Amara Sanctuary ...

We seem to be facing a little bit of a problem with our wedding venue at Amara Sanctuary. It has been sometime since we placed our deposits to secure our wedding lunch but till now, we have yet to receive any written agreement or confirmation from the hotel.

Amara Singapore, a hotel meant mostly for business travellers have quite a reputable service standard thus the reason why we decided to use a hotel under the same management but Amara Sanctuary is not in mainland Singapore. Its on an island names Sentosa. (assuming you have not heard of this popular island)

Amara Sanctuary is a boutique spa hotel and spa hotels are supposedly to display the highest qualities of hospitality. This time round, its somewhat different. Amara Sanctuary's personnel are not all helpful or responsive.

I have made a number of calls, sent numerous emails yet noone responses. Now I wonder if their email system is even working. Its weird isn't it when the hotel doesn't follow up with a booking amounting to quite a huge revenue especially for a wedding. What service standards are we talking about now? Zero. Lousy.

As a patient fella like me, I usually give time, ample time but not now, I think I am really fed up of waiting indefinitely. Its not that the wedding date is 12 months later, its 7 months away and nothing has been confirmed. It leaves me with a state of insecurity. What if Amara Sanctuary screwed up my booking? What's going to happen to my important day?

I have decided not to leave it to chance but instead seek a refund on my deposit and approach other hotels available. This evening, I sent out a final email to the hotel and if nothing comes back in the next two days, drastic measures have to be taken. I will make a trip to the island and pour my complains. No one can blame me, I have waited quite some time. I know there was a change in person handling my booking but that's no excuse.

I believe I do have the rights to seek an explanation from the management at Amara Sanctuary and every right to call off the deal without having my deposit forfeited. Afterall, its their fault. So why should I bear the consequences and inconveniences and having to worry what's going to happen. Perhaps, the staff at Amara Sanctuary will be one of the few people who will ever see an angry side of me. And that won't be really funny.

A night's visit to Kuala Lumpur ...

Over the weekend, Sandy and I attended a wedding in KL, Malaysia. Yes, I know I have been travelling lots for weddings overseas. I guess that's a good reason to escape from the hectic life we have here in Singapore.

In Malaysia, many say they experience a total different pace of life. Things move much slower than that in Singapore. I agree totally especially when it comes to traffic jams. So is the pace of life really slower than in Singapore? I don't know what factors should be taken in for a comparison.

Nevertheless, we travelled with Baya and Ma, Uncle Richard and family. A journey of almost 11 hours to and fro, I have to say a night in KL is not enough. It can be rather tiring and too much of a rush but what was heart warming was that we got to see many relatives we hardly ever get to meet.

We stayed a little further away from the city in a town called Petaling Jaya or PJ in short. Royale Bintang became 'home' for a night. We stayed in a family room. Quite cosy but the aircon in my room wasn't cold enough. I think they forgot the quarterly maintenance. No complains about the location of the hotel as there are some malls in the vicinity to help us tide our boring afternoon before the wedding dinner.

Dinner was held at a resort not that faraway from where we stayed. There we were greeted with familiar faces that we have not seen for awhile. Grand Aunt Rita, all the way from Canada, to attend Ian's wedding and Granduncle Don from Ipoh. He has to be there, afterall its his son who is getting married.

So now to the stars of the night, the bride and groom. Its weird when we were introduced to Lai Yeen there and then. Its funny cause whenever she visited Singapore, we never had the opportunity to meet up with her so we had our first encounter with our new relative - an aunt who is younger than I am. Don't be mistaken. Uncle Ian isn't an old man.

Its going to be a long story on how come both my Uncle Ian and Aunt Lai Yeen are younger than me yet I have to call them Uncle and Aunt. You figure that out yourself. It aren't at all difficult.

Whatever it is, we enjoyed the evening in the company of relatives. Its a pity my parents and siblings weren't there if not it would have been more fun with those two brothers of mine for company.

So when the dinner ended, we made our way back to the hotel but not before getting ripped off by some weird 'taxi drivers'. I have to say, the resort is rather deserted, there were no taxis in sight at all. Now you know why traffic is bad in Malaysia cause almost every family has a car, not only a car but sometimes, many cars.

