Wednesday, March 28, 2012

An essay about my Father which I decided to compose:

I am a curiosity driven person, so much that I often do my own research to find out how things function. My father was once worked in the petrochemical industry and often brought home different plastic samples which I played with. Being my father, he encouraged me to develop my interest to discover. He was a steadfast workaholic and his hardworking attitude often rubbed onto me. During primary school, we were given young explorer handbooks with tasks in them to complete. My Father used his meagre spare time to accompany me to collect plant samples and do experiments just so that I could earn my badge. Another time, we had to go to industrial areas just to source for a suitable type of Styrofoam for my project on floatation devices. His efforts cultivated me to become a keen learner as well as to start reading encyclopaedias from a young age. When I was 13, he told me that I could learn much more from the people around me than my books, which still holds true today and taught me that being a humble learner makes one a well-liked person.
He once told me that the world has too much to discover, which I replied: "Maybe humans will discover everything in the future." He replied with an adamant "Nope!"
My Father is a great teacher, although nowadays, I do most of the learning myself which I would like to credit him for. He still wants to be involved in some way in my projects, whether in academia or in my co-curricular activities. He was the one who made me step outside my comfort zone and propelled me to develop the skills to discover the world beyond the colourful plastic samples.





signing off.





Call Of The Wild at 11:37 PM

I think I'm going to start watching Last Exile again, something I wish to complete since 12 years old. This time, complete viewing this series.
I couldn't when I was 12 because I used to have night curfews at 10pm. I forgot all about this as I grew older and the occasional soundtrack I listen to reminds me that I have missed out on a really good anime.


1 hour every night! starting from, maybe...tomorrow! I'll start with the original series then move on to Silver Wing!



signing off.

Call Of The Wild at 1:15 AM

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Work day in a poem

My day starts at seven thirty
I wake up smelling weird, unwashed and dirty
Wash up, have a good stretch, emerge feeling brand new
I pack my bag and wear my shoe
So my interesting journey starts for the day
My grand aim is to earn my pay
Oh my gosh, I still have to work till MAY!
Everyday I board the rush hour train
which, frankly, is so crowded that its a pain, especially when there's rain.
I switch at Serangoon and get off at Bishan station
just like many people in this nation.
Dodging crowds fast and slick
I reach the ground floor rather quick.
Security guard scans my identity card
He gives me a sticker as we part.
I take the lift to the second floor
Just in time, I entered the door.

8 hours a day, starting at 9
With 1 hour from noon for me to dine.
My work is repetitive, monotonous and dull
I never got the chance to say: WOW!
(Maybe when i first tried it back in December
but certainly not now from what I remember.)
I do paper sorting, of all kinds of documents
I help in sorting through proof of many payments
I help the company receive and payout commissions
This is one of my multitude of missions.
People call to inquire about real estate, commissions and CPD courses
and many others relating to market forces
I answer them, in much detail but with. many. pauses.
Sometimes people call to vent their frustration
I think they just want someone's attention.
About incorrect amounts or late transaction
I could only lubricate them with honeyed words and reduce their friction.
Sometimes it becomes worse, they have exaggerated reactions
I sit back and grin as they scold all my relations.
(But this happens very rarely)
(no i'm not angry with them, i'm sensible enough.)

Reception is one role I take when a staff is not around
or maybe when she is out dining and cannot be found.
I often stay in the meeting room alone, doing my task
I work with others too, "Do you need any help?" I often ask.
Property agents speak in their lingo
common words include: projects, landlord, bungalow and condo.
I also do data entry for both projects and resale
The amount of money involved is as large as a whale.
Projects have names like Vacanza@East, Auralis or Wis
They really look like places people can retire in bliss.
I write cheques for people who earn their pay
I often organise and check them before Wednesday. (which is payout day)
Sometimes I take a break for the loo,
but ultimately I finish what I have to do.


through the monotony and tediousness
This is not work for carelessness.
A zero missing could mean trouble
make two cheques wrong and it will double.

But above all, I enjoy my day.
Because it's never about the pay. (despite saying so at the start)
Its about the experience and company,
my colleagues treat me like family.
I remembered each and every of their name
every joke they played on me was lame
although office politics was a really serious game
I wished I had a family portrait of them in a photo frame.


This job, I must say, is not as menial as I have much rest.
The previous ones, compared to this, were quite a test.




The day ends with me taking a train back
This is the only time I can afford to be slack.





I look forward to my last month working here.




signing off.







Call Of The Wild at 7:00 PM

If you believe, they put a man on the moon, man on the moon~

hahaha, yes, it's still stuck in my head and I hum it when i'm alone in the elevator.

So how's my day? Well, its about noon over here and the weekday morning is as routine as ever.
I'm still at my workplace but its break time so this does not count as slacking off :)

I've decided to take action on my room walls a few weekends ago; paint was peeling and the paint looked aged and a tinge of yellowish. I wanted to paint it, a complete new coat of paint on my room walls will make it really really pleasant to look at.
Yet, I haven't even chosen the color yet.. Should i paint it in 1 color, 2 or more? Maybe I could draw on them.
That's a great idea! A wall as my canvas! But will that make my room look childish? I still think its a great idea though.Then me and my sister could draw something of epic proportions on the aging walls. She'll probably draw cartoons.


signing off.

