absolutum dominium

we went to the airport to see diana off today. she would be flying back to singapore.

we got there at 11am, me bracing for what could be a tearful farewell.

diana came at 1.10pm, 50 min before her plane was to depart. so ben and i ended up rushing to help her get all her bags into check in. the farewell was a bare 5 min at the counter, and she gave me a card and a hug.

then she and sulynn ran towards the departure gates for their security check.

8 months with her, and like tt it is over. and she's left, the first of us. and i'm not tt good with words, but i know tt after everything, especially all the things tt we've been through this sem and all the ways tt she has been there for me, i will miss her.

after tt, we went back to kerrisdale on 41st avenue for lunch.

they had a carnival today, and the small community was bustling with life.

we had lunch back at the japanese restaurant - salmon sashimi; teriyaki chicken and tempura for him and yaki udon for me.

the yaki udon was hell to try to pick up with my chopsticks coz the damn noodles kept sticking to the plate. argh. so ben decided to take photos of me attempting to eat.



i think i look like a glutton here. bah.



and then we took a requisite 'we were here' photo at the restaurant.

after tt, we walked around the town for a bit, enjoying the sights and sounds.



here's me in front of a horse drawn carriage. even the horses look happier, wahaha.

vancouver in the spring is lovely. when the weather is not so hot tt you can stroll around taking in the sights without breaking a sweat, but not so cold tt you can't eat a chocolate-dipped ice cream bar from purdy's while you're doing it...

almost heaven.

what makes it heaven, is being with tt one person tt you really want to be with.



us in the car. :)

*muakz*

after tt, i helped him check into his hotel for the night, and then he drove me back to have dinner with my parents.

we had it at nikko japanese restaurant; ordering the usual salmon sashimi, shitake tempura, prawn tempura, yaki udon (again), as well as lobster with garlic butter sauce and barbequed squid.

dinner was excellent.

the 3 hour lecture from my dad tt followed it was however, not.

HOME
- Michael Buble

Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home

May be surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I'm lucky I know
But I wanna go home
I've got to go home

Let me go home
I'm just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life
It's like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right
And I know just why you could not
Come along with me
That this is not your dream
But you always believed in me

Another winter day has come
And gone away
In even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
Oh, let me go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home
I've had my run
Baby, I'm done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
It will all be all right
I'll be home tonight
I'm coming back home

ben and diana, you'll know what i'm talking about, so i shall not divurge more details here.

today was diana's last day in vancouver. one last time for ze three law students to gather and hang out before the first of us leaves for singapore tomorrow.

diana came by my room as i was masking-taping up my third and final box to be shipped back to singapore. 3 boxes, with a weight of 23 kg, 20 kg and 16 kg respectively. and tt excludes my 20 kg luggage. makes you wonder what the fuck kind of rubbish i bought from here. nah bei.

ben rented a toyota echo from avis, so he could help me to move my stuff to be shipped back home. the shipping (handling and costs) were a bit of a killer, but we got tt done. then it was on to lunch at 3.45pm at our fave korean restaurant (well, it is the only one) for diana's final hot pot lunch. which we totally polished off.

and then diana decided tt we ought to go to stanley park to look look see see and take photos.

so here you go: photos! (from my camera. those from diana's camera are still pending).



that's one of the rare shots of all three of us - ben, me and diana. yay! kodak moment!



and ben and i, with the lion's gate bridge in the background.



2 black birds on a bench tt we passed by in ben's car. totally sweet and adorable - until diana dropped the comment tt they might be gay.



diana and i under the flowering tree. tt, according to her, is her 'xin fu'. wahaha. :)



ben and i under the same tree.



a tree filled with herons' nests. wow.



from far away...



ben and i with the sea.



ben and i with the tree. (yeah tt rhymes. unimaginatively so)



diana and i with said tree...



and ben and i, sitting on the grass. once again, ben smoking as well. sitting and smoking. but i suppose tt is an improvement from squatting and smoking. heh.



and diana, the photographer herself. nice photo. heh. guess who took it? *wink*

after tt, it was to the inevitable and dinner at congee noodle house with the parents. tension and meat and pain, but oh well.

the three of us managed to get away for a while (or rather, i got to get away from a while while sending diana back to ubc) to drive over to death by chocolate for some much needed chocolate dessert.



before the food comes.



diana with the death by chocolate dish.



ben and i with the same dish.



and a kiss for my baby.

thank you for being here.

both of you actually.

i am so going to miss diana when she's back in singapore. :(

and i am so going to miss you too.

you were my respite from all tt pain.

and today was a day of trepid anticipation.

we met them at the airport.

strange, it was.

i went for lunch with them, before rushing back to do my laundry.

the bus ride on # 4 felt like the longest, loneliest bus ride in my life.

packed, laundried, and he came over. to unconsciously do one of his fave activities (as always) - sleep.

he loves medium truffle chaucer dog too. :)

back we came for dinner with the parents. met diana outside roots... 1 hour 15 minutes late. and then we had a feast of crab and beef and pork and food food food... most of which was spicy (poor ben). and my parents tried to engage my friends in conversation, to which i have diana to be eternally grateful to.

esp for the hilarity tt tt one question brought me. wahaha.

then it was back to the apartment for coffee, and ice-cream.

all of which was fine and dandy, and you can be beside someone without looking like you've got anything going on.

except tt the security guys watching the cameras in the elevators must have quite a show to watch. ;)

tomorrow my parents want him to come for breakfast. when will they get the 'he is an independent individual' part? not every one is as good as acting to make you happy as i am.

