Get KEN-nected! (Army Boy Edition)

Taiwan, Yet Again! 080409 to 300509

2009-05-05T20:05:00.007+08:00

Came back from Taiwan on Friday, 1st May. Its been quite a good trip since i've been there before and didnt have problems adapting. Weather was rather cool with wind, except a few days which were quite hot. Weird weather. Here are some highlights!

Touching down at KaoHsiung Airport.

Night out at 小垦丁 marking the end of the tougher times! Enjoyed the awesome-ly delicious BBQ sotong (one whole sotong!) and a large cup of Milk Tea w Pearl!

First stop for R&R was the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium. Quite a nice place with a diverse collection of fish and displays of ocean life, and Taiwan waters.

The usual pictures with girls. Hiak hiak.

Last day of R&R. Went out with Joseph Ebony Lua to 西门丁! When to grab a bowl of the delicious Ah Zhong Mian Xian! Jus look at the crowd outside the stall, certainly the best mee sua i've eaten so far. Oh and you onli use a spoon to eat it.

Next stop was the Modern Toilet Restaurant also in 西门丁! Didnt eat the main courses but the desserts were interesting enough. Not bad i could say. A must visit when you go to Taiwan.
Well, all good things have to come to an end, so its back to Singapore! Shot at Taipei Airport

That's about it! For more pics, view my facebook gallery! Cheers.

Taiwan Again!

2009-04-08T21:48:00.002+08:00

Will be flying off to Taiwan again in another few hours.
Will be back on 1st May.
Any urgent matters, i can be reached at 83495027.
Be back real soon! =)

A Small Gathering Again at Dua Yi's (First Aunt's Place)

2009-04-06T01:55:00.003+08:00

Went down to Dua Yi's place on Sat evening for a small gathering with family and the little children. Celebrated Mum's birthday too. Though a simple affair, it holds lots of meaning and togetherness. Shan't talk much, but rather let some pics do the talking. =)

Children having fun at the pool

A couple of songs and a nice cake with a great mum!

Fujifilm Finepix J25 Put to the Test

2009-03-29T21:26:00.006+08:00

Here are some shots from my new entry-level camera, the Fujifilm Finepix J25. Have been enjoying the camera so far and it seems to be performing well. Click on the pics to enlarge and check out the quality.

Supporting Earth Hour at my Aunt's on Saturday.
Lights were off and we put candles in place. Romantic eh?

Taken in the dark at my Aunt's during Earth Hour
From left to right:
My little sis - Esther, Two nieces of mine - Chelsea and Chloe

Pic of good friends Adrian and his wife, Karen, over at Bboyd celebrating Paul's Birthday.

Pic of Esther on Sunday morning before leaving for church.

Pic of Joash when i was over at TomSum's place.

New Toy - Fujifilm Finepix J25

2009-03-28T23:45:00.001+08:00

10 megapixels
3x zoom 3x (35-106,5mm)
up to 1600 ISO
Face detection
Auto scene mode
VGA 640 x 480 pixels video recording at 30 fps with mono sound
3" TFT Screen of 230 000 pixels
Lithium battery included

Updates 200309 - 19 More Days to Taiwan!

2009-03-20T20:41:00.008+08:00

Its been a great week! Woo!

1. Cleared my IPPT for 2nd year with a Gold on Tue, 170309. (Monday book-ins! Yay.)

2. Got presented a few awards today, 200309. (Pics below.)

3. Booked-out at 1.30pm today! You know how rare that is???

Schweeeet:

Updates Part 3 - Random Thoughts On What I Wish and Would Love to Have

2009-03-08T02:34:00.005+08:00

Decided to post on some stuff which suddenly came into my mind while blogging, and since i havent posted on what i would like to have before.. so here goes about a few items that captured my eye. *hint hint* =p

First on the list, Ipod Touch! (16GB/32GB)

Know this has been on the market for a very long time, but well, starting to feel that i would rather have this than a psp, and that i could put it to very good use.

Next, Garmin GPSMAP® 60CSx!

Have been wishing that i could have one of these babies and i wouldnt have to fuss over topography and getting lost when out in the jungles, be it Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan, basically the whole world! Tells you everything you need to know, even weather, how high u are, even has games to keep u company on tt boring night in ur hammock!

Lastly for the day, a Honda Varadero XL125V!

Certainly one of the main choices of the bikes i will get when i get my bike license! Check out the lovely v-twin engine and cool looks. Though only 125cc, this pretty thing performs flawlessly, and turns heads wherever you go!

Alright. Better stop fantasizing and drooling about these things from now. Back to camp in another few hours. Till then!

Updates Part 2 - Thoughts About My Future and Career

2009-03-08T01:27:00.004+08:00

Have also recently been thinking about my future alot. There is just one more year to my ORD date which gets closer day by day. Have been very keen to sign on to the army, but very restricted due to my posting, my rank and the time that i decided i want to turn regular. Got quite a few paths to take but the most common answer i always get is tt the earliest i could leave is after ATEC. Which will be like the end of this year, so i might as well ORD? I duno.

Many of my friends are persuading me not to do something "foolish" and sign my life to a so called "bad place to be in". But after careful and much thought, i realise that i do not mind such a vocation and life, and that i might actually enjoy it. Trainings are tough, and politics may be aplenty, but where else in the working world isnt there such things happening? I feel that it is how we handle ourselves and situations that will make a difference. True?

Another issue will be the issue of money i guess. Have thought about after ORD-ing and leaving the army, what will i be doing? I only have an O Levels cert, and it will be difficult looking for a job tt pays well. Yes i do want to study more, but where is the money going to come from? I do not want to burden my parents anymore as they still have two other children, and the house, and bills etc. to worry about. Yes, the issue of self-sufficiency arises.

Right now, from what i see, i have two choices. One, i join the ADF, and hopefully study part time. Another, is i take up the joint poly and SAF program. Where the army pays for my full time studies at a polytechnic and then i serve a bond afterwards as a spec. Im still thinking, cos both has their pros and cons. After joining the ADF, work and study would most probably be a concurrent thing, tts IF i get time to study. But the fact is that i will be sent for spec training almost immediately after i sign. The other way is tt i study full time at a poly, then i go for spec training after poly and when i serve the bond. But how old will i be then? These are lingering issues, that only time could iron out for me i guess.

Updates Part 1 - Brunei

2009-03-08T01:16:00.002+08:00

A blink of an eye and we're already into the third month of the new year! My.. time is flying so fast everything seems like a blur. It was just like yesterday it was the beginning of the new year, then CNY, then Brunei. Next, hey! I'm back from Brunei and now looking forward to Taiwan on the 8th of April. Phew!

A few updates..

Brunei was great! Totally loved it there man. Serious! Its the first time i went out of the country for a battalion exercise. Not as enjoyable as going as a course level as so many things are being restricted e.g. like canteen breaks and stuff, but the jungle and outfield experience was worth the while.

Brunei's weather is very similar, only wetter! Rains almost everyday at the same time in the evening, so ur not totally dry most of the time. Terrain was agonizing. The whole time its either you are going up, or you are going down. Not forgetting the mud, rocks, moss and of course the numerous times we, as scouts, gotta swim across the river, while the rest crosses it with the help of a rope! But it was all good training and experience nonetheless. Brunei is going to be on my list after Taiwan as to where i would like to be posted to, IF i become a regular. =D

Not forgetting one complaint i have - Brunei's airport is BORING! There is practically nothing to do there, with a small DFS and a few small shops selling souvenirs (btw, things in Brunei is either the same as Singapore, or more expensive!), tts about it. No alcohol, no nothing! And guess what? Our flight back got delayed for close to 8hours! Literally rotted there man! But thank God for the safe and fast journey back.

Brunei - 31st Jan to 13th Feb

2009-01-30T01:21:00.005+08:00

Flying off to another country again with the army, and this time is BRUNEI!

Will be flying on Saturday at around 2am, so gotta be at the airport by around 11pm on Friday night.

Did a google on the terrain in Brunei and these are a couple i found.

What could i say but only "GOOD LUCK" TO US WHO ARE GOING!! Man, as much i love the outdoors and adventure and all the outfields we have, one thing is that we're still in SINGAPORE! Our cant even be counted a jungle man, but just a secondary FOREST. Oh my, Brunei is going to be like a totally new level. I'm kinda apprehensive but also really looking forward to the trip for the experience. Just hope i come back in one piece. Hehe.

From now till then when i return, take care! ;)

Bernard's Wedding 050109

2009-01-11T02:12:00.006+08:00

Attended Platoon Sergeant Bernard's wedding dinner on Monday. Was the emcee for the night too! Great experience although was kinda nerve-wrecking as it was my first time being an emcee for a wedding plus i gotta do it in CHINESE too! For all those who know me well enough, you should know my mandarin is rather "chui" hahaha. But nonetheless, it was a good night, with good food and drink. Here are a few pics.. =)

Suited up! Ready to roll.

Bernard and I

Showing my officer how nice even a Tiger could be when it is really ice cold. He couldnt drink cos he drove. HAHA.

Emcee-ing. Fumbled on the Chinese part!

叶问 Ip Man | Yes Man!

2009-01-04T00:22:00.003+08:00

Yes! Caught 叶问 or Ip Man (pronounced 'eep-mun') today with Baolong and Irina! Definitely rate it a 4.5/5! Very well produced! I'm so gonna buy the DVD when it comes out man.