I guess its time for Malaysia to also implement COE like in Singapore, this will help lessen the cars on the roads. This way, traffic won't be that terrible but the authorities will still face resistance and that comes in protests for racial rights which took place on Sunday. Indian rights to be exact. Thankfully, they didn't manage to trace my Indian roots if not, I too would have been kicked in the arse like what we saw on the news channel.

Make-up lessons.

Its Make-up lessons I am talking about and not make-out lessons. Do we even need lessons for the latter? Quit it.

This evening, Sandy and her colleagues decided to visit CK Tang, a departmental store in the heart of Orchard Road, all for one reason - Makeup lessons. They were there for some private party by Ipsa, a cosmetic brand that supposedly suits Asian skin.

Being the only other man in the crowd, I stood for twenty minutes watching a Japanese man exhibiting some of his artistry works on a female model. Hey, only the face. No where else.

Okagawa-san(by the name, he should be Japanese)was patiently explaining the uses of brushes, mascara and sharing some a tip or two on the best ways to doing a wonderful job on the face with the help of colored palettes and brushes. In other words, the technique to having a good makeup.

I stood there listening patiently as the Japanese chap explained in his mother tongue on every stroke he made brushing the model's face. Oh, I forgot to mention it was only through the pretty translator who spoke really good English that allowed me to make up what was being said as she translated Okagawa's foreign sentences. My, I have to say this translator sure had a pretty face and a very good complexion. Perhaps its the makeup.

Makeups do wonders for a lady. The 'before' and 'after' effect on the female model made me think if having makeup on was just a sort of cover up for most ladies. No offence, just a thought I wanted to share. ; )

I didn't just stand there and gawk at pretty ladies but I learnt some little tricks. To have big and round eyes like those Japanese models, all you have to do is line not only the outside of the eyes but also the inside. Many tend to be lazy and skip the lining for the inside. Do it on both sides, inside ,outside and of course on both sides and your eyes will look as good as Ayumi Hamasaki's.

I also learnt that too many strokes across each cheek can be too much of an unnatural color. Its best to have 4 good strokes from the top downwards. This will better reflect the radiance in the skin color's natural beauty rather than having to look rather fake when wearing a makeup. Of course, it depends on your perferences to how you wanna look.

It was also said should you want to have Angelina Jolie's puffed up lips, just dabble a bit of Ipsa's lip gloss and apply it gently onto the bottom lip. This will enhance the lips to look livelier and smooth. The lip gloss doesn't stick but is instead a gives you a smoother surface area on the lip.

Enough mentioned about the cosmetic brand Ipsa cause I now feel like I am overdoing it. I seem to be advertising more than blogging. Not good.

Back to Okagawa-san, the makeup artist. One can tell that he is enjoying himself dolling up the female model. It does not appear to me that he is working. His expression on his face and his strokes of passion as he works his brush tells me this man is one lucky chap. He is able to do something he likes so much. I found myself asking questions on how he started in this career and what made him venture into a 'sissy' job. Perhaps, its the passion or perhaps, the opportunity to brush pretty girls' faces. Either way, he is a gay winner. By the word 'gay', I meant happy. Don't you think otherwise.

Decision made...

Something has been bugging me in the back of my mind for the past few days and it was only today that I finally acted on it. I am not too sure if its the right thing to do but I guess a little gamble won't really hurt.

This morning I submitted my resignation,it was only after many careful thoughts and many provoking questions before I made this decision. It wasn't a rash decision. It was calculated but of course, we all know even the best economists make mistakes in predictions and who can blame me in the future if its a wrong turn I made.

During this tough process of thinking whether to go or not to go, many scenarios played out in my mind. I won't share too much of those scenarios as it isn't very interesting however, I realised something very interesting. Men are afraid of uncertainties. Ladies, when I say 'men', I meant human beings so don't mistake me as a sexist.

The word 'uncertainty' which is normally defined as 'a condition of being in doubt', is often men's unwanted guest. Noone likes to not 'know the unknown' nor does anyone like to 'know only the knowns and forget the unknowns'. Its getting a little complicated here so let's just stick to something simpler. Men want to know everything. Everything that works for him and everything that works against him. This way, men are able to calculate risks and weigh them before making a decision.

I did all these to find out if things are going to work out well for me in my next position but never was I able to calculate. There are too many 'unknowns'. For example, colleagues, work culture etc. These are things I do not know until I finally step in at the office and work. Without start work, I'll never know thus its not fair to have this put into consideration whether or not to accept the offer.