And so it has come to be, tt the last day of my exams have come and gone, and with it, the last of my academic year here at UBC. With minimal effort and preparation, I started my day fresh in the morning, trotting off for my psychology exam with ostensible confidence, and finishing my 68 MCQ questions in half an hour - half the time allocated to us (1 hour). The third to leave, this either means tt I am damn good... or I really fucked it up.

I suspect the latter. But no matter.

My parents are arriving tomorrow. Today's probably - no, scratch tt... today is the last possible day I can spend alone with my baby. At least till we meet in Singapore a whole month from now.

We met his friend Hoiwen for lunch at law library, and Hoiwen drove us to this small Japanese eatery at Kerrisdale on 41st Avenue for a cheap and good Japanese lunch. My lunch set of $5.95 got me a bowl of miso soup, a plate of teriyaki beef, and 6 pieces of assorted tempura. And the salmon tt Ben ordered was sockeyed salmon, making the $8.50 paid very worth the money.

We then had an after-lunch Starbucks coffee break with Hoiwen, before he drove us downtown. It was 3.00pm by this time, and we'd managed to get tickets for the movie 'Lucky Number Slevin' at 4.00pm. With 1 hour to spare - and with both of us not being shoppaholics and therefore finding the prospect of wandering up and down the stores at Robson infinitely boring, I managed to convince my baby tt we ought to see the more colourful side of Vancouver.

Literally.

So it was off to The Village at Davie St.

By Village, I mean 'Gay Village'.



Welcome to the land (area) with the conspicuous rainbow coloured flags. And as cliched as this will sound, The Village really does have a really loud and vibrant personality.

I mean, yeah there were the male-male sex shops...



But where else can you find... *pink* bus stops???!!!



Wahaha! Okay okay here is me looking forlorn walking from said bus stop. But this was coz Ben was telling me tt there was something wrong with my camera.

Fortunately, the problem was fixed. So here am I again, with the same said bus stop! Wahaha. Pink is such a bright and happy colour! It is oh so gay! Yay!



And below is Ben, smoking and a little bit more reluctant to be photographed at said bus stop.



We had been discussing the topic of homosexuals (naturally) and how it might be like if he were gay. He said tt unlike Colin and Kero, it wouldn't be cute. It would be damn gross lah.

I paused, thought about it... and agreed.

Wahaha.

Somehow the time had happened to pass much more quickly than we'd both realised, so soon it was back to catch our movie. And guess what? I saw this statue of a blue bear with butterfly imprints all over its body, so me being me...



Hee hee. Ben finds this very cute.

As for the movie: I would recommend watching 'Lucky Number Slevin'. I found it interesting and compelling. Ben might disagree somewhat, finding it perhaps too disturbing and too violent, or maybe because it was difficult to reconcile Josh Harnett with the character tt he played, but I found it alternately funny, silly, quirky, and I liked the twist and how it wrapped up all the many many loose ends very nicely.

The Kansas City Shuffle, baby. :)

After tt, Ben, who hadn't slept all of last night (what's new?) started complaining of being sleepy. And since the both of us were at a loss of things to do and we weren't hungry enough for dinner, we decided to walk over to one of his 4 fave Cs - the Casino (the 3 other Cs are cigarettes, coffee and chocolate). The Edgewater Casino was this huge upmarket-looking establishment located beside the BC Place Stadium overlooking the waterfront.

I could see tt dragonboat training had started in time for the Festival in Summer! (I miss even rowing more now!!! Sigh.)

Anyway we spent around 2 and a half hours in tt establishment. I realise tt I don't really like casinos. I mean, they have incredibly nice toilets all the time, but all the bright and tacky colours over the slot machines and how they continually advertise the chance of winning thousands and thousands of dollars to the many poor Chinese around who compulsively put in token after token for tt one chance in a million... I find it very distasteful. But tt's just me and slot machines. Don't believe I will ever touch them. I don't like the effect tt they have on people.

But my baby was lucky tonight. Well, not really. More like he was there long enough for the luck to come in. But he got 2 lucky ladies paying 125 to 1, and I always like being around when tt happens, even when all the other missed chances make my stomach turn. I don't have the intesticular fortitude for gambling, neither participating nor observing it. Wahaha.

After tt, we went for dinner at another small Japanese eatery, this time on Thurlow St between Robson and Alberni. I wanted something hot, and I wanted soup, coz it was very cold and rainy tonight.



That's Ben with his miso ramen with BBQ pork.



Here's me with my Korean spicy noodle soup - with extra chilli powder.



And this is the both of us. I love this photo. :)

The chilli from my noodles was overwhelming, however. My mouth could take it, as it always does, but perhaps because of the prolonged withdrawal from spicy food, my stomach felt uncomfortably as though it were on fire. Had to grab a 7-11 slurpee to drench the fire.

After tt, it was back to UBC, Starbucks - Ben can't do without his Americano, no matter what he says - and Totem.



Ben with coffee and cigarette. Okay he tries to hide it, but we all know better. Wahaha.

And guess what? He bought me the cutest little stuffed dog ever!!! One tt looks like it got run over by a truck!!! It's called Medium Truffle Chaucer Dog, and it is absolutely furry and adorable!!! Love it Love it LOVE IT!!! *muakz*



Me trying to act cute. But we all know what is cuter.



Or who is cuter. ;)



...Esp when he falls asleep.

I try not to make this blog too open or too mushy, but for tonight, fuck tt. It's the last time I will ever have you all to myself for a long long time.



And I want you to know tt you make me very, very fucking happy.

