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The Perfectionist So that's who i am. *gRINz* Well, at least not in all things i do.. But more of an idealistic nature..that i'd rather believe that all people are essentially good. And that i know, i'm most probably essentially wrong. But still I believe. Perhaps that's why i detest politics..of all kinds, cause it only reveals the animal in the parties involved.. And perhaps that's why i was filled with an overwhelming hatred for the "blardy" child-traffickers who took advantage of the tsunami incident... Even more so...the heartache in seeing these primary school kids...past and present leading literally "shit-filled" lives and giving up on themselves.. And then I realise...it's the realisation of all these imperfections of life that continually give me cause to be thankful and to ceaselessly turn with confidence to the only Perfection..One whom i can always trust in Character and goodness...and of a "perfect love...(that) casts out all fear" Yea, God, it's You...just as You have always been..and i thank You for being so real and faithful despite times such as these.... "Lovely, are Your dwelling places... Thirsty, I come after You. Jesus, my Joy, my Reward... Name above all names.. I sing Your praises And all that i can say to You is... I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, I love You, And my heart will follow wholly after You." I love You, I love
*gRINz* was going through my past e-mails when i came upon mr camel's e-mail...haha taken from the today newspaper... Friday Jan 14, Today
The Tao of Pok- mr brown ON page one of yesterday’s edition of TODAY, there was a story about a jilted woman who ripped off one of her former lover's testicles with her bare hands after he refused to have sex with her. Wince.
This was not the kind of news I wanted to read when I sat down for breakfast with my wife. I was eating fishball noodles at the time and I could not bring myself to eat my second-last fishball.
Not after I read the part where the woman tried to hide the
testicle in her mouth. Wince.
Big mouth that I am, I couldn’t resist telling my wife:
"Eh, dear. News got this woman ripped off her ex-lovers testicle, leh." Shudder. My wife had to ask awkward questions such as: "Isn’t the whole thing inside one, er, bag? How did she remove just one?"
"She unscrewed it with a screwdriver, lah," I wanted to tell her, wincing again, struggling with my last fishball. That’s it, tomorrow I eat bee hoon with taupok, I told myself. Ah, taupok. Everyone’s favourite beancurd. It is also the term used to describe the ragging that takes place during junior college orientation. Someone shouts, "Taupok!" and as many guys as possible will pile on top of the target, or the "taupokee". In Western countries, it is called a pile-on. This is a dangerous and silly game, of course (which adolescent game is not?). And a parent whose son was studying "in a premier junior college in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area", where this game took place, complained to the press, calling for an end to "taupok-ing".
The Education Ministry made a statement.
The school principal made a statement. A consultant orthopaedic surgeon was interviewed to ensure that everyone understood how dangerous taupok-ing can be. So now, students from the premier junior college in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area have been banned from taupok-ing. I hear there are plans to create labels, not unlike those on cigarette packets, to warn of the dangers of taupok-ing. One label will show a student with fractured ribs and another will feature a chap with broken
arms. The worst one will show the student whose father complained to the press about taupok-ing. He’ll be pictured alone since he no longer has friends at school. That last one will be the most frightening.
Taupok-ing is hazardous to your health, says the Surgeon General. Your father complaining to the press is hazardous to your social life, says mr brown.
I am told that most of the time, only guys taupok. I am not sure if the girls do it but I heard from a source that he has seen at least two all-girl taupoks. So, pardon my middle-aged ignorance, but if it is an all-girl taupok, is it called a tauhuay? And if it is a mixed taupok — God forbid —is it known as a taunee? What if the guys taupok-ing are of an alternative persuasion? Taugay? And if a Singapore Idol is taupok-ed, would we call it a Taufik? Some would argue that this generation of young people is too soft to taupok. That overprotective parents are creating a generation of taufu.Others argue that we must not encourage young people to pursue dangerous activities, especially under peer pressure (if you have seven guys on top of you, that’s peer pressure). I think we need to go further to discourage such things. Make that one label with the guy who just lost one ball. That will make any bloke stop taupok-ing. It is somewhat hard to explain to a Westerner what a taupok looks like, I have found.I mean the real one. I tried using Google to find one, but there are very few photos of taupoks. The ones I found showed taupoks together with other vegetables, like in a rojak. Very few shots of taupoks alone. Taupoks can be quite shy when it comes to having their pictures taken, I think. So being the hard-working columnist that I am, I queued up to have yong tau fu for lunch, even though the queue was long. And when the stallholder was not looking, I used my camera-phone to snap some
taupoks in their untainted glory. All this to help my readers better understand the difference between a regular taupok and a JC Student one. I think that we should also start looking into other ways of minimising the dangers to our young people. Like National Service training. There are a lot of potentially dangerous activities and peer pressures there (the boys carry guns, for goodness sake!).