Nevertheless, there are other factors such as career growth, salary package and exposure to various challenges. I believe a learning curve is always important in any work as we do not want to stay stagnant and be facing mundane activities daily. This would bore me.

At my current employment, things are more than happy with fellow colleagues and I know I will miss them should I move on but emotional attachments should not be a factor in my decision making process. Anyway its often said that Singapore is only 'so big', so what's so difficult about catching up for coffee right? Thus this I have also taken this away from hindering my thought process.

The only factor that really helped me sort out my thinking was this- Where do I want to be in 3 - 5 years time. Answer was simple. Not where I am now thus the decision was made there and then. It was a simple question but yet, it provided huge change in my life, which I hope would be for the better.

Street selling - a vanishing trade.

On Saturday, Sandy and I decided to take a walk around Sim Lim Square and wondered across the road to OG departmental store. Just outside the main entrance of OG, we saw a crowd gathered listening to a man in his 40s sell some type of medication.

Curious as we always are, we walked towards the crowd and had our ears and eyes focused on the man. He was selling some ointment supposedly made of some part of the snake. Pardon me as he was speaking in dialects and Mandarin, thus was a little difficult for me to catch the exact meaning of which part of the snake contributed to the small bottle of cream.

Street selling like this is hardly seen in Singapore nowadays. I guess its a vanishing trade now especially when the older generation are more educated and know the uses of the internet. I would never buy from a street vendor like this moreover, its medication. Its supposed to treat and not harm. I would rather get it off the shelf of my nearest pharmacy even if its miles away from where I stay.

I often get intrigued by people who sell their products in this manner, by ways of demonstration or convincing a crowd of the good points in one's product. A mixture of boasting and BS ( Bull shit) - that's how its sold. They have the ability to show confidence in their own products and not let others bring them down. Something many of our sales guys lack. The determination and drive, the confidence and of course, the guts.

Street selling is going to be gone in perhaps another 10 to 15 years as the generation takes a turn thus if you happen to see one around, go take a look and appreciate the words that come out from the salesman's mouth, it can be rather funny at times. I remembered one that told the crowd ' In this whole world, only I have the cure to cancer, the Americans don't have it, the Chinese don't have it too'. With such strong conviction, this guys is bound to be a billionaire soon if what he said was really true. Another gimmick but it sure is worth a laugh.

100 posts ...

Its magical that I have already accummalated a hundred post. That's quite amazing I must say. Let's see, how many words could that be ....an average of 30,000 words just like that. My, now I know how difficult it is to do a thesis. If only the worth of my word was similar to that of JK Rowling, I would have almost S$480 million in my bank - I wish.

The number 100 is likely the only numeric value that all parents would love to see in their children's report card. I always wondered why it has to be '100'. Why wasn't it made out to be '85' or '200' but why '100'. What's this big deal about '100' being significant in our lives?

I don't intend to do a search on wikipedia cause I aren't a great fan of numbers at all but I at least know the value of 'pi' - 3.141592654 ..... I can go on and on but forget it. It'll bore you further.

Talking about numbers, I remembered many many years back, I had the ability to memorize telephone numbers easily. Now, I depend solely on the contact list in the phone. Once the phone gets lost, my memory goes with it. Does this happen to you too? I guess it isn't a good thing to rely on such technology at times. That old black notebook is still the best but what to do? We have to keep moving with the trends if not we'll become obsolete.

Back to my 100 posts, it has been a wonderful journey jotting down my thoughts and actions all the while. The things I write about are the very things that make me grow up, not that I am young but growing in terms of emotional expectations, sharing life experiences and learning from mistake etc.

I have to say its a very good habit to keep a journal. If you are person who may not like the idea of sharing your inner most thoughts with people, keep the blog to yourself. Whereas for me, I hope my blog can either inspire or entertain. Nothing more than that. Of course, its a very good platform to know me better and to be updated on the things that's happening with my life in Singapore.

If you think my blog is boring, I suggest you go buy yourself a magazine and read all about other people's lives and gossips. I am sure those juicy tales are far interesting reads than mine. What to do? I aren't no Tom Cruise and Sandy aren't no Angelina Jolie. Get the hint? No? Go shoot yourself a 100 times.

Happy Birthday Monica ...

