Bristol Day 7

Just one week ago at this time, I was perhaps flying across the Indian Ocean on Dutch airline KLM.

You may think time passed really quickly but the truth is the hour and minute hands crawls just so slowly here in Bristol. The weekend was nothing but a walk around the city with most hours spent losing pounds at the casino.

Looks like the past week's meal was spent all alone with my camera. I don't know if I will ever get used to it. I really doubt it because I love company and surely need company.

The weather seems a little warmer now but let's not speak too soon because the weather here can be pretty unpredictable too.

Lunch was at some English pub / restaurant along Whiteladies Road - sausage and leek on mashed potato together with a beer for only 7 pounds. Nice deal but surely weird having a beer to go along with "breakfast".

Dinner was lamb shank at Cabot Circus with a hot chocolate. The shank was tender and marinated well with red wine however I didn't finish the potatoes as I don't want to gain extra pounds the wrong way. I rather leave the gaining of pounds at the casino. :)

Am glad it is Monday tomorrow. Weird isn't it? You should know why.

Bristol Day 6

A long day because I woke up at 5am again. And why? Because I sleep darn early by 9. Nothing to do but read and I feel walking in this area at night isn't so safe. Perhaps it is due to the bright lighting we have on the streets of Singapore but here lighting aren't that efficient.

I thought I could grab a ticket to watch musical We Will Rock You but tickets are all sold out for the weekend. Am hoping I can get tickets on weekdays but I dare not purchase yet just in case I end up with some work commitment.

So I spent the day walking around town and looking every bit like a tourist. Tried to make some friends but unsuccessful. Sad isn't it? Ended up at the casino and losing some pounds. Only if it were weight loss. :)

Now, it has been 6 days and still counting since I had company for a meal. Sucks big time eating alone without having someone to chat with or share my food. Miss home so badly.

I can only hope that I will head home earlier than expected but let's see. Maybe by making some friends here I might just enjoy it a little. Let's wait and see.

Oh, I heard from some strangers I spoke to and they told me they loved the hot weather in Singapore. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side because I somewhat love the weather at least for now. It might change when the weather turns freezing cold.

Daily report on my meals now. Lunch was a 12 pound Chinese seafood hor fun with a ice lemon drink. Surely overpriced if compared to Singapore but dinner was kind of worth it. A soup of the day, a salmon pizza and a hot chocolate which cost me 14 pounds just like at Pregos.

Bristol Day 5

TGIF! Not for me. Hardly do I feel so down on a Friday evening.

It is 8 pm here and I am back at the apartment surfing. The city sleeps at 7pm. What else can I do?

Dinner was Chinese food at HK Diner and it was a plate of 'big prawn fried rice' which didn't come cheap - 12 pounds. I managed to grab a glass of luohan drink to help cool down the heaty system too.

I wonder what am I going to do to pass my time tomorrow. It is the weekend yet I am bored. Maybe head around town and take some photos then head down to the restaurants for lunch then dinner.

Sigh. Boring indeed.

Bristol Day 4 - Part 2

Even though I miss roti prata in Singapore, I don't think I would pay 5 SGD for a plain roti prata. Welcome to the United Kingdom!

Photos were taken near Harbourside at the city centre.

It is 9pm now and am off to sleep now. Will likely wake up at 4am to talk to my dearest wife as she will be on leave on Friday.

Bristol Day 4 - Part 1

For a change, I have decided to try Nepalese cuisine instead of Italian. So don't mistake me for chasing skirts at the Japanese restaurant even though the waitresses are indeed pretty Chinese.

I have attached more photos today so that you can see what I have been up to after work daily. Just walking around the city centre. Believe it or not, I don't need a map anymore.

Many things are happening in the UK right now. Swine flu with 53,000 infected, postal service employees are on strike and some other protest against some political guy called Nick Griffin. No idea who he is but he sure has a lot of publicity these couple of days.

Forget the complicated stuff. Weekend is round the corner and I just wonder what is going to help me pass time. Musicals or a trip to Bath? I have no idea but the weekend will surely be gloomy without company. Even the casinos can't cheer me up.

Anyway, enjoy the photos of my Nepalese meal. The dumpling look-alike is called MoMo while the sea bass is called Sunkoshi. Nice candle light dinner alone. Sad huh?

Lunch was a 2 pound cheese and tomato sandwich.

Bristol Day 3

A Fosters beer and a 20 pound Japanese meal helped complete day 3 in Bristol and I have to say I am getting quite good at walking around Cabot Circus and Harbourside. Walking seems to be leisure fun for the folks here. Walking half an hour to work is absolutely normal but a real dread for me.

The weather isn't that cold today and I had the opportunity to perspire this evening because I was rushing back to the apartment. Am feeling sleepy.

Looking at tomorrow's weather report, it seems it is going to be a rainy day for us here at Bristol. Equipped with my mini umbrella, I wonder if I can get myself out of the apartment to work. Thankfully it is only rain and not snow.

Can't wait for the weekend so that I can be a tourist and visit some attractions but unfortunately, all alone. Anyway, who needs company at casinos. :)

Bristol Day 2

I started my day at 4am local time. I guess the body system hasn't gotten used to it yet and it will take some time to 'convert'.

The wind was strong and the weather chilly. Nice to sleep in but too bad the body just can't be forced to rest. But it is good because I was able to call home to check out on my darling baby. :)

It is 830pm now and my brain is slowing down. Maybe due to a glass of beer I had earlier in the evening. Hope it can help me 'tune' the system.

Guess what? I managed to input some rice into my stomach. Japanese food. Looks like it wouldn't be the last time I am going to the Japanese restaurant even though the meal cost me about 20 pounds for Japanese seafood curry rice and some futomaki which had fried seaweed.

I wonder what's for lunch tomorrow. It seems most folks here actually prepare lunch and pack it in to the office to eat. Maybe they just don't like the cold. Frankly, I love the weather for now. At least I don't get sweaty after a 25 minute walk to the office from my apartment.

