Trick or Trip?

"Woah so lucky!!"

"Better than striking 4 D!"

These are just some of the common responses a couple will get when they have a pair of twins. There is even a chinese idiom that means "happiness comes in pairs".It seems like almost everyone is in approval of doubles and pairs. While you have singles in Badminton, there are also doubles. Same goes for table-tennis and the list goes on.

Though it may all be happy and cheery in the first few days of the twins' arrival but many implications lurk beneath the joyous atmosphere. First comes the babies' identity. How to differentiate Dick from Dave? Then comes the babies' needs. Everything comes in pairs, not forgetting expenses on commodities. Good thing nature made up for it by bestowing 2 wonderful organs to every females.

And other problems start surfacing . When Dick cries, Dave fights for attention and soon it becomes worse than a moshpit. All that racket will continue into the twins' childhood.

Besides the problems faced by others, the twins themselves also suffer as they grow up. Dave will always be compared with Dick or vice versa. Being mistaken for each other will become an everyday encounter. And of course, the BGR problem especially if the twins are good-looking. Plain Jane may like Dick but may end up falling in love with Dave, thinking that they are the same person.

When i was young, i thought having twin brothers or sisters would be such a cool thing but it i later realised that i was wrong.

Having a "common face" was a thing to complain about already until i entered university when i discovered my "twin". We both looked so alike that within the first few weeks of school, i was mistaken for my "twin" at least 6 times. The scenario worsened especially when we were both in the same faculty and our circle of friends started to expand. Soon, I was able to react to such situtions so easily that people thought i was really my "twin" and i was poking fun at them.

The feeling of being mistaken for someone is not at all pleasant. In fact, its quite the opposite especially if its so frequent. Questions like "how can there be someone looking so much like me?" and "what have i done to deserve this?!" will always surface in my head. Nature must be playing a trick on us cos i'm sure my "twin" was experiencing the same fate as me--having the privilege to meet "friends" that he had not acquainted before.

After a few days of talking myself down the edge of the school's tallest building, i finally came to a reconcilation with my fate. And i figured that its not such a bad thing after all cos in the end, i get to know even more people while being mistaken for my "twin".

And after knowing my "twin", i realised that though we looked alike but our characters are very different and it is only our closer friends that are able to differentiate us. This only proves one thing. True friends are able to recognise both your looks and heart.

Some may think that Nature likes to play tricks on us. Some may think that it is Nature's blunder that such things can happen. Regardless of trick or trip, Nature seems to be pointing out the fact that what defines a person isn't just skin-deep but more than that.

A rubber band's story

Daisy was a typical Somalian kid. Starved. Undernourished. Sick. Dehydrated. Death appears before her every now and then. There was no such thing as laughter in a place worse than hell. Baked under the heat of the sun, her lips were as dry as the Sahara. All that she understood was sorrow; written on the faces of her loved ones. There were too many flies around. She wasnt taught to fan them away. Too weak to even understand irritation.

On the other half of the world lived Mary. Attending High School was such a chore that she had decided to spend most of her time hanging out at malls. Regular snacking and rampant binging had created a massive balloon out of her body. Sleeping was becoming a problem. Heavy snoring and breathing difficulties were ghostly visits haunting her frequently during sleep.

Anne was a looker. She was the prettiest in the neighbourhood, perhaps the thinniest too. Hooked on the trend wagon and fashion magazines , looking good was her only concern in life. Dieting and forcing herself to vomit were just daily routines. Nobody mattered and nobody bothered. To her, to slim is to live.

3 Episodes of lives; dramatic yet not-so-far from fact. There is a great disparity. Even rubber bands have limits, so where does this stop?

Starvation versus Gluttony. Purging versus hunger. Daisy, Mary and Anne should go on an exchange. How can we actually spread the world's riches. How can we not overstretch the rubber band?

While sighing over exam preparation, while cursing your acne problem, while hating just about the whole world and yourself, think of Daisy. Cos you could be the spoilt brat on another story's episode being read by like-minded people simliar to us.

Though in the last 48 hrs, I've busted my back tyre halfway home from ECP on a rainy occasion, reinstalled windows on my pc 3 times and hit a virus when i thought everything was solved, got frustrated with a break-out that had plagued me since exams started, i thought of Daisy and i was relieved.

