And so,

Naruto moves on to the next stage of his adventures after the long series of fillers.
He grew up in the few years which he trained under Jiraiya.


As for Bleach,
Ichigo and gang are finally back on Earth.
He faces a two pronged struggle with the hollow in him and the Arrancars (Hollows who have attained the Shinigami's powers).


They're finally back to the main story line.
I'm finally back to watching anime.

Things change, people change, situations change, thoughts and feelings change.
The only constant in this world is change.

We get comfortable in our present moment, and next you know,
things are out of place, and when they do get out of place,
your comfort zone is smashed and you end up thrown into a big jungle.

But you do know that everything changes, so all you gotta do is be in control.
No one ever said it would be easy.
They only ever said, "Do it"

Busy... So darn busy.
But I don't know where to start.

LOL

The bitter hater. What a stereotype. More or less, Valentine's Day is a commercialized kind of event. But well, it still IS Valentine's.

Ambiguous... You sure this is the TOP 3 people you meet?

When i keep dying in dota,
when i keep losing money when gambling,
when i can't make my shots and lay ups,
when i can't study,
when i miss out on the great parties,
when people grow apart,
when things change so much,
when the world seems to have stopped spinning for me,
when the clouds are transfixed in its gloomy state,
when nothing is going my way,
when everything my do is wrong,
when all i can see is negativity,
and the word IMPOSSIBLE just throws itself at me time and time again
in succession, non-stop, as if it was really fun...

I should smile.
Because I know life couldn't get any worse than this.
That this is probably the lowest it would get.

And so, despite my ill luck and fate, I decided to try out on another gambling session.
Since it couldn't get any worse, it must be on the up turn! ==> i thought

So I loaned 10bucks from Charmaine and made enough to return her the 10bucks and still play comfortably. We were at blackjack at that time, same old blackjack, better luck. No blackjacks for me though, no double winnings nor triple winnings, just consistent winnings was enough to take me through.
Then we started on Texas Hold'em Poker. Addictive shit. But that was where the dough started rolling in, when people put the max of the 50cents stake each time. Luck has it that I have lived with the fuf long enough to learn some bluffing skills, and also to bestow me with wonderful cards. We only stopped because some have lost their buffer money for gambling.

my winnings.
a turning point?

hahaha.
or a deception point?

only time will tell.

Driving cars,
win money,
lose more money,
ang baos,
cny goodies,
more arcade gaming in fucked up arcades,
watching people get drunk,
playing chee ko pak,
watching 81yr old lao ah ma dance international ballroom dancing,
eating pasta made by ally's mum,
And1 Mix Tape on ESPN,
certainty and uncertainty.

Picking up the pieces of fallen scented petals,
the remnants, the broken pieces and what's left of it.

Picking them up piece by piece,
clearing the way to put things back to where they belong.

The magic red carpet ride is over,
"A Whole New World" that's not so new,
no apples, no birds flying past with a squeak, no catching of clouds in hands,
definitely not the works of a magic lamp.

But comes the magic of red, noise, gambling and family.

Arabian Nights

A child born into the midst of sand and stone cities.

Brought up innocently in the markets of the Arabian sands,
surviving in the danger and harsh conditions was tough.

So begins the Tales of the Thousand Arabian Nights
as he took solace in the stories that his companions fed him.
The tired one talked about the search for pride,
the idealistic one talked about not caring what the world is and doing what he thinks is right,
the unlucky one talked about how his luck is changing for the better,
the loud mouthed one talked about worries and a future in which he has no plans,
the confident one talked about how other stories are of no matter,
the one in love with sun shine talked about reality.

Despite the companionship of his friends,
the child braved the sandy storms to see the world.
He reached an inn,
cosy and comforting as he waited to rest the night.
A lady most well dressed caught his eyes as she eloquently
talked of her adventures,
like a passenger of turbulent time.
Tales of dead ends, of beauty, of unconditional friendships, of partings,
of truth, of pain, of bloodied walls and tales of loss.
Days looked bleak and dark as the child continued his journey.

His legs brought him to a City high up upon the piles of sand.
He listened as the Tales of the Thousand Arabian Nights
were continued by prophets and chiefs who have seen more of the world
than a child like him.
They spoke of their valiant achievements, the battles that they fought,
the foes they crushed, the tales of two cities, of failing bonds,
of distance, of the struggles of brave heroes who prevailed by persevering under circumstances of all odds stacked against them,
of thieves and robbers greatly despised but able to disguise under the mask of darkness
and how to untrained eyes they seem like princes of untold fortunes,
tales of patience, of numbers, of hope, of hard work, of lying merchants,
of growing up to be a real prince, of fighting thieves, of saving damsels,
of dangerous roads less traveled, of the beautiful ladies of the wild Arabian sands,
of tavern gossips, of the town criers, of right and wrong.