*MUAKZ*

and i finished my 1 hour psychology paper with 68 questions... in half an hour. whoo hoo!!!

die lah like tt. that is called 'what happens when you play too much on exchange'. when you cannot bluff, you cannot bluff.

but no matter, coz EXAMS ARE OVERRRRRR!!!

and i'm going to meet ben once he is done with his last paperrrrr too!!!

ooh. speaking of which, since i have so much time to kill, i shall devote this entry to 'Very Glam photos of Ben in Vancouver'.

enjoy. :)

1. sleeping







2. squatting



3. smoking









4. squatting and smoking



but okay lah okay lah.

5. got glam lah.









wahaha.

acherly hor, this is just my excuse to show him off.

heh.

Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect
- The Decemberists

and here i dreamt i was a soldier
and i marched the streets of Birkenau
and i recall in spring
the perfume that the air would bring
to the indolent town
where the barkers call the moon down
the carnival was ringing loudly now
and just to lay with you
there's nothing that i wouldn't do
save lay my rifle down

and try one, and try two
guess it always comes down to
alright, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this way

and i am nothing of a builder
but here i dreamt i was an architect
and i built this balustrade
to keep you home, to keep you safe
from the outside world
but the angles and the corners
even though my work is unparalelled
they never seemed to meet
this structure fell about our feet
and we were free to go

and try one, and try two
guess it always comes down to
alright, okay, guess it's better to turn this way

and here in spain i am a spaniard
i will be buried with my marionettes
countess and courtesan
will fall 'neath my tender hand
when their husbands were not around
but you, my soiled teenage girlfriend
or are you furrowed like a lioness
and we are vagabonds
we travel without seatbelts on
we live this close to death

and try one, and try two
guess it always comes down to
alright, okay, guess it's better to turn this
but i won, so you lose
guess it always comes down to
alright, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this way

warning: huge mush, homophobe (not really. but got gay references lah) and length alert.

and the blog in question: http://colinandkero.blogspot.com/.

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
i read both blogs while u were sleeping

bath the raccoon:
oh yah
bath the raccoon:
3 blogs actually
bath the raccoon:
the gay boys one also

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
heehee

bath the raccoon:
i like the gay boys one
bath the raccoon:
they really very sweet
bath the raccoon:
they actually very brave
bath the raccoon:
i like! lol

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
i know
the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
the posts where they are not "life with you is lovely" etc etc etc... the ones where they say to pple tt they are not afraid of telling the world tt they are gay
the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
those posts are quite commendable

bath the raccoon:
lol

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
the whole blog so sweet

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
damn funnie

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
ok right

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
lol

the blower’s daughter: “can’t take my eyes off of you”:
and now u have them on ur msn
my bf is gay:
ok I change my nick also.
my bf is gay:
why not put the blog add down also?

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
???

my bf is gay:
but i think all the homophobes will *pengz*

my bf is gay:
on ur msn

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
kkk

my bf is gay:
haha

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
precisely

my bf is gay:
HAHA

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
but everybody noes i not homo wat

my bf is gay:
hee hee
my bf is gay:
maybe they think u are now

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
lol
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
wun lar i got you

my bf is gay:
haha
my bf is gay:
double life
my bf is gay:
those tt dun know will think u gay!
my bf is gay:
u like colin/kero!
my bf is gay:
wahaha

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
wahahaha
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
die..
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
chiang liang surely confuse

my bf is gay:
why??
my bf is gay:
must tell him
my bf is gay:
must clarify
my bf is gay:
u only think colin/kero cute
my bf is gay:
u dun like cl tt way

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
lol
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
nah bei
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
i dun think that they are cute lar
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
plz

my bf is gay:
I KNOW
my bf is gay:
i kidding
my bf is gay:
i know u not gay
my bf is gay:
i know u like me only
my bf is gay:
wahaha
my bf is gay:
*hao lian*

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
*pat pat*
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
*muacks*

my bf is gay:
*jump and pat pat*
my bf is gay:
*jump and muakz*
my bf is gay:
damn lack of height

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
lol
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
dun worry lar
Colin and Kero are So Cute:
i can bend down

my bf is gay:
yay!!!
my bf is gay:
my bf is gay, tall and can bend.
my bf is gay:
like mr fantastic

Colin and Kero are So Cute:
pengz

my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic.:
hehe
my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic.:
i love doing this to u

my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic. says:
wtf.
my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic. says:
what is wrong with ur nick now?

Colin And Kero Look so Kissable, Don't you think? says:
lol

ben@izzy.tomorrow says:
i going to smoke, then study liao

my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic. says:
haha ok ok go
my bf is gay, tall, and can bend. like mrrr. fantastic. says:
aiyoh ur nick
izzy@ben.tomorrow:
now sound so sexual

And so it is
15 days it has been
Apart from you for the longest time in these 15 days
A mere few hours feels unbearably longer
How can I withstand an entire month?
Time is what we hold in our hands
For past tt month and beyond
We have years yet to spare
Years to get to know each other
And what we want out of our lives
More vividly

And so it is
The knowledge tt there is no certainty in life
That there is no telling tt now might become forever
There is always tt 'if'; tt caveat
That serves to remind me ever so clearly of the possibilities
And the lack thereof
"The way to love anything is
To realize that it might be lost"
So said Gilbert Chesterton and so do I
Try to comprehend

And so it is
That absence does present a lacuna tt begs to be filled
Tap on your window
Can't take my eyes off of you
The smile tt tugs at something within me
And I lose rationale to some sort of emotional intoxication
That I find impossible to explain coherently
Not when I'm holding your hand talking to you
Laughing
Kissing you
The Starbucks couple with Java Chip and Americano

The Blower's Daughter
- Damien Rice

And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is
The shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her sky

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

And so it is
Just like you said it should be
We'll both forget the breeze
Most of the time
And so it is
The colder water
The blower's daughter
The pupil in denial

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

Did I say that I loathe you?
Did I say that I want to
Leave it all behind?