Oh. I took my first taxi ride in a SAAB. A private owned cab which didn't at all look like a licensed taxi and a short 5 minute ride cost me 14 pounds. I have to ask my collegues if I got ripped off.

Off to bed now since there is nothing much to do at this moment except to watch some BBC News.

You will hear from me again tomorrow.

Bristol Day 1

It was tears when I departed changi airport. It is afterall the first time Sandy and I ever parted for such long time.

Sacrifices need to be made. For me and the family.

Anyway, it was a really long flight from Singapore to Bristol via Amsterdam. Thankfully Stilnox worked well for me and during the 13 hour flight, I slept for at least 10 hours. Guess I have been overky tired from the last minute packing.

Lunch in Bristol was a simple 5 pound Chicken Avocado sandwich and dinner was KFC taste-alike. Didn't really liked the fried chicken because it was darn oily. And the cost of a three piece meal was 5 pounds again.

Looks like I really need to use the kitchen facility in my one bedroom serviced apartment - www.geometricapartments.com. Can't complain much but the bedroom has no aircon. Weird isn't it? Maybe because it is winter.

I hope there will be an opportunity for Sandy to visit me as I miss her so much and it has only been slightly more than 24 hours. Thanks to SKYPE, we still can use video call online.

It is 745pm here as I type but am feeling so tired already.Jetlag.

Let us hope all will turn out well tomorrow as I report for my first day at work in Bristol. Hope the days ahead will be a little more exciting in terms of work and leisure.

A dying man's wish ...

Fear not. My time should not be here yet but what if it comes?

Again, I insist life is fragile. Or perhaps brittle? Well, both words relate don't they?

How often do we ask ourselves what if we were left with only one more day to live? What would we do? Or how would we speak? Would it be a different choice of words used or will we just be the same old self?

Ask yourself.

I think if I ever get to know that I have only one more day to live, I guess I might just forget all material stuff but take as much time to sit around with loved ones, relatives and friends. Realised why family is missing? That's because they are my loved ones. :)

I would rather choose to take time to bid farewell , seek forgiveness for any wrongdoings and have a final handshake or a hug. This way there would be an end at least.

A closure of a chapter. With no regrets.

I guess that's what I would do so what's yours?

Oh. I still haven't decided what food I would like to fill my stomach when it is time to go. Just too much to even write here but I'll think about it and share the next time.

Dwelling in the past ...

I often wonder what really makes us who we are.

Is it the past or is it by looking forward into the future? Beats me but I think it is the past.

Our past carries lots of victories as well as defeats. We learn from falls and cherish success. Thus doesn't it make sense that we are who we are because of our past?

Then again, there are people who take a fall and later find it very hard to pick themselves up despite numerous struggles. Is it because they failed to rid off the inner demon of a past failure or experience? ( not sure if grammar is correct here )

I for sure am someone who oftens dwell in the past. That is who I am. It can be quite a pretty traumatic experience.

We allowed our emotions to dwell in a past experience that was utterly negative that we totally forget what our future can still bring to us if we stood up well and strong.

It is a mix of emotions. A mix of both friendly and negative forces that makes us who we are. It is what we did in the past that shapes our future.

We can only see success if we choose what emotions or experiences to carry with us .

We learn from past defeats but not dwell in it. We pick up the positive vibes when we smelt success and would very much want to taste it again. Only this way can success finds its way into our lives.

At least that is how I think the past indeed builds our future.

Mistakes.

How many of us can proudly say that we never made mistakes or we have never wronged? None.

We are afterall human. Made in flesh and blood with a soul of emotions that sometimes cannot be controlled.

Why were we made to be like this? Ask the Maker. I don't know.

Perhaps the Maker made us like this so that there will be different characters in His world. To make His world even more colorful, he added color to the skin.

Were these mistakes? Ask the Maker. I don't know.

Euna Lee & Laura Ling returns home.

After 5 months of ordeal in North Korea, the two American journalists have finally been pardoned by President Kim Jong Il. All thanks to former President Bill Clinton.

What happened during those 5 months of detention is still not known but I am sure the world will want to know if they were at all ill-treated while in the hands of Pyongyang's military. Afterall, they are American journalists doing a coverage for Al Gore's Current TV.

It didn't really bother me that two American journalists were captured but the media successfully made it a big story for two intruders into a foreign country. See, the word used was 'intruders'.

Let's look at it this way. Euna and Laura were surely aware of the consequences of illegally intruding into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea so why all the hype when the two Americans were captured? They were merely asking for it isn't it? They were out to toy with their lives and emotional strings of audiences like me.

Well, it could be a good cause that they set out for. Perhaps they wanted to tell the world about the human trafficking that were happening at the borders. Or maybe they really wanted fame when they took on the project and if that is so, both of them made it. Not many would get to know the names Euna Lee and Laura Ling if not for this capture.Who knows, Hollywood might just start knocking on their doors for a movie script.

Can't the world learn what is wrong and right? Firstly, was it even right that a foreigner enters a country without valid permission or authorisation. If someone you didn't know intruded into your private property, wouldn't you get him or her to get out and what could be worst when the intruder decides to take photos of your home without seeking permission. You'll likely get irritated by such gesture and report it to the authorities right?

Euna and Laura indeed got on the wrong side of the law in North Korea. That's a given. They did something wrong and in the law books of the Northern Peninsula, they had to be punished. They had to be sent to labour camp for 12 years so what on earth is wrong with that? When one does wrong, one should be punished.

Whenever the United States of America feels that national security is compromised, they have a habit of firing their missiles and killing thousands of people. Is that right or wrong? North Korea perhaps felt that their national security was also compromised when Americans Euna and Laura intruded. The argument is open.

So what triggered the visit by Bill Clinton? Was it the duration that mattered? 12years is a long time but I would think even when Pyongyang throws the two intruders a sentence of 6 months, the Americans would still find ways to get them out. Afterall, they are American journalists. Have you ever wondered what made them special? : )

Conscience ...

I only have 30 minutes to type this blog because that's what the battery meter indicates.

