Six Feet Under Laid to Rest

After 5 beautiful seasons, the bitter-sweet, quirky yet poignant series about life and death departed peacefully to much public mourning on July 24.

NYTimes: And They All Died Happily Ever After, Sort Of - Spoiler warning!

Bad Love Is Better Than No Love

He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet (Proverbs 27:7)

The human soul is created with a basic need of being loved and Man will persist in seeking after love. Even bad love is better than no love.

So what is love that is good, true and pure? For one, it is acceptance. Acceptance of who and what one entirely is, flaws and failings included.

Are you walking in acceptance today?

Sawdust (2005)

Sawdust Website

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR FAMILY WAS A CIRCUS!

"Sawdust" is a documentary that explores the lives of a legendary family of circus performers, the Zoppés, who have been thrilling audiences around the world since 1842. Unfolding over the course of a week, the film chronicles the Zoppé Family Circus' first visit to Chicago, showcasing a colorful cast of characters and their sometimes life-threatening work. "Sawdust" pulls back the curtain to reveal the performers' humanity and their unique relationship with the dying art of the family circus.

Official Selection: 2004 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
and 2005 River's Edge Film Festival

Blinking Against the Twilight

After my course at SIM today, was due to meet Chan & Wilson for dinner at Purvis St. Decided to pop over to the new central library to explore the famed building.

Approaching it from far, one would spy a white mass of newness towering over squatter buildings nearby. But truly it is an emblem of Singapore's progress, though some protest if it was necessary to tear down the old one which bore much sentimental value - myself included (all those times of photocopying horn concerto scores)!

Headed for the basement first, was delighted to find so many different newspapers available. As usual, the magazines were a mess. Decided to flee from the crowd.

As I rode the escalators, I peered up & down, left & right, looking to discover some fancy thingamajig. To my disappointment, nothing really caught my eye except for the ledges that hug the building. I imagine that they can be extended at will to divert wind or shade the occupants from the shifting sun. Maybe should have taken the guided tour.

Realized that there were exhibits happening on every level, briefly explored the HYPE gallery. Discovered the Straits Times' 160th anniversary photo exhibit on the 13th floor. Wonder why they put it so high up - the only reason I got there was because I wanted to visit the Rare Collections which turned out to be restricted to authorized personnel.




Photos courtesy of country-data.com

The photo exhibit turned out to be quite a joy and also very educational - never mind the national education slant. A few have been published in ST's 160th anniversary edition, but many more are waiting to be discovered. Photos spanning a century of our past captured all of famous (& infamous) events and the Singaporeans' life back then. Some provoked a wince, a grimace or a sympathetic "oh dear..." in me.

One captured a picture of a chinese communist whose car bomb went off prematurely. Another showed nurses protesting against being exploited. One was of children peering into a peepshow contraption to view a short movie for 5cents a pop.

Halfway through, the fire alarm went off. Instincts told me to dash for the exit, but apathy held me back. After a minute, a fire-proof partition dropped down slowly to seal the exits leading back to the lifts. A family of aunties & kids hurriedly dashed through a la Mission Impossible style, i.e. just in time.

The rest of us could do nothing but wait it out. Turned to be a false alarm and didn't wait too long, though the thought of burning to death briefly crossed my mind.

My exploratory mood unspoilt by the alarm fiasco, I headed to the Southeast Asian collection on the 11th floor.

Ahhhhh, utter peace & quiet. Grabbed a book on the history of Ang Kor and the Khmer empire and sat next to the window facing Suntec City. Took in the wonderfully calming view of the darkening sky against the awakening city lights.

Finally Chan called. Lingered a short while longer before rushing over to meet them for Hainanese tze cha - deep-fried pork chop!

Blogging in Schools?

The Students' Sketchpad

Funny!

Clowning Around

Saturday morn: Pet haven @ Serangoon North

Mysterious Skin (2005)

Quoted review from NYTimes:

Mr. Heim's lyrical, tough novel, also titled ''Mysterious Skin,'' lifts what could have been a conventional narrative of trauma and recovery (with equally conventional elements of the coming-out, coming-of-age story) into a vivid tale about the strangeness and awfulness of life.

Mr. Araki and his brilliant cast (which also includes Mary Lynn Rajskub as a self-avowed alien abductee who befriends Brian) lift it even further, into a gorgeous, heartbreaking and utterly convincing work of art. Its characters stay with you, and by concentrating on the lives of two very different young men, it seems effortlessly to illuminate a period and a milieu. To say that it is about child abuse is accurate, but incomplete. It is about the Midwest, about friendship, about the connections and disconnections between love and sex, and about a great deal more, all of it handled with clarity, simplicity and rare generosity of spirit.