The child lay still in the cradle of warmth he calls home,
recalling the Tales of the Thousand Arabian Nights.
Every tale taught a different lesson,
every tale said a different thing,
every tale an ideal,
every tale a path to choose,
every tale a wonder.

So who's to say what is wrong and what is right
even as the child contemplates his next destination in the
vast sands of the Arabian Nights.
The stars shone bright in the cloudless sky,
the flickers like gentle whispers soothing the child's young mind
as he fell asleep,
in the cradle of warmth he called home.

A child born into the midst of sand and stone cities.

Brought up innocently in the markets of the Arabian sands,
surviving in the danger and harsh conditions was tough.

So begins the Tales of the Thousand Arabian Nights

14th Feb 2007,

Baked chicken pasta, red carpet, throwing dried scented flowers at each other,
some of my favourite music, A612, 3 1/2 glass of soft sweet wine, busy day,
lovely evening, great night out, wonderful date, a most beautiful lady,
ice cream stuck to the top cover, getting trashed by A at bishi bashi, spoiled Daytona,
Time Crisis 3, the bang bang bang game, Esplanade,
laughing at nothing at all, laughing because I'm happy,
losing my balance (that's an ally), speaking chinese to the malay taxi driver (another ally),
losing my way in Marina Square, visited the Leongs at the dance studio,
tiramisu cake by the shifu, cookies, trouble opening the wine bottle,
candles blown out by fans, talking about everything and everyone, wallets,
pictures of me, waiting for cab, pao dohed by Cheryl, help from Cheryl.

=]

Rice Table.
First ever FUF outing in town.
Good buffet, had a good fill.
Yuanyuan and lunlun birthday celebration.
Kind of.
Running your fingers across the food warmer and pretend it's not hot.
Ordering so many dishes you thought at some point you might not finish them all.
Pranks after pranks, lies after lies.
Never ending laughters.

K-ed the night away. 2nd session in a span of less than 48 hrs.
Almost the same songs, but with a different crowd. The FUFs

Screaming the night away, jumping on the sofa, choosing nuts from the tidbit bowl,
sucking away at lemons, crunching ice, slapping thighs, favourite duets,
competition to see who uses the toilet faster,
late night assignment rush, walking the familiar corridors to a room too familiar,
nice Zouk ad card, watching Ally fly around in the back seat,
trying to hold still while getting trashed at the slapping game with WaiKit on the wheels,
leaving only on the 3rd time the staff tells us to.

Leann Rimes' voice still lingers in the subconscious of my head.
Her crisp, powerful voice.
"How do I live without you"
Reminds me of a time not too long ago when winamp was still our mainstay media player.

Good memories, happy moments, those wonderful instants.
Times when you wish you could grab hold of them with your bare hands,
but it slips through your fingers like sand.
And the sand whispers, "The only constant in this world is change"

Some things you probably will never have control of.
Things change. People change. Nothing ever remains the same.

Stop,
time,
stop.

Durian Fests, BTBLPs, Late Night Suppers, FU-d Pranks, Stupid Expressions, Challyster's smiles, A n B.

What will change? What will stay?

FuF
(one missing, too busy selling nasi panggang)

Makes me wonder about life after I leave hall.
Bunch of guys I'll never forget.
All the pranks that we've played.
The endless nights of shouting across the corridors.
"LAI LEH!"
"ZHOU LEH! QU CHI SUPPER!"
"EY, MEI YOU YI ZHI SHUI JIAO DE LA!"
The BTBLPs.
The people whom you know will be there when you need them.

Fucked Up buncha shits I tell ya...
Absolutely Fucked Up.

:)

"Chasing Cars"

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Was playing basketball yesterday evening.
Knew I had to stop when I almost tripped while chasing a loose ball as both my calves cramped.
Reminded me of what alison meant by "wo de jiao hen suan!"
It must have been either the weather, or the Heineken.

Note to self : No more drinking before sports. Else shoot yourself.

Went with Joshua to meet up with Alan at Holland V. Ended up at Brekos.
Had Cabonara for lunch. Not excellent. I'd advice against having that at Brekos.
Well, that was where I had Heineken too.

Note to self : Time to find a job and get yourself a damn camera, or at least a phone with a decent one.


So, it was KTV the next day, which happens to be today. Belting out our voices to the melodies of those ching chong cheena songs.
Serene the "we didn't know she could be so wen rou when she sings"
Sabrina the "check out that range, she could sing any song"
Wui Ern the "she picked Jaded by Aerosmith and half the time wants to sing the guy part"
Alison the "she can sing super high pitch songs so any high pitch parts let her sing" ----> she did a Bu De Bu Ai
Joshua the "play a fool and hurt his throat by screaming away into the mic"
Had a great time. Favourite duets, great singers, fun songs.
So... yes, our KTV did materialist after all. It ain't all talk and no action.

