack head himself!

Hey Markey, you can boycott all products made or associated with our country you want...you're just a little prick in a large world of jack hammers.

But, hey, while you're at it, why not boycott goods from other nations that supports the death sentence too? Let's see, last on my list was China, America, Japan, Malaysia....

Singapore has harsh penalties. We've flogged naughty American vandals, hanged a Fillipino murderess, hanged a Malaysian pedophile...and if you think the laws will be relaxed on a drug trafficking Australian, think again.

It's ugly, it's a boring country. But it's a system that works.

If anyone wants to protest, it will be Singaporeans. Not a foreigner writing in from miles away.

And until now, few Singaporeans object the death penalty.

Especially not for one that makes more money than me.

Men are from Earth, Women are from Earth. Deal with it.

...and then I was reading the forums at Channel News Asia. The topics there are so shallow, I don't know why i'm even bothering. I think it's a strange human desire to feel revolted sometimes. That explains our fascination with horror and violence.

I can’t remember exactly what the conversation was, but I know it’s something to do with divorce rates in Singapore. In a nutshell, our wise fellow columnists came up with the Grand Theory explaining the high divorce rates in Singapore. Women are getting more independent. And the Grand Solution? Get women to stay at home and be more dependent on their husbands.

Utter bollocks.

But that’s just my opinion.

Flash back now to one year ago: I remembered that my ex-girlfriend was always telling me that modern Singapore girls are different. According to her they’re now a new species of Singaporeans and dictate what they want in their lives. Money, lifestyle, boyfriend…if you’re not up the mark, boom, out you go. (That, obviously, would include me, but hey, at least I got short listed before I was given the boot!) She too blames independence (actually exalted would be a word she would have used) for women to be more selective about their choice of men, hence leading to high divorce rates.

Utter bollocks.

She wouldn’t be too pleased to hear my remark.

And then there are books, magazines, articles and journals that theorise that men and women think so differently, they might as well be from different planets.

If you ask me, that belief forms the basis for a fantastic marketing engine. But that’s another story.

Before we tackle this problem, let’s see what “independence” really mean. And please, in this article, “independence” means emotional independence. So spare me your ideas of Reformasi and other notions of nationalism.

The role of the humans in medieval times was simple. Man hunts and kill, women cooks and collects. Smashing. That makes perfect sense, because physiologically it’d make more sense for testosterone charged man to chase a woolly mammoth and the more alert and environmentally sensitive woman to collect food and care for everything else the man can’t do on his meat hunt expeditions.

Thus a “relationship” was formed. In modern terms, this would be a “effective cooperation resulting in a synergy for a beneficial win-win partnership”. Hence, “independence” never existed even in ancient times.

What is independence really? According to Maslow’s Humanistic Psychology, human’s require a set of needs and peak experiences in order to feel satisfied. Fancy shmuck aside, desire to be loved and need for social dependence are rudimentary basics for human existence. Even in science, humans are not meant to be independent.

It gets better when you look at it in a religious point of view. The Testaments of Jewish, Christian, Catholic and Muslim faiths point out that Man and Woman must live together as one component. (And it is, by the way, Adam and Eve… not Adam and Steve.)

So why are there people still thinking that women crave independence? Women, like men, want to make the most and excel in their lives. They want to material comforts and build happy homes for them and their families… like men. So men and women both have the ideals and goals.

In sometime in their lives, they may want to be free of family bond… but the whole reason for that is to build different formats of relationships.

Let’s face it. Humans are social creatures. Put two together in a car and they’ll start to interact with each other in more ways than you can think.

Everyone is in a mission to better their lives, be it men or women. Everyone wants a better partner for themselves. So please. Women, like men, are mere mortals. Not Mars, Not Venus. From Earth. Deal with it.

a reminder.

I'm sacrficing a lot by returning to Singapore.

I love London, I really do. This really is the Land of Hope and Glory.

Let's hope i'll follow through my plans for my degree, otherwise returning will be the stupidest thing i'll do in my life.

Job Hunting Tips

When friends tell me that they’re having a tough time getting an interview, I usually ask how they go about doing their job hunt.

“Look through newspaper and send out resume lor, send the more the better…but I send 500 resumes out already but still no reply leh…”

So I ask them what sort of resume they send out.

“Standard one from MS Word lor, printed on nice paper, put in nice envelope with nice photograph.”

