It's that time of the year again...

Hurray! It's that time of the year again, when

- tiredness and haggardness become increasingly more evident...

- ...but not my wisdom

- my body starts to shrink at an exponential rate...

- ...and the same goes for my willy (gasp!)

- my bones tend to be more porous...

- ...and so does my brain, effectively turning me into an airhead

- I stretch out my arms at their fullest and shout out "I'm the King of the world" at the top of my voice...

- ...and realise I'm the only one in my "world", thus I also play the role of the Queen, the Prince, the Princess and also the mischievous Jester

- my "age" = "age" + 1...

- ...and my "time left on Earth" = "time left on Earth" - 1

- I marvel at the photos of George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and thought aging will make me more charming...

- ...but I see the complete polar opposite when I look at myself in the mirror

The sky is bright and sunny, with white fluffy marshmallow clouds floating on the blue backdrop. No doubt, it's gonna be a good day today. Happy Birthday to myself. Cheers!

P.S. I received this greeting from one of my buddies, "you're now officially a 26-year-old virgin".... -_-a

A moment of happy-ness

Life works in mysterious ways. Sometimes, our hearts overflow with happiness from someone else's moment of jubilation even though it doesn't involve us at all. This scenario rarely occurs to me, but it happened just a couple of hours ago. After learning of the good news, I began to jump for joy and punch my fists in the air. This act earned me a scolding from my Dad who found it extremely noisy and inappropriate because it was already past 1am.

Somehow, I feel overjoyed whenever a certain someone shares son bonheur with me. And that is sufficient to make my day. =p

Room Maintanence Part 4 - Soccer Jerseys

Ever since I started playing field soccer in 2003, I've purchased numerous jerseys everytime I played for a new team. As I moved on from 1 team to another, the old jerseys were mostly chucked away into a corner of my wardrobe, out of sight, out of mind. While in the midst of throwing away my old clothes, I chanced upon them again. Each had their own story to tell.

From Left to Right, Top to Bottom:

Yellow Jersey: My first ever team jersey. I remembered playing the first few matches wearing a pair of boots borrowed from my friend. The team used to play on Sunday mornings at a secondary school. As the gate was locked, our only way to get in was to climb over it. This act was considered trespassing and hence, illegal. Once, I was caught red-handed by the police but luckily, they let me off. All the games played here were friendlies and no referees were hired. The boundaries and goal lines were non-existent. It was common to see both teams arguing over petty fouls, offside decisions and out-of-bounds balls.

Equipped without any field soccer experience, I didn't have a "favourite" position to begin with. Hence, I was placed at left-back, a role which nobody wanted to play. Being right-footed, I felt anxious and my anxiety revealed itself during the initial matches. The transition from street soccer to field soccer was a bigger jump than I thought, as though they are 2 different games altogether. While the former requires close control, dribbling skills and precision passing, the latter demands one to be physically strong and fit, possess tactical and situational awareness, and reading of the game. Indeed, I was a "feather-weight" on the pitch, and would be brushed aside by my burly opponents like trampling bulls crushing over hapless chickens.

Off the pitch, the team bonded excellently. We would lunch at the nearby coffeehouse after every match and chit-chat about everything under the sun. Movie outings, dinners and suppers, wedding and birthday gatherings took place too. Although the team disbanded in 2004, we still keep in touch with each other. Monthly street soccer sessions are also being organised presently.

This yellow jersey also accompanied me to my next team in 2005 which comprised of veterans who have played together for more than 10 years. This team was at another level; they had skills, composure, and most importantly, a never-say-die attitude and fighting spirit, and these formed a solid foundation for us to win most of our matches. When I first joined the team, I was out of my depth. The captain would be the first person to chide me for making silly mistakes, but he was also the first to guide and encourage me. One of my most memorable moments occurred when the captain remarked that I had made a tremendous progress in my overall play. The other team members also added that they could trust me to perform my job, and that I was playing more and more like a proper full back. When the time came for me to go for my 2-year exchange in France, I left this team with a heavy heart. By the time I returned back to local soil, the players had already retired.

Off Yellow Jersey: The away jersey of my first team.

Blue Jersey: The home jersey of my first team. After playing friendlies for a period of time, we decided to move on to the next level by participating in an amateur league. The players seemed eager and enthusiastic. Our team had nearly 20 players on the roster. Interestingly, we called ourselves, "Serangoon Rovers".

