Korea Got Talent

Since the theme of this blog has suddenly turned towards Kpop recently, I shall continue with that trend.

Well, the purpose of this blog is to let me share stuff that I am uncomfortable sharing elsewhere. Stuff like my thoughts, opinions, views etc. (duh!)

Even though trivial, kpop is one of those things. I would love to share them on FB but not everyone is a kpop fan and I dont wish to spam the crap out of them. That said, I have been clearing my friends list on FB. I have like 900 plus friends on FB but I dont really know them?! I mean, we are acquaintances and all.. I really wish to make my list smaller. This large random group of 'friends' is also the one of the reason why I prefer to share stuff here instead.

Where do we draw the line? What makes someone a facebook friend? A random 3 minute introduction? A meal?

Dam. I dont care shit about being 'popular' and it really makes me uncomfortable in using FB to communicate. Imagine there are strangers who understand you so well, they know where were you last Friday night, they know that you dont eat chilli, love strawberry ice cream and has classes at 8am every Monday morning. wtf. My mentality has certainly changed. I used to be want to heard by as many of possible, I somehow liked the attention. Now I just want to mind my own business and do my own shit. Do we call that maturity?

I think I deleted like 30 'friends' but the list is still so.. big. Will try again next time.

Crap, I deviated from the Kpop topic and this post is slowly resembling a normal blog post lol! That's a pleasant surprise.

Oh yea, this is a cover of Tesha's Tick Tock by a Korean singer. It's an acoustic version recorded using a guitar and ipad's garageband. It is pretty cool. She used garageband to play the drums, bass etc, kind of like a one-girl band.

So yea, korea got talent. I am not saying elsewhere doesn't have any but korea sure got talent, just saying. *shrugs*

Birthdays

What do you think about birthdays? What significance do birthdays have? Yes it is the day that you make your grand entrance to this world. Every birthday after that is the anniversary of that fateful day. Besides that, what other significance does it have?

So it is a day for us to celebrate our birth? Sounds great to me. But do we really need a day specified for us to celebrate our birth? To celebrate our lives?

Isn't it kind of sad that we need to find so desperately a reason to celebrate anything when in reality every reason we ever need is right here in front of us.

Do we have to wait till a specific date to celebrate anything? To show our care, concern and love for someone?

Hmm.. but if we dont even celebrate when we specified a date for it.. Isn't that even sadder?

So.. you know what is the saddest part? Apparently I managed to justify our reason for being so sad in the first place. Or did I?

Don't choose the path of convenience. You get what I am trying to say?

Let's all skip all the social obligation crap and go on with our lives, seriously.

Edited: This is may sound like a bitchfest, it is not. What I am trying to say is, there is no need to compel to social obligations, at least not for me.

After all, I haven't done any of my part to deserve it either.

Any birthday is only as important as the birthday boy/girl think it is.

I am right here

There is a particular line in last week's episode of Glee that resonants in me. (I am using present tense because it still is while I write this post.) Kurt was by the hospital bed of his dad as he was waiting for his dad to wake up from coma. He was reminiscing and started crying when his dad moved a finger. He then held his dad's hand and said,

"I am right here, I am not going anywhere."

Fortunately, the same line applied to me in a totally different context and meaning. I just felt that those words are the most comforting words one can ever say. In this vast empty world as the lives of people just buzz by each other day by day, one can feel lonely at times. Facing the uncertainties of the future, responsibilities of the present and bearing the burdens of the past, one can easily feel overwhelmed.

However, one can find comfort and strength when one knows that he is not alone, that no matter what happens, he has friends and families who care. Because at the end of the day, that seems to be largely the only thing that matters. I have come to realise this. Therefore, no matter how daunting the future seems, I still find courage in moving on.

The purpose of this post is remind myself that I will do the same for the people around me. No matter what happens, I will be there. No matter what the future holds, you are not alone.

It is a pity that the person that uploaded the video to youtube disabled the embed option so I can't post it here. You can use the following link to view the video. (:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQPmJahDWl8

I am not going anywhere.

where are you now

After How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, a few episodes of South Park, a handful of movies and Glee, I finally found time to watch The Mentalist. Well, I am a huge raging fan of the tv series, but that is a story for another day.

I watched an episode today that showed a homecoming event. Apparently those reunion events are popular in the States. You know, XXX High School, Class of 1995, Homecoming. The venue is often the alma mater and they organise an event every 5 years. So that same class would have their third homecoming this year, 2010.

