Day 83 - Acquaint

Happy new years (:

2012 signifies the start of my last quarter of adventure in Singapore. Just a day ago, I visited Catholic Junior College Hostel, where my younger brother is currently residing in.. I examined my first two years of living there, and reflected how a year in Raffles Institution has changed me.

Now, who am I? What does 'me' refer to? All attempts to describe and contextualize 'me' is akin to an asymptote. They are all close approximations. But wait. How close? If someone knows me well, and even myself making a claim thereof, those would only apply to my exterior shell..

The same reasoning applies to you, my dear readers. Never acquiesce to words, for they are never apt and befitting. Instead of trying to write long narrative essays, learn to see within, far beyond deceptions. Cast aside all pretenses, and see who you really are. Few are so developed and thus wise to harbor such privileges.. If you don't, why not make it a new year resolution?

I promise, it pays to discover yourself, and rediscover it over and over again. You won't regret it. Good luck :)

Truly Indonesia's finest,

Indonesia Day Finale / Back to Singapore

Well, holiday went into a quicksand. :'(

I have finally acquiesced to the fate that Year 6 is nascent, brimming with a lot of challenges (and a lot of fun, hopefully). Let me tell a final tale from Indonesia, as I pensively gaze across the ship-laden waters marrying Batam and Singapore.

Born, raised, and breathed urban areas for 18 years of my life (and counting..) I take immense pleasure of viewing rural scenery. Singapore, sorry to say, lacks such places, and thus I begged my parents to allow me travel out of town as much as possible during my 12 days of Indonesia. (Jakarta isn't green either..)

So I went to a few places out of town, namely Bogor, Bandung, and Puncak. Other than being considerably greener, cooler, and rustic compared with Jakarta, another common theme binds these places together. Congestion. In ascending order. Well, it was high-season, but the distance that could have been traveled in an hour took more than 3 hours to complete, including a complete half an hour halt as the roads to Puncak were momentarily closed. I napped throughout the journey to repay my sleep debts, though, so it's fine :)

Only in Indonesia you can pay the police to escort you through the traffic congestion. Only there you can find lots of people standing in the middle of the road selling stuff, and even offering services to direct your car through a 'hidden passage' to circumvent the congestion. Only in my beloved country you can become a boss with two thousand rupiahs (equivalent to roughly 0.2SGD). How? Give the money to the guy in the parking lot. He will shout: "makasih bos!" (thank you, boss) hehehe

As such, I was much delighted to discover that Batam is actually congestion-free and is exquisitely natural. An hour plus of ferry ride from Singapore, the relatively developed rural town is a haven for seafood. My last Indonesian meal and drink was really worth it, probably someday I might have the privilege to tour around the town with my Singaporean friends. That's all for today, folks, see you around :)

Truly Indonesia's finest,

Indonesia Day 7 - High Level Delusion

"If I am the Master, would you like to be my Margarita?"

So far, life here has been surreal. I used to try and take charge of things I plan to do. Now I simply flow along the river.. 

Oh.. Remind me of those glorious days.. Those days were never free from sorrow, but my thoughts were free. A dim ray was nascent, penetrating through the tunnel.

How nice would it be, to be back in your arms.. To never part with the things you love.. To never get out of earth, to remain deluded, blissfully asleep in ignorance.

Allow me to pretend that the day never came, and the metropolitan never were..

Alas, she came to me, and woke me up..

"This is how one pays for lying," she said, "and I don't want to lie anymore. I'd stay with you right now, but I'd rather not do it that way..." and she parted.

I leaped off my bed. She was never mine.. I was there, but I've left..

Allow me to go back to sleep.. At least for five more days.. 

Before I have to face the reality that, I was never there all along..

Truly Indonesia's Finest,

with accolades to Mikhail Bulgakov for his masterpiece.

Ah, Merry Christmas everyone (:

Indonesia Day 1 - Livin' Like a Boss

Life rocks.

why?

Indonesia. Nuff said.

Okay, so the post title is somewhat misleading, because I came to Jakarta at Saturday evening instead of Sunday. Finally. After being deprived of my homeland for six months straight, being back feels like a fish swimming in the ocean.

