The Day I Celebrated My Birthday

My 20th Birthday was a BLAST!!!!

Actually, any birthday after last year's horrible nightmare of a "celebration" would be great. Oh, I can so vividly that fateful day. A little more than a year ago, I was stuck on a little island called Pulau Tekong doing my very first field camp. I was wet, cold, tired and to top it all, down with a nasty nasty flu. Fast forward a year into the future, I'm happy and contented with status quo.

The past week was really Birthday week. Kenrick and Timothy (3rd Feb), Samuel (6th Feb), Marilyn (7th Feb), Gloria and Terence (8th Feb), Jevon (9th Feb), Me (10th Feb).

Anyway, I went for Jevon's party at Sentosa on Friday. Met lots of new people and had quite a good time there mingling. Sadly, I got a little too intoxicated and "Merlioned" in the impeccably clean toilet of his suite. Ah, the cons of drinking too much.



My only photo with the Birthday boy looking less-than-amazing in my drunken stupor.


Had a cozy family dinner with my parents at Manna Korean Restaurant at Amoy Street on the eve of my birthday cos it was the only time during CNY when we weren't visiting or had any visitors over.



The Korean spread



At Amoy Street with Mummy after dinner. The night view was amazing!


My relatives came over for lunch yesterday and we took the time to cut the Birthday cake in their presence. It was a small but jovial affair, just uncles, aunties, grandparents and cousins. If only those in Indonesia had come to Singapore for CNY.



The two women who have seen me through my childhood: my paternal and maternal grandmothers.


In the evening, I went to St James Powerhouse for a party together with my DB mates and Emmanuel (who brought Rayner along). I must say that the music was pretty disappointing but I had a great time nonetheless cos IT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND AIN'T NOTHIN' GON'A MAKE ME RILED! Was high but thankfully not drunk. Bumped into Bryan and Charles there (surprise surprise!) and hung out with them as well.



Bryan, Me, Raphael, Emmanuel, Rayner (sorry but half your face was out of the photo)



On the podium with Bryan and Raphael


It was a wonderful Birthday adn I'm pretty sure I'll make the coming one (the BIG 21ST) the most memorable one of my life.

Sometimes when you have no expectations, you can be pleasantly surprised when things turn out to be really good. =)

The Day I Talk About CNY 2008

I'm feeling really emo today and I don't know why. Must be the lack of sleep. Yes, that's it.

The time of the year has come again where little children are the happiest people in the world while their parents fret about moolah and formalities. Yes, the Lunar New Year descended on us early this year and I'm here to talk all about it.

Back in the day when we were mindless little spawns of our parents, the Lunar New Year meant lots of candy and a bountiful heap of cash in little red packets. Now, it's just one of the seasons in a year. I guess the childhood allure that the celebrations once had for me has been lost along the way while growing up.

The only good thing about CNY is probably the gathering of relatives that we seldom get to meet due to our time constraints at school and work. It's always nice to sit down and talk with a long-forgotten (ok, maybe not long forgotten, but almost) relative. That and the ang pao's, of course. Even though money can't buy me happiness, it can buy me a whole lot of stuff to make me happy. Heh. Hehe.

I was pretty sad this year though, cos I realized that it's probably the last CNY I'll be celebrating in Singapore for at least the next 4 years. Ah well. 人生无不散自之宴席; People come and go. And I just happen to be the one who will be going away.

I shall make full use of what's left of my time in Singapore and not leave with any regrets.

The Day I Go CD Crazy

The past week has been pretty mundane because after awhile, you realize that work is basically more or less the same day in day out. The only interesting thing perhaps is what I noticed when I got myself heap loads of CDs.

Been on a DIVA craze lately and out of the five albums I bought, only 1 was not from a solo female artiste (the 5th CD's "Devils & Angels" by Mêlée). The four ladies are namely Leona Lewis, Delta Goodrem, Alicia Keys and Celine Dion. What spiked my interest after actually sitting down with the records was the similarities of their CD covers.

Here are the album covers:


Leona Lewis' "Spirit"


Alicia Key's "As I Am"


Delta Goodrem's "Delta"


Celine Dion's "Taking Chances"

Now let's see all four together:



Seemed as though it's the latest trend to volumize your hair and smack a front shot of your big mug on the album cover. Ok, maybe not so for Celine. Well, I can fix that.

Here's Celine before:



And here she is after:


Ta-dah! Fixed. Don't we love conformists? :)

Now let's take a look at all the big faces together...