Job hunting in the 21st century is a harrowing experience. It no longer entails preparing a standard resume of what jobs you did in your life, printing it on fancy corrugated paper and mass mailing out to every company in the classifieds. Think about how you handle junk mail. Your resume is the Human Resource’s office version of Tan Ah Cheok’s windows repair specialist.

The process of looking for a job is, well, by itself already a full time job!

Let's see..first, you have to set a few boundary objectives and requirements for the work/company you want to get involved in. You have to identify what sort of company you want to work for, what sort of scalability the job could give you, what sort of time frame you’re going to be with the company and of course, what you want to achieve.

I personally believe that “working” for any company in any position is nothing more than leverage for you to develop your desired skills. They in turn benefit from your skills and will have reason to want to retain you. It’s a beautiful exchange.

Oh yes… job hunting… So after you’ve got the identification down pat, you now have to prepare a resume outline that is both configurable and flexible to suit different employers. Not as easy as it sounds. And it’s only an outline. It must be altered to suit different positions.

It doesn't stop there. There is also the cover letter and an e-mail introduction.
Now these I believe are the most crucial of them all. If your email intro doesn't even pass Human Resources, you might as well have not sent the application at all! Let's just say that you have about 2 seconds in about 5 sentences to sell all your talents to a bored HR executive who may be casually sifting through a million applications after a heavy lunch.

And all that is even BEFORE you look for a job! What about the actual hunting? Will you use electronic job seek facilities, national newspapers or perhaps employ a job seek agency to do the work for you? How will you negotiate all of the above methods?

Yet these are not just the ways to find an opening. Companies usually post an advertisement only if they can’t fill the position through their own means. You also need to keep an eye out through your own network. Does a friend of a friend know of a position available?
Do you chat with people in cafes and pubs? Do you moan about your job seeking experiences in blogs and internet forums?

And just about until now, you still have not even had your first interview yet!

Exciting isn’t it? And that’s exactly what I’m going through now. Only problem is I’m trying to look for a job while I’m 70,000 miles away from home. I’ve got limited contact to my network of friends, no access to newspapers and no way of registering myself with an agency. I’m limited to those solely on the internet. I’ve been alternating between JobsDB.com, Jobstreet.com and a few direct applications to corporations I fancy.

But you know what’s pissing me off? Companies who can't differentiate between SALES and MARKETING.

I’m actually hunting for a job that would allow me to specialise in Marketing, you see. However, many local SMEs can’t tell the difference between MARKETING, SALES, PUBLIC RELATIONS and ADVERTISING. Or if they do, they assume that Marketing is all about designing a few fancy posters, liaising with printers, drawing up a few advertisements and that’s it!

A true marketing position is far more complex than that. For a start, sales, public relations, advertising, direct marketing and the like are all tools of marketing. And the delivery of messages to the public involves a lot more than a few brochures and posters. I could talk a lot more about marketing, but I’ll leave it for a separate entry.

You know what else about job seek ads bother me? Some of the requirements involved. I’ve never actually thought about how employers describe the potential candidate until I’ve actually compared them with those abroad.

Here are some of them:

Late Working Hours

It is understood that you’ll have to work late isn’t it? I mean, is there a need to really emphasise on it? Will you work to 4am in the morning and start work again at 8am? Everyday?

Highly Stressful Conditions

Again, unless your application is for a Land Mine Clearing Specialist, it is equally understood that every job is stressful. I have yet to see a company advertising for “Tranquil and unperturbed conditions”. Even executives at the Banyan Tree swing from the end of their tether many a times.

Female working Environment / Chinese speaking only

The use of the phrase “Chinese Speaking Only” could be a bit sticky. Especially when used in a country where there are larger numbers of Chinese (Singaporean) run businesses. It could easily misinterpreted as “Chinese Only”.

In true cosmopolitan cities, no one would dare to make such remarks. If a foreign language is required, it should say “Knowledge of X language would be advantageous” or “Would be required to interact with Chinese counterparts frequently” if it is a position requiring the use of the language. And this would be immediately tagged with the disclaimer “XXX Ltd is an equal opportunities employer and will not discriminate candidates based on sex, age, religion, race or ethnicity.”

And why a male/female working environment only? If you are L’Oreal or Tampax, I’m sure it would be understood that most men would find themselves awkwardly unsuitable for the job. (Well, there are alternative males, but hey, if they can fit in and do the job, then they should be given a chance shouldn’t they?) Or if you’re Keppel Container services looking for manual labourers, no girl would think they would desire to apply too, or if they want to, they too should be given a chance.