All these meant nothing cos I knew there were people worse than me, suffering much more than me. And these would have been meodicre to them. So why do i have to choose frustration over appreciation? Look beyond the obstacles and unhappiness and embrace satisfaction by cherishing and appreciating what we have. Who knows when the rubber band will snap before our lives' episodes switched places with Daisy's.

Bed Head Does Wonders

Since a very long time, I've regarded hair-styling as a hussle and a waste of time. After all the thick lock on my head isnt exactly floppy, smooth and soft. Its just the total opposite. Frustrated with the fact that I could never be a comb-welding & hair-floppy ah-beng, I just let my garden grow. Even plants are monitored and taken care of properly. Just look at bonsai plants; constant pruning is a definite must. I just couldnt be bothered. Or maybe just a "for-the-sake-of-it" touch here and there, and thats it--im off! When it gets too long, a head down to the barber will settle the thick crop of bush.

Things changed after army. Suddenly, everyone was alike. No hairstlye whatsoever. Either you have your head botak or crew-cut.

Then came this trend of spikey-hairdos. And the invention of wax became a historical hallmark for all punk wannabes. From ah bengs to executives, this infectious trend took the world by storm. Suddenly, everyone seem to be in approval of Esplanade's "state-of-art" design. Ahem...or rather durian-inspired.


Durian or art?

ORD is not just a break from army. It also means freedom. After 2 & a half years of regimentation, nobody wants to be reminded of the army. No doubt,it includes the crew-cut. This created an atmosphere for experimentation. Some coloured their hair, some became confused with their sexuality(long, rebonded, F4-inspired hairdos),some used gel like theres no tomorrow & of course some just cant be bothered. I fell in between the last and second last category.

However, laziness took the better of me. I began to slip into the last category and I've been in it for some time now. The parting i kept before army somehow never came back. Hence, there was no hair styling at all. Since it was short and i often requested to have my crop thinned, my not-so-soft hair disobeyed the laws of gravity. I've harnessed my hair's "talent" and honed my skills of styling a bed-head. Waking up in the morning has never been so convenient ever since i perfected this art. All you have to do is just wake up and scuffle your hair like there are a million lice in your hair. Hahaha.

A bed head is not just a difficult hair style to do. It is also a political statement. Its like wearing a tamohawk hairdo or a skin-head. But don't always judge people by the way they look. After all, on some lucky days, you may wake up with that perfect bed-head; and thats unintentional.


Official Ambassador of the "Bed-Head" hair-do

The next time you are late for any appointment, do consider mastering the art of styling a bed-head. You never know when it comes in handy. It saved me some travelling time when i was late for a KTV session with my friends today. Who knows it may save yours too.

Chase your woes away with this juice

Exams may be over...

BUT those painful little pimples just wouldnt go away.

FRET NOT!

Introducing APPLE CIDER JUICE.

Not only is apple cider a good slimming formula, it also does wonders on fixing up the trouble spots on your face! Being plagued by acne and pimples doesnt spell the end of the world. At least it will be a thing of the past after you have read this.

According to a newspaper article, apple cider actually contains acids that help kill germs beneath the "dirty little monsters" on your face. Furthermore, it helps speed up the healing process and encourage new skin cells to grow. This reduces scarring.

Application of this miracle juice is simple. Just dabble some juice on a cotton bud and tap on the trouble spots on your face gently. A burning sensation is common; just bear with it. After a while, your skin will feel cool.

The smell of the juice though is quite unpleasant. Being volatile, the pungent smell dashes out of the bottle right after you break the seal. But don't worry, you will get used to it.

(surprisingly, the article came from a local Chinese newspaper. And the juice's acne-healing property was discovered by a woman who accidentally spilled some apple cider on her skin)

Reflect on Reflex

There is so much fun surfing during the monsoon. Saving money is no longer a chore.

