(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE LAST OF HARRY POTTER BOOKS)
Juz finished reading it...and AAAAAHHHH.... This glorious feeling of having been in a most satisfying, though admittedly rather long journey! Of growing up together with tales of The Boy Who Lived..of spending time creating a Hogwarts of my own with what imagination I have...Of letting loose my inner child, enraptured and gripped by words so captivating they are almost magical....
I've never been a fanatic fan of Harry Potter, but having said that, I hold the opinion that J.K Rowling is one of the finest storytellers alive... oh my...not many authors can weave and link plots as good as her, and if there's one thing I have to say about the Potter series, it's that despite being churned out over a long, long timespan, having complex narratives and so many characters, Rowling's books have formed an unbroken thread that HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE. Who would've thought the way Harry caught his first golden snitch could play a part! Who would've thought of the 7th Horcrux! So that's what happened with Snape! So that's why!
As I walked through Harry's story, question by question was answered, doubt by nagging doubt resolved, no plot twist was left dangling, and a few pleasant surprises were encountered as well...by the end of the book I am immensely satisfied, positively beaming..Aaaahhh.....
Well, I'd have to say that though I don't call myself Muggle and queue together with legions of Potter-philes to grab hold of the book, I do have my fond memories over it.. The first Potter book - The Philosopher's Stone - I read with a great deal of difficulty..My copy is battered with plenty of highlighted words and definitions from Longman's Dictionary scribbled on it. The 2nd and 3rd copy were no better...But I remember starting from the 3rd my English is good enough to read Harry Potter in one sitting and not be exhausted by the amount of English it contained =) Hey, I was an amateur that spoke Javanese-English back then! (My accent was so thick you could probably slice through it...)
The books are amongst some that spurred my imagination to grow to the state it is right now...And back then when I still needed to sleep a 9 p.m. , Harry Potter was the only guy that could keep me awake till the wee hours of the morning.. (For the sake of reading him in one sitting...)
Took me just one afternoon to savour the last book though..what a pity, since it's not as long a journey as I've wished....but there's also a sense of achievement and wonder, as I remember the sheer difficulty I had reading the first books, and the ease with which I finished the last...
Just discussed the book with a hostelmate also..quoting her, "Now I can live in peace since I now the ending of the Harry Potter series.."
Hm....Whatever it is, I hope Rowling will not be resting on her laurels...Though admittedly it's difficult to fill in Potter's shoes (The size of Hagrid's?)
Here's to The Boy Who Lived..May he lives on in the hearts and imagination of the children round the world!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Random thoughts
Been spending 2 days helping my friends on a cool project: building pavilions using postcards sent by children all across ASEAN for ASEAN Day (8 august). Check out the blog at: istanapavilion.blogspot.com. Kudos to fellow archimates that actually spent THE WHOLE of their holiday doing the project.... (guilty conscience for not helping earlier....) Well, will help out till the end of the project starting this week. (Hence official closure to project RLH after I finish Harry Potter 7. Between French lessons, laminating n cutting postcards, munching w/ Indon freshies, and soon having meetings for a small indon welcome tea,oh n NUS Explorer...well...in any case it's a good transition period to full-fledged archi schedule once studio starts.)
Anyway, I'm juz helping to laminate the postcards then cutting it, together with lotsa archi freshies (yay!),n the amazing archimates clad the pavilion in various ingenious ways using the cards. Totally cool, I got to see drawings, drawings, and more drawings done by children everywhere (They're supposed to draw on the back of the postcards before sending them over).... Truth is, lotsa the drawings are way better than mine!!! I walk around and see the postcards and my mind's screaming: "What?!! It's done by a 7 yr old??? No way!!" "Huh?! 10 yr old!! The watercolour skill's so far beyond mine!!"
But the saddest thing is seeing so much talent, so much potential, and then flipping to the back of the postcard to read things like "I am from Cambodia. My family is very poor. I study hard because I want to be a doctor." ,or "I stay with my aunt. I have no parent.", and then I realise these are children living in environments that are so unlike mine...I was encouraged since I was young to learn whatever I want to learn, I was , still am, provided with more than enough resources and facilities, and still sometimes I take it for granted...