Can't blame me cos I'm quite a sucker when it comes to chinese kungfu movies! Loves those productions from Jackie Chan, Jet Li etc etc; ranging from ancient days Huang Feihong (Jet Li) to more modern production such as Drunken Master (Jackie Chan). Woo!

I wanna collect all the DVDs from such genres man! Then can watch n watch n i never get tired of them!

Also caught Yes Man yesterday with Baolong! Give it a rating of 4/5 for a good comedy movie! Certainly had alot of laughs watching it.

Also realised that many times in life we give in to so many things and say yes, even if it goes against our own morals, jus to please a certain someone or even jus giving into peer pressure. Little do we know we're actually doing more harm unto others and ourselves even though life may seem "good" or "wow, im the in-thing now, im the man!" So go and catch it if u havent!

But i still prefer Jim Carey in his classic shows such as The Mask and Ace Ventura. Only he can pull off such expressions and antics! Haha.

First Fishing Attempt - Failed!

2008-12-27T23:02:00.003+08:00

Haha. Went to Lower Seletar to try my hand at fishing today. Woke up at 5.30am to prepare and was out of the house before 6am. Paul came to keep me company soon after. Didnt catch anything, except a couple of PLASTIC BAGS and FISHING LINE! -___-" But nonetheless, company was great and so was the sunrise! I'm so gonna go back there w my camera next time!

Christmas Day 251208

2008-12-25T12:37:00.002+08:00

Finally a short rest for me. Schedule's been so damn packed during the weeks building up to Christmas. Just last week had to go outfield, booked out on Sat, booked in on Sun, then live firing on Mon and Tue, and had to be the emcee for my battalion's Christmas celebration on Wed. So yea, finally a breather.

Christmas is literally non-existent this year. Nth has really gone right the past week, and things happened that make you wonder whether have you been living in an illusion all this while. Guess the only choice for me is to pick up the pieces and go, and force myself to bring my attention to other things.

Just be straightforward with me, will you?
If there's indeed nth, then there's nth.
I'd appreciate the honesty.

Maybe Its Better Off This Way..

2008-12-25T12:12:00.005+08:00

Better That We Break - Maroon 5

I never knew perfection 'till
I heard you speak, and now it kills me
Just to hear you say the simple things
Now waking up is hard to do
And sleeping is impossible too
Everything is reminding me of you
What can I do

It's not right, not okay
To say the words that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break…

A fool to let you slip away
I chase you just to hear you say
You're scared and that you think that I'm insane

The city looks so nice from here
Pity I can't see it clearly
While you're standing there, it disappears
It disappears

It's not right, not okay
To say the words that you say

Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break

So you're sitting all alone
You're fragile and you're cold, but that's alright
Life these days is getting rough
They've knocked you down and beat you up
But it's just a rollercoaster anyway, yeah

It's not right, not okay
To say the words that you say
Maybe we're better off this way
I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way

I'm not fine, not okay
To say the words that you say
Maybe we're better off this way

I'm not fine, I'm in pain
It's harder everyday
Maybe we're better off this way
It's better that we break, baby

Guards Rite of Passage Graduation Ceremony

2008-12-12T22:47:00.009+08:00

Finally and officially became a Guardsman today. After 4 days of hellish treatment, both physically and mentally, and completing the Guards Assault Course and beach PT before the graduation ceremy, what can i say except "Always Ready, Ready to Strike!"

Dad putting on the Guards Tab on my left shoulder for me.

Camouflage, the Recce Trooper way!

Donning our Khaki Berets.

Here's the pleasant surprise. I was awarded Best Trainee (Scout)!

It was difficult, it was tough.
But certainly, what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.
EARN IT!

2008-12-08T15:58:00.004+08:00

a slow stroll.
a gentle breeze.
a nice red.
a connection.
perfect.

Life The Way It Is - "So Interesting"

2008-12-07T11:45:00.010+08:00

Haven't blogged ever since i came back from Taiwan due to the tight army schedule that i have to conform to. Life in camp has been rather tiring and draining from the numerous training sessions and many other issues that linger. Thank God for buddy mates who go through the same things and provide an outlet for you to vent your frustrations to.

Next week's schedule won't be any less slack though, because i will be completing my Guards conversion. Gotta prepare myself for a 16km tactical march on tue and a whole load of "tekan" from the instructors till Friday. Hopefully, nothing major will happen and i will pull through the week and proudly don the coveted khaki beret at the end.

I am also very happy that i was able to complete my SOC (Standard Obstacle Course) in 8min 22secs. This means that there will be no more SOC RT (Remedial Training) till next year when i take my next SOC test. Now i just have to concentrate and work on my IPPT Gold for next year. Its close. Very close.

Have also talked to my battalion S1 (Manpower Branch) about matters pertaining to me signing on to the army as a career. To my disappointment, i was told i wasnt able to sign straightaway and get posted out for commander's training. Reason being that i was in a unit already, and if i were to go, who would replace me? Was told there'd be a recruitment talk early next year and could highlight my interest to them, but even so, the earliest i would be able to leave for further training is ard Dec next year. I'm still pretty much keen to sign on but will take this long period of time to carefully think further.

Have been thinking of a certain someone, but sometimes i just do not know how to express. Possible fears from making the same mistakes perhaps, and maybe too many uncertainties about the future. Unmatching schedules, different qualifications. The question i ask myself most of the time is whether am i good enough, whether my bad points overshadow the good, or is there no good at all? Give me a sign pls, anything, or has it all been wishful thinking on my part? Hmm.

Right on Track

2008-11-18T00:18:00.007+08:00

One down...

One more to go...

Back from Taiwan! Here's a slight preview! =D

Leaving on a jet a plane...

2008-10-26T19:34:00.002+08:00

Been so long.
Been so busy.
Army is fun.

Am going to fly off to Taiwan with around 6 hours more to go.
Will be taking the 0215hrs flight on SQ8976.
Will be back by the 17th of Nov.

Till then,
Ken

"This is home.. truly.."

2008-07-21T09:47:00.003+08:00

Yoosh. Seems like i haven't updated in quite awhile.

Just came back from a 24hr guard duty shift over at Dieppe Barracks, which unfortunately is my 2nd time in the month! Grrr. Its like getting confinement, when you didnt do anything wrong, and just have to accept it as REGIMENTAL. Argh. Man, imagine having to go back to camp after NDP on Saturday, then leave for another camp on Sunday morning, only to get home on Monday morn! After which you book in back to camp on Mon nite. Sad life right? *sigh*

Anyway, complaints aside. Ha ha. It is due to such situations where you really appreciate the company with ur family and closed ones. This is one of the major things that i have learnt after coming to the army, where ur time spent with people around you is majorly cut short/off, leaving only a couple of days or even hours to spend with them each week. THIS, is when you learn not to take people, esp your family, for granted.

Have also been busy the past few weeks with NDP '08, where we commit our Fridays and Saturdays to the floating Platform at Marina Bay, setting up barricades, placing the funpacks, getting the seating right, doing alot of fatigue work. Each time never ends with our shirts or uniform dry. Tough work, we all hate it, but honestly, its quite an experience where you see the army (somewhat free labour?), and other formations being deployed make the show work. Only when you go behind the scenes is when you will see how much work goes into making the 9th of August possible. *Salutes* to all who have put in their hard work and those who are still. Another couple more weeks to go!

Did my first IPPT this past week. Too bad i missed my $100 by 2 chin-ups! Ha ha. But I am improving so passing it is no issue now, its about working harder to get to my silver than my gold! Apart from not getting the $100, i set a new personal record for my 2.4km run! 9min 37secs! Woo! I know its not THAT fast, but hey, its a gold timing! Haha. Still remember the first time i ran the 2.4 in BMT, and clocked 13mins and 47secs! Well, i strived and each time i tried to improve by at least a min, in which i got 10min 10secs in the last ippt in BMT. So im actually rather proud of myself of the results im getting here over at Guards. Well, the road doesnt end here, so i still gotta work harder and achieve better results! =)

Sorry to all whom i havent really kept in contact with these past couple of weeks, really been busy and its not really my habit to contact people when im in camp unless really necessary (even my parents!), and my weekends are rather burnt too with NDP.

So here's a few people im gonna holler to... (Just a few names that came to my mind. Apologies to those i miss out, pls do know that i still have you all good people in my mind and heart and ur greatly missed. Hang out soon.)

Baolong - Miss hanging out with you dude. Great balloon creations your coming up with! keep it up!
Daryl Lee - "Loyalty to Country!!"
Gillian Jie - Thanks for being there and concerned for me. =)
Jolin - Pls pls pls take better care of yourself. Don't overwork and rest plenty when you're not feeling well. You're a nurse! You shd know better okay. =D
TomSum - Miss the outings with both of you and the ~~naughty~~ good boy Joash! See you all soon!

2008-06-28T22:56:00.004+08:00

Just for kicks, this is me with a mask on. LOL.

Life so far in 1 Guards...

2008-06-28T00:29:00.003+08:00

Guards Creed

WE are GUARDSMAN WARRIORS.
Resolute in loyalty, Steadfast in commitment.
We fight for our country, our Home and our Family.

