Dear TomHa(again),
Haha, sorry for disturbing you again, guess I forgot to update about this interesting conversation I had with someone you would not know. He is a friend of mine, quite a long time one in fact, well, he came back for a short holiday from studies in Australia and we were having this little chat the other day. We were talking about everything under the sun until for some reasons, we began to talk about our future. He said that he wanted to be one of the best stock broker in the world perhaps rivalling George Soros(I hope I got the name correctly), I did not say much except wishing him all the luck that I could wish him... I guess he needed it..haha.. well, then it was my turn and I told him that I wanted to be a firefighter, be part of our local Civil Defence, help save lives and rescue civilians' property.... you know all those grandiose crap that I had for myself.. then he laughed. He laughed at my mediocre ambition(he had always been such an idiot) and then began talking that saving lives is indeed a very noble dream but wouldn't it be better being a doctor as you will help the victim first-hand. Fire-fighters don;t necessary save lives by bringing the victime out of the blazing flames. I corrected his mistake of first-hand and he changed it to saving lives directly. Then he started ranting about the part of rescuing property being really stupid. Well, I guess a rich kid like him wouldn't be able to understand, would he, about the importance man actually place on their property which once lost, could mean more than their lives themselves.
Man worked hard, through sweat and blood, through looking at computers, through toiling through the race tracks and football fields, through sheer determination to build up whatever they have in the form of their property. Be it just a simple house with simple furnishings, be it just a toy that a kid had saved up so hard for all over the months, be it just a book but contains special meanings.. all these are properties that man had toiled for, had bled for, had sweat for, and for some reasons, they will value it more than their lives. Not that I disagree with the buddhists' notion of not bringing anything in birth, not taking away anything in death, but I believe when you try to save lives, if you can rescue the property of that person, it instills hope in him that things can in fact go back to normal again and wouldn't that be an encouraging thought for him? To get him back on his two feet to live on his life? That's the duty of firefighters I guess.. To save lives, to rescue properties, to instill in the survivors a hope that the disaster does not mean the end of the world and that they could and very well should carry on this life that they had so spectacularly lived for. Life is beautiful because of the ups and downs that it imposes on that person. Some may have more of this, others might have more of that, I believe that is fate. However, to give up on life itself is unthinkable for me.. there is too much to live for in life than to die for... thus, the more I think about it, the more I think that the fire-fighter's job is indeed a really noble one.
Well, I guess like always, I think and blabbered too much.. must get back to maths...

Dear Tomha,
It had really been an exhausting week and I guess my body broke down, not because training had been really tough but probably because I had not been getting enough sleep I guess. Wake up before the cock crows, eat two eggs (a preclude to the new chicken year?) rush out to catch the first bus, only to arrive to find that there is no one at kallang. Man, I got to change this bad habit of mine--- to arrive earlier than being punctual..
About my rowing, well if anyone else other than the regular bunch of mad morning kallang people were willing to disagree with me, I would say that these trainings only serve to demoralise you even more than ever. With people like Ben and now, jian Sheng, Jeremy and even the ever absent Zhihao flocking in, it is really sad to be the youngest and slowest in the flock. Now I know what it feels like to be in a herd. You are on your own, and the leaders are not going to wait for you.. Sian.. I wonder how animals survive that from adolescence.. Man are weak..
Not that I am really dead last, there is always Dom to fight it out with me to avoid that place of dread, and last training, there was Junjie! Haha, yep, you hear no wrong, the legendary HC canoeing girls assisstant coach who always rows half-naked.. the upper half I mean.. But then again, he was wearing something on his upper body that day, probably that is why I beat him. Then again, you never know if he is slacking and I do not really wish to know that answer. hehe.. I beat the coach! Wahaha..
Could not really mug these few days as I had been really tired. I could not understand any of the maths theorems in class and guess what.. The professors actually said that those things that he had been gibbering about were like one of the simplest things in the module.. Oh dear, I guess I am screwed. Well, I suppose more outings to the library is a must now. You can't be too far behind when it is only like the fourth week?

Dear TomHa,
Went for the 55/04 OCC Commissioning parade today and man, it certainly brings orgasmic pleasure to every boy who likes all things flashy. The no. 1s, the swords, the fact that the president of the country is watching, the fact that all those you hold dear to are watching just makes this an event that no one would want to miss. But too bad, I took a longer path to that end, and to that I shall endure and hope that day would come sooner than I had imagined it to be. 4 years and 3months... man I hate to wait.
Well, I am in a serious dilemma now, Tomha, I want to join the University Lifeguard Corps leh, to polish up my swimming, but I still have some desire to win some canoeing medals. To make matters worse, the Lifegurad thingy starts tommorrow and it is a course which requires 100% attendance! in order to pass it and qualify for the bronze medallion! Hmm.. Another thing, its training actually clashes wiith both of the canoeing land training.. Man.. It will be a hard one. Shall update you on what's my choice tommorrow. I guess it will be an either or thingy.

