being happy

many apologises to my constant ‘temporary’ writing hiatus i grant myself (to you too ridjal).

it seems ironic that while i was in algeria, where i didnt have proper internet connection, i could churn out articles after articles, day after day. my source of writing comes from the most mundane of stuff but yet, it has never dried up. And yet, in NY, with my constant connectivity, i have been writing lesser and lesser.

i guess part of it comes to priority. Though i do love writing, i guess life has taken a somewhat more unexpected turn. from the millions of readings (i am reading like 300 pages every week and never in my life have i read so many soporific academic bullshit) to, well, an unexpected fixture in my life.

This fixture, my girlfriend, was pretty unintended (if it is the right word), but i am glad of it. there is no spectacular story behind our story (sorry ridjal), more like friends, drinking buddies, who with the nudging of cupid became a ‘thing’.

this cultural oddity ‘couple-hood’ amuses and warms my heart. I have been single for some time now and the novelty of it did intrigue me initially. No, i am not a cryptic, in fact, i appreciate the feeling of joy, where my face lights up when she walks in (in my case, calls).

aiyah.. whatever.. enough of this mushy crap.. will try to write more… try lah..

you are always write.

i have jumpstarted ridj.org again.

girlfriend?

from pictorial evidence gathered through a Facebook photo album, i have surmised that my friend the nyutramp is now in possession of a girlfriend. this interesting phenomenon is news to me, even though we share a blog together (which we periodically attempt to defibrillate back to life once in a blue moon).

brader, you have girlfriend, ah?

tell us how you met. i beseech you.

new

this year, this new year, new president, new resolutions, new clothes, new vows, new friends, new hopes, new disappointments, new worries, new joys…. so many things to look forward to and so many not.

just watched the most watched inauguration ever, man, it is really something. but after the speech it all went downhill. and i really admire the people who braved the cold (-10 anyone).

girlfriend came over my vacation, which explained the laze updates even though i was supposed to be extremely free. initially, i was quite stressed about it because i had never spent 24/7 for 26days with someone and feared that on the 5th day i would run out of topic.

but no, it was good, no, it was very good, no, it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. we had a blast, helicoptered over Manhattan, stormed Vegas, infiltrated Chinatown, exhausted the branded outlet stores, drank ourselves silly and much more…

i know this seem like a random personal post but oh well..

on a more officious note, i have finally submitted my article to the online citizen (TOC), as part of their TOC International team, where overseas based Singaporeans will be writing from a, well, overseas perspective.

I will (try) be writing about public service among other issues.. am very excited about the first article, wonder if i will get lambasted by it or celebrated by the masses… well as Bush said it “let history be the judge”.

all is quiet on the western front

a couple of days till mr barack h obama takes to the throne of the biggest office on earth. every periodical i pick up these days are abuzz with skeptical musings on whether he will be able to steer the states out of the dismal state it is in today.

it’d be a humongous feat if he could bring forth the change he’s been talking about so far during his campaign, but on the other end of the coin, it’d also be a feat if he were to do worse than the president before him. to fare so badly takes skillz that only an idiot savant can muster.

a few weeks ago, i saw a ladies’ salon advertising a poster with the slogan ‘good riddance to bush’. the fine print made me realize that it was a clever pun. they were promoting a special offer for brazilian waxes.

christmas?

except for the lights, the incessant advertisement and the ceaseless tourists, there are actually very little going on in NY that feels as if it is Christmas. If anything, Thanksgiving seemed like a much bigger thing (even the sales concurs).

still, gf was very happy to be around, showed her a lot of NY although we have yet to hit the museum and clubbing circuit, but in due time.

was watching a show (the devil’s own), and realized that the equivalent of men consummating a friendship with another man (assume straight men) is having been through a ‘drunken-send-friend-home’ episode.

for a man, the supposed clearest indication that his relationship with a woman has solidified is after fornication (well not so for the horny promiscuous types), where the man will know that it is probably the end all.

however for man, it is different, how the hell do we push a level of friendship: from acquaintance to buddy? well, the answer lies when a dude gets wasted and his friend (either drunk or wildly intoxicated) was there to either send his home or laugh at him, whatever, both has the same level of efficacy.

so, after that roaring binge session, the dude(s) will form an inner circle and thereby cementing a friendship that will last until the next drinking session.