1. You can skip gym training and break your back out at sea doing uphaul drills.
2. You can tell your mama not to worry about dehydration cause you will be downing plenty of seawater while doing the sport itself.
3. You can forget about your stress-relieving yoga sessions; theres no time for you to worry when you are hanging on to that boom.
4. You can quit worrying about what to do on those lazy sunday afternoons.
5. You can miss that tanning session when you can do it out @ sea for free.
6. You can drop the idea of going to the car show @ suntec when you can have a close-up view @ ships of various shapes and sizes, while struggling to get out of the way.
7. You can save on breakfast money as you will be too tired the next day to wake up for breakfast.
8. You can save up on FHM & Maxim when you can view hot babes @ action under the "aww...so beautiful" sun.
9. You can miss this month's visit to the saloon after having your hair bleached under the sun.
10. You can cancel that appointment with your beautician after soaking in nature's perfect brew (seawater contains the essence to pure beauty: seaweed,natural salts and that little bit of ahem...human products courtesy of PUB).

Winds can be quite tricky at times. A little while ago you could cursing about the lack of wind. A second later you could be swimming already.

"GUST! GUST! GUST!"

Times like these bring you back to the days in army...when Sergeant XiaoDingDong shouted

"GAS! GAS! GAS!"

And fearing a kick in the ass, you just have to get that gas mask on in "double quick time".

I figured that gusts are exactly the same as gas chamber drills. Its a test on your reflexes. However, you have to read the signs well. Once you recognise the signs, its like receiving your sergeant's commands and you just have to work on it before getting your ass kicked. Ripples. Thats the sign. Sometimes signs come from your friends. A human catapult is a perfect indicator of a gust blowing. While savouring the entertaining sight, its best you prepare to hook on and lean out before snatching the limelight from your dear friend.

During this school hols, while performers are busking on the streets of Orchard, why not join me in rendering services to the speed kings & Queens? Though there is no monetary reward but deep down their hearts, our dear kings & queens will appreciate it. After all such services are effortless. All we have to do is to perform that highly-entertaining catapult move.

Monsoon: More Soon

Today's wind was gauged to be between 15 and 18 knots. Crazy gusts. Patchy and Shifty winds. It was a cause for celebration for the pros on shortboards. These suckers for high-octane adrenalin rushes breathe, feed and survive on winds like these. A purpose for living forged on the high speeds of monsoon wind.

This was just the beginning of the monsoon season. In days to come, the winds will be blowing consistently; much steadier and stronger while the pros' smiles and grins become brighter.

As for noobs like me, crashing and getting dumped off the board was a familiar routine. Stunts like catapults, spin-outs and wind-slams were easy tricks that i pull off for mass entertainment. While the anglers were pulling fishes out of the water, i provided visual relaxation for them. What other forms of entertainment can an arm-sore angler ask for when he can see a human catapult performing out at sea?

Uncle Jiapabosaibang must be thinking to himself, "Ah...Crazy people are everywhere; they even exist out at sea".

It was the first time i was using the 7.0m sail i bought from TC under such a condition. Riding on a shortboard with a wave sail can never be more exciting than that on a mistral sail. Firstly, the boom is much shorter and that means no water-dipping sails! The wave sail was yellow in colour and that means i could attract the attention of a beach-strolling babe easily without needing to perform any of my "special" stunts! Then there is this batman sticker that of course...does nothing.LOL, to be serious, the wind cleared easily and quickly from a wave sail compared to a mistral. And besides, the leech on a mistral one sail looks lame.

After a day's dosage of self-abuse, the crave for more excitement thickened. I cycled back home on the highest gear. If the ride to ECP was like a climb up Bukit Timah, the journey back was like a vertical marathon up Mt Everest.

This Taxi was a Joy Ride

"Please Let me drive your taxi, Queen. I need to catch those chicks!"

"No way Dork! I'm the Queen! I drive!"

"And yes, we are America's Next Top Models!"

An Epiphany for a fool

Smile And I'm smitten already.
Theres no longer a need for sunshine
when I'm basking in your rays.
Aww...that beam.

(fairy sighted in the heart of sunny island)

"Anyone, Anyone" By Dashboard Confessional

...get a little lost look, as I'm staring from the corner of my eye.Never really mastered disinterest.I can't see how the way that you leave me alone makes us closeI must be out of touch...

---

And there she was standing in the crowd. So much tranquility within the chaotic crowd. Angelic, untainted. Her presence froze the atmosphere but those bright eyes brought warmth. Such a pleasing balance. There is no longer a need for a science textbook to explain the term "equilibrium". I was experiencing it first-hand! It was just soothing to watch her graceful movement. Subtle and enchanting. Capture this moment and lecturers will no longer have problems explaining thermodynamics to their hapless students.