Oh, and here’s my favourite:

Must be willing to travel 15-20% of the time.

Now how’s that for precise? How would you calculate that? Is that off regular 9-5 or off a 6 day week? What if you exceed and travel 21% instead, would that be compensated? Travelling would be travelling wouldn’t it? Why make it sound like a bad thing? Unless you’re going to be living off a suitcase, it probably is sufficient to say that “Travelling will be required”.

Any interesting job seeking experiences to share?

Global IT Hub? *pui*

Most wired city in Asia they say... largest concentration of computer users they say... leading the revoloution in e-commerce they say....

And yet i can't even get information on a bloody baking oven!

On top of that the retail big boys of Courts, Best Denki and Harvey Norman sites are all down! For almost a month now!!

But, i'd thought i'd give us a chance. Maybe baking ovens are not the rage...let's try searching for... MRT fares! Five weblinks and two hours later, i'm still clueless about how SMRT would charge if i wanted to travel from Bedok to Yio Chu Kang.

Ok, ok... let's give e-commerce a break, maybe in a small island, we don't really need to buy anything online after all.

So i logged on to Channel News Asia's Forums. I left in no more than 10 mins. Any longer and i might have been scarred mentally. What did i come across that left me scampering like a rabbit?

"What do you like best about Singapore guys"?

"I'm stuck in a $50,000 loan, please help"

"[POLL] Gals wearing lesser nowsadays".

"The worst food court"

I ruled out the possibility of a potential waste of time and a usless stirring of emotions. 90% of the posters don't know what they're talking about, complain relentlessly, don't bother with grammar and spelling and lace their posts with just a tad too many Hokkien expelatives. Nah buay, liek dis how to read sia?

Nevermind, let's log on to The Straits Times then, there must be something intelligent about -The Asia Pacific Newspaper of the Year-. (Yes, it really is a newspaper!..no, no, it's not a propaganda machine...pro singapore and anti-world? Whatever gave you that idea?!)

Pathos. Our very popular newspaper wants to impose a charge. I guess they'd have to, Singaporean's think it's not worthwhile paying 60cents to pay for propa- i mean, news any more. If you'd really think about it, CNN and BBC offers quality unbiased Asian and world news for free. Let's see, tailored news for S$60, or unbiased as-is news for free...hmmm, this is a tough one...

Let's sum up Singapore's online presence :

1.) No one's harnessing the power of search engines properly.

2.) No Pay-per-Click application anywhere.

3.) No retailer is even bothered with regional selling.

4.) Poor content management. I'm not even talking about asthetics yet. Some sites have obviously no research made on internet psychologies, spider crawls, strategic text placement, interface design. There are some sites belonging to large companies that are truly embarassing.

5.) Poor use of selling language.

6.) Poor call to action.

7.) Poor bandwidth. MediaCorp and all their subsites like Channel News Asia has all the speed of a handicaped snail.

8.) Lack of informative pages.

9.) Poor content in newsletters. MINDEF MIW never fails to get on my nerves. If i get sales letters and no proper content attracts me month after month, i'll treat them all as spam and junk it.

10.) Lack of companies actually participating in the web scene.

The value of the internet is highly underated. We're not a long way off from becoming a true I.T hub. All it takes is for companies to invest a little more in an integrated online marketing plan.

Anyone up to start a campaign?

I'll be back!

So this is it.

After serious consideration and heavy cognitive work, measured by scientifically tried methods of benefit vs detriment... I have decided to leave fair England. (The coin showed "Heads" if you must know.)

Like sinfully delicous chocolate cake, too much fun leaves one laden with guilt. It's high time i returned to throw myself back into some serious study. A new life, a new agenda with new goals! What fun! *Bah* who am i kidding? I just miss the
Punggol Nasi Lemak and a certain blonde haired lass living in Lor 39, Lim Chu Kang.

So no more (bloody annoying) Tube trains, no more late nights at The Rail Way Taveren, no more posh street names like "Mile End", "Bethnel Green", "Dangenham Dock" and "Walthomstow".

Hmmm come to think of it... also no more drunken loose tongued f*ck wits, station closures, pee soaked streets and carbonate thick city water.

Back to MRTs, prawn mee, durians and Nissan Sunnys. Damn those Nissan Sunnys. Them and Toyota Corrollas. Urgh.