While I was driving earlier home from dinner with family, a word just popped into my head. Look, it's not like I robbed someone or did something bad but a scene from one of those Hong Kong drama series played back in my head's mini theatre.

Well, it was about cheats who go around doing what they are best at - cheat.

So what is cheating and how does it relate to conscience?

The word conscience as per dictionary.com defines it as :

the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.

People like you and me likely probably grew up in very normal families who believed very much in ethics, principles and can very well tell between what is right or wrong.

But what if you grew up in harsh conditions whereby the family or your siblings needed to cheat in order to survive. Would you then know what is right and what is wrong because from the day you were born, everyone around you had to cheat to survive. You probably thought that was how the world revolved. So under such circumstances, can the word conscience ever fit into your life when you were never taught what's right from wrong?

How then can someone like that ever find conscience?

Parenting Congress.

Another 23 minutes before the computer would shut itself thus I thought I shared about parenting.

Just recently, I often heard a commercial over the radio about a Parenting Congress that was to be held at the Singapore Expo.

I wondered if Sandy and I would ever sign up for such a seminar.

I don't think my parents ever signed up for such talks on 'how to raise your kids the right way' or ' raise him up the way you want it to be'.

It is weird but among friends or even family, we can see how differently parents raise their kids. Some parents can be overly paranoid over some issues while others might not feel the need for such attention.

Everyone has a different way of communicating and showering love for their children.

I guess when Sandy and I have kids at a later stage, we might just raise our kids in two different ways. It is very scary to even think of it right now because it is pretty obvious that both of us were raised a little differently. Different in the way that we don't agree on certain values or principles.

In other words, if we both don't see eye to eye on the values and principles we want to instill in our children. Our children might just be so confused as to which is the right direction for them, right?

Thus I think it could be rather important that we sign up for such seminars next time so that we can be in line with what we want to teach our children.

We want them to live life the right way and to grow up as contributors to society. : )

Halo ...to an angel.

From this photo, can you tell that I have decided to look vain by taking time to sit under a weird halo looking device that heats the scalp of my head?

Well, I am having white hair covered. Lots of them which I have been wanting to rid off.

I can't prevent the greying hair from popping up thus this drastic measure to look younger again. Right. The face and wrinkles still tell the same story and not my exact age but older.

Maybe I should consider botox or perhaps a head change too. Maybe I should take the face of Sandy's favourite idol - Hacken Lee.

A tipsy posting...

As from the title, you perhaps can tell that I am writing under the influence of alcohol and frankly, this is the first time this is happening. Writing when I am intoxicated. Not drunk but only tipsy.

Firstly, I drove back home safely without compromising road safety so that sure is something consoling. Come on, don't look at me like that. It's not like I committed the biggest crime in the world. I only drove with a certain content of alcohol in my system.

For once, let me just blog without having to care about the feeling of others and just let me be me - Mark Chong. If you read this and have very strong feelings about what I am going to say, just take it like I never once said a word about it.

Well, I just want to moan and groan about the world. About life as a whole. About my life.

I realised from this experience of being intoxicated and driving home from Selegie to Simei and droppin off two passengers can be quite a feat and surely quite a selfish act but I did it anyway without getting into much trouble. Frankly, I hardly do this - drink and drive.

In many other countries, this is just so common. Drink driving.

Yes, I know the complications and implications about having to drink when highly intoxicated with alcohol in the blood stream but sometimes, it is just so tempting to try that experience. This is my second time. Only second time so don't worry too much. I don't know when the third time would come but it really depends very much on the mood I am getting into.

Never mind the mood and never mind the alcohol level that is in the blood as I type make this entry.

I realised something very important and I believe many of you might have experienced this too. Did you realise the most important people in your life are those who are actually related to you by blood? The chaps who get darn worked up and worried when reading such a negative blog like mine is perhaps my parents. Not friends.

Parents worry day and night about us. They worry about when we sleep , when we wake up and when we have our meals. They worry about whether or not we can cope with society, cope with our studies and also worry about whether we have enough to spend. That is the genuine love we should relate to.

Surely not what friends say about loving you and all those mushy words. No other love can ever succeed the love of a mother or a father. That is one true love. Of course, the other love you can ever depend on is truly the love your spouse showers you with. She is the other person who will selflessly sacrifice for you and make all the difficult paths or journey with you. Rich or poor, she will walk with you just like what both of you vowed previously. Great love isn't it?

Well, I am not comparing the love between parents and that of our spouses. I just want to relate that no one else can spare or make huge sacrifices for us. It is only this two group of people in our lives that think a lot about us and hope for the better of our lives.

When time are bad, who really sticks with you? I guess the answer is pretty obvious. Parents and of course your spouse because only their world revolves around you but for others, their world will not stop a minute for you as they do have their own world to live in and that's what life is all about. Sadly .. unfortunately.

The world is only selfish .... thus I have decided to take upon what comes upon me and I will walk my way with my spouse and with the support of family. No one else really matters and this is the most frank I can be.

** do note that I am writing this with a intoxicated brain thus if you do get offended, I apologise but this is what I really think the world is about and this is indeed how it revolves. The world revolves not about me but it's about you and your world will not stop because of me. Sad this is so true ......

A dead battery ...

I never knew how crippled I could end up without a working mobile phone.

Yesterday during office hours, my battery died on me and leaving me with no way of communicating with colleagues, friends and most importantly my lovely spouse.

With today's advanced technology, mobile phones are just too common and a public phone is downright rare. I roamed the streets to find a public phone booth but couldn't find one that allowed me to insert coins. I only found those which allowed calling cards. My was I agitated.

It is my mistake for not charging the battery and it is only through this experience that I realised how important tele-conversations can be. The need to communicate with someone out there seems just impossible. What's worst is that phone numbers are no longer stored in my brains but all in the phone.

See how much we rely on memory chips and technology. Without it, we just feel helpless and very much lost.

12 years ago from school ...

It's nice to catch up with old friends especially when these 'old friends' are able to help you recall your younger days.

I was honoured to be invited to Shariffah's place for lunch. Why honoured you must wonder. It's been ages since we met and we never really kept in touch after college.