Yesterday we celebrated Monica's birthday with pre-dinner drinks at Winebar followed by a Meditarranean buffet at the Grand Copthorne hotel.

As usual, Sandy and I were the first to arrive at the designated place enjoying a round of Sour Apple with 7 Up.

I have to say this drink is rather addictive and potent at times if consumed wrongly.

Dinner was booked for 6 of us at eight-thirty, the only time where tables were available thus the reason for pre-dinner drinks if not, what else could we do?

Forget what we ate at the buffet but what's important was an announcement made during dinner. Lance proudly announced that he is to be a father soon. Happy news on a joyous occassion.

Come this time next year, a baby will join us for the birthday celebration of a mother - Monica.

So the news was told, thoughts came through my mind hurriedly. Diapers, milk bottles and a familiar scent of babywash. That's the next phase in life for our group of friends. First was Ed and Louisa, then Lance and Monica, will it be Mun and Clara next?

Its a funny thought to see us all carrying big and small bags, pushing a stroller and singing children's songs. Constantly catching a glimpse of the time to make sure we won't miss feeding time and have hungry children. Phew.

Anyway why am I thinking of such when I still have many stages to go. Wedding not done, house not purchased and weapon not fired. Its a long way more but for many of my friends, they are there at that level and ready to fire. One or two might fire a few more rounds before they know how to stop.

Here, let me wish Monica a happy pregnancy. Remember what I told you, a happy mother makes a happy child while a happy father tries making more children ... Clara, you ready? :)

Left or right ...?

Can you remember how many times have you used the term 'beggars aren't choosers'? Frankly I can't recall because I never believed in this phrase at all however, something changed my way of thinking.

Just recently, while I was trying to park my car, I couldn't decide which lot to take as there were plenty of it empty. It took me quite a while to find that slot I thought I liked. So I reversed in and realised the lot was not conveniently near a lift lobby and so I drove out again to find a better lot.

At that point of time, it struck me to wonder what would happen if the empty lots available were all taken up. If this was really the scenario, I wouldn't be making choices or complaining about the parking lots but grab the only available one quickly for fear of losing it to someone else.

So the term 'beggars arent choosers' does make sense. When we need something badly, we just take what is given but when there is a choice, we sit and contemplate which is the better one.

We come across many choice-making situations daily and how often do we really make the correct choice. Do we really know which is the correct one? If choices were given, we would then make a choice, say 'Apple over Banana' and then moments later, we will wonder what if I had chosen banana instead. That's the bad thing about being able to choose. You would then hesitate and wonder which is better.

Right now I too am facing some dilemma of sorts, I don't know which path to tread and am not sure which decision would be the better one. Its like a gamble in the casino, black or red at the roulette table. Tough to predict but that's where the excitement lies. No venture no gain right?

Don't scream or shout ...

I guess I am a person who enjoys harmony, serenity and surely a peaceful loving person. I do not like to engage in wars of any kind, office politics and anything that hurts the brittle heart.

Many times I encounter situations whereby I am in the midst of doing something when someone shouts or screams out for me. I get really upset and disturbed by such acts. Why do people have to shout and scream their lungs out? Its not like I am living in some sort of 3 storey bungalow or a castle.

Sandy knows my character and temper yet she can be rather insensitive at times. She jolly well knows that when I am in the midst of doing things like reading, playing the piano and writing, I dislike being disturbed. It just destroys that train of thought, it just wipes out all ideas with a freaking scream. Hey, don't you relate this to my attention span ok? It does not equate.

I guess everyone has got their preferences on communicating. Some have to talk loud to make sure they are heard and others like me, soft like a mouse. This is probably the reason why this world is unique. Perhaps I just care too much for others around me, I do not wish to scare the wits out of them thus the softness.

Be forewarned that just because I am soft does not make me a sissy or a pushover, I have the courage to put you down but its only whether I choose to or not. Blessed with a patient personality, I can tolerate nonsense longer than the average person but there are surely days when I forget to bring patience with me in my wallet and when that happens .... good luck!

Wii .. a family attraction ...

A new toy has appeared in Godpa's place and this time, its an interactive set of Wii, a new family entertainment system using Nintendo technology which requires movements of sorts.