Land warriors from Air and Sea,
Unfailing in Toughness,
Valiant in our Actions.
We destroy all foes who challenge our Mission.

We are ELITE warriors,
With Daring Initiative,
We Rule the Day,
And we Rule the Night!
Always Ready!
Ready to Strike!

Have been pretty inspired by the Guards Creed above. It speaks of being the best, how to be the best, and putting an extra foot into whatever comes your way, no matter how hard it is.

Have spent a week in 1 Guards already and going through my Guards Advance Course (GAC), where at the the end and completion of this course, i rightfully earn my place as a Guardsman and to wear the khaki beret and Guards tab.

Life is unit is quite different from life in BMT, many changes, many things to get used to. This week has been pretty okay, lesson have been rather interesting where we learnt new weapons and basic protection for key installations n such.

Physical training at 1 Guards is now up-ped a level. 5BX is now twice as much reps and at least a 2km jog in the morning. Push-ups through the day is common affair now (just maybe about 200 a day), where the normal of 20 push ups increase to around 40-50 each time, or becomes 20 diamond push-ups. Tough, but im still able to cope and enjoy it at the same time. Hey, what doesnt kill you makes you stronger right?

Discipline is totally on a new level now. Step a little out of line in what you do and be prepared to bear the brunt of your commanders. Everything has to be done fast, efficient and standardised. It is really no joke when you go to a place and most of your superiors are 2nd sergeants and above, and are regulars in the army. But so far, this aspect has been pretty easy to adapt to, thanks to my sergeants back in BMT who often emphasize for us to move fast and efficient in what we do.

Unit life is not totally all trainings after trainings and punishments after punishments though. Games are an occasional priviledge given for soldiers to relax and have some fun. Went down to Marina Bay today too, where the floating platform for NDP is. Most likely will be involved in this year's NDP after all, and i think i will be manning a lost and found point where i can "zoh bo" (sit ard and do nth). Hee Hee. My sir say one what!

Anyway, most probably training and my course schedule will come full fledged in the next week. So i gotta prepare myself mentally for whatever is to come. "Unfailing in toughness, valiant in our actions...."

Ok. Gotta go face the reality of my 500m swim next week already. =S

2008-06-21T10:25:00.001+08:00

Comd SAF BMTC wishes you all the best in your future posting.

Your Posting Order is listed below:

1. You are posted to 1 GUARDS.
2. Your vocation is GDSMAN.

3. Your are to report to: Bedok Camp 2, BLK 102, RM #01-11, Bedok Camp Admin Centre
(CAC).

Reporting Date/Time: 23/06/2008 at 0800 hrs.

--------------------------------------------------------

OMG! YAY! HUH? SIGH? WOOPEEE!

2008-06-14T00:40:00.001+08:00

Unpredictability - Life

2008-06-12T22:55:00.002+08:00

With a rather heavy heart i type out this post. Emotionally, I am feeling fine. Have just been pondering over some stuff which had happened so quickly, so suddenly, and which leaves me with a certain taint of uncertainty about what is yet to come.

This past week has been shrouded in this word - death.

'Swift and silent' as many writers would pen.

Yet so close to home n heart this time round.

Two people I didn't know, but we served the same organisation.

One was young, my age, fresh into the itinery and operated right at the block next to mine. Took a walk and next moment just left. Just like that. I still wonder whether I may have passed by or even seen him, during the morning's meal.

Another, already decided to commit, and on the path to a fulfilling life with purpose, honor and prestige. Yet, gone, just like that.

So who are we to blame? The lack of proper measures in place, or simply accept the fact that life isn't a bed of roses? Even if it were, do we forget about the thorns?

I can't remember much about him, except for the few occasions that I've seen him when I was very young. I do not know why he would do such a thing, and I do not want to know. But the stories I've been told about him, at least keeps a flame flickering, that there is at least some good, albeit even a little, in everyone. No matter what the person did, no matter who he was. For now, another chapter closes.

Health. Another concern that yet still lingers. Be it physical or mental health, new issues would still pop out. Take a third-party opinion? Or professional care? Can't help but remember the many years that we spent together, the gatherings, the same old lines that she repeats. But would she be able to remember?

No, I am not sad. Just learning to accept the unpredictability of life. Just learning to accept the facts of life. Not knowing what would happen at the next moment, learning to live life to the fullest.

POP Lo!

2008-06-11T20:24:00.007+08:00

Presenting... Cougar Company!

Dad and I

Mom and I

Platoon 3

Daniel, Me, Ko Ko, Platoon Sergeant Hairol

Sing With Me...

2008-06-08T00:07:00.007+08:00

P - O - P ...

P - O - P ...

P - O - P ...

P - O - P ...

P - O - P ...

We are the best...

We are the champions...

We will always be the one...

P - O - P !!

~~Can't wait... Wed... It's coming!!~~
It's already here!! Free man for.. a few days..! =D

I Lost Ten Kilos in Three Months!

2008-05-30T21:13:00.004+08:00

Heya! Decided to blog about something different instead of the usual, mundane everyday life. I have decided to share an effective weight loss, body toning and firming programme! Haha. Actually, I just simply have nothing much better to do. The following information is to what i have done and so reccommend, but please take it with a pinch of salt and cater it to your own needs. =)

Simple Exercises to Do to Get/Keep in Shape

Jogging/Running - At least 3 times a week, 20mins each time, approximate ~~5km~~ 3km (Sry for mistake)

(Honestly, the best way to shed some pounds is to jog! Do not do it too slow till that a person walking could catch up with you. To train up endurance and improve your cardiovascular system. Remember to do proper warm ups and cool downs, if not, muscle cramps and aches would follow.)

Push Ups - At least 4 sets of 20 reps each session/throughout day. If possible, try to do it everyday, or squeeze it after your running sessions.

(Trains up muscles of your arms and shoulders, mainly the triceps and your deltoids *if im nt wrong*)

Crunches - At least 4 sets of 30 reps each session/throughtout day. If possible, do it as frequently as you can.

(Builds and tones your upper abs. Perfect for people who just want a toned abdominal area. Note that crunches only build upper abs, i.e. the 4 upper abs. For those who wants their 6 or 8 pacs got other more intensive and proper exercises to do.)

Lunges - At least 5 counts of 4. Min 4 sets. Done slowly.

(Builds up your thigh muscles. A good alternative is to climb stairs, but it does not target the specific muscle group.)

That's all i have for now. Please remember to find out more on the proper execution of the above exercises before doing it. Remember to accompany ur exercise regime with proper warm ups, cool downs, and most importantly, hydrating yourselves (Min 6L of water a day).

=)

Of the new and the nostalgic! Titled: After Effects!

2008-05-18T18:03:00.004+08:00

Woo! Last stopped with a few small updates on my life in BMT, and my, was it a long time ago! Another 3 weeks and i'll be Passing Out! Sing with me! *P-O-P, P-O-P, P-O-P, P-O-P !!!* YES! 3 more weeks and i'll be finish my BMT! Wonder where i'll go to from there.

Well, not much updates this time round again.. so here's a little something to show you! No comments needed (but still pretty much appreciated)! :X

Here am i before BMT, and look after what 2 and a half months of BMT has done to me! Woot! Haha.

Till next time!

Life So Far in a Distant Island Called Tekong

2008-04-20T13:57:00.003+08:00

*Cough*Sputter*Sniff*

What a way to start my post after so long. Yes, i have fallen really SICK. Almost the whole company has got the wave of Tekong Fever, Tekong Cough, Tekong Flu and Tekong Sore Throat. My fever has left, so still lingers are the rest, so im feeling pretty blue.

Anyhooo. Life in the army has been rather interesting, fun, idiotic, and difficult at the same time. But well, 5 weeks have passed! So it amounts to ard 8 weeks of my 13 week BMT left! Time flies man! Can't wait to POP! Counting down!!

Just to recap abit, the first couple of weeks were mostly PT sessions, and orientation into army life. PT was rather difficult at first, but the more we do, the more we get used to it. One thing's for sure, the army certainly helps you push your limits. Many times i felt like giving up, yet being able to sit here n type out these stuff certainly motivates me and makes me feel rather proud of myself.

Then the interesting things started to come up, such as receiving our weapon and such, and doing more soldierly things, but not forgetting the PT sessions too! I can't really expound much on what we do in there cos its sensitive information, but what i can say is that some of the recent lessons are really starting to get interesting and somewhat cool where we learn to handle other stuff in army life.

"Tekan-ning" sessions are always a tough part to handle. Its when our commanders suddenly sprout horns from no where and endless push-ups ensue. But well, sometimes we jus gotta blame it on our lack of discipline, and our lack of standard. So such things we gotta take with a pinch of salt, and JUST DO IT. Haha.

The week that is coming up is gonna be hectic, and hopefully a good experience too. Cos, we are gonna have our Field Camp! Wont be booking out till next Wed, but we're gna have quite a few days of break after that. I foresee FC will be a time where we will be pushed to our limits (yet again) and at the same time it'll be good for us mentally and physically, when we learn to overcome obstacles and such.

After this month's worth of high-key events, i guess it'll be time for us to focus on our IPPT (Darn those pull ups). So more and more PT sessions i guess. Haha.

Well, that's abt it for now,
Toodles!