For starters, allow me to share what I have done so far. Reached home at 2230ish (Jakarta time) and talked to my parents. About midnight, they sent me off to sleep, and then I talked to my sister until 230am ish. Woke up at 9am the next day, drank green tea, bought giant green coconuts for Rp 7000 (approx 1 SGD) each, and went for a buffet at Shangri-La hotel. They have almost everything you could have asked for, crabs, prawns, sushi, creme brulee, and even gorgonzola cheese topped with pine nuts. In short, it has the spread of Singapore's The Line Cafe, but only costs about 20SGD approx per person. Life's good :)

Went to my dad's office afterwards. After seeing enough of his plantations, my parents made me drive the car. It felt... good.. I guess it's a guy thing, but being behind the wheels offers you a sense of excitement and relaxation synchronously. As I cruise slowly along the smooth roads of the region, lush with trees and rustic surroundings, I felt at home. Time slowed down. This is paradise. Living like a boss.

Not for long, though.

We went back home, and my dad made me drive through a small alleyway, where pedestrians compete with motorcycles and buses to jostle their way through in the quickest manner possible. On a lane meant only for a single car, I saw another car opposing mine head-on. The driver gave way, but refused to minimize the space between his car and the nearby wall. Being a newbie driver, I forced my way through, only to have the two cars' side mirrors to collide against each other. Fortunately the other guy didn't get angry, and well, my dad didn't give a damn either. :P

Some other thoughts.. What is the best way to serve revenge? If someone is angry at you, insults you, abuses you with harsh words, never ever scold them back. Never oppose them. Instead, forgive them. Use kind words. Offer hugs. The other party expects you to be angry, to be sad, and rejoices if you do. Thank them, for they train you, for they actually care about you.

Keep your mind at peace. Hugs :)

Truly Indonesia's Finest,

Day 65 - Calibration

Here I am, sitting alone in my lab, at the second last day in the National Metrology Center.

The Executive Director had just treated us Lim Seng Lee duck rice for lunch, and my lab-partners went back immediately afterwards. Me? I took my time to complete the reflection forms, and among all things, contemplated my past five weeks in this institution.

I know that this place isn't the most fantastic place on earth, and some days I even loathe having to come here, but somehow I feel kinda sad leaving this place. I will miss the labyrinth feel of the place. The frigid air-conditioning. The esoteric machines that seem capable to animate and turn into Optimus Prime the moment you look away. The awkward times when I pretend to understand whatever my mentor has just explained. The stupid conversations with my research mates. The futile hope of waiting a certain whatsapp reply, checking my phone every other second..

I really learned a lot in this institution. My mentor is very nice, but unfortunately she is often on leave, so that we had little chance to get to know her better. The team of scientists are also emphasizing on getting first-hand knowledge of working experience, not only augmenting our forefront knowledge and research skills. Even though I had regrets of not being able to actually improve or enhance a technology, I learned a lot. Working skills. Attitudes. Communication. Patience. Initiative. Relationship skills. How to distinguish signal from noise (both literally and figuratively). Most importantly, life lessons.

However, I must admit, whatever I write will not do justice to what I've gained from this period of attachment. So here I am, contemplating what I could've achieved and what I'd like to do in the remaining 10 hours in this institution, while listening to this song 'Pemuja Rahasia' (Secret Admirer) by Sheila on 7. For my Indonesian readers, I know its a 2007 song, but if you listen to it, you'll appreciate the lyrics. Another song that rings true to my life, but oh well :') sometimes you have to bleed just to know that you're alive..

Anyway, thank you NMC.

Forever yours truly,

Day 62 - Nom Nom Nom

Hey!
1. I like to eat =3
2. I associate good food with good memories :)

To be honest, the early days of SJI were hellish. A school full of guys. Foreigners. I don't get them. Boring.
Time passed uber slowly, had nothing to look forward to. I missed Anastasia. Why I came to Singapore to study, I didn't know. So what kept me going, you may ask?

Well, obviously it is my great saviour, the bell who rang to indicate recess. The great Josephian dash to the canteen ensued, where energetic young men jostled their way through stairs and corridors to be the first person lining up.

Without fail, there is looooooooooooooong queue (much longer than the word itself) in between stall number 5 (western stall) and stall number 7 (packet rice). Also without fail, the queue will move very fast: The Malay stall, which has, on average, one-third of the stall's queue length, serves the populace within the same period of time.