It's done.
Finally.
Yeah. It's done.

Finished watching Grey's 2.
The last episode's power packed in many ways.
I liked the way it was filmed.

The feeling of winning.
The feeling of making that crucial last shot of the game.
The feeling of bringing your team up by 1 point.
The feeling that you're in control.

The stress, the shouts, the look in the eyes. I felt it.
And I wanna have more of it.

Team Tanglin 52 - 51 RBL

The last 17 seconds. Pressing their in bound pass, interception by Koon Teck, pass to Chee Cheong as I ran for the open space on the right. A pass to me, the drive up to the basket. The shot I've done so many times, I know I can do it. But my head whirls. It's the last shot for my team, the last chance for us to take the lead.

If you want to win, go back to basics. The numerous duke drills I've done in the past months. I know I can't miss this.

PAAAP. Goes the ball as it hits the board and drops right through the hoop.

I got it, 7 secs left. RBL starts the ball, press them! 6... 5... 4... 3... a pass to their player outside the key... 2... 1... shot... and miss.

A good win. Good effort by the team. Many things we can work on. But for today, the battle is won. Good game. Good job.



Too much quoting Meredith. Now everything I say is a form of Meredithism to Ally.
No. I am not whiny nor am I depressed.
Still, Grey's Anatomy writers are really TOK KONG!!! Have to give it to them.

When I quote from the show, it's just that I think the quote is note-worthy,
and doesn't mean I'm whiny OR depressed...
errrr. Right?
Haha.




Don't worry...
I never said I wasn't Scary and Damaged too.

A wise man once said you can have anything in life
if you would sacrifice everything else for it.

What he meant is, nothing comes without a price,
so before you go into battle,
you better decide how much you're willing to lose.

And letting someone in means abandoning a wall you spent a lifetime building.

Of course the toughest sacrifices are the ones we don't see coming.

When we don't have time to come up with a strategy to pick a side
or to measure a potential loss,
when that happens, when the battle chooses us,
that's when the sacrifice can turn out to be more than we can bear.





Choose door number one.

Ok. So it's not whether you win or lose,
it's how you play the game.

So, I finally meet McVet.

You want to win?

Always go back to basics.

Find a penny,
pick it up,
all day long you'll have good luck.

Went home after basketball training at Tanglin.
Good training, worked out a few plays to use on Monday.
Players not too familiar with the plays yet, but should get better in weeks.
Come on guys, don't anticipate! You're gonna kill yourselves.
The opponents aren't gonna run the plays that we're running,
I see you anticipating, I'll cut you and drive past you, it's that simple,
DO NOT ANTICIPATE. Use your body and legs and defend well.

Good effort though, fast swings, looking for the open shot, going in strong.
And as for me, it's a good place to work on my vision and gauge my individual improvement.

Energy's been pretty much sapped in the last few weeks with the IHG on going and studies mounting up into a marvelous pile of junk that you have no idea where to begin with. But I'm catching up, and if possible I should do it with Super Speed. Wish you had super hero powers sometimes don't you? I'd like to have Batman's abilities if I had the chance. It's almost as if he's reached the peak of mankind's powers. Rich, handsome, charming, black hair, nice cape, agile, strong, VERY intelligent. But he doesn't have his parents. So... I guess no one has a perfect life.

So I went home after training to rest my body, mind and soul. Slept early and woke up at 10am to watch the second half of NBA Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heats. Dwayne Wade scored 41 points, making 23 free throws out of 24. Madness. Relaxing. And feels healthy to finally sleep early and wake up early.

Feeling good and ready to go. I wanna get some more bball in my hands right now. But before that, I better finish up my marketing webcasts. 3 webcasts to go. and Half of a programming webcast since I slept through the whole lecture on Thursday, waking up from time to time to try and understand what the lecturer is saying. OR was I waking up just because it isn't respectful to the lecturer? OR maybe it's because MingHui is beside me giving me back rubs. But well, webcasts take alot less time to finish than lectures. Just put it at 2.0 speed. That's half your time saved. The lecturers will speak gibberish at times though, just slow it down and work through it.

Like they always say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
Tough times make tough men and all that rubbish.
Friends, if you're going through a hard time right now,
just know that all you've got to do is stay strong,
stay strong and pull through the pain, ride through it, fight through it
and in time, who knows what's gonna be knocking at your door?
Really good times maybe?
In the mean time, flex your muscles where it hurts most and take the bashing,
take the charge, defend hard, hold your position, fight for it and grab the rebound.
Then we know it's our turn to fight back again.

Today was a good day. Loads of stuff done.

Filed up all my notes and tutorials.
Went for all my classes.
Watched 2 webcasts that are long overdue. 2 more webcasts to go.

Played a few games of basketball.
Been scoring well lately.
Amazed my friends and even myself at the improvement.
Keep it up.

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