Have You Ever Seen The Rain

Heard this amazing song several times... it was only till recently that I was watching the series "Dexter" that this song came back once again. Classic rock yet with a country feel, this song is a wonder. (:

Singer: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Title: Have You Ever Seen The Rain

Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm,
I know, it's been coming for some time.
When it's over so they say, it'll rain a sunny day,
I know, shining down like water.

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day

Yesterday and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard,
I know, been that way for all my time.
Til forever on it goes, through the circle fast and slow,
I know, it cant stop I wonder.

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day

Yeah!

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Coming down on a sunny day

My First Bike Lesson

If only time could go back, I would be blogging about the days where I first learn to cycle, but this posts is not a back post. Today was the first time I officially learn how to ride a motorcycle. Not the first time though as I tried it before in Malaysia where my uncle first taught me. That time was easier as the bike has no clutch.

Somehow it always seem easier to learn things when younger... as I grow up, fear seems to be getting the better of me too. I can still recall the slight panic I had before I went for the bike orientation... fear of falling, fear of balancing and the thought of banking at an angel was enough to drive me to skip the lesson, but there was another force that motivate me to seriously attend the lesson.

The whole 3 hours (inclusive of 1hr of orientation) was surprisingly fun and pretty easy... except for the slight coordination that I still need to get used to. The instructors are pretty friendly but at times harsh... but this enable me to remember the pointers more easily. Hee hee.

The first lesson was pretty basic... teaching us how to mount and dismount the bike... how to start off and stop... and to change the gears... All in all, it was really fun and thrilling. Yet to book my next lesson, will do it soon. (:

Iron Man

Finally a day of break from all the work in the past few weeks. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy my job scope and the work that has been assigned to me. It's just the frequent late nights that has taken the toil on me.

The day before we were at "The Arena" and at the end of the night, I was almost thrown into Singapore River by Didier. Can't really remembered what we did that night, but Arena definitely has a nice band... and best of all, the entrace was free for me and I still have a bottle of chivas there, waiting for my return.

I met up with Didier at 1445 hrs at Bugis as he wanted to shop for GPS for his bike. We walked several shops in Sim Lim and the price for the small gadget was really costly. The price ranges from $500 to $1000. I ended up bringing him around Sim Lim and introducing him to the area, though I warned him to avoid this place as the shops tend to hike up the prices for foreigners.

Befor 1600 hrs, we walked to The Cathay at Dhoby Ghaut to catch Iron Man. The movie was really good and the special effects was spectaculiar. The animation could even be better than Transformers... especially the part were Tony Stark was geared up with the suit, the graphics was truly amazing. All in all, the movie was really good. (:

Date: 1st May 2008

Time: 1615 hrs

Venue: The Cathay

Seats: Theatre 1, N20/N21

After the movie, we had beer at the pubs along Emerald Hill before we decided to have dinner at Chatterbox. A simple meal for the 2 of us costs me $99... but I personally think it was well spent. (:

Sentosa

It has been a long time since there has been a big outing or gathering sort of thing... and today wouldn't be possible if not for the fact that all the staffs there were overseas have returned from their project. Jiunn Hao took the initiative to organise a trip to Sentosa and I was in-charged of co-ordinating the outing.

We all met up at Harbour Front MRT Station at 1530 hrs before we head off to Siloso Beach via the Monorail (Sentosa Express). Sentosa is undergoing major facelift and construction work can be seen at most corners of the island. It has been ages since I've been here and it feels really funny to see so many changes... the island was so alien to me that I really missed the 'old Sentosa'... memories implanted deep inside my puny brain.

We found a spot to place our barang barang before getting all warmed up for soccer match, beach volleyball and frisbee.

Let's get warm up with beer!

What are they looking at?

Team Singapore

Team Belgium

Allez!

Smile for the camera. (:

Sentosa...

After hanging out at the Pool in Cafe Del Mar, we decided to have our dinner there. As we didn't make any reservations, we waited for almost 45 mins before we were given a table. To kill time, I took the chance to take photos of the group and some of the Belgians before they fly back to Brussels. They are a fun-loving lot and I'm really gonna miss them...

