Red, White and Blue.

I'm back, armed with a dustpan and a broom to dust and clean up this blog of mine which probably would have developed cobwebs and a musty stench, if it were a room (which has been unopened for a long duration of time). Well, you can probably notice by now, that the author of this blog has failed to post any new entries since the beginning of 2009. Much has transpired since then and it would take me a long period of time if I were to divulge each and every detail. The highlight of these few months was obviously my SUMMER PROGRAMME TO UCLA. (:

I can safely mention that the 50 odd days I spent in the states over the course of this summer programme have been one of the highlights of my life. It was an experience to behold and cherish and I have grown immensely as a person and in terms of knowledge. Unforgettable memories of my time there have been etched in my mind and the friendships forged will remain dear to me for the rest of my life. Before I type myself to tears, I'd like to share some unforgettable pieces of memory attached to each place I visited. Since I'd take ages to share each and every moment experienced, I will only ramble on about my favourite memories.

First and foremost, I love San Francisco so much that I wouldn't mind migrating there to retire! Fisherman's wharf was truly a pleasure and Alcatraz, a sight to behold. Going on the bay cruise and cruising under the famous Golden Gate Bridge was astounding. Though I wished there was leser fog that day. That's another thing - loads of fog in San Fran. But it was BEAUTIFUL. Everything from the crookedest street in the world to the trams. But freezing cold all the same, with chilly wind factor added to the perpectually cold climate. But apart from that, I'd agree to hop on a plane and head down there in a jiffy!

In LA itself, so much transpired. Went for two red-carpet movie premieres! Of Public Enemies and Transformers II. Never thought I'd be so close to Christian Bale and Johnny Depp. (: Apart from that, we met Intermilan footballers! They happened to be training on UCLA ground. How likely is that to happen? Anyway, met the famous Materazzi and many others (: AND the week after or the week after next, Barcelona came down to train. And the tennis LA open was held in UCLA as well. If this isn't enough, the extremely depressing episode of MJ happened a stone's throw away from my place. Got interviewed by BBC radio as well. I was so shocked when I heard the news that my friends and I literally ran to the UCLA medical plaza and joined the throngs of people there. May he rest in peace. Apart from this, a whole load of events transpired in LA itself and I'll need at least a 100 blog entries to fully explain everything.

Las Vegas - Factory outlet shopping, the beautiful fountain show outside Bellagio at night, the GRAND CANYON, hoover dam, beautiful hotel structures and loads more. Standing at the cliff of the Grand Canyon truly left me astounded by its natural beauty. After having braved the 50 degrees celsius heat and hot gusts of wind and the extremely long journey, this was all worth it. Hoover Dam was also a beauty. Las Vegas shopping was a joy! We went to the outlets at the south of the strip twice and did the most shopping there. And why not? The deals were superb! So basically, Las Vegas burned holes through our pockets. And not because of gambling, as it is the case for most people. Haha. Tried my luck at the slot machines though and won a grand total of.. $1.25. (:

Disneyland was one of the best experiences in the states. We spent 2.5 days there and the hotel we chose was really cosy and homely and really affordable! One of the best hotel experiences, I would say. Aside from that, Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth. Just stepping foot into it you'd have a smile plastered on your face for the entire day. And the fireworks are remarkable, but a waste of money and resources. But anyway they earn loads from their customers. I can go on and on about Disneyland, but I think this should suffice. It livened the child within me for those few days and left me grinning from ear to ear.

Lastly, San Diego was a unique experience. We lived in downtown San diego which meant loads of pubs and dodgy areas around, but we survived. Haha. We stayed in a hostel and had I would say, colourful experiences. The great part was that there was a common kitchen and eating area, where we could make our own food and they'd provide ingredients. We went to the San Diego Zoo and Seaworld while we were there. Seaworld was great! If only I could bag an internship as a dolphin trainer. I would never grumble on my way to work. The zoo was not as fantastic as it is made out to be, but the variety of species was commendable. I still prefer the Singapore Zoo somehow and I bet if somehow someone from the tourism board is reading this, he'd be smirking right now.

Anyway, in my next few posts, I shall insert more snippets of my experiences in the states. But for now, adios amigos y hasta luego! (I learnt Spanish in the states) (:

New-s.

This period of time marks several beginnings. First of all and most obviously, the start of a new year (~11 days ago). Secondly, and less obviously, the commencement of semester 4 of university. Just the thought of what's to come is enough to give any uni student the shudders. And not from the cold, that's for sure. This semester is going to be exceptionally draining both physically and mentally for me. I'll be wading and swimming frog-style in a pool of projects, assignments and tonnes of lab reports. But I guess it'll be over in no time. Or so i hope.

Anyway, I wonder why people celebrate the first day of every year. I mean, if this day marks new beginnings, so does every other day. Something new happens every single day of our life. Someone may fly a kite for the very first time, while someone else may have baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies without burning them to soot after 10 tries. Something remarkable happens every single day and we by human nature undermine these happenings or chuck them aside without much thought. So why should we celebrate simply the first day of every year? Every day should be a celebration and the mark of something new.

All this aside, today marks the release of the O level results. I still remember this day rather vividly from over 4 years ago. In any case, I'm really pleased with my tutee's grades. She managed to improve her A math grade 3 fold (from an F9 to a B3) and her science grade 2 fold. My primary school tutee improved too! At the end of the day, this is the best repayment I've had from giving tuition.

Anyway, this is about it from now. Am exhausted to the bones and beyond. Cheers!

2 decades.