Newae, back to the postcards. Reading them n looking at the drawings is really like taking a tour across ASEAN. The ones from Indonesia are really good (my friends said so too so im not biased!) . Very good color choices, creative ways to represent national monuments like Monas and Borobudur, n there were lotsa scenes that remind me of my childhood =) Oh, n there's one where the kid draws Indonesian archipelago and wrote "Indonesia very big." So cutely honest!
The drawing on 17 Agustus complete with 'balap karung' and 'lomba makan kerupuk' makes me miss Indonesia... :'( Oh, n the ones of Istana Negara with deers around make my Sg friend ask: "Why are there so many deers around?" Well, rich Indons like to keep deers in their backyards..
The ones from Myanmar are very well done, too. Seems that their culture is one of artisans. Thing is, their writings are amongst the most touching also...there was one in which the father of the child was kidnapped.. also mentions of poverty (Which makes me wonder who the hell teaches these children that they are 'poor', who taught them to label themselves..but let's save that for another post.)
From Laos, truthfully quite plain and the drawings are less mature compared to the other countries..makes me wonder whether there's cultural difference or anything. Must research on ASEAN countries one of these days.
Here are the things most featured n postcards from various countries:
Indonesia: Borobudur, Monas, Istana Negara, Reog, traditional houses and dresses, the archipelago, village and 'sawah' scenery
Malaysia: Petronas Twin Towers, Bunga Raya
Cambodia: Angkor Wat, village scenery, people, monks, (there ws one postcard that has a 'No-Drug' msg..)
Myanmar: temples, village people, marvellous watercolour scenery, images of people painting paper umbrellas
Brunei: quoting a friend, about 99% drew the National Mosque...
Singapore: the Merlion....
Havent seen the Thai and Phillipines ones yet. Oh n I'm putting photos of the postcards on my friendster.
Anyway, I'm juz helping to laminate the postcards then cutting it, together with lotsa archi freshies (yay!),n the amazing archimates clad the pavilion in various ingenious ways using the cards. Totally cool, I got to see drawings, drawings, and more drawings done by children everywhere (They're supposed to draw on the back of the postcards before sending them over).... Truth is, lotsa the drawings are way better than mine!!! I walk around and see the postcards and my mind's screaming: "What?!! It's done by a 7 yr old??? No way!!" "Huh?! 10 yr old!! The watercolour skill's so far beyond mine!!"
But the saddest thing is seeing so much talent, so much potential, and then flipping to the back of the postcard to read things like "I am from Cambodia. My family is very poor. I study hard because I want to be a doctor." ,or "I stay with my aunt. I have no parent.", and then I realise these are children living in environments that are so unlike mine...I was encouraged since I was young to learn whatever I want to learn, I was , still am, provided with more than enough resources and facilities, and still sometimes I take it for granted...
Newae, back to the postcards. Reading them n looking at the drawings is really like taking a tour across ASEAN. The ones from Indonesia are really good (my friends said so too so im not biased!) . Very good color choices, creative ways to represent national monuments like Monas and Borobudur, n there were lotsa scenes that remind me of my childhood =) Oh, n there's one where the kid draws Indonesian archipelago and wrote "Indonesia very big." So cutely honest!
The drawing on 17 Agustus complete with 'balap karung' and 'lomba makan kerupuk' makes me miss Indonesia... :'( Oh, n the ones of Istana Negara with deers around make my Sg friend ask: "Why are there so many deers around?" Well, rich Indons like to keep deers in their backyards..
The ones from Myanmar are very well done, too. Seems that their culture is one of artisans. Thing is, their writings are amongst the most touching also...there was one in which the father of the child was kidnapped.. also mentions of poverty (Which makes me wonder who the hell teaches these children that they are 'poor', who taught them to label themselves..but let's save that for another post.)
From Laos, truthfully quite plain and the drawings are less mature compared to the other countries..makes me wonder whether there's cultural difference or anything. Must research on ASEAN countries one of these days.
Here are the things most featured n postcards from various countries:
Indonesia: Borobudur, Monas, Istana Negara, Reog, traditional houses and dresses, the archipelago, village and 'sawah' scenery
Malaysia: Petronas Twin Towers, Bunga Raya
Cambodia: Angkor Wat, village scenery, people, monks, (there ws one postcard that has a 'No-Drug' msg..)
Myanmar: temples, village people, marvellous watercolour scenery, images of people painting paper umbrellas
Brunei: quoting a friend, about 99% drew the National Mosque...