Un Deux Trois

Nico et Moi

Yannick et Moi

Tom Cruise (Piere-Yves)!

Mon ami - Didier!

The dinner was really good... however it was really costly for a miserable small chunk of roasted chicken. The bill totalled to about $600 for all of us... opps, I think I haven't return the money to Kai. Lol. =Þ

We went to Pool-fusion at Beach centre after departing Sentosa and I'm glad to realize that my skills got better than ever even though I haven't been playing for months. Yannick even thought I was a pool coach! Thanks (;

A bottle of beer at Chjimes where we celebrated the draw of Manchester United who was initially losing. Glad that they are still 3 points ahead of Chelsea. (:

The wonderful outing and beautiful night ended around 3 plus after the drink... A memorable day written into the journal of my life...

Jumbo / Orchard Towers

This is probably the 3rd time I've been to Jumbo as I'm not really a big fan of sea food and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual as they love to give me spots of rashes if I were to consume them. =Þ

All 3 times gave me quite a good impression as their food is really good... so is their service. As Vincent wasn't around, I was given the opportunity to order the dishes and I was extremely glad to have John sitted beside me to give some opinions. Although I'm trying to learn to take on more responsibility and be decisive, there is still a certain level of stress when I'm ordering for a Director of our company who came to Singapore to discuss our compensation package.

The food was pretty good and I'm glad that Johan and Renaud enjoyed the food. The only problem was that there were too much food for a table of 8.

Didier And 'Tom Cruise' (Piere-Yves)

What is Hans doing...?

Dony and Shawn

After dinner, we brought Yannick, Didier, Piere-Yves and Nicolas to "Crazy Elephant", a pub alongside Clarke Quay to have a few beers. This was the first time I really get to speak to Yannick. My first encounter with him was through the phone and emails, and back them I was really terrified of him as he was really stern and fierce (especially when it comes to work)... but after tonight, I really enjoyed speaking to him... a pity he would be leaving next week as he was here for only a few days to give ITIL training to my fellow colleagues in the office.

After about 2 jugs of beer, we went to Double O and had about another 10 jugs of Whisky Coke, Whisky Green Tea, Vodka Ribena and Vodka Redbull. The music and crowd for the night was definitely better than the few times that we had before. Yannick left earlier as he don't really enjoy clubbing, while the rest of us stayed till the club closed at 3 am.

Considering that it was still early, the 5 of us took cab down to Orchard Towers to let Piere-Yves take a look at Singapore's 'Lady-boys'... Not a fancy place to be at... but it is definitely an eye opener for me. The place... or should I say building was really sleazy with occasional groups of queens seeking business. I believed we went to at least 3 of the pubs in Orchard Towers... each having at least a bottle of beer and queens bothering the caucasians. Somehow, Didier seems really interested in them...? Hee hee.

It was around 6 am when we left the place and I was already pretty wasted by then. My head was spinning from beer intoxication and the lack of sleep... and thanks to an agent from Prudential that called me at 10am the next morning... argh.

In any case, it was quite a interesting night with some really fun-loving colleagues. (:

Street Kings

Knowing that Didier is quite interested to watch "Street Kings", a movie by Keanu Reeves, I jio-ed him to catch the movie at The Cathay... taking also the chance to bring him to one of the newer cinemas in Singapore.

The movie was pretty bad and boring... Personally, I think the plot was really lousy and it could have been much better. The director failed to build up the story or the suspense and right from the start, it was already obvious who were the bad guys. Overall, I think the movie was quite bad and will never ever recommend anyone to watch it... maybe not in cinema. (:

Date: 13th April 2008
Time: 1700 hrs
Venue: The Cathay
Seats: Theatre 1, G11/G12

After the movie, we packed dinner (Chicken cutlet) and went back to his apartment to catch MotoGP Race 3 held at Portugal. Had a few beer and drinks before I head home.