Ok, enough about the album covers. Let's get into the details:

Leona's "Spirit" was good, as expected. Her hard work on it has finally paid off and she's got quite a few gems in the album that are probably going to become number 1's, namely "Homeless", "Better In Time", "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Footprints In The Sand". However, I find it rather disturbing that "Here I Am", which Leona co-wrote, sounds eerily reminiscent of Mariah's "Hero" (which Mariah co-wrote). Take a listen and you'll know why. Girl, It's time to break out of the "Mariah" shell and be yourself!

Alicia's "As I Am" was passable and not as amazing as her "Songs In A Minor". Her two singles "No One" and "Like You'll Never See Me Again" are catchy and radio-friendly, but besides that, the only other tracks that match up are "Prelude to A Kiss" and the feminist-fuelled "Superwoman".

Delta's self-titled third album was surprisingly good. She's tried out many genres in this new record and her tone of voice sounds as sweet and clear as ever. I can't really put a finger on which song I like best. But if I had to, I'd say it's "Believe Again". "Believe Again" is a very Kylie Minogue-ish dance track complete with her coos and vocal acrobatics, not very Delta but it was very well-done anyway.

Celine's "Taking Chances" was a huge disappointment. Other than her title track, most of the album was full of country and rock songs that didn't really suit her style. Her saving grace came in the song "Skies of L.A.". It's a very plain, simple song that can be easily overlooked, but Celine did a wonderful job in putting a tangible touch to the song's underlying emotional message. Overall it's one of her worst albums but I'll give it to her that she at least experimented with different genres (but the results were "ermmm...").

Going for training now. Here's wishing y'all a great Lunar New Year in advance! More updates after CNY (and my Birthday)! =)

Lotsa love!

The Day I Talk About The New Year So Far

It's been awhile.

The past week has been a crazy emotional roller coaster. Trudged through many downs and even deeper downs with the stress at work and outside of the workplace. But what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. So there.

The weekend was thankfully better than my dreadful weekdays.



Caught Joe Wright's latest movie "Atonement", starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and relative unknown Saoirse Ronan on Saturday evening. It was a rather depressing movie revolving around a lie of a jealous 13-year-old, Briony (Ronan) that that resulted in a chain of events that changed the lives of two blossoming lovers, Cecelia (Knightley) and Robbie (McAvoy). Beautifully directed and impeccably scored, the movie is definitely deserving of an Oscar for Best Picture at this year's awards ceremony. Not a movie you should be watching if you're on a date though.

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Sunday was great as well. The kids in class were very cute as usual, and I finally managed to communicate them at their level. Seemed like it wasn't so long ago when I was 10 myself. DB training was wonderful because the weather decided to be kind to us. Even though dark clouds loomed overhead for the whole afternoon, we were spared from a thunderstorm. Working out and challenging myself mentally always makes me feel good.

Met up with Tammi and Jiapei after training at Arab street for dinner and shisha. I was brought to a really cosy Egyptian restaurant that I never would have found on my own if not for the girls. Quite an experience I must say. Nice food (which took damn long to be served) and ambiance. I'm definitely bringing people there in the future.


The peculiar but titillating Hibiscus drink that I tried. Unique and light on the tastebuds.


My Lamb Kebab. Light and not overly pungent. Really good stuff. Yummm!


Jiapei's Chicken Kebab. Had the identical dressing as my one. I guess all kebabs are served the same way. The chiken was juicy and not overdone. Sidap...

Forgot to take photos at the shisha place though. Sigh. Shall remember to do it next time.

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After lunch today, I went for my virgin Boyzillian wax session at StriP. I thought about all the times that I'd been brutally penetrated by 16G needles "voluntarily", and it was comparatively less painful. Now I can finally go sunbathing without worrying about unsightly body hair sticking out at the wrong places. If you're thinking of waxing, do check them out at. More info can be found on their official website.

Sautered past Nike by B.I.R.D on my way back and saw this (Shaun, this is just for you):


Kobe's new shoes!!!


Aaaaand Kobe's face on the doors!!!

It's back to camp tonight. Oh joy.
More updates next week!