All these do bring me to another question: i wonder then what is the equivalent for women? what is the break through ceiling?

is it weeping incomprehensibly while watching some unintelligible korean soap?

is it weeping hand in hand while lamenting the ex bf?

is it weeping hand in hand while being stressed about exams?

is it weeping hand in hand while worrying about that extra 2 kilos of meat on the thigh?

whatever it is, i am pretty sure it has something to do with weeping…

it is aug 26th

hello people, finally my exams are done. or is it?

cannot believe that semester 1 has ended, that i have been here for 4 months, that i have gotten so drunk and puked in the subway, that i can survive on a strict pizza and no-fruit diet, that snow is actually irritating and unpleasant when it comes down in the form of ice, that i have yet to cook…..

it really just seem like yesterday where i was stuck in the airplane delayed by some faulty door switch at changi (why do we pronounce it “chan-nee” and not “chang-gee”?). man, i cannot believe how much money i have spent…

snow: most part of my life was spent under the illusion that snow is a beautiful thing. yes, it is but it hurts too and can be treacherous to the unsuspecting pedestrian who, incidentally me, have slipped a few times while walking in 60kmh winds in a frozen friendly temperature of -16 (windchill).

anyway, i have joined theonlinecitizen (TOC) as a guest writer. TOC has this new unimaginatively-named initiative TOC International, where singaporeans overseas will write about crap from a new perspective. the column should go up in January.. I am excited and cannot wait to start but i, first, must find something to write about…

go read their site and join them should it pique your inner volition.

this is a title

and this is a blog entry. wow, new wordpress looks very swanky. and where is mr hansiong who hasn’t blogged for so long? in fact, he’s gone awol ever since barack won. what’s going on?

today i met a customer who treated me the shittiest any customer has ever treated me. in the blink of an eye, the experience made me question what i am doing with my life, my career, et al. where am i headed? what are my aspirations? is everything gone to the dogs? siao liao.

worried sick

i’ve been sick with fever and flu, or an amalgamation of both maladies, for the past week. this is perhaps one of the longest bout of fever/flu I’ve had, but regardless, I kept soldiering on with the duties and responsibilities of being a boss of a small startup, where nothing really moves if the boss doesn’t stick his nose in it.

there’s also the looming prospect of moving into the new office, with its own challenges and obstacles.

i had to sit myself down yesterday and had a good long think.

normally, when i’m sick like this, there is a reason for it. it’s not just my body giving way to viruses but normally, there’s a psychological reason for the physical weakness. what’s festering at the back of my mind, that has me so worried and tossing and turning in the middle of the night with translucent nightmares that slip out of my hands the moment I wake up in cold sweats.

I really had to come clean with myself, and when I did, I found the answers that I needed to move ahead.

Once this happened, I knew that I was now on the road to recovery, and as I suspected, the fever quickly receded away like shadows seeping away in the face of the blinding light of truth.

quantum of solace

i watched Quantum of Solace last week. This is a movie I’ve been waiting to catch since the last Bond movie with much anticipation. Perhaps to see if Daniel Craig (a man with two first names) can continue doshing out the good stuff like he did with Casino Royale.

I really like Quantum of Solace, it’s a non-stop race from start to finish.

And I like Daniel Craig, he is now up there as my favourite Bond. The guy takes a dozen beatings (he is said to do most of the stunts himself), he comes out looking all bruised and exhausted, but he can still exude coolness and pout like a primadonna.

And I think the whole Bond franchise is desperately trying to catch up with the Jason Bourne phenomena, so you get to see James Bond being more hands-on.

It’s all good.