13th March - A Civilian No More

2008-03-13T00:11:00.003+08:00

This is officially my last post before i enter another phase in my life - National Service. Yep, for those who live on Mars, on the 13th of March, i am no more a civilian but a military man. A next step where, as people say, "Boys become men" (i hope). I am eagerly anticipating by first step onto Tekong, where my IC turns green, smell the bed i gotta call my own for the next few mths, etc. Yet, there lingers a tinge of 不舍得-ness and anxiety of what is gonna happen next. Yet all in all, i believe i am ready to move on, and take on what's to come.

Righto. Some THANK YOUs to dish out!

Firstly, THANK YOU Mum and Dad! For bringing me up till now, for 20 years and counting. Though i hate all the nagging of packing my room and such, its certainly smthing i'll miss (a wee bit), the home-cooked food, and time i spend watching wrestling with Dad.

Secondly, THANK YOU Tommy Kor and Sharon Jie! Reali reali loved the home-cooked dinner we had. It just makes it mean so much more. Thank you for always being there for us rascals *oops* i mean youths, sharing your life with us and helping us thru our numerous whinings and nonsense. =)

Thirdly, THANK YOU KKei, Michelle, Nicky, Xinying, and Gillian Jie for making time for dinner tonite. Thank you for all your moral support and presense, which reali reali means alot of my oh-so-soft heart.

Last but not least, THANK YOU to all of you out there. You all had helped in some way or another in shaping and moulding me. Each of you have in your own way, changed and impacted my life. Thus, we call each other friends. Thanks to all who shown ur support, be it sms-es, calls and asking me out for a meal, THANK YOU.

Therefore, i shall end this post with a heartfelt I'LL MISS YOU to all of you, my family, my friends, my pillars of support.

So long and farewell for now.

PS: This post is coated with emo-fudge to ease ur tearduds into activity. Pls accompany reading with a piece of tissue. =)

HERE I COME

[3 days left] Sepia Tones... of the Old and Memorable

2008-03-10T14:28:00.005+08:00

Was looking around some old picture albums a few days ago, and that's where i found the photo of my dad balancing me on his palm. I was exactly 5 mths old then. Amazingly strong legs eh? Haha.

Have been asked to post a couple of my baby photos by a couple of my friends, but will do that soon when i have more time. But in my pouring over the numerous, yellowed pictures, i came across a few interesting photos, not of me, but of my dad.

Ok, only the first picture is of my dad. He used to live in a kampung in his younger days. So cool right? Maybe thats where i get my genes from, the constant urge to experience the wild!

(Click on the pics below for a larger view)

Pic #1: Dad (right) and one of my aunts (i think), posing for a picture with a freshly skinned reticulated python. One of the largest snake species in the world! Snake sashimi anyone?

Pic #2: I honestly do not know who this is, could be an uncle of mine, or perhaps one of the friends in the kampong, stripping the skin off the snake. The skin could be worth quite alot of money in those days where reptile skin products were the craze!

[9 days left] Couple 'o Updates...

2008-03-03T22:13:00.005+08:00

As of today, the 3rd of March, National Service is accurately 9 whole days away.

Reality is starting to sink in that i'm gna have to lose all my hair in the next few days, and how fat that i have become. 4 weeks of PTP better do some good and I aim to get my A-cup sized boobs end of bmt! wahahhaah. RIGHT.

Anyhooooo, jus came back from Michelle's 21st birthday chalet-cum-party today. Will upload pics and a couple of vids soon when i get them.

Aunt's remaining menus have been on hiatus these past few days due to the party and such. Hopefully will be able to complete it and send for printing tmr, so i could bring it down to her stall on Wed.

Tt's all for now, Cheers!

OH LOOK WHAT I FOUND:

[19 Days Left] Amoy Street Food Centre - Hot Dessert (Updated On: 280208)

2008-02-23T14:22:00.003+08:00

UPDATE 280208: Went down to take pics of some more food and desserts. Gallery below is updated. Enjoy!

Have finally finished editing the pictures for my auntie's hot dessert stall at Amoy Street Food Centre. I am not a very dessert person, esp hot dessert, so i can't give a detailed review. My two cents for it is that all the desserts sure look and smell good, and the ingredients come in very generous portions. I shall let the pics below speak for themselves. =)

[22 Days Left, Part 1 of 2] Jurong Bird Park

2008-02-20T20:27:00.002+08:00

Went to the Jurong Bird Park today! Woot. Havent been there in ages and ages and ages. Really loved visiting this place when i was young, and yes, nostalgic cos my parents used to bring me around all these places! 好幸福喔! Decided to visit the Bird Park is also not some random idea of mine. Jus that i bought the park-hoppers package which includes a visit to the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and of course the Jurong Bird Park for a price of $45! Value for money. =)

Was greeted by the nice entrance of the park and right smack before the entry way, was a pond full of birds! Haha. A couple of DUCKS (note: Yvonne) were swimming around and poking their head into the water. A couple of other birds were around too, of which i do not know what they are. (That explains why most pics below have no captions, cos i duno the names!)

The attractions in the park are still pretty standard for the past so many years. Just that most of the structures have either been reinforced or rebuilt. There are a couple of new attractions of which i'll talk more later. First few attractions upon entering the park were like the parrots, flamingos, and penguins.

Went for the 10am bird of prey show, Fuji World of Hawks. Honestly, i felt that the show was rather disappointing and not entertaining enough, and if im not wrong, its been the same show for the past donkey years too! The show presenters were giving off-colour jokes and apparent time-dragging, which should be cut down. Nonetheless, the birds featured in the performance were beautiful and their hunting abilities and such, truly amazing!

After the show, i carried on the route and i saw my arch enemy!! THE PELICAN!! Haha. No, i'm not afraid of it, or that i hate it, its just that, a pelican allegedly bit me on the neck when i was a little kid at the zoo! It was sitting on a rock, n i jus went close n it jus went snap! No worries, no blood or anything, i probably jus looked like a big fish. Haha. Wouldnt say much about the other attractions around, cos you can easily find more info at the bird park website.

The waterfall was just as breathtaking as ever. It is one of the few things that i actually remember of the bird park, cos its something u dont see in everyday life, although it is a man-made structure. climbed up the small hill and took a few pics of colourful, pretty birds, when a keeper was feeding them mealworms and crickets.

Just wanna quickly touch on this attraction before i end this post off with the pictures for you to enjoy. Was nearing the end of the whole park route, and i went to this attraction called The Lory Loft. Lories are actually small colourful parrots and they had that whole sanctuary to themselves. For $2, you get a small bowl of nectar, honey and water and u feed the birds! The little parrots actually fly to your hand and feed on the stuff! how cool is that? haha. I was so happy that i bought another bowl of it. Some of them are really naughty, and some simply bossy. Some would fly and perch on ur arm or shoulder and try to get some of the food, and some would try nibbling at your fingers. Each bird certainly has their own personality. COOL!

Jurong Bird Park is certainly a nice alternative to visit other than the Singapore Zoo. Its a great place for bird enthusiasts armed with their high speed cameras too cos birds are constantly moving and so difficult to capture sharp and crisp images with a normal compact. Alright! Take some time, look at the pics! =)

[22 Days Left, Part 2 of 2] Chinese Garden

2008-02-20T20:00:00.002+08:00

After leaving Jurong Bird Park, decided to pop by Chinese Gardens for a visit. This is another place where my parents had brought me, on a few occasions when i was young, to sight see especially during the lantern festival, etc. when there would be a lot of decorations up to celebrate the festivities. I have taken the train many times towards Jurong East and have always admired the serenity of the place with the waters and olden architecture e.g. pagodas etc. Haha. I guess the expression 'feeling very zen' is quite applicable in this situation.

REVIEW: Upon reaching the place, i was surprised that there is no more charge/fee for entry to the place, and relished the slight irony that 2 indian security guards were stationed there despite the place being named 'CHINESE Garden'. Haha. Nonetheless, the scene that greets you past the guard station is beautiful and serene. Water and greens certainly make a nice combination. There were many mock terracotta soldiers placed at the entrances to various structures which give the whole place a nice touch of chinese culture. The 7-storey pagoda is indeed a piece of art. (Pictures at the bottom).

Moving on! One of the main, if not only, reason to visit the Chinese Garden is because of The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum! Saw on the news a few years ago about this guy who has a collection of turtles and tortoises, which are rare and of course, illegal to trade in Singapore. He is the only one (i think), other than the zoo n such, to be licensed to rear such animals. For $5/entry and $1 for a pkt of fish feed or a whole cucumber (optional), you can view and even have a petting and feeding session with the turtles. (Again, pics below!)

You'll first be greeted with the many turtles in many glass tanks in the viewing area. Many rare turtles are on display and the snapping turtles are truly a sight to behold. One snap of their mouth and there goes a couple of your fingers. Too bad the turtles in the tanks are out of bounds for you to feed.

Out of the viewing area is an outdoor landscape with a pond and a few enclosures. My, are there many, and i say, MANY tortoises in the pond. The various enclosures around the area house many different species of tortoises as well, which you can feed, pet, and take pictures with/of.

Last words: Chinese Garden is certainly a nice place to bring ur family for a picnic, visit the turtle museum, and that is about it. There is practically nothing much to do around and the place if you are looking for fun, games and adventure. But the turtle and tortoise museum is certainly worth the trouble if you are interested.