I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind...
My mind...my mind...
'Til I find somebody new

* * * * * * * * * *

2 non-political blogs tt i visit:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

and

http://secretletters.blogspot.com/

('',) says:
koonz monster
('',) says:
hits you halfway when you're studying
('',) says:
i think he wants to get it started before we go back to sg
('',) says:
cos that may be problematic

beep says:
the koonz monster???

('',) says:
heh, yep!

beep says:
maybe he's making up for last sem
beep says:
last sem rarely sleep
beep says:
so this sem sleep n sleep

('',) says:
wahahaha
('',) says:
can like that one
('',) says:
then those people in coma when they wake up, no need to sleep for the rest of their lives liao

tee hee hee.

i love a good iced mocha anytime of any day, and the great thing about vancouver in the spring is that in 15 degree sunshiney temperature, it's a little bit of heaven to just walk around the estate enjoying the open space and the cool fresh air, while taking sips of your bittersweet rich creamy grande iced mocha.

an iced mocha is not a terribly difficult concoction to make. it's just a shot of espresso and steamed milk mixed with chocolate and served with whipped cream on top. despite being chocolatey, it is not terribly sweet either, and with ice... it's amazing. i have actually become addicted to starbucks coffee here in canada, even though prices are comparative (and probably more expensive) to singapore.

but that being said, with my final exam less than 2 days away, my time here at ubc is coming to an end. already i am fretting about boxes to buy so that i can pack all my unnecessary baggage for shipping back to singapore. and already i am dreading the countdown to the days where after spending so much time with 1 person and away from my parents, it will be back to spending so much time with my parents and away from tt 1 person.

nonetheless, i feel tt in some ways, i have grown older from this experience. for one, i think i care more, at least about things around me other than my own life. seeing how the system here works; the welfare net, the imposition of the minimum wage, the much-increased quality of life and the overall state of happiness among the people, not to mention their attachment to this country; and looking at how my own system works, what with the underlying objectives of economic growth and efficiency, and how tt has so affected us in a much different way...

you might argue tt the difference between singapore and canada is tt canada has a wealth of resources. it is one of the biggest countries in the world, yet with a disproportionately sized population (also because it is impossible to live up north, say in the yukon territory, coz it's just too fucking cold), its got so much water and agriculture and even oil in the albertan tar sands... and in contrast, singapore has nothing. but while i believe tt natural resources does count for a large part of canada's success as compared to singapore's, i don't believe tt our lack thereof are able to justify some of the policies as they stand, contrary to what some other people might have you believe.

i guess a lot of people are just worried about the "bread and butter" issues over and above everything else. over things like quality of life, happiness, being able to have a life tt does not just include working till the day you die to pay off tt hdb mortgage loan (even though you suspect the cost of your flat is only a third of what it was sold to you for), or a childhood slogging through your education for all your As and whatever coz if you went to ite instead of poly, you were finished, and if you went to poly instead of jc, you wouldn't succeed as well, and even if you went to uni, you would never be able to find a job if you did not get a cap score of above 4.0.

canada, in comparison... if you attend uni here, all you need is a degree. employers don't look at your grades. you are in university to learn, not to get those pretty As and high GPAs. what matters to employers is things like work experience, versatility, and personality.

in singapore, what matters is grades, possibly cca points (the paper qualifications equivalent of versatility), and no personality.

but before this becomes too much of a tirade, i would like to draw your attention once again to the singapore elections blog. i find this site very interesting and helpful in putting things in perspective, for those of us who have very short memories.

its latest post is interesting when it comes to describing the increase in living costs, even though there is barely a proportionate increase in pay (for the population at large). it also helps to highlight my point about the 'first world government' comment, which can be substantially proven as lacking. the focus on economic growth and efficiency is a third world political perspective. tt is how it is in third world countries seeking to develop. even the academia here in canada concede tt tt is a third world political objective. in a first world, there is no more requirement for economic efficiency as the overriding aim. in a first world, you should already have achieved tt, therefore a balance may be struck between the economy, quality of life, the environment, etc.

for example, in canada 'poverty' isn't just defined as 'income deprivation'. (yes. even in a first world country, poverty still exists. but it is dealt with, not swept under the carpet). in singapore, as long as you have a handphone, you are not considered poor. in canada however, "poverty involves more than just income deprivation. it can also extend to (or result from) exclusion from essential goods and services, meaningful employment and decent earnings, adequate and affordable housing, safe neighbourhoods with public amenities, health and well-being, social networks, and basic human rights. it is generally acknowledged that today's social realities differ significantly from the time when most of Canada's current social policies were put in place.