The Day I Talk About Differences

Pieces of a puzzle make up an
Amazing picture
All so small
Distorted and unsure
Differently shaped and painted
Of similarities that are hard to find

When two pieces collide
Different they may be
Can fit together cos they
Were meant to be

Sadly not all are pieces of
The same puzzle
Some try to find the perfect fit
But have to sieve through a thousand
To finally meet

What pieced together
Might come apart
When forces pull in
Separate ways

Sometimes ever after
Never happens

The Day I Talk About The Sand And The Beach

First of all I'd like to say that this post is long overdue. The events that I am about to write about occurred a week ago (sorry for my delayed posting, been crazy busy)

Siloso Beach!
Haven't been to Sentosa in a really long time, so I thought it'd be great if I paid it a visit. Last Saturday, I decided to go for a nice beach tanning session. So I dragged my best buddies along. It was my first time taking the new tram ride from VivoCity to Sentosa as well as my first visit to Café Del Mar. Really really fun. I finally have a nice, delicious shade of brown!


With Tammi at Café Del Mar


Barbequeing under the hot sun @ Del Mar

Will be updating more soon. Gotta rush back to camp now. Once again, another long week to dread (oops I mean tread) through. Sigh.

See ya.

The Day I Say Goodbye to 2007 & Make Wishes for 2008

I know this came one day late, but I've planned to do this beforehand, so I'm gonna do it anyway. This year has been a hell of a ride. I've been all the way up and I've also fallen all the way down. But life's like that. Nobody enjoys status quo; Change is necessary.

1. Becoming a Full-Time National Serviceman



It was one of the defining moments of my life. From the moment my head was shaved, I was branded to be of age and loaded with the responsibility that every adultolescent male in Singapore has carried since the conception of the Army 40 years ago. I've never experienced such a myriad of emotions ranging from incredible loneliness to indescribable fulfillment within the short span of a year in my 19 years of existence. I've carried a friend on my back, willingly allowed people to stick needles into me (vice versa), and jumped from an airplane that's 1000 feet in the air. I hope that the coming year would also be filled with such expriences that allows me to reminisce about for life.

2. Diagnosed With A Possibly Life Threatening Disease



I was diagnosed with hyperlipidimia in late August and my life took a huge turn because of that. I never felt more vulnerable and useless in my life. It was then that I realized that health was truly the most important thing anybody could ask for in this life. Deciding to look at it optimistically, I changed my diet and everything started to look more positive for me. Remember, what you eat determines how long you live. So choose wisely.

3. Tried Out Something That I've Always Wanted To



I started Dragon Boating this year and it has been nothing short of amazing. I've always wanted to try it but never have actively sought out a team to join. Now I have. It seemed almost idiot-proof initially, but when I actually got down to rowing, I realized that it's more that just dip and heave. Technique, power and team-camaraderie are crucial points in the sport. I'm really enjoying it. Can't wait for my first race. As for the five rowers lost recently in Cambodia, my condolences to their friends and family as I know your loss came suddenly and tragically. They will live on in the spirit of the sport.

4. My First Whirlwind Romance



It was unexpected.
It was mutual.
It was enjoyable.
It was memorable.
It was heartbreaking.
I never thought that such a thing would ever happen to me, but it did. If you're reading this, thanks for everything that we've had. It was so special. Even though it did not work out the way I'd desired, it was an experience that I will cherish and remember for life.

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The New Year has come and it is time to say goodbye to 2007. It was great while it lasted. In 2008, I have some things that I wish to be able to fulfill. So here goes:

1. End my stint in the Army peacefully
2. Apply successfully to my desired College
3. Eat well, sleep well
4. Work out consistently and conscientiously
5. Record new songs
6. Save enough to backpack at the end of the year
7. To be a responsible Sunday School teacher
8. Win a Dragon Boat race
9. Learn the guitar
10. To perform on stage again

To all my friends, I'll try to update my blog more frequently. Many apologies for my lack of posts in December. To everyone, thanks for being there for me in 2007. Have an eventful and memorable 2008!

The Day I Talk About Appreciation

We never truly understand what loss means until the ones closest to us leave abruptly.

On Thursday, we celebrated the Commando 38th Anniversary. In the opening speech by Col. Lam, he told everybody present to observe a minute of silence for one of the five deceased dragon boaters who was a former officer of the formation. It was a long, morose five minutes and that got me thinking: must there be a tragedy before we slow down from whatever we're doing to appreciate those around us?

More often than not, our lives revolve around trying to fulfill our physical needs so much so that we tend to neglect the nourishment of our relationships with others by the form of appreciation. How many times have we actually told the ones who are close to us just how much they mean in our lives? How often do we show our appreciation and acknowledge their existence? Are we so blinded by our obsession with rising vertically in life that we pay no heed to our stagnant horizontal interpersonal development?

