黑色的铅笔

心烦

2010-02-04T00:25:00.001+08:00

Troubled. Do I stand a chance?

Tantrums

2010-02-04T00:02:00.004+08:00

When I was a kid, I throw tantrums when my parents don't give me what I want. They know what's best for me and I don't, they would say.

Now, it's the same. I'm a kid in the eyes of the Lord. In the end, it's Him who knows what's best for me. I want something, and I prayed for it. But in the end, it's still His will that matters. If what I want does not fall within His will, then He won't give it to me, for He knows me better than I do.

At the moment, I still don't know if the answer is a 'wait' or a 'no'. Though it's hard to accept it if my will does not match His. Pray that if it's so, let me humble myself to Him, and let Him lead the way.

Tantrums. Maybe I am throwing it at God right now. I don't know.

Amen.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

p p p poker face p p poker face

2009-07-04T17:40:00.002+08:00

4 months huh? Ha. Wondering what I've been doing anyway. Meanwhile, here's an acoustic version of Lady Gaga's Poker Face by Chris Daughtry - both are really talented musicians.

weak

2009-03-14T23:35:00.002+08:00

Many things around me, stuff that happened made me realise that I'm just so weak after all.

25

2009-03-10T22:57:00.006+08:00

Seems like the '25 things about me' fad is going on in Facebook, so here's a challenge to myself if I can even write 25 unique things about myself!

1. I'm born a left-hander, but was forced by my mom to use my right hand. So that explains why my handwriting used to be so bad, that even my primary school form teacher had to comment about it in my report book!

2. My childhood ambition was to be a policeman. Must be too much TV and cartoon shows back then. I even joined the NPCC cos of it. Now, nah.

3. I lost 7kg in a week. Wanna be like me? Join the Green Men Organisation today!

4. I love to dream a lot. As in, I would be day-dreaming about customising new characters or stories based on shows I've watched or stories I've read. Let's take Bleach for example. I would day-dream by creating new characters and weapons, how they would look like, and what their abilities to be.

5. I listen to both English and Chinese songs, but not at the same time. I grew up listening to Chinese songs, then I switched to English songs from Primary school to JC, then switched back to Chinese during my army days. Now I'm in the midst of switching to English again.

6. My love for singing grew only when I entered university. I was in the school choir in primary school, but that's because I followed my sister in joining. My secondary school music teacher approached me once to join the choir, but I refused, in favour of NPCC. Ha.

7. I'm rather sensitive and highly pessimistic about myself. Most of the time I would feel that people are looking down on me, jeering at me, etc. Sometimes I take it with a pinch of salt, while at others I will be deeply affected by it, making me feel small and vulnerable.

8. I used to like the number 59. Never really understood why.

9. I got my 1st Poom in TKD when I was like 9 (15 yrs ago!!) and I stopped after that. So that means if anyone were to spar with me now, you'll kick my ass really bad.

10. My first time on stage was when I was Primary 5. It was an inter-class competition and we sang this song about an ice-cream cone. Duh.

11. I used to fear trying out new food when I was super young. I slowly got over most of it as I grew up. Thank God, or else you won't be seeing stuff like pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers in my diet. But the fear is not completely gone yet.

12. I have selective memory. I can remember details and stuff of others like birthdays, likes and dislikes for a long time, but I can't remember where I left my glasses or wallet a minute ago.

13. I'm an uber messy person. My family and colleagues would know. Maybe not my friends. =p

14. I love spicy food. Especially chilli padi. But most of the time my stomach can't take it.

15. I can live a day without my handphone. But I can't without my computer and the Internet. But I'm starting to be able to survive without them. =)

16. I like to play MMORPGs, but I don't have the patience for it.

17. I used to call myself Raymond, after a friend of my sis. I stopped after my primary school form teacher trained us to use our registered names (as stated in our BCs and NRICs).

18. Speaking of names, my Chinese name was already decided before my elder sis was even born. If she's born a guy, she would have gotten the name, and I would have been named differently. Probably my younger brother's name.

19. I lost $50 once at the ATM. I withdrew the money, took my card, and left without taking the money.

20. When I was young, my mom predicted that I would be shorter than my younger brother when we grow up. Guess she was wrong.

21. I spent a long long long time getting my driving license. My lesson appointment card was totally filled up. And they rejected my photo (that was used for my passport) for my license!

22. I thought I was safe on my 21st birthday, cos I was far away from Nanyang Lake. Guess I was wrong when they brought it to me. (Ok the water's not from there, but yah I guess you understand)

23. I hate looking at myself in photos. Which is why I don't really collect them.

24. I'm still afraid of cockroaches. Urgh.

25. My clothes used to reflect what my favourite colour is. Now I try to avoid buying tops of that colour anymore. But apparantly my apparels are still mostly that colour. =p

lucky

2009-02-24T22:26:00.002+08:00

One thing about listening to the radio continuously for the whole day, every day, is that you keep listening to the same songs again and again and again and again. Oh well. At least they have this nice song on Class 95 now. =)

mime

2009-02-14T22:06:00.006+08:00

Somehow I was reminded of an old video I watched on Youtube when I heard the song "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia on the radio at work. And here it is!

It's hilarious isn't it? I totally loved the performance! This performer, Johan Lippowitz (real name David Armand, mimes out the lyrics of the song, but not exactly the actual word itself... Ha. Here's a more complete version, with a surprise.

Here's 2 vids (continuous) on a Britney Spears Medley, done by a guy inspired by Johann Lippowitz, and I think it's quite cool too!

LOL. I always felt that his movements are solid and his expressions priceless. Just one more by the man himself.