(note: it is funny how in a much older country like canada, there is an acknowledgement tt even with a progressive and liberal government, policies can still become outdated and out of touch with the changing times. yet in a smaller country where the times change even more quickly...)

the policy and research initiative of canada thus invests money into systematically examining a number of issues such as the role of assets, financial literacy, the social economy, housing, and the challenges faced by the working poor in helping to formulate policies to reduce the problem of poverty here."

for the interested, here are the other social policies tt the pri of canada is conducting research into to help with future policy formulation. this includes "population aging and life-course flexibility" (i.e. how to deal with an aging population without having to ask them to fuck off to batam, bintan and johor, while at the same time commanding the young to make more babies), north american linkages (i.e. how to have good relations with our immediate neighbour no matter how irritating he might be or how much of an idiot some of us might find his president. probably does not entail the use of technical legal arguments to prove a right over things like crooked bridges), and sustainable development (damn. does singapore have development to sustain? or are we still developing per se?).

okay. enough of this talk. i shall now get back to my psychology and the development of mental disorders. i'm currently on personality disorders such as antisocial behaviour and excessive narcicissm. yay!!!

oh. and i am very angry. my sylvia lim has been insulted. :( fuck paper qualifications.

taken from the straits times interactive (go ken kwek!!!):

April 24, 2006
No First World Parliament? It's PAP's fault: Opposition
By Ken Kwek

OPPOSITION leaders yesterday said they backed the idea that Singapore deserved a First World Parliament but laid the blame on the People's Action Party for it not having one.

Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim said she had 'no quarrel' with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's comments that the country needed a First World opposition in Parliament, adding that her party was working towards this.

'Singapore would benefit if we had a first-class Parliament, whether it comprises the ruling party or opposition parties,' she said.

'As far as the WP is concerned... we have made steps to bring ourselves up to a level that the people deserve,' she added.

While there was room for the WP to 'move upward', she hoped voters recognised its efforts to build up a strong team, and 'give us a sign in this election that they do value the steps we have taken to give them a credible opposition'.

She was speaking at a press conference to introduce the third batch of the party's candidates for the May 6 polls.

Mr Lee had said on Saturday that while the WP had learnt from the PAP in recruiting better candidates, its line-up showed that it was still far from being a serious party.

He also referred indirectly to Ms Lim when he said that while the Workers' Party boasted a law lecturer among its candidates, there were 'hundreds' of lecturers around.

To this, Ms Lim replied: 'I've never claimed to be extraordinary. If his comment is that I'm just a run-of-the- mill average person, then I'll gladly claim that. As far as we're concerned, we want to represent the people, so it's okay - I'm one of thousands.'

She took issue with Mr Lee's suggestion that the party had introduced three of its most presentable candidates, including Ms Lim, at its first press conference last Friday.

'The PAP tends to look at the paper qualifications of candidates. But we take a holistic assessment of candidates, not just their education level.

'How do you measure sincerity and commitment to serve? We have a spread of candidates, and if some are not as qualified academically, their commitment is not necessarily proportionate to their qualifications,' she said.

Other opposition leaders laid the blame for the country not having a First World opposition on the PAP.

Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) chairman Chiam See Tong said Mr Lee's comments were 'unfair' since the PAP imposed rules, such as high election deposits and GRCs, that discouraged electoral contests and the overall growth of the opposition.

The PAP had also created an environment that made qualified individuals wary of joining opposition parties.

'There is an element of fear, and this atmosphere does not encourage political participation and the growth of a good opposition in Singapore,' he added.

Mr Sebastian Teo, vice-president of the National Solidarity Party, a component party of the SDA, also accused the PAP of stifling the development of opposition parties here.

'I'm not saying that the PAP should build up the opposition or give us resources. I'm saying they should give fair space for the opposition to grow. They should not erect unnecessary hurdles.'

The opposition parties also responded to Mr Lee's assessment that the Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan was 'giving the opposition a bad name' by making statements which he said were defamatory.

Mr Chiam said: 'I think opposition members in Singapore are, on the whole, an honest lot. We are responsible and we care for the nation. It's not fair to condemn the whole barrel of apples just because one apple has become rotten.'

WP's Ms Lim said the SDP's plight was 'unfortunate', but trusted that voters would discriminate between the SDP and the WP.

She added that the WP had learnt from its own legal battles in the past and would steer clear of making imprudent comments about the PAP leadership.

'We've learnt our lessons...and we know that because we are a party with very little money, we would like to steer clear of legal battles as far as possible because they could kill us.'

JUST ONE BAD APPLE

'I think opposition members in Singapore are, on the whole, an honest lot. We are responsible and we care for the nation. It's not fair to condemn the whole barrel of apples just because one apple has become rotten.'
-- SDA CHAIRMAN CHIAM SEE TONG

fairview seems to have become my second home. i feel like i've settled into this life, sleeping late and waking up later; once again, this time at 3pm. sunday afternoon, and i open my eyes to the bright warm sunshine outside the window.

running seems to have been incorporated into my routine; it's one of the few things i can do while the raccoon hibernates. running without having lunch was a pretty bad idea. my 5pm run today involved running maybe a third of the distance, and walking the other two-thirds, because of the gastric cramps tt always accompany my runs whenever i don't eat proper meals before hand.

but nonetheless the run was otherwise... well, not too bad. the weather was lovely. 15 degrees out and the sun was shining. it was windy, but not so strong tt it felt cold. i love warmth and sunshine on my skin. always have, still do. and along 16th avenue i saw this small red-breasted robin hop across my path; it didn't seem afraid at all. it looked at me with as much curiosity as i felt wonder.

but one of the many effects of running - with music - is tt it makes me miss dancing. a lot. like when i play reggaeton, i think back to mambo nights and mambo whores and phuture. i miss tt and i miss my babes.

i return about 90 min later, take a bath and this time successfully wake up the raccoon for dinner. i always need sustenance after my runs. and food makes me happy. like, seriously. when my tummy is filled and warm, i'm just similarly happy. and now, it's just back here with me now attempting to study for my psychology exam on wednesday.

