I've yet to watch The Passion, this controversial film which has got the media, churches, Christians and Catholics all worked up. The Australian Passion Network offers some insights, but I think I'll have to see the film to pass my own verdict.
ZF says that in Singapore, they might be censoring the crucifixion scenes, and the government may be slapping an R(A) rating on the film. Bleh. O_O
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From the IMDB Movie/TV news:
Woman Dies of Heart Attack During 'The Passion'
Mel Gibson's new film The Passion Of The Christ caused more controversy on Wednesday when a woman suffered a fatal heart- attack during the graphic crucifixion scene. The story of the last twelve hours of Jesus Christ's life has been criticized for alleged Anti-Semitism in the months leading up to its release in America yesterday - but the film's gory conclusion has become the focus following the tragic incident in Wichita, Kansas. Peggy Scott, a 56-year-old advertising sales manager, suffered the seizure during the 25-minute scene in which Jesus, played by James Caviezel, gets nailed to the cross. She died before reaching hospital. Ashleigh Murray, a local TV reporter, described the incident, "She had a seizure during the crucifixion scene, which is very graphic. She was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead. I do not know if she had deep religious convictions, but she must have felt something to have been at the theatre at 9:30am to watch this movie."
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From an email I received from my church youth group:
THE PASSION OF JESUS ? THE MEL GIBSON FILM
We carefully watched the Mel Gibson interview by ABC's Dianne Sawyer with preview clips of the film in advance of its release on the Roman Catholic feast of Ash Wednesday.
What nearly jumped out most clearly was Mel Gibson's plain and unequivocal statement:
"Someone does not even have to believe in Jesus Christ to enter The Kingdom of God".
Jesus Himself on the contrary teaches in The Word of God that "Unless A Man Is Born Again" (through a saving faith in Jesus) he/she cannot possibly enter The Kingdom of God. Gibson's position reflects the ecumenical/inter faith revision in The Roman Catholic catechism 847 (which contradicts 846 in the same catechism which says salvation is available only in The Roman Catholic Church).
It is sad, if not perverse, that Evangelicals and Evangelical pastors are using a film beset by biblical and historical inaccuracy, as an "evangelistic tool" made by someone who in open televised rejection of the biblical gospel and in direct opposition to the very words of Jesus does not even believe that faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation.
Mel Gibson is a traditional Roman Catholic complete with wanting the pagan ritual of the Mass in Latin. The film is partially inspired by visions of two nuns into the 'stigmata', the appearance of nail wounds on the palms of the hands read by Mel Gibson. The trailer for the film shows the Roman nails being driven into the palms. This predictably is absolute rubbish inspired by Roman Catholic superstition. Forensic pathology and forensic archaeology both establish that in Roman crucifixion the nails were hammered into the radius above the wrist and not into the metacarpals on the palm as the film portrays in support of the Roman Catholic stigmata superstition.
Admittedly, as a matter of personal taste I do not find Mel Gibson a very talented figure, but even if I did, the film would still be incongruous with how Roman crucifixion was actually carried out. Before he died in Los Angeles 1929, the American gunslinger Wyatt Earp gave the true account of the gunfight at OK corral after Hollywood made its first films about it. What actually transpired at OK corral in Tombstone, Arizona and what transpired on the silver screen in Hollywood, California were two different things. The problem with films like this one about The Passion of Christ was demonstrated in Oliver Stone's epic "JFK' where poetic license misrepresented essential ballistic facts surrounding the Kennedy assassination. It just didn't happen the way Kevin Costner explained it in the movie. But because of a well made movie most people do not know that and wind up with a distorted perception of the most important death in 20th century American history. So too, Mel Gibson has seen to it that because of a well made movie, viewers wind up with a distorted perception of the most important death in human history. As was portrayed in the film "Wagging The Dog" the power of Hollywood to subtly mislead should never be downplayed. Harry Potter films make evil look good. In Israel, I worked on a film, starring actor Lou Gosset, (a talented man) about jet fighter pilots filmed on location at an Israeli air base using real Israeli air force pilots as extras. I saw how the Hollywood director was able to change slight things that really took place in a military environment to give the film a different flavor than what actually went on in a military situation. In New York, I once worked for the same company as author Mario Puso, before the Godfather films made him so successful. Hollywood cannot only make gangsters look like heroes, but also make desperados appear to be reluctant killers instead of the calculated operators they actually are. This film is like that.
The independent historical record of Flavius Josephus and other sources shows that Pontus Pilot was far from the benign personality type the film wrongly portrays him as being. Pilot mingled Jewish blood with the blood of temple animal sacrifices. The Sanhedrin were indeed by and large a nasty assortment of characters with some good men in it such as Nicodemus. But to show the Sanhedrin as villains but Pilot as benign is not the biblical description of Pilot nor the historical one and paints a biased picture? It puts the blame mainly on the Sanhedrin while in The New Testament The Apostle Peter rather states that the Romans were co-equally responsible (Acts 2:23, Acts 4:27-28). As Jews For Jesus stated in The New York Times, "How Can You Blame Anyone For The Death Of Someone Who Is Alive"? The Roman Catholic depiction of the cross however is not the biblical one but rather a crucifix; an idolatrous graven image condemned by God in His Word that places a risen Christ back on the cross, which is needed to facilitate the pagan abomination of the Mass which rejects the repeated teachings of 1 Peter and The Epistle To The Hebrews that Jesus died once and for all in a perfect sacrifice sanctifying for all time those who are redeemed. The Mass however is claimed to be the same sacrifice repeated and continued in fundamental rejection of the biblical gospel.
In our view the film is not anti Semitic, but its biblical and historical misrepresentation of Pilot implies a vindication of Pilot and Rome, which contradicts Peter's sermon, and can give fuel to those who are anti Semitic as the Roman Catholic Obberamagau Passion Play Was employed as anti Jewish political/religious propaganda by Hitler and Goebbels.
This film, Roman Catholic inspired film (supposedly endorsed by the anti Christ pope) is historically inaccurate, biased, and like anything else tainted with the cancer of Roman Catholicism, is not something we would recommend or endorse. We are however pleased to continue to sanction the 'Jesus' film made by Evangelicals which has been used successfully in the evangelization of groups from Russian Jews to Moslems. We do not need a historically and biblically inaccurate and biased secular film produced by Hollywood under the influences of Roman Catholic superstition to present the gospel to anyone. Much less do we need a secular film made by someone who wrongly believes in a false gospel, which states salvation is by sacraments instead of New Birth, and that we atone for our own sin in an invention called purgatory? while the Bible teaches, "the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin". St Paul says that those with a different gospel are accursed in Galatians chapter 1.
The actor who portrayed Christ in the film is a Roman Catholic who said he could not perform in front of the camera unless he had Jesus in him, a feat accomplished not by being Born Again but by taking the cannibalistic Roman Catholic Eucharist which directly contravenes the plain and unambiguous teachings of the Apostles in The New Testament in Acts 15 condemning ritual cannibalism and the consumption of blood.
The stupid spectacle of saved Christians extolling a film whose maker on an internationally broadcasted TV interview denies that faith in Jesus Christ is even necessary to enter The Kingdom of God however defies the imagination. Some "Christian" bookshops are selling Mel Gibson approved memorabilia nails that are replicas of those used in the film.
This film will likely do more to advance the satanic ecumenical deception among undiscerning Evangelicals than it will to advance The Kingdom of God. It is just another step in misleading biblically ignorant Christians into an experiential faith based on emotional response instead of a scriptural one based on a genuinely spiritual response. If for His own glory God uses this film to see a soul saved, Praise God. I was saved through a cult called "The Children of God' and a friend of mine received the gospel through a ouiji board. God can use anything. But, I certainly wouldn't recommend ouiji board evangelism or joining a cult, and on behalf of Moriel I personally wouldn't recommend Hollywood evangelism either.
In Jesus,
Jacob Prasch
Contributions By
David Lister
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Let's see...
Yesterday - Somebody must have found and pressed my missing 'pre-HSC study mode' button. Wrote over 20 pages of notes... non-stop. Weird. I've lost that urge to study now.
Last night was the night when we colonised all 3 kitchens across the B-Landing corridor and cooked up a storm for 15 people. Chicken wings and drumsticks, some form of omelette, Chinese-style lettuce... and special Thai rice. Yesterday was fun. Running everywhere. So many people. Played with rubber bands... the rubber band gun... and balloons... yeah, it's Ruby's birthday, and they had some party in the bar. Followed by more partying at some posh club pub.
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Today - Dr Lamb (that lecturer and tutor who's mad about genetics and the proper use of the Queen's English) and his wife invited Cherlyn and I to their house for lunch. How kind of them. Their house is an extremely interesting little English house in Sheen, past Hammersmith, west of London... with carpeted bathrooms (one of which is almost completely pink!), and bottles of commercial and home-made wine, and huge glass pots of fermenting wine in random corners and shelves around the house. They're actually quite a lovely, friendly couple, appreciative of the finer things in life. True to their namesake, the main dish was... roast lamb. And Dr Lamb treated us to a bit of his special strawberry wine. They took us to the nearby Kew Gardens, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Saw the orchids in the orchid fest (many of which were 'imported' from Singapore's Botanic Gardens), lots of palms... and numerous other plants. Nearly felt like hugging the all-too-familiar mangrove trees... Cherlyn and I were made homesick by the sight of the Australasian flora. ;)
Just came back not long ago, and had Val ring me up asking if I'd like to go to some Italian place for dinner... hehe
Yesterday - Somebody must have found and pressed my missing 'pre-HSC study mode' button. Wrote over 20 pages of notes... non-stop. Weird. I've lost that urge to study now.
Last night was the night when we colonised all 3 kitchens across the B-Landing corridor and cooked up a storm for 15 people. Chicken wings and drumsticks, some form of omelette, Chinese-style lettuce... and special Thai rice. Yesterday was fun. Running everywhere. So many people. Played with rubber bands... the rubber band gun... and balloons... yeah, it's Ruby's birthday, and they had some party in the bar. Followed by more partying at some posh club pub.