Happy Valentine's cum Friendship Day to all! =)

Back to school... for a while

2009-02-05T23:04:00.003+08:00

It was my first time back to CF ever since the start of my IA. I have not been going back cos my work place is just toooooooooooo far from school! And most of the time I would be tired after work and would wanna go back home. But ever since the downs I have been going through this few weeks, I just felt the need to go back this morning (the idea just popped in my head as I was preparing to go to work. I had wanted to go back last week for the reunion dinner gathering, but I was summoned back home for lou hei.) So once I reached office, I messaged Jieying if I could get a lift on her car after work and yep she agreed to instantly.

And so as I said I went back to CF for the first time this year. And once again I remembered and felt for myself why I have been attending CF all these years in school - the fellowship among God-loving friends, it's incredible. It's something that I have not felt from the constant rushing-back-home-after-work-then-slack routine. Well at first I was still quite troubled inside me, but after a while I really felt at home! I thank God for such loving friends and for CF!

Too bad I won't have much chance to go back for CF for the rest of my IA period, but I will try to go back as much as I can. To make things better, Jieying even offered to give me a lift whenever I wanna go back (also as a way to remind the workaholic in her to stop for the day too she says. Ha!). Yep.. Thanks! All praises and thanks to our Almighty Lord again! =)

Bwaaah

2009-01-27T21:37:00.004+08:00

It seems like I neglected the blog again! Well, it's just that I'm very lazy to write any entry, and I can't really find interesting things to write about. Yes MY LIFE IS A BORE! Cos it's been work work work all day long! Except for this week though, due to the Chinese New Year holidays (wee!). All the way till Wednesday!

Oh yeah, by the way. HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

I guess the most happening thing this month occured during this CNY weekend. We had a gathering at Andy's house last Friday night, where we played his Wii and card games all the way till the wee (no pun intended) hours of the morning. I even fell asleep while playing Guitar Heroes! And I was standing up!

CNY itself is as usual I guess. It's just a gathering at Grandma's in the morning after church service, the usual recycled-oranges-for-angbows 'ritual', popiah for lunch (it somehow became a tradition at Chia V that we'll always and only eat popiah at CNY only every year. Ha.), then everyone will rush off to visit their in-laws while my family will stay behind longer, lazing around. Somehow CNY has lost its 'feel' already. As my aunt mentioned, CNY doesn't feel like CNY anymore. It's not as special as it used to be already. Maybe cos as our generation edges slowly into adulthood, we care less and less about the gatherings and angbows, and a long-gone tradition of taking a 全家福 photo. I wonder, in the future when each and everyone in our generation has a family of our own, and when both grandpa and grandma goes back to the Lord, will we still hold such gatherings at Chia V?

Yep a good rest during this long weekend. 1 more day of holiday, and then it's work again. =/ Can't wait for the weekend to be here again.

P.S. Man. Somehow it sucks when you're celebrating the year of your own zodiac animal.

wallet burnt

2008-12-31T17:35:00.003+08:00

Wow, it's been quite a while since I last went shopping, and I really burnt my wallet this time! What I got:

3 shirts from G2000 (1 formal, 2 informal). Crazy sale at $20+ per shirt!
Adidas running shoes, at 30% discount.
Levi's 506 jeans, with the $50 off with any old jeans exchanged.
Brazilian Praia sandals (I have been contemplating buying this for a long time!)

Spent quite a bit of money, and I'm planning to spend some more on upgrading my PC! Omg... 2 months of IA allowance gone hahaha!

Now I'm so tired! >.< Happy New Year everyone!

results

2008-12-29T11:19:00.003+08:00

I got my results last night, and due to experience I knew when was the right time to get it to avoid congestion - imagine the whole university (ok not everyone, but quite a portion) trying to log into the same website at the same time! In all I am pretty happy, since I did better than expected for most of my modules, though for flight mech it was like "Orh. Ok lor. I screwed up that question, so I kinda expect this grade le."

No matter what I still have to thank God for bringing me through this hectic semester. As I read the blogs of some of my friends, I got reminded that 'in all circumstances give thanks' (1 Tess 5:18). Be it any results, I should learn to be thankful, which was something which I experienced 2 semesters ago, so I knew how it felt. It wasn't an easy feeling.

So now I hope I can maintain my current honours standing. I'm on the verge of falling le. Ha.

DMC

2008-12-27T00:08:00.004+08:00

No it's not Devil May Cry (one of my favourite games). It stands for Detroit Metal City.

My cousin introduced me to this series during a Christmas family gathering, and I went home to watch the anime. I tell you, IT'S SUPER FUNNY! The gist of the story is about this peace-loving guy who went to Tokyo, aspiring to be a ballad singer or band member. But things didn't out as expected - he became the front man for a death metal band called Detroit Metal City aka DMC, (something that he totally doesn't enjoy) and he excelled in it!

In all, I didn't pay attention to the music here, as I don't appreciate death metal (both music and lyrics), but what made this show enjoyable (and it's the show's focus) is the double-sided life of the protagonist. Another funny thing to watch is the reaction of the obsessed fans of the band, who totally lost track of reality and literally worshipped the band (especially the protagonist). Add a beloved girl who hates metal into the equation and you get a confused man in the protagonist ha.

A movie version of this show is also available, and the lead actor is none other than Kenichi Matsumaya (L Lawliet in Death Note series)! I haven't got to watch it, but based from the trailers it should follow the anime and manga closely. Man I wanna watch, it but the DVD is supposedly not availble here (or maybe it's just because I didn't bother finding it).

Ok that's that. Now a short update of what's going on:

Went for 2 camps this December - NTUCCF Bible Camp and BPMC Alpha Camp
Finished my Discipleship class after 9 months!
Sick after Alpha Camp... Fever + flu + cough all the way till Christmas
2 Christmas gatherings at Grandma's - Carolling on Xmas Eve, and a family gathering on Xmas itself. I got chocolate mint and orange sticks from gift exchange!
Class gathering at Minds Cafe just now. No photos =(
Slack all the way for the rest of the days

What's to come:

Exam results! >.<
Railway trekking on Monday! It was postponed previously due to bad weather =/
KTV session next Tuesday with the CF peeps
五月天 concert on 4th Jan!!!!!!!
IA 2 weeks from now!