Well, you have to understand my youth or my younger days have been robbed by my wife Sandy. Frankly and sadly true but I never really regretted. : ) She's the best thing that ever happened at college. I have to say much better than where my results brought me.

The other chap which I got to catch up again was Mubin. We were close friends in school but sadly after I got conscripted, we didn't really stay in contact. He is now married with a daughter. Lucky chap and am sure he is all happy now having settled with family.

Lunch was fabulous and Shariffah sure cooked the French cut lamb really well. Unfortunately, my appetite after badminton could only allow two pieces. If only I didn't exercise that morning.

The other person whom I met was Peiling. Let's not talk about her because I get to see her any other day. Oh, we have her date with her on 14th July to celebrate her turning a year older. How old? I better not blog about it if not trouble will come looking for me. : )

It was a well spent Saturday afternoon and I look forward to many more meet-ups with old friends in the near future.

A part of Michael in me ...

The Black or White megastar played a part in everyone's life and I was no exception.

When I was a little boy, I remembered trying to dance like him but of course, my motion never looked like I was doing a moonwalk but more of a duck walk.

Over the past week, I managed to put together some of my favourite songs of MJ's and I realised how much I miss the lonely fella.

I can't forget how I used to sing Heal The World with a change to the lyrics. It's awful but rather funny. Some will say bad taste. Here it goes:

"There's a smell in your butt and you know that its a fart.

You know it stinks and you'll dread that the shit is coming."

Alright, I won't make fun of his songs because I truly respect the man and his music. It touched us deep inside our hearts. The lyrics he sang were really meaningful.

I grew up listening to MJ's Heal The World, Earth Song, Childhood and many others.

I guess the world won't forget him like how they didn't forget The Beatles and Elvis.

MJ was in a league of his own and surely the King of Pop.

May his music live on forever even for our children's children because it indeed tells us much about the health of our planet earth and its people.

So Will You Be There for the man and his music because he for sure believes You Are Not Alone.

Lost and not yet found ...

It is quite a handful of stress when you realised that you have lost something and can't seem to find it.I guess at some point of time in our lives, we do get to experience this pathetic feeling of losing something precious and close to our hearts.

Let's not get into too much details about what I have lost or hopefully, misplaced because I deem the term 'misplaced' a better friend than 'lost'. Can you imagine the grave difference when you say ' I lost a friend.' Some might just think your friend died and made his or her way to heaven. In my lifetime, I think I lost 2 friends. Of course, my grand fathers are also lingering somewhere in heaven too.

It can be very frustrating when the things you misplaced don't seem to want to appear right in front of you despite how desperate you try calling out to it. Ok. I aren't talking about my dogs here but a gift from someone which I treasure lots but perhaps due to me being careless, I am afraid I won't be able to find it back again.

Life is weird isn't it? When it is around, you just take it for granted but when you realised that it's lost, the heart seems burdened with weight.

If this was meant to be a lesson to teach me to keep my things properly, I can tell you the grave consequences it'll lead to and surely a darn expensive lesson.

Now, wish me luck and hopefully I will find that piece of gemstone soonest and I'll be celebrating with champagne with a lighter heart.

Luis walks .... quite fast.

Take a look at the little chap making his steps quicker than he is able to.

Which is better? To love or be loved? ( Part 2 )

Well, I hardly get so many responses or comments from my blog postings and I am glad many friends took time to read and drop comments about these thoughts I had.

Thank you for dropping in. At least I know the blog is still being read and it is a consolation that people still want to know what is happening in my minute brain. : )

Like many others, I day dream a lot and by writing these thoughts I come up with is just a way of expressing how I feel about certain perspectives in life. Some important and some aren’t.

Some ought to be shared but some should remain unwritten. I made a mistake about writing this topic because Sandy got very angry over this blog.

Caught you! : )

I was kidding about my wife being angry. The only angry people I know of might have ended up hating me for putting up such a blog.

Let’s get back to the topic.

I asked myself if I knew what love really is. Frankly, no.

I had to ponder a little while before I could come up with what love consists of.

Let’s picture love as a pie chart or even better, a pizza.

A full pizza made up of different ingredients to enhance the taste and flavour. Yes, if only I could have some fresh from my neighbourhood delivery. OK, am feeling hungry and craving for Rocky’s Pizza now.

So what makes up a ‘love pizza’? It won’t taste nice only with a thin crust even though that’s my favourite.

A little bit of respect, trust, compromise, care, faith, happiness, laughter, loyalty, devotion and compassion. You can also add a little bit of intimacy, energy, patience, affection etc. So many things make up love and trust me, the list can go on but have we ever thought about the ugly side of things that keep love going? There are more than the above positive descriptions.

But remember your journey in love? There is bound to have encountered elements of selfishness, tears, squabbles, betrayals, lies, irresponsibility, uncertainty, insecurity etc. Again, the list goes on.

I never really heard of a fairy tale love with no misunderstandings, quarrels etc. If this is how your love started and still going strong without a single quarrel or difference in opinions, then you might want to stop and think if it really is true. The person who is holding your hands so tight might just be hiding behind a mask.

Let’s face it. We were not made perfect. We can’t be perfect even in love. There will be some sort of flaw somewhere waiting to be discovered by our partners but what is most important is the virtue of forgiveness. That plays a very important aspect of love so that the pizza will not taste at all bitter.

I agree with many friends that love is not forever. Some day it’ll fade but when it is time to fade, we are likely old and at such an old age, it is only companionship we seek after. We won't go find another lover. Or chances are we won't want to go through the dating again. We only want someone to walk the last steps of our journey on this planet. I don’t think this will be called love but then again, we often see aging grandparents who still hold hands walking in the park, cuddling on the bench and wiping perspiration from the face of their wrinkled spouse. Can we call that love or just a habit of having the company of one another?

Weird thought isn’t it?

Again, I insist Sandy loves me more than I love her. Reason why I say this is because she gives in to me most of the time and she hardly gets her way because her way is usually not my way. See, this is true love because she has discovered that flaw in me but has yet to exploit it and that’s why I love her for who she is and she loves me as who I am. That’s true love which Korean dramas don’t really portray. Remember Full House? : )

Which is better? To love or be loved?