I wonder how it's going to feel like. It has been a year after all and i'm so used to London now...

To spark off the festivities, i'm going to book myself a flight on the SIA. If I survive that "Singapore Smile", i'll be ready for anything! I think it's cruel to pay someone so much money to put on fake smile. Don't they know it's hazadrous? What if the smile sticks and it doesn't go away? Pity them...i really do...

Then there's immigration control. There's always this nagging fear that i'd might have unwittingly imported something illegal into Singapore. Like foreign dirt.

Immigration Control Officer: 'Scuse me sir, please leave your
belongings and follow us prease.

Me : Why? What'd i do?

I.C.O (Fishing out thick black book) : Do you know that under Section 369 of the A.Y.E* in Code 443 of the Penal Code (1946) you are prohibited from importing foreign soil into the country.

Me : But i didn't import any soil!!

I.C.O : Look under your boots.

*Arcane Yet Enforced

See! It's dangerous to enter Singapore! Almost anything on you could be illegal or untaxed! I'm not exagerating, i actually did look at the import procedures for nationals entering Singapore...and it does state that unless you can prove that
any artifact that you bring into the country is for personal use and consumption, you are liable for duties and excise on even that Kleenex you bought!

But the real reason why i'm coming back is...*drum roll*...YOU!! Yes, you, my dearest friend who art in Shingle'Spore! How could i have ever given you up for a life of luxury in a winter wonderland? Sometimes i wish i could pack all my friends into my suitcase and bring 'em all with me wherever i go.... or that i would be rich enough to fly all of you guys in a private plane with me. Seeing that I : a.) Have
not enough money to buy that big a suitcase and b.) Have not enough money. period. I decided to come back to you guys instead! Awww...now isn't that sweet eh? Now i'm sure that you'll forgive me if i forgot to buy you that little present you wanted...but since you're such a good friend and i'm so sweet, i'm sure you'll buy me dinner even right?...right?

er...you still there?

On a more serious note though, i'm not really returning for good. I've got some plans and I plan to stick by them. And I shall post them here so that one of you lovely souls may hold it against me should i ever falter from them.

So here they are, my Grand Master Plan for 2006:

1.) Take over the world.
2.) Get my F*UCKIN' degree. It's been too long now.
3.) Stop cracking jokes on world domination.
4.) Learn a new language.
5.) Turn Sports Extreme Singapore into THE authorotative extreme sports site in Asia.


And in 3 years time, i'll be off again!

...in the meantime, i'll continue dreaming of nasi lemak.

What's the bus to Hougang again?

Migration to Friendster.

I've pondered, lost sleep, ran this through the whole cognitive process and i've decided to move my blog site to Friendster:

http://bigheadache.blogs.friendster.com/a_big_headache/

Refer to the new site for future comments! :)

Blogspot.com, you're not doing much to retain customers are you?

outz---*

Only in London.

The craziest things happen in London. You think you're weird? You think you're funny? You think you're loud? You think you're a fashionist? ....there's always someone waiting to out-do you in everyway!
Take last night for example, it was a normal night out to the pub at Acton Town, so we were on the last Tube service home, we thought we made a big bunch of fools of ourselves...acting all touristy, singing loudly...but oh no, in came these 3 American girls. wrong. 2 american girls (I think. but mmmmm....)and 1 american geyser. she out did us by entertaining us with her little tube surfing act! She thought she was getting attention...but no! at the next stop in comes this bloke with a guitar, he sits on the floor, whips out his thang (guitar i mean) and the next thing you know, the whole carriage breaks out into song and dance! i mean, no way! there's no way i can even vaugely imagine this happening on the MRT.... hah! all in the name of fun...and only in London!

Spring is upon us.

One thing bout Britain: the temperature changes like crazy. Take yesterday for example, it was a cool 15degrees....and today? bloody 25 degrees! Think i'm starting to talk like one of them limeys, can't keep a conversation without talking about the weather.

It's 4:14 in the morning now (and yes, the sun is about to rise), and lest you wonder what i'm doing on the INTERNET at this hour, i have got to announce that i've now got INTERNET access at home! Well, lah dee dah! And i'm using the office PC so i don't have to buy my own computer, for the moment.