Argh! 1 week of holidays left =/

Doraemon!

2008-12-23T09:34:00.004+08:00

I don't know why, but I've began reading Doraemon manga, right from the very first chapter, which was written in 1970! Probably it's cos I'm too bored haha. I would say that it's a very unique manga compared to contempory mangas you see now in the market, because they do actually teach you some moral lessons! Each chapter usually starts with Nobita crying to Doraemon over some issue (usually minor stuff, but being made a big fuss out of due to lack of Nobita's competance). Doraemon would then take some gadget out from his pocket to solve Nobita's issue, after which Nobita or his friends will abuse it, leading to drastic outcomes. Then Doraemon will save the day again and a lesson is learnt.

One thing I found amusing is Doraemon's reaction to Nobita's cries - he will often get agitated and angry and will help Nobita get revenge when the latter gets teased or bullied by his friends. Well I appreciate his strong friendship with Nobita, but apparently the author thinks revenge is acceptable haha. Maybe I got it wrong (I'm only still at Chapter 18). Ha.

Anyway, regarding the MV, this is one of my 3 favourite songs from Jay Chou's latest album, and it's a tribute to Doraemon. I like it mainly cos of it's catchy tune, and it's reference to Doraemon. Ha. Yep enjoy!

beautiful

2008-12-21T12:34:00.006+08:00

Beautiful Saviour
by Planetshakers

Jesus, Beautiful Saviour,
God of all Majesty,
Risen king,
Lamb of God,
Holy and righteous,
Blessed redeemer,
Bright morning star

All the heavens shout your praise,
All creation bow to worship You

How wonderful, how beautiful,
Name above every name, exalted high
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus

I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you

I cried as I sang this song 2 nights ago at Alpha Night. Indeed, how wonderful and beautiful his name is.

Please pray for my health! Thanks =)

back at last!

2008-12-04T14:15:00.005+08:00

Yes I'm back! And I don't know what to write about! Haha. Maybe cos I'm quite brain dead right now.

Just came back from NTUCCF's Bible camp, and I really thank our Heavenly Father for this camp! Though I have missed out quite a bit, I still learned a lot from the 干事s and friends! I pray that I'll continue to grow with passion and spirit, and that I'll seek His word with more enthusiasm! Never knew that QT can be quite high hahahaha!

I got my IA project already! Actually, I didn't made it through Phase 1, and I was quite disappointed at that time, cos I was like one of the few who didn't get into any of their choices! But when I was searching for projects to take up during the 2nd phase, I found a CAD project (something which I pretty much enjoy and excel in) that wasn't in the list for the 1st phase (I think, but I definitely didn't add it then) and I grabbed it. Then I realised that probably this was God's providence after all! If I got into my choices for the 1st phase, I believe I won't be enjoying my work, and I will have to drag myself to Changi everyday! Though this one is far as well, at least it's closer to home, and there're many other friends who're working there as well! For this I thank God greatly!

And yep it's 23 years already! I thank God for leading me all these while, and pray that He will continue to do so till the day I leave this world! And I thank everyone for the well wishes!

Last but not least - I'm going for 五月天's concert on 4 Jan 09! WOOOHOOO!

Blunder of the year!

2008-11-25T15:49:00.003+08:00

There were 2 misconceptions for my paper today that I made.

It is a 2.5 hour paper
I should answer all the questions. (It's stated in front so!)

Only when the invigilator announced the last 15 minutes, I realised No 1 was wrong. I was still at Q3b part ii then.

After my paper was collected (I managed to squeeze a few lines within 15 minutes for the last question), and was talking to my friends, I realised that Q3 is a "do either part a or part b" question. I did both.

Lessons learnt:

Always check your exam timetable. Make sure to know the duration.
Read the bloody instructions.

Damn. 2 more papers to go. And definitely both are 2.5 hour papers. CONFIRM!

wah finally!

2008-11-23T19:15:00.002+08:00

Wah finally leh! Means I can sing this song in KBox next time! =D

In the midst of war

2008-11-17T11:26:00.003+08:00

I'm still surviving! 6 more to go... Counting down to freedom!

Flash Countdown

It's like the old days in seconday school and in JC. 7 papers, but only so little time to prepare.
My advice: Don't take up this course. Really. Just for go Aero specialisation in Mech Engin. Prob NUS not here.

突然好想你

2008-11-11T22:37:00.002+08:00

曲：阿信
詞：阿信

最怕空气突然安静
最怕朋友突然的关心
最怕回忆突然翻滚
绞痛着不平息
最怕突然听到你的消息
想念如果会有声音
不愿那是悲伤的哭泣
事到如今
终於让自已属於我自已
只剩眼泪还骗不过自己

突然好想你
你会在哪里
过的快乐或委屈
突然好想你
突然锋利的回忆
突然模糊的眼睛

我们像一首最美丽的歌曲
变成两部悲伤的电影
为什麽你
带我走过最难忘的旅行
然後留下最痛的纪念品

我们那麽甜那麽美
那麽相信
那麽疯那麽热烈的曾经
为何我们
还是要奔向各自的幸福
和遗憾中老去

突然好想你
你会在哪里
过的快乐或委屈
突然好想你
突然锋利的回忆
突然模糊的眼睛

最怕空气突然安静
最怕朋友突然的关心
最怕回忆突然翻滚
绞痛着不平息
最怕突然听到你的消息
最怕此生已经决定自己过
没有你却又突然
听到你的消息

interview + more music!