Unfortunately, due to the weird characteristics of human nature, these homecomings are usually just a mere platform for people to compete and compare their achievements in life. So every 5 years, there is a 'review' to find out who is still single and stuck at the bottom of the corporate ladder.

Having said that, I was just thinking how awesome would it be if Singapore had such a tradition, only because I come from a tradition chinese school. (No, seriously, don't argue with me on this one. Give it up and admit it already. I should be the one that is complaining about this, nobody believes that I am an AC boy.) It is a very conservative school that is very strict about moral values, or at least it tries to be. Okay, that didn't really come out quite right. I am not saying that other schools do teach moral values.

The one thing I like most about my school was how everyone knows everyone. Maybe it is a communist thing, but it is definitely a good thing. Some ages ago, there were a few RV photos posted on facebook. Those photos generated conversations between different people from different classes and CCAs. We are like one big community, one big kampong even. (Using the word 'family' here would be pushing it.)

It is just that when I imagine my batch of fellow students meet up during a homecoming, even though there would be a few competitive idiots showing off their latest achievements here and there, most of us would greatly appreciate and treasure the opportunity to catch up with one another. It would be.. fun. People talking about the good old days when we were once innocent, naive and childish kids. Seeing how everyone has changed.

Then again, I am guessing that maybe after 5 or 10 years, we would find out that after all these years, we are still very much those same kids that left those school gates.

Well, not coincidentally, adding 2 years in ACJC, 2 years in army and this year, it has been 5 years since I graduated from River Valley High School.

Don't get it wrong, I had a lot of fun back in ACJC. Maybe wait till I have graduated for 5 years from the school, then I would dedicate a post for the occasion.

This is a song from the movie, Bandslam. Now, before you start banging tables and cry foul, just play the video and listen to the lyrics. So guys, where are you now?

the bond forged after 9 months

Abriel, Brian and Maurice were in Melbourne. This kind of explains why I haven't been actively updating my blog like promised. Well, Maurice is still here with Rachel. Abriel is back in Singapore after stopping by Sydney. And Brian will be landing in Perth shortly.

It feels kind of surreal to meet friends overseas. I am grateful that they made the effort to travel all across the ocean to Melbourne from Singapore to pay me a visit. I really appreciate it loads.

Abriel shopped like a girl during his stay here. Okay, maybe I shouldnt stereotype. But he was quite the shopaholic.

Brian bunked in with me. Just like the good old times back in ocs eh? This time he slept on the floor though. I only have one bed so too bad.

I am glad that I went to OCS. That I went to Bravo wing, Platoon 3, and section 4. It was a horrifying hectic 9 months. But in return I have gained so much more.

Whenever one of us posts an army related comment on facebook, all of us would swiftly swarm his wall posting our own comments. All of us would start to recall the happenings of those days. The experience and memories we share. The bond between us like no other. Girls often complain that when guys meet, all they talk about is army. I am willing to bet that they would do the same too if they experienced what we went through. It is the things that happened that created this bond, this brotherhood. That is why we always repeat the same old stories. It is these boring stories that brought us together. (and it is not boring at all please.)

And because of these stories, I have found brothers who accept me for who I am. Brothers who know my flaws and yet didn't turn their backs and walk away when they could. For this, I am grateful.

For this, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Because I know no matter what happens, I am not alone.

On a separate note, I feel kind of tempted to post this post on facebook so that my idiot platoon mates can read this. But I dont want too many people stalking my blog. Zzz. I need to figure out a way to sync facebook notes with blogger. I know it is easy but I also dont want too many people reading it. It is not good if too many people know me too well. Hmm. Heck it for now.

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Click here to view the photos taken during Brian's visit!

dear cousin

ONGJIELI!

okay lah. cant be you dedicate an entry to me then i dont go the same righttt!

hahah. come to think of it. i didnt expect you to cry. or at the very least i didnt expect you to cry before i did. maybe i was too occupied taking photos and talking to people. i was keeping myself busy catching my last few moments in singapore for a very long time that i became ignorant. i forgot that hidden deep underneath that passive, easy-going guy lies a warm-hearted soul. me, of all people, should have known.

you are right. remember the memories we shared. as i close my eyes and recall. ever since 3b 4b. after that acjc. even relief teaching in rv. then ocs in bravo. then as 2LT in tekong. pretty much the entire most important period of my life that i can remember, you have always been there. without fail. you can say its because of fate. you can say its because of circumstances. but freak in acjc we wouldnt even in the same class nor cca. and i was in mrc and basketball so i was one hell of a busy guy. in tekong you were in rocky hill and i was in ladang. it wasnt entirely fate if you ask me.