The entry into the amateur league also proved to be the downturn of the team which eventually led to its disbandment. We lost most of the games, and some players stopped turning up. From the initial figure of 20 players, it dwindled down to 10 or 11. With only these many players on the pitch, we found it harder to win. Then more players left. The vicious cycle was out in full force. The imminent withdrawal from the league finally happened, and the team disbanded in 2004.

Orange Jersey: Got it while playing for my unit in National Service. It was somewhat a frustrating experience as the captain always picked the seniors first even though I felt I deserved to be in the starting 11 based on merit.

Green Jersey: Wore it while playing for Raffles Hall in NUS during the Inter-Hall soccer competition.

White Jersey: This is used for my current Saturday team. To date, it is the most diversified team that I've ever played in. There are Malays, Indians, Singaporean Chinese, Malaysian Chinese and even PRC Chinese. I'm being deployed mostly as an utility player, having played left back, right back, central defense, left wing and right wing.

Red Jersey: This is used for my current Sunday team. This is a rather inexperienced team, with the majority of the players making the switch from street soccer to field soccer less than a year ago. Our lack of experience often manifests itself during matches, and have cost us precious points already. Nevertheless, the core of the team possesses a good amount of skill and dedication. Thus, things can only improve in the near future.

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Soccer has always been my first love. I'm not getting any younger, and I estimate myself to hang up my boots within the next 10 years. Definitely, I'm not looking forward to that day.

Early Birthday Present

Just 2 weeks ago, I bought a gaming mouse even though I already own 2 gaming mice. Feeling the urge to "complete" the set, I went out and got a gaming mouse pad to replace the one on my desk. These 2 items are absolutely unnecessary purchases. In order not to feel that guilty, I shall regard them as early birthday presents for myself. Woot!

The invincible "Destructor" pad!!!

How sad (or pathetic) it is for a soon-to-be 26-year-old grown up man to continue getting himself immersed in the unrealistic virtual world? Hmm...

A day in my life - 07/01/10

Today, I woke up early and went to school for a mandatory health screening. As with most, if not all, health screenings out there, my height and weight were taken and recorded. A smile appeared on my face when I saw the reading - 174cm, 61.5kg. Height-wise, I knew I could "grow" an extra centimeter or so if I remembered to stand straighter with my chest puffed out. Nothing unusual about that. But I was pleasantly surprised by my weight. Without eating a hearty breakfast beforehand and wearing just a pair of light bermudas and t-shirt, I still weighed in a healthy 61.5kg, totally above my forecast. I can concur 2 facts now; my BMI stands at 20.2, definitely in the "normal weight" region although my physique may suggest otherwise, and the weighing scale in my house is consistently showing an underestimation.

When the tedious screening was finished, my stomach growled. Kok Yong happened to be in school and we agreed to meet for lunch. I haven't seen him for almost 2 months, and we then spent the next 2 hours catching up with each other. Turned out that he finally got attached to his longtime on-off crush, and had actually spent close to 2 weeks in China for a vacation with her during late December. I was happy for him and envious of him at the same time, wondering when will the day come when he can feel happy for me too.

After lunch, I went to matriculate myself for the Masters programme. The hall was packed full of excited young people, with a huge proportion of them hailing from non-Asian countries. I suppose they are here on exchange for a semester. Seeing their jubilant faces inevitably brought up fresh memories of my wonderful time in France, and made me wished that I could turn back time ever so slightly. I suddenly recalled 1 non-event. If all had gone well, I would be welcoming Vithaya in NUS at this moment too as he had applied for exchange here. But alas, not every decision goes our way, do they? It's a great pity that the course he chose wasn't available, and the alternative course which NUS proposed didn't interest him.

I stood in line waiting to take my queue number. Judging from the thick crowd, I expected a long wait. I passed my documents to the handler and he took a look at it before saying, "Oh, you are a post-graduate student. Please proceed directly to counter 4." Apparently, there was a dedicated booth for post-graduates and I literally breezed through the crowd to counter 4. Upon seeing arrival, the lady who was wo-manning the counter grinned at me. She proclaimed that more than half the day had passed, and I was only the 4th student she attended to. It was a stark contrast to her neighbouring colleagues who were constantly kept busy by the never-ending stream of undergraduate students. Before leaving the counter, I told her, "May you get more business before the end of the day." She laughed and thanked me.