my raccoon has gone back to sleep again.

first ponderance: what doth it bespeak of, tt an unchallenged behemoth use all possible means to utterly and completely destroy the poor and defenseless who are unable to resist its might?

parliament has been dissolved since april 20th. this means tt until may 6, we effectively have no government. this concept doesn't strike most people, so i just thought i would highlight it. for someone else's thoughts on it, try reading xenoboy's entry on this as well. might give you something to think about, if you think tt you don't think enough.

anyway even with no parliament, we never fail to show the world tt we can still throw our weight around. or rather, tt they can continue to throw their weight around. does it make you sad? it makes me very very sad. it also makes this guy very very sad (we share similar sentiments lah). tt in this day and age, even though we would like to think of ourselves as first world, and some people might like to believe tt we already possess a first world government (in fact, the lack of reference to supporting evidence seems to reflect the belief tt tt is a foregone conclusion), one tt demands a first world opposition, i do not think we do. i do not even think we possess the first world laws worthy to justify a first world government.

what makes me sadder however, is the response of many singaporeans to the sad state of affairs. no one seems to question the behemoth and its tactics, choosing instead to subscribe to the biased one-sided justifications presented in the state's times. choosing instead to attribute things to csj's own stupidity. even though his actions may not seem smart to many people, it takes 2 hands to clap. and i see tt what he has done neither merits nor warrants the kind of extreme but sadly predictable over-reaction tt it has. this kind of over-reaction does not just harm csj, or even his party members, but also their families.

speaking of which, people are saying tt the sdp defamed 2 members of the ruling party with their article. my question to those people is this: have you even read tt article? if you have not, why not give it a read here. and then tell me if you think there was any defamation involved at all, and who exactly was supposed to be defamed.

not only is the way tt the law - the very promoter of fairness and justice - is being used is arbitruary, but also the kind of penalty tt it imposes - severely disproportionate damages for no visible evidence of harm done whatsoever, is very very saddening to someone who herself studies the law both at home and abroad and has been exposed to the very idealogies and principles behind it.

first world government?

what would you like to know about your government in relation to a first world government? (click on the link please).

how about listening to this take on what a first world government should not be?

and if you think tt all is perfect and dandy, tt all i am saying is but empty words at a time where the ideals of freedom and democracy should be subservient to an efficient government...

why don't you read this?

or better yet. i'll paste the whole article here. it's just one aspect tt people conveniently overlook for their progress packages.

Friday, April 21, 2006
High Cost of Homes/Cars/Education

* Singapore's private home prices are "obscenely-high" while HDB flat prices are "sky-high". For most S'poreans, a home is the most expensive purchase they will make in their lifetimes. Some 90% of our population live in HDB flats --- representing the less-well-off who cannot afford private property.
* Despite our high home prices, few buyers "feel the pinch" immediately because up to 90% of the cost can be financed by long-term debt (over 20 -30 years). Thus, many do not give a second thought to the fact if they borrow, say, $100,000 under a 20-year home loan, they could ultimately cough up some $200,000 in total capital and interest repayments.
* SIMPLE LOGIC - if a young couple in Singapore have to "sink so much monies" into their "brick and cement" HDB flat, how much monies will there be left to raise a family and sent the children to school/university (not to mention providing for their own healthcare/retirement needs in their old age) ?
* Since 2002, many HDB flatbuyers have become "suspicious" on how HDBnew flats are actually priced.

They asked how a 5-room HDB new flat is priced at $200,000 when its construction cost is only about $50,000 (as revealed from actual contracts of HDB Building Contractors). Adding on another, say, $70,000 for Land Cost & Other Related Costs, the Total Breakeven Cost per flat is only about $120,000! (which HDB should set as the selling price, as HDB flats are supposed to be low-cost public housing).

But the HDB chose this very ingenious "market subsidy" approach - "by pricing NEW flats just below the market price of comparable RESALE flats". So, HDB will look at the prevailing market price (say,$260,000) of a RESALE 5-rm flat --- and then "pluck from the air" a lower figure of, say, $200,000 as the selling price of a NEW 5-rm flat (NEVER MIND even if its actual Total Breakeven Cost is only $120,000).

The HDB can then go around boasting that the new flat buyer is getting a "market subsidy" of $60,000 --- when there is actually no "true cash subsidy", and the HDB is really making a very handsome profit of $80,000 PER NEW FLAT SOLD!

Several people (incl this writer) have written to newspaper forums on this important issue affecting some 90% of our population. Following which, there were many angry reactions on various Internet websites over the PAP Government's recalcitrant "lack of transparency" on the HDB Flat Pricing issue.

High Cost of Car Ownership

For S'poreans in marketing/service type jobs or those living in the East and working in Jurong area, a car is often a necessity and not a luxury.

At one time, a medium-sized car (Toyota Corolla) cost a whopping $110,000 (import cost from Japan was only $15,000). And at another time, COE prices nearly hit $100,000 !!!

After paying the lumpsum COE upfront, the motorist next have to pay recurring ERP charges !
Revenue for Govt from COE payments = $200m every month (on average)
Revenue from ERP = $??? per month.
Revenue from Parking/Traffic Offence fines = $??? per month.

Increasing Cost of Education

(a) Why such costly/posh educational institutions (sinking so much monies
into brick and cement???):

* $435m SMU new City Campus in Bras Basah area.
* $322m Republic Polytechnic new Woodlands Campus (latest amongst 5 Polytechnics). Designed by a famous Japanese architect (expensive Foreign Talent! Singapore architects not good enough?)
* $370m new ITE College East Campus (near Singapore Expo). A really ULTRA-POSH "mega-campus" (for hands-on technical education???). Hold on -- another two more such mega-campus coming up (Central Campus and West Campus) !!!