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Today - Dr Lamb (that lecturer and tutor who's mad about genetics and the proper use of the Queen's English) and his wife invited Cherlyn and I to their house for lunch. How kind of them. Their house is an extremely interesting little English house in Sheen, past Hammersmith, west of London... with carpeted bathrooms (one of which is almost completely pink!), and bottles of commercial and home-made wine, and huge glass pots of fermenting wine in random corners and shelves around the house. They're actually quite a lovely, friendly couple, appreciative of the finer things in life. True to their namesake, the main dish was... roast lamb. And Dr Lamb treated us to a bit of his special strawberry wine. They took us to the nearby Kew Gardens, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Saw the orchids in the orchid fest (many of which were 'imported' from Singapore's Botanic Gardens), lots of palms... and numerous other plants. Nearly felt like hugging the all-too-familiar mangrove trees... Cherlyn and I were made homesick by the sight of the Australasian flora. ;)
Just came back not long ago, and had Val ring me up asking if I'd like to go to some Italian place for dinner... hehe
Friday, February 27, 2004
Less than 2 hours after I wrote that post yesterday, I went for the second rehearsal. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I did express my doubts as to my suitability for the role, and did press Xiao to replace me, but I was not firm enough. A fear of offending someone, and a fear of causing unnecessary inconvenience for the rest (Xiao in particular)... overcame my unwillingness to perform. Oh boy, I'm so unhappy with myself. Come Monday, I'll see if I haven't done anything about it.
We had KFC for dinner last night after the rehearsal. We each had 3 pieces of chicken, popcorn chicken and lots of fries! Yum... Viv and I went back to Linstead after that and found out that Ee-wen had helped us 'tabao' some food from the hall's dinner. :) Saved it for today's lunch.
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This morn, I dragged myself out of bed, changed and did all the morning stuff... and since I had 5 mins to spare, I went to check my email. There was an urgent message from the bio undergrad office: today's lectures were cancelled! Yay... so I changed back into my PJs and hopped back into bed.
Lab was interesting... since we're doing plants now, it was on 'algal diversity'. Red, blue-green, and green algae. Good-bye, biochem pracs! :P
Tomorrow's Xiao's birthday. She invited us to her hall for dinner tonight... so many pieces of chicken... garlic bread... pasta... and I had Linstead's hall dinner before that as well... am so full now!
We had KFC for dinner last night after the rehearsal. We each had 3 pieces of chicken, popcorn chicken and lots of fries! Yum... Viv and I went back to Linstead after that and found out that Ee-wen had helped us 'tabao' some food from the hall's dinner. :) Saved it for today's lunch.
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This morn, I dragged myself out of bed, changed and did all the morning stuff... and since I had 5 mins to spare, I went to check my email. There was an urgent message from the bio undergrad office: today's lectures were cancelled! Yay... so I changed back into my PJs and hopped back into bed.
Lab was interesting... since we're doing plants now, it was on 'algal diversity'. Red, blue-green, and green algae. Good-bye, biochem pracs! :P
Tomorrow's Xiao's birthday. She invited us to her hall for dinner tonight... so many pieces of chicken... garlic bread... pasta... and I had Linstead's hall dinner before that as well... am so full now!
Thursday, February 26, 2004
This whole entry should be posted to my own private blog, but I just had to let it out.
I still have no idea why I'm allowing myself to be involved in something that I know I do not like. Singaporean comedy... full of Singlish, ah lian- and ah beng-ness and flirtatious antics, and both obvious and subtle dirty jokes... a crappy script, no steady storyline, no character development... a 'cheap' production. Just because they had a shortage of actors, and I could speak with an ang moh accent... doesn't mean I had to say yes. I've read the script before we started rehearsing, so I should've known better. It was all right at first, when they asked me. It sounded ok... 'twas nothing too bad. Then they changed some things. People came and went, and I didn't even know what my role was. Then they abandoned the first script that we had. They used another (which was about the same as the first, not better nor worse). They re-wrote some scenes. They re-arranged the cast. They gave us multiple roles. It ended up that I was about to do something which I did not volunteer for. Darnit, I can't do this.
To act as some 'intellectual' snobbish but cute and still likeable Jap-schoolgirl-like Singaporean who speaks like an ang moh... I can see cocked heads. To act as a chio bu? Me? I can sense a frowning of eyebrows above narrowed eyes. This is a terrible miscast. I can do drama. Serious stuff. Shakespeare even. Roles that require more emotion... I can pass for those. But not comedy. Lame comedy. I laugh along because they laugh, and not because it's funny. I don't find it funny. I laugh because it's my friends acting. Bleh. I know that if I back out, it'll be a real let-downer, and what will the rest of them think?? Plus, the performance is scheduled for this coming Tuesday. We've only had one proper rehearsal based on the current script anyway, so it is still not too late... to get a replacement... but... it'll mess things up, and I'll be a disappointment.
Lil wrote in my year 12 yearbook: "... you should learn to say the word NO. N-O, NO. Repeat after me, no, bu yao, em yu, tak manu, mai, no! It'll take you far, trust me." lol. Even my friends identified and gave a solution to my problem before I came to acknowledge what my problem is. The thing with me is that I simply can't turn down favours. I feel like I've an obligation as a friend to help, if my help is asked for, even if I don't like it. I'm being too generous with myself. And now I'm fighting with myself.
Em yu, tak manu, mai!! Maybe for once I should be less considerate, and let the line between right and wrong fuzz up. I can't keep doing this, for my own sake.
Edit: Ok, maybe that skit is not *that* bad... maybe it's just me. Maybe afterall, I'm not 'Singaporean' enough. I don't know. And like I mentioned before in my I-night post about the SingSoc skit, it's not anyone's fault. Nobody is to be blamed... it's not a lack of talent nor an insult to anyone's integrity. It's just me ranting indirectly about the consequences of the environment in which S'poreans are brought up.
I still have no idea why I'm allowing myself to be involved in something that I know I do not like. Singaporean comedy... full of Singlish, ah lian- and ah beng-ness and flirtatious antics, and both obvious and subtle dirty jokes... a crappy script, no steady storyline, no character development... a 'cheap' production. Just because they had a shortage of actors, and I could speak with an ang moh accent... doesn't mean I had to say yes. I've read the script before we started rehearsing, so I should've known better. It was all right at first, when they asked me. It sounded ok... 'twas nothing too bad. Then they changed some things. People came and went, and I didn't even know what my role was. Then they abandoned the first script that we had. They used another (which was about the same as the first, not better nor worse). They re-wrote some scenes. They re-arranged the cast. They gave us multiple roles. It ended up that I was about to do something which I did not volunteer for. Darnit, I can't do this.
To act as some 'intellectual' snobbish but cute and still likeable Jap-schoolgirl-like Singaporean who speaks like an ang moh... I can see cocked heads. To act as a chio bu? Me? I can sense a frowning of eyebrows above narrowed eyes. This is a terrible miscast. I can do drama. Serious stuff. Shakespeare even. Roles that require more emotion... I can pass for those. But not comedy. Lame comedy. I laugh along because they laugh, and not because it's funny. I don't find it funny. I laugh because it's my friends acting. Bleh. I know that if I back out, it'll be a real let-downer, and what will the rest of them think?? Plus, the performance is scheduled for this coming Tuesday. We've only had one proper rehearsal based on the current script anyway, so it is still not too late... to get a replacement... but... it'll mess things up, and I'll be a disappointment.
Lil wrote in my year 12 yearbook: "... you should learn to say the word NO. N-O, NO. Repeat after me, no, bu yao, em yu, tak manu, mai, no! It'll take you far, trust me." lol. Even my friends identified and gave a solution to my problem before I came to acknowledge what my problem is. The thing with me is that I simply can't turn down favours. I feel like I've an obligation as a friend to help, if my help is asked for, even if I don't like it. I'm being too generous with myself. And now I'm fighting with myself.
Em yu, tak manu, mai!! Maybe for once I should be less considerate, and let the line between right and wrong fuzz up. I can't keep doing this, for my own sake.
Edit: Ok, maybe that skit is not *that* bad... maybe it's just me. Maybe afterall, I'm not 'Singaporean' enough. I don't know. And like I mentioned before in my I-night post about the SingSoc skit, it's not anyone's fault. Nobody is to be blamed... it's not a lack of talent nor an insult to anyone's integrity. It's just me ranting indirectly about the consequences of the environment in which S'poreans are brought up.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Never expect anything much from the media. That's one lesson that I've learnt time and time again. The 'promised' 2 pages of coverage turned out to be nothing more than half a page. And... this part made all of us pretty pissed... the dimensions of the flag was reported as 10x4m, and that's a sad mistruth. The actual area of the flag was about 75% bigger. Reporters should learn to get their facts right before rushing to submit their articles...
Anyway, here it is: Flag day idea gels into form
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This morning, there was what Anna called 'sleet'. Something like larger, iced, droplets of rain, which are not quite just rain but not exactly snow either. The weather's hitting below zero this week... and there's a hail shower forecasted for this Friday. Urgh. I hate hail. Nice to listen to, and interesting to watch, but it can be real damaging. The last I went through a mini hailstorm was when I was in Sydney... should've taken videos then.
Oh yeah, talking 'bout Anna... on Monday when I sat next to her during the lecture, I was greeted with a "Guess what? Xiyu and I saw Tony Leung yesterday!" They went to Curzon Soho for some special screening of Infernal Affairs and Tony Leung happened to be there... right here in London... doing the intro for the screening, and they were like, just four rows away!
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Just came back from the bar... Darren was on bar duty. More bawdy jokes... and mutilations of my blue- and white-tac figurines... my poor doggy. Sigh. Next time (as in tomorrow), would someone bring along a pack of cards please?!
Anyway, here it is: Flag day idea gels into form
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This morning, there was what Anna called 'sleet'. Something like larger, iced, droplets of rain, which are not quite just rain but not exactly snow either. The weather's hitting below zero this week... and there's a hail shower forecasted for this Friday. Urgh. I hate hail. Nice to listen to, and interesting to watch, but it can be real damaging. The last I went through a mini hailstorm was when I was in Sydney... should've taken videos then.