In previous blogs, I mentioned the effectiveness of mahjong being a sort of entertainment for the family and bringing families together but as technology advances, even family games have to be kept up-to-date. Wii has so far brought lots of laughter to the family and the best part is Grandma is also taking part in our sporting activities. One can never be too old to play Wii. It helps the body get its fair bit of exercise as well as bringing cohesiveness to families.

It was fun having to play with my cousins Christin and Kenneth. Having sports games from tennis to bowling, baseball and boxing. My, boxing is the most tedious and surely a muscle stretching game. My body is almost aching now as I had my fair share of boxercise. ( I hope I got the spelling right) Just yesterday, Weisheng and Junsheng too had a round of boxing, leaving both with aching muscles.

I read that there are many other games in the pipeline and its going to be great fun having family laughing over exagerrated movements and stances.Nothing is more important than family laughter so head out to those stores and buy yourself a set of Wii. Its a good investment both for health and for family ties.

Charity ...

I read from the papers this morning and learnt that yet another well respected charity organisation faces inquiry over the misuse of funds. This time its Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre. I am certainly hoping that the result would not be all negative as I recently realised that in Singapore, those once enthusiastic hearts working and donating for charity are slowly fading and withering away, turning away from possible donations and volunteer works.

Ever since the inquiry and subsequent findings of the misuse of funds at NKF(National Kidney Foundation ), Singaporeans are unwilling to part with their money for a good cause. A once charitable country has now turned otherwise due to the many cases on mishandling of public donations amounting to millions of dollars.

Ren Ci's Honourary CEO , Venerable Shi Ming Yi, has so far done quite a bit for not only the hospital but for charity in Singapore. Forget the dangerous stunts at charity shows which I strongly disapprove of but remember that he has given sick patients a place to rest, recuperate and he has also helped to create awareness for the unfortunate not only in Singapore but in various parts of the world. As reported in The Straits Times on 31 August 2001, Venerable Ming Yi will never forget his sacred vows as a monk despite being a CEO for Ren Ci.

What if the inquiry indeed uncovered a misuse of funds in the charity organisation, would it not cause a more severe dent to the already tarnished charity scene in Singapore? We cannot blame donors for not being charitable, the hard earned money gets misused for all the wrong reasons. From previous experiences with ex-NKF's Mr Durai's golden taps and first class travels, who would want to contribute to such extravagant expenditure?

Charity (defined by American Heritage Dictionary as 'a provision of help or relief to the poor or almsgiving) is often misused by many these days but let's think again, if everyone in Singapore stops giving to charities, how then do people who are genuinely unfortunate survive? Can we just leave them alone and let them suffer?

For me, I try to give what I can. Every dollar counts for an ailing person but if eventually my dollar ends up in the wrong hands of a fraudster, at least I believe in my heart that I have already done my best to help and the only person who has to fear will be the fraudster himself. I strongly believe in the saying ' When one dies, he brings nothing with him to his grave but only the good and bad things he has done in his life would follow him eternally.'

With this saying, I hope Singaporeans can still maintain the charitable heart to give and share what they can still afford. Remember, every dollar means a lot to someone really in need. If you still think you are paranoid in giving to charity, you may do it in another way, head towards your nearest 4D outlet and try your luck, at least this way, it comforts us to know that Singapore Pools devote surplus earnings to community causes whose outcomes improve the well-being of the community in significant and relevant ways.

By the above sentence, this is by no way an encouragement for you to bet heavily. Always remember to play responsibly, if not you'll end up the person in need. As stated on the website of Singapore Pools, the eventual outcome of a bet should not adversely affect your finances or lifestyle.

To clear or not to clear ...

This evening, Sandy and I suddenly had a craving for some ice cream at McDonalds thus we decided to visit an outlet right in the far east of Singapore - Pasir Ris White Sands. With us were my two younger brothers and godparents.

Like many other McDonald chains, its crowded yet we were lucky to have found a table big enough for the six of us. One little issue, the table still had a tray with used ketchup, paper wraps and some soiled tissue. Its rather obvious the previous customer seated at that table didn't take the initiative to clear the table OR like most Singaporeans, we have a habit of relying on someone to clean after us.

I looked around and couldn't locate a staff to help us clear the table.I guess it wasn't like I was in a hawker centre whereby I could seek the assistance of a cleaner to help wipe the table and dispose of the plates, spoons etc. We were at McDonalds, a fastfood chain where people usually had to do everything themselves. So what else could we do but take the tray of leftovers and send it down the bin. Weisheng was given the honour to do such a task.

