Kings of Convenience in Singapore!

Just watched Kings of Convenience at Esplanade earlier. They’re AWESOME! But I wish the concert was with a smaller audience, though. Something more intimate would work much better with their personality as a band and their brand of music, I guess. But then again, if they didn’t make that many seats available I wouldn’t be able to catch them live! I almost didn’t since tickets for their 1st day show sold out very fast.

It’s kinda weird watching them with screaming fan-girls sitting around me. First, cos the girls kept screaming whenever they did something cute and they think they’re ultra hot. And I never thought of them as hot. I just think they play very good music. I guess being a male musician tend to make your female fans biased towards your looks instead of your music. Although I thought girls my age would’ve gotten over that boyband phase in their lives and simply like good music. And second, people around me seem to recognise their hit songs and went wild when it’s played. I’ve listened to all their albums and I love them all but I don’t have any particular favorite. I don’t even really know which songs they are famous for!

All in all it was a great performance. Who knew 2 nerdy guys on guitars can be so much fun!

And some people need to read their camera’s manual and learn how to turn of the flash.

On Star Wars

My housemate and I re-watched Star Wars last night, and I grew suspicious that there’s some sort of romantic relationship going on between C3PO and R2-D2. Or maybe I’ve just spent too much time on the internetz where every platonic friendship between 2 adult fictional characters turns out to be homoerotic. e.g. Bert & Ernie, Spongebob & Patrick

On making decisions.

Assuming that life is predetermined, sometimes I wish I knew what’s predetermined for me. I hate making decisions. I can’t even choose between chicken salad or pumpkin soup for lunch.

I don’t mind spoilers. I read movie plots before I watch the actual thing. The journey is much more enjoyable than reaching the destination, but only when I know where we’re going.

I need some focus.

Ah.. me and consistency. I haven’t logged on to my blog for so long I even forgot the password. My life needs a bit of organising. My room’s a mess. My body clock’s a mess. I have a hill of clothes I haven’t ironed in a month. I keep changing my  meal time although I know just delaying lunch for an hour will require me to pop antacids. I have books to read that I never do. I’ve stopped doodling in my visual journal for a while. My dancing needs improvement but I’m just too reluctant to do the exercises. My job’s going nowhere and I don’t see myself having any kind of career anytime soon. I keep forgetting to return library books and keep getting fined. I also forgot to pay last month’s phone bill. I wish I had a Personal Assistant to poke me whenever I’m late for appointments or miss my bills payments.

My mom was sifting through the stack of my stuff left at home and she found the report from an aptitude test I took in high school. I would say it still describes me pretty accurately now. The first page was the summary of my scores, and read (roughly translated into English):

Numerical ability, score: 9/10
General aptitude, score: 8/10
Technical ability, score: 8/10
Linguistic ability, score: 8/10
Speed, score: 8/10
Concentration, score: 7/10
Attention to details, score: 7/10
Stability (consistency in work, I assume), score: 6/10
Tidiness, score: 6/10
Persistence, score: 6/10

I think there were a few more lines but this was what my mom extracted for me. From the looks of it I should’ve been a mad physicist or some mathematical genius instead..

My Babies

Finally I got it after such a long wait! The Aris Allens wingtip athletic mary janes! Not exactly cheap, but pretty reasonable. Still it sucks to pay for expensive shipping cost and GST. Inside feels like track shoes, while still lookin pretty outside. With slidey suede soles. Yummy. Gonna break them in a bit and keep em for special social occasions mostly. Ooh I feel like giving them a kiss!

In Singapore they only stock this model of Keds in navy and cream. And very limited stock, too. I had to look all over the island for my size! Finally found this pair in CCK.

I CAN HAZ TEH KILLURZ ヽ(´▽`)/

On Smelly Shoes and Sweaty Socks

I’ve been dancing for almost half a year now, and I’m pretty happy with my progress although I know I still have a long long long way to go and much to learn! Anyway, dancing 4-5 nights a week makes me pretty particular about one thing: footwear.

For one, they have to satisfy the following:

1. Flat – Due to past injuries I’m allergic to heels. Flat ones are safer and easier to dance in anyway, especially for clumsy people like me.
2. Slidey – So I don’t twist my knees spinning, and our moves look nicer in slidey shoes.
3. Secure – No shoes flying around while kicking.
4. Cushioned – Always helps to have them comfy, especially with all the bouncing.
5. Doesn’t fall apart after 3 weeks of dancing in them – (the soles of one particular pair split into 2)

After a long journey I’ve finally gotten my best pair so far – plain canvas KEDS. It’s not pricey, but I had to search all around the island to get a pair that fits my gigantic lady’s feet. It’s sole is covered with a felt-like layer so I can twist twist twist twist even on the super sticky floor of the flyer. Nice. And I’m still waiting for my suede-soled Aris Allens that’s still in Singapore customs right now, being slapped with GST.