Dear Diary,
ermm I think I am going to name you, just like what Anne Frank did to her diary which followed to became an international bestseller. Don't worry, your name is not going to be cheesy, not some Tom, Dick or Harry but... let me see.. arha! I got it I will name you TomHa Dickkery! Wow, cool isn't it? Allright, I think we are really good pals so I should be addressing you by your first name, so here goes nothing!(Wow! And I got for myself a caucasian friend!)
Dear TomHa,
Today I went for my third canoeing training and I wouldn't say that it was great, in fact, it was a rather grievous event. I couldn't feel my thighs giving power to me when I run! This might sound to be nothing to you but to me it is a really big matter. I had been relying on my thighs to bolster my running and they had been my pillar of support ever since I took up sports in primary school! I don't know what actually happened to it, but somehow, it fely jellyish and I finally understand why Jellyfish can't walk... Perhaps it is just plain tired? Perhaps it is giving up on his master as he never really takes good care of it, maybe maybe.. I guess I shall not elaborate further lest this blog turns out to be some training blog(Oh, I felt that my one of my eight pacs is twitching today when I did some twisting excercise today. What could be its chief cause? I suspect fatigue, but it shouldn't be! I just stocked up on some performance enhancing endurox and myoplex and top it all up, more creatine to ensure that I can be more powerful, be a stronger man... yah u get what I mean i hope...)
Back to the match yesterday, took quite a number of photos of a boy who was sitting atop his father's shoulders. I must say that it is actually a ratehr seh picture as the subject is subjected to a background of red in the kallang stadium and it injects youthfulness to the scene, suggesting that the sporting scene in Singapore is perhaps turning for the better and that the sea of red would forever be beind its cause for future glories, that the young and energetic would be supported in their endeavours to leave an indelible mark on the international sporting scene. I think I think too much.. But yah, it is rather seh, as he basks in the glory of the Tiger Cup triumph.. I shan't elaborate further.
Oh yes, yesterday I touched on the bogay cum conductor man who walked around orchestrating the kallang choir, but there is this narcissistic malay girl who never stop pressing the shutters of her canon digital camera, focusing on herself! Kao, that is like the most egoistic thing that I had ever seen before. But then again, with such a handsome boy sitting behind her, perhaps her aim was to take a picture of me instead? Perhaps she is just too shy to ask me to take a picture with her? Aiyo, I so friendly, sure will oblige one... I think I thiink too much again..
Haha then there were this 3/4 guys behind us whom yewei just cannot stop suspecting to be indonesians just because they were not wearing red.. The cynical Yewei keeps saying things like how they acted to support Singapore to avoid being beaten by us, scolding the referee kayu when things go in favour of Indonesia, how they had to memorise the national anthem before the match.. yah things like that.. he just thought too much lah
I think the faatigue is taking hold of me.. I am beginning to spout nonsense.. sigh,, better go sleep and hope that my thighs get better tml..
Bye! Tomha! it was nice talking to you
Until next time!

Dear Diary,
Today shall be a day to remember! After living for 19years, and watched countless matches on television, I finally get the chance to see a real match in the National Stadium! And to add the sense of euphoria to everything, the lions finally win! Surprise! surprise! Especially given the lions tendency to disappoint everybody--remember the 4-0 thrashing by Malaysia. Hence, with a capacity crowd today that had me having to walk one full circle around the stadium before getting in to watch the match, I did not really started out with much anticipation. Just don't lose, I pleaded.. Haha but apparently, the lions had some sneaky plans up on their sleeves.
5 minutes after kick off, or later, I don't know, it was not indicated on the big screen, Indra Sahdan got the ball from someone I forgot the number and he twist and turn and whoala! it was a goal! The whole stadium erupted! and we were all ole oleing! Wow, and I was sitting somewhere near the net! It was incredible, the feeling, I tell u.. Then the next goal came when Indra got brought down by some Indonesian and the referee was pointing to the spot, the stadium erupted again! Penalty! Penalty! and Agu Casmir converted from the spot! The atmosphere was filled with joy and the confidence and assurance that today, Singapore will lift the elusive Tiger Cup!
The match continued and with no vendor peddling drinks around to sell, everybody was apparently getting more and more thirsty, so much so that anyone who walk through with some drinks in hand will be greeted with calls to buy his drinks! Haha it was really funny. Then there was this guy who lost two front teeth and looking like a drunkard, walking around conducting the spectators to sing Ole, but in the end, he got from the crowd BoGay! Bogay! BOgay! Bogay!(to the tune of Ole) He was apparently teased and started conducting the new song! Haha what a joker.
My apparent lack of linguistic supremacy had resulted in this entry being less interesting! ar.. I must be tired.. will update on this event some time!
Until then!