(b) See how, in tiny red dot Singapore, the 4 Universities (NUS,NTU,SMU,UniSIM) and 5 Polytechnics try to "outdo each other" in offering "duplicating courses" and resorting to costly Press/TV advertising campaigns? The students will, of course, have to pay for all these costs !!!

News report on NTU Business School buying as many as 300 top-end "ergonomic" Herman Miller office chairs costing $2,200 each (when chairs costing $300 to $400 are just as good and lasting !!!)

(c) "University fees have increased by an annual average of 5% since 1990 and they have gone up every year, Mr Tharman said" (BT 2 Mar 06).

Mr Tharman, we all know that already. But why are you not telling the people the detailed numbers of Govt bursaries/scholarships generously given out to Foreign Students (most of whom are "making use" of Singapore as a "stepping stone") ?

(d) $1m - Consulting Fee which the MOE will pay an External Consultant to review teacher's pay and career structure (annouced recently [clever timing!] as yet another Big Election Carrot).

MOE has been around for donkey years, and has a massive Personnel Division headed by 1 Director, 3 Deputy Directors and 12 Department Heads. And yet have to pay so much in consulting fee to external consultants ?

Why can't they do most of the work with so much in-house resources?

i can do very little about things as they stand, and as a matter of fact i have no interest in joining politics whatsoever. i have great confidence in the opposition and the coming elections, and in the workers' party under sylvia lim's charge. i do believe tt they in their policies and their candidates, have what it takes to show singaporeans tt a 40 year long system can still see change and be properly updated in time to face a new and dynamic global future.

i just hope tt a few more singaporeans will also just wake up their lan jiao idea and see this also.

yay! today was my intellectual property law exam. in the morning. whoopie. after a couple of days of going through a semester of material, after not attending more than 2 lectures (being at least half an hour later for both) and not getting any of the course materials for the subject - not even the syllabus itself -; relying entirely on 2 sets of mugger notes made by a korean law student and something from the other side of the country (montreal)...

it's finally over. yay.

was telling ben this morning, tt even though i felt like i had most of the answers in my hands in the muggers, i didn't feel prepared to take the paper. and the paper felt like the longest 3 hours of my life... time seemed to pass so slowly, even though during an exam, time should generally be passing faster.

boy was i glad to have handed in tt damn paper.

following tt, diana, ben (who had just had his hair cut this morning. a bit too short for his liking, such tt he now looks like a really tall young boy, and he gives off static electricity *ouch*) and i had lunch @ our fave cheena restaurant. then i ordered a venti java chip frappacino and went back to totem to koonz.

haha. somehow whenever i take afternoon naps, i always recall wendy's complaints and blog entries about being taken over by the koonz demon. she can be doing anything from studying to... okay okay. mainly studying... and then the koonz demon will attack her up to 4 times a day and she'll just sleep and wake up later in this state of shock, horror and panic.

today i wasn't exactly attacked by any koonz demon - more like welcomed it. but nonetheless, i slept most of my afternoon away, waking up only in the evening for a while, just to go back to lalaland again. the bc weather was perfecto for running, and esp as the sun sets at a very late 8.12pm, but i just felt waaaaaay too lazy.

only got up for the call of food - back to the cheena restaurant with ben. and yet another frappacino to make my waistline bigger. wahaha.

and now it's late at night and after having increased the capacity of my itunes and playing old retro songs tt serve to make me feel like an ancient and decrepit entity, and having an interesting 3-way conference with ben and melissa about politics and erm... a bit of social theory... now i am just here, blogging for the hell of it. waiting for a kiss.

"my humps. my humps. my humps. my humps."



blk d of sheares hall. these guys are damn power. wahaha.

enjoy.

My ex is: In my opinion, a great cop, a great person, and still a role model tt i respect and admire.

Maybe I should: Go for a run this evening. The sun is out and the Beautiful British Columbia weather is cool and absolutely wonderrrrful.

I love: Warm sunshine on my skin and the wind in my face. And space. I love the free expanse of space.

I don't understand: How so many Singaporeans can be so stupid with regards to their lives.

I lose: My temper whenever I come across people who test my patience or insult my intelligence.

People say I'm: Interesting, mostly. I don't know why. Erm, and unpredictable too. Okay, maybe sometimes elitist.

Love is: Elusive, mostly. But it's one of those things tt is worth waiting for. Never sell yourself short.

Somewhere, someone is: Missing someone. Or sleeping. Someone is always sleeping. ;)

I will always: Be thankful and appreciative of all tt I have, from my opportunities, to my friends, to my family and all the people who care for me. And just to add a touch of mushiness to this, for my raccoon.

Forever is: A fucking long time.

I never want to: Lose my sense of wonder, my sense of awe, my idealism and the fundamental belief tt I can change my world.

I think the current US President: Is stupid, but intelligent when it comes to garnering votes from those bloody Texan Rednecks. Go to war with Iran, oil prices will rocket and bye bye Singapore economy.

When I wake up in the morning: I turn off my alarm clock telling myself I just want 5 minutes more. And end up oversleeping by at least half an hour.

My past was: Chequered. And quite a story to behold. But nothing I can actually say I regret.

I get annoyed when: I have to wait. For people, and for food. Waiting with nothing to do makes me very very crabby.

Parties are for: Dancing. Dancing dancing dancing. Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce and I MISS MY MAMBO WHORES.