It wasn't at all a difficult task to put away the tray but then I suddenly recalled something. Didn't McDonalds used to hire retired folks on a part time basis to help out with such chores like cleaning of tables and chucking away trays. Where have these uncles and aunties gone to? Are their services no longer required? Have Singaporeans learnt the etiquette of self-disposal? I don't think so. Many times when I visit fastfood chains, I do not see people clearing the table after they are done with their meal.

So two contradicting thoughts came up :

Thought number 1 - If Singaporeans knew how to behave and be responsible to clear tables after they are done with their food, it would be less of a hassle for the next customer patronising the restaurant.

Thought number 2 - If Singaporeans really did clear their own tables after meals, wouldn't there be a group of familiar faces like the 'uncles and aunties' we so often see at hawker centres and fastfood chains be without jobs.

After harbouring such thoughts, I do not know which is the right thing to do - to clear the table or not. If I cleared it on my own, no job will be created but if I didn't clear the table and left it for someone to do it then that someone would have his bread and butter. So which path do we take? I am left confused ....

A house warming ...

Wind blowing through the face, messing the hair and sometimes flipping paper cups and plastic plates. Am seated right at the balcony of Jacky and Shio Cheng's new home - its house warming day for the couple and it also happens to be their first year anniversary tomorrow.

Sandy, Beatrice, Monica and Lance are seated right at the dining table enjoying Siam Kitchen's catered food. Food was pretty good. A twist of Thai in a Chinese couple's house. I was told for dinner, Sarawakian laksa will be served. Singapore - a land of diverse taste and mix cultures.Don't forget to check out my food blog at krameats blogspot. A new initiative I have started.

This house, a 5 room HDB (housing development board) brings me memories of my younger days when I was between 8 to 13 years old. We lived at Ah Hood Road then. I could still remember the exact place where my piano was placed, the facing of my bed and the dining table. It was there that my first brother Weisheng joined me in brotherhood. A smile lies on my face whenever I see images of his hair. It was soft yet spiked up. A total difference in his hairstyle now.

Anyway, as you already know, I am a person moulded by my past and I treasure memories of sorts. Sweet ones of course. Here I wish everyone could take a little time to capture happy moments and treasure them, when you look back at times, a smile will surely appear not only on the face but surely in the heart.

warm regards,
Mark Chong

HK shopping ... Eating ...

Labeled as one of Asia's fashion leaders, Hong Kong's retail outlets display an array of international designer labels as well as popular local brand names like Giordano and G2000 - both popular amongst teenagers and working adults in HK and also Singapore.

Flashy billboards line up the streets in different sizes seducing passers-by to take another look at the model actress donning the latest designs. The city's vibrant lifestyle revolves around the four seasons as it is every opportunity to allow the people to have a change of wardrobe every couple of months.

Food is another attraction in HK. A wide variety of restaurants and cafes serve cuisine of all sorts. From the local wanton noodles and BBQ goose meat rice to Portuguese tarts and German sausages. In HK, one can never stay hungry long.

Pubs and clubs are also happening places to hangout at night. From Lan Kwai Fong to SOHO, HK establishes itself as a metropolitan city. On every traffic intersection, one can see different races and nationalities. Its surely a nice place to make friends from different parts of the word.

So have I painted a beautiful picture of HK? I guess I might have done a good job doing so but of course like everything else, there's also an ugly side. Right now, I shall stay silent for fear of being slapped in the face by my many HK cousins and friends. You know la, people in HK are fierce, violent and sometimes overly proud. Oops, I did it again.

Memory lane ...

Songs tickle my memories. It often brings me on a journey of my past. Failed relationships, school days and sometimes even places.

Just recently, I heard the song 'Dying inside to hold you', it immediately brought me to my secondary school days of courtship and how I had a crush with a particular girl. Ah. The memory bank in the human brain is surely huge.

When was the last time a song triggered sad memories or sometimes, happy ones? For me, almost every song has a story in my life. For example, 'The Heart seeks pleasure first' from the soundtrack of The Piano. This song reminds me of the times I was on IRC (internet relay chat) whereby I got to know a girl through the internet. Chat platforms were really common then and it was cool when you had access to the world wide web. Now its different, computers are a neccessity.