Oh yeah, talking 'bout Anna... on Monday when I sat next to her during the lecture, I was greeted with a "Guess what? Xiyu and I saw Tony Leung yesterday!" They went to Curzon Soho for some special screening of Infernal Affairs and Tony Leung happened to be there... right here in London... doing the intro for the screening, and they were like, just four rows away!
--------------------------------------
Just came back from the bar... Darren was on bar duty. More bawdy jokes... and mutilations of my blue- and white-tac figurines... my poor doggy. Sigh. Next time (as in tomorrow), would someone bring along a pack of cards please?!
Monday, February 23, 2004
I was happily concentrating, undistracted, on my lab report and the radio has to play Kelis' accursed Milkshake song. When you hear it for the first time, it sounds interesting and perhaps even a little catchy, but once or twice is enough. It gets darn annoying. It's being overplayed. It's driving me nuts. It's gotta be the most irritating, pointless, unnerving song ever. I promptly disconnected from the radio. But now the lyrics are still ringing in my head... and no Marvin, don't you start...
While boarding at Abbotsleigh, a daily habit of mine was to read the SMH's Spike column while having breakkie. That was where the most interesting and funny news would be found, and it was a good way to start the day. After bumping into it online, I've now decided to include a post or two every day (time and effort permitting!) and compile it into into a separate blog - Spike Collection. The permanent link to it is found up ^^ there. Enjoy.
Edit: I thought I knew that something was missing. There's Spike AND Column 8, the latter being contributions from the local community of their interesting encounters and such. Both are funny...
Edit: I thought I knew that something was missing. There's Spike AND Column 8, the latter being contributions from the local community of their interesting encounters and such. Both are funny...
Was walking around College today, and it's amazing how many new faces I recognise and can put a name to, all thanks to Flaggellah. Here's another one of its aims achieved. :) Thinking back, it's a wonder how much of that nationalistic spirit (that the government keeps drumming into us) still prevails so many miles away from home... or maybe it is made even stronger by the fact that we *are* so far away from home... and it heartens me to see so many Singaporeans working, slaving away even, willingly, towards a common cause. I must admit that many of us, myself included, doubted the practicality and the do-ability of the whole project, but we pulled it through thanks to all the dedicated people who were involved. Like Velma, Doris and Joseph wrote in their messages of gratitude: "YOU ARE THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT". I'd like to say thanks and congrats to all who've helped and with whom I've worked alongside, Singaporean and non-Singaporean friends alike... cheers! *big smile*
12 of us from Linstead were treated to a cheaper-than-usual dinner at Wagamama Jap restaurant thanks to Fong May's 11 2-for-1 meal coupons. A cup of hot coffee-mocha at night after a late dinner does warm us up from walking in the cold streets, but it does not make for a good and early sleep. It did, however, allow me to work *hard* into the wee hours of the morn. Hmm. More mocha?
Sunday, February 22, 2004
"Hey hey hey, it's Thinking Day... "
It's 22nd Feb... happy Thinking Day to all my fellow Guides and Scouts! Every year throughout the past 9 years of Guiding, I've renewed my Promise with a unit... but not this year (well actually, not last year either). It's tough to stay uninvolved in something that I've been doing for such a long period of my life, but it's difficult for me to be active with a local unit while here at Imperial. It's physically inconvenient, among other reasons.
But that aside, allow me to quote from WAGGGS' website:
This is a very special time as we celebrate 75 years since the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts began in the summer of 1928 at Parad in Hungary. The words of Robert Baden Powell, our founder on that occasion were
"My hope is to see the Girl Guide Movement become in the near future such a Movement for good that has never yet been seen in the world...You have before you the opportunity and responsibility of initiating a step of profound importance to the peace of the world later on".
His words are especially important in such times of turbulance and uncertainty in the world. 10 million members across all corners of the globe... I do believe that the Movement holds great potential to do influential things for the greater good of all.
May the Guiding Light continue to shine.
Flaggellah was ages away... Flaggellah was coming... Flaggellah was this weekend... Flaggellah was a SUCCESS!
How I wish I could put up the pics! I can't 'cos I'm running outta webspace! (TH ~~ I'm still waiting for those Mama Bears!)
On Fri night we worked in the College's main dining hall, from 7pm till 1am, preparing the perimeters of the stars and crescent (which require special care and attention). Running in and out of the kitchen, ever in and out, carrying trays of fresh hot agar, pouring cold water into the tupperware, etc etc. That night, Cherlyn had a sleepover in my room...
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The wake-up call for yesterday was set at 6am. At 7am we strutted over to the Queen's Lawn, preparing ourselves to brave the 2°C weather for the whole day. Sunny though it was, it was freezing cold out there. We had to wear latex gloves - a poor form of insulation - when flipping the agar jelly.
The process went like this:
- the 'kitchen people' mix in the agar powder, water and ingredients into the huge boilers
- a line of people come in with trayfuls of empty tupperware, which are then filled with the liquid agar
- they place the tupperware boxes onto tables
- the 'cold water' people pour in cold water to make it set faster
- when the agar sets, the 'transport people' load them onto trays... load the trays onto carts... and bring them outside to the steps of the Queen's Lawn
- the 'tray people' carry the trays and dumps the tupperware onto the tables that support the agar flag on the Lawn
- the 'agar flippers' flip the agar out of the tupperware and place them onto the flag
- the tupperware boxes get brought back into the dining hall and the whole cycle repeats
I and 5 others were the 'agar flippers', but it turned out that most people, spectators included, wanted to try their hand at it... so at times we had rows of people flipping agar. My hands were so cold... I couldn't feel anything anymore and I couldn't tell if they were red from the dye or from the cold. There was this tingling sensation when I clapped or touched anything solid and it hurt... :P 'Mama Doris' and 'Papa Darren' came round with trays of mini sandwiches and chips and they'd stuff those into our mouths when we were working.
Imagine... a total of 16 000 pieces of agar made up the flag, which measured roughly 15 x 20m. The scale of operations... the logistics of it all.. was enormous. Kudos to Darren for his immaculate handling of the entire ops theatre.
The last row of agar was put in place at 5+pm. The Guest of Honour, the First Political Secretary for the High Commissioner of Singapore, measured the flag and signed his name onto the documents that would be sent to Guinness World Records for approval.
The dismantling of the flag was the physically-straining part. The whole flag weighed about a tonne. All the agar had to be carried back into the dining hall and kitchen. The tables had to be removed from the Lawn. We had to clean and mop the dining hall and the mess in the kitchen. It may sound easy, but it was like working like a factory and then shutting the factory down. Carried so many trays of agar... buckets of water... and tables... arms are aching... legs and aching... whole body's aching... and am dead, dead tired. Slept till 1pm today, like many others.
The Straits Times, not forgetting that one of our aims was to raise funds for their ST Pocket Money Fund, has promised us 2 pages of news coverage.
Flaggellah is over.
Am feeling immensely satisfied.
How I wish I could put up the pics! I can't 'cos I'm running outta webspace! (TH ~~ I'm still waiting for those Mama Bears!)
On Fri night we worked in the College's main dining hall, from 7pm till 1am, preparing the perimeters of the stars and crescent (which require special care and attention). Running in and out of the kitchen, ever in and out, carrying trays of fresh hot agar, pouring cold water into the tupperware, etc etc. That night, Cherlyn had a sleepover in my room...
---------------------
The wake-up call for yesterday was set at 6am. At 7am we strutted over to the Queen's Lawn, preparing ourselves to brave the 2°C weather for the whole day. Sunny though it was, it was freezing cold out there. We had to wear latex gloves - a poor form of insulation - when flipping the agar jelly.
The process went like this:
- the 'kitchen people' mix in the agar powder, water and ingredients into the huge boilers
- a line of people come in with trayfuls of empty tupperware, which are then filled with the liquid agar
- they place the tupperware boxes onto tables
- the 'cold water' people pour in cold water to make it set faster
- when the agar sets, the 'transport people' load them onto trays... load the trays onto carts... and bring them outside to the steps of the Queen's Lawn
- the 'tray people' carry the trays and dumps the tupperware onto the tables that support the agar flag on the Lawn
- the 'agar flippers' flip the agar out of the tupperware and place them onto the flag
- the tupperware boxes get brought back into the dining hall and the whole cycle repeats
I and 5 others were the 'agar flippers', but it turned out that most people, spectators included, wanted to try their hand at it... so at times we had rows of people flipping agar. My hands were so cold... I couldn't feel anything anymore and I couldn't tell if they were red from the dye or from the cold. There was this tingling sensation when I clapped or touched anything solid and it hurt... :P 'Mama Doris' and 'Papa Darren' came round with trays of mini sandwiches and chips and they'd stuff those into our mouths when we were working.
Imagine... a total of 16 000 pieces of agar made up the flag, which measured roughly 15 x 20m. The scale of operations... the logistics of it all.. was enormous. Kudos to Darren for his immaculate handling of the entire ops theatre.
The last row of agar was put in place at 5+pm. The Guest of Honour, the First Political Secretary for the High Commissioner of Singapore, measured the flag and signed his name onto the documents that would be sent to Guinness World Records for approval.
The dismantling of the flag was the physically-straining part. The whole flag weighed about a tonne. All the agar had to be carried back into the dining hall and kitchen. The tables had to be removed from the Lawn. We had to clean and mop the dining hall and the mess in the kitchen. It may sound easy, but it was like working like a factory and then shutting the factory down. Carried so many trays of agar... buckets of water... and tables... arms are aching... legs and aching... whole body's aching... and am dead, dead tired. Slept till 1pm today, like many others.
The Straits Times, not forgetting that one of our aims was to raise funds for their ST Pocket Money Fund, has promised us 2 pages of news coverage.
Flaggellah is over.
Am feeling immensely satisfied.