This is the one and only, the best ever --- Chinese Mix Rice Stall!!!

I really have lots of fond memories buying food from the stall. Starting from the Auntie and Uncle's amicable smiles, their cheap but AWESOME food (omg I still remember the prices even until today, its 70 cents for meat, 40 cents for veg), and the free 'jia fan' (add rice). The scholars are notorious for spamming the free rice buffet... In my time, if you see a person carrying a purple/green plate piled up with a mountain of white rice and a lava of curry gravy, the bloody pig is likely to be a scholar. :p

The food is damn worth it and damn good, I had periods of time eating from the same stall everyday and not feeling bored at all. After eating from that stall, I never buy any Chinese Mix Rice in outside hawker centers, for SJI's CMR is second to none. I also augmented my poor Mandarin through speaking with them, naming shrimp-paste chicken 'har cheong kai' and honey pork 'wang kee pok' (don't ask me about the latter one, its the name the guy gave hahaha)

So why the sudden nostalgia?

Today, I went to Chinatown to eat lunch with my friend from TJC. He was my ex-classmate in SJI, and he informed me that the CMR auntie is selling food in the Chinatown's foodcourt. So we went there, queued up, and much to my astonishment, she REMEMBERED me. :') Not only that, she gave me and my friend a discount, so we happily carried our food back to our seats and started savouring the nostalgic taste of 'wang kee pok'. The best part: She came to our table and asked us 'Ni yao he shui ma?' We shook our heads, not knowing what to expect. A few minutes later came an uncle bringing two glasses of sugarcane juice! 'These are from the auntie!', the old man said. Oh my goodness.. She is so kind... :')

So after we finished eating we went up to the auntie and thanked her for her kindness. She still has the amicable smile and laughter adorned on her face.. Now, I know fellow Josephians will murder me for this, but what I miss from SJI the most is.. The Chinese Mix Rice Stall!

Long live, auntie, uncle.. Even though you'll never read this blog, today's post is dedicated to glorify you and your awesome stall.. I may have graduated from SJI, but in my heart (and my stomach), I never graduate from SJI's Chinese Mix Rice stall.. :') Thank you for all the nutrients you provided me, I would have been a lot slimmer (and much more miserable!) if not for your stall.. Most of all, thank you for giving me something to look forward to, a reason to come to school everyday.. hehehe..

Forever yours truly,

Day 59 - Boxes

So today I went to Kinokuniya with a tour-guide, a friend who declares that the bookshop is her home, someone who probably knows the place better than the working staffs themselves. I think they should hire her.

She's truly a book connoisseur, with a discerning ability to tell the exact location of book titles, whether a book's cover would last long, and whether its spine would crease easily when it is being read. She is somehow able to memorize the different publishers and editions of the books, some which she calls the 'miskin' (poor) edition which has certain font sizes and paper quality, or the rich edition which is bulky but friendly to the eyes. She also knows which translators best do their job in conveying the classics to the modern readers, and she impassionately stopped me from buying a Russian classic as she told me that the interpreter of the book didn't do a good job.

Anyway, I shall not disclose what books she recommended to me, and which books I finally bought, but I guess I'll take a lifetime to finish them. (haha and I convinced my friend that I'll somehow finish the books before next year starts.. but oh well, I'm just a normal student equipped with enough homework to keep me busy :p)

What's interesting would be our discussion in the midst of shopping. For her, a person's world view and the way of thinking is akin to a box. She reads more books to explore other people's boxes, and as she accumulates more boxes, she is able to expand her box as well. As a reader, I am very pragmatic. I only read things that would generate value, as I believe in the philosophy of 'it's not what you read, but it's what you make out of it'. When I asked her what tangible value she gained from reading, a 'broader perspective' was her reply. I guess I have been too dogmatized into the Singapore's culture, whatever I do I read I eat I breathe must have a practical value. Thence, I took a plunge, buying a few books that I'd never touch otherwise, in an attempt to start my own empire of boxes.