A few months ago, my younger cousin's computer broke down due to a faulty graphics card. I promised him that I would buy a brand new one for him. Since both of us had time today, I met him at Dolby Ghaut and walked to Sim Lim Square. We scouted several shops to get the price quotes for comparison before settling on one which offers the cheapest price for a particular model.

My younger cousin's birthday is right around the corner, and he mentioned before that he wanted a gaming mouse to enhance his gaming experience. Being a seasoned (read: old) gamer myself, I knew the importance of using good peripherals. Without telling him that I was going to get him one, I quizzed him on the characteristics he preferred to have on a mouse. Similar to live mice, gaming mice come in all shapes and sizes; ambidextrous vs ergonomic grips, optical vs laser, wired vs wireless, light vs heavy, simple 3-button vs multi-button mice etc. Based on his replies, I took a specific model from the shelf and asked for his opinion on the pretext that I was interested in getting one for myself. He liked the mouse, but wondered why I took an additional piece and paid for them. It was after I dropped the newly purchased mouse into his bag that he realised one was for him. The other piece? The faked pretext came true when I succumbed to the temptation.

My new mouse, the Razer Abyssus

3 blind mice

This is the 3rd gaming mouse (extreme left) in my repertoire and will duly replace my Logitech G5 and MX310.

As I was running late for a street soccer session later in the evening, I rushed back home in double quick time to pack my boots and jersey into my bag. Kok Yong had agreed to join me for the game in the East although he stays in the far North. Time flies whenever we are enjoying ourselves. This statement couldn't be true enough while we played soccer for the next 2 hours before the lights finally went off.

90 things that a girl should know about a guy

Came across this list on Enzo's blog and found it to be interesting and in my opinion, true to a large extent.

Black - Neutral

Green - Agree

Red - Strongly Agree

1. Guys dont actually like sluts as much as they say they do, even though they have sex with them!

2. “Hey, are you busy?” or “Are you doing something?” are two phrases guys open with to stop from stammering on the phone.

3. Guys may be flirting around all day but before they go to sleep, they always think about the girl they truly care about.

4. Before they call, guys try to plan out a little about what they’re gonna say so there aren’t awkward pauses, but once he’s on the phone he forgets it all and makes it up as he goes.

5. Guys go crazy over a girl’s smile, it’s usually more important than the body.

6. Guys will do anything just to get you to notice him.

7. Guys hate it when you talk about your ex-boyfriend or ex love-interest. Unless they’re goin for the let-her-complain-to-you-and-then-have-her-realize-how-wonderful-and-nice-you-are method.

8. A guy who likes you wants to be the only guy you talk to; if a guy knows a girl likes him but doesn’t like her… he still wants to be the only guy she talks to.

9. Boyfriends need to be reassured often that they’re still loved.

10. Don’t talk about your guy friends to your boyfriend, unless it’s negative, then it’s cool.

11. Guys get jealous very easily, even if they don’t show it.

12. Guys are more emotional than they’d like people to think.

13. Giving a guy a hanging message like “You know what?!… ugh… nevermind…” would make him jump to a conclusion that is far from what you are thinking. And he’ll assume he did something wrong and he’ll obsess about it trying to figure it out.

14. Guys are good flatterers when courting but they usually stammer when they talk to a girl they really like. If a guy seems cool around girls, just see how he acts in front of the girl he really likes.

15. Guys hate asking parents for money to buy girls presents. So they come up with ideas like saving their lunch money for a week. But it never works because guys are always hungry so they end up asking the parents for money anyway.

16. Girls are guys’ weaknesses.

17. Guys are very open about themselves if you just ask.

18. It’s good to test a guy first before you trust him. But don’t let him wait too long.

19. Your best friend, whom your boyfriend seeks help from about his problems with you may end up being admired by your boyfriend.

20. If a guy tells you about his problems, he just needs someone to listen to him. You don’t need to give advice unless he asks for it.

21. A usual act that proves that the guy likes you is when he teases you. Poking, light pushing, blocking your way and random high 5’s are tell tell signs.