I'm sure that we are all guilty of certain forms of neglect for those around us. We constantly take people for granted with the mentality that "we can always talk some other day". But some times that "other day" just doesn't come, and it'll be too late for regret by then. Completing tasks, performing well at work, striving for our personal goals etc can only get us so far in life. At the end of the day, what matters most are the people who've touched you and whom you've touched.

It's not too late to start appreciating now.

When you get home from work or school to the warmth of your home, with mummy's home-cooked meal waiting impatiently for you on the dining table, give her a hug and tell her how much you love her. When daddy makes an effort to crack a joke, no matter how lame it may be as Dad-Jokes are, put on a smile and appreciate his effort. Cherish every moment that you can spend with the ones who matter to you.

I certainly don't wish to hear nice words about myself only at my wake. They would be empty and worthless by then.

The Day Of Movie Reviews

After weeks of movie-fasting, I have finally gone on a movie rampage! I've caught not one but two movies within a short span of two days! Two movies! One cost $9.50 (stupid of me to catch it on the eve of a public holiday), the other cost $9.00 (weekend price). I am so broke. But to tell the truth, both movies were worth their respective ticket prices.


~ AFTERSHOW REVIEW ~

Movie #1: Lions For Lambs



Director: Robert Redford

Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Andrew Garfield

Synopsis & Review:
Set in the post-911 climate, the movie explores media responsibilities on political agendas as well as the human sentiments and costs of the "War on Terror". Streep is outstanding as usual in her portrayal of a revered but weary journalist, while Cruise plays the role of an ambitious senator with much charisma and conviction. Redford himself takes on the role of a professor of Political Science who tries to reinspire an apathetic star pupil (Garfield) who has lost confidence in the American political system.

The tone of the movie is obviously anti-Republican and is overly talky and disjointed. It is very heavy on its political agenda and gets too preachy as the show progresses. The outstanding performances of Reford, Streep, Cruise and newcomer Garfield are overshadowed by its choppy intercut sequences. However, it is a very good movie as a prelude to discussions.

Rating: 3/5

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Movie #2: Stardust



Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rebert De Niro, Sienna Miller, Mark Strong

Synopsis & Review:
Based on the novel by renowned author Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Anansi Boys), the story revolves around a young man named Tristan (Cox) who wants to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller), his beautiful but cold object of unreciprocated love by going on a journey to retrieve a fallen star, personified as Yvaine (Danes). Also in search of the star are Lamia (Pfeiffer) and Septimus (Strong), for by consuming a heart of a star can guarantee immortality. Along the way, Tristan and Yvaine encounter and ally themselves with the eccentric Captain Shakespeare (De Niro) and encounter various interesting and unforgettable characters.

The show is well balanced with light and intense moments. It provides the awe-inspiring fantasy that usually attracts children, but also contains elements of more adult nature like murder, black-magic and adult jokes. After a couple of months of clichéd summer blockbusters targeted at testosterone-charged male teens, Stardust is a breath of fresh air. Grown-ups and children alike will enjoy this magical tale that will definitely stay on their hearts and minds for a long time to come.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Day I Talk About Leona Lewis

My life has been revolving around divatism lately. First of all, myself. I realized that I have been quite over the top recently (and especially so when there's alchohol in my system) and it scares me. So no more drinking until further notice. Secondly, Mum (who is always a little over dramatic about everything, but I love her anyway). We got into a big fight a couple of days back about something really stupid (my fault actually). Last but not least, my new favourite female singer, Ms Leona Lewis.



Leona's the first female winner of X-Factor (a UK reality show similar to Idol) and she will finally release her debut album on the 12th of November. As Simon Cowell's favorite protégé (right now), her star is surely shining bright.

Simon Cowell: "Leona has the opportunity to be a major, major world wide star. We are not going to make an album quickly, we are going to make the best possible album and try and make everybody proud who voted for her. We have found a British girl who is up there with the Mariahs and the Whitneys. So I take this very, very seriously."

Note the above emboldened quote. She has, without a doubt, an amazing range as well as emotions, but has yet to step out of the shadows of other well established divas. Case in point: her whole image and performing mannerisms. Don't you think that photo above bears an uncanny resemblance to someone we all know and love (ok maybe not love, but we all know who she is, that's for sure)?

How bout a picture for good measure?


Is this a shocking similarity or what?

Let me illustrate my point further below.