Tomorrow I would have completed a whole 2 decades on earth. Currently, mixed feelings are welled up within me. Apprehension for the next stage of my life as well as a certain tingly feeling of excitement are building up within me, among many others. For those who drive, turning 20 feels like the stage in life when you remove your 'P plate' from your vehicle after an year of acquiring a license. Which will be arriving soon as well, in December. Actually, this would be a more accurate description of turning 21. But well, 20 is no joke either. It feels like you can no longer make a mistake on the road and point to the P plate, which serves as a self-explanatory mechanism to inform the driver affected that you're an inexperienced driver.

In any case, for some reason adding a tiny 2 in front of my age feels like a humongous change to my life. It almost feels like the 'next stage', whatever that means. But whatever it is, change comes and this is just one of those changes. I shall accept this bend at the end of the road, which shall wrap up my teenage years and head me in a completely new direction. But at the same time, I think nothing much will change and maybe this will just be my twen-TEENth year, so to speak. I'm excited for what's to come my way, although apprehension's attached to that excitement.

Oh and with the global recession and financial downturn and what not, people should utilise this ingenious idea of a shopping cart (see picture below) to minimize their spending and stick to their bare necessities. I should market this product someday - it'll work wonders. :)

Black House

Obama won. Phew. Thankfully McCain no longer has the avenue to follow in the footsteps of a certain republican predecessor. You know who I'm talking about. And what a historic day yesterday was. America's first african-american president. Something that would have been unimaginable and hard to swallow decades back. I surely hope big changes in the positive light are implemented. We know where most eyes will be focused for the next 4 years at least.

On a more micro level, the semester's drawing to an end SOON. It's one of those instances where you look back and wonder where all the time went. For some unfathomable reason it just feels like the semesters are getting shorter and shorter. Maybe the body's biological clock gets adjusted to the yearly schedules and rhythm sets in. Amazing system, we have. Right from the components of human cells to arms and legs.

In any case, the end of the semester also implies the onset of a system of torture and agony manifested in the form of repeated blows from question booklets conducted during a period of silence - the finals. This is one of the main reasons behind pre-mature ageing of hair for some, and insomnia for others. Whatever it is, the brain cells definitely get more exercise than the body does. Or so has been the case for me, at least. For a long time. Hence the accumulation of 'tyres' around my waist.

Anyway, that's about it for now. Cheers!

Directions.

How many people can say they know exactly where they'll be maybe 5 years from now, or know exactly what is to happen, when and where? I highly doubt anyone can. Well, unless he or she claims to have supernatural, psychic insights or something of the sort. But even then, we don't and will never know exactly where we're headed until it happens and *BAM!* realization throws cold water in your face.

Life is like a maze of some sort. You make a turn and see a corridor in front of you, but when you reach the wall at the end of it, there's another decision to make - to turn right or left. Once you're in the maze, you have a whole series of decisions to make to finally reach your destination. And when you do, another destination commences and you get thrown into yet another maze.

In this loony world of possibilities, anything can happen at anytime. But I do believe one thing strongly, that things happen for a reason. Spiritually speaking, God knows what's best for one. Knowing that works wonders when one has no clue as to why certain things transpire in their life. But at other times, the pile of questions one has overshadows all logical thoughts or thinking processes and leaves one in a daze and completely muddled up.

And in spite of all this, I'd rather not consult a crystal ball for what's to happen in the future (if there ever were such a ball). Maybe we're not meant to have a map of our life with the directions scribbled on them. We're meant to figure these out for ourselves as we tread along the path of life. We're all born with a blank sheet. When we leave this world, we have a map of the directions of our life.

Phelps-piration.

First of all, congratulations to Phelps on having won 8 gold medals. (like he'd ever chance upon this humble blog of mine. But well, you never know.) It was sort of expected though, given his performance in the 2004 olympics (his first shot at the medals). One can really grow and develop himself or herself within a span of a few years if he or she sets her mind, heart and soul to it. Anything is possible. Success comes to those who think they can succeed.

In any case, I subjected myself to the sport of swimming for the first time in maybe 6 years today. I still prefer jogging, but swimming truly works out every inch of your anatomy. Truly and surely. Well, that's if you actually bother to swim laps and not float in the water and look pretty. I'm going to have to endure the aches for some time. I feel fulfilled though. Speaking of swimming, attached below is a video that'll crack you up for sure. A classic, might I add.



Cheers!

The Season of Sunglasses and Umbrellas.

The heat from the 1pm sunshine is enough to fry an egg or a patty on the sidewalk these days. Even if one is indoors enjoying the bliss of a personal air-conditioning system in one's abode, one stare outside the window in the afternoon is enough to make one shudder. Hence the remarkable rise in numbers of umbrellas, classy sunglasses and well, people clad in sun-proof clothing (less clothing). Sunglasses do work for multiple reasons. Eye protection from UV rays is one thing. It also causes the brain to interpret the external heat as more tolerable (due to the shaded effect or the feel of one being in a shade) and hence they perspire less. My personal theory. Logic or not, that's for you to decide.

It feels as though human beings have this innate need to create problems and then fuss over them. Global warming wouldn't exist without the involvement of thousands of millions of people burning fuels excessively and unnecessarily or refusing to do something as simple as recycling a piece of paper. And then we complain about the heat and the suffering we have to endure. More people should give the song 'Man in The Mirror' by Michael Jackson a thorough listen. The chorus, especially. I've pasted it below.

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)

Anyway, that's about it for today's random rambling. Cheers! And God Bless.