 

Just yesterday, I met up with an old friend of mine and at the age of 30, he told me he is caught in a love triangle.

 

OK. The age is insignificant. We can always fall in love again at the age of 80. Right?

 

So he told me his story and in the midst of our conversation, I asked.

 

'Would you prefer to love or be loved?'

 

He wasn't sure. In fact, I too am not sure but I am convinced that being loved is far better than loving someone.

 

To love somebody takes a lot of energy, strength and emotional setbacks whereas to be loved would mean more like sitting in the passenger's seat and let things go almost auto pilot. Agree?

 

At least the chances of being hurt and leaving the relationship with a broken heart would be minimized. No teary eyes and sleepless nights.

 

But on the other hand, you love her so much that when the day that relationship falters, your eye balls will start to pop out due to over exhaustion of the tear glands. ( are there tear glands? )

 

So where do you stand in a relationship?

 

For me, I think I am the receiving one in my marriage.

 

Shhh …. Please don't tell Sandy about this. I aren't afraid she'll hit me but I am just afraid she'll love me lesser and I'll end up having to love her more thus changing the tides of love.

 

Ok, now it makes no sense because we do not know how to measure love. What units do we use? Amperes?

Every first step is difficult ...

Let's be honest. When we made our first steps as babies, it was sheer difficult but perhaps we couldn't remember much about it thus people sometimes say the first step is the easiest.

Every life and every form has a beginning. Everything we see has a story but not every story was told to us. The same goes for my story.

In this couple of months, a new beginning is taking shape for me. It is a rough ride right now and I just have to get through this tumultuous times until yet another new beginning comes about - another change would mean yet another new beginning isn't it?

My first anniversary and it remains fresh in my memory ...

Last year today, Sandy and I both said ' I do '. I do to a whole new world, I do to a whole new life and as one. As husband and wife that shares the same surname - Chong. A unity of love and a promise to care for one another, through thick and thin, through riches and rags, through good and bad health.

 

Everything that happened during this period last year is still fondly cherished and remembered.

 

From the gestures of family and friends that took time to witness the biggest event of our lives as well as the moments they spent with us partying, merrying.

 

Of course, I have to thank those close friends who made our wedding a total success especially on that rainy day in Sentosa. I can remember how the skies opened and partied by showering us with lots of love in rain.

 

The bachelor parties, the drinking sessions and the drunkards we created all in the name of fun and great company.

 

Yes, I remembered also how I cried on stage and how I managed to serenade the crowd with my own composition of romantic tune. Somewhat, Sandy didn't get my lyrics right even till today but it's all great because I fulfilled my wishes in having my own 'mini - concert'.

 

The days that followed after the wedding was a fantastic time spent with a close buddy. I do not know if Sandy and I will ever find such fun and company ever again in a vacation - a double date away from the little dot we live in.

 

From what I can remember, everything went smooth and almost as planned.

 

I hope in the many years to come, I can still do a playback in my mind of what happened during the summer of 2008 as I know, these cherished moments can only happen once in a lifetime.

 

Happy 1st year anniversary. As of now, we still do not know what we'll be having for our anniversary dinner. We'll likely visit Amara Sanctuary again and try to walk those path that we step foot a year ago. Hand in hand, heart to heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A game of survivor?

 

 

After bowling with Geoffrey and Beatrice last night, Sandy and I were approached by another couple.

 

First they took out a stack of serviettes and asked if I would like to learn how to make a rose using a piece of serviette. Frankly, I wasn't interested but I obliged because they seemed pretty sincere.

 

So the guy ( Ryan )  showed us how to do it with trembling fingers. His fingers were practically shivering. In the midst of his demonstration, I asked the girl ( Sharon ) what is this all about.

 

She stuttered and told us that they were part of a survivor game series in Singapore and that they will need to get down to the airport the next morning presenting to the game host a hundred Singapore dollars. They also told me that they were hungry and haven't had their dinner and have no place to sleep tonight because this was all part of the guidelines laid out by the organizer.

 

Was I convinced? Frankly, no but Sandy and I played Mr and Mrs Smith. Kidding. Mr and Mrs Nice Guys.

 

Ryan completed his origami and Sharon went on to explain the situation further and asked if we could contribute some money to them. As you know me, I would have said yes and even though I am so broke, I had thoughts of parting 20 bucks just for them. OK, I have a soft spot. You know it don't you.

 

Sandy suggested buying them dinner instead so we told them to join us at MacDonald's since I had intentions to grab a sundae. We asked if they wanted a full meal and they told me they'll rather have some cash but Sandy refused and ordered two McChicken burgers for them instead. They had no choice but to thank us before walking away looking disappointed.

 

Is this all a scam? Yes. We knew it was a scam but we didn't want to take the risk just in case these two chaps really got hungry but that's all we can do for them because Sandy and I know how it feels like to be hungry with no food to eat. To us, we did something good but if these guys were out to cheat us, so be it.

 

They did wrong. We didn't.

--
http://hidekram.blogspot.com/

Missing stuff ...

Life is getting a little boring here with nothing much to do. No visitors from overseas, no big bang parties. I guess it is due to our recent purchase of our home that we feel nowhere else can be more comfortable than being at home.

 

We haven't really found the strength and energy to go shop for some missing items of the house. I am still missing two side tables and a television console for my bedroom. Did I blog about this already? : )   Of course, we are still missing a wardrobe in the guest room too but that can wait.

 

I frankly can't wait to get myself the television console because my sound system is still at Marine Parade and I miss listening to the radio while in bed.

 

There are so many things I miss actually. CD racks, book racks and photo albums. I still have a few cartons of items I left behind at my parents' place and the things in the cartons are things I collected throughout my teenage years. I think I also will need a display cabinet or whatever you call that.

 

It'll take time I guess since weekends are pretty busy entertaining family.

Bra Talk ...