Singapore: the Merlion....
Havent seen the Thai and Phillipines ones yet. Oh n I'm putting photos of the postcards on my friendster.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Laporan Penyambutan Para Freshie
Sebelum saya memasuki Laporan Utama, ijinkan saya meluapkan perasaan bahagia karena sekarang saya resmi menjadi seorang senior. (Yeah, baby, yeah!!!) Adalah berat beban tanggung jawab yang dipikul oleh seorang senior, karena harus menjadi teladan bagi adik2 kelas, dan tak lupa harus mengajar mereka untuk bertahan waras di tengah kehidupan NUS yang penuh tantangan. Seorang senior mesti menguasai cara2 membolos yang baik dan benar, seni menjilat dosen tanpa dicap penjilat, dan tak lupa jurus2 jitu menghemat uang makan dan menguasai bahan pelajaran satu semester dalam minggu terakhir sebelum ujian. Namun begitu, saya yakin dan percaya kepribadian saya yang matang dan dewasa akan sangat membantu saya dalam menjalin komunikasi erat nan dashyat dengan para freshie demi kemakmuran dan kesejahteraan kita bersama.
_____
Acara penyambutan didahului dengan persiapan mental para senior yang berlokasi di Burger King Changi Terminal 1, dimana Sdr. Jetan menghimpun tenaga dengan melahap sebuah Double Whopper.(Atau Triple? Quadruple? Pentatuple? Wallahu'alam, hanya dia yang tahu.) Sementara itu, para senior lainnya,terdiri dari: Sdr. Ansley, Sdr. Leo, Sdr.Erwin, Sdr. Michael, Sdri. Daisy, Sdr. Danish dan saya sendiri, bermain 'charade', sebuah permainan yang membutuhkan tingkat intelejensia tinggi dan kreatifitas luar biasa. (Hubungi Sdr. Erwin untuk informasi lebih lanjut.)
(Mudah diduga, bahwa jumlah senior pria jauh melebihi senior wanita, karena adanya motif primitif tapi nyata yaitu mencoba menebar pesona di hadapan freshie2 yang lugu dan tidak mengerti bahaya apa yang tengah menanti mereka....)
Setelah sabar menanti memikirkan kalimat apa yang sekiranya tepat untuk menyambut para freshie beserta orang tua mereka, akhirnya muncul jugalah tamu-tamu yang kami tunggu-tunggu, mendorong troli sarat koper-koper beraneka merek dan warna. Seluruhnya ada 7 orang: Sdr. Edwin, Sdr. Aditya, Sdr. Pras, Sdr. Gekko Pascal (Tidak, saya tidak sedang salah ketik.), Sdri. Fania, Sdri. Gabriella dan Sdri. Dessy. 7 orang yang akan mengikuti jejak kami, menempuh jenjang pendidikan tinggi dengan taruhan kesehatan jiwa dan raga. Wajah-wajah polos tanpa curiga sungguh mengingatkan penulis akan diri sendiri 6 tahun lalu, saat baru menginjakkan kaki di negeri singa ini. (Masa-masa indah yang takkan terulang karena sekarang penulis berada dalam cengkeraman manusia-manusia dalam berbagai jenis dan taraf kerusakan, baik psikologis, mental maupun emosional. Contoh konkrit: Sdr. Mi*h**l)
Dua minibus dan satu taksi membawa kami anggota keluarga besar NUS kembali ke kampus, melaju mulus menuju masa depan suram untuk setidaknya 3 tahun ke depan. Sesampainya di sana, segera kami membawa para freshie untuk check-in dan menyimpan harta benda mereka di kamar masing2. Para freshie cukup terkesan dengan teknologi transponder dan kondisi PGP yang penuh lorong panas, remang dan berliku-liku. Seluruh proses check-in menyita waktu sekitar 1.5 jam.
Acara dilanjutkan dengan makan siang bersama di Techno Edge, dimana penulis mempelopori tren menyantap makanan India. Tawa dan canda mewarnai acara makan bersama ini, dan Sdri. Mia dan Sdr. Vincent dengan bibir indahnya yang khas bergabung bersama kami untuk memeriahkan suasana.