Chinese Garden
Take MRT to Chinese Garden Station
Entry: Free

The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum
Entry: $5
Misc: $1 for pellet food or cucumber

[23 Days Left, Part 2 of 2] City Sights and Views

2008-02-19T20:50:00.010+08:00

Today
Was over at my Aunt's vegetarian food stall this morning again to take pictures of her hot desserts that she has jus started selling. Gotta do another menu for this set of yummy stuff. Will update more on this once i finish with the pics. =)

After leaving Amoy Street Food Centre, was comtemplating whether I should go home or take a walk around. Decided to take a walk around the Esplanade waterfront and eat my packet of vegetarian food (courtesy of my aunt!), and take some pictures as well. *grins*

Finished my food and took a couple of pictures of the Shenton Way skyline which you can view in the gallery below. After that i decided to walk all the way to the Singapore Flyer, which is the Ferris Wheel at Marina! Wanted to take a ride but found out it is not opened to public rides yet, but the whole building was open to public. Took a number of beautiful pictures of that place, and my, it is a nice place to go to indeed. The wheel was actually moving when i was there, so it was pretty cool to see it in action, and the building has its own indoor garden and landscape! Really nicely done. Pics in the gallery again!

After that, walked all the way back to the Esplanade and proceeded on to the Merlion. The Merlion sort of brought back a couple of memories where my mom used to bring me to sight see the Merlion back at its old site, the statues of Stamford Raffles and such. Nostalgic! Took really nice pics of the esplanade skyline as well.

I didnt know that the city had such beautiful sight if i didnt make the effort to take a walk through. Wanted to go see Clifford Pier but too bad it was closed as the whole area is being close for construction of new structures. Little did i know i had walked all the way to Raffles Place as i was actually contemplating to go to the museum if i was still near City Hall area. So i decided to head home instead to rest my aching feet.

Enjoy the pics!

[23 Days Left, Part 1 of 2] Amoy Street Food Centre - Vegetarian Food

2008-02-19T20:31:00.006+08:00

Helloo. Decided to pull this blog of mine back from the depths of the Mariana Trench onto dry land, and blog about my remaining days as a civilian. Haha. Have planned to do many interesting things and blog about it before i finally get my buzz cut and get my green I.C. Hehe. Got a couple of updates plus loads of pics for you to see. So pls take your time, enjoy urself, and have a good look through. =)

Last Week
Have been busy the past week mainly with my 2nd Aunt's (Gillian's Mother) new menu for her vegetarian food stall located at Amoy Street Food Centre, #02-111. Helped her to take pictures of the food, design the menu and send it for printing. It was quite an enjoyable process as i learnt many things as i completed the tasks. *Great sense of achievement*

Brief Food Review: The food sold at my aunt's stall is really good. No, im not saying it because she's my aunt, but the food's really tasty and having some just makes you crave for more! Many people stereotype vegetarian food to be related to jus bee hoon and mediocre-tasteless-glutin-laden mock char siew and such, but such is not the case for my aunt's. She has a wide spread of selection (you can see from the pics below), and trust me, she doesnt only have 'char siew' but 'fish', 'mushroom nuggets' etc, and they're really great tasting! Her stall was even featured in an episode of a food review programme on Channel 8!

So enjoy the pics and gimme a tag or call if u wanna go down to have some mouth-watering vegetarian food! =)

Amoy Street Food Centre
Near Telok Ayer Street,
Beside Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church
#02-111

An Unpleasant Truth

2007-11-30T03:16:00.001+08:00

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group

4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"

6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

John 8:1-11

Who are we, as mere mortals, to judge who/what is right or wrong, when Jesus has already forgiven?

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
Romans 8:1-2

A little, goes a long way...

2007-11-05T01:38:00.001+08:00

Hello. It has been awhile since I last blogged. Due to the fact that dear Miss Yvonne Chia, after reading my previous post, told me that she didn't know that I would post about such "deep stuff". So it leaves me partly wanting to post closer-to-heart posts and at the same time, leaving me pondering whether I have been such a SHALLOW person(to her). HA HA. Anyway, here is another one, but considerably shorter.

Was reflecting a bit at this hour of 1.40am on stuff that is happening now everywhere, to me and to others. I sort of feel glad to see how some of my acquaintances have gotten on in their lives, as they move on the different paths they took. Their successes, their progress, and just how full they seem to be living their lives. =)

I am starting to feel a new drive(maybe just a slight nudging for now) for the area of church ministries, esp the youth. Have recently been asked to helped with certain aspects of a couple of events, and as I went ahead with the "assignments", I feel this sense of fulfilment that I do all these because of a greater reason, not just an auxillary role. Had dinner with James and Michelle earlier on, and had a good chat and catching up and FOOD. Talked a bit about cell groups and voiced a few of my concerns and such, and found a few answers as well. Maybe it is time to settle down in one?

That should be all for tonight, thanks to dear Mr Mun Loon, helping me lose two trains in 2mins. Don't worry, there have been no reported suicide bombings, and fatalities.

Cheers,
Ken

Memorabilia...

2007-10-16T10:42:00.001+08:00

RAAAH. How interesting can life be when you have to work? SUBJECTIVE! *random*

BUT, life has been rather fun this past couple of weeks.

BUT, due to my rather "self-termed-and-can't-be-helped" selective memory, I would only remember certain things that happened no matter what degree of memorability it holds. That is most probably why I do have a "random-ical flair" and that may be why I, sometimes, do say the darnest things at the darnest times. *remembers Bill Cosby's TV show "Kids Say the Darnest Things"*

Lets skip back to Saturday the week before last! Went to Tommy Kor's place after worship practice. Once the door was opened, I saw Joash sitting on the floor playing with his toys. Guess what? He saw me and he went "Ah-chee"!!! He was so cute! He actually has linked me with the word "Ah-chee" due to my constant mimicry of sneezing "Ah-cheew" and he couldn't do the exact pronunciation or diction. He's so cute right?! MEMORABILITY RATING: 9/10

Fast-forwarding a week, lets move on to last Sunday night. Went to the airport at night with Daryl, E-van, Leslie, E-liz, Hui Yun and Samuel. We went to there to play some games. I got my nails painted on the bus ride tot he airport. When we reached Terminal 2, we started off with Cranium(if i am not wrong) and I paired up with E-van. We won! Woohoo! Really fun game which tests your general knowledge, creativity and IQ. Then it was Taboo! was after that. It has been quite awhile that I've hung out through the night, and with them as well. All of them zonked out at McDonalds at around 6am execpt me and I was left to rot awake. Finished up an Elmo balloon while they were in "La La Land". Left the airport around 7am, and took bus 858(4 corpses on the backseat) back to Yishun. Breakfast was at McD's after which we played Truth or Dare(Truth rather, no mood for dares. All Daryl's fault!) for awhile. Fun time to spend with fun friends! MORE MORE! MEMORABILITY RATING: 9/10

Abit of self-reflection:

Time sure flies fast, too fast sometimes. So many things happen, and so many other things just come and go. What I want and aim to do now is to really be more than just surface-friends to people around me. It is true I have failed, failed in many things. Choices I made, things I did, relationships with other people, I can't help but say I could have did things so much, so much better. I guess it is all a process of maturing and growing up, a step/choice I have to make to progress from boy to man. National Service would come and go, and fact that literal adulthood looms after that is daunting. Can't help but remember my Dad telling me that once after I hit 21 years of age, I will have grown up. I will have to make ALL my decisions on my own. My life, how I want it to be, is up to me. Sounds good? How about I put it in this way. My life, how I want it to be, is at my DISPOSAL?

Many times, I have told many people "You're still young.. etc." even if they were jus a year younger or such. I do not know why, sometimes I just feel really much older, not jus physically. Recently, was talking about relationships to a certain person, and I sort of said that statement "You're still young..." and I also without knowing said "我是过来人“ which means, in English, that I have been through and seen many things. She replied saying that I am not that much older and after all the relationships I have been through, all failed. I was very much taken aback at her comments. I wasn't angry, or offended, but it was a moment of truth and revelation.

I don't know but I believe that is because for one, at a rather young age, I chose to have responsibility thrust upon me, such as coming into the workplace to work, doing a freelance biz, earning my own money and going without pocket money, etc. Things that I could say that a typical 19 year old won't face in their lives. This has really helped me mature in the monetary-gaining sense, and monetary-spendage sense. Though I do have problems saving money, I have a greater understanding in how to manage it.

Despite my many failed relationships, I have learned from it too. Anyway, which relationship isn't counted failed if they do not lead to marriage, except for the rare few cases? I have learned the hard way that responsibility and reputation is very important to a man, especially his credibility as a person. I have learned the hard way that rushing things often come to naught. These "failures" have taught me many life's lessons too, albeit the hard way.

I have learned, and still am learning,
I have walked, and am still walking,
I have seen, and am still seeing,
I have grown, and am still growing,
Learn with me, walk with me,
See with me, grow with me,
And together, lets be flowing.

2007-10-13T05:40:00.000+08:00

Just got my enlistment letter on 12 Oct.

Date of enlistment: 13 March 2008

That's like a freaking long way.

Calling MINDEF on Mon to ask for an earlier date.

*smirk*

Our God Reigns

2007-10-08T18:30:00.000+08:00

Been pretty busy the past few weeks with work. No joke waking up at 4am on a working day. Haha. But still, i like my job. Hoping payday to come soon and not forgetting for NS to come soon too.