What if they are doing the Standard Obstacle Course and my son falls from the monkey bar? What if he is crawling through the jungles of Brunei and some nasty insect bites him (enter the consultant insect-bite surgeon to make a statement)? What if the other recruits use peer pressure to make my son say bad words and smoke? Better start writing letters to Mindef now. National Service is just two years away for most Junior College guys. Even for the ones from a premier junior college in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area.
mr brown is the accidental author of a popular website that has been documenting the dysfunctional side of Singapore life since 1997. He wants to know what the name of that other orientation game is, the one
where they grab a guy and slam him, legs open, against a big pillar. taupok: dried beancurd, usually in a compressed state
tauhuay: sweet soya bean dessert (huay is also "flower" or "girlfriend of an uncouth guy, i.e., Ah Beng’s gerfren") taunee: soya bean milk drink (nee is also, er, a female source of milk) taugay: bean sprouts (gay is also "happy") Taufik: Singapore Idol (you may need to vote via SMS or phone to taupok him) YEN YOK Amused...highly amused *gRINz* Kind of lame but...heh..
Hee this poem is dedicated to darling who dedicated a definitely "unjunky poem" to me!!! *sniffles* (touched) heh...pardon the lack of rhythm in this...it was composed in only ten minutes :) Summertide (The Promise) In the dawn of dawns she sat, Eyes hidden under the shape-shifter of a cap. Knees drawn inwards, hunched and shivering A solitary shaodow amidst the shimmering. Then the rising sun greeted the land Warming the sleeping beauty with its loving hands. Yet, to this apparition did She forget, As the abyss itself, faced with neglect. So was she, falling endlessly, No one to hear that silent plea. In the deepest of hearts, the widest of holes, Her desperation carressed that troubled brow. Deep within, she screamed in silent grief, not without despair Lips mouthing ceaselessly, "Who shall care? What for the reason to which I live? And even more so selflessly give?" In the darkness of her sorrows she pitifully wept Lo and behold! A tear did she beget Trickling slowly down that lonely cheek It caught a ray and, reflecting into the eyes that aimlesly seek.. She wept with a heart-rending shudder With a reason that could not have been any other... And as the earth broke into song The waves lapped on the shore, retelling the story of long.. She suddenly rose on the wings of peace, Sheltered under the care of the breeze, Eyes now lifted up and glowing with sure certainty In accompaniment with the incoincidence of Nature's beauty. These now soothed her inner turmoil, Complete in its healing as the Voice tided joy. In His message of old and new Greater than anyone could ever construe... A simple few words, from He who is greater than the greatest sage: For these He said "..and lo! I am here, to the end of the age."
Sobness...didn't get to do by basic theory test after all..due to the disallowed student pass...*wEEPs* I do admit i was angry..and furious maybe. And partially disgusted with how the three traffic police were behaving as though they owned the world, raising their voices and giving rather "qian bian" looks as i tried politely to inquire about the situation...and this girl who had "kena-ed" the same fate, over her selfishness and...argh!!! Although i am convinced that the non-practicality and (to be impolite) dense-ness of certain fellow "homelanders" transcends all levels and walks of life..and pride and selfishness has a really ugly face to it, I am still...embarrassed. Perhaps it was partially due to the "malu-ation"..but to a greater extent, it was the embarrassment that I had felt this way. Petty feelings that oftentimes erupted from my explosive nature...and of course, because i knew they were not what God wanted from me, feelings of self-righteousness... Yet, as i sat in the canteen, feeling a conflict between remorse and anger, now at myself..and later thinking about what had happened as I surrendered it to Him..did these negative emotions teach me yet again... That fallible as we are, the Lord God, who is perfect and infallible still loves us..and this Love, which He brings indirectly to us through our friends and loved ones, is the strength that enables us, or has enabled me to get up on my two feet. For when we fall, He doesn't leave us there..but instead, shelters us under the shadow of His wings..and carries us on His back, through the storm... 1 John 4:18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. And it is this love that overflows, which enables me to stand firm yet again on the Rock, who is my Jehovah Jireh(my Provider), to overcome these weaknesses. Praise be to You, forever and ever.
oh yesh!!! do listen to anthony callea, australian idol runner up, and hayley westernia...esp her rendition of "amazing grace"...woaz!!!