MUSIC VIDEO BREAKDOWN: LEONA



Welcome to yet another episode of MUSIC VIDEO BREAKDOWN: where the fun begins after Music Videos are screened! Today our focus is on X-Factor 2006 Winner, Leona Lewis and the music video of her latest single, "Bleeding Love". The plot of the video is simple: A guy cheats on three different women, who each find out about the unfaithful Cheater and in turn fall into various depictions of heartbroken depression. Girl #3, however, is revealed to have a boyfriend that runs in on her passionate make-out session with the Cheater. The video is interlaced with shots of Leona singing in a variety of poses a la Mariah Carey.

I found many similarities between the two whistle-ranged divas:
(Pictures below are taken from "Bleeding Love" and "We Belong Together" respectively)


#1: They Like To Sit In Similar Poses


Leona cross-legged


Mariah cross-legged



#2: They Like To Lean Against The Wall


Leona sprawls against the wall


Mariah leans against the wall



#3: They Like To Lie Down


For comfort


For her fat ass



#4: They're Wet


"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head *drip-drip*..."


"I can make it through the rain..."


#5: The SIGNATURE Pose



Who's ripping off who?

If I could write a letter to Leona, I'd say:

Oh Leona Leona LEONA, you need to get yourself a new pose (as well as a new everything else), because ripping off poor ole Mariah's not gonna get you to the top. You need to be bigger and better than that yesteryear Christmas Cake! You gotta bring more to the stage! Cut your hair, dress down and go without the make-up, and you'll be a completely different person!

Love you long time! :)

XOXO,
Justin

I swear if they continue this mimicry, they'd one day end up like Britney and Madonna:


"Yo ass is older than mine!"
"Well yo ass is FAT!"

Or something like that.

The Day I Talk About Gimme More

Britney's latest single Gimme More is like a metaphorical drug. Like SexyBack, when heard at first, it sounds cloying and repetitive. But on subsequent tries, the song really starts to grow on you, and you realize that it's the repetitiveness ("Gimme gimme more, gimme more, gimme gimme more...") that makes it so irresistably good. Makes me wanna groove along to the beat every time I hear it.

Song-wise, I really enjoy it. However, Britney's performance of it has been pretty disappointing. By now, I'm sure everyone has either seen or heard about her amazingly dreadful "live" performance at the recent 2007 MTV VMA's. If you haven't seen it, please do:



Bitch couldn't even be bothered to lip-sync properly! And she looks very confused. Like "Where am I? Maui? Why are all these people looking at me?" confused.

But thanks to that performance, we've got parodies like this:



It's hilarious!

Oh, did I mention she's got a music video out for it as well? It's just as confusing as her behaviour! Basically, she's showing just how schitzo she is in her messed-up, disillusioned head.

It starts out with her looking as cute a button like her former self during her Baby One More Time era that it's scary. Horror-film scary. Makes you think "She looks like that now? Seriously?"


Pretty and innocent-looking. Kinda like Ashelia from FF XII. But we know that's not the real her now, is it?

She's got herself a couple of BFFs (aka lackeys) too!



Looking at them kinda reminds me of the Stepford Cuckoos. And Ursula from The Little Mermaid:


What an uncanny resemblance!

Anyway, that's not the main focus of the video. And neither is this:


"Every time they turn the lights out..."

The main focus, everybody, is...


The pole.

Britney's getting upstaged by a pole? Bitch is seriously losing it, credibility and all! Sadly, that's what happens when your dancing pole is slimmer, shinier and brighter than you. Case in point:

Specimen Screenshot A


Specimen Screenshot B


She might as well have been hawking the damned pole!



The video's so dark and all-over-the-place that most of the time, all we see is her hair and her flabbylicious body.



Oh Britney, come on, is it so hard to show your face once in awhile?


*gasp* Gyaaaah!

The Day I Talk About Moving On

Changes. That has been a pretty big thing in my life recently. As most of you may already know, prior to going to Brunei, I was given the red light by doctors for the trip. And I ended up getting me attached to the Medical Centre for the duration of my company's trip.

Now, I've been officially posted out of my company and the battalion. I went back today in the afternoon to collect the rest of my things and to say my final goodbyes. Sadly when I got back, no one was left except for the duty personnel in the office. I really wanted to see my friends again, but I guess it was for the best.

I wouldn't say that change is bad; I've always believe that in any given scenario, there is definitely something positive for me to hold on to. In this case, a new place and a new environment would surely allow me to mature and better myself, and to grow as a young adult.

Moving on is always difficult.

On a lighter note, I caught Heroes episode 2!