2008-11-06T23:18:00.007+08:00

Embraer finally conducted its IA interview, and only 4 of us got interviewed (5 was called, but one can't make it as he's doing overseas exchange now). Damn I was VERY nervous about my interview! And I think I did badly for it, cos I believed I broke every rule your interview guru will set for you. Most memorable question:

Int: Will you look at something, and come up with a story about it?
Me (puzzled look): Sorry?
Int: OK. Let's say, (pointing to a flower pot at the corner of the room) what is that flower pot doing there?
Me (guessing tone): Erm, to beautify this place perhaps?
Int: Wrong. It used to be outside, and our boss felt that it's taking up too much space, so it got shifted here.

Wow.

Int: I'm asking you this cos in our job we face lots of numbers, such that we tend to link them together and come up with theories and such, and most of them are wrong. We should just concentrate on the numbers.

Wow.

I don't think I'll get the job. At most I think I might get the one at their training school.. in Changi. Sigh.

Anyway, I got 五月天's new album! It's called 《后青春期的诗》, and I think it's great! Albeit most of the songs are rather emo! Haha. My favourite song in this album is the 5th track 《噢买尬》, which literally means "Oh my God"! I love the song, for its upbeat tune, and its cheerful and fun lyrics! Which is why this song cheers me up every now and then, due to the pressures of the exams.

Argh no mood to study today. I will start tomorrow. Ah hello again Mr. Procrastination.

噢买尬 Ao Mai Gang - 五月天 MayDay

countdown

2008-11-02T22:27:00.002+08:00

Flash Countdown

bzbzbzbzbz!

2008-10-25T01:47:00.003+08:00

Argh! I'm so packed with work to do, yet I wasted my Friday away. Bleah... I haven't been updating due to the heavy work load. Yeah 7 papers in 3 weeks time, and no I'm not trying to be Superman, but given the circumstances I might try imitating him from the rooftop.

It's mum's birthday today! I bought a mango cake for her, which kinda surprised her, as she knew I'm not a big fan of mangoes. Sis bought some cream puffs too (Sorry sis for missing all your calls and sms today =p). Part 2 of the celebration will carry on next Monday. Heh.

Anyway I bought Jay Chou's 魔杰座, which was like my first CD in the last 2 years. =p I think the album's pretty alright, with some nice songs. Here's my favourite song from this album, 說好的幸福呢.

词: 方文山
曲: 周杰伦

你的绘画凌乱着
在这个时刻
我想起喷泉旁的白鸽
甜蜜散落了
情绪莫名的拉扯
我还爱你呢
而你断断续续唱着歌
假装没事了

时间过了走了
爱情面临选择
你冷了倦了我哭了
离开时的不快乐
你用卡片手写着
有些爱只给到这
真的痛了

怎么了你累了说好的幸福呢
我懂了不说了爱淡了梦远了
开心与不开心一一细数着你在不舍
那些爱过的感觉都太深刻
我都还记得
你不等了说好的幸福呢
我错了泪干了放手了后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

怎么了你累了
说好的幸福呢
我懂了不说了
爱淡了梦远了
我都还记得
你不等了说好的幸福呢
我错了泪干了放手了后悔了
只是回忆的音乐盒还旋转着
要怎么停呢

Just something fun =p

2008-10-17T23:19:00.005+08:00

Here's a test for you. Take a look at the following picture.

Is the girl in the picture rotating clockwise or anticlockwise?

Made your choice? Then scroll down!

If she's rotating clockwise, you're right-brained, like me! Some characteristics of right-brainers include:

uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Otherwise, that is if the girl is spinning anti-clockwise, you're left-brained, with the following characterisitics:

uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

Ok I don't know how true this is, but I'm pretty much convinced through many reasons that I'm right-brain dominant, and quite a number of the characteristics for right-brainers really describes me. If you try hard enough, you can change the direction at which the girl is spinning by focusing. But being right-brained doesn't mean that you do not possess any qualities of left brainers, and vice versa, for it's just whether which side is more dominant! So to a certain someone, please accept the truth and stop insisting that you're logical and systematic. =p

Btw, here's an article that says that this test doesn't work. Haha

Bloodlust!

2008-10-11T00:21:00.007+08:00

I've signed up for the blood donation drive in school next week! So since we're on the topic on blood, here's some of a series of comics that links the blood type of a person to his character. I didn't believe that a person's character can be generally seen from his blood type at first, until I read the comics with my friends, and all of us agree that most of what were described in the comics really fit our characters!

I'm an A+, and it's true, I'm a person who's very self-conscious (in a pessimistic way). I usually link the situations around me to myself, and I would really blame myself for a lot of bad stuff (or those I perceived to be so). It's a good thing to some extend, as it allows me to check myself often, but I think my case is a bit extreme, and it's not good at all, as it hurts my self esteem pretty much. Here's another one.

I guess you have to click it to see it more clearly. This strip describes me perfectly - I'm a perfectionist. One last one.

Yep. I'm always hesitant initially when handling problems, but when I'm forced by circumstances, I usually adopt a heck-lah-just-whack attitude.

Alright I'll share this much for now, and I'll share others as time goes. This just really shows how amazing and wonderful God's creations are, that a person's characteristics can be linked to his blood type!

boys will be boys

2008-10-08T20:06:00.002+08:00

Recently me and the guys have been playing quite a lot of online games - those little flash games you can find in websites such as Miniclip, Not Doppler and Kongregate. There're quite some fun games to kill the time, and we've been like playing them in school either in the library or on our laptops. Some games to play could be Canyon Defense, Super Crazy Guitar Maniac Deluxe 3, Pointer, and the infamous The Impossible Quiz! We must be too stressed >.<

1 more month to exams!

The Spectacle about Spectacles

2008-10-05T17:19:00.020+08:00

Lame title huh? Haha!