The Bucket List

Its been quite some time since I met up with Cheng Yong and Chin Huat. It has actually only been a few weeks since we last saw each other during reservists, but it always feels great to meet up with Army friends. We may not be the best of friends, but the 2 years of hardship has played its charm and there is always a special bond among us. (:

Today Chin Huat jio us to watch the movie "The Bucket List". We had dinner at TCC before proceeding to the movies. Initially I wasn't really sure if I would be interested in this film and the main purpose was more to meet up with them and chit chat. However, the movie turned out surprisingly nice. Yes, perhaps any comments from me would be: "its okay", "its nice", "I'm fine with it"... generally positive-safe responses (which honestly is how I feel), but I would say even Cheng Yong agrees that this movie is great and thought provoking.

From the title of the movie, its not really hard to guess the plot... but its not easy to guess how the story progress and I'm sure all audience will be pleasantly entertained. It's a light hearted show with slight adventure and comedy plentiful. There's not much to expect from the ending since the plot is about 2 men with terminal illness, but the director managed to pull it really well and staged a beautiful ending.

The main plot that really got me was how the friendship between 2 stranges blossom into something wonderous and selfless. There were also many provoking quotes throughout the movie that caught my attention:

"I love the smell of Chemo in the morning" - This was actually a famous reference phrase from the movie "Apocalypse Now" which was originally "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning"

"The simplest thing is... I loved him. And I miss him. Carter and I saw the world together. Which is amazing... When you think that only three months ago, we were complete strangers! I hope that it doesn't sound selfish of me but... the last months of his life were the best months of mine. He saved my life... And he knew it before I did"

"What does a snail have to do to reincarnate? Leave the perfect trail of slime?"

"You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not... ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’"

I suppose not many people would be willing to fork the money to watch such movies but I strongly believe every cents was well spent on the tix. Nice choice Chin Huat! (:

Date: 5th April 2008

Time: 2100 hrs

Venue: GV Plaza Singapura

Plastered

What happened for the couple of days in the past few weeks were so crazy and unlike me. It was a series of pub-hopping, clubbing drinking session that involves beer, liquor, alcohol, whisky, gin and puke... I was so wasted each night that I seldom have recollection of what happened the night before and how I actually got home.

It all started about 2 weeks ago, about the time I started the project at Bank Sarasin after my reservists. Can't remember in details the pubs we went and the days we went drinking but the amount I had in the 2 weeks were much more than the total I had in year 2007. The places includes Ooster Bar, Ministry of Sound, Double O, Wala Wala, The Arena, Lunar... and several other pubs along Tanjong Pagar such as Babligo, Dynasty knights and others which I can't clearly remember.

The main reason of crashing the pubs is mostly because the addition of Didier and Nicolas in our office whom are really fun loving Belgians to have... and I truly enjoy their company. Perhaps we should organize more healthy events rather than all the partying. (:

Dota And Sauna

Tons of Drafts (Titles without contents) have been saved in my Blog account. Either I have been too busy or procastination has the better of me, in which both are not valid reasons for not updating the blog.

Anyway, there hasn't been much to blog about... thus I shall just treat these 'drafts' as a diary of events to keep track of what I have done. For readers that have been frequenting my blog, hopefully these 'backposts' will not bore you. (;

*Backpost
Forgotten who initated this gathering but it was surprising that Potato join us this evening (:

We had dinner at one of the Japanese restaurant located at the 5th floor of Plaza Singapura and I recalled ordering chicken cutlet with cheese, and it turned out surprisingly nice.

There wasn't much activities to do after dinner considering the outing consists of only 3 guys. We decided to try pin our skills against the AI of D.O.T.A at the lan shop in Cathay and lost the 1st match miserably against 5 insane AI. Not accepting the fact that we were lousy, we continued for several matches only to find ourselves losing 5 matches in a row. If its not for the prepaid credit that ran out, I believed we would have stayed and continue to try and defeat the AIs

Before calling it a night, we went for a drink at the beancurd store opposie Selegie. On the way back, we passed by Parklane and had this crazy idea to play 1 more game to break the losing streak. Desperation took over us and we continued our lan gaming session at Parklane. One thing for sure, the AI map at Cathay is ridiculously insane as we had no problem defeating the bots at Parklane. The initial plan of playing just one game turned out to be 3-4 games and we played till 3 am. And what was unbelievable was that the building cut off their air-con at around 2 plus turning the lanshop into a sauna, making the whole premises extremely stuffy and hot. Some of the gamers even took off their shirt and continued playing. This however did not stop the desperate trio as we continued the enjoyment of pawning the AIs till the lanshop closes forcing us to go home.