[SPOILER ALERT!]
In the latest episode, we discover more about Takezo Kensei's history in feudal Japan, as well as the repercussions of the explosion at the end of season one. Still in 1671, Hiro dons the mask of a drunken Kensei to save Yaeko (the swordsmith's daughter). We also discover Kensei's power of healing (or is it the fan-speculated immortality?) as he heals automatically from a fatal arrow to the heart.

Mohinder Suresh is pulled deeper into his deception with The Company as he is sent to Haiti to heal the Haitian of the same virus that killed his sister. However, his mission is foiled by the memory manipulation of the Haitian, who returns to the US to find Noah Bennet.

Noah Bennet reveals to his wife that Isaac Mendez had left behind eight paintings which depicts yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies, but he only possesses one (which painted the death of Hiro's father, Kaito). Simultaneously, Angela Petrelli is attacked by the same man (who killed Kaito) while in custody, only to be saved by nathan and Parkman in the nick of time.

Peter is still suffering from amnesia in Ireland, and rediscovers his abilities when he tried to protect his captor's sister (who helped him clean his wounds and could possibly be his love interest for this season) from two attackers, fatally killing them.

Maya and Alejandro are still on the run in hopes of travelling to the US. We then find out that Alejandro's abilities not only prevents Maya's powers from manifesting, it can also undo the effects of her power on the affected victims.

Claire continues to have problems trying to act ordinary and has an antagonised relationship with West in school due to his presumptuous attitude. At home, Claire's curiosity leads her to cut of her own pinkie toe. Unsurprisingly, it does grow back in all its boney, cartillage, bloody, muscular glory. To her shock, she notices West looking in from the front door. As she chases after him, she only finds a copy of Chandra Suresh's book lying in the driveway, cleuless to the fact that West was just hovering directly above her.
[END OF SPOILERS]


Other than Heroes, my other favourite TV show is Chuck.


Top: Major John Casey, Sarah Walker
Centre: Chuck Bartowski
Bottom: Morgan Grimes, Ellie Bartowski

Synopsis (thanks Wikipedia!):
Basically, Chuck is a socially awkward twenty-something who works as a computer expert at the Nerd Herd at his local Buy More, a local electronics retailer, with his best friend, Morgan Grimes. Chuck's sister, Ellie, is a doctor who is constantly looking out for his best interests and wants to help him find a girlfriend.

On the night of his birthday party, Chuck receives an e-mail from his former Stanford University roommate, Bryce Larkin, who was a CIA agent. When he opens it, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data, once only private to the Government of the United States, into his brain.

Both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own, Major John Casey and Sarah Walker, respectively, to retrieve the data. As Chuck experiences flashes of memory activated by certain subliminal triggers, he must use the knowledge he now possess to help the government thwart assassins and international terrorists, thereby upending his previously uneventful life.

Chuck's decision to keep his newfound occupation a secret from his family and friends and to live his life as normally as possible forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

It's really good! A must watch!

The Day I Went Grocery Shopping And Talk About Coinicidences

I had dinner at my grandparent's place just now. Before leaving, my aunt passed me a couple of canned tuna that my dad bought but forgot to bring home in a plastic bag. Since I needed to grab some necessities for my daily usage (and consumption) in camp, I headed off to the Cold Storage opposite the condo at Heartland Mall to pick up some granola bars and fresh milk.

Then, I joined the really long, hypothetical express queue (hypothetical because the big, bold "express" is a HUGE oxymoron) with my few items in hand. Before I knew it, I was one customer away from the cashier lady who looked like she kill me with her gaze (she was shooting daggers at all the customers. I guess it kinda works out to long queues=more customers=pain in the butt. Oops, I'm digressing) .

Cashier: "You need a bag?"

Customer-in-front-of-me: "Er, ya."

Cashier: "Sir, do you have 10 cents? It's Wednesday. You have to pay for your plastic bags."

Customer-in-front-of-me: *drops coins into the coin box*

I'd totally forgotten that it was "Bring Your Own Bags" Day today! To make things worse, I had no cash on me and only intended to make my payment by NETS. JUST THEN, I remembered the two cans of tuna hanging idly off my wrist in an NTUC plastic bag.

Phew.

When it got to my turn, I just told the lady to dump the items into my bag while consciously avoiding her stare. Y'know, I really hate it when strangers look at you with the odd killer gaze. It sends shivers down my spine. Brrrr....

Anyway, I got out alive.

Must keep a mental note when going shopping on Wednesdays... Must must must...