Setelah kebutuhan primer kami dipenuhi, saatnya menangani kebutuhan sekunder, maka kami pun naik bus 96 menuju Clementi agar para freshie dapat membeli kebutuhan2 duniawi seperti: gantungan baju, bantal, guling dan seprai. Karena bakat pemimpinnya yang alamiah, Sdr. Ansley bertindak sebagai tour guide membawa kami menelusuri beraneka destinasi, yaitu money changer, toko handphone, toko peralatan tidur dan toko kelontong. Acara belanja diakhiri dengan membeli toiletries di NTUC Fairprice, dimana Sdri. Mia memperkenalkan kepada kami satu merek tisu pembersih yang sangat ampuh untuk mengepel lantai, akan tetapi dalam pandangan Sdr. Danish hanya diperuntukkan bagi kaum wanita dan para gay.
Sesuai dengan judul lagu yang indah, Mukjizat Itu Nyata, maka Sdr. Leo, bernama lengkap Leonard Parlindungan, menyatakan kesediaannya untuk membiayai santap malam bersama. Hal ini didukung oleh fakta bahwa hari ini dia berulang tahun dan orang tuanya yang arif bijaksana memberikan hadiah berupa lembaran-lembaran manis sebanyak tiga digit.
Apabila tawa dan canda mewarnai acara makan siang kami, maka makan malam kami dipenuhi oleh keceriaan yang condong menyerupai histeria. Mengutip kata Sdr. Michael, "Bisa ketawa sampe punya six-pack, man!" Hidangan-hidangan seafood nan lezat menjadi sarana mempererat rasa persaudaraan antar senior-freshie yang dengan cepat terjalin di tengah komunikasi para senior yang aktif mencela satu sama lain. Penulis sendiri cukup puas dengan menu nasi, sayur dan tahu, menu yang sederhana namun nikmat terasa karena diperoleh tanpa mengeluarkan uang sepeser pun. Perlu diketahui, sotong memacu pertumbuhan bibir. (Sdr. V***en*, waspadalah!)
Dengan tubuh lelah namun hati gembira, kami pun berpencar menuju akomodasi masing-masing setelah menentukan acara untuk keesokan hari. Berakhirlah satu hari yang indah yang merupakan titik awal persahabatan antara senior-freshie Indonesia NUS. Mari kita bersama ucapkan, "Aku cinta NUSku, NUSmu!"
(Catatan akhir: Nama-nama dan kejadian-kejadian di atas tidaklah fiktif, tanpa dibesar-besarkan ataupun ditambah-tambahi. Apabila terdapat hal-hal yang nampaknya tidak masuk di akal, maka memang demikianlah adanya. Penulis hanya mencoba untuk menulis sejujur-jujurnya, dengan taruhan reputasi kami bersama, para mahasiswa/i Indonesia NUS Singapura. Wallahu'alam.)
_____
Acara penyambutan didahului dengan persiapan mental para senior yang berlokasi di Burger King Changi Terminal 1, dimana Sdr. Jetan menghimpun tenaga dengan melahap sebuah Double Whopper.(Atau Triple? Quadruple? Pentatuple? Wallahu'alam, hanya dia yang tahu.) Sementara itu, para senior lainnya,terdiri dari: Sdr. Ansley, Sdr. Leo, Sdr.Erwin, Sdr. Michael, Sdri. Daisy, Sdr. Danish dan saya sendiri, bermain 'charade', sebuah permainan yang membutuhkan tingkat intelejensia tinggi dan kreatifitas luar biasa. (Hubungi Sdr. Erwin untuk informasi lebih lanjut.)
(Mudah diduga, bahwa jumlah senior pria jauh melebihi senior wanita, karena adanya motif primitif tapi nyata yaitu mencoba menebar pesona di hadapan freshie2 yang lugu dan tidak mengerti bahaya apa yang tengah menanti mereka....)