I was rummaging through one of the drawers of my desk and I found some really old stuff - my pairs of old spectacles!

These are the 'treasure chests' that held them for many years! I'm pretty much a specs guy, cos I'm not daring enough to wear contact lenses - one due to my sensitive eyes, and two I just simply dare not place my finger onto my eye. Yes call me a wimp, a wuss, whatever! So I respect you people who wear contact lenses! *Salute.

I've been wearing spectacles since I was about Primary 3. Yep these 2 pairs are my primary school spectacles! I remembered being so excited about having my first pair (I guess it's the one on top, due to the smaller size), and now looking back I can't imagine why! Probably cos it's something new, and not many people in class wear spectacles, therefore it's cool or something like that. Oh! Maybe cos I was reading too much of the Bookworms series at that time. Damn! Interesting to note is that both have gold, round frames, probably that's the only design for kids then. Haha.

Ah! This must be my secondary school pair! SO OBIANG! I guess I wanted something simple and rigid, due to my ECA then. Yep even the ear-hooks are still there (because it's a regulation in NPCC that all those wearing spectacles must have ear-hooks). I recall this is not my only pair, cos I remembered that my friend broke my specs during Sec 1 when we were playing ball (Volleyball? Can't remember) outside class. Can't remember the specifics. Oh one thing I liked about this type of specs is that the nose-supports (or whatever you call it) are part of the frames, instead of 2 separate pieces of silicon, so they won't fall off or accumulate dirt and stuff.

My JC pair! Frameless spectacles were pretty new back then, and this pair sure was expensive (not as much as my current pair though!). But I like it for its ultra-light weight, and the refreshing look it gives to the wearer. Bad thing is that it gets pretty loose in the centre (the ridge connecting both lenses). I can't remember if the 2 pieces of silicon used to be of that colour of not. Haha. Seems so. Or else it would be pretty yucky.

I had one pair worn during my NS days, which looked similar to my secondary school pair. You know lah, why get a pair of nice spectacles when you're going to expose it to all the dirt and sweat and stuff? So just a cheap and sturdy pair to last those 2 years would do fine. I remember that my lenses were so badly scratched in the end!

TA-DAA! My current pair of specs! An Oakley Straight Line 6.0, which I bought during the last months before my ORD. I was pretty much inspired to buy a pair of Oakley's by my platoonmate and my sergeant, cos I was told of their quality and style (along with the huge fat price that comes along with it). True enough it has been more than 2 years (almost 3!) since I started wearing this and the frames are still good as new! Though the logos by the sides fell off, and the lenses (not Oakley's) didn't last. Yep this is the pair with my newly made Transition lenses (worth a bomb too >.<), and I hope this will last me for another 2 years.

The majority of the people here in Singapore are myopic, due to things like education, TV and computers. But most of the myopic people I know wear contact lenses, partly due to spectacles being so troublesome and cubersome, and also due to the looks and image that comes along with wearing spectacles. Probably, the stereotype that spectacles-wearing people are geeks, nerds, dorks, otakus, whatever still exist, which I think is NOT TRUE! Look at the people in the entertainment industry that wear glasses and still look good!

Ok I included 卢广仲 in as a joke (PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'M HIS FAN TOO!), but stars like 苏永康 and 品冠 still looks good with spectacles (they are really good singers too!). Well I guess that depends from people to people. I've been told that I look better without spectacles haha! Oh well guess I can only just save up and get a LASIK op after I graduate.

Damn I just missed the donate-your-old-pairs-of-spectacles-and-get-a-voucher booth in school again!

不是我不明白

2008-10-04T22:02:00.007+08:00

I love this song a lot. And I really mean A LOT! But all the while, I've only known it as 梁静茹's song, and I've neither bothered finding out who the male singer is, nor watched the MV. So it came as a shock when I found out that the male singer is 卢广仲 recently! Well, he doesn't appear in the MV - I wonder if his appearance would change the mood of the whole MV! Haha... Imagine him carrying a guitar, dressed in his t-shirt and shorts, fake hair and specs, prancing around in the MV doing his Vitas impersonation (ok maybe not, haha). Unless he change his image to suit the song. =p Yep so enjoy the song!

Edit: Ok the MV doesn't seem right. Loads of brokeback going on. Are the producers really intending that? YUCKS! Is this the original MV anyone?

dilemma

2008-10-03T22:16:00.008+08:00

Yes I am facing a dilemma now - one that will decide how my December will be like, how I should serve.

Now I'm faced with 2 choices:

Join CCF's mission trip. CCF has been organising mission trips annually. For the past two years CCF had jointly held mission trips with NUS's CVCF due to lack of people. I do really hope that this year CCF will have enough participants to make up at least 1 complete team.
Join BPMC's Alpha Camp and be a group leader. Alpha Camp is the church's annual evangelical camp, and Victor, being the vice-chair for this year's camp, came asking me if I would like to take up this challenge.

If possible, I would really like to do both. But they happen to fall on the same week! So I have to make a decision regarding this! ARGH! Hate dilemmas. So please do keep me in prayer with regards to this dilemma. I pray that no matter what choice I make, I hope that He will prepare my heart to serve Him, that I will glorify His name. =)

Here's a verse to those, including myself, facing uncertainties and fears in their ministry.
"Do not fear, only believe." - Mark 5:36

When a Holiday becomes an Assignment Day

2008-10-02T00:06:00.003+08:00

Today is supposedly a much-needed holiday for me (Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to those who celebrate it btw!). But as it turns out I barely got the time to enjoy it at all. I've finally completed my Flight Mech assignment due tomorrow (GOOD RIDDANCE!), and have done about 75% of my Aerody assignment due on Friday. And I've got an early morning lab session tomorrow, so no late nights for me today (ok define late. Haha). ARGH!!!