A well-done but utterly disturbing show with a well-casted protagonist. Couldn't sleep last night; images & scenes persisted in my mind...

Why Jesus Can't Feed the 5,000 in SG

A humorous take: Six Reasons Why Jesus Cannot Feed The Five Thousand In Singapore.

Fleeting

Went for a run at the Botanics after cell group today. Since I've never driven there before, navigating there took both a bit of mental visualising and also some effort at staying calm.

Originally planned to change inside the car in the carpark, but saw that human traffic was too high and decided to avoid any potentially embarassing situations. Odd that a lot of indians were visiting - were they all frequent patrons of Les Amis, I thought to myself.

Daylight was already waning when I started my virgin discovery jog. Was crowdless except for picnicking families, strolling couples and other joggers.

My thoughts while jogging?

Big dog, hope he doesn't bite. Hmm, if he started chasing me, what would the owner do? Recall incident of woman mauled to death by pit bulls.

Oh, going uphill now, gotta pump it up. Ahh... nice breeze peppered with floral fragrance.

Oh, downhill - go easy, watch those knees. Hmm, real dark now, what if I faint & collapse, will anyone discover me?

Wonder where this path leads, let's find out. Alamak, slow woman ahead running in middle of narrow path. Prepare to be overtaken.

As I squeeze by her, she shifts to the left and utters, "Oh, sorry about that." Didn't reply.

Nice voice though, v. intelligent sounding. Terribly un-runner-savvy berms tho. Maybe I should have acknowledged her apology. Well, too bad now, she's way behind.

Plod plod...

Oh, here she is again. Maybe I should talk to her. Wonder how old she is, maybe she's married. Oh, she's gone by a different path now. Oh well.

Ended the 34min run with the usual cooling down stretches. Saw people gathering at the visitors' centre, thought I spied an Indian couple garbed in traditional wedding gear. That explains.

Lightness

Death Cab for Cutie

There's a tear in the fabric of your favorite dress
And i'm sneaking glances.
Looking for the patterns in static
They start to make sense the longer i'm at it.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho

Your heart is a river that flows from your chest
Through every organ
Your brain is the dam
And i am the fish who can't reach the cord.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho

Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you what you know you should want.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho
[x2]

Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you want you know you should want.

Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho.
[x2]

Little Britain

BBC7 Comedy - Little Britain

Matt Lucas and David Walliams delight in all that is mad, bad, quirky and generally bonkers about the people and places of Britain. This takes the form of a tour around the oddball world of Little Britain, with the booming god-like voice of Tom Baker providing the narration. This is a Britain where the capital city is called Sneddy, where Whizzer and Chips has a political correspondent and where, unlike other countries, there are in fact TWO genders.

Weekend, Hurrah...

click for big pic

A lazy start to the weekend.

After the fireworks, it was a real drag getting back to work on wed and I'm not the only one feeling this way. Had to fight to stay awake during night-time bible study. Belt's getting awfully tight, time to shed some weight.

Met Yongzheng for dinner on thu. Apparently there was a protest outside CPF and a ridiculously over-reaction from the police.

Was at the church bookstore last night.

Not much time to type, G's gonna get upset again at me for making her wait.

Ciao.

Happy National Day

After my morning jog, I flicked the radio on to hear Glenn Ong & FD praising the NDP. Couldn't believe my ears for a moment, till barely 2 sentences later, Ong started dissing the NDP as being staid & boring. Later as I entered the lift at my office tower, I heard Joe Augustin & Maggie commenting how slowly the performers were twirling their fire-tipped sticks.

Here's my response to them: Enough already, just enjoy the parade for what it's worth, like the rest of us S'poreans.

I honestly did feel proud and happy while watching the parade, that I'm so blessed to be living in a prosperous country and that my future's bright and beckoning.

Ong & FD did invite listeners to call in with their comments and Ong asked 1 good question, "If you could, what would you change about the NDP?" And that's food for thought.

The torch relay turned to be a flag relay and the 2km flag-off run felt like an extended sprint. Got worried when the mayor of the constituency started lagging behind, but no one said anything. Was an interesting experience, though nothing spectacular.

Remember this?

For the wannabe film buffs, discovered this cyber-gem: SGFilm.com

Woot! More running!

