Holidays (compacted)

Shanghai

"On a boat cruising down Huang Pu Jiang"

Shanghai was great fun, t'was really an eye opener. The Chinese-chinese and Singaporean-chinese are so different. The way we behave, speak and even the sort of basic questions we'd ask. Yeah, I guess we have established that idea but to actually see the stark difference for yourself, now that is something else. We push, we shove when places are crowded. The Chinese-chinese however, have what I'd term as 'body slamming'. Having someone's belly rub you from behind isn't anything unusual in China. I guess with the great population, to get your way around, you have got to 'body slam'. To be heard, raise your voice. Things like that separate sg-chis and chi-chis.

Well, it's not really Shanghai per se, but rather the other groups of Chinese that make their way to the world expo. One thing about the world expo is the clear demonstration of the great Chinese population. Imagine waiting for 2 hours under the summer sun (SH wasn't that warm, the air was chilly but the sun had no cloud cover so the UV rays are the cause of sun burns and the heat; 22degress thereabouts) just to enter the US pavilion. Well, Saudi Arabia's pavillion had the longest queue with a 6 hours waiting time because they were giving out diamond rings in their lucky draw. Japan was a good 3 hours. I did not bother waiting much and so along with Nad, Hai and Ken, we went to the lesser known (kecil) pavilions. North Korean... Iran (next to NK... *pause* I know right!)... Bangladesh... Kyrgyzstan (pretty ladies with nice eyes and nice llama wool toys)... Oh yar, being a Singaporean meant express queues to the Singapore pavilion. Now, every time we try to create something artsy fartsy, it ends up looking like a fruit. Esplanade = microphone = durian. Singapore pavilion = music box = rambutan. Not to forget a rooftop garden to end off the pavilion with. How very Punggol.

Bridging Minds

Bridging Minds programme was good fun. It was an extended 10 days of pure bliss upon returning to Singapore. Imagine 10 days of breakfast and lunch buffet at the Royal Plaza hotel (5 stars mind you) and having to stay in a nice room. (I fell off a treadmill whilst at the hotel and the darn thing had a touch screen display and so when I tried to stop the machine, I hit the speed up button, the rest is history and blood and pus) BM is this memorandum of understanding between Brunei and Singapore and both countries would send a delegation of 5 annually to meet up and discuss a given topic. The 10 would then stage a performance on stage which would be broadcasted on the television. This year, it was held in Singapore. It's like this debate-drama concept. Well, I got to meet the people behind the scenes at Mediacorp and even got to see some stars walking around. I remembered being at the broadcasting centre and saw Pierre Png. The girls were just gushing and swooning. Well, I'm not sure when this programme will air but it be on Okto. On a random note, I miss the BM team. Both team Singapore and Brunei. The cow, daal-lady, Japanese (who has an indian-cambodian accent), Ee Wei (girl who sleeps much), Lady Sha Sha, Alejandro, Chamreeup Swa,Guitar man, Faiz, Mr Michael (MOE dude who is responsible for your english syllabus), Ms Madhu (so motherly)... oh yar, the make up team.

NS check up

"Needles... Draw blood... Nah! Not too bad!"

I had to lock my iPhone in the locker provided because of the NO PHONES WITH CAMERA ruling. Walked up the cold stone steps towards the door. Every step was heavy, every step meant closer to the needle. Entered a room with not a single fami- wait, there he was, Boony, seated on number 4. I had to pull up my fringe using 10 spritz of water but in vail endeavour. The dude behind suffer a similar fate until *light bulb*, I had WAX! Used the miracle cream and unveiled my forehead *I really don't see why we have to for an NS picture which by the way, I look like a girl in*. Met up with Boony and went for the med check up. Whilst waiting, the dude with a problematic hair came by. Greeted and bam, there was new phy examination buddy. Urine test yeah that was fine, then... Jovi, "There was a dude shouting whilst having his blood drawn!" 0.0

Went for the test, closed my eyes and before I knew it. Over. Seriously, compared to the abrasion which I had from the treadmill, which by the way affected 4 spots on my body and the pus was all over the hotel room bed (poor chambermaid), wasn't as bad.

SH.

"Mulberry Elkington and yours truly"

Look! Elkington! I have finally got a new bag. Nice leather satchel. Mulberry Hilton has great service by the way. One thing annoying about the bag is that care is a pain in the neck. It is like having a child, so to speak.

In a matter of hours, I'd be on a plane to Shanghai. I a matter of hours, I'd be flying. In a matter of hours, I'd rediscover the Chinese culture. All that in a matter of hours and I have yet to pack! 0.0

?