1 more assignment to go. I hope that it won't be as tough as these 2. >.<

Happy Children's Day to those still a child at heart! Poor primary school kids for being so suay that their Children's Day clash with Hari Raya, so no extra holiday for them.

left out

2008-09-30T01:07:00.003+08:00

I feel that I can never be a part of them.
Since this is a life-long family, does that means I will always be by the outskirts?
Oh heavenly Father, what's your plan for me here?

A prodigal son who returned to find no one there for him. Did he actually returned?

end of break

2008-09-28T19:35:00.005+08:00

One week just flew like that. And I've only done 1 out of the 3 assignments I've planned to finish in the week. Well since the datelines are still 1 or 2 weeks away I hope I can finish within the coming weeks. =/

Anyway the week ending today was quite cool, though I felt that I have not gotten enough sleep, due to late nights and early mornings ha. The most memorable thing I've did was to join Hamon's F1 Cham Shiong quest, where we actually found a nice place (and free too) to enjoy the loud noise (boy is it loud! bring mufflers if you have them!), the fast speeds and the strong 'aftershocks' (dunno what to call them, so I used an aero term. Heh.). After that we tried walking through the whole Marina area to search for better viewing spots, but to no avail due to the large crowds. Ok I'm not a fan of these races, so I'm skipping out of the finals, which is happening in like 10 mins, in order to do research on my Aerodynamics assignment. =/

Hmm what did I do other than that? I went to Settler's with the CCF peeps, and learnt quite a number of new games. I had K-Lunch with Chufeng and Jiamin to celebrate Jiamin's birthday. Warning: 林宥嘉's 伯乐 will jam your systems so don't pick that song at any outlet for now (I heard 神秘嘉宾 is causing the same problem too). T.T How come they don't add points for K Lunch already!?!?! I went to get my new Transition lenses made, so I really burnt my wallet there (in addition to the other stuff I did heh). I'm still getting used to these lenses, as they still warp my eyesight abit, making me seem shorter than usual! I attended two out of three days of that MRO talk in school. Learnt quite a bit, but the reception kinda sucked. =/

Alright. School starts tomorrow again. Sucks. =/

I don't get it

2008-09-24T22:28:00.006+08:00

I really don't. I don't understand why was it so hard to just replace a pin on my watch strap?!

The whole saga began last Friday, when my watch just came off my arm after a light tug at it - to my dismay. Wow, the pin connecting the metal strap and the clip had just vanished completely without a sign. Alright not a big deal, I should look for a pin at home later.

When I got home, I realised I only have pins for attaching the metal links of the strap, and not the longer one for the clip. OK, no biggie. I should try visiting a well-known watch chain branch outlet near my home.

Surprise! They don't have such parts! They advised me to try the store which I got this watch (which is at JP). So off I went to the store (or rather a booth) today. Surprise again! They say they don't have such parts too! They can help me send it to their customer service division office, which might take about 2 weeks (!!!!), or I can walk-in to the office at Middle Road (oops). OK!! Since I'm heading to town anyway, so not a problem. So off I go hunting for that ulu place, and I found it after some help from Hamon (thanks bro!).

OK! Now at the office! I handed the officer my watch, and asked her how long it would take to get my watch done. She said 20 minutes (!!!!), or 3 days if she sends it for repairs (!!!!????). All that for a pin. So I opted to wait at their lobby, and after less than 5 minutes, she came out with my watch, fixed with a new pin.

As I put on my watch on my way out of the office, while adjusting to the weight that was missing for about a week, I can't help but feel the weight of the amount of time and effort spent too. All for just a pin.

When it's all in the name...

2008-09-22T23:14:00.007+08:00

While I was surfing the net for music, I chanced upon this singer from China. The thing about this singer is that his name is eerily close to mine -his name is 张杰.

When I looked at the name on the poster, I just feel... strange. I can't really describe the feeling, but it's just weird. I don't have that feeling when looking at JJ Lin's posters and stuff, but this - probably because I can envision adding a '俊' in between the name. I can't seem to find much details about this singer, only that he's the champ in a singing competition (上海东方卫视《莱卡我型我秀》), which is probably how his music career started. Another scary thing is that his birthday is in December too! Here's a MV of his that I found on Youtube.

Nice counter-tenor voice. Sometimes it's a pity that quite a number of Chinese singers don't venture beyond China. Probably cos they don't even need to - China is a market that is big enough by itself, but those outside China don't really get to enjoy their songs. Oh well, that's not a big problem when there's the Internet, right? Muahahaha...

Morning and milk tea

2008-09-20T02:30:00.004+08:00

So loving this song right now =)

Let's share the morning and the milk tea! (No link. Haha) Happy recess everyone!

=/

2008-09-19T00:23:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, just sitting down alone in your room makes you emo all of the sudden.

I hate that.

對啊, 對啊!

2008-09-16T23:33:00.007+08:00

This is "早安,晨之美" by 盧廣仲, a rather interesting song that has entered the radio waves a while ago. Well listen it for yourselves and you'll understand what I'm talking about! It's a unique song with a repetitive verse, and a chorus consisting of only 2 different words '對啊' - 90+ of them in the whole song (credits to Yonghan for counting! Haha)! It's an easy-to-remember song, and a fun song to sing in KTVs!

If you pay enough attention to the MV, you'll realise that the whole video is reversed (nothing new, you might think), but the lip synching is not! Which means during the actual recording, he has to lipsynch in reverse! Wow!

And from what I've heard, 晨之美 is a real breakfast restaurant in Taiwan. Cool~

Steam...

2008-09-14T14:58:00.003+08:00

Yubin and Geoffrey both commented that I looked stressed and tired in church today. That's because I am.

Yes I am TIRED, STRESSED, BURNT OUT, etc!