Friday, February 20, 2004
Yeah! The biochem module for this term is over, though we still have one or two lab sessions and problem classes. Next week - biology of organisms... we'll be focusing on plants.
Post-dinner activity tonight won't be table footsie and Simpsons. We're gonna start making the stars and crescent for the agar flag. Won't have time to blog later... and tomorrow too. Will be out 'in the field' (ie. the Queen's Lawn) from 7am till late arvo.
Flaggellah is here.
Just for publicity's sake:
*bump*
Post-dinner activity tonight won't be table footsie and Simpsons. We're gonna start making the stars and crescent for the agar flag. Won't have time to blog later... and tomorrow too. Will be out 'in the field' (ie. the Queen's Lawn) from 7am till late arvo.
Flaggellah is here.
Just for publicity's sake:
*bump*
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
3 more days till Flaggellah...
We had the main briefing session today. This Fri and Sat will be long, tiring days for many of us. With any luck, I'll get to sleep on Fri night. I'll have enough of agar-agar for many years to come. :P
Held our second planning session for our Italy trip. Decided on the hostels... travel movement etc.
Had the first rehearsal for the EEE event... am acting in some SingSoc skit... the 'Coxford Singlish Dictionary' play from last year's International Night. It's a toned-down version of this year's I-Night play. I've no idea why I'm doing this, disapproving though I am of their skits and scripts and scenes and (the use of) Singlish. At least I do not have to speak in Singlish. They needed someone who can do an ang moh accent. Rrright... the idea of the Cock costume puts me off though. Puk-kuk-kuk-kuk? I do hope they're not serious...
Amar's still alive... which is a miracle. I think Rowan's taking a step back till we bodyguards let our guard down. And Ruby doesn't believe me when I insist that I'm not taking part in the Bond Game. She's good. She's already tackled 4 or 5 victims, last I heard. Recently in the wee hours of the morn I could hear her screams and shouts and the yells of some guys and the mini stampedes up and down the corridor. Rumours have it that someone bit her arm while defending himself. w00t!
Now... back to my biochem lab report. Not that I care much about it... but... deadlines are still deadlines.
We had the main briefing session today. This Fri and Sat will be long, tiring days for many of us. With any luck, I'll get to sleep on Fri night. I'll have enough of agar-agar for many years to come. :P
Held our second planning session for our Italy trip. Decided on the hostels... travel movement etc.
Had the first rehearsal for the EEE event... am acting in some SingSoc skit... the 'Coxford Singlish Dictionary' play from last year's International Night. It's a toned-down version of this year's I-Night play. I've no idea why I'm doing this, disapproving though I am of their skits and scripts and scenes and (the use of) Singlish. At least I do not have to speak in Singlish. They needed someone who can do an ang moh accent. Rrright... the idea of the Cock costume puts me off though. Puk-kuk-kuk-kuk? I do hope they're not serious...
Amar's still alive... which is a miracle. I think Rowan's taking a step back till we bodyguards let our guard down. And Ruby doesn't believe me when I insist that I'm not taking part in the Bond Game. She's good. She's already tackled 4 or 5 victims, last I heard. Recently in the wee hours of the morn I could hear her screams and shouts and the yells of some guys and the mini stampedes up and down the corridor. Rumours have it that someone bit her arm while defending himself. w00t!
Now... back to my biochem lab report. Not that I care much about it... but... deadlines are still deadlines.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Wonderland Sydney is closing down.
Not that it's affecting me much; I've only been there once or twice, before I went over for high school. I remember playing with the animals in the Australian Wildlife Park, which is one of the attractions within Wonderland... feeding the 'roos, cuddling koalas... the touristy kinda thing.
It's the way the media puts it that gets to me:
"The challenges faced by the tourism/leisure industry over the past few years… the Asian financial crisis, Sept 11, Ansett collapse, War on Iraq, HIH collapse and the skyrocketing insurance premiums, the Bali terrorist attack, the devastating bush fires, SARS and now the Asian bird flu have simply taken their toll."
Tough times.
Just read the news. The world *is* in a mess. It always has been.
Not that it's affecting me much; I've only been there once or twice, before I went over for high school. I remember playing with the animals in the Australian Wildlife Park, which is one of the attractions within Wonderland... feeding the 'roos, cuddling koalas... the touristy kinda thing.
It's the way the media puts it that gets to me:
"The challenges faced by the tourism/leisure industry over the past few years… the Asian financial crisis, Sept 11, Ansett collapse, War on Iraq, HIH collapse and the skyrocketing insurance premiums, the Bali terrorist attack, the devastating bush fires, SARS and now the Asian bird flu have simply taken their toll."
Tough times.
Just read the news. The world *is* in a mess. It always has been.
Monday, February 16, 2004
Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, paying tribute to the 25,000 cast and crew on location in New Zealand: "We were a bunch of Kiwis and some Aussies thrown together with American money making a film in New Zealand from one of Britain's best loved books."
Hahaa... I love the way he puts it.
Hahaa... I love the way he puts it.
Was studying diligently for the most of yesterday, till I was summoned to the bar to support Charl and Trinh in their brief stint as the night's bartenders. Played cards... the usual thing. Didn't have any nuts though.
To describe what happened later on last night would take up too much of my energy... so here I shall conveniently take a whole chunk off Charl's blog. She's described it perfectly:
"We're playing the Bond Game in Linstead now. So everyone's afraid... nah paranoid... about walking around halls alone. However tonight's assasination attempt on Amar will go down in the annals of Linstead history. Imagine 5 tall beefy ang mohs waiting to pounce on Amar and drag him off for Rowan to kill. Then imagine Amar hiding within a circle of 10 rather small sized Malaysians and Singaporeans (more than half of us girls) while Lionel calls Darren on his handphone for back-up in true ah-beng tai-kor style and Jaq runs off to get her fencing saber while Amar gets Aaron to bring down his pen knife for him. The Ang Mohs not wanting any blood shed start to circle around us like hungry sharks but not daring to approach us... because maybe it's taken 4 months for them to wake up and realise they can't bully us into submission and we won't go down without a fight. Darren arrives with Zi Ming in tow... NS guys to the rescue (Darren's all ready for a fight... "my hand very itchy wei!"). Operation Relocate Amar proceeds with great care... 12 people escorting Amar to his room (and to the toilet as well so he won't have to come out of his room in the middle of the night without any bodyguards). We only leave when we're sure Amar is safe and sound in his room and we've made sure he knows he owes us! Big time!"
Although... I think... I'm sure... there were more than 5 ang mohs there!
To describe what happened later on last night would take up too much of my energy... so here I shall conveniently take a whole chunk off Charl's blog. She's described it perfectly:
"We're playing the Bond Game in Linstead now. So everyone's afraid... nah paranoid... about walking around halls alone. However tonight's assasination attempt on Amar will go down in the annals of Linstead history. Imagine 5 tall beefy ang mohs waiting to pounce on Amar and drag him off for Rowan to kill. Then imagine Amar hiding within a circle of 10 rather small sized Malaysians and Singaporeans (more than half of us girls) while Lionel calls Darren on his handphone for back-up in true ah-beng tai-kor style and Jaq runs off to get her fencing saber while Amar gets Aaron to bring down his pen knife for him. The Ang Mohs not wanting any blood shed start to circle around us like hungry sharks but not daring to approach us... because maybe it's taken 4 months for them to wake up and realise they can't bully us into submission and we won't go down without a fight. Darren arrives with Zi Ming in tow... NS guys to the rescue (Darren's all ready for a fight... "my hand very itchy wei!"). Operation Relocate Amar proceeds with great care... 12 people escorting Amar to his room (and to the toilet as well so he won't have to come out of his room in the middle of the night without any bodyguards). We only leave when we're sure Amar is safe and sound in his room and we've made sure he knows he owes us! Big time!"
Although... I think... I'm sure... there were more than 5 ang mohs there!
Saturday, February 14, 2004
They call Oxford the 'City of Dreaming Spires'. I think it rather apt. It is an old city, devoid of anything overly urban. It is grand, mysterious, and full of history. The pace is slow; there's none of that mad rush one'd find in London. There is no tube system... most people just walk.
We passed the 1 1/2 hour journey on the bus playing cards. It's a Linsteadian-Singaporean thing. We could spend an entire day playing cards if there was nothing else to do.
Towers, statues, cathedrals, colleges, and more colleges... that's Oxford. We spent most of the time there touring Oxford University's many colleges, the most famous of which is Christ Church, where many scenes from Harry Potter were filmed - the Great Hall of Hogwarts, the stairs... the cloisters... also, Lewis Carroll lived in Christ Church and wrote Alice of Wonderland there.
We visited many interesting spots, and we wouldn't have learnt so much about them if not for one of Cherlyn's friends, Charles, who studies there. He does history, and can rattle on about the history and architecture of just about anything in Oxford. We were intrigued by how squeaks would follow our claps (of the hands), near this particular college lawn, just in front of some stairs where hundreds of bodies from The Plague lay. We saw the pub with the really low ceiling where JRR Tolkien used to go, and the Dead Man's Walk where he strolled to gain inspiration for the LOTR books (On the trail of Tolkien offers some insight). We woo-ed and ahh-ed at the gates of the magnificent All Souls College where the smartest of the cleverest of the top academic Fellows of Oxford reside. Or something to that effect. We climbed the tower of the St Mary II Virgin church and were treated to a 270° view of the city of Oxford. I took many photos, and a few video clips, but unfortunately, I'm running out of web space, so... pics will have to wait.
Happy V-Day all, and happy birthday Zi Ming!
We passed the 1 1/2 hour journey on the bus playing cards. It's a Linsteadian-Singaporean thing. We could spend an entire day playing cards if there was nothing else to do.
Towers, statues, cathedrals, colleges, and more colleges... that's Oxford. We spent most of the time there touring Oxford University's many colleges, the most famous of which is Christ Church, where many scenes from Harry Potter were filmed - the Great Hall of Hogwarts, the stairs... the cloisters... also, Lewis Carroll lived in Christ Church and wrote Alice of Wonderland there.