No typo, no blurred eyes. Indeed am writing about bras today. Bra talk, not Breadtalk.

 

Well, you must wonder why the sudden interest in this topic.

 

My wife often comes up to me asking me if her bra was showing under some other cloth she has over her and I would always tell her it looks fine even with the lacy prints showing. ( Did I use the right term? )  

 

As an open minded chap like myself, I think it is fine to have those designs stick out as long as it isn't something else sticking out. You know what I mean right?

 

I think all men out there would think it is normal having a little bra being revealed but men would think even naughtier if they realised nothing else was below the blouse the ladies wear above their skin so isn't it better showing some lacy prints instead to make sure men think straight.

 

Oh, talking about lingerie, a guy friend just told me about his massive collection of sexy lingerie. I wonder whaton earth does he do with it. I certainly hope it is not for cross dressing because I don't think he'll look better than me in a dress.

 

Lost and found ...

I always thought the term "lost and found" to be pretty amusing. I should perhaps write my thoughts about it the next time I sit at home with a computer.

Anyway, I found a latest model of a Sony Ericsson phone this afternoon and sent it out to the police station so that the item can be found by the lost owner. :)

Ok, I wonder who got lost first. Was it the phone or the owner? Beats me.

Catching planes ...

My in-laws are back and am at the airport awaiting their arrival typing this blog.

With nothing much to do, I tried snapping photos with my camera phone but the effects suck. If only I purchased one of those SLR cameras.

Its funny. My father-in-law called and asked me to return home and hear this, it's a funny reason.

He heard some chaps coughing and is pretty much afraid that he might be carrying some H1N1 virus. Afterall, he came back from a place with the virus HK.

I told him it was ok and that it didn't bother me since we do know the flu can be cured and is likely just another strain of virus.

Anyway, check out the photo. Lousy huh?

A quiet morning swim ...

Besides the sun being out, no one else seems interested to enjoy the swimming pool as much as us. Perhaps its a work day thus no one has the time to take a dip in the pool.

I managed to do a few laps and that's it. I was punctured. I was gasping for air and the muscles ached a little. It was time to stop after swimming for only 15 minutes or so.

I used to do better in terms of speed and stamina. Sandy urged me on but I gave up. Anything more would likely lead to heavy consequences - water entering my lungs.

Swine flu ...

The swine flu has hit America as well as some European nations and it seems to be coming in the direction of Asia now.

Can you remember what it was like during the days when Asia was hit by the SARS outbreak?

It was a common sight to see people wearing masks and everyone was paranoid whenever someone coughed or sneezed. Looks like it is going to be a repeat of what hit us in 2003.

Tourism came to a halt, the economy went berserk and people were dying every day.

The governments sent a red-alert signal across nations and placed barricades to try and stop the bacteria from forcing its way through the immigration borders.

Thankfully the Singapore government did well and managed to get us out of further deaths within a month or two and I am sure this time round, we'll have more than enough ammunition to fight out this swine flu but let's hope it won't be as serious as how it was in 2003.

I can only picture the winners out of this ordeal - makers of protective masks and bacteria fighting cleaning solutions.

Luis is turning 1 this May ...

A year ago, Luis was delivered in Mount Alvernia and very soon, he'll turn one next month.

Seeing him grow up a healthy boy surely brings smiles to us all.

I believe Luis is going to be a cheeky boy and surely a playful chap when he grows older and that is what's going to excite all of us later on as we wonder if he is going to take on his father's traits.

Here is a photo of him in the midst of a gambling session. Too young to learn the game of mahjong?

Sushi making ...

Finally I got to eat sushi that was made by my sis-in-law. The last time she said she'll make it for me was more than a decade ago. Yes, 12 years is surely a long wait but what matters most is I finally got to savour the delicious handrolls and makis she made with her own hands.

Check out the video and see if you'll like to place some orders with her too but bear in mind that you might only eat it after another 10 years.

By the way, I am sorry you might need to tilt your head to watch the video. : )

A mothers' celebration ...

Having three cakes together seems to be pretty unusual but that is what happens when there are three birthday celebrations that take place at the same time.

Happy Birthday to Grandma, Mum and Godma!

May their days be filled with great health and lots of happiness!

Thank you to Weisheng for the cakes which he has contributed. Indeed a very filial son and a supportive brother too.

Junsheng, it'll be your turn in a few years so start working hard now.

Fatty liver ...

It's been a week and I have not yet received news from the doctor regarding
the medical tests I did last week. It is good news isn't it? At least for
now it is. The nurses told me if anything goes wrong with the results, I
will be notified immediately so fingers crossed.

I can roughly tell what is wrong with the body through my daily lifestyle.
High cholesterol is a sure thing but diabetes has so far not been detected
all these while so I guess that one shouldn't be on the list of my worries.
Afterall, I don't drink a lot of soft drinks.

When I stepped on the weighing scale last week, the nurse told me to watch
my weight as the scale shows a little more than I should be. Wait. I am not
obese. I just have 24% fats in my body which I will try to rid off. Frankly,
if I had 24% of fats in my body, I wonder how much more would my other
friends have. : )

So blood was taken, ultrasound in the stomach was done and guess what? I
have fatty liver. Reason behind it is once again lifestyle. Alcohol, oily
and fatty food is what I will need to avoid. I guess my meals will have to
consist of more sushi, sashimi and importantly adequate servings of green
leafy veggie. I will cut down on beef and pork but more chicken breast
without the delicious skin. Darn! I will also need to cut down on eggs but
frankly, I don't eat much of them.

Yes, exercise is most important given my unhealthy lifestyle. Sandy plans to
jog with me in the evenings after work and we'll do some laps in the
swimming pool. My buddies have also asked me to play basketball on a weekly
basis but that again died off after only one attempt. Maybe I should just do
something I loved so much when I was younger – put on those blades and show
off some stunts or maybe, cycling. Talking about that, I need to move my
bicycle to Simei. Oh, the other two items I need so badly would be my
keyboard for composing music as well as my Bose system.