Setelah sabar menanti memikirkan kalimat apa yang sekiranya tepat untuk menyambut para freshie beserta orang tua mereka, akhirnya muncul jugalah tamu-tamu yang kami tunggu-tunggu, mendorong troli sarat koper-koper beraneka merek dan warna. Seluruhnya ada 7 orang: Sdr. Edwin, Sdr. Aditya, Sdr. Pras, Sdr. Gekko Pascal (Tidak, saya tidak sedang salah ketik.), Sdri. Fania, Sdri. Gabriella dan Sdri. Dessy. 7 orang yang akan mengikuti jejak kami, menempuh jenjang pendidikan tinggi dengan taruhan kesehatan jiwa dan raga. Wajah-wajah polos tanpa curiga sungguh mengingatkan penulis akan diri sendiri 6 tahun lalu, saat baru menginjakkan kaki di negeri singa ini. (Masa-masa indah yang takkan terulang karena sekarang penulis berada dalam cengkeraman manusia-manusia dalam berbagai jenis dan taraf kerusakan, baik psikologis, mental maupun emosional. Contoh konkrit: Sdr. Mi*h**l)
Dua minibus dan satu taksi membawa kami anggota keluarga besar NUS kembali ke kampus, melaju mulus menuju masa depan suram untuk setidaknya 3 tahun ke depan. Sesampainya di sana, segera kami membawa para freshie untuk check-in dan menyimpan harta benda mereka di kamar masing2. Para freshie cukup terkesan dengan teknologi transponder dan kondisi PGP yang penuh lorong panas, remang dan berliku-liku. Seluruh proses check-in menyita waktu sekitar 1.5 jam.
Acara dilanjutkan dengan makan siang bersama di Techno Edge, dimana penulis mempelopori tren menyantap makanan India. Tawa dan canda mewarnai acara makan bersama ini, dan Sdri. Mia dan Sdr. Vincent dengan bibir indahnya yang khas bergabung bersama kami untuk memeriahkan suasana.
Setelah kebutuhan primer kami dipenuhi, saatnya menangani kebutuhan sekunder, maka kami pun naik bus 96 menuju Clementi agar para freshie dapat membeli kebutuhan2 duniawi seperti: gantungan baju, bantal, guling dan seprai. Karena bakat pemimpinnya yang alamiah, Sdr. Ansley bertindak sebagai tour guide membawa kami menelusuri beraneka destinasi, yaitu money changer, toko handphone, toko peralatan tidur dan toko kelontong. Acara belanja diakhiri dengan membeli toiletries di NTUC Fairprice, dimana Sdri. Mia memperkenalkan kepada kami satu merek tisu pembersih yang sangat ampuh untuk mengepel lantai, akan tetapi dalam pandangan Sdr. Danish hanya diperuntukkan bagi kaum wanita dan para gay.
Sesuai dengan judul lagu yang indah, Mukjizat Itu Nyata, maka Sdr. Leo, bernama lengkap Leonard Parlindungan, menyatakan kesediaannya untuk membiayai santap malam bersama. Hal ini didukung oleh fakta bahwa hari ini dia berulang tahun dan orang tuanya yang arif bijaksana memberikan hadiah berupa lembaran-lembaran manis sebanyak tiga digit.
Apabila tawa dan canda mewarnai acara makan siang kami, maka makan malam kami dipenuhi oleh keceriaan yang condong menyerupai histeria. Mengutip kata Sdr. Michael, "Bisa ketawa sampe punya six-pack, man!" Hidangan-hidangan seafood nan lezat menjadi sarana mempererat rasa persaudaraan antar senior-freshie yang dengan cepat terjalin di tengah komunikasi para senior yang aktif mencela satu sama lain. Penulis sendiri cukup puas dengan menu nasi, sayur dan tahu, menu yang sederhana namun nikmat terasa karena diperoleh tanpa mengeluarkan uang sepeser pun. Perlu diketahui, sotong memacu pertumbuhan bibir. (Sdr. V***en*, waspadalah!)
Dengan tubuh lelah namun hati gembira, kami pun berpencar menuju akomodasi masing-masing setelah menentukan acara untuk keesokan hari. Berakhirlah satu hari yang indah yang merupakan titik awal persahabatan antara senior-freshie Indonesia NUS. Mari kita bersama ucapkan, "Aku cinta NUSku, NUSmu!"
(Catatan akhir: Nama-nama dan kejadian-kejadian di atas tidaklah fiktif, tanpa dibesar-besarkan ataupun ditambah-tambahi. Apabila terdapat hal-hal yang nampaknya tidak masuk di akal, maka memang demikianlah adanya. Penulis hanya mencoba untuk menulis sejujur-jujurnya, dengan taruhan reputasi kami bersama, para mahasiswa/i Indonesia NUS Singapura. Wallahu'alam.)