haha...went down again to the salvation army at upper serangoon today feeling tired...due to the highly stimulating conversations being held simultaneosly with 3 groups of peeps...whew! anyways! yepsh! so met shu, shu's fren peck har (am i correct? am i correct?) haha before triapsing down to the building.... more sewing and packin...being pressurized by the incoming bags of clothes after our morale increased upon seeing a more cleared table...and then more packin' and sewing~!!! haha...including loads of girl talk...being chided by the SA personnel for not stuffing in more clothes and wanting us to forget abt the folding in of the sack before pricking it... despite our stand that the bag will literally explode..yeah, that's abt it! :) haha...but the indian SA lady was really nice!!! she bought grass jelly drinks for everyone and insisted the 3 of us take 2 packets even though we had only just arrived...saying we could drink it later...to which we totally forgot about until the second we had to leave heh... but yesh! *bEAMs* feel a sense of achievement...alongside the constant reminder of the first alpha lesson about to begin this week by the alpha posters pasted on the main office window...etcetcetc haha...and being terribly amused by the donations made...comments by the 2 darlings..and then, trying to escape murder and disfigurement by shu's "flying needle" woohoo! yep yep!!! left at 3...was rather reluctant meself seeing the amount of work that had to be done...but had things to do!! so yepsh! hee..there're mountainloads of donations still to be packed...and the volunterring thingy continues til this saturday...so!!! anyone who's interested and free, please gather in a group of at least 5, you can go down from 10 am onwards methinks...take bus 133 from ang mo kio mrt, and stop opposite this building which says "family store", which is the salvation army area...go to donors office and ask for carol who'll tell you wat to do...yuppity yup!! :) *gRINz* hee anyway..went to plaza sing to get a darling's present but failed in my conquest...instead, bought loads of fabric paint (for what i don't know)..haha! ooh! and pigged out on yummy-licious anutie anne's sour cream and onion pretzel (nice anuty gave me a freshly baked one!!!) haha..long john silver's small sized packet 'o' fries...sugar cane juice...and on my way to heeren, mos burger coffee milkshake!! woohoo!! haha lunch and dinner together, you see... so yep! continued the conquest (which failed, again)..and tried to check out richard wagner's cds after being inspired by howard goodall on central, sundays at 10pm...of which cost a bomb ...which means waiting...or...muahahah *evil*...*secret*...oh! but russell watson's good too!!! hee and howard goodall's brilliant with the piano..haiz.. alrighty! haha yupsh! that's all i guess...hafta rest my sore fingers...hee..oh yesh!! camel gave me this webby...corrinne may's brilliant!!! haiz...makes the heart melt, her voice and songs do...http://www.recordtrax.com/PROMO/radionew.htm
*gRINz* oh yesh! hee went with mei mei, shu han, camel and kennef today with the usp peeps to help out at salvation army.. haha somehow, we were rather asec-ky again...was highly amused at our response when we heard the phrase "ice-breakers" haha! :) ooh! but i met one who came to wesley before!!! haha..was highly amused when she recognised me..from the waving at the door and pamphleting during ushering..woohoo..*understands meaning of loss of dignity* haha but she's really sweet! but yep! after 45 min..we finally arrived at our destination from ang mo kio mrt..first impressions? hmm..the place had windmills propped up on its fence (pretty!!!!!) and a huge playground filled with toys all over the field.. followed with the "alpha" course posters all over and really nice volunteers.. then we arrived at the donations area...woohoo!!!! huge tents filled to the ceiling with bags of donations!!! so wat to do? haha we start packing clothes into good quality sacks ..finding nonsensical and useless things like cassette tapes of ancient chinese singers..huan zhu ge ge vcds (two boxes!!!)...the chinese handbooks we used to mug in secondary school...loads of skimpy looking stuff..erm..ceramic displays..this laboratory set from the University of Cambridge..windows 95 for dummies handbook..and loads of stuff which cracked me up...hahaha! oh yea!! and we found this set of baby clothes that were designed to look sata clausy with matching boots, mittens and a bib!! *gRINz*( etc etc etc) haha yupsh!! then more bags of donations came..and we were tranferred to carrying sacks of clothes to a holding area..where i started the "noble task" of sewing!!! haha...with a humongous needle and rafia to seal the sacks...i do hope they don't split when they reach indonesia..but it was difficult, trying to poke through the sack without stabbing anyone else (boy! it was sharp man!) and haha speeding up with sore hands..i'm terrible lah.. but!! felt glad i could help in a useful way...although methinks what's important is food and water for them now..but anyways!!! shall go down and help again on thurs!!! haha there're mountains of stuff! am inspired everytime i watch the news..yep yep! if you guys wanna help too do go down!! :)
heya! *gRINz* am back after a very loooong period of "inexistence"..y? i don't know..loads to think about..and loads happening, loads of emotions that seem to fight its way to the surface before subsiding back into the core again...yeah, i guess that's it... but...dunno...watched the news tonite, and for once, i cried (while watching the dratted news! (!!-_-)).especially the scenes of hordes of people rushing to helicoptors to obtain food..hungry, despair washed over their faces.. and if that wasn't enough...anger (yeah, i do cry when i'm really angry) and even more sorrow at disgusting people who "make hay while the sun shines"...asking people to sell their children or simply taking away the orphaned.. perhaps it's not anger..it's an escalating alarming awareness of the decreasing morality of the world i live in today...and somehow, this only serves to make me look so much more keenly to the end, and if nothing else, a desire to do something..something that He's been telling me for 8 years to do... and then, i am immensely thankful..thankful for the shelter...thankful for His love and grace here..and thankful that He is simply..God! "There is a longing, only You can fill.. A raging tempest, only You can still.. My soul is thirsting Lord, to know You as I've known.. Drink from the river, that flows before Your throne.. Take me deeper, deeper in love with You. Jesus hold me close in Your embrace. Take me deeper, deeper than i've ever known before I just want to know You more and more How I long, to be deeper in love.. Sunrise to sunrise, i will seek Your face Drawn by the Spirit, to the promise of Your grace My heart has found in You, a hope that will abide. Here in Your presence, forever satisfied.. Take me deeper, deeper in love with You. Jesus hold me close in Your embrace. Take me deeper, deeper than i've ever known before I just want to know You more and more How I long, to be deeper in love.." -take me deeper-
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