And i guess, a few changes, will come soon too for me.

How does it feel like to move out of a comfort zone?

Till then,
Ken

Our God Reigns

40 million babies lost to Gods great orphanage,
It’s a modern day genocide and a modern day disgrace
If this is a human right then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree.

100 million faces, staring at the sky,
Wondering if this HIV will ever pass us by.
The devil stole the rain and hope trickles down the plug,
But still my Chinese take away could pay for someone’s drugs.

Our God reigns, Our God reigns,
Forever your kingdom reigns.

The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you.

Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.

Another Rare Personality Test by Me

2007-09-25T15:59:00.000+08:00

Its like so damn right true about me. Have differing views abt it? Tag me! =)

Your view on yourself:

Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

2007-09-24T01:32:00.000+08:00

The past whole week has been rather interesting and eventful.

I've started my morning shifts for work this week for Tue, Thur and Sat. Shift starts at 5.30am and lasts till 2.30pm, so i had to get myself accustomed to waking up at 4am on the days that i work and proceed to wait for company transport to pick me up at 5am.

Work has been great so far. Quite an easy job, but i learn loads about current affairs and the latest happenings local and internationally. I suppose many of you didn't know that a meteorite landed in Peru a couple days back? Villagers around the area experienced vomiting and signs of poisoning after inhaling the fumes, but fortunately, scientists found the crash site not radioactive.

So for latest news updates and such, pls go to
http://www.straitstimes.com

----------

Went down to DXO on Thur night with Baolong and Kah Hong. We supposedly won TICKETS from Oops! Magazine to the Alec Empire "concert". I would first like to say that DXO is horrible. The place is terribly SMALL! So we were waiting for the line of events to start, which sadly didn't happen very soon. Baolong and I proceeded to get our drink, which we then realised we had to give a ticket to redeem the free drinks. So we went to ask the person-in-charge and guess what? She said that we won an INVITE, not tickets. WTH! Was so darn angry, so we just paid for the drink.

To keep it short, the main event didn't start till a couple of hours later. The supposed "emcee" sucked big time, DJ Alec Empire's mix were not bad, but the sound system was too overpowering. Lastly, there was no atmosphere at all at DXO, so the three of us decided to leave early. We then chilled at the waterfront, slept abit, and took the early trains back.

----------

Saturday night, Baolong and i met and we went down to Sean's place. A few others were already there so we sat around watching tv and using the com. Soon after a few of them left and all was left was Baolong, Bowen, Sean, Val and I. Bowen fell asleep and the rest of us proceeded to Sean's bedroom in which we talked a lot of crap and told a lot of jokes. Many of which were racist, and others were connotative. Bahahaha. "Nothing much" happened so i won't say much. HEE HEE.

So we awoke on Sun morning, and proceeded to Yishun for lunch at BK, after which the 5 of us went to Ah Mei Cafe to have their milk tea(its delicious!). Time was spent there doing balloons, talking crap(something about arousals?!), and "nothing much" happened too*ti gong look*. Bahahaa. Oh man. Haha.

----------

Sun nite! Man United Vs Chelsea!
Watched the match at a coffeshop near Punggol with Simon, Justin, Tat Tong, Winston, and Nick. Oh well, Chelsea lost. Man U 2 - 0 Chelsea. it was something i was expecting so i wasn't really affected by their loss, but i do hope they'd pull through this difficult time and do their best despite the recent loss of their manager. Well, worse come to worse, i'll start watching U.S. Soccer la! Support team GALAXY! LOL!

Well, tts all for now!

Watch, Try, and Believe IT!

2007-09-20T19:45:00.000+08:00

Came across this couple of interesting videos. Anyone up to try it? =)

How to Turn Milk into Instant Sugar

How to Turn Water into Ice... in Seconds!

Off to a brand new start!

2007-09-19T20:38:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the brand new look of light-a-candle-flame.blogspot.com!

There's still a few loose ends to iron out though but things have been on the right track and i finally managed to do up my own blog without having to worry about the confusing formatting which comes with some blog designs tt is downloaded off the web.

The two buttons by the side "Ken's Balloons and Services" and "Ken's T-shirt Designs" are still under processing, so they do not work for the moment, and the banner at the top isnt complete, so keep staying tuned!

Pls do give your honest comments n such in the tag board at the bottom right corners!

Cheer-ios!

Ken

2007-09-02T22:36:00.001+08:00

West Highland Terrier [Currently with SPCA]

2007-08-30T10:57:00.000+08:00

Ah Boy has been taken by SPCA at 4.40pm, 31st Aug.
Hope he will get adopted into a good family, and not put to sleep.

I will always remember how he wags his tail when he sees me, and affectionately "bites" my hand when we play. No doubt time together was short, he certainly left an impression.

Even so, read some more about this AWESOME breed of dog!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Highland_White_Terrier
http://www.westieclubamerica.com/

Operation: Sleep Early on Sat Nite

2007-08-27T17:22:00.000+08:00

Haven been up at 5am these past couple of sundays to put into action Operation: Sleep Early on Sat Nite. It is where a few of us gather at Seletar Dam at 6am to do our Quiet Time there, pray, and share what we have learnt with each other.

Events (6 - 12 Aug)

2007-08-12T23:14:00.001+08:00

Hello! Its been awhile. Had a rather eventful week with lots of things happening for me.

Lets start off with Tue, 7th Aug! Had army medical checkup in the morning. So made my way down to CMPB. First test had to do was pee in a small container n dip some test stick into ur pee. tt felt rather weird. Haha. Then had the usual finger-prick-blood-test. Most memorable was the drawing of the blood from one of the major veins in ur arm. Literally watched the needle go into my arm and see blood GUSH out into the test tube. Wahaha. FUN. After that, had the usual like body mass, height, hearing, eyes, etc. and not to forget the take-down-ur-pants-and-turn-to-the-side-and-cough thingy. Doc gave me a PES B!! WHY?! Becos im MILDLY OBESE! damn. was aiming for PES A. oh well.. wads done is done. pretty good experience overall.

Received call on Wed 8th August from National Arts Council. Guess what? I got my busking endorsement letter! Yay! Here's the license. Duno why the face is blurred out leh.. *ti gong look*

Sat! 11 August! Had event in the evening at the Asian Civilisation Musuem. PSA Marine was having a function and Paul was invited to do walkaround magic, while i did balloons. Was a good experience overall. Made quite a few flowers for ladies, old men simply arent really into balloons. After everything, while Paul n I chilled at the changing room for awhile, we met a BAPOK! with fake long eyelashes and all. Paul n I were like "OMG" when he first came in. But he was quite a nice guy. He performs Thai Dance, so he wears the thai girl outfit everything with gold headwear n long fingernails n such. Realli hats off to him man. At least he said he will definitely be keeping his *ahem*dick*ahem* when i asked him. haha. Below's a pic of Paul n me after event!

Last but not least, TP is on tue! 14 Aug! oh man. Wish me all the best yeah? Prayers greatly coveted. Want to pass the first time, if not i wont have time to do during NS already.

That's all folks! (for now)

Ken

3rd August..

2007-08-03T23:20:00.000+08:00

Went for busking license audition in the morning. Hope i did ok.

Here's the hat i made today.

Went to meet Baolong after that at PS. Then we both went to Magic Hall. Started doing balloons when there was nothing to do. Hee.

Here's a head of a man i made.

Finished! Dick the Magic Balloon Man! *the hat's mine!*

Birthday! - 31st July 2007

2007-08-01T09:50:00.000+08:00

Woo! Birthday was nice n quiet this year! I realised that b'dae this year was all about food! You'll get the picture when i roll out the "thank you" list. =)

THANK YOU GILLIAN JIE JIE for the nice wonderful meal at Sakae Sushi!

THANK YOU TOMSUM KORJIE for the ice-cream at McD!

THANK YOU BAOLONG for treating me to lunch at McD and it was nice having prata with you at Ah Mei Cafe!

THANK YOU SIMON for offering to bring me for prata! Sorry i couldn't make it.

THANK YOU DEAREST MICHELLE for the present(best ever!), and it was enjoyable seeing you eat. =P

THANK YOU MOM & DAD for the sumptuous dinner at Taste of Thailand!

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! BAHAHA. I'm getting fat!
=)=)=)

Here's another "thank you" list!

THANK YOU JOHN LOH for being the first to wish me a Happy Birthday! I really appreciate it!

THANK YOU NICKY KISHORE for being the 2nd! The bestest Black Bro you can find around.

THANK YOU 'LIL SIS FLORINA for being the 3rd! And yes, it didnt rain. Rather hot instead. =)

THANK YOU RUSYINNI, YVONNE CHIA, PAUL LEE, SHUMIN, TOMSUM, CAROL WANG, SIMON CHEO and everyone else for your birthday wishes! Each one is truly a blessing and so are all of you! THANKS!

AND ALSO A BIG THANK YOU TO MICHELLE BABY who apparently stayed up till 12am to wish me too, but i was asleep already i think. My bad... ... Thanks honey! Loves!!

BUSK in the sun?

2007-07-30T09:51:00.000+08:00

BUSKING SCHEME AUDITION
FOR BUSKING LICENSE

3RD OF AUGUST
10.10AM
MICA BUILDING

WISH ME ALL THE BEST!