Back to the topic about my medical check-up, I was informed by the doctor
that there are some lumps found in the neck and that can be scary after
seeing what my grandmother went through. She didn't eat for many months.
Ouch! That thought just kills me completely.

Anyway, let's try not to worry too much about such. We'll just leave it to
the doctors to reveal whatever they are supposed to and until that time
comes, I'll just live my life like how I want it to be. Merry and Happy!
Come what may, I'll ward it off at a later stage so don't worry. I'll still
be who I am. The one and only Mark Chong you'll ever know.

The day Heaven shook my hand ...

In bad economic times, people seek religion to subdue their fears of instability and I am one of those who do the same.

 

Frankly, I was astonished when I had such a close encounter with the subject and I never thought I'll ever stand that close to Heaven.

 

I always heard that Heaven and Hell were separated by only one thin line but not many can tell the story about what both places have in them. A rosy garden versus a fiery oven? I don't know.

 

As usual, I do think a little too much. Have I been good or have I been bad. Do I deserve the finer things in life or do I not.

 

As we often hear preachers talk about Heaven, I always wondered how heaven really look like.

 

Within minutes, the news spread. Heaven has arrived at her new work place.

 

While Heaven was introduced as she made her rounds with a HR colleague, I sat at my chair nervous.  Like every new face in the company, Heaven was shown her way around the many desks filled with files and more files. I too didn't escape from this really difficult taks. The number of people you had to meet and the names you had to remember did cause me anxiety then.

 

Finally, they made their way to my desk and as Heaven approached, she reached out her hand and introduced herself politely.

 

Aren't we all glad now that Heaven is going to be on our side at least for the next couple of months at work? What more can we ask for in times of trouble.

A rainbow birthday ...

In an hour's time I will hit the big 3. Yes, I will be 30.

So what happens when one turns thirty from twenty nine? The cake gets lesser candles.

As usual, birthday week is often lined up with dinners and get together with family and friends. What else can we do but eat in Singapore? Frankly, I enjoy eating and having the company of family and friends so this is always a great excuse to be with them or should I say, it is a very good excuse for them to be with me. Both ways only benefit me. Just think of all the delicacies one gets to enjoy in the birthday month.

All these 30 years, I had my fair share of birthday parties, surprise parties, get-drunk parties and sex parties. Ok, kidding. Haven't been to a sex party just yet.

I often try to recall the birthday parties I have had. From MacDonald's to high end hotel parties, I had them all. My parents dote on me so much that they make every effort to throw a party for me and my friends whenever possible.

I can still remember how I spent my 17 year old party at the Pan Pacific hotel and the gifts my parents and my godparents bought me. At that time, Sandy hasn't entered my life fully. We were only acquaintances from the January 1997 orientation at school.

That year's party had all my close friends with me. Hanwen, Edwin, Timothy and Yiliang. Sadly, am only in contact with Hanwen and Edwin. I guess that's life. We thread on certain journey together and after that phase of journey passes, we split ways.

Now as I am turning 30, I sit back and think of my life. Frankly, I have it all. I can be considered pretty lucky in life. In terms of affinity and career, it is sailing pretty well. The occassional storm comes and goes but I know at the end of it all, I make it and make it pretty good. So what more can I ask for?

At times I feel like a lost child even though I turn 30 at the stroke of midnight. I acheived most of my goals ( except for little Mark / Sandy) and I crave for more. Cravings can be dangerous if kept unsupervised. The more ambitious one gets, the harder he falls. I guess at the age of 30, I should just let the year pass me by slowly and gently and let loose the tight reins I have forcefully held on. It is time to relax a bit and enjoy a little.

For now, I shall sit back and enjoy the beautiful sound coming from the sound system that sits in my living room. Happy 30th Birthday Mark! May all your wishes come true and may you find lots of happiness in the many more years to come.

2 Nights with X-Japan ...

All it took was for Yoshiki's ivory keys to bring me tears and what was even more emotional was that after 14 years of dreaming that I finally made it to watch my first X-Japan concert live in Hong Kong.

Now listen, I watched it twice in Hong Kong in two consecutive days.

Of course, after the concert ended on the second night, reality became a dream of memories all again.

I am now looking forward to hearing news about the next concert and hopefully that'll happen in the next couple of months in either Beijing or Shanghai.

I will try all means to make the dream come true yet again. Of course, the biggest dream is to watch it on New Year's eve in Tokyo Dome. Hopefully, I'll have that dream come true by end 2009.

X-Japan sure played an important part of my life and I will always keep those memories close to my heart.

The moments I have been waiting for ...

This two weeks will surely bring me lots of unforgetable moments.

Firstly, I will be heading off to Hong Kong to watch my beloved X-Japan's concert and this has been something I have been looking forward since 1996 and my, that's a long wait of 12 to 13 years.

X-Japan has been my favourite musicians all these while and I have been waiting for this day to come whereby I can watch them right before my eyes. On Saturday, this will be a dream come true for me.

When I was younger, I used to urge my father to purchase as many LDs ( Laser discs) for me from Japan and thinking about it, at the age of 17, I already started online purchases by ordering their merchandise, CDs, books and posters. Frankly, I cannot wait to have all these displayed in my new home.

Talking about my new home, I am going to move in next Friday and wait till you hear this - I have yet to collect my house keys and will only collect it next Tuesday after I return from my trip.

Sandy and I will rush through everything. From painting to cleaning so that we can move in before the Lunar New Year and yet again, another dream come true for me because all these years I have been waiting to have my own home and my own living space.

Am happy I will be able to have a place where I can sit happily to appreciate my DVDs. I wonder if I will be able to get my hands on a Laser Disc player because if I did, I will be able to entertain myself with the numerous X-Japan concert discs.

Wish me luck and I certainly hope in two weeks time, I will be blogging about my new home and what joy it has brought me and Sandy.

Worrying ...

I just recently read a book by the name of 'Why Worry!' by K Sri Dhammananda. It isn't exactly a religious book despite it being written by a Buddhist teacher but there was a very interesting metaphor he mentioned.