22. Guys love you more than you love them if they are serious in your relationships.

23. Guys will brag about anything if you don’t tell them not to.

24. Guys use words like buff or cute to describe girls. We rarely use beautiful. If a guy uses that, he likes you, if he uses it to describe other girls, he probably just wants to sound sweet in front of you, and therefore likes you.

25. Guys think WAY too much. One small thing a girl does, even if she doesn’t notice it can make the guy think about it for hours, trying to figure out what it meant.

26. Guys love it when girls wear their clothes (jacket, hat, etc) especially if it’s a girl they like, they will often let them wear it in unreasonable circumstances…like the pouring rain.

27. Any guy could write out a rulebook or advice book for flirting, but no guy can write out a book about relationships.

28. Try to be as straightforward as possible, if you like a guy, just tell him, they’ll usually be flattered. If there is something wrong with your relationship, just tell him, if hes a nice guy he’ll do his best to fix the problem.

29. A guy has to experience rejection, because if he’s too-good-never-been-busted, never been in love and hurt, he won’t be mature and grown up.

30. If the guy does something stupid in front of the girl, he will think about it for the next couple days or until the next time he spends time with the girl.

31. No matter how much guys talk about arses and boobs, personality is key.

32. Guys learn from experience not from the romance books that girls read and take as their basis of experience.

33. Guys worry about the thin line between being compassionate and being whipped.

34. If a guy looks unusually calm and laid back, he’s probably faking it and is spazzing inside.

35. When a guy says he is going crazy about the girl, he really is. Guys rarely say that.

36. When a guy asks you to leave him alone, he’s just actually saying, “Please come and talk to me.”

37. Guys don’t really have final decisions.

38. If a guy starts to talk seriously, listen to him. It doesn’t happen that often, so when it does, you know something’s up.

39. If your best guy friend seems to avoid you or is never around when you’re with your boyfriend, he’s probably jealous and likes you.

40. When a guy looks at you for longer than 3 seconds, he’s definitely thinking something.

41. Guys like femininity not feebleness.

42. Guys don’t like girls who punch harder than they do.

43. A guy has more problems than you can see with your naked eyes.

44. Don’t be a snob. Guys can be intimidated and give up easily.

45. Everything in moderation. Put on makeup, wear perfume. Just not too much.

46. Guys talk about girls more than girls talk about guys.

47. Guys hate rejection, but they hate being led on even more.

48. Guys really think that girls are strange and have unpredictable decisions and are MAD confusing but somehow are drawn even more to them.

49. A guy would give his left nut to be able to read a girl’s mind for a day.

50. No guy can handle all his problems by his own. He’s just too stubborn to admit it.

51. Not all guys are dickheads. Just because ONE is doesnt mean he represents ALL of us. Quit assuming.

52. We don’t like girls who are too skinny.

53. We love it when girls talk about their boobs.

54. Always make sure you know what kind of stuff you’re getting into before making out with a guy…like whether it’s a one time deal or not…

55. Believe it or not shy guys are the easiest to talk to, it may not seem right but trust me they will start opening up like books after you just ask them questions about their lives and unoticabley tell them about yours.

56. When a guy hits your butt it means that he wants you sexually.

57. When a guy doesn’t touch you flirtily alot, but smiles at you a lot and makes eye contact a lot, its probably because he likes you and feels weird about touching you…but really wants to.

58. Even if they refuse it all guys are ticklish on the ribs.

59. Guys love neck rubs and if he lets you keep doing it… it means that he really likes you or his neck really hurts.

60. Guys seek for advice from girls not other guys. Because most guys think alike, so if one guy’s confused, then we’re all confused.

61. If a guy tells you to dump your boyfriend, he’s being a twat, if he tells you that there is the possibility of finding someone else (HIM) if you do dump him, he probably likes you and just wants to see you happy.

62. No matter how much they complain (if they do), guys actually like it when girls lean on them.

63. Guys relate everything a lot of things to sex… a joke, a slip of the tongue, a giggle, a yawn, a stretch, whatever…its stupid but true.

64. If you add a guy on myspace or Facebook and you don’t know him…chances are he’ll assume its because you’re attracted to him.

65. If a guy acts like a dick sometimes and doesnt trust you, it might be because he has been badly hurt in the past and is afraid to open up again.