Lastly, I shall reminisce her profound remarks about her Singaporean friends. She admires how her friends are very efficient, able to complete the tasks given in a very fast manner. However, she pities those without a rich personal life, 'a hobby', as she claims that her friends mindlessly take whatever the school gives and then they climb to the top of the system. I sighed, and told her that these kinds of people would not last long in Indonesia. They have to learn how to think for themselves. So Singapore is indeed, a haven to some. I guess I'll have to remind myself often as well. :)

Forever yours truly,

Day 55 - Superimposition

Hi friend, allow me to be a nerd and describe our relationship in terms of waves :>

We are akin to two discrete yet coherent waves, possessing the same wavelength and frequency. Whenever we meet, we undergo the principle of superposition --- but the anomaly would be how we superimpose. If you see me down, hurt, or troubled, you'll deliberately be out of phase with me, causing destructive interference that cancels out all the negative amplitudes. On the contrary, thank you for always being in phase with me whenever I'm happy, cheerful, and glad by supporting my happiness. You cause constructive interference, which would amplify all the positive amplitudes :)

Through my research at NMC, I have discovered that in order to characterize the properties of an unknown wave, it is necessary to superimpose it with another wave of a similar frequency and wavelength. When the two waves interfere, the interaction between the two waves allows meaningful information about them to be captured and analyzed.

For some reason, I find this process analogous to our friendship. Through my interaction with you, I discover myself. I realize my own shortcomings, and I admire the way you handle yours as well. Of course, the motivation that you spark upon me is of the paramount importance, for it pushes me to strive for the better. Finally, talking and meeting you always gives me the "everything is going to be alright" feeling. Thank you. I hope you've discovered something through our conversations as well :') Shall love you always. Please have confidence, for you continue to be my inspiration. :)

Forever yours truly,

Day 51 - Things That Money Can't Buy

Drown in the mercilessly ticking clock, we tend to overlook things around us that give meaning to life. I plead guilty to conforming to these endless streams as well, for these past few weeks I have been immersed in SATS preparation. Thus, it wasn't surprising that I felt rather void upon finishing the SATS test yesterday..

I lost those little wonders, those that keep your life going.

But again, you are talking to the luckiest person on earth here :) I attended a volunteer appreciation dinner yesterday, where I met my fellow Beyond Social Services Volunteers. Had a great time discussing about girls with Isaac, and teasing (and bullying hoho) my senior Clarice :D

I also went around and interacted with some of the beneficiaries' families that were present there. Sigh.. One of my cute child is going to move house next year, thus last night might be my last time seeing her.. I spoke to her dad, mom, and siblings. It was very funny when I started talking Malay to them, as I looked very Chinese. They figured something was wrong, and gave me the "ahh,, Indonesian.." face. hehehe.

Anyway, the dad was apparently an Indonesian as well, and he told me interesting stories about Bahasa languages. He even knew the Indonesian old spelling, where 'j' would be spelled as 'dj' and 'u' as 'oe' :) Moreover, he really touched me when he said that my smile brought him happiness :') He told me that my kind of face makes other people happy, the kind of face which is 'murah rezeki' (prosperity). Volunteers do not get paid, nor do they get praised often. But if, if we made another's life a tiny speck happier, we would value it more than being paid in truckloads of gold. These things are wonders that money can't buy.

My night ended with my senior persuading me to follow the path of a social worker, and some RC volunteers approaching us and telling us awesome jokes :D I went home with a high note, with a smile on my face. I know that I should not count on their thanks and appreciation to fuel my motivation for volunteering, but those smiles and gratitude from the families totally made my day. They made me realize that whatever I am doing isn't in vain, that I am touching their lives, that I am actually of some use, that I am actually worth something. Thanks :')

PS: Another life's joy would be 'drugging' other people (read: buying a person their maiden 'koi' drink) :D
I met my brother and his friends for lunch today, and afterward, I decided to 'drug' one of the juniors with Koi's Ovaltine Machiato. He was trying his best to save money, but ultimately I persuaded him to buy the drink. He slit open the cup, drank a mouthful, and stoned for seconds. I was worried (what if he didn't like the drink?) "Is it too sweet for you?"

He regained consciousness, stared at me, and simply said the drink was "awesome". His expression was priceless. He gobbled down the rest of the drink, and finished the whole cup in less than a minute. Priceless. The F yeah feeling of 'drugging' someone. I think Koi has another addict ;)

Forever yours truly,