He mentioned something about people with lots of worries and paranoid by nature and these were people who made the lives of others unhappy especially those in the family.

I kind of felt that this was a rather true reflection and I have learnt that one should not worry too much or show others his worries. One should not be paranoid and instead of filling the head with negative thoughts, one should try to fill it joyous thoughts that influence others.

I guess I'll share more about my thoughts on the book in another posting as Sandy is now rushing me to get off the computer as she wants to use it to watch her DVD.

ERP and transport fares ...

Just in the year 2007 / 08 and those were when times were better, the government increased ERP fares as well as public transport fares and I repeat, it was when times were good.

Articles splashed all over the papers nowadays show slow or even negative growth and yet the government has not made any adjustments to bring such living costs down.

When the bus fare hike was announced, it was mostly on the basis that oil prices have risen so much that bus transport companies were losing bits of their profits and thus a rise in fares was required but today, the explanation was different. The prices have to stay where they are now and not come down because competition was stiff and bus companies needed to expand their business and maintain the fleets of buses.

I sort of found it silly but what to do? That's life isn't it? When such fares increase, our salaries hardly increase and I wonder employees in such public transport companies, are they also not getting an increase despite profits raked in? Is this fair? I dare not comment.

After 10 years ...

I remembered reading the bible 10 years ago and I was pretty close to completing both the new testament as well as old testament. Bet you didn't know that and this might be a shocker too, I used to go to church pretty regularly too.

Anyway, don't ask me further but I thought I'll share my experience about my visit to a church after 10 years.

My mother-in-law was baptized this afternoon at a church in the eastern side of Singapore and Sandy, Beatrice and I witnessed the event.

I sat and listened to the sermon patiently and pretty attentively. I heard every word the pastor spoke but at the same time I looked all around me. It was quite a big congregation that was present at the chapel hall but I was rather disappointed with the behavior of some fellow church goers.

There were people who talked loudly on their mobile phones while some were dozing off and sending text messages. This wasn't something I experienced when I was in the previous church I attended. I felt really uncomfortable seeing the many people who were not sensitive to the people around. Perhaps, Singaporeans really don't know their manners. They don't know how to behave.

Forget the incident at the church. If such a thing can happen at a church, why not cinemas? We still experience fellow movie buffs having their phones ringing in the middle of a show. Again, I think Singaporeans really need to learn to be graceful just like what our government campaigns are about. It is sad but it is true that this happens in a country like Singapore. Maybe the government should put a hefty price tag to this - yet another fine imposed.

Back to the church event earlier, I felt like visiting old friends at my previous church at Cambridge Road. Pastor Richard, Collidear and if Timothy is still around, it'll be nice to re-visit those days with him again. Frankly, I miss that chap.

Farewell 2008 ...

2008 brought me lots of joy and it sure will be one of the years which I will remember most.

At the beginning of the year, a big party awaited us as my buddy Hanwen and Clara had their customary wedding dinner in February 08.

The months that followed were also very exciting as Sandy and I prepared for our own wedding in June 08. Wedding invites, schedules as well as work kept me busy.

On 7 June 08, Sandy and I finally tied the knot at the Amara Sanctuary in Sentosa.

Just right after our wedding, we embarked on a honeymoon that went very well. I guess it was the companion of best friends as well as a splendid choice of location in Japan that made the honeymoon a perfect honeymoon.

In the second half of the year saw a change in job for me as I explored other opportunities within the same industry and that was when I joined GMAC in August 08. It was indeed another good choice I made.

In Oct 08, my younger brother Weisheng entered the army to do his duty for the nation just like every other able bodied man in Singapore. I have to say this is going to be a rather life changing experience for him and it is only now that we all know he is a grown up and will be able to fend himself along life's journey. He is no longer that little boy we all had. He is now a soldier that will fight enemies when the time arises.

In November 08, Sandy and I found a place we'll call home at Melville Park. This is going to be the biggest investment that both of us have made together and this is also going to be the place where I can hide from the world. With peace and serenity, I am sure my new home is going to be the place I want to be most of the time. We are looking at moving in Feb 09 - hopefully.

I guess the main highlights of the year was my wedding as well as my purchase of home therefore 2008 is the best year for me despite the numerous negative news that impacted the market, causing it to fall into an economic downturn.

However, there is something which I wasn't able to fulfil in the year and that was to move into my new home before 2009 as that was one wish I had when I counted down to 2008 but nevertheless, I have found a place and that is what is really important for me and Sandy.

Ups and downs we faced together, Sandy and I will surely keep these memories of 2008 and these memories will surely last a lifetime ... but before we chuck aside these memories, I guess we would like to thank the many people who attended our biggest party in our lives - our wedding. We want to thank everyone for the well wishes as well as the many foreign guests that took the time and effort to attend our wedding.

We would also like to thank our families especially my parents and godparents for helping me out with the wedding preparations, of course not forgetting Beatrice and my other close friends who also played a part to make our wedding a success. 2008 is a highlight of our lives and we thank you for contributing postively to it.

As we bid farewell to 2008, I am sure 2009 will be a better year for us all. Let's look at it postively and walk the journey together.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ...!

I know it has been a while since I last updated this blog and this could likely be the last blog before the year ends but I hope in 2009, I would be able to carry on posting regularly to this blog as this is a platform for my friends and family to know more about what's going on with my life.

 

Perhaps you can look forward to reading about some of my accomplishments for 2008 and what I want for 2009.

 

Until then, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the days of 2009 be filled with lots of laughter and joy.

The rainbow after the rain ...

I hear this pretty often but I never really gave it much thought about it.

Rain often brings people like us lots of inconveniences. Umbrellas and getting our selves soaked wet but what happens after a downpour?

A cooler climate which Singaporeans tend to enjoy better and a possibility of a colorful rainbow across the skies. Without rain, rainbows will not present itself. Without bad days, what good are happy days?

So the next time when you feel like life is getting tough and you are feeling miserable, believe this. Believe that even after a fiercest storm, a rainbow could still appear in the skies smiling as you await better day ahead.

Again, it is easier said than done but I at least I am trying ....