We visited many interesting spots, and we wouldn't have learnt so much about them if not for one of Cherlyn's friends, Charles, who studies there. He does history, and can rattle on about the history and architecture of just about anything in Oxford. We were intrigued by how squeaks would follow our claps (of the hands), near this particular college lawn, just in front of some stairs where hundreds of bodies from The Plague lay. We saw the pub with the really low ceiling where JRR Tolkien used to go, and the Dead Man's Walk where he strolled to gain inspiration for the LOTR books (On the trail of Tolkien offers some insight). We woo-ed and ahh-ed at the gates of the magnificent All Souls College where the smartest of the cleverest of the top academic Fellows of Oxford reside. Or something to that effect. We climbed the tower of the St Mary II Virgin church and were treated to a 270° view of the city of Oxford. I took many photos, and a few video clips, but unfortunately, I'm running out of web space, so... pics will have to wait.
Happy V-Day all, and happy birthday Zi Ming!
Friday, February 13, 2004
Singaporeans really lack creative talent. Blame it on the government, and our beloved Ministry of Education. Or is it the greater truth that we are forgetting who we really are - or never knew our cultural identity... if we ever did have one? We do not have traditional dances. We do not have cultural Singaporean costumes. We do not have a Bollywood to fall back on.
Want us to put up an item? Oh, that's easy. Just do something on Singlish lor.
That's what SingSoc did for last night's International Night. A skit - put together in bits and pieces rather randomly - taken after the Coxford Singlish Dictionary's tradition. The "Coxly Planet Guide: Singapore" was a play written, directed and acted out, to quote the programme, to 'provide you with an amazing insight into the lives of Singaporeans'. It failed miserably in almost every aspect. Its failure has nothing to do with the scriptwriter, director, or my friends who performed in the play. They did what they did best - being Singaporean.
Being Singaporean in Singapore is... not a problem. We fit into our clockwork world living in the protective arms of a spoon-feeding government, knowing that we're safe on our little red dot of an island-nation, and that's all that matters. We're too shrouded by our own walls. Forget about our scientific and academic achievements. Our society is actually in a mess, but we like to pretend it is fine. We pretend, and we take comfort in it. We become so comfortable in pretending that we forget we are pretending. We pretend to be a democracy so much so that we think we really are a democracy, and proudly state so. But ask any Singaporean in private and he'll most likely admit the anti-democractic nature of our politics.
Being Singaporean in a foreign country is, to say the least, embarrassing. The way we talk... our attitude towards certain things, our actions and reactions... the way we think. If you're in a crowd, with a flock of fellow Singaporeans, that's not a problem either. 'Cos then you're again in your own little secure world, where everything's fine and whatever happens outside that circle does not matter. Even if it's embarrassing, you pretend it's not. Take for example the extreme kiasu-ness shown in rushing to occupy the front and centre seats of a theatre once its previous occupants leave their chairs, while others watch on and frown. You happily sit and enjoy your new and improved view of the stage.
I digress. If you talk about success in a skewed sense of the word, then I suppose the skit was a success, for its failure showed us for what we as the people of a society really are. (I might probably get a bashing for saying this!) Like what my dad says, look at the Japanese. Look at the Hong Kongers, even. The traditional dances of the Cypriots and the hugely-innovative skit of the JapSoc (as usual, the Japs are masters of innovation and humour. Just look at their variety and game shows!), and chuck in the comedy by the Pakistanis and the musical by the Indians... it puts us to shame. I had to admit to Charlotte that her MSoc's Dikir Barat performance was better.
The ending of the skit, with the narrator going "Clap! What you waiting for? New Year ah?!" made me want to hide my face somewhere and switch completely to an Aussie accent.
I digress again. In the first place, I've no idea of what I'm trying to say... just trying to convey. The gahmen should change the way it runs the country. I'm not Stalin with his 5-year Plans. I offer no solutions... I'm no mathematician proper.
I am just a lost cub of a Merlion which pretends I am not lost.
Want us to put up an item? Oh, that's easy. Just do something on Singlish lor.
That's what SingSoc did for last night's International Night. A skit - put together in bits and pieces rather randomly - taken after the Coxford Singlish Dictionary's tradition. The "Coxly Planet Guide: Singapore" was a play written, directed and acted out, to quote the programme, to 'provide you with an amazing insight into the lives of Singaporeans'. It failed miserably in almost every aspect. Its failure has nothing to do with the scriptwriter, director, or my friends who performed in the play. They did what they did best - being Singaporean.
Being Singaporean in Singapore is... not a problem. We fit into our clockwork world living in the protective arms of a spoon-feeding government, knowing that we're safe on our little red dot of an island-nation, and that's all that matters. We're too shrouded by our own walls. Forget about our scientific and academic achievements. Our society is actually in a mess, but we like to pretend it is fine. We pretend, and we take comfort in it. We become so comfortable in pretending that we forget we are pretending. We pretend to be a democracy so much so that we think we really are a democracy, and proudly state so. But ask any Singaporean in private and he'll most likely admit the anti-democractic nature of our politics.
Being Singaporean in a foreign country is, to say the least, embarrassing. The way we talk... our attitude towards certain things, our actions and reactions... the way we think. If you're in a crowd, with a flock of fellow Singaporeans, that's not a problem either. 'Cos then you're again in your own little secure world, where everything's fine and whatever happens outside that circle does not matter. Even if it's embarrassing, you pretend it's not. Take for example the extreme kiasu-ness shown in rushing to occupy the front and centre seats of a theatre once its previous occupants leave their chairs, while others watch on and frown. You happily sit and enjoy your new and improved view of the stage.
I digress. If you talk about success in a skewed sense of the word, then I suppose the skit was a success, for its failure showed us for what we as the people of a society really are. (I might probably get a bashing for saying this!) Like what my dad says, look at the Japanese. Look at the Hong Kongers, even. The traditional dances of the Cypriots and the hugely-innovative skit of the JapSoc (as usual, the Japs are masters of innovation and humour. Just look at their variety and game shows!), and chuck in the comedy by the Pakistanis and the musical by the Indians... it puts us to shame. I had to admit to Charlotte that her MSoc's Dikir Barat performance was better.
The ending of the skit, with the narrator going "Clap! What you waiting for? New Year ah?!" made me want to hide my face somewhere and switch completely to an Aussie accent.
I digress again. In the first place, I've no idea of what I'm trying to say... just trying to convey. The gahmen should change the way it runs the country. I'm not Stalin with his 5-year Plans. I offer no solutions... I'm no mathematician proper.
I am just a lost cub of a Merlion which pretends I am not lost.
Migratory birds may be victims, not culprits
Feb 13, 2004
The Nation (Thailand)
As public suspicion focuses on migratory birds as the origin of avian flu, the environment minister has a new theory that they are in fact victims of the epidemic.
Prapat Panyachatraksa, the natural resources and environment minister, yesterday confirmed he would not allow any agency to cull migratory birds in an effort to curtail the bird-flu outbreak.
"Show me scientific evidence that if there were no migratory birds in the country there would be no bird-flu virus," he demanded.
A source from the Livestock Development Department recently said the Agriculture Ministry wanted to cull migratory birds since the killing of almost 30 million chickens on more than 40,000 farms had not been able to completely control the epidemic. Prapat said the migratory-bird theory was just a hypothesis and not a scientific conclusion. He said there was evidence that convinced him to believe the opposite.
"It is possible that the three Asian open-bill storks which tested positive for the bird-flu virus were infected by our domestic poultry," he said.
Asian open-bill storks normally fly from Bangladesh where there have been no reports of a bird-flu outbreak.
"This means [the three birds] got the virus in Thailand," he said.
The Livestock Development Department reported on Tuesday that three of the birds, which were nesting in Beung Boraped, a big swamp in Nakhon Sawan province, had caught H5N1 virus.
Prapat is not the only one to believe in the hypothesis. The United States' National Wildlife Health Centre (USNWHC) voiced its concern about the issue on its website. In an article written by its director Leslie Dierauf and posted on the website, the centre was concerned that the genetic shift in the virus may have occurred during replication in domestic poultry and spread to water birds.
According to the USNWHC, it is common for waterfowl to carry strains of avian influenza virus, but there is little evidence that the new virulent H5N1 strain is affecting water birds or that wild birds are able to spread the virus.
Pennapa Hongthong
Feb 13, 2004
The Nation (Thailand)
As public suspicion focuses on migratory birds as the origin of avian flu, the environment minister has a new theory that they are in fact victims of the epidemic.
Prapat Panyachatraksa, the natural resources and environment minister, yesterday confirmed he would not allow any agency to cull migratory birds in an effort to curtail the bird-flu outbreak.
"Show me scientific evidence that if there were no migratory birds in the country there would be no bird-flu virus," he demanded.
A source from the Livestock Development Department recently said the Agriculture Ministry wanted to cull migratory birds since the killing of almost 30 million chickens on more than 40,000 farms had not been able to completely control the epidemic. Prapat said the migratory-bird theory was just a hypothesis and not a scientific conclusion. He said there was evidence that convinced him to believe the opposite.
"It is possible that the three Asian open-bill storks which tested positive for the bird-flu virus were infected by our domestic poultry," he said.
Asian open-bill storks normally fly from Bangladesh where there have been no reports of a bird-flu outbreak.
"This means [the three birds] got the virus in Thailand," he said.
The Livestock Development Department reported on Tuesday that three of the birds, which were nesting in Beung Boraped, a big swamp in Nakhon Sawan province, had caught H5N1 virus.
Prapat is not the only one to believe in the hypothesis. The United States' National Wildlife Health Centre (USNWHC) voiced its concern about the issue on its website. In an article written by its director Leslie Dierauf and posted on the website, the centre was concerned that the genetic shift in the virus may have occurred during replication in domestic poultry and spread to water birds.
According to the USNWHC, it is common for waterfowl to carry strains of avian influenza virus, but there is little evidence that the new virulent H5N1 strain is affecting water birds or that wild birds are able to spread the virus.
