Special People

Well this weekend had been nothing short of fruitful.

Had a drinks and laughs on Friday. You know who you are who had made my week!

Had a Halloween party dressing up on Sat. It should have been my pet event, but I robotically executed my tasks.







Had a 5km Women Run this morning. I was happy to cross the finishing line with many other very eager ladies! Wonder what My Timing is.

Just returned from a wedding dinner at Raffles The Plaza. Beautiful dim lighting, with floating tealights and roses all around. It was romantic. Food came at a snail's pace, at 10pm, five more dishes were still not served. A rather touching event.

Weekend activties aside, somehow, I feel empty despite the hubbub of programmes. I think I am losing touch with people whom I took for granted before. The non-contact mode is not working anymore.

As people start to work, there seems to be less time for others around. Have I changed, or have the special people around me changed? Who are the special people to me? Am I still special to them too? The tables have turned.

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Oasis - Champagne Supernova

How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova in the sky
Wake up the dawn and ask her why
A dreamer dreams, she never dies
Wipe that tear away now from your eye
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova
'Cuz we don't believe
That they're gonna get away from the summer
But you and I will never die
The world's still spinning around we don't know why
Why-why-why-why-i-i

How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the sky
Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova
'Cuz we don't believe
That they're gonna get away from the summer
But you and I will never die
The world's still spinning around we don't know why
Why-why-why-why-i-i
(a really long guitar solo)
(background - sounds like a bunch of "No"'s)
(birds chirping)
(more guitar)
How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high

Cable Ski & Go Karting @ Batam 9th August 2006

Tibet Planning

For travellers, Tibet is said to be without doubt one of the most remarkable places to visit in Asia. It offers fabulous monastery sights, raw high-altitude valleys and troughs, stunning views of the world's highest mountains and apparently one of the most likeable peoples around. However, due to the reality of politics, it can sometimes be a sobering and saddening experience.





"For the Tibet trip, I am proposing that we travel between 16 Dec to 24 Dec. There are essentially two ways with which we can get to Tibet. One would be overland, where we take the bus from Kathmandu to Lhasa on the Nepal-Chinese Highway. This highway is 900km long and would involve us taking a plane to Kathmandu and then taking a bus to Lhasa.

Alternatively, it is possible to fly to Beijing and then take the Beijing-Lhasa train to our destination. The prices of a ticket would range from 800-1200 yuan (around 200-250 SGD) and the journey is 4064 km long. The journey will also take 48 hours. There are three trains leaving from Beijing to Lhasa per day.

For visas, it is necessary to get a separate visa for Tibet and one for China/Nepal. So that would involve applying for two visas for the trip."

Samsui Women - The Chinese Apha Breed

Wow , I didnt know that Samsui women managed to match the men in terms of heavy work, working alongside the men in contruction sites and fields. Sounds like the Amazonians! They were rugged, displayed true grit and resoluteness. One thing I didnt know was that they chose to stay single and independent, often taking a vow of celibacy! .. this little input was inspired by August's edition of Asian Geographic.

.. I caught the premiere of Cabaret over the weekend - boasting a stella cast of Fei Xiang, Emma Yong, Karen Tan, Mark Richmond, Celine Rosa Tan ... and a tight knit of dancers. Boy it was long, close to three hours! Can you believe a local musiclal lasting that long? SET in pre-Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Cabaret depicts the intertwining stories of a cabaret singer, Sally Bowles, her doomed relationship with American writer Clifford Bradshaw and the citizens of Berlin during the bedlam of a changing society. Sally sings in a decadent club called the Kit Kat Klub where the sinister and seemingly omnipresent Emcee holds court.

... Sure, director Beatrice Chia packed it choked full of mature jokes, which were subtlely in-your-face. (I cant describe it otherwise).
... Sure Emma Yong's bod and VOCALS never looked and sounded that good.
... Sure I couldnt tell that the REALLY tall German- was played by Mark Richmond
... Sure I could tell that Fei Xiang's role - good as he tweaked his voice skillfully, (but sounded muffled over the sound system - audience could hardly comprehend apart from the repetitive chorus), sadly it looked out of place with the whole production. It was as if he had rehearsed the parts by himself - it was not tightly reined in with flow of the show.
... Sister said that the original focussed more on the Cabaret scene, and the one we watched focussed more on romance between Frau Schneider(German) and Herr Schultz (German Jew). It brought out strains of political issues - and pre-world war I tensions
... In short, it was a great effort by Toy Factory, although it evidently suffered from the same woes as all productions do - having never enough rehearsal time. Plus the production seemed to want to tackle too many issues, and did not have a strong focus (Either presenting a entertaining set or a musical with a message to send)Nevertheless, I had enjoyed the laughs, I liked Celine Tan's raucously irreverent protrayal of a prostitute with a penchant for young Sailors boys! It had entertainment value for sure, and I think the well-heeled crowd lapped by the jokes, by the sounds of the appreciative laugher that peppered the show.