Long Beach @ Dempsey

Second time I dine at Dempsey but this is the first time at Long Beach as I'm not really a fan of seafood. Well, its more of I can't take it and not because I don't want to.

We all went in different groups and Anselm was kind enough to give us a lift there. The big occassion being one of the main Director, Philippe was in Singapore. The restaurant was not difficult to spot along the road as it was finely situated at the bottom of Dempsey, majestically occupying a wide area. However the interior was a turn-off as they cramped 13 of us into a table. We were seated directly infront of the tanks and it must have been really cruel to eat the friends's of the survivals still awaiting their fate in their miserable tanks. The lobsters and alaskan crabs were insanely huge although they just remind me of over grown insects/spiders living underwater.

I've tried most of the food that night (except for the crab and bamboo clam) and I would say their food is simply fabulous! The bill was around $1660/++ ... slightly expensive but worth it.

Mind's completely blank... tired and slightly drunk, shall stop here.

黄金路

Has been following this TV serial since it was first shown on TV. A star studded series with fantastic storyline bringing viewers back to the 80's. Somehow the plot side-tracked and got really distasteful which eventually encourage me to stop chasing the show. It seems as though the second part of the serial was written by a different script-writer, a lousy one to be exact and it is hard to believe they are feeding it to the viewers on prime time. However one of the main thing loved by many viewers was the theme song of the serial and it literally captivate me each day at 9pm. The song was sung by a local band and has not been released and thus I could only share the lyrics here. But believe me, I will buy their next album if it contains this song. (:

Today was it's final episode and the ending was disastrous. However I still loved the show, mostly because of the cast and song. And also, I really liked the character 'Bah Ku Teh' girl, and it seems that she has shot to fame in this show. She was in the same Star Search batch with Felicia Chin and I still has the i-weekly with her photos!

Anyway, sharing the lyrics of the main theme song of the serial:

歌手: 迷路兵
歌名: 路

我们都该 回头看看 来时路
就算起风 偶尔有雾 模糊不了幸福

我们都该 在心里数数 感动的次数
谁陪你疯 谁陪你笑 拍拍肩一起追逐

多少爱错过了才看清楚
多少事无法弥补才认输
多少次以为找到了幸福
却发现一开始 就是个错误

每一段路 都是一种领悟
珍珠再夺目 留不住心头热乎乎
真心的鼓舞 能温暖一生的旅途

每一段路 难免荆棘密布
把坚持牢牢握住 不怕艰难险阻
学会去爱 就不会迷路

Jay Chou Concert 2008

It was 2 years ago back in 2006 when Jay Chou last held his concert in Singapore. Back then I bought the cheapest ticket of $68 and regretted the lousy decision that I've made, promising myself to always get the best ticket for any concerts that I am going to attend.

Good news for the fans that he is coming to Singapore again this year, a pity I knew a little too late about the release date of the sale of the tix. The tickets were selling like hot cakes and I missed the chance of attending his concert. Luckily, 2 days before the concert... they decided to cramp more seats and I manage to get Wei Jian and me 2x$200 tickets... and I'm extremely glad I was part of the crowd in Indoor Stadium that extravagant night.

Before the start of the concert, the usually remotely quiet evening of Indoor Stadium observed large groups of people eagerly waiting for the commencement of the concert... long chains of people queueing up to purchase Jay's merchandise... and dozens of fans can be seen carrying self-made signboards or posters.