"Mulberry Elkington"

"Loewe Amazona Satchel Messenger"

Pretty torn between the two. Both absolutely stunning. Dilemma.

Humans.

Jellyfishes are 99% water. Humans are 70% water. There is something astoundingly similar between Man and Jellyfish. Jellyfishes are beautiful, elegant and graceful. Their bioluminescent displays are like one thousand fireflies pumping through their bodies; pulsating, glowing. Every movement is swift as it cuts through the water, yet at the same time, every movement is gentle. They are like miniature diving bells. Like humans, we are beautiful beings. Look at the very engineering in front of you. It is amazing how were are the only animals able to build civilisations. Humans have constructed and yet deconstructed. We build and tear down. Like the ebbing tides, humans have their rise and falls. Like the pulsating glow of Jellyfishes, like the sudden contracts of a Jellyfish's bell.

Some jellyfishes travel in schools. Millions migrating at the same time to warmer watters in search of plankton rich waters. They move in unison but in perfect silence. The travel as a mass but are then again essentially alone for they interact little. It is like a person being in a sea of people but still feel lonely. We gain strength from not those around us but from ourselves. We are intrinsically introverted beings. When there is no one around, we do not speak to ourselves. We think. We do not vocalise much.

As beautiful as it maybe, Jellyfishes are a paradox. They carry stinging cells and some of which can kill 10 cows. They are so dangerous, we have named some, the Portugese-man-of-war. The beauty and the unison are all facades. They are really made to be alone and to conceal dark truths.

Humans have long added layers to themselves. We have facades. We are not what we truly are. Instead, we are what people deem agreeable in a society. Why do we hide ourselves? Why is it that the very people who set boundaries hide themselves too? The Greeks set aside rules and codes in their society to ensure stability, however, at the same time, the very people who created the rules are the very ones who will commit to those vices. We fear from decadence and so we draw up rules.

What am I saying? I have no idea.

Mothers.

A Mother never cease to protect, provide and love. As much as it pains a Mother to carry a child in a womb, as much as she is drained of her nutrients, she would love the child even before the child was born. After the child is born, she continues to feed the child and nurture him. The umbilical cord is never really broken. As a lamb be protected by his Mother, as a lioness protects her cub, so do humans protect their young. There is this intrinsic bond between children and Mothers. From conception, the Mother nurtures and grows the embryo. The blood of his Mother flows through his very veins. Yet, what is it that we see today. We find it increasingly difficult to reciprocate this love.

Love is a very strange topic. It can get people really uncomfortable. One knows that love is unconditional and unwavering. Yet, why do we feel so difficult to love at times. We know that Mothers love, but sometimes we don't do the same. We feel it but then again, we superficial don't. It is a paradox.

Short stories: Shifting Sands.

Across the arid planes of the Middle East lives very extraordinary people who live off extremely scarce amounts of water. Part of the Silk Road as it is, the nomadic Bedouins primarily depend on livestock, some form of agriculture and trade to keep afloat.

Now the Bedouins have very strict codes of conduct. After all, living in a location where easily extracted resources are scarce (Yes, that means we are not looking at OIL), these codes were necessary to maintain a form of social order. A way to ensure brothers fight not for food, cousins learn not to steal. Hierarchy of utmost importance. Tribes learnt to cohabit and live. The Hareeb in Yemen, the Beni Sakr in Jordan.

In one particular Yemenis tribe, the Sheik (chief) decided that enough was enough. Let there be no fighting amongst the people for common goods. A form of equal distribution must be obtained. Shall it be based on merit? Will it be a pool of resources in which everyone has a stake in? Should it be based on bloodlines? It was a difficult decision.

Troubled by this, he sat on a rock to ponder over the different ways of governing his people.

Now, the Sheik had a very prepossessing daughter. A charming creature. If there be a way to describe, then her beauty was akin to the egrets that greeted the evening skies. Under the cover of the Burqa, her skin like porcelain. Those of the Chinese variety the Bedouins received as merchants travelled the Silk Road. Her hair, a dark black like the obsidian of the African volcanoes. Like cowries from the shores of Yemen, her eyes were deep and dark as if the heavens have met Earth.

Looking at her father, the daughter felt unnerved and unhappy. She did not like seeing her father forced to make unfair decisions. She then decided that the rich will pay a greater price for goods and the money be used to help the poor obtain the goods. The poor will then give back by throwing feasts on the second Friday of each month.

Oh how her people rejoiced at her wisdom. They adored her...

Gerberas.

It's a yes. Red gerberas are the bomb!