Argh. Needed to let go some steam. A lot of things are going on right now, like quizzes and assignments, as well as burdens and negative thoughts that I have been carrying all these while. Seesh! Even though recess is in a week's time, it wouldn't really help much since I have 2 assignments to complete over the 1-week break. And another thing is that, I'm really burdened by my church life. That's because I don't feel a sense of belonging there. I feel so cut out from the rest and I just can't gel in. Why can't it be like CF in school? Often I'm amazed at how I'm still attending the church I'm in now - maybe it's cos most of my extended family are there.

Nevertheless, I felt encouraged after watching segments of The Last Lecture given by the late Randy Pausch, a professor from Carnegie Mellon University, in church today. He was witty and humourous, and he made a lot of quotes worth thinking and reflecting about, like:

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!
You just have to decide whether you are Tigger or an Eeyore. You have to be clear where you stand on the Tigger/Eeyore debate.
Get a feedback loop and listen to it. ... When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it.

Yep. 俊杰, 加油! Rely more on God and His plans, and He will just show you the path He intends you to take! Things to pray about for the coming week:

That God will grant me strength and wisdom in facing the never-ending challenges that will come at me - time management, late night mugging, interpersonal relationships, etc.
That I will continue to learn to love God and the people around me more (and that also includes my CF 小组!), and that I may serve Him more, and care for the people around me more.
That I will always be in peace with myself, and accept myself as being flawed. That He will continue construction in me, till the day I leave this world.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Rev Stephen Tong's Q&A

2008-09-12T23:48:00.007+08:00

A few weeks ago, Rev Stephen Tong came to NTU and held a Q&A session, and I learnt a lot from him. Here's a series of videos (38 parts in all!) of him giving a similar session in NUS at 1999, so if you have the time, do watch these videos and listen to his arguments! Here's the first video of the series:

Now he's holding a series of gospel rallies this weekend at Singapore Indoor Stadium, so do check out this website for more info.

Post-buffet blues

2008-09-10T20:26:00.006+08:00

Here I am wasting precious time, when I should be studying for the quiz this Friday, and doing my tutorials. Hamon was right about this, that I won't have the mood to start work. Haha.

Well that was cos me, Hamon, Lester and XP went for the teatime buffet at the Sakae Sushi in school after lessons. And I'm still so full right now, that I feel that I might puke anytime. But it was a good meal, cos we ate a lot of stuff. The food was great, especially the sashimi (and they were quite thick slices too!).

Argh. Ok I think I'd better go take my shower and start work soon. Time's ticking!

Lone Wolf!

2008-09-09T23:54:00.005+08:00

Anyone remembers Lone Wolf? It's a series of gamebooks written by Joe Dever, and is quite popular when I was a very young kid - when I was in primary school if I am not wrong. I remembered having one as a Christmas present, and I would swap the books with my friends to read and play them (even though we are supposed to read the series in order, we didn't really cared). Too bad I lost the book already - I can't remember where I left it.

In case you do not know what a gamebook is, it's a book that allows the reader to form a story and an adventure on his own by the choices he make. You aren't supposed to read it from the first page to the last page in that order. Instead there will be numbered sections that contains the bulk of the content. You start with section 1, and with the choice you make (1 out of multiple choices available) you proceed to the section stated, and continue the story from there. There can be multiple possible endings - some good, some bad, but only one ending that really brings closure to the story.

Somehow I got reminded of Lone Wolf (out of nothing!) on the way back home today, and decided to just search online for the fun of it. To my surprise, I found this website that has all volumes in it - you can download any volume and play it, or you can play it straight from the website! WOW! It sure brings back memories! Another website to visit when I have nothing to do! =p

Parents = Cupids?

2008-09-08T09:41:00.006+08:00

I was reading Straits Times Online when I came across this article, and found it quite amusing. Ever since PM Lee's National Day Rally, there's this hype about helping our singles in their 30s settle down asap and have loads of kids. True, since Singapore is facing problems of a graying population, and the average number of kids per couple now is about 1.4 (1.1 if you count only the Chinese). Looks like our parents can't wait to have grandchildren eh?

Nasi Wa Wu One Million Dollars

2008-09-07T22:11:00.007+08:00

Haha I wish. Well that's not the issue.

I'm talking about Ang Mo Pai's version of the well-known Hokkien song! Yeah I heard the song for the first time on Yes933 a few weeks ago, and I must say it really brightened up my day (not because of the lyrics! Ha.. It's the whole song! It's a very 'high-inducing' song like 戀愛ING) .

Here's a clip of them performing this song on Superband.

I was thinking when the music started, I thought they are not allowed to play Hokkien songs on air (and that means no 志明與春嬌!). But when suddenly they switched to Chinese and then English, I was quite surprised! Apparently this is one of the songs in the OST for 12 Lotus, which I didn't watch (I didn't even watch 881). Here's a clip of them singing the same song in Esplanade!

Another thing that I should mention is that they sing really well! Yeah not only the lead vocals, but the supporting ones too! The whole band is really good too! Man! Who says that we don't have local talent???

And here's a funny MTV of the original version made by someone who's really free. HAHA!

The Dangers of Sucess

2008-09-07T08:11:00.005+08:00

This is in response to today's devotion from the Daily Bread.

In short, God warned the Israelites before not to forget Him and turn to the idols of the land He was going to give them. He knew what was going to happen, and it did happen! Due to the riches of the land, the people forgot how it was like in the desert, and failed to worship and rely on the Lord.

What about us? Singapore is a peaceful and prosperous country (Ok, let's not talk about inflation and the oil and rice crisis. Other than these, arn't we living much better lives than our brothers and sisters from Third World countries?). We are well provided and protected for, and we can even afford luxuries that others may not. We are living in the same 'Canaan' where idols are all around us - fame, wealth, power, trends. Have we forgotten God in the midst of our everyday lives?