Dear Diary,
Swish.. and a whole week just passed like that. If every week passes as quickly, I would be a really happy man, but no, it is just the calm before the storm and longer days shall draw near soon. New modules don't sound too bad in the introductory lectures, just that electrical engineering is really getting on my nerves. There is this Indian lecturer who seems to be teaching us tamil instead of electrical engineering. He holds his mic like 3 feet away from him and this tamil accent is really too strong. And it is really bad when even I can't seem to decipher what he is trying to say as surprise, I watch vasantham central often... Wonder how the others cope with it. Oh yah, little wonder that those who took it in the last semester said that those ace the list only share two characteristic, either very short names or very long ones: Liu Fan, Siva s/o Valakrishnan Samikumaran etc.. Yah.. u get what I mean..
Oh I guess that money is really hard to earn nowadays. Not going to complain abt the petty allowance the government gives me every year but my income from tutoring. Kids these days are atrocious. They can never sit still and they can't take a little scolding. Aiyo they are getting on my nerves.. If not for the money, I would have !@@!@#$% them up already. There is this boy who is so rude that I spent the whole 2 hours today lecturing him civics and moral today, or should I say yesterday with the fiercest tone and the blackest face which I can conjure. He just have no sense of authority. !@#$ he better not try to test the waters again next week or I will have him crying. Yah right.. as if.. if I have him crying, that will be the end of my income. Sigh, kids these days should really study more chinese classics..
Aiyo, 5 more hours and I think I am suppose to be at macritchie for some 10k run which I had signed up for but failed to get the t-shirt as I got to the registration booth too early the other time with WenYang. Suay loh as what most lame jokes end up to be. And I don't think I have the mood to go and run tommorrow. Have to wake up so freaking early and get on the first bus.. things like that always pisses me off. Waste my $10 registering.. Suay loh. Ar.. Why aren't things going my way recently. Oh and I went for my second canoe land training. I must say that I still got a long way to go man. My lats are no longer as enduring as what it used to be, actually it pretty much applies to all my other muscles. Sigh..Had I know, I would not have let all the trainings I did to my upper body gone to waste for the last full year. It is so hard to get it back. Oh, and interval running is so freaking shacking. I almost vommitted when I ran yesterday, albeit with me overgauging my stamina and following the SP track and Field pace as thay happen to be training at my nearby track. In the end, I could only reach their 200m interval before fatigue took me and I just lay there, motionless, deadbeat. I couldn't feel my heart.. haha.. not that serious.
Well, guess I am going to end here. Must mug more and stop watching vcds liao.. Ar.. Eight movements of the sky-dragon really very not bad!

Dear Diary,
Well, as the age old adage always says, silence is golden and I suppose it really works in every possible kind of domain. Today, I believe that I am safe to say that the whole of Singapore observed at least one minute of silence for the tsunami victims, either through avenues such as the Tsunami memorial in Expo or responding to the calls of the Civil Defence siren. Well, applaudable efforts by the government to instill in a small country, with a big heart. However, the cynic in me is starting to have some doubts over these flooding of compassion. Too many people are doing it everywhere and anywhere. Everytime there is a gathering of sorts of people, there will always be a minute of mourning, but in my opinion, there is always a limit to everything. Too much of anything defeats the purpose of that particular thing. When people gets too accustommed with things, when people gets too tired of things, the side effects sets in and they might just run through the event without contributing to the true purpose. Well, let's just hope that all my nonsense is wrong.
Well, back to myself. Rowed quite a few times this holidays, but I am still doubting that I will be fit enough soon enough, if ever, for any canoeing events. When you get sick of the scenery, the smell of the water, the inevitability of pain, anyone I suppose will get sick. Well, I wouldn't say that I am very much qualified to say things like this, after all, I had only been kayaking for less than a year. Well, let me just hope again that all this nonsense that I had spouted is wrong again...

Dear Diary,
It's a new year and I guess I forgot to celebrate your first birthday! Sorry about that, had never been good with birth dates.. guess I should make that one of the new year resolutions.
Hence, a new year, a new beginning, and of course, a new semester to bring down the euphoria of the new year. This is the fifth year of the millenium and somehow I find it to be special. Already, we are living in the halfth decade of this still very new millenium. So much had happened.. so much deaths, what can men do against such reckless hate to quote King Theoden in The Two Towers, yah, nature's wraths, men's insanity, all combine to countless deaths in the most impoverished places on the planet. I wish that the US tone down a little and perceive itself as a global superhouse not interms of its military might, but in terms of its humanitarian efforts in peacekeeping and aid to the world, I hope that Al-qaeda, Islamic Jihad... would dissolve and collapse under their own ideological frailities, I wish that one day, I would be equipped with the skills in life saving, in property rescuing, do my part no matter how frail and small it may be towards humanity and the nature environment. Nature deseves our respect.. Nonetheless, all these are just grandiose wishes that I have.. more often than not, they will never come true anyway..