Signed up to take part in a 2km torch relay on National Day. Pray hard we don't drop the torch!

Coordinator tells me he selected folks who manage 9+ min timings for 2.4km. Woot! There goes!

Truly Madly Deeply

Truly Madly Deeply

Interesting blog done in graphic novel style.

Clueless About Hair

Straw Poll: Should Ed shave & become a skinhead? Drop me a comment, will ya??

Getting fed up. I've come to realize tt for all my attempts at hair-styling, it seems to be flopping. Colleagues commented my hair looks flat & bare today. Man, I should just crop everything off.

Woof

Fray.com: Pet Stories

Fray.com's always been one of my favourite sites, though I don't visit it regularly. First discovered back in 1996(?) while surfing about, the stories are posted by people from all over the world - some inspiring, some depressing - and are nicely presented for easy reading. Read on...

BeyondJazz.net

For nujazz & more.

Comes with podcast too.

Boink

Eating In

Lunch menu: Rice + Mussels + Peach chicken + Kai lan + Pineapple + Pokka Green Tea

Click To Reveal

Courtesy of BBC News

Bright Geek

Good Idea: USB Warming Jacket for the Cubicle Slave who works in a Freezing Office



Similar to the USB beverage warmer (above), this fashionable jacket would come with heating filaments within. Simply plug it in to your PC, strap on and you'll be all warm & snug.

Bad Idea: Death by electrocution or an odd sunburn from irradiation

Word of the Day - Snafu

Guilty

Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie



The atlantic was born today and i'll tell you how...
The clouds above opened up and let it out.

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole.
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean,
Making islands where no island should go.
Oh no.

Those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flood lands to your door have been silenced forever more.
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before
Oh no.

I need you so much closer [x8]

I need you so much closer [x4]
So come on, come on [x4]

Thailand Trip

Pardon the image-heavy entry - it's only selected pics already.



Damnoen Saduak, floating market

Following are pictures taken at pier off Grand Palace:





Grandma obliges when I ask for a picture.



Curious cat came to see what I was doing.



Attention.



Innocent cheer.



More innocent cheer from another obliging grandma.



Thai satay man.



Big-eyed boy.



Bustling Chinatown.



The signature pinkness everywhere in Pattaya bars.



Lazing.



Girl from Joseph beach.



Traffic.

Ed's Love Affair with...

Morning call came at 8am as instructed. Unfortunately Gaurav was moaning about the cuts he received at Joseph beach yesterday from stepping barefoot on a rock full of sharp oyster remains.

"Looks like you're gonna have to go solo."

And so I did. Took the ferry to Koh Larn island, which I hardly knew anything about except that it's got wonderful beaches. Upon arrival, was swarmed by motorbikers offering taxi rides. Decided to go snorkelling at Koh Larn and what a wonderful idea that turned out to be.

As I entered the water, was at first apprehensive since I was alone and there was no one to look out for me. I imagined headlines saying "S'porean, 25, drowns off Thai island while snorkelling." Spying a translucent thing floating ahead of me, I suspected it to be jellyfish and veered clear.

Soon I spied my first fish and happily I stalked them, till I suddenly realized I was drifting past small clouds of jellyfish! Freaked out, I did. But stung, I was not. Saw a school of fish spawning - yup, was swimming in fish discharge.

Later back on mainland, I decided to take a long walk from the pier to the hotel to save money. Another great bargain that turned out to be when I discovered street-side ice-cream (& glutinous rice) on a cone going for 5bht and a wet market - saw turtles & small eels being sold.

Can't wait to get home to Home Sweet Singapore Home. Wanna wash off the dirt and sleaze.

Motorcycle Diaries... in Pattaya?

2nd day in Pattaya - rented a scooter coz it's only 150bht per day with 25bht/litre of gas. Been zipping around & discovering unspoiled beaches & local gems, such as Joseph beach & a hill nearby overlooking the whole of Pattaya. Gaurav's a hell-rider but it's heck of a thrill. The speeding high is really getting to him, it's 2.43am and he stills wants to ride around...

Need... sleep... now... zzzzzzzzzz

Day 2 in Bangkok

Got up real early this morn to visit Thailand's floating market, Damnoen Saduak. Most happy to report tt I finally had my taste of local noodles and milk tea - for just 50bht, that's SGD$2!

Too tired to blog on, but feeling most satisfied & just to let my fans know I'm all well over here.

Till then, ciao.