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Post-mortem
Today...I did what I believed to be right at the expense of a dear friend. I did what I believe would save myself from a lot of hurt, but I wish I could have done it better. Relieved..and at the same time regretful.
But it will not go to waste. May this regret fuel the desire to be a better person, to grow a stronger character, to stick to my principles no matter what, sooner rather than later.
Let Him who have started a good work in me finish it, without my stubborn interfering.
But it will not go to waste. May this regret fuel the desire to be a better person, to grow a stronger character, to stick to my principles no matter what, sooner rather than later.
Let Him who have started a good work in me finish it, without my stubborn interfering.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Good Old Ubin
Went to Pulau Ubin today with a JC ex-classmate. (name's L, cuz I don't wanna keep referring to him later in the post as 'JC ex-classmate'.) Reason going? Wanted to get away from the fast-paced mainland life, as well as check out the site where I fell down flat on my face last time... (Didnt get to do it though, was too tired after walking up-downslope for sometime.)
For the ignorant, Pulau Ubin is a tiny little island on the North (Northeast?) part of Sg, and it houses the supposedly most biologically diverse spot in Sg, Chek Java. Which is the purpose of our visit today. Expected the trip to be just like usual short trek trips, but turned out I got a few cool surprises.
For one, there is a statue of Cookie Monster near one of the shops.. (I put the trip photos on friendster)...what's Cookie Monster doing in Ubin?? Saw some 'wildlife' (hm....somehow, seeing as Ubin is still part of Sg, the term wildlife juz kinda dont fit...) - a really BIG mudskipper, wild cotton tree ('kapuk'), some birds including one that's nestling inside a hole on a tree..n hid when I wanted to take photo :'( There were the usual suspects - various large insects, monitor lizard, fish, crabs,wild durian and rambutan trees...I got to show off my knowledge of rambutans since my companion, a Sg city boy, didn't know much about them.. I meanwhile, previously stayed in a house facing a rambutan plantation.. (Gitu aja bangga...huehehe..)
When we reached Chek Java, it was rather disappointing cuz the high tide's coming and we can't see anything except blue-green water :'( Moral of the story: check for tide level first in NParks website before coming to Ubin. Only during low tide will you be able to see the famed biodiversity rich lowland. Nevertheless, the sea was charmingly blue and it was nicely breezy n we took a walk along the newly constructed boardwalk around the beach and mangrove swamp area.
The suprise came in the form of a small house standing near the beach, a Tudor-style little cotttage, to be exact. I almost couldn't believe my eyes, becuz...wad's a European-style cottage doing in Pulau Ubin???!! Nevertheless the architecture student in me was so excited =) The cottage was built in the 1930s by some British people, and now houses the Chek Java visitor information center. It also houses the only functioning fireplace in Sg,by the way... not that there's need to use it with the sun shining down a tad too generously... Overall, though, the house is a little beauty and for me became the highlight of today's trip ;p (L says they might be incorporating a cafe into it. Yay!) I guess it's not so much the architectural merits of the building as being able to find it in the most unexpected of places.
Oh yeah, I know why Sg is such a popular destination with the ladies: you can find 5-star-totally-clean-sitting-type-perfectly-working-flush-system toilets in the ulu-est of places..there were several cubicles near the cottage that would fit just nice inside a shopping center..kudos to Sg for this one.
Walked back to Ubin jetty n met quite a lot of people cycling...n apparently I haven't lost my somewhat phobia of cycling since the accident cuz each time I see people cycling downslope with wheels whirling and hair flailing, all I could think about was whether or not the person's gonna crash.... Thanks L for giving me lotsa tips and explaining to me the merits of various bycicle gears...I really need to start practicing...
So, went back to the mainland and had the Famous Changi Village Nasi Lemak for lunch... was good, the nasi, fried egg and sambal (Dont ask me about the chicken and ikan bilis...willingly exchanged those for L's cucumber.) BUT I had my first taste of Air Bandung (actually quite a popular drink in Sg but somehow never got to try it)....and it was SO GOOD!!!! I love it. Which intrigues and irritates me. How can something that is SO PINK tastes so DIVINE??!! and how can I like something that's so pink :'( It's definitely on my fave drinks list starting now, though!
In closing, here's a small part of my conversation with my friend amongst those rubber trees:
me: "Oh dude, I really want some cold drinks right now..."
L: "You should get some compressed liquid nitrogen."
me: "....."