A tingling feeling that I couldnt shrug off while on the bus ride home, while in the shower, while watching The OC! Stuck in my head like a Jimmy eat world tune. There is no quitting. I felt like a fool. Damn, a head on collision into infatuation.

Park Life or Parked life?

No, i was joking about discovery channel. But there was undoubtedly, a discovery made in the vicinity of my neighbourhood.

How many people actually question things like "why is Tampines called Tampines?"Such questions only cause rude stares and uncontrollable convulsions from your dear friends and family members. Hmm or maybe not so dramatic. LOL
However one brave soul did the ludicrous thing which led to an amazing discovery! Now, lets focus on this bold deed.

---

Action taken: Our Hero asked, "Why is Fort Road called Fort Road huh?"

Crowd Reaction: Rude stares, violent vomitting, uncontrollable convulsion
Heaven decided to help a little...

"There shall be a dry spell over this ever-so boring island!"

And Our Hero uncovered the truth about the significance of Fort Road!

For doubts on above story, please refer to any reliable news sources. (You can click on the previous blog title:Parklife)

---

So you see, its quite a brave thing to ask stupid questions. After all, nobody really cares what you asked after a day or two. But then again, not everyone is as "gifted" as me. So there is still a risk. Who knows your friend was once on "Singapore's Brainiest kids", answering all the questions on his ultra terra-byte memory chip. Such a fate will only cause a catastrophe to mankind-widespread uncontrollable convulsion for ages.

With this discovery, National Park Board will have so much more work to do. Imagine 1.3 million islanders paying pilgrimage to the sacred Tanjong Katong Park. No one would have imagined something so exciting could actually happen on this ever-summer island.

However, I was deeply disappointed when i paid my visit to the sacred place. There was hardly any soul. Only makeshift tentage to shelter the digging sites. And so the smiles stay on NPB. No sweat nor hussle at all.

Actually the sites were nothing spectacular. But it was rather amazing how close the fort was to the ground surface. You could even touch it if you were not as law-abidding as me. Tell me if you do though and i will add you to my personal hall of fame.

Seriously speaking, the significance of this discovery means a great deal. People visit Tanjong Katong Park every day to walk their dogs, play at the playground (its actually a miny SOC), jog, stroll, creating moods for procreation. There is so much national education in this park! To top the list, Tanjong Katong Park is one of the oldest park in Singapore! *GASP!* Imagine patriots declaring their love for the country by seeking recreation in the park; going perfectly in line with the government's policy of increasing birth rates. All these is done with a fort beneath their feet. So much emotional attachment. So much patriotism.

This is a classic example of daring to ask stupid questions. If it wasnt for our dear Hero, there wouldnt have been so much...to talk about. So stop living a parked life. A life where you park and stay fixed not daring to break conventions. Lets all start asking stupid questions. Give it up for our national hero for bringing meaning to our park lives.

Discovery Channel @ work right @ your door step.

Park Life

DRUG OF THE DAY: PARKLIFE BY BLUR

PRESCRIPTION:

Verse
Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as (parklife)
And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as(parklife)
John's got brewers droop he gets intimidated by the dirty pigeons they love a bit of it (parklife) Who's that gut lord marching... you should cut down on your porklife mate... get some exercise

chorus
All the people So many people They all go hand in hand Hand in hand through their parklife

Verse
Know what I mean I get up when I want except on wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen (parklife)
I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house (parklife)
I feed the pigeons I sometimes feed the sparrows too it gives me a sense of enormous well being (parklife)
And then i'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of my heart devoted to it (parklife)
It's got nothing to do with vorsprung durch technic you know And it's not about you joggers who go round and round and round Parklife (parklife)

When Cavanaugh park comes to life

The exams may be ending in 2 days time. I may already be in "holiday mood". But the nocturnal bug is still omnipresent. I just cant seem to sleep early. Excuses for waking up late? Probably.

And so it was. Today's record wasnt as outstanding as sunday. A humble record @ 1130am.

Cycled down to Swee Lee's. Bought some guitar strings. Thanks to RH. DUH!
The sales assistant was a tad too "friendly" and "enthusiastic" when he started playing the display guitars. Whipping out familiar tunes that Yamaha scholars swear by and explaining the pitch, acoustics of the wood piece. So much effort just for a miserable purchase of 5 lousy strings. All i asked for was which strings i should get for my brandless piece of guitar and i got more than what i wanted.He has earned his "best employee of the year"; no doubt.