I must say, things are really getting to look good, i mean, i've never felt happier in my life! Looking back, it's a scant half year ago that i left singapore for this icebox and i've never regretted it since. It was scary at first, no job, no money, no knowledge about this "foreign place", but as always, i'm glad that i've an appetite for risk. Singapore has always taught us to be risk averse, these are one of those teachings that i shun. (Read: risk, not stupidity. i'm sorry to admit that traffic fines equate stupidity. well, c'mon, we've all got our stupid moments eh?)

The american financial markets have been performing good as always, i'm about to get a raise and promotion, my little business is starting to take root to grow again. I've rediscovered the music that i like, i feel a million dollars (you really do feel healthier after staying away from hawker food for a while!), I've got great friends...sigh, think I'm falling in love with Europe. But man, do i miss you people back home... apart from the 3 singaporeans here that i hardly ever meet, i've haven't had any other asian friends at all. I think i'd better start planning to go home for a bit.

The only complaint i've got is the bloody national rail. It's slow, you only have 2 trains per hour (miss it and you're fucked) and i'm spending more money on it than i spend on food.

I was at a comedy club last night! It was one of my housemates birthday... i swear it was a bloody riot! This standup comedian Lee Hurst was a bag of laughs! oh my god, it's a shame that we don't have proper comedy clubs in Singapore it'd be so much fun!

I've been mentioning housemates all the time, i think it's time that i give them a formal introduction:

Pieter de Vries; from Bloomfontein, South Africa
Mohammed Bussaid; from Libya
Ben Young; from Brisbane, Australia
Wylota and Gaddas; from Lithuania, Eastern Europe
James and Sara; from Manchester, England

A very international house i must say. conversations can get pretty interesting!

It was the birthday of Shakespere a week ago and there was free admission to the Globe Theatre, pity i didn't go, was busy doing some work, from work.

Chao.

ultra sonic flight through interstellar space

been wondering why i haven't made new entries in such a long time?

Well, exciting things are about to happen. very exciting things.
I'll keep it hush hush yet, but let's just say that Maine and Shang Communications will now be known as Maine and Shang MNC Ltd.

Fresh announcements will be made mid-may.

Otherwise, weekends are dotted with sporadic bouts of Italian food, clubs, Birmingham hotels, £1000 bar bills, Picadilly hangabouts, N55 rides, late night kebabs, tube engineering works and women. i'm kidding bout the women.

invitum delidorium ium boredem

..and i was also very busy througout the week. The last week saw me building at corporate video presentation from scratch. From out of a very low tech PC, a 3.2megapixel camera and a pasta-fueled imagination, comes forth the most fantastic video production i have ever made. I'm gonna send this to some of you to shoot your comments. My boss got so excited, he's now in the States to buy a copy of Adobe Premier Pro for me!

I'm heading out to Birmingham again next week, another working trip. Not that it's the most fancy city in England but...anyway...

Hey Boss :

I’ve done the accounts and we’re making profits.
The pantry girl is early and will make you coffee.
The staff are happy and their morale is high.
The customers are satisfied and ready to buy.
Yea…
The pigs are fed and ready to fly.

I've decided again'st going to Scotland, the train ride there was going to be more expensive than i thought, guess Nessie will have to wait then. I am however, going to Bristol. More for the novelty than anything else.

Oh my God by Benjamin Chiang

This is a prelude to an article I’m about to publish, so remember, you read it here first at bigheadache.blogspot.com!! *Please note that it is only a first draft*


Here’s a question: If a branch breaks off a tree and falls to the ground in the middle of the forest, would it make a noise?
Yes you say? How would you know? Were you there to hear it?

It’s true enough it is common sense to assume whenever a heavy object hits the ground, it should make a noise. However, there could be other factors on hand causing it to not to. Maybe a trampoline was under the tree. Maybe twenty men were on hand to cushion the impact of the fall. Even if you find the branch on the ground, it is not a conclusive evidence of what has occurred before.

Science and evidence can be a fallible method of proving something. Evidence can be tailored, and a whole event can be setup to convince the bystander to take to the side of whoever can sustain more “proof”. How many individuals have had a sentence passed on them just because they were unable of proving them innocent? Is science and media a fair system of judgement?

On the 8th of August 2000, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of sodomising his driver. To cut a long story short, he was later acquitted in 2004 after the court decided on his innocence. 4 years in prison for nothing?

The media now sheds so much attention on the reclusive Michael Jackson. Do you think he was guilty of what he was charged with, or perhaps he is merely a victim of conspiracy?