Pennapa Hongthong
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Slowly, behind the scenes, APYEN's site is building up. The forums installed, membership forms created and working, an online chatroom created, mailing lists set up, member DB in the process of being transferred from YahooGroups... and I'm back to being stuck in front of my computer. Can't wait to finish this whole project and get it off my chest... then we can begin an all-out recruiting campaign.
It's International Night later on tonight. Cultural shows etc. A few of my friends in the S'pore and M'sia societies will be acting/dancing... this should be interesting!
It's International Night later on tonight. Cultural shows etc. A few of my friends in the S'pore and M'sia societies will be acting/dancing... this should be interesting!
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Mr Mah Bow Tan [while talking about the avian flu in last night's news]: "...these birds not only don't have passports, they don't even apply for visa when they arrive in Singapore. Some of them have become permanent residents...they go to Sungei Buloh, find plenty of food there, and decided to start up a family..."
(*^.^*)
(*^.^*)
A plea for help, from this couple that takes walks in the Bukit Brown cemetery (renowned as a superb birding site) every day -
"...recently we have been sickened by the callous action of a local person in releasing Japanese quail into the open on top of the graves. Just before the Chinese New Year there were at least 50 young chicks staggering about getting wet and cold. We did not touch the ones that could fly a few yards but in very short order my we collected 8 birds.
We kept these alive and protected overnight and the next day passed them on to a contact at the Bird Park who said they could be passed on to the SPCA.
We returned to the cemetery only to find more chicks in distress. We collected a further 10 and brought them home, but unfortunately the wet weather had already killed off many of the remaining chicks.
We are presently keeping the 7 chicks at our house but we are not strong on bird husbandry and we need some help. We have identified them as Japanese quail only a few days old at the time and now maybe 3 weeks.
We are feeding the birds mixed grains and keeping them warm at about 35 degrees C. We and are looking for somebody who has proper facilities that would like to take them over. Please will you check your contacts and see if anyone is willing and able to take them. We would also appreciate any further information on feeding etc but understand they make good aviary birds as they eat the seeds that other birds drop as well as worms and bugs."
Whoever that idiota is, he deserves a spanking. Unless he's mentally unstable - I do not see any justifiable reason for releasing 50 poor helpless chicks into what would be the harsh wilderness to them. And given the horrible weather conditions in Singapore lately, this act is made even more condemnable. Plus the bird flu hullabaloo... this is not helping at all.
"...recently we have been sickened by the callous action of a local person in releasing Japanese quail into the open on top of the graves. Just before the Chinese New Year there were at least 50 young chicks staggering about getting wet and cold. We did not touch the ones that could fly a few yards but in very short order my we collected 8 birds.
We kept these alive and protected overnight and the next day passed them on to a contact at the Bird Park who said they could be passed on to the SPCA.
We returned to the cemetery only to find more chicks in distress. We collected a further 10 and brought them home, but unfortunately the wet weather had already killed off many of the remaining chicks.
We are presently keeping the 7 chicks at our house but we are not strong on bird husbandry and we need some help. We have identified them as Japanese quail only a few days old at the time and now maybe 3 weeks.
We are feeding the birds mixed grains and keeping them warm at about 35 degrees C. We and are looking for somebody who has proper facilities that would like to take them over. Please will you check your contacts and see if anyone is willing and able to take them. We would also appreciate any further information on feeding etc but understand they make good aviary birds as they eat the seeds that other birds drop as well as worms and bugs."
Whoever that idiota is, he deserves a spanking. Unless he's mentally unstable - I do not see any justifiable reason for releasing 50 poor helpless chicks into what would be the harsh wilderness to them. And given the horrible weather conditions in Singapore lately, this act is made even more condemnable. Plus the bird flu hullabaloo... this is not helping at all.
My previous lecturer was a Hugh Jackman lookalike. He taught us for a few days and now we've got a new lecturer.
When he first came in, I took one look at him and commented that he looked Russian. That guess was correct. After the lecture, I realised why. He looks... he very much looks... like Trotsky save for shorter hair and a neater hairdo!
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It isn't often that you'll find me doing something like beating eggs in a kitchen. And working with flour, sugar, and the likes of it. Dough. Cherlyn, Chin and I spent the afternoon in the Pembridge kitchen (yeah - it wasn't my kitchen. It was't a kitchen in my hall. It was't even my hall in the first place). But it was fun. We baked puffs! Custard puffs! Was quite successful... if I may say so. Brought some back to Linstead to let the rest have 'em. Custard dripping all over the floor... lol.
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My hall organised a trip to watch Big Fish tonight. I wanted to go. I really really wanted to go. I've found companions to go with, but even so, I didn't go. Not because it reminded me of the jokes from yesterday (which carried forth to today), but I remembered that I'd be watching two musicals this month. And I've already gone to the cinema recently. £s rolling outta my wallet... ouch. And Big Fish isn't a big action movie... not worth watching on the Big Screen... and... I'm lazy... and am unwilling to spend 45-55 mins of my time walking to the cinema and back...
When he first came in, I took one look at him and commented that he looked Russian. That guess was correct. After the lecture, I realised why. He looks... he very much looks... like Trotsky save for shorter hair and a neater hairdo!
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It isn't often that you'll find me doing something like beating eggs in a kitchen. And working with flour, sugar, and the likes of it. Dough. Cherlyn, Chin and I spent the afternoon in the Pembridge kitchen (yeah - it wasn't my kitchen. It was't a kitchen in my hall. It was't even my hall in the first place). But it was fun. We baked puffs! Custard puffs! Was quite successful... if I may say so. Brought some back to Linstead to let the rest have 'em. Custard dripping all over the floor... lol.
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My hall organised a trip to watch Big Fish tonight. I wanted to go. I really really wanted to go. I've found companions to go with, but even so, I didn't go. Not because it reminded me of the jokes from yesterday (which carried forth to today), but I remembered that I'd be watching two musicals this month. And I've already gone to the cinema recently. £s rolling outta my wallet... ouch. And Big Fish isn't a big action movie... not worth watching on the Big Screen... and... I'm lazy... and am unwilling to spend 45-55 mins of my time walking to the cinema and back...
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Wahahahaha...
Was surfing the 'net collecting a list of relevant nature links.
Am quite surprised to find this:
www.fatbirder.com - Birding: Asia
Scroll down to the 'useful information' section. Didn't know that my Proact responsibilities stretched this far!
Was surfing the 'net collecting a list of relevant nature links.
Am quite surprised to find this:
www.fatbirder.com - Birding: Asia
Scroll down to the 'useful information' section. Didn't know that my Proact responsibilities stretched this far!
Flaggellah - the dry run turned out to be more of a socialising session (for most of us). Time some time silly playing Black Magic and feeling dumber and dumber by the minute when even after a few rounds, we haven't gotten the gist of the game. But we know which section we'll be working in on the actual day and what's what and where, so all's good.
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Missed the hall's dinner, so Ee-wen, Lionel, Darren and I called for Chinese food delivery. What was supposed to be 'come-get-your-food, eat-and-finish your food, and bye-bye' turned out to be yet another socialising session... with Alex and Lu joining us till 11pm. Amarity is spreading far too dangerously quickly... the jokes they made... *sides hurt from laughing* *must not be corrupted!*. Erm... Big Fish, anyone? (And no, no sperm nor blue whale please!)
-----------------------
Am now re-working on APYEN's website. I'm abadoning the old templates... haven't touched the site ever since the hacker attacks on the server. The Network's being revived, in a way, which is good, though not being 'physically there' in Singapore does make me feel rather isolated from it.
-----------------------
Missed the hall's dinner, so Ee-wen, Lionel, Darren and I called for Chinese food delivery. What was supposed to be 'come-get-your-food, eat-and-finish your food, and bye-bye' turned out to be yet another socialising session... with Alex and Lu joining us till 11pm. Amarity is spreading far too dangerously quickly... the jokes they made... *sides hurt from laughing* *must not be corrupted!*. Erm... Big Fish, anyone? (And no, no sperm nor blue whale please!)
-----------------------
Am now re-working on APYEN's website. I'm abadoning the old templates... haven't touched the site ever since the hacker attacks on the server. The Network's being revived, in a way, which is good, though not being 'physically there' in Singapore does make me feel rather isolated from it.
Monday, February 09, 2004
The ICSS Major Event is drawing nearer... we're now all out on the publicity phase. Flaggellah is coming... in less than two weeks.
Spent some time during lunch distributing flyers... and practising some salesmanship-ness trying to sell our boxes of agar powder. Am officially rostered for a few lunchtimes.
Had our second-last meeting tonight... planning out the final stages, yadda yadda... we're on the right track. The actual dry run is scheduled for tomorrow... it's gonna be one messy and confusing affair. Hope everything'll turn out well...
Happy birthday to Lionel...
Spent some time during lunch distributing flyers... and practising some salesmanship-ness trying to sell our boxes of agar powder. Am officially rostered for a few lunchtimes.
Had our second-last meeting tonight... planning out the final stages, yadda yadda... we're on the right track. The actual dry run is scheduled for tomorrow... it's gonna be one messy and confusing affair. Hope everything'll turn out well...
Happy birthday to Lionel...
Sunday, February 08, 2004
This Bronzeback pic was stolen off TH's site. He didn't see the crocs on Sat, but instead, managed to get up close to this beauty:
Still... *jealous*
--------------------------
I promised myself last night that I wouldn't click on the CS icon on my desktop... but I did. So I ended up playing over the LAN till early morn. There were 8 of us playing... what fun! But the lag on my compt reaching a high of 198 forced me to quit the game.
Was supposed to meet my travelmates at Evelyn Gardens to discuss the itinerary for our Easter Italy trip... but having slacked off the whole of yesterday, I stayed in and worked on my assignment. Hrmm... mind's now full of cell organelles and the cytoskeleton...
Had udon and corn and brocolli for dinner. Had Lu and Lionel commenting how 'corny' my room smelled. Had Soha exclaiming, "I smell corn!" even before she reached my room. Had Alex nodding in agreement.