Call Of The Wild at 11:59 AM

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A song that is stuck in my head



Mott the Hoople and the game of Life (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Monopoly, Twenty-one, Checkers, and Chess (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Let's play Twister, let's play Risk (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
See you heaven if you make the list (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Now, Andy did you hear about this one
Tell me, are you locked in the punch
Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby
Are we losing touch
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool

Moses went walking with the staff of wood (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Newton got beaned by the apple good (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Mister Charles Darwin had the gall to ask (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Now Andy did you hear about this one
Tell me, are you locked in the punch
Hey, Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby.
Are you having fun
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool

Here's a little agit for the never-believer (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Here's a little ghost for the offering (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Here's a truck stop instead of Saint Peter's (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Mister Andy Kaufman's gone wrestling
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now Andy did you hear about this one
Tell me, are you locked in the punch
Hey Andy are you goofing on Elvis, hey baby, are we losing touch
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool

Call Of The Wild at 12:09 AM

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Agent Smith: Have you ever stood and stared at it, marveled at its beauty, its genius?

Billions of people just living out their lives, oblivious. Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world, where none suffered, where everyone would be happy?

It was a disaster. No one would accept the program, entire crops were lost.

Some believed we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world, but I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this, the peak of your civilization. I say your civilization, because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization, which is of course what this is all about.

Evolution, Morpheus, evolution. Like the dinosaur. Look out that window. You've had your time. The future is our world, Morpheus. The future is our time.

Call Of The Wild at 8:21 AM

Monday, March 12, 2012

Just all about a run

Today, instead of blogging about my usual monotonous work life, I shall instead discuss one of my hobbies: running.


I like running a lot, simply because it is a sport that is easy to attempt, doesn't require any equipment other than running shoes and your body and it gives a wholesome workout to your body.
It is also easily adjustable to suit one's needs! Run at 30 to 40% of your effort to have a relaxing workout; 50 to 60% to burn those excessive fats; 70 to 90% to train anaerobically and increase your stamina and perseverance. All at the same time, it increases your breathing capacity.


I guess I was just drawn into this sport ever since secondary school. I wasn't always fit, in fact, I was quite pudgy when I was 13 years old. I was really determined to shed off my excess weight because I just wanted to feel active and strong ( got scared about my health). So this boy thought to himself:" There's no harm putting in that extra effort, it'll keep me healthy."


There used to be a TAF program for obese students in secondary school and it was compulsory for the obese. Every morning, we had to gather after assembly, walking away from our classes to the field as others stared at us. I felt that it was rather humiliating and really made me feel as though I deserved this physical activity.
This Boy wanted change, he will reject humiliation and make others to think that he has the motivation to run.
I did what others in the program thought was hard, tough...or even impossible; I embraced it.
I ran full rounds around the school field, slowly at first, then to a steady jogging pace.
We collected rubber bands or ice cream sticks after each round from a teacher or student in charge. We had to do a minimum of 7-10 rounds each session.

I saw change in myself, it was not an overnight miracle but I did see a change in my attitude after a few weeks. I started to enjoy it! I never felt happier than to challenge myself to how many rounds I could run each session. Then I saw change in my running speed; I was sprinting full rounds after 1 month.
Each time I finished a round, I gained an accumulated level of joy; of breaking down a physical barrier and one accomplished with a great sense of achievement.
I was tired afterwards but I felt that was all worth it.
I noticed change around me. The once obese recruits of the TAF club seemed somewhat motivated by me running.
I often hear words of encouragement while I run, both directed to me, themselves and their friends. People attempted to run, some jogged, some brisk walked but overall, effort was made to exercise.
One even managed to match my running pace and we encouraged each other while we ran.
Finally, I saw change in myself again.
WEIGHT LOSS!
Sadly, TAF club was disbanded 2 years after its creation because many criticize that it does not benefit obese students as they receive more discouragement and humiliation instead of motivating them to exercise. But I didn't regret the experience.


Presently, i still run to keep fit twice a week. I prefer long distance runs to sprinting because I feel that sprinting places unnecessary stress on the heart.
I run with my friends usually because it acts as a bonding session and allows me to keep in touch with them and share experiences in our daily life with each other, often leading to hilarious situations.
Nature complements running amazingly well. I like to run in nature reserves or parks because the varying lush scenery distracts me from the stress i feel from work. It also motivates me to run because it is interesting to run past different people and objects (I know I am weird. IM UNIQUE AHAHAHA!)



Meanwhile, my goal shall be to train for a future marathon. (I have yet to participate in one)
Till then, aching legs will continue to be the norm after every training!











signing off.
The Boy Who Never Stopped Running.

Call Of The Wild at 11:32 PM