66. Just because a guy isn’t holding/kissing you, doesnt mean he doesn’t want to, you might just need to initiate it.

67. All guys want to make you happy (unless they’re pricks), some just don’t know how…so help them out.

68. Most guys just naturally prefer a girl with a bit of curve.

69. Guys are just as self conscious and insecure as girls, we also fear rejection, the guy who really likes you is the one who will never dare say so.

70. Boys liked to be talked to. A guy will feel more comfortable around a girl if the girl starts talking to them.

71. The way a girl moves her body can easily be much sexier than anything she says or does.

72. Girls: when you slow down with your boyfriend, make sure you give a damn good reason or we feel like its our fault because we can’t comprehend that you really just want to slow down.

73. Every guy has a ‘geeky’ side of him. Whether it be playin games, watching movies, or playing football, but don’t make fun of him if you don’t like it, unless it’s something you both find funny, otherwise just try and learn to like it. Don’t try to change him. If he’s constantly ignoring you for that thing, tell him, he’ll probably try and do it less.

74. Guys will always check out other girls, even if we make it less obvious when we’re around you, it does not mean we’re considering leaving you for the girl on the bus. It just comes to us without thinking, so don’t freak out when a guy looks at another girl. It’s just nature, and we know you were oggling at the cute guy that just walked passed. And hey, guys can have female friends just like girls can have male friends, just because he gets a text from a girl does not mean he is cheating on you. But if this does make things awkward, talk about it.

75. NEVER EVER kick a guy in the balls…seriously. Not even in a fight (play or real) or argument, you can’t imagine how much that hurts (don’t bring up giving birth because you know it’s different). The slightest kick can often have an excruciating delayed reaction…so yeah…just don’t do it…please.

76. When a guy is talkin to a girl, his gut instinct is to make her laugh. Whether he is good at this or not, he will try. As a result boys can sometimes appear immature or weird when you first meet them, but they’re probably just nervous so give them time and get to know them.

77. At some point a guy will try to play fight with you. There are two reasons for this:

a) Guys like to fight and show you how strong they are.

b) It gives them an excuse to touch you.

78. It is very sexy and appealing for a girl to wear a guy’s boxers and shirt. That’s all. We don’t know why that is, but it just is.

79. Guys dont like girls who don’t make an effort. If he travels four hours just to see you for three, appreciate it and don’t admit you wouldn’t do the same, half the time we wouldn’t expect you to anyway!

80. Guys have standards for what type of girl they want to have. Every girl is the perfect girl for somebody.

81. Guys don’t like it when girls amplify things. It’s very annoying.

82. Even the coolest guys, worry a lot about how they come across, they are probably trying very hard to seem so cool. So don’t undermine or mock a guy you like or are friends with, he might not burst into tears but it does not do wonders for his self-esteem. And if you do take the piss, make it fairly clear your joking, it will let the guy know you dont dislike him, you have a sense of humour, and its ok for him to have a come back.

83. If a guy is completely, 100% honest with you about things he’s not too sure/proud of, be grateful, because it can be pretty rare.

84. Although we do relate many things to sex, not everything is literally sexual, they like just being close to you too.

85. Guys only like sluts when they’re single, as soon as their in a relationship, its just annoying.

86. Guys will always be nervous about giving presents to girls whom they like, no matter how close to or comfortable they are around the girl. Your opinion is just too important to him.

87. Guys are often terrified of a girl they like too much. The way some girls make you feel makes it impossible for you to function, the same reason a lot of guys persue strictly physical relationships.

88. Guys may not know how to handle a relationship, we admit, we’re not the greatest nor the smartest at doing things right. But girls are definitely not any better, so please don’t argue with us and make it seem like you know how things are supposed to be and your ways are right. It may seem logical, but frankly, it always isn’t.

89. Guys love anything you wear. Really. Don’t continuously ask them how you look every time you wear something.

90. Don’t rub the lamp if you don’t want the genie to come out.

A quick statistical count reveals 20 "Neutral", 26 "Agree" and 44 "Strongly Agree" statements. If I were to pick the top 3 "facts" from the 43 "Strongly Agree" category, they would be :

12. Guys are more emotional than they’d like people to think.

Beneath my thin but cold and tough exterior hides my alter ego, one which is emotional, sensitive and rarely shown to people.

28. Try to be as straightforward as possible, if you like a guy, just tell him, they’ll usually be flattered. If there is something wrong with your relationship, just tell him, if hes a nice guy he’ll do his best to fix the problem.

The key word here is "straightforward". Girls can try to hint or give subtle clues till the sun goes down, but sometimes (or in fact most of the times), the guys just don't get it! Taking a direct and forthcoming approach will help us to help you.

31. No matter how much guys talk about arses and boobs, personality is key.

For guys who are looking for serious long-term relationships, personality definitely outweighs outer appearance. Being pleasant looking is sufficient. Anything more is just a bonus. (Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a big bonus, does it? =p)

New Year, New Resolutions

Year 2010 is here! The start of every new year is usually accompanied by customary new year's resolutions. So without further ado, let me present my 2010 resolutions for 2010.

1) Learning to drink, so that I know:

- the differences between "on the rocks", "neat", "tonic", "mixer" etc,
- I'm the only idiot who ordered "Rum on the rocks", and discovered it tasted as gross as the ethanol found in typical chemistry labs,
- "Sex on the Beach", "Tie me to the Bedpost" and "Blowjob" aren't meant to be taken at face value.
2) Change my sexual preference. Since I've not much luck with half of the 6 billion people in this world, it doesn't hurt to start exploring my options in the camp of the other 3 billion people. If I'm successful, then "it might start to hurt"....

3) Quit procrastinating. This is a difficult task. Maybe I should postpone it till tomorrow.

4) Start being superstitious.

5) Get a tattoo. To kill 2 birds with a stone (by combining resolutions 4 and 5), I can tattoo a picture of Goddess of Mercy on my chest, and a Buddha on my back.

6) Earn my first million dollars. This is the simplest resolution to achieve. According to researchers, the average number of sperms found in an ejaculation should be at least 40 million. My unique business plan is to sell each of them for a very affordable price of $0.025, in turn raising a sweet revenue of $1,000,000! What's more, there is zero cost incurred but plenty of "job satisfaction". The hard part? Trying to find a buyer/many buyers.

7) Stop lying. For example, don't proclaim there are 2010 resolutions for me to write down when I only have 7 to begin with.

Happy New Year, and best wishes! =p

Room Maintanence Part 3 - Karate

I was rumbling through the mess in my room when I stumbled on my Karate belts.

White, Blue, Yellow, Green, Brown.

Karate wasn't my first choice when I decided to learn Martial Arts in late 2004. Indeed, I took after my father and picked up Boxing. Initially, one of my buddies joined me in the twice weekly training sessions at the academy. The routine was pretty fixed; 30 mins of warm-up in the form of fast skipping to work on our footwork, followed by 30-45 mins of static exercises and short sprints, and finally we would slip on our gloves to practise our punches. Whilst I faced no problem in skipping, the same couldn't be said for my buddy. As hard as he tried, he just couldn't find the rhythm to skip rapidly without getting his legs tangled in the rope. Within a month, he dropped out and I followed suit.

Then, another of my army friends revealed to me that he was practising Kyokushin Karate and had a black belt. Feeling curious, I joined him in one training session and fell in love with Kyokushin Karate. The training was tough and thorough. Furthermore, unlike most other Karate families, Kyokushin Karate adopts a full-contact knockdown style, thus implying that sparring and fights are being carried out without the usage of bodyguards and gloves, and do not stop until one of the fighters is unable to continue or the expiration of the time.

Karate presented many challenges to me. Firstly, I am one of the most inflexible people around. Stretching proved to be a huge chore, almost an insurmountable one. No matter how much effort I put in, I still couldn't stretch as wide or as much as the person next to me. Due to this, I had trouble executing high kicks. Secondly, I had to spar against seniors, who were not only technically superior and vastly more experienced than me, but they were also much heavier than me. In other words, my punches and kicks were nothing more than slight tickles to them, whereas theirs felt like hammers driving through my body even when I managed to block the attacks. I had lost count of the number of sores and bruises I gathered, and the number of times I was left completely breathless or crippled from attacks to my abdomen and legs respectively.

In spite of the challenges and difficulties, I was not disheartened, and trained as hard as the black belt seniors. Twice weekly trainings were the norm, but I attended 3-4 sessions per week, always one of the first to arrive, and one of the last to leave. I came to realise that one's physical attributes form only part of the equation in becoming a strong practitioner of Kyokushin Karate. Discipline, dedication, concentration, respect, humility, self-belief and mental strength are but some of the essential non-physical traits one must possess. As cliché as it may sound, the greatest adversary inside a fighting ring is not the person standing in front of you. Instead, you are your own greatest enemy; if you are unable to overcome your inner fears and barriers, you won't be able to secure a victory over your opponent.

The people were really friendly and sociable too. A group of us would often go for supper together after trainings. A day is set aside during the Chinese New Year period to visit our Sensei at his house. In addition, we organised an overseas training stint in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.

Overseas training in Kuala Lumpur

While our Sensei was giving instructions, my senior and I posed for the camera.

My participation in a tournament

Dodging a punch

It took me 1 year 4 months to attain my brown belt status after passing my grading examination in April 2006, and I would need at least another 1 year 4 months to get the elusive black belt. Owing to my hectic academic schedule during my Sophomore year leading up to the imminent exchange in France, I stopped going to training ever since August 2006. Even until today, a part of me still yearns for the sweat and blood of Karate.

Room Maintanence Part 2 - Teenage Obsessions

A long long time ago, when I was still between the age of 14 to 18, comics and "Magic The Gathering" gaming cards were my fatal obsessions. The savings from my meagre pocket money were unwisely transferred into these hobbies, and what I viewed as exotic treasures then are fast turning into unwanted junk at this stage of my life.

My collection of comic books can be categorised into 3 types; Chinese-translated Japanese manga, Hong Kong weekly comics and American monthly comics. I was most passionate over the Hong Kong comics - I was faithfully collecting 4 different titles at one point in time. It was also no coincidence that I spent the most on them back then, and boy, the publishers did everything to squeeze all the money they could. Special edition cover designs, special edition comics memorabilia in the form of weapons, figurines etc, special edition posters, special edition this, special edition that - they could cost twice as much as the "normal" versions, and I naively, albeit willingly, fell for all these gimmicks.

It came as no surprise that a great sense of nostalgia hit me like a truck when I saw hundreds of my favourite comics and stacks of Magic cards while packing my room. Although they now serve as nothing more than a mere flashback to my younger days, I still couldn't bear to throw them away. Instead, I packed them neatly into a few storage boxes and placed them into the storeroom. I have no idea when they will see light again. Adios Spiderman, X-men, 问天 and 乱马.

Just a small portion of my comics and their memorabilia

Christmas 2009

It's this time of the year again, a season of giving and sharing. Since 2006, I've always made it a point to watch "Love Actually" during this period. It is, in my opinion, one of the best Christmas films around. The soundtrack is splendid and the cast boasts many household names such as Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and also a hilarious cameo by Rowan Atkinson.

This year is no exception. Although it's my fourth time watching it, I still thoroughly enjoyed the show. There are no less than 9 love stories delicately intertwined in one way or another. My favourite romance is the one between an English writer, Jamie and his Portuguese attendant, Aurelia. Jamie was retreating to his French cottage to immerse himself in writing his new novel and Aurelia was hired to be his housekeeper during his time there. Due to the language barrier, they couldn't properly communicate with the other party. But this did not stop them from secretly developing feelings towards each other. There were numerous endearing moments between them. The ending, where Jamie went to Portugal to propose to Aurelia, in Portuguese no less, was one of them. Another part which I really like is when Jamie's manuscripts carelessly dropped into the river and both of them jumped into it haplessly to retrieve them. The dialogue that followed was amazingly sweet.

Aurelia: (in Portuguese) Will you drive me home later? *moves hand to mimic the steering wheel*

Jamie: Sure... It's my favourite time of day....driving you...

Aurelia: (in Portuguese) It's the time I dread the most.... leaving you...

After spending Christmas Eve in Amsterdam in 2006, Zagreb in 2007 and Bratislava in 2008 with the company of my friends, I now find myself alone in my room, writing this entry as the seconds tick closer and closer to Christmas. My friends are either in Church, or together with their partners, or partying with their own group of friends, or just simply staying at home to go through the Silent Night in solitude.

To end off, here's wishing my (few) beloved readers a Blessed and Joyful Noël. Have yourself a Merry little Christmas~! :D