Juz as I am losing hope, things happen that reminds me.... Lame jokes rulez!!! ;p
For the ignorant, Pulau Ubin is a tiny little island on the North (Northeast?) part of Sg, and it houses the supposedly most biologically diverse spot in Sg, Chek Java. Which is the purpose of our visit today. Expected the trip to be just like usual short trek trips, but turned out I got a few cool surprises.
For one, there is a statue of Cookie Monster near one of the shops.. (I put the trip photos on friendster)...what's Cookie Monster doing in Ubin?? Saw some 'wildlife' (hm....somehow, seeing as Ubin is still part of Sg, the term wildlife juz kinda dont fit...) - a really BIG mudskipper, wild cotton tree ('kapuk'), some birds including one that's nestling inside a hole on a tree..n hid when I wanted to take photo :'( There were the usual suspects - various large insects, monitor lizard, fish, crabs,wild durian and rambutan trees...I got to show off my knowledge of rambutans since my companion, a Sg city boy, didn't know much about them.. I meanwhile, previously stayed in a house facing a rambutan plantation.. (Gitu aja bangga...huehehe..)
When we reached Chek Java, it was rather disappointing cuz the high tide's coming and we can't see anything except blue-green water :'( Moral of the story: check for tide level first in NParks website before coming to Ubin. Only during low tide will you be able to see the famed biodiversity rich lowland. Nevertheless, the sea was charmingly blue and it was nicely breezy n we took a walk along the newly constructed boardwalk around the beach and mangrove swamp area.
The suprise came in the form of a small house standing near the beach, a Tudor-style little cotttage, to be exact. I almost couldn't believe my eyes, becuz...wad's a European-style cottage doing in Pulau Ubin???!! Nevertheless the architecture student in me was so excited =) The cottage was built in the 1930s by some British people, and now houses the Chek Java visitor information center. It also houses the only functioning fireplace in Sg,by the way... not that there's need to use it with the sun shining down a tad too generously... Overall, though, the house is a little beauty and for me became the highlight of today's trip ;p (L says they might be incorporating a cafe into it. Yay!) I guess it's not so much the architectural merits of the building as being able to find it in the most unexpected of places.
Oh yeah, I know why Sg is such a popular destination with the ladies: you can find 5-star-totally-clean-sitting-type-perfectly-working-flush-system toilets in the ulu-est of places..there were several cubicles near the cottage that would fit just nice inside a shopping center..kudos to Sg for this one.
Walked back to Ubin jetty n met quite a lot of people cycling...n apparently I haven't lost my somewhat phobia of cycling since the accident cuz each time I see people cycling downslope with wheels whirling and hair flailing, all I could think about was whether or not the person's gonna crash.... Thanks L for giving me lotsa tips and explaining to me the merits of various bycicle gears...I really need to start practicing...
So, went back to the mainland and had the Famous Changi Village Nasi Lemak for lunch... was good, the nasi, fried egg and sambal (Dont ask me about the chicken and ikan bilis...willingly exchanged those for L's cucumber.) BUT I had my first taste of Air Bandung (actually quite a popular drink in Sg but somehow never got to try it)....and it was SO GOOD!!!! I love it. Which intrigues and irritates me. How can something that is SO PINK tastes so DIVINE??!! and how can I like something that's so pink :'( It's definitely on my fave drinks list starting now, though!
In closing, here's a small part of my conversation with my friend amongst those rubber trees:
me: "Oh dude, I really want some cold drinks right now..."
L: "You should get some compressed liquid nitrogen."
me: "....."
Juz as I am losing hope, things happen that reminds me.... Lame jokes rulez!!! ;p
Friday, July 13, 2007
Good Advice
"You must learn day by day to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in,the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about - the more you have left when anything happens."
(Ethel Barrymore, actress)
Indeed. This week I've been walking around feeling like there's a brick on my stomach... Well, I'm lucky I've got many small things, interests, passions, and especially friends, that sustain me. Went to Botanic Gardens for 'tree therapy'...works wonders =)
(Ethel Barrymore, actress)
Indeed. This week I've been walking around feeling like there's a brick on my stomach... Well, I'm lucky I've got many small things, interests, passions, and especially friends, that sustain me. Went to Botanic Gardens for 'tree therapy'...works wonders =)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
2nd Update on Project RLH
'It was Alcoholics Anonymous that gave the founding fathers the idea... Our methods are frankly borrowed from theirs. When one of us feel the urge to take a woman out to dinner becoming too strong for him, he seeks the other members of the circle and tells them of his craving, and they reason with him.. Calm succeeds turmoil, and the madness passes...'