I have a dream of being able to perform in a mini concert with songs that I grew up with. Songs that somewhat moulded my life and swayed my way of thinking. Not only English songs but even Mandarin and Cantonese songs.

I was first exposed to Canto songs when my parents and godparents were fans of Sam Hui. Those simple songs would always remind me of the warmth environment I was given by my family. I am sure if given a chance to perform, Sam's songs will surely be on the list.

Don't ask when will I be performing. Its still in the planning stage. Will update everyone when the time nears and I hope when that time comes, those songs I'll play for you will also touch you in the heart as it did for me.

warm regards,
Mark Chong

Subaru Challenge ...

It's that time of the year again whereby hundreds of people would fight to walk away with a free Subaru. I wouldn't exactly say its a fight but its going to be a challenge of wits and perseverance. The annual event in its sixth consecutive year is once again held at the heart of Orchard Road's Ngee Ann City.

In previous years, the winner had to place his right palm on the car for almost 61 hours before victory was his. Can you imagine you are restricted to 'enjoy' only a ten-minute break every 4 hours? It's torturous but it is proven possible by all previous winners. I don't think I have enough will power to do so.

I guess very much it is a test of not only physical strength but also that of a strong mind. Its often said "mind over body" but how true is that? I aren't really sure but after doing a search on the Internet for 'mind over body', the first many hits directed me to weight loss programs which wasn't what I was really looking for.

So I decided to do a search for another almost similar meaning - NLP ( Neuro-Linguistic Programming ). From Wikipedia, it states that NLP is an interpersonal communications model and an alternative approach to psychotherapy and based on the subjective study of language, communication and personal change.

The common teachings of NLP includes the assumption that emotion, thought and behavior consists of, and is influenced by, how the sensory-specific modalities are organized. In other words, it is how positive or negative the mind thinks. If you think positive, its result will also be positive.

In the context of the Subaru Challenge, I believe everyone who took part has somehow fine-tuned their minds to have a positive outcome but who would eventually be the winner? Would it be someone who really has a trained mind and has already excelled in his career? Let's give it a thought. It could well be different. Imagine inviting all the world's greatest minds to join the current contestants, do you think these great minds will emerge the winner? I doubt so.

At the end of the day, to really taste success relies on the challenger's hunger for victory.

For me now, am still hungry even after having four bowls of macaroni for lunch ; )

Sleep ...

Recently I found myself lacking of sleep especially during my recent HK and Macao trip. Surprisingly, my body operated normally. Didn't have to consume caffeine or any energy booster to keep me awake, especially at my favourite hang out tables of roulette and blackjack while in Vegas of Asia.

Back in Singapore, the normal routine of early nights and sleepy eyes would naturally come back to tempt me. Perhaps its the familiar scent on the pillow and bed that 'turns me on', just like a deck of cards at the croupier's hands when am in Macau.

So in school we learnt that 8 hours of sleep is necessary. It is equivalent to the body needing almost 8 litres of water a day ( so I was told) but think carefully. Einstein and Newton amongst the many other great scientists, inventors, politicians and business leaders do not have the luxury to sleep 8 hours a day. Maybe 4 hours is considered a treat to these people.

I often wonder if our brains and minds will really work better when we turn in early and into sleep mode. Imagine this, if this was really so, business leaders who attempt to sleep a couple hours more a night might have the ability to double up their wealth so thus why aren't they doing so.

To some, sleep is a necessity. To others, its an addiction. Once it becomes an addiction, its like a smoker without his cigarettes and his whole body would fail to function properly-bad. I know of people who needs sleep, sleep and more sleep. They can sleep anywhere and anytime. Sometimes its good, sometimes bad. Good when you suffer from insomnia, bad when you refuse to get out of the house to enjoy the air outside.

So which category do I fall under? The addicts or the 'sleep when need to'? Seriously, I aren't too sure but sleep for me is a time to put all thoughts aside ( I try to but sometimes fail) and just let the muscles rest after a day's journey. Its also a personal time of your own when serenity and innocence sets in. Did I just say innocence? Wrong statement. At times, I do turn evil in my dreams hurting the people around me but once awhile its good cause when you wake up, you learn to treasure them. It helps to reflect your doings, at least for me.

So the next time you sleep, give it a thought. Are you sleeping because its really bed time or are you just plain lazy and have fallen prey to an addiction.