I can't smell the corn... because, they say, I've "been living with the corny smell."
Mmm?
Still... *jealous*
--------------------------
I promised myself last night that I wouldn't click on the CS icon on my desktop... but I did. So I ended up playing over the LAN till early morn. There were 8 of us playing... what fun! But the lag on my compt reaching a high of 198 forced me to quit the game.
Was supposed to meet my travelmates at Evelyn Gardens to discuss the itinerary for our Easter Italy trip... but having slacked off the whole of yesterday, I stayed in and worked on my assignment. Hrmm... mind's now full of cell organelles and the cytoskeleton...
Had udon and corn and brocolli for dinner. Had Lu and Lionel commenting how 'corny' my room smelled. Had Soha exclaiming, "I smell corn!" even before she reached my room. Had Alex nodding in agreement.
I can't smell the corn... because, they say, I've "been living with the corny smell."
Mmm?
Saturday, February 07, 2004
I never realised how close London was to Greenwich. About an hour's journey west, and there we were at the world's Longitude Zero: 00 ° 00'... where GMT = exactly 00:00. And mind you, 'Greenwich' is pronounced as "Gren-itch" and not "Green-witch"! I've had enough of Greenwitches ringing in my ears... :P
What with all the current fuss about wanting to go somewhere and almost everywhere, not that many people were keen on today's trip... what they saw as a small-scale outing not really worthy of their Saturday. Some were eyeing Ireland. Some, Scotland. And the rest, further yet... into Europe. So the make-up of today's group was simply Ee-wen, Val, Chin, Alexandra, Jason, and myself. An unusually-small gang.
Although the BBC forecasted light rain showers, this morning's weather was lovely - bright sun and blue skies - and it remained lovely. :) The train ride on the Docklands Light Rail was as slow as anything... but there were times when the stretch of rail ahead resembled some part of a roller-coaster ride... and that's when it'll go even slower.
A walk across a few blocks, and through Greenwich Park, and we arrived at the Royal Observatory. *The* Observatory, sitting on the top of a hill. We had some fun taking pics standing at the Prime Meridian, and putting a foot to the markers of Singapore and Hong Kong on the red meridian line. Went into the observatory, fussed over the telescopes (we saw Pluto through one of them. The Disney one... not the planet!) and the clocks...
Saw the dry-docked tea clipper ship the Cutty Sark, which in the 1880s was the fastest sailing ship of her day. She was built in Scotland in 1869, but she still looks as majestic as ever.
Passed by the National Maritime Musem, the Royal Naval College, the Queen's House, the Fan Museum and some other famous Greenwich landmarks... and spent some time in the Greenwich Market... which was like a mini flea mart.
... ... ... went back to London after that. Chinatown, to be specific. Misato Japanese restaurant... to be even more specific. Long queues! Huge portions! Small restaurant. But still... yumm. We also bumped into Xiao and Bernard there. Then... 'shopping' in the Chinese stores... haha. Bought some buns (a change from cereal for breakkie), Asian-style desserts and "Famous Wife Cake" or "Loh Por Bang"... mmm...
What with all the current fuss about wanting to go somewhere and almost everywhere, not that many people were keen on today's trip... what they saw as a small-scale outing not really worthy of their Saturday. Some were eyeing Ireland. Some, Scotland. And the rest, further yet... into Europe. So the make-up of today's group was simply Ee-wen, Val, Chin, Alexandra, Jason, and myself. An unusually-small gang.
Although the BBC forecasted light rain showers, this morning's weather was lovely - bright sun and blue skies - and it remained lovely. :) The train ride on the Docklands Light Rail was as slow as anything... but there were times when the stretch of rail ahead resembled some part of a roller-coaster ride... and that's when it'll go even slower.
A walk across a few blocks, and through Greenwich Park, and we arrived at the Royal Observatory. *The* Observatory, sitting on the top of a hill. We had some fun taking pics standing at the Prime Meridian, and putting a foot to the markers of Singapore and Hong Kong on the red meridian line. Went into the observatory, fussed over the telescopes (we saw Pluto through one of them. The Disney one... not the planet!) and the clocks...
Saw the dry-docked tea clipper ship the Cutty Sark, which in the 1880s was the fastest sailing ship of her day. She was built in Scotland in 1869, but she still looks as majestic as ever.
Passed by the National Maritime Musem, the Royal Naval College, the Queen's House, the Fan Museum and some other famous Greenwich landmarks... and spent some time in the Greenwich Market... which was like a mini flea mart.
... ... ... went back to London after that. Chinatown, to be specific. Misato Japanese restaurant... to be even more specific. Long queues! Huge portions! Small restaurant. But still... yumm. We also bumped into Xiao and Bernard there. Then... 'shopping' in the Chinese stores... haha. Bought some buns (a change from cereal for breakkie), Asian-style desserts and "Famous Wife Cake" or "Loh Por Bang"... mmm...
Friday, February 06, 2004
Here's an interesting article from this week's Imperial news:
Aguilera's penchant for meagre attire doesn't predispose her to colds
Dr Andrew Williams of the Department of Biological Sciences reassures us this week that Christina Aguilera's preference for wearing very small clothes doesn't predispose her to catching colds. In a letter to the Times (02/02/04) Dr Williams writes: "If Ms Aguilera went rowing across the Atlantic in the middle of winter, wearing nothing but nipple caps and a G-string, she would be no more susceptible to catching a cold than if she remained tucked up in bed with her favourite book. Many people, including journalists, fail to make the vital connection between getting a cold and coming into contact with a virus. No virus, no cold (bacteria do not cause colds)."
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Tonight's post-dinner activity was once again, table footsie and watching The Simpsons and some ice-skating competition on the telly. Post-telly activity was also, once again, CounterStrike over the LAN.
I hope it doesn't rain too heavily tomorrow... we'll be going *somewhere*. :P
Aguilera's penchant for meagre attire doesn't predispose her to colds
Dr Andrew Williams of the Department of Biological Sciences reassures us this week that Christina Aguilera's preference for wearing very small clothes doesn't predispose her to catching colds. In a letter to the Times (02/02/04) Dr Williams writes: "If Ms Aguilera went rowing across the Atlantic in the middle of winter, wearing nothing but nipple caps and a G-string, she would be no more susceptible to catching a cold than if she remained tucked up in bed with her favourite book. Many people, including journalists, fail to make the vital connection between getting a cold and coming into contact with a virus. No virus, no cold (bacteria do not cause colds)."
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Tonight's post-dinner activity was once again, table footsie and watching The Simpsons and some ice-skating competition on the telly. Post-telly activity was also, once again, CounterStrike over the LAN.
I hope it doesn't rain too heavily tomorrow... we'll be going *somewhere*. :P
Bob aka Mr Dile's got company!
TH reports that a smaller croc (temporary known as Junior) has been sighted along the banks of Sungei Buloh.
They say it's a Freshwater (aka Siamese) croc... Mr Dile is a hybrid of Saltwater (aka Estuarine) and Freshwater croc.
Jeanne has seen both a few times.
I... haven't. Duh. *pulls long face* I wan tu cee cwocodial.
TH reports that a smaller croc (temporary known as Junior) has been sighted along the banks of Sungei Buloh.
They say it's a Freshwater (aka Siamese) croc... Mr Dile is a hybrid of Saltwater (aka Estuarine) and Freshwater croc.
Jeanne has seen both a few times.
I... haven't. Duh. *pulls long face* I wan tu cee cwocodial.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Blog entries on Thursday, followed by one on Monday, and then... Thursday again. Am I slacking? Bwahaha. I've been spending less and less time on the 'net... my mom should be pleased. I have now a very balanced life... and I mean very meticulously balanced, if there can be such a thing. Work on one end, and leisure on the other. And leisure nowadays is no longer defined as spending time crawling on the 'net.
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Today
Had a free afternoon... went to the Sherfield Building to attend a free concert... the Schubert Ensemble of London was here at Imperial to perform some chamber musical pieces. Schubert's String Trio Movement in B Flat... Schumann's Minuetto etc. ... Strauss' Standchen for Piano Quartet... lovely soothing stuff.
Had dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant at Queensway. We ordered four whole roast ducks! For 16 of us... and so many other dishes... such a feast. It's the 15th and the last day of Chinese New Year... what we call Yuan Xiao Jie. Haha... and had my mom not said "gong xi..." to me, I wouldn't have known. Not that I actually care... it's my birthday according to the Lunar calendar. Hmm... I'd still like to stay 18 for a while longer... the Gregorian calendar is still better. ;)
They wanted to go ice skating after dinner, so we passed by Queensway Ice and Bowl. Skating was too ex. So was bowling. And so were the arcade games over there, but the sight of the DDR machine, and the Time Crisis III and The House of the Dead III shooting games was too much to bear. Played a few 'rounds' with Jed... darn gun... so unresponsive...
Pics of the dinner >> click here
Wednesday
Started on this term's Biochem module. Zzzz... on polysaccharides and lipids... when our new lecturer came in and we saw the side of his face, we thought he looked like Hugh Jackman... haha...
Started working on my cell bio assignment, slept a little (am still having that might-be-falling-sick feeling), and worked a little more before dinner. After dinner... lol. Table footsie. The Simpsons. A few hours' worth of CounterStrike... but at the rate at which my compt was lagging, I might as well as be 'at the back of o'burke' and present myself as a sitting duck. Darren and Lionel used the tactics they learnt in NS... the buddy system... some 'cover and concealment' strategy. Bleh.
Tuesday
Ending the Cell Bio module of this term was a keynote lecture about cancer. The lecturer covered everything from the cellular foundations of cancer... to whether or not deodorants could cause cancer. Some harsh realities there. But too bad she didn't say anything about mobile phones and eating burnt bits of food and stuff...