If one was not there personally to see something happen, it is merely hearsay. Scientific evidence is merely an aid for sustaining beliefs. Scientific evidence is biased to what the perpetrator wants you to believe.

Let’s look further into this fact. In fact, let’s look several billion years into the past.

Scientists say that billions and billions of years ago, a dot exploded from nothingness and expanded to form the universe. Billions of years later, gas clouds cooled to form solid rock. Millions of years thereafter, a fish crawled out of a pond and another couple of million years later, he evolved into modern man.

How would these scientists know? Were they there to see it happen? In fact, is scientific proof even available? It’s been a couple billion years now, any form of evidence would already have been erased. Wouldn’t it then merely be a theory when one insists the Big Bang and the Evolution of Species was how mankind came onto this planet?
Some of you may argue to say scientific tools like carbon dating and the discovery of pre- homosapien fossils are the fundamental proof that such events have indeed occurred in history.

If you believe that, you are a victim of media and you have never been further from the truth. Edward de Bono has preached that “Perception is real, even if it is not reality…” and indeed evolution has had the unfair advantage. Would it be right to say that the larger the numbers who believe in a theory, the larger the number of books, articles, television programmes and magazines would be written in support of that theory?

Whenever someone tells me that “If you think God exists, then show me the proof!”, I always tell them that no matter what evidence I show you, you would merely brush it off and counter attack it with some other theory. A perfectly legitimate case of evidence show would then degenerate into nothing more than a debate. With the winner being the one who speaks the loudest.
If you think no solid, scientific proof exists to ascertain the world did not arrive via evolution, then you have not been reading in the right places. In fact, you may not even want to know that such evidence does indeed exist. In fact, if it were not in the Bible, scientists would have no problem in believing that a global flood indeed has happened. Science has no problem accepting that all mankind could be traced to one source in Africa, yet they refuse to believe Adam and Eve were the first man and the first woman.

There is so much material available regarding the error of carbon dating, that dinosaurs and man did live together at the same time, how all the different species of man turned out to be a scientific fluke, yet material like this is not as common as those propagating evolution! You cannot say that it is not science, because it is. You cannot say that these are all unproven theories, because they are. Creation is not given enough attention because the world doesn’t want to believe in it. If you really wanted to learn, you would be surprised to know that research and science has PROVEN that evolution is not a theory and the world was indeed a result of creation.

So the next time you want me to show you proof that God exists… well… I can show Him to you, but then I’d have to kill you.

Motivation...such an aggravation...

The impossible has happend: I got my car stolen!!
but hey, don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for the thief! I've been trying to get rid of that thing all along and he's done me a big favour! I mean, it'll cost me money to try to get the thing scrapped, now all i have to do is to report the car as stolen...pity i didn't have insurance on the thing though.

There's a Singapore Food Festival going on in Coven Garden this weekend!! Damn, home cooked food away from home...how bout that? I'm not going to miss this for the world...

You are unique. Just like everyone else.

I've been re-sharpening my skills in integrated marketing, over the past 2 weeks i've consumed more information than your average university geek. i now have THE plan to launch a full scale awarness campaign for the brand i'm managing all over Europa. I'd love to divulge some of this, but hey, some of my secrets will remain my secrets...

One thing though, it is a sorrowful thing that almost every part of our lives are capitalised through and through. Everything has been done, every path has been tread. Every thought and idea that you conceive, you can be sure that somewhere, some marketeer has done some planning to make sure that he makes money out of what you want to do.

Love to travel? You've got STA, thousands of airlines, youth hostels and adventure tour agencies hot on your heels. Love to party? You've got pubs, beers, wines and clubs devising some "fun" thing to part you with your money. Love extreme sports? You've got snowboard distributors, clothing and equipment manufacturers trying to convince you that their product offers the best in quality and protection. Wanna be an anti-capitalist? You've got white label brands that are merely a branch of a mainstream brand that is marketing to you without you even knowing it.

Privacy is a thing of the past. You mentality is being deconstructed by someone, somewhere all the time.

Honesty is a relic of a time long past. Presentation and packaging is the now. Don't believe me? Look at your girl/boyfriend, see how well he/she has sold him/herself to you...

The person that i'm not, is the person that I am.

Wheee!!!

Snowing heaps again! I've been skiing my way to the office! heheheh...snow and ice everywhere and everything's white!! damn, where's the camera when you need one?

There's no such band as The Monkees!! They don't exist!!