I admit that I do. I only relied on Him only when I need to, like exams and such. But I don't think that's what it should be. We should remember His love and grace every single day, in every single thing we do! I pray to God for forgiveness in how I erred in my everyday lives, and ask him to give me strength and wisdom for me to grow stronger spiritually, that I may learn to love and rely on Him more and more each day. Amen.

Ouch!

2008-09-05T19:54:00.004+08:00

It's the first time I've ever skipped school for the whole day today. Eh should be, cos I don't remember any other time I did so =p

My back is the reason. I've already felt the pain yesterday, and thought that it's just one of the multiple short-term aches I've experience every now and then. Probably from bad sitting posture I guess, cos the doctor said it wasn't slipped disk during my last visit.

But still I woke up with a sharp pain on my back today. It hurts like mad, and I decided to give school a miss, despite having 3 tutorials today. It sucks.

It still hurts now. Though the ointment Mom rubbed on my back helped a bit. Sucks >.<

Standing firm

2008-09-02T23:17:00.008+08:00

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. - 1 Corinthians 10:23

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. - John 15:7

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. - 1 Peter 3:5-8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Just some verses to remind us to stand firm in our faith, and not let ourselves be distracted off the narrow road. Amen.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2008-09-01T09:26:00.003+08:00

Sigh.

Aerodynamics quiz this Wednesday.
Flight mechanics assignment dateline this Friday.
Electronics quiz next Wednesday.
Heat transfer quiz, aircraft propulsion quiz, and heat transfer assignment dateline in the week after next.

OMG!

Wake me up when September ends~

Sing free KTV at home...

2008-08-31T00:10:00.011+08:00

... together with people all over the world.

Actually, it's an online game. Yes, a KTV online game. HOW COOL IS THAT?

XT, a KTV kaki of mine, introduced it to me today just before I left for church. Good timing. I could download it while I'm at church, and play it when i reached home. But due to load of rubbish on my PC I had to reformat it before I could play it relatively lag-free. So I only got to play it during the evening. Shucks =/

So yeah, I could listen to people all the way from Taiwan belting out their tunes, while trying to match the beat which decides the score (Think vocal DDR), so yes you can be tune-deaf and still be uber good in this game. But probably your room won't have much people listening to you. You need a mic (but of course! How are you going to sing without one?). I have one old microphone which is part of a pair of headphones, and it sounds kinda distorted.

I'm impressed with the game, for the list of songs they have (but more 陈奕迅 please!!), and the whole dynamics of the game. But people like me will have to set our OS language settings to Chinese in order see the words in the game (which is in Unicode), and set our typing language to Traditional Chinese in order to communicate (cause the game doesn't support Simplified Chinese, and only a small minority there understand English =/). And the lyrics for some of the songs are erroneous. But overall, it's still a very cool game, especially for a K freak like me.

I'm so going to get myself a new and better microphone tomorrow.

EDIT: My bad =/ Pitch is important too. Haha

Musician of August!

2008-08-30T23:36:00.004+08:00

Ha I tell myself that this is one segment I must set up if I ever start blogging again. The music-loving me will dedicate at least one blog post per month to the musician(s) that I enjoyed listening to! And singing their songs too. DEFINATELY! Muahahahhaha.... And yes it's not just 'singer' or 'band', cause I try my best to get myself exposed to all kinds of music ha. Remembered listening even to Chopin quite a while ago!

Alright! Just before August passes me by in like matter of hours, I will declare the Musician of the month of August to be (drum roll please).... 林宥嘉!!!

Hmm am I like authorised to put this picture here or what? Eck who cares.

Anyway, listening to his songs started quite a while ago, when I was searching for the Taiwanese version of 'Don't Forget the Lyrics' on Youtube, and the first video I watched was that of Yoga's. His unique voice just caught on to me somehow, with his singing style being quite different from the rest. So in no time I'm hooked to songs like “伯乐”, “神秘嘉宾” and “传说” which he sang with 刘力扬, another powerhouse whose songs I have been listening more to. And the thing is Yoga's songs arn't easy to sing! Argh.

Definately looking forward to more of his songs. Oh well I can always find them over the web ha...

A Fresh New Beginning!

2008-08-30T23:14:00.003+08:00

Wuzzah!

Yep, as the title states, a fresh new beginning. After like aeons of absence, I've somehow decided to come back to blogging. Don't ask me why, cause I don't really know! Haha.... I've thought of starting to do this again a couple of times, but those who know me (and I mean that you DO really understand me) know that I'm the type to procrastinate, or just forget all about it due to sheer laziness. SLACKER ALERT!

So here's a new blog! Yep I just want to start everything anew. Like shedding the old moody me along with the old one. Not that I'm any less moody now (I hope), but I really want to make this blog more fun. Well I'll try to, given my limited literary skills.

Why 《黑色的铅笔》? No reason really. It's just a phrase off 陈奕迅's “不要说话”, and I thought it's pretty catchy for a blog. Haha!

So here I go again! Hope this lasts longer than I hoped. Well the last one lasted around 5 years? Ha!

About The Man

1985-12-04T11:25:00.014+08:00

Name: 张俊杰 (yes 我不姓'林', thank you)

Earthly B-day: Look around =p
Lunar B-day: 乙丑年丁亥月丁丑日 (十月廿三日)
Child Baptism: 21 December 1986
Confirmation: 8 April 2007 (Easter!)
4 B-days... 自动一点hor?

Hobbies:

Enjoying the life that God gave me! (i.e. SLACK)
Sleeping - Sleep is always your best friend.
Singing! KTV, hymns, P&W, whatever!
Being an audiophile - Be afraid. Be VERY afraid!
Hanging out with friends.
Reading crap on the net. Any crap. Especially Wikipedia.

Current Status:
I'm studying in Pulau NTU, will be graduating in June 2010. After that? I'll leave it to God to lead the way then!