Festival of Praise 2007

2007-07-26T20:41:00.000+08:00

WOO! Festival of Praise 2007 is around the corner! Any go-ers? =)

Time to scoot off to a new start!

2007-07-19T14:18:00.000+08:00

*Ding Ding* i'm now currently so bored in my office im falling asleep after SORTING PAPERS. Seriously man, i didnt agree to come here to work to sort papers and do "chapalang" stuff. I'm most likely resigning from this job at the end of the month.

"So what will you do next, Ken?" You might ask. Well, i do have a few choices before i go and get my buzzcut for National Service. Am seriously thinking of dedicating wholly to balloons and such for the next few months actually. Got a few events coming up in August and September. Hoping to secure my busker's license in August. Gonna pick up unicycling and face painting too! And then, HOPEFULLY, i'll be able to survive for the next few mths till i end up in NS. Haha. OR, i'll jus find another company which will contract me for 3mths i guess.

A few things i hope you guys can help me with!

1) I'm in need of webspace! Anyone know of any cheap hosting sites or people who could offer me some space? I do not need much webspace, as i jus need a site to show abit of my works, rates, and maybe accomodate a few forms.

2) Anyone know's of any good tailor or whose mom could sew and tailor stuff such as costumes? i need to customise some of my outfits, such as adding multiple pockets/inserts for my balloons, hidden pockets, a carrying case for my giant pump, etc etc. If you know of anyone who has a flair for such "seam-ste-ry", pls tell me!

If any of you has such contacts or "kangtao", pls tag me or call me or sms me or msn me or jus ask me out for a meal.

Thanks a mil!

Ken

Random Pics from the Past..

2007-07-12T09:18:00.000+08:00

Was looking through my old archives of pictures. Chanced upon these few pics. Nostalgic!

Remember the floods? Its cool to see Singapore flooded. I want another one!

Ophir training pics! I know i look gay with Kuen.. Miss those times. I was at my fittest then!

I Love a Good Challenge, But??

2007-07-11T08:44:00.000+08:00

Woo! Finally a day which i do not need to force myself to wake up, and dragging my feet to office. Took a day of leave to get some resting and enjoyment. Mom was saying why she's working everyday and she never even say want to take rest, then im saying it. Truth is, she's is in a situation where everyday is different as she interacts with her kids wad, for me, everyday is in office doing the same thing. Its more mental than physical. That's what i told her. haha. Excuses i know. =p

Something interesting happened yesterday. I was actually asked whether i would like to take part in what i could say is Singapore's biggest balloon event's competition. If im not wrong, competition includes Costume making with balloons, entertainment on stage etc. i was like "Whoa! i dun know whether im good enough." Told David, boss of Balloon Baron that i'd need a few days to think about it. Told Mom about it, and she was pretty encouraging, asking me to go for it and such. hmm, Time to multiply the "talents" i was given?

Tongue of Fires.

2007-07-09T09:07:00.000+08:00

Its been a while since i really blogged. A more or less deep post coming up!

I cant believe its already the month of July of Year 2007. It felt as though i have "time-leapt" into the future. Everything of 2nd half of 2006 to 2007 currently literally whizzed past so fast that i myself and am unsure of what i had done, have done. Thinking back, so many things just happened in this two years. It seemed so long ago, but it was only last year that i got my O level results, only last year that i went to NP etc. etc.. What was only a year ago felt like 3 years.

My simple prayer for Michelle(my girlfriend lah) today was that she'll be a light to anyone wherever she is, and that God would use her mightily to do his work. Now i question myself. Am i living my life to the fullest, for myself, and for others? Am i being a beacon of light? Am i letting my talents and potential go to waste? I cant help but meditate, or rather ponder on the Parable of the Ten Talents. Am i going to double the "talents" that i am given, no matter how much, or am i just going to dig a hole in the ground and bury it, and when judgment day comes, i just return that same amount to God without any gain? Only thing Ps Leon Steward said on Youth Sunday that stayed with me was about his friend who looked like Mr Bean, with his trousers belted up to his chest. Certainly not the best looking of the worst too. Yet, YET, God uses him MIGHTILY as he spoke fire and brimstone into lives and spirits of people. Do i want that power? Do i want that authority over the principalities and powers? I yearn for the day where its like the day of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit decends on the people like tongues of fire, and everybody started speaking in tongues, praising, worshipping, being EMPOWERED! Yes, empowered.. Jus like the song goes,

Empower me
Like a rushing river flowing to the sea
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit
Flowing out through me
Till i'm living as Your child
VICTORIOUS and FREE
Send the power of Your love
Empower me.

Now the thing is how much are we willing to press in, willing to press in to see the will of God done, the willingness to see the miracles happen, the blind to see, the lame to walk, the healing to take place in this world, in your country, in your neighbourhood, and even in yourself. How much are we WILLING to PRESS IN to see the promises of the bible carried out. Just like the woman who was bleeding for 12years found in Mark 5:25 - 34. Which comes another song,

Like the woman with the issue of blood
We press in, we press in
Like the blind man waiting patiently
We press in through the crowd

Then suddenly
A touch from heaven
Jesus came and rescued me
Then suddenly
A touch from heaven
Jesus came and set me free

So am i just gonna sit here and see time fly by?? Or will i rise up to the occasion?? What will i do with my talents?? Do i wanna press in??

PICS - 23rd June - VibrantBlood Blood Donation Drive

2007-06-26T10:56:00.000+08:00

The Past Week - Camp and a Few Balloons..

2007-06-18T08:49:00.000+08:00

*Ding Ding* Now's the time to blog abit of what i've been up to the past week. Jus came back from church camp a few days ago. It was a rather leisurely camp, and my main motive is to go there to slack and a HOLIDAY. Yup. Pics below were taken on the 2nd day when we were at the pool. (Pls pardon the FATS). Will upload more photos when the picture cds are ready.

Yesterday(Sunday), was FATHER's DAY. Church had an event at Lower Seletar to celebrate and i was doing abit of ballooning for that event. Will upload more pics when they're ready too!

That's abt it for now, TURRAH!

Uncle Ken

Tale of TWO COWS.

2007-06-16T11:07:00.000+08:00

Think i've posted this before, but its still entertaining! More lame stuff coming up!

A Tale of Two Cows

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM. You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION. You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION. You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION. You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create clever cow cartoon images called 'Cowkimon' and market them worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION. You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

A BRITISH CORPORATION. You have two cows. Both are mad.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION. You have two cows, but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.

A SWISS CORPORATION. You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION. You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment and high bovine productivity. You have the newsman who reported on the numbers arrested.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION. You have two cows. You worship them.

A MALAYSIAN CORPORATION. You have two cows. You signed a 40-year contract to supply milk at 0.06 per lit. Then midway you raised the price to 0.60 or you cut supply. When the buyer agrees to the new price, you change your mind again and now want 1.20. The buyer decided you can keep the milk and they go look for milk that comes from recycled cows. Your two cows retire together with the PM.

A SINGAPOREAN CORPORATION. You have two cows: One "cow-peh" and one "cow-bu".

Move on?

2007-05-05T02:05:00.000+08:00

Well its been awhile since i blogged. It has just struck me these couple of days that its already the month of May. Another month and we'll be halfway through the year. How time flies. Certainly, the past year and beginning of this year had its fair share of ups and downs.

I been questioning myself on what i want, my goals, my existance on this earth. Wad am i here for? So many things have jus happened. So many questions. So many burdens. I emotionally feel it. I psychologically feel it. i even physically feel it. Each step each day seems to weigh even heavier than the day before.

Church now contains no more or very little meaning for me. To me, i just "help out" in the way i can such as playing the guitar. Gone is the strive to play fully unto God. Attending service seems more like an obligation than a joy. Worship songs have become jus mere words with subtle meanings.

I question why isnt there anyone to come and pick me up. i question why isnt there someone who seems to want to raise me up to a greater height like in the past. i question whether does the problem lie with them, or is it jus really me? Why are the numbers dwindling? Why does there seem to be a disatisfaction in the people? So is it them, or is it jus ourselves who plainly doesnt seem to want to move our sorry asses forward? What's the key between THEN and NOW?

I used to find this motivation from deep within. A serious passion to do things. I was guided. I was built up. I was motivated. But jus a short moment, everything fell apart. I was literally left helpless. Few came forth. Almost none actually.

And when i thought i was ready to let go and try to press on, i was pushed back yet again, met with a phrase "i didn't know how to handle you". Yes, i made a choice that i'll step out. After that, nothing else came forth. No actions were taken, no words were spoken to me. What i jus saw was like the waves from the sea, slowly washing away the sand on the beach. What had meant something to me before, was gone.

Its tough to face up that, after a particular incident, you see the other party being raised up to a greater height, and you are jus left there standing. argh.

Im tired of all the facades. Im tired of all this shit. I want it to end. I want to get rid of the burden that i carry everyday. I want to be renewed... but how? How... A change in focus? A change in environment? I dont know. Sigh.

This thought jus came to mind. "What is your pursuit of Happyness?" Hmm.

End here i shall.
Someone help me pls?

Huff Puff

2007-04-18T22:52:00.000+08:00

Was at another RC event on Sunday. Paul did magic while i did balloons, after which he came to help me cos there was a MOB. Few words, more pics!