The seat that we had has a good view of the stage but it was unimaginably cramp and uncomfortable. Geez, I can't imagine I pay so much just to suffer a few hours of my life, perhaps getting the most expensive seat may not necessary be the cleverest idea. However, once the concert started, all the negative feelings vanished and I found myself fusing with the fans into the ecstatic atmosphere. The moment Jay appeared, the fans on the premiere seats all stood up and went wild with excitement with occasional screams... And yes, I had to stand throughout the duration of the concert but it was totally worth it.

Jay serenade us the whole night with hits from various albums, flauting his skills on different musical instruments and several dances plus special effects. His singing has improved tremendously... and his flirting with the audience has taken a new leap. One of the unexpected special appearance was his grandma who entertained us with a short dance. The whole concert is too amazing for me to describe in details here, and I'm sure those who attended it would agree with me.

p.s. And I got a free poster of the concert at the end of the night.

The concert lasted for an impressionable 2 1/2 hours, tiring but unforgettable. (:

The Payback

Bought this book a week ago and finished reading it today. Review? Hmm... the author's not bad, and the plot of the story is acceptable.

Honestly, my favourite author is Dan Brown and after reading all his books, there is no other works by any other authors that can really captivate me. Each book siginifies a master piece earning their well deserved 'Best seller' spot in any bookstore. Dan Brown is a brilliant writer with fantastic vocabulary. From the way he vividly describes a place, a location or an art work, he could almost bring an object or a building to life. The minute fabrication of details allows his readers to visualize the scene of happenings with unexpected events written at timely intervals never failing to surprise me. The storyline is also usually spiced with thrill and twists unimaginable. This is how worthy Dan Brown's works are and how much I love his books.

With such high expectations, I didn't expect much from Mike Lawson as there is a big shoe to fill. The plot of the book is actually quite good, however I feel that at some point the author is trying too hard. Many of the details in the story were cosmectic and sounds too redundant. It almost gives a feeling that the author is trying to increase the pages of the book. There aren't much twist in the plot but the author has included manageable suspense to motivate me to complete the book. I shan't disclose the contents of 'The Payback' in my blog as each book is the hardwork of it's author and I rather leave the exploration to the reader. I can loan this book to anyone who is interested though.

All in all, the book is good and definitely deserve it's praise for the effort made by Mike Lawson.

Author: Mike Lawson

Title: The Payback

ISBN: 978-0-00-719795-8

Kah Wai's Birthday

A simple dinner at Suntec to celebrate a good friend's birthday. Arranged to meet 1915 hrs at City Hall and we both actually reached at the same time.

Took a big detour at the fountain of wealth before we decided to have our dinner at Fish & Co. Naturally I offered to pay for the meal as an early birthday treat for him.He ordered Black Pepper stingray... one of the 2 main course which I would never order (the other one would be swordfish collar). I tried both before and they really sucks, and would never recommend them to anyone, and I believe after tonight, Kah wai would agree with me. Ha ha.

Took a short stroll at the fountain to look at the laser display before deciding to get thrashed by him at foosball at the arcade in Suntec City... and by thrashed, I mean it was a disastrous one-sided match as I don't remember scoring a single goal. Lol. And for the rest of the game that we played tonight, we got quickly eliminated by the AI. Damn, my skills at gaming has just reached a new low level.

Chilled out at TCC... did some catching up before we decide to call it a night. (:

Lunch At Clarke Quay

How many people would appreciate having their lunch along one of the restaurants along Clarke Quay, to enjoy a book at Changi beach on one of the stone benches, or to savor the verdure of plants during an evening stroll in Botanic Gardens? These are the stuffs I enjoy doing but I would dare say most or in fact none of my friends would appreciate such events. Fortunately these activities do not require large participation and is better when performed alone. However for today, I am glad that I have the company of Domenic and Kelvin.

It has been quite some time since I've met up with Domenic and since his birthday is coming, I took the initiative and organize a mini-gathering for him today: lunch session at 'Sun with Moon Japanese Dining & Cafe' along Clarke Quay.