And once again, Mr Weather played his cards right. I was stuck in the darn building. It rained a good half an hour. Monsoon season; yes, we have to thank this wonderful phenomenon just so that Singapore's ever-summer climate wont be so boring.

Somehow when im alone its either home or ECP that i would eventually go to. No i dont scorn the feeling of independency. I adore it. What more can you ask for? Without someone to talk to. Without someone to voice his/her opinion. Without someone to share thoughts with. All these is made possible only because im alone.

The raindrops were still pelting down as i peddled down the park. Listening to my muvo and taking in the sights and enjoying "independency" seemed such a splendid experience. Its like viewing a movie in 3-D ALONE! Guess the school hols has begun since there were so many young kids around. (NOTE: If there's one thing u want to do that is exciting,cheap and calorie-burning, just cycle down ECP on a Sunday evening \m/ )

Am i chasing my childhood dreams down memory lane? Cos all these kids just made me feel so envious. I missed those days when rounders, block-catching, dragon-playground catching, tarzon-swings were all the rage. Guess things has taken a turn towards virtual-reality for these kids. I mean what more fun can there be when you can be welding a sub-machine gun or sniper rifle; gunning down your friends and blowing each other's head off? So much for excitement.

I decided not to hit the waters after all its still raining and obviously it was close to zelch knots. And so i went all the way down to NSC. Woah, i couldnt believe the collection of sails and boards the national team has. I guess SSC is really promoting windsurfing more aggressively these days. The number of sails over there is large enough to form a rental corner already. *hiakz*

Dropped by at Bedok Jetty. It was genocide over there. An onslaught. Anglers were pulling out fishes from the sea like nobody's business. If fishing rods had torques like engines do, i guess their rpm is considerable to fit a jet plane. But of course, there was this cute couple who release the poor lives back into the sea after catching them. That must be the most sadistic thing to do cos who knows they might have caught the same fish twice,thrice or more and let it back into the ocean again. I guess poor nemo would have chosen death in the very beginning.

And so there you have it. Cavanaugh Park, Singapore style. And yes, SOCO's "hurricane" was played on my muvo when it was raining. How sick can that be, aint that right Mr Weather? GRRR...

Its about understanding weather patterns

Woke up late today. Went down to ECP and helped Mr Tan to redeck the boards. 5:3 thats the ratio for resin to hardener. The boards looked so new yet they are on the brink of phasing out.

Mistral one design will be remembered as a class of the past. And the younger generation will be astonished by how people in the past can actually use such boards. Just like how the round-bottom boards that TC preached to us about back in the hay days brought about faces of disgust.

The weather was fine but absurdly calm considering that the monsoon season is nearing. Creaming the board with the viscuous mixture seems like we are embalming these antique-to-be/artefacts. Shimmering the caster sugar on it help create the rough surface representing the hardships that the pioneers went through. Then the next day, the boards will be rinsed. The sugar dissolves leaving the perfect micro-potholes on the boards surface. Voila! Its done! A replica of adrian's not-so-perfect face texture.

Just as we were laying the boards under shelter, the weather began to look promising. A dark cuminolimbus was brewing right before us. An anticipated storm! No time was wasted and i rush to rig up my equip. After a 20 minutes of anticipation out at sea, nothing happened! And still egging on the pleasure of self-torment, i pushed out to Padang and pumped back for a glorious homecoming (my imagination again).

I learnt quite a bit today. Goh Thye Hock gave me pointers and made me realise what a thwart i was. Haha. The mystery of M-1 design always puzzle mankind. And it is occasions like this that a few gem-like comments and tips drop by to resolve the many problems mankind face.

And as usual, conflicts of ideas always surface. And a wise man said, "different sailors have different styles and techniques and its up to us to figure out, adept and reinvent this pool of techniques to suit ourselves..." Indeed.

There so much to learn. So much to experiment. Should we just improve on what is given to us? Or should we learn as if nothing was given? Till now, mankind has not figure out the objective of local education and its obscured direction. Why is it that mankind is still puzzled and aimless after 22 years of education?

Mankind's complexity is unmeasurable. This blog is a living testimony to that.