And of course, the problem with shoes is: they get smelly. No one method seem to be much effective in eliminating the stench of sweaty shoes, so I’m employing a bunch of em, and I must say the smell of my shoes/feet are now much more bearable!

1. Powder – foot powder, baby powder, talcum powder, all the same. Slather my feet and the inside of my shoes with powder. I carry a bottle in my bag. Also useful to make sticky floors more danceable.
2. Not wearing my shoes when I’m sitting at my desk at work
3. Bring my shoes in aircon at the end of the day and take out the insoles
4. Socks – but sometimes I skip this if I feel they look too ugly
5. Kitty litter – in tied-up stockings, inserted inside the shoes. If it’s good enough for cat urine, it’s good enough for foot sweat.

Dancing is my new boyfriend

LINDY HOP. One of the best things that’s happened to me! It’s fun, I get to meet, talk, hang out with people, I adore the music, I get some form of exercise, no formalities, no grading, no uniforms, no pressure on selling your soul and committing yourself to it, something to look forward to at least 3 nights a week, and when I don’t feel like dancing I can just sit there, enjoy the music, and look at other people!

I’ve been wanting to take up Lindy Hop for ages – inspired by old Merrie Melodies and Disney Cartoons and old movies with people dancing in it. When I was 4 or 5 years old I told myself, “I wanna do that kind of dancing!”. But of course, I didn’t know what it’s called. Fast forward 15 years and I realised I could learn Lindy Hop in Singapore but I get distracted by many other things and just gotten around to do it. Glad I signed up for the class! I had zero dancing experience (other than flailing my arms around in clubs), and I still suck big time (only been doing it for less than a month), I know I look like a retard on the dancefloor, but I just LOVE moving to the music!

Don’t know how Lindy Hop looks like? Take a look here (no I’m not that good. YET. Mhahahahahh!)

Sunny Day

It’s a sunny day in Singapore, and two foreign workers from the nearby construction are sleeping in the shade of the coconut tree just outside my window. I wonder what they’re dreaming about. Now the other one sits up and lights up a cigarette, while staring at the sleeping one. Makes me think of how spoiled we are, spending thousands of dollars on mattresses with super-hybrid-nano-uv-technology while they can sleep just on a stretch of bin liners under a tree.

Say it loud and proud!

I’M A BORING WORKING ADULT LIVING A BORING WORKING ADULT LIFE

Talk About Bad English..

This morning I found a note from the lab officer stuck to a form telling me I should update my particulars. So I duly did so and returned the form to the officer. Then I asked why the update?

“Suan Foo is coming. Very dangerous. Need to keep track of people”.

“Who’s Suan Foo?”

“Suan Foo! You don’t know about Suan Foo? Suan Foo is coming!”

“Suan Foo? I’ve never heard of the name! Who is he?”

“Suan Foo! That’s why we need to keep track of people. Remember during SARS we had to keep track of people and take their temperature?”

I was still trying to figure out who this Suan Foo guy he was talking about was when 5 minutes later I thought, “OMG… I get it… swine flu!”

English FAIL

The cultural guarantee could personally take the form of the object made by humankind, did not move or move that took the form of unity or the group, or a part-a part or the remnants the rest of them, that be aged at least 500 years.

Have any idea what the paragraph means? No? Neither do I. But it’s on the welcome page of Jakarta Tourism website. I have my suspicion they wrote the contents in Indonesian, then used Google Translate to convert everything into English and that’s that. Couldn’t they hire someone who actually know how to write in English? With the bad english rendering it almost useless to anyone looking for information on Jakarta, the website seems just like another unecessary spending by the Government.

I Found Love

Yo Gabba Gabba ~ I Found Love

From theawsomest coolest hippest  kids’ show ever, Yo Gabba Gabba.

Visit Museums near you! Now!

As a volunteer for one of Singapore’s museums, it disturbs me that many people have never visited one, or even know where they are located.

ONE. Museums are not boring.You can learn a lot about a lot of things in museums and they keep changing the exhibitions.

TWO. The tickets are not expensive, and students / seniors get discounts, and they do open house few times a year (although free entry all the time for Singapore museums would be great)

THREE. It’s not only a place to see old things or things you don’t understand. They have programmes for public, talks, film screenings, festivals, workshops, and a myriad things to match your interest.

If you’re thinking “Well I don’t think I’ll be interested in whatever’s inside those big old buildings” – prove it. Go there and take a look. If you really don’t like it, fine. At least get a first-hand experience.

It’s the INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY on 23-31 May (OK it’s 9 days). See the many things you can learn about this weekend at the museum:

http://museums.com.sg/imd09/  (programme for int’l museum day)

http://www.nhb.gov.sg/

To The West!

We’re moving to the West side of this city/state/island next month. West Side Story happens to be one of my favorite films. Nothing to do with it but yeah. Just trying to fill up this blog. Blah blah blah blah blah.

OH I HATE PACKING!!!!