Heavy snow showers are reported all over England, especially Essex where I live! We've got about 8cm of snowfall last night! Which is all well and good, except for the fact that it's an arse to try to walk to work in the slushy snow/ice mix. The squirrels don't seem to mind it though... heheheheh....

There's a snow boarding event in Austria in March that some of you guys would be so jealous if i told you i was going. It's a music gig cum snowboarding freestyle competition/display for a week! I may want to visit it for the week end, it's only about $200 from where I am...now if i could just get my hands on a snowboard set... check it out, it's at: www.snowbomb.com or www.snowbombing.com

And then there's the U2 Europe tour! I'm thinking of either Manchester or Brussels, although Brussels would be a better idea cause i can stay with my cousin for a bit.

Other than all that, the week has been pretty good. Getting settled down at work, learning as much as I can about the products and trying to pull together an aggressive marketing plan that's poised to take Europe by storm. If i can pull that off...heh,heh... my name WILL go down in history!

But for now, I gotta deal with this hunger developing in the darkest recesses of my stomach.

Cheers.

Sneaking a note from work.

I get my own laptop! No more dodgy computers at the library with dubious people, i get internet services at the comfort of my desk!

I got sick last night, a mild fever, and i've got myself to blame. I haven't been wearing proper clothes since i've started work, and i haven't come to acknowledge the fact that you cannot wear just a shirt and tie and a jacket, i got frozen to death while waiting over 20 mins at the station for the trains. It's not just a little cold... it's bloody painful! I feel a lot better today after a good sleep and Panadols.

Alright, really shouldn't be here any longer, gotta get back to work!

YESS!!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!!

I've finally got myself into that MarComm role in the ink product company!! Why am i so excited? Well, let's see :

1.) I get to build a relationship with all (well, most of) the media houses in England, thus creating oppertunities for myself in future media positions.

2.) I get to write/publish articles and press releases on a regular basis, thus building a portfolio for my future career in professional journalism.

3.) If i can get good promotional publicity for this company here and in the Far East, I will have got a powerful model to show in my C.V.

4.) I could get a work permit for another 2 years, thus leading to a Resident visa!

yes! yes! yes! yes! yes!

So the journey to work may be a little far (Woodford > Stratford > Barking > National Rail, Westham > National Rail, Rainham = 1 1/2 hrs), but it'll be well worth it, furthermore, if (i dare) drive my car, it's only a half hour away.

So far everything has been falling into place, as according to my game-plan. And.... je suis apprendre parlez le Francais !!! Yes! I'm also taking a course in French! Comment cava? ...tres bien!

Until then....au revoir messiures-dames!!

Chinese New Year : 0900hrs, Leytonstone Library

So this is the Lunar New Year eh? It sure don't feel like it, i've only seen one advertisment in the tube stations announcing that there's gonna be an event at Leicester Square, but apart from that, nothing! At least i got a phone call from Dad at 3am this morning telling me that everyone has come over to visit. Yeah, that's right. Have fun when i'm not around. Bleah. Looks like no red packets for me! You guys back home may feel free to transact the money directly into my account! I can do a virtual "pai nian" via the internet! heheheheheh....

We had a barbeque a couple of nights ago. Guess we must be the only freaks having a barbeque right in the middle of winter! It was so cold we needed two fires going, one for the food, and the other for the heat! We had to raid the whole neighbourhood for discarded pieces of furniture to burn... and i made a pretty mean steak! Not me really, it was my housemate, Mr. Pieter Vieres who did most of the cooking...

I've applied for a role in Public Relations for an ink-refill company, i hope it'll pull through, for now, i've managed to impress them with my portfolio and communications plan for what i can do for them. I gotta keep my fingers crossed, with any luck, I should be hearing from them again at the end of the week.

Ah well, as the Cockneys would say : See ya later, alligator!

Winters. Cold. Brrr.

3 more days to the Lunar New Year!! Bah! Humbug! heh, heh.... guess i'll have to miss out on those little red packets of joy this year...sigh, no windfall for me i guess... and i'll miss out on that fab delicous reunion dinner too. I remembered that I was over at Hui's place last year for r. dinner round 2, i guess this year i'll just buy a packet of cheap mackerel and a cabbage and make myself a sad story of a Yu Sheng. I may pop by Leicester Square to check out the Chinese New Year celebrations here, but i'm sure that it'll be nothing like the ones back home.