My dog is: Dead. Erm. All of them actually. But if I could get another dog, I would like a German Shepard. Beautiful animals.

My cat is: Non-existent. Dog lovers traditionally don't really like cats. I'm polarised tt way.

Kisses are the best when: You're kiss-deprived. Everytime, All The Goddamn Time. ;) *muakz* (okay. mushy moment #2) I'm already feeling supremely kiss-deprived.

Tomorrow: I shall start studying for my last exam - Psychology!

I really want: For time to stop so tt I can stay here in BC where it's wide and spacious and cool, with my raccoon. Hur hur. (mushy moment #3. sigh)

I have low tolerance for people who: Are stupid. Okay, I guess I'm repeating myself. But by stupid I don't mean retarded. I mean people who are academically-successful but seem to have no common sense or no mind of their own. I also have a low tolerance for people who are self-centred, superficial, and cannot converse about matters beyond the mediocre.

People who should do this: Whoever reads my blog and does my quizzes. I know it's the exams, but take a break lah. My mambo whores, my girls, my brother... and you. :)

Your Power Level is: 81%

You have all the tools you need to be a success - both professionally and personally. You'll probably go beyond reaching your goals. You'll change the world (at least a little).

ok ok don't trust blogthings. but it's a welcome respite from studying intellectual property law. ack! exam tomorrow and i'm still only on 32 of 122 pages of notes. sigh. but thank you sandra! :)

but tt said, i had a good run today, even though my thighs are abraided. and my raccoon has been hibernating since he came over. i guess 1 whole night of not sleeping has really taken it's toll on him. i can hear the snoring. buahaha. how unglam. and when i say hibernating, i mean hibernating. i swear he has got to be the hardest thing on earth to wake up.

bleah. i shall just listen to my music and try to cover as much as i can.

and on another note: guess who's sueing who for defamation again? sigh. but nonetheless, i think sylvia lim is damn power. *she* is my role model. wahaha.

raccoons are infinitely cute creatures (see below).



they are nice and furry, about the size of a medium huggable teddy bear, have long striped bushy tales, and look like bandits.

they also sleep during the day and come out only at night to scurry for food.

racoons are a common sight in vancouver at night. you can generally spot one while walking along the quieter less well-lit roads of ubc after the sun has gone down.

and i guess i happened to catch myself one of them while i was here, too.

the only problem with the raccoon i caught is tt it seems to be a lot lazier than other raccoons. for one, it sleeps a hell of a lot more. i mean, i was trying to get it to wake up today after at least 3 prior attempts, and it was impossible no matter what i did. every single time the raccoon would whine and pout and demand another 15 mins of rest time. like it hadn't slept enough the night before.

when it had.

finally, after some advice from diana ("nb"), i resorted to physical force to drag the raccoon from its slumber. and as it woke up mentally, it realised tt it had a more than legitimate reason to panick, especially after sandra sent over her tax law muggers from the other side of the country.

and erm. discussed with me the culture in sub saharan africa about a tribe of women who believed tt severing their clitoris and sewing closed their vagina was a means of empowerment tt also made them marriageable material (??!!??!!). like. what the FUCK???!!! seriously.

the raccoon then got significantly stressed to the point tt it was merely alternating between typing furiously (and encountering spoilt capslock keys) and moving periodically from its sedentary position to emulate a chimney, while i decided to play devil's advocate and re-arrange my entire itunes playlist + categorise all my 2030 songs right next to it.

i now have 17 separate playlists to choose from - including 3 tt are named "i feel old" (90s old school like 'beastie boys', 'blessid union of souls' and 'collective soul', "i feel ancient" (80s retro like 'acdc', 'cyndi lauper' and 'haddaway'), and "i feel extinct" (oldies like 'frank sinatra', 'doris day' and 'marvin gaye' [yes. i like their music too])! and i'm not even done yet!!! hur hur hur.

at 6pm i decided i would go for a run.

so i donned my shirt and running shorts and stepped outside...

to find out tt it was FUCKING COLD!!!

KNNCCB!!!

i should have checked the weather network before i bounded on out! 8 degrees and windspeeds of 30 km/h. my god the wind was an absolute killer! i cut short my run by 30 min because it was too cold to be out too long. na bei. everyone else i passed while running were docked in pants and jackets. i was the only moron in shorts. sigh.

but nonetheless, it was another slow but good run. my legs ache like fuck again, but i miss the feeling.

poor stressed raccoon was still furiously typing at its laptop when i returned, but we were able to contact our dear farnie for dinner nonetheless. she was studying with sulynn and lionel at this part of school with a vulgar name - CHiByE -, so we decided to meet for dinner at this jap restaurant tt was as yet undiscovered by us.

unfortunately, the waiting time was ridiculously long. it was as if they had had to walk over to alberta to get the beef and the chicken for the teriyaki. and because the raccoon was singularly focused on mugging, it had no interest whatsoever in sustaining meaningful conversation. except when conversation drifted towards blogging and politics. but when conversation drifts towards blogging and politics, as it usually does when the lethal combination of all 3 of us come together, it also alienates the less politicall-inclined of those of us.

the raccoon bounded away quickly once it had received sustenance; for the rest of us (lionel had also left early), we decided to go grab sulynn's bike back at CHiByE, and a java chip frappacino for me at starbucks, and after tt farnie and i headed back to totem.

where i now am.

the poor raccoon is still working away at the long drawn-out process of studying tax law.

*muakz* i should kiss it more to make it feel better, but i think i've kissed it so much tt kissing ought to be made illegal for us, already.