(PG Wodehouse, "Bachelors' Anonymous")
(I recommend the book cuz i'ts hillariously unmushy n the humour is witty, wholesome, clean old english stuff. PG Wodehouse rocks!)
Well, these are the books read so far (for some of them I didn't include the author cuz I did not take it down before I returned them to the library.) Overall it's a varied and satisfying diet, but I'm behind by a few days..and school's starting soon which means I can hardly spend time reading!!! Aaaaaaaa.......!!!
Oh well...here goes....
1.The World is Flat -Thomas L. Friedman
2. Romantic Voices -Kahlil Gibran
3. Lelaki Terindah -Andrei Aksana
4. Singapore Architecture -Robert Powell
5. The Chinese Diaspora -Johannes Widodo
6.Totto-Chan - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
7. From the Meadows of Gold -Mas'Udi
8.Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
9. Doa Sang Katak - Anthony de Mello
10. Bachelors' Anonymous -P.G Wodehouse
11. The Devil Wears Prada
12.White Papers of Sustainable Architecture
13.Burn Marks -Sara Paretsky
14. The Long Road Towards Recognition: Indonesian Architecture
15. Crimes Against Nature - Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
16. Asian Architecture
17. The Meaning of Flowers -Scoble & Field
18. Black Market : Inside the Endangered Species Trade
19. Design in Japan
20. Every Young Woman's Battle - Shannon Ethridge
21. The Shadow of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
"Welcome to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books..... This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens... In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands. In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody's best friend..."
(Sempere, from "The Shadow of The Wind")
"Once, in my father's bookshop I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later - no matter how may books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn to forget - we will return. "
(Daniel, from "The Shadow of The Wind")
The first book that finds its way into my heart? A children's book , amongst the first English books I read when I was 13, titled "The Bridge to Terabithia". The story, the words... just absorbed me completely and I forgot the real world round me..I think that was one of the defining moments that got me addicted on reading...hahaha... ufh...I wish the Cemetery of Forgotten books is for real....
(PG Wodehouse, "Bachelors' Anonymous")
(I recommend the book cuz i'ts hillariously unmushy n the humour is witty, wholesome, clean old english stuff. PG Wodehouse rocks!)
Well, these are the books read so far (for some of them I didn't include the author cuz I did not take it down before I returned them to the library.) Overall it's a varied and satisfying diet, but I'm behind by a few days..and school's starting soon which means I can hardly spend time reading!!! Aaaaaaaa.......!!!
Oh well...here goes....
1.The World is Flat -Thomas L. Friedman
2. Romantic Voices -Kahlil Gibran
3. Lelaki Terindah -Andrei Aksana
4. Singapore Architecture -Robert Powell
5. The Chinese Diaspora -Johannes Widodo
6.Totto-Chan - Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
7. From the Meadows of Gold -Mas'Udi
8.Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
9. Doa Sang Katak - Anthony de Mello
10. Bachelors' Anonymous -P.G Wodehouse
11. The Devil Wears Prada
12.White Papers of Sustainable Architecture
13.Burn Marks -Sara Paretsky
14. The Long Road Towards Recognition: Indonesian Architecture
15. Crimes Against Nature - Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
16. Asian Architecture
17. The Meaning of Flowers -Scoble & Field
18. Black Market : Inside the Endangered Species Trade
19. Design in Japan
20. Every Young Woman's Battle - Shannon Ethridge
21. The Shadow of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
"Welcome to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books..... This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens... In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands. In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody's best friend..."
(Sempere, from "The Shadow of The Wind")
"Once, in my father's bookshop I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later - no matter how may books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn to forget - we will return. "
(Daniel, from "The Shadow of The Wind")
The first book that finds its way into my heart? A children's book , amongst the first English books I read when I was 13, titled "The Bridge to Terabithia". The story, the words... just absorbed me completely and I forgot the real world round me..I think that was one of the defining moments that got me addicted on reading...hahaha... ufh...I wish the Cemetery of Forgotten books is for real....
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