My kids in Speech & Drama are doing pieces from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, The Horla by Guy De Maupassaunt, Vilette by Charlotte Bronte, Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw ... which means I have to read up more... argh.... quick, pass me the synopsis!

Ah Wow!

Top Six Happy List
1) From: Discovery Travel & Living Subject: We want to see more of you! =)
2) High on City Space's Govner's Smile with Antz - Unobscured view of Spore
3) Paula's Home Cooked Chicken Rice on a Friday night
4) Hip Hop under Dee Dee with Sam @ Wu Studio
5) Half Day Tuesday @ CGH for Dad's Checkup ~ finally!
6) Hitting 5 km on the runner! Woohoo!

Top Two Not-so-happy List
1) Mommy refuses to go for Checkup
2) Working on understanding Options

Besides the above - I am tired. Perpetually falling asleep in front of Computers - regardless if it's at the workplace or otherwise.

Now think think of script...
Backdrop: Raffles Place Mert.
Why? The FACE of Singapore. At the Crux of the Matter. Breakneck Speed. The Quest to Reach the Top. Congestion at The Escalator. Singlemind shuffling. To the LEFT. Determination. Kock kock plick pliak. Whiff.
People. Women, many women. Backbone of a Patriachal society. The mother of hogging orange mert seats. V-P-L.
Me: I. Third Person. Faceless in the sea of orderliness. Tall. Taller than everyone else. Uniform. Love Hate Struggle. Live, Rules. Who I Am.

Where: Rock Wall. Boulder. Mattress. Fall. High. Colours. Determination. Challenge. Live.

Sleepy. Blackout.

Fruitful Weekend?

I look at my hands , calloused, blisterd, corned. But my heart is singing.

1. Learnt the difference between top rope and lead climbing in terms of risk and physics of it
2. Learnt how to belay a lead climb , climb a lead climb, communication required

3. Knots learnt: Double Figure of Eight, Clove Hitch or Mickey Mouse Knot, Prussik & Crab, Tape Knot, Munter Hitch
4. Rappeling / Abseiling - a system of lowering oneself using rope





5. Self Equalising and Isolated Anchors - if there are only bolts available
6. Got an idea of what Multi-pitching is
7. Coach taught me how to Flag and Back Step more effectively!

In short, I was introduced to the joys and risks of lead climbing. I fell three times today because I couldnt carry myself up the overhang. Scrapped my elbows, knees and shin. But not serious. A bit scary up there - gonna work on it come Tuesday.

New term learnt - Sewing machine: Used to refer to the visible uncontrollable trembling of the leg when climbing.

That was a very lovely Sunday spent. Saturday, however, i was played out big time. Ended up getting bored over TV, and decided that washing clothes was a better way to spend my time.

What doesnt kill u makes u stronger

I was at Ice Cold Beer yesterday. Birthday drinks with Chris. A bit happy a bit sad that he was leaving. Seriously ever since he stopped working, crazy emails stopped coming.. from him of course. How I was nicknamed Big Bird. How his mom teased about him and his bright yellow bike. And him being a crybaby. Abve all, I remember Chris's delicious apple crumble, and Lasagne.... and his penchant for drinking loads. And how he totally trashed me at squash - I shld admit I suck at it. And sometime back, the BKK Rock Festival, and how he introduced me to Snow Patrol when nobody in Singapore knew them. But worse was how he ridiculed me especially when drunk, hurling verbal abuse at me...which made me understand how the term English bastards came about. Strange he wasnt too happy to go home - its just like how the honeymoon period ceases and real living starts.

Students are so much more carefree - and not so bounded by the disgusting boundaries of Work Environment. Then again Boundaries are fixed by oneself. I hate my workplace, but how can I make it better? It is lonely, but like climbing, there is always an easier way out.

Wed - dance class

Thurs - either squash game or home for a jog

Fri - home early

Sat - morning climbing training, drama, blade, movie? *hands up for those who are game!*

Sunday - lead climbing part two, home for dinner