Was supposed to meet at 1230 hrs but he was half an hour early. When I reached, he was seated at Subway with a huge Starwars collectible edition figurine... Among all my friends, he is the only one that share a same interest of collecting toys like me. However, I'm more of a 'Transformer' collector, a toy which I never stop loving since the day I saw their cartoon specifically the episode of 'Dinobot Island'.

This second outlet at Clarke Quay is uniquely decorated with a superb river view at its frontage, which made the meal even more appetizing. The food wasn't that superb (at least for the one that I've ordered), but I really enjoy the ambience and the company of my good friends. Did abit of catching up and is extremely glad to know that Domenic has quit smoking too.

Abit lost tonight... too many mixed feelings and thoughts ravaging through my mind as I'm jotting this posts. At least I have an entry to mark this memorable lunch with my good friends, so I shall end it here for today... TTFN.

Michael Jackson - Ben

Has been hearing this song for quite some time... in <Wedding Wars> and in <The Simpsons, Season 3> in one of the episodes. A very nice soothing song which made me look up the singer and to my amazement, it was actually sung by Michael Jackson in 1972. I found the original records when he was just a teenager back then. Sharing this wonderful hit with you all:

Singer: Michael Jackson

Title: Ben

Ben, the two of us need look no more

We both found what we were looking for

With a friend to call my own

I'll never be alone

And you my friend will see

You've got a friend in me

(You've got a friend in me)

Ben, you're always running here and there

You feel you're not wanted anywhere

If you ever look behind

And don't like what you find

There's something you should know

You've got a place to go

(You've got a place to go)

I used to say, 'I' and 'me'

Now it's 'us', now it's 'we'

I used to say, 'I' and 'me'

Now it's 'us', now it's 'we'

Ben, most people would turn you away

I don't listen to a word they say

They don't see you as I do

I wish they would try to

I'm sure they'd think again

If they had a friend like Ben

(A friend) Like Ben

(Like Ben) Like Ben

A Good Year

Has been watching several movies by Russell Crowe... <Cinderella Man>, <The Insider>, <A Beautiful Mind> and it seems that most of them are biographies. However there was a particular movie which I liked most and it is <A Good Year>.

A very interesting movie with unique direction by Ridley Scott. This movie brings out the simple romantic beauty of France. France is indeed one of the loveliest country I've been to, although its usually overcrowded with commuters and tourists, there is some exceptionally attractive attributes that makes the country extraordinary. Wow, I really missed Sacre Coeur in Paris. Of cos this movie was not filmed in the big cities.

Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard acting in this movie is amazing... together with the beautiful picturesque chateau and vineyard, plus tinge of humour mingled with lofty romance, there hasn't been a movie after Jerry Maguire that caught my attention.

Other than the interesting casts and sceneries... I loved the way French conversation were added in the movie. There was this particular line that was totally awesome:

'Pardonne mes lèvres. Elles trouvent la joie dans les endroits les plus inhabituels' Translation: 'Forgive my lips, they find joy in the most unusual places'...

I was like... 'Wow'! Its such a romantic phrase especially in french (it sounds awfully corny in english). My company has offered to let the staffs attend French courses and I'm definitely going to take this chance to brush up my basics and perhaps go for advanced French lessons.

Another thing that I loved about this movie was its soundtrack... and one of them particularly caught my attention. It was the song played when Russell Crowe went back to the old chateau where he recalled the days he was with his uncle. The song is called 'How Can I Be Sure Of You' by Harry Nilsson. Sharing the song here with anyone who is interested. (:

Singer: Harry Nilsson

Title: How Can I Be Sure Of You

The other day a friend of mine said

He said the sun's not really yellow

He said, he said the sun is really red

I said, my friend what do you mean

You read that in some magazine

Next thing you'll say the earth's not green

How can I be sure of you, when you know

The world's always changing, rearranging

Always changing, changing

I said my friend how do you do

And what you're saying isn't true

The next thing you'll say the earth is blue

He said my friend you're in a dream

And things are never what they seem

Oh things are never what they seem

How can I be sure anymore

When the world's always changing, rearranging

Changing...