i think you are the only guy that i ever watched a movie with alone. not to mention we did that more than once. like i told you before we have 300 plus mutual friends on facebook. quite a few mutual cliques. i see you practically everyday. and that emo night when we sat at the stairs at railmall and drink booze. we tell each other everything. well at least i did. i think. you have seen the ugliest side of me. my most stupid moments. my worst decisions. my darkest secrets. but you never left. you have always been there. the hellish night at arena. (omfgg) you were there when i needed you the most. you brought me home. you took care of me. and then we took turns to puke at your toilet. lol.

everyone has multiple sides to themselves. people behave differently infront of different people. like how some people need to be good boys infront of their parents. (just an example.) but when i am with you. i dont need to be anybody. i dont need to hide my flaws. i can just be me. because you know everything theres no point hiding anything. you know all my flaws and you still stayed. for so long.

when i was going around hugging people at the airport before i enter the glass gates. i forgot who already. i think it was debbie. she told me. jieli crying already. i spiraled in circles looking for you. then i saw you hiding in some corner with your back facing me. i was thinking 'no, no, no. please dont.' i didnt want you to cry.

when i finally approached you and gave you a hug. my heart really broke. i didnt want you to cry. not you. the guy with the default stone face. i didnt want myself to be the reason for your tears. tears that have not flowed for so long. it was heart wrenching.

when i was on the plane and read your message. i couldnt hold back my tears anymore. we have gone through so much together. thick and thin. so much shit so much crap and so much joy. for so long. efff. as i am typing this entry in my mac's word processor because the internet here effing sucks. tears are starting to swell up already.

YOU MUST TAKE CARE KAE. THERE ARE MORE MEMORIES TO COME. THIS IS NOT THE END. DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY. IT WILL BE TOUGH BUT IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. OF COURSE IT WOULD TAKE CONSCIOUS EFFORT. BUT I AM WILLING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT. BECAUSE NO DREAMS IS WORTHING CHASING IF I CHASE IT ALONE. I KNOW I SHOULDNT ASK YOU TO WAIT FOR ME BUT I SURELY SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU WILL. BECAUSE I DONT THINK I WOULD EVER FIND ANOTHER FRIEND LIKE YOU. THINGS ARE JUST DIFFERENT WITHOUT YOU HERE. YOU BETTER FILL ME IN WHEN YOU FINALLY GET YOURSELF A GIRLFRIEND. AND IF YOU LET HER COME IN OUR WAY I WILL PERSONALLY FLY DOWN THERE TO HUNT HER DOWN. YOU BETTER SHOW HER A PHOTO OF HER FUTURE COUSIN-IN-LAW. I KNOW ITS DIFFERENT NOT ABLE TO TALK FACE TO FACE BUT WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH EMAIL MSN AND SKYPE.

having said all that, i am perfectly aware of the cruel effects of distance and time. people come and go. people change. people forget. (esp you farking idiot. told you its all in the mind.) i was kidding about dont let a girl get between us part. good girls nowadays are hard to come by. :P but yeaa. you get what i am trying to say here. things will never be the same. no doubt. the method of your involvement in my life and mine in yours just changed. to like reading the newspaper. reading the news to find out what happen. after reading you can always write to the editor. ahah.

yes i will remember everything that i sacrificed and left behind. they will not be in vain. never ever. in the meantime, take care of yourself. keep me updated about your life too. i want to know. while i am chasing my dream you should chase yours too. (: thank you for always been there for me without fail.

lots of love from your cousin chasing his dream in melbourne,

haoting(:

hahah wah. too mushy for you guys ah. cannot take all these bromance ah:P of course i have a lot of other friends that i would want to type individual entries for. but dont be jealous pleaseee. people like gang, mark shan etc etc. if you guys are even here to read this. :P jieli dedicated an entry to me so.. no need to be jealous:P you cant compare which one is more important to you, your left hand or right hand. they are both your hands! i treat you guys as my closest pals as well! you know it. after what we have been through. hahaha. no seriously. joke aside. i treat a lot of you guys like my closest friends and thats because you ARE my closest friends. and you know it(:

wah freak. the internet here is a piece of shit. have been trying to log into blogger since dont know when. tmd. wah. i just had cereals for supper. break from sushi for a while. :P but the cereal really quite nice. got raisins somemore:D but i stopped already. eating with the whole box by my side abit dangerous.

disclaimer: i typed this on 2 days ago? that was my internet was pretty shitty so i typed it in my computer first when the feeling was right. yupp(: