You know you've been away too long when your dinner conversations with other Singaporeans go like this:
"It's quite worth it, the hokkien mee is only £6 there"
(Remember that it's £1=S$3)
"The laksa's alright, as good as laksa can get without harhm"
"Oh yes, you can't get harhm in london anymore because those chinese immigrant cockle pickers died in that flash flood in Dorset."
"Yes, what a pity... laksa's not laksa without the harhmy taste."
"And tau pok! Here they seem to not understand that tau pok is essential!"
"I totally agree. You need an intermediary between the gravy and your tastebuds sometimes."
"Yes! It facilitates consumption of the sauce and diminishes the jelak effect!"
"Did you know that in hawker centres they are starting to angmohgrify dessert names?"
"Like how?"
"Chendol de durian... and yam soup"
"What the hell is yam soup?"
"Bo bo cha cha"
So you have an elite group of SG scholars (excluding me of course) sitting around the dinner table being suaku about Greek food and woefully mispronouncing the strange consonant-filled names, missing local food like mad and trying very very hard to pretend we know what we're doing. If only we'd gone to Malaysian kopitiam like I suggested! But then we'd be paying like S$18 for a plate of nasi lemak/char kway tiao/hokkien mee that will invariably fall short of the real thing and going against our deepest 'value for money' instincts honed by many years of not going to the hawker stall that sells chendol for $2.20 but to the one that sells it for S$2 instead even if it is at a totally different hawker centre altogether.
See, you don't even find it strange. That's cos you're singaporean and that's the kind of thing we do. Instead we'd rather pay £20 to have 'exotic' Greek food and eventually find that we don't like it after all. Khayce, take note. The debilitating effects of being deprived of favourite foods for long periods of time is the most traumatic aspect of being away from home. I can't overstate this. Am going to attempt to cook bak kut teh tomorrow for lunch. Will report back on results. (People who say hah! I can cook that-- face it, have you tried?) (except my grandma)
In case I've given you the idea that my Sgean friends in London are a sad bunch, let me assure you, we do more than just go out and makan together. We also travel to exotic destinations to go out and makan together. As well as engage in stimulating conversation about the casino referendum and straits times making us pay for online access and What the Health Minister Said About Gays-- and on that topic, the new gay sauna bar that's just opened across the road. In case this sounds kinky, yes, it is. It's funny how you become ten times more aware of local politics and news when you have to defend your country against narrow-minded liberals who have never been there, take The Economist as gospel and are looking to score easy points by comparing it against their own democracy.
Yeah, we are kinda sad.
On that note: I am going to Washington on Sat! So exciting! It will be very very interesting when we meet the NUS team and the Malaysian team and the Canadian team. (As I've said elsewhere in this blog, the UK JEssup team is comprised of 2 Singaporeans, 1 malaysian, 1 Canadian and 1 Brit.) For cultural night we were thinking of going as 'oppressor and oppressed' in a subtle political statement on Prince Harry's gaffe at a recent 'colonial and native' themed costume party attended by the hoi polloi of English society, held the day before Auschwitz commemoration day-- he came in a Nazi officer's uniform. Do you think anyone will get it? Or maybe we could more charitably term ourselves 'commonwealth'. (as julian suggested) Talk about foreign talent. Meet the team.
Julian: "Dude! Awesome!" (kancheong spider)
Jim: "Capitalism is harmful to your health." (kiasee)
Rich: "Chillax." (boh chup)
Preeti: "Victoria, I need to speak to you about your argument." (kiasu-literally can't lose an argument ever)
Me: "Wah lau." (yau kwee)
Guess which is which. (And our personalities all fit into stereotypes! Just like in the Mr Kiasu comics! Yes, I sadly used to read those.) We were too bored on the plane to Aberdeen and had to find a way to amuse ourselves. I gave Rich a quick run down on Sg geography, economy, politics, cultural stereotypes, lifestyle and food. I added that the fact is we may get roundly thrashed by NUS soon, 4-time winner of the international rounds out of more than 100 teams. They are genuinely feared. SGeans, be proud of NUS. It is a very good uni and I think many Sgeans don't realise this. They are 18th in the world Uni rankings! LSE is just 11th. Oxford and Cambridge are 5th and 6th. Top is Harvard.
Aargh. Am leaving tomorrow and haven't packed yet!
TOR
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
First day of school today.
CJ is alright, made a grand total of 1 new friend. Name's Nadia, very nice girl who seems to be the friendliest in my group. But then again, have not exactly gotten to know my group yet, so yarh.
Applied for a Literature and Geography class, if I don't get in will be chucked into a combi with History instead. And I haven't touched that subject for years, so I hope it doesn't kill me. Also seems to have a problem with CLB, so have to bring all sorts of official looking letters tmr to clear it up.
Haven't got any sort of timetable for the next week, and orientation is going to be spread out over 5 days. A bit long, but hey, am not complaining. I'm located very conveniently near home, town, the Lim residence, Comic mart and a straight bus to Thompson too. Yes, it all seems very game oriented, but that's not going to happen, seeing how that lot have to work in the afternoon.
Since I've a memory like a sieve, I can't remeber what I wanted to blog, so will do it some time later lah.
Oy, Toria. Mum says to take care yarh? You going to Washington and all.
CJ is alright, made a grand total of 1 new friend. Name's Nadia, very nice girl who seems to be the friendliest in my group. But then again, have not exactly gotten to know my group yet, so yarh.
Applied for a Literature and Geography class, if I don't get in will be chucked into a combi with History instead. And I haven't touched that subject for years, so I hope it doesn't kill me. Also seems to have a problem with CLB, so have to bring all sorts of official looking letters tmr to clear it up.
Haven't got any sort of timetable for the next week, and orientation is going to be spread out over 5 days. A bit long, but hey, am not complaining. I'm located very conveniently near home, town, the Lim residence, Comic mart and a straight bus to Thompson too. Yes, it all seems very game oriented, but that's not going to happen, seeing how that lot have to work in the afternoon.
Since I've a memory like a sieve, I can't remeber what I wanted to blog, so will do it some time later lah.
Oy, Toria. Mum says to take care yarh? You going to Washington and all.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Haven't blogged in ages, been busy.
On thursday, had Schaz's birthday cum bodycount thing. The food was done by Bern, cooked on the spot was... the sort of food good enough to dream about. The whole thing was very enjoyable really, especially the bit where we blasted Avenue Q.
Wen was kind of swamped during the game, and I co-GMed a bit. Was guided throught the technical bits, so was ok. Think I'll run an RP in another few years or so though (is not Schaz...).
It seems that every Saturday, I forget to bring down my choir scores. Mm, they've added a new song or two, I noticed during mass. Ah, who needs scores, just wing it larh.
Urgh, so angry! IJ having holiday this Thursday, in celebration of the good O level results. What's the point if we're not there to enjoy it, sheesh. I don't recall having one last year either.
Posting results out tmr, will be camping out in front of computer, in anticipation. Might do some writing here, while waiting in the wee hours of the morning. Do hope I get into CJ, will have to report to aforementioned school on Wednesday.
Tor,
Oh what a pity it is then, that Ed will be in Sg by that time... was so looking forward to spending time with him in London.
In any case, yes yes, we will go forth and seek adventure and exciting things without you, not to worry. Just joking.
Auntie G's going to send you an e-mail by Wednesday, to your lse account, covering the details for our trip ie. arrival and departure, and whatever else she got as a bonus at the travel fair. What's been confirmed so far though, is that I'll leave London on the 24th, and Auntie G and her friends the 17th, I think.
On thursday, had Schaz's birthday cum bodycount thing. The food was done by Bern, cooked on the spot was... the sort of food good enough to dream about. The whole thing was very enjoyable really, especially the bit where we blasted Avenue Q.
Wen was kind of swamped during the game, and I co-GMed a bit. Was guided throught the technical bits, so was ok. Think I'll run an RP in another few years or so though (is not Schaz...).
It seems that every Saturday, I forget to bring down my choir scores. Mm, they've added a new song or two, I noticed during mass. Ah, who needs scores, just wing it larh.
Urgh, so angry! IJ having holiday this Thursday, in celebration of the good O level results. What's the point if we're not there to enjoy it, sheesh. I don't recall having one last year either.
Posting results out tmr, will be camping out in front of computer, in anticipation. Might do some writing here, while waiting in the wee hours of the morning. Do hope I get into CJ, will have to report to aforementioned school on Wednesday.
Tor,
Oh what a pity it is then, that Ed will be in Sg by that time... was so looking forward to spending time with him in London.
In any case, yes yes, we will go forth and seek adventure and exciting things without you, not to worry. Just joking.
Auntie G's going to send you an e-mail by Wednesday, to your lse account, covering the details for our trip ie. arrival and departure, and whatever else she got as a bonus at the travel fair. What's been confirmed so far though, is that I'll leave London on the 24th, and Auntie G and her friends the 17th, I think.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
My exam timetable is really crap! I won't be done until the 7th of June! So you will be wandering around London while I sadly sit in the library mugging! Since you are coming on the 29th of May, it means you will have to entertain yourself for 10 days. That's a long time for London so I suggest you visit Paris too, in that time. You should stay there for 3 days if possible-- there's a lot to see and will be beautiful in summer.
A very stressed TOR.
A very stressed TOR.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Have been down with a lungful of phelgm for nearly a week.
It's hampering my singing. I try to execute a simple descant part and the strain of it is killing me. I know this is an egotistical comment but yes, I do like to hear myself sing and do it quite often. You know the times when you've just finished school and you're walking home, there's no one much around and the environment is just perfect for singing... now you open your mouth and you just can't let go, like you always can.
Could.
The worst bit about it all is that it's all my damned fault. For not taking care of my own health, for keeping late nights.
I think I shall go try hack up my lungs now.
It's hampering my singing. I try to execute a simple descant part and the strain of it is killing me. I know this is an egotistical comment but yes, I do like to hear myself sing and do it quite often. You know the times when you've just finished school and you're walking home, there's no one much around and the environment is just perfect for singing... now you open your mouth and you just can't let go, like you always can.
Could.
The worst bit about it all is that it's all my damned fault. For not taking care of my own health, for keeping late nights.
I think I shall go try hack up my lungs now.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Erm, am not exactly supposed to be home right now, but left school early as was not supposed to be there either. I know that didn't exactly make sense, but yeah.
Since I had Richard clean up the C drive, the machine's been so much easier to manage, now I haven't got strange icons of unknown origin anymore, so have been on the com for an hour or more since I got back, tinkering with new music conversion programme.
It's easier to find and arrange my music now, which means I'll have much nonsense on my mp3 player in months to come. The stuff that I've not been able to plug in, Dir en Grey, Gackt, Adagio, Budak Pantai... what's missing would only be the musicals Victoria brought over to London. Mm, I do miss Webber. Wonder if I can do any burning over in London...
Have been absent on the LiveJournal role-play site. Will pop by to poke around soon, I do miss the candid situations and the sheer fun of playing off each other's characters. Not to mention the nosebleeds.
Hey Althea~! Thanks, you too. Shouldn't we meet up one of these days?
Miss you too Jenny! *hugg
Congrats to you too Justin. Even if we're not off to the same school we've to keep in touch, ne?
Yes Amanda, will see you 3 on Wednesday? Mm, will have Pullman's His Dark Materials for you. And/or Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide... let's see how much I feel like carrying with me larh.
Hallo Cass. Yes, will see you around, probably.
Am sleepy. Think I'll go drink some milk then drop into bed and try not to sleep in side of head with pierced cartilage.
Since I had Richard clean up the C drive, the machine's been so much easier to manage, now I haven't got strange icons of unknown origin anymore, so have been on the com for an hour or more since I got back, tinkering with new music conversion programme.
It's easier to find and arrange my music now, which means I'll have much nonsense on my mp3 player in months to come. The stuff that I've not been able to plug in, Dir en Grey, Gackt, Adagio, Budak Pantai... what's missing would only be the musicals Victoria brought over to London. Mm, I do miss Webber. Wonder if I can do any burning over in London...
Have been absent on the LiveJournal role-play site. Will pop by to poke around soon, I do miss the candid situations and the sheer fun of playing off each other's characters. Not to mention the nosebleeds.
Hey Althea~! Thanks, you too. Shouldn't we meet up one of these days?
Miss you too Jenny! *hugg
Congrats to you too Justin. Even if we're not off to the same school we've to keep in touch, ne?
Yes Amanda, will see you 3 on Wednesday? Mm, will have Pullman's His Dark Materials for you. And/or Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide... let's see how much I feel like carrying with me larh.
Hallo Cass. Yes, will see you around, probably.
Am sleepy. Think I'll go drink some milk then drop into bed and try not to sleep in side of head with pierced cartilage.
This is not Gloria. And I'm not saying this is an effected post-modern Matrixy kind of way. I am really not Gloria. That's because I am TOR, of the Bolbol fame.
I am writing this in a somewhat disturbed state. There is wailing under my window. Yes, wailing. Not a cat yowling or children screaming kind of wail, but a low creepy moan born of real despair and anger. It is scary. It is reminds me of a surreal scene in horror movie where the people in the house are trapped without knowing it. The zombies are coming and they can smell your sweet human flesh! Like Night of the Living Dead. Which is more creepy in black and white than you would imagine it to be. Sometimes I really don't like living in London.
Luckily, I have Bolbol. Also, I have a bar of dark chocolate and a cup of soya bean milk. And a big glass mineral water bottle from Norway which I can use to defend myself, if necessary. Dao huey chui is more comforting that you suppose it to be. Accompanying me is a huge assortment of dustmites crawling up my nose this very instant as I've just vacuumed up a few hundred by sniffing my bolster. Not to mention their carcasses and shit. Hmm... tickly. Somehow the thought is less scary than the zombie people outside breaking in and eating me. I suppose I'd better wash Bolbol. I am not mad.
And speaking of not being mad, I just wrote this in my philosophy essay:
In Popper’s philosophy, all laws or theories are conjectural, or guesses, and one can never justify their truth empirically. In this regard he agrees with Hume. The implication of this sceptical conclusion, as stressed by Russell, is that all knowledge is of the nature of irrational belief, such that ‘there is no intellectual distinction’ between a sane man and one who ‘believes he is a poached egg.’[1] Popper counters this with the argument that the ravings of the lunatic can be refuted deductively by experience and that it is rational to choose the best-tested theory (he is a man) when there are competing theories (he is a man or he is an egg). Thus his method boils down to one of choice, and does not claim to be able to justify the truth or certainty of hypotheses.
Don't you wish you had a chance to ever write 'he is a man or he is an egg' in an essay? So actually in philosophy being mad and sane is the same. Isn't that nice?
I am writing this in a somewhat disturbed state. There is wailing under my window. Yes, wailing. Not a cat yowling or children screaming kind of wail, but a low creepy moan born of real despair and anger. It is scary. It is reminds me of a surreal scene in horror movie where the people in the house are trapped without knowing it. The zombies are coming and they can smell your sweet human flesh! Like Night of the Living Dead. Which is more creepy in black and white than you would imagine it to be. Sometimes I really don't like living in London.
Luckily, I have Bolbol. Also, I have a bar of dark chocolate and a cup of soya bean milk. And a big glass mineral water bottle from Norway which I can use to defend myself, if necessary. Dao huey chui is more comforting that you suppose it to be. Accompanying me is a huge assortment of dustmites crawling up my nose this very instant as I've just vacuumed up a few hundred by sniffing my bolster. Not to mention their carcasses and shit. Hmm... tickly. Somehow the thought is less scary than the zombie people outside breaking in and eating me. I suppose I'd better wash Bolbol. I am not mad.
And speaking of not being mad, I just wrote this in my philosophy essay:
In Popper’s philosophy, all laws or theories are conjectural, or guesses, and one can never justify their truth empirically. In this regard he agrees with Hume. The implication of this sceptical conclusion, as stressed by Russell, is that all knowledge is of the nature of irrational belief, such that ‘there is no intellectual distinction’ between a sane man and one who ‘believes he is a poached egg.’[1] Popper counters this with the argument that the ravings of the lunatic can be refuted deductively by experience and that it is rational to choose the best-tested theory (he is a man) when there are competing theories (he is a man or he is an egg). Thus his method boils down to one of choice, and does not claim to be able to justify the truth or certainty of hypotheses.
Don't you wish you had a chance to ever write 'he is a man or he is an egg' in an essay? So actually in philosophy being mad and sane is the same. Isn't that nice?