For years I have been listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was one musical which I thought I'd never have the chance to watch. Phantom and Les Mis and countless others have come to Singapore but never Joseph. But here in London's West End, they're all just waiting for you. Thus at the expense of 25 pounds, I set out with my friends to watch my fourth musical in London. The songs *are* nice. The performances too. The costumes and the way in which they act out some scenes are... umm... Pharaoh's an Elvis-lookalike, complete with his hairdo, dress sense, and singing style. His court attendants wear hockey helmets topped with Anubis-es, shoulder pads and tight shorts. When Joseph thinks, there's a choir boy holding up a sign "thinking" above his head... it's amusing... oh, the Eiffel Tower makes an appearance too!
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Today
Had a free afternoon... went to the Sherfield Building to attend a free concert... the Schubert Ensemble of London was here at Imperial to perform some chamber musical pieces. Schubert's String Trio Movement in B Flat... Schumann's Minuetto etc. ... Strauss' Standchen for Piano Quartet... lovely soothing stuff.
Had dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant at Queensway. We ordered four whole roast ducks! For 16 of us... and so many other dishes... such a feast. It's the 15th and the last day of Chinese New Year... what we call Yuan Xiao Jie. Haha... and had my mom not said "gong xi..." to me, I wouldn't have known. Not that I actually care... it's my birthday according to the Lunar calendar. Hmm... I'd still like to stay 18 for a while longer... the Gregorian calendar is still better. ;)
They wanted to go ice skating after dinner, so we passed by Queensway Ice and Bowl. Skating was too ex. So was bowling. And so were the arcade games over there, but the sight of the DDR machine, and the Time Crisis III and The House of the Dead III shooting games was too much to bear. Played a few 'rounds' with Jed... darn gun... so unresponsive...
Pics of the dinner >> click here
Wednesday
Started on this term's Biochem module. Zzzz... on polysaccharides and lipids... when our new lecturer came in and we saw the side of his face, we thought he looked like Hugh Jackman... haha...
Started working on my cell bio assignment, slept a little (am still having that might-be-falling-sick feeling), and worked a little more before dinner. After dinner... lol. Table footsie. The Simpsons. A few hours' worth of CounterStrike... but at the rate at which my compt was lagging, I might as well as be 'at the back of o'burke' and present myself as a sitting duck. Darren and Lionel used the tactics they learnt in NS... the buddy system... some 'cover and concealment' strategy. Bleh.
Tuesday
Ending the Cell Bio module of this term was a keynote lecture about cancer. The lecturer covered everything from the cellular foundations of cancer... to whether or not deodorants could cause cancer. Some harsh realities there. But too bad she didn't say anything about mobile phones and eating burnt bits of food and stuff...
For years I have been listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber's productions, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was one musical which I thought I'd never have the chance to watch. Phantom and Les Mis and countless others have come to Singapore but never Joseph. But here in London's West End, they're all just waiting for you. Thus at the expense of 25 pounds, I set out with my friends to watch my fourth musical in London. The songs *are* nice. The performances too. The costumes and the way in which they act out some scenes are... umm... Pharaoh's an Elvis-lookalike, complete with his hairdo, dress sense, and singing style. His court attendants wear hockey helmets topped with Anubis-es, shoulder pads and tight shorts. When Joseph thinks, there's a choir boy holding up a sign "thinking" above his head... it's amusing... oh, the Eiffel Tower makes an appearance too!
Monday, February 02, 2004
Read... and reflect:
The Straits Times Interactive
Stop blaming civet cats and chickens for our woes
3 Feb 2004, Tuesday
THE cause of Sars and, now, bird flu, was blamed on the civet cat and the chicken respectively. So we were treated to an added dose of violence on TV showing civet cats being drowned and chickens being stomped to death.
And we were made to believe that this massive killing is the right move because we, human beings, are at risk.
School children applauded the shooting of crows in their school compounds, saying that crows spread the bird-flu virus.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is investigating if migratory birds could spread the virus.
We have killed pigs. We have killed civet cats. We are now killing birds. We have also killed our sense of morality.
Impressionable children will grow up thinking that killing is the answer to any threat to our survival. Is this the future we want?
We should stop blaming other species for our woes. If only we had been less indulgent in our gastronomic pleasures, more compassionate in the farming of animals, and less arrogant and not think that we are the masters of this fragile planet, then perhaps there is still hope for this earthly home we share with other living beings.
We want to live. So does every other living being on this planet.
DR TAN CHEK WEE
The Straits Times Interactive
Stop blaming civet cats and chickens for our woes
3 Feb 2004, Tuesday
THE cause of Sars and, now, bird flu, was blamed on the civet cat and the chicken respectively. So we were treated to an added dose of violence on TV showing civet cats being drowned and chickens being stomped to death.
And we were made to believe that this massive killing is the right move because we, human beings, are at risk.
School children applauded the shooting of crows in their school compounds, saying that crows spread the bird-flu virus.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is investigating if migratory birds could spread the virus.
We have killed pigs. We have killed civet cats. We are now killing birds. We have also killed our sense of morality.
Impressionable children will grow up thinking that killing is the answer to any threat to our survival. Is this the future we want?
We should stop blaming other species for our woes. If only we had been less indulgent in our gastronomic pleasures, more compassionate in the farming of animals, and less arrogant and not think that we are the masters of this fragile planet, then perhaps there is still hope for this earthly home we share with other living beings.
We want to live. So does every other living being on this planet.
DR TAN CHEK WEE
Monday
I've been taken ill. Well kinda. Woke up this morning sweating profusely, despite a rather cold night in the hotel room with the windows opened... must've been the strong winds that have been blowing in my face the past few days... or Justin's passed me his bug. Have this going-to-fall-sick-but-not-quite-feverish-sick feeling... tightness in the throat, pain behind the ears...
Was supposed to accompany EE to Oxford St, but she ended up seeing me back to Linstead, where we said our goodbyes. She's leaving this arvo...
Slept throughout the whole arvo right till just before dinner time.
Am feeling better... well enough -or unwell enough- to succumb to Lionel's urging to attend the Flaggellah meeting... only to get there and have Velma ask me, "Why're you here?" ('cos there's nothing left for the Sponsorship subcom to do anyway). *cheesy grin*
And now Val's asking if I'd like to go to Ireland or Southampton on the weekend of the 14th. *even cheesier grin*
Sunday
EE and Justin went to Madame Tussauds, and since I've gone there before, I didn't join them. Stayed in my room catching up with work... met up with them at their hotel in the late arvo... then we went to Waterloo station to send Justin off back to Winchester.
Dinner back at the hotel... and watched a movie (Keeping the Faith) on t.v. at night. Made me realise how I actually miss watching the telly... SCV - HBO, Cinemax etc. in particular.
Saturday
Went to Portabello Market (again)... had to brave the rain and the strong winds which broke apart EE's umbrella...
Had lunch at this nice little Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge...
Walked around in Harrods... bought meat and veggies and such at Sainsbury's... and went back to my hall. Quite amusing - EE, Justin and myself in my little room... having steamboat dinner using my ricecooker while watching Family Guy and a bit of Pirates of the Carribean. They went back to the hotel and I spend the better part of the night sitting along the B-Landing corridor and chatting away... playing with scissors... getting 'violent' hacking away at an empty apple juice carton, and trying not to be corrupted by Amar's Amarity, and listening to Lionel and Jed's NS experiences...
Friday
EE (aka my aunt) arrived in London from HK yesterday, since my cousin Justin (recall - the one studying in Winchester) had a long-weekend holiday. Luckily for me the morning lecture and afternoon practical were cancelled... so I could meet them early.
Went to some Jap restaurant in Chinatown for dinner... then rushed our way towards the theatre to watch the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... wasn't bad... but it was more suited for children I guess. I still wanna watch Les Mis!
Spent the night at their hotel. Squeezed three beds into a tiny room.
I've been taken ill. Well kinda. Woke up this morning sweating profusely, despite a rather cold night in the hotel room with the windows opened... must've been the strong winds that have been blowing in my face the past few days... or Justin's passed me his bug. Have this going-to-fall-sick-but-not-quite-feverish-sick feeling... tightness in the throat, pain behind the ears...
Was supposed to accompany EE to Oxford St, but she ended up seeing me back to Linstead, where we said our goodbyes. She's leaving this arvo...
Slept throughout the whole arvo right till just before dinner time.
Am feeling better... well enough -or unwell enough- to succumb to Lionel's urging to attend the Flaggellah meeting... only to get there and have Velma ask me, "Why're you here?" ('cos there's nothing left for the Sponsorship subcom to do anyway). *cheesy grin*
And now Val's asking if I'd like to go to Ireland or Southampton on the weekend of the 14th. *even cheesier grin*
Sunday
EE and Justin went to Madame Tussauds, and since I've gone there before, I didn't join them. Stayed in my room catching up with work... met up with them at their hotel in the late arvo... then we went to Waterloo station to send Justin off back to Winchester.
Dinner back at the hotel... and watched a movie (Keeping the Faith) on t.v. at night. Made me realise how I actually miss watching the telly... SCV - HBO, Cinemax etc. in particular.
Saturday
Went to Portabello Market (again)... had to brave the rain and the strong winds which broke apart EE's umbrella...
Had lunch at this nice little Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge...
Walked around in Harrods... bought meat and veggies and such at Sainsbury's... and went back to my hall. Quite amusing - EE, Justin and myself in my little room... having steamboat dinner using my ricecooker while watching Family Guy and a bit of Pirates of the Carribean. They went back to the hotel and I spend the better part of the night sitting along the B-Landing corridor and chatting away... playing with scissors... getting 'violent' hacking away at an empty apple juice carton, and trying not to be corrupted by Amar's Amarity, and listening to Lionel and Jed's NS experiences...
Friday
EE (aka my aunt) arrived in London from HK yesterday, since my cousin Justin (recall - the one studying in Winchester) had a long-weekend holiday. Luckily for me the morning lecture and afternoon practical were cancelled... so I could meet them early.
Went to some Jap restaurant in Chinatown for dinner... then rushed our way towards the theatre to watch the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... wasn't bad... but it was more suited for children I guess. I still wanna watch Les Mis!
Spent the night at their hotel. Squeezed three beds into a tiny room.