Anyway, i've been thinking hard... i now have several options available to me after my visa for the U.K expires.

1.) Get a work permit to extend my stay (and thereafter becoming resident)
2.) Migrate to Belgium and becoming a member of the E.E.C (and live on in Britain)
3.) Move on to Canada
4.) Move on to the U.S of A
5.) Go back to Singapore and raise a family (jEaH....RIGHT!!)

Decisions, decisions....and i'm now on the hunt for the job that puts me in the line that i really desire to be in *whoops, better not let my boss hear bout this...heheheh....*

Edmund (Sim) just bought himself a car, i'm glad that my friends are doing well back home, it's like one of those things... you're here cold and wondering what the hell you're doing freezing your ass off in the Far West, while your friends are crafting careers and making big bucks. Ah well, to each his own. I'm not any worse off and i am having the time of my life... now the only thing that's missing is that elusive girlfriend that we all seek for...where could she be hiding? In the towering cities of England? Or in the green country side of Ireland....perhaps i'll find her fishing around the Lochs of Scotland... Or maybe, just maybe... she may be there in the Lion City after all...
*ahem* excuse me, Feb 14th is coming up, all that marketing happening out there is just driving me nuts....

anyway...till again...

Moind the gap between the train and the platform.

*Blows the dust off the blog*

It's been so long since the updates, and you know why? I've been working 14hour days everyday....with only a couple of hours sleep in between. It's scary walking home at night after I knock off, so i went to get a car...yes...that's right, i'm now the unhappy owner of a Ford Fiesta 1992 model. It's a wreck, it's fit for the junk yard and i'm afraid of taking it on public roads. The fuel injector's jammed, the water pipe's burst and it won't move from halt without heavy accelerating. It has side mirrors missing and it's blue. But nevertheless, it's my car!! haha, not to worry, i've got my eyes set on a Mazda MX5 now!! It's only about a thousand quid....but ah well...

I was doing stock checks at an American military base last week, and boy, these guys are paranoid, about everything. Raise your handphone as if you were about to take a picture and get ready to be arrested for spying. Park your car outside the camp, and you might as well dress up as bin laden.

I'm learning how to cook too! At least now i know how to properly handle my ingredients and how to use strange spices like...like...well...strange spices...heheheh...

Okiedo, times up, gotta run, update later y'all!!

New year. New everything. Bah humbug.

News about the tsunami everywhere... sometimes, when there is too much media coverage on any topic, it has this numbing effect on a person. 10 people die, it's tragic, 10 000 people die, it's a disaster...but now, it's 150000 swept off into the deep blue, it seems like no more than a statistic to me. I'm not cold or evil or anything, but apart from giving money (and you can't help but wonder if these people on the streets collecting money are genuine or not), what more can you do? I just thank God that I do not know anyone personally from these places. And I still find it amazing that Singapore didn't even feel the ground shake even though we're right smack in the middle of this chaos! Ah well, exciting things like this never happen in the city of cleen and green....

...and I started the New Year!! A good chance to start everything on a clean slate. Everyone's doing New Year's resoloutions, i'll join the crowd and start one too! Here goes:

- Take up an advanced course in communications
- Learn French
- Learn to bloody cook...decently.
- Cancel all subscriptions to UK FHM. I'm kidding. Or am I?

That's on top of advancing my job and finally move into a studio apartment by the end of the year.
See, that's another exciting thing. If i manage to get myself a work permit, and live here for 4 years, I can apply for an "Indefinate leave to stay" visa. That's legalese for Permanent Resident!! Now isn't that just dandy! This ice box could just become home for me! Ah well...

How did I spend New Year's eve? Like 8 million other people, I marched myself right into the middle of Trafalgar Square. Bloody nightmare, must make mental note never to go there ever again. Not on New Year's eve at least. Every street out there is crammed packed shoulder-to-shoulder, wall-to-wall with people!! And the public roads are all closed for people to squeeze themselves in!! Man, should taken some pictures to post up here!!

And I finally got a place to stay as well, I'm living on Woodford Green now (Zone 4 on the Central Line), nice little room, pathetic shower, shared kitchen... it's a nice place, but not somewhere that i'd stay for too long... ah...money, money, money... it'd be nice to have more of those £££ so that i can move to somewhere a little nicer...

Cold, dark and lonely....urgh...I long for some of Palawan Beach!! ...or Majorca!! ...beach...any beach....must have beach now...must...