Balloona-fanastical-weekend!

2007-04-09T09:31:00.000+08:00

Woot! Had another fulfilling weekend!

Words first, few pics later.

Just a short overview:

Good Friday. Went over to City Harvest Church's children's carnival to do balloons, while a few of my other friends went around with walk-around magic. No joke blowing each n every balloon which amts to close to hundred? It was a mob of kids man, but a very fun experience! After which, a few of us went down to The Little Magic Shop's sale at Concept Magic's studio. YAY! i bought $50 worth of stuff and i also wont a lucky draw! ahaha. (PIC #1)

Sat. Was up and about rather early and went to cash my cheque and i bought COMMAND AND CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS!!! WOO! Gameplay's SOLID man. After which went to orchard for a walk with Baolong. Nicely surprised to see Jeremy Pei performing at the tent in front of Takashimaya. Hehe. Saw some rather lacklustre walk-ard magic, and BL and me lamented the fact that we shd have been invited to do the event instead. SIGH! Dinner was settled at Sarpino's Pizza, which is also 2 for 1, and the pizza's good! Good enough to rival pizza huts.

Sun. Went down to City harvest after church as i was doing a short balloon show after my fren's magic show. Made an amazing hat which you'll see. My perf was kinda screwed up as my balloons unexpected popped!! argh. and i was doing a pink panther!! didnt pop once, but twice! argh... but i guess everthing turned out alright.

Went down to town wearing my hat! Everyone staring you from the wherever i was, till the mrt station, till city hall, till orchard. Muaahaha. Met a few pple on the train from Indonesia, of which the two guys with the three indo girls were from the US stationed in Indo. Pics later! (PIC #3)

So there i was walking thru orchard, with my hat, and here's where the good part comes in, everybody looks at you! yay.

Note: FREE ADVERTISING.

And current fav word is: MARKETING.

more on marketing yourself next time, i cld write a whole lecture on it. So me and another friend started from somerset till paragon, wahaha.

Then went to paragon with a friend to wait for BL to finish work, and here's where the even better part comes in. *tiko smile* All the girls, with bf, or without, jus seems to smile at you!! tt truly made my day!! Oh boy, im getting all excited jus talking about this. hehe. it jus tempts me more and more to start busking sooner! muahaha. Highlight of the nite was a tall cute girl, who walked past, kept looking and smiling at me! i waved and she smiled even more and walked off with her frend. a few mins later, she walked back to somewhere else, and i saw her again. ahaha. WHY OH WHY DIDNT I GET HER NUMBER!!!! ARGHHHH!!! ah well, im very shy with girls actually. Hee. OKOK. to cut it short, dinner was at Sarpino's Pizza again. The manager is so gonna rem me and my frends for finishing the cheese and making outrageous balloons. alrite, the end!

Not bad a few days.

2007-03-28T08:51:00.000+08:00

Had quite a good weekend!

Had my first "semi-professional" balloon gig on sat night for an RC block party at Lavender, near Beach Road. Had approx 45mins to entertain and do balloons for the kids. Most wanted balloon animal? THE TIGER. well, one kid wanted a cat actually, i suggested making it a tiger by adding stripes. After that, everyone wanted a tiger. Other decent requests were swords, rabbit, flower. An AUNTIE asked me to make a pig for her.(AUNTIE! hmm. tot i was supposed to entertain kids.) When the hour was up, had to stop and decline some requests. Sad. But well it was a very fun and fulfilling experience and the money's good. Trying to get hold of the few pics taken, so stay tuned.

Sunday was great as i attended a magic competition and lecture. Sadly, only 3 of the finalists were able to make it for the competition, and the rest of the time were taken up by performances by the guest judges. Man, its one thing to see amateurs perform and another to see professionals perform. Was very impressed with a fire eating act by one of the guest performers. An old guy, a veteren at his art. forgot his name. damn.

The magic lecture by Magic Fukai, a professional magician from Japan was very entertaining and indepth. Although not many new effects were taught or explained, the gems were into how to present the routine in a different and entertaining way. Here's Fukai and I.

Last night was great as a small group had a small gathering in commemoration of Paul's birthday. Went to SAFRA to play abit of pool. Did my classic ninja rings act which owned pretty much everyone there, WHAHAHA. After that did some fun balloon jamming. Oh I actually made a hat for Paul to wear thru the night, will upload the pic once i get it from him.

One thing that struck me last night was, "What is being a magician mean to you? What is it worth?" I basically saw and experienced some rather unpleasant stuff happen that make me question. What is could say is, my friend, if you ever do read this post. DO NOT tarnish the image of being a magician. Take pride in being one. If u dont, at least take pride in being a human, respect what ur parents and primary school have been teaching you, and be a man. Grow up pls!

Ken

Expressions

2007-03-21T19:07:00.000+08:00

Am i happy the way i am?

Honestly i am not.

I've been rather caustic at work this past couple of weeks. All the angst swells from a source which i do not even know about. a minor mistake by other could cause me to kick up a big fuss. Am i expecting too much of others? hmm. Maybe im just expecting too much of myself.

Its sad to see your world just blatantly falling apart no matter how hard you try to piece it nicely on the facade. Its hard to just let things go and say "lets forgive and forget". Its painful when you feel that there seems to be no one out there who would really support you and bring you through.

"He's an angry person", some may say. "He's just being an asshole; he thinks he is the best; who does he think he is". Words may not have been said but it can certainly be felt. Maybe no one even had that even thought abt it, and its jus the conscience speaking. i honestly do not know how i've come to this point, where even i myself feel my "headstrong-ness" in many situations yet i could not help it. Its come to a point where i force myself to be independent, and not be dependent on others for company. its come to a point where i feel that even if i died, people may not even really notice the loss of me(its ok, im not suicidal).

i haven talked to God for the past 6mths since duno when. He jus feels so far, so distant. "God is jus a prayer away" most people will say, but i jus cant bring myself to this state. I could say that i have lost faith in God, but a phrase remains ingrained in me, is that "God never left you, have you left him?" Most likely i have lost faith in myself. The faith that i could stand up and say that "i could do all things through Christ".

"I want you to feel guilty". This six words have haunted me for the past 4 mths. no matter how hard i tried to forget, n matter how i tried to bury myself in my work, no matter how hard i tried to PREtend that all was well, these words stalked me, hunted me, as the phrase goes "you can run but you can't hide". Amidst those times, everyone was on the other side of the river. i had to stand alone. i had to overcome on my own. i had to carry all the burden on myself, i WILL carry all of it on my own, i have to, cos i dont want to feel that regret or guilt. yes i have to do it alone, and walk this path on my own, i do not need other people, or do i?

Everyday seems like a get torn down again and again.

hmm. stop here i shall.

i did not do this to seek pity, i will not say i wont need ur pity, i just covet ur prayers.
to those whom i've offended with my words, and actions, i sincerely apologise and would like your forgiveness.

Muahahah...

2007-03-14T23:41:00.000+08:00

Chanced upon this pic. Somehow this oddly reminds of a certain close acquaintance of mine.

Ok i'll be direct.

NICK! MY BROTHER! Want a hat like this?? Muahaha...
i'll do it in bright colors so it'll be contrasting yea? =P

Still pretty much huffing and puffing!

2007-03-14T23:26:00.000+08:00

My my, it has certainly been awhile. All thanks to work, work, and more work. Have been really really busy with work(guess i realise tt now), and pretty much not left with much time for other things.

Alrite, down to latest updates.

I'VE PASSED MY FINAL THEORY TEST TODAY! woohoo!

Yes, i got my PDL, so gonna find an instructor and book a test date soon! Anybody dare take my vehicle with me in the future? Heh heh. *devilish grin*

Haven had much time to practice my magic and balloons recently too. Haven even got my arse to planning on my balloon class n april, haven planned on a fixed party routine which i could do in future parties, haven even planned on what mega balloon sculpture to master, haven this, haven that, OHHH!! WILL SOMEBODY PLS DELIVER ME!!!

Ahaha. That felt better. *Steam streaming out of ears*

Ah wells, till here for this moment. Another day of work tmr again!

Love me, love me not,
Ken

Well, aint that sweet? =)

2007-02-22T18:28:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year and a Tinge of Red

2007-02-21T09:26:00.000+08:00

GONG XI GONG XI! ANGBAO GIA LAI!*

Alrite. So i know im a little late in giving out well-wishes for the festivities, pls pardon me. Haha.

This CNY was a particularly "not-so-boring" one for me.

Started with church in the morning. I finally learnt n rem something from church all this while *oops!*. Heh. What i learnt was the actual meaning of the word 福, which is the chinese word for "blessing". The inscription of the left of the word stands for "God". The inscription on the right side, from the top to the bottoms stand for "one mouth, field". This whole word, thus, stands for "When a man is in a land with God, it is blessing". Get it? if not, jus search the World Wide Web and you'll come across many other chinese words with biblical meaning.

After church, my family proceeded to my paternal grandmother's place, where the youngsters had the usual steamboat, albeit very rushly this year as i had to rush off to my maternal grandmother's. So lunch wasnt very enjoyable.

Maternal grandmother's was the usual small gathering of a couple of my cousins and such. Did some balloons for my nieces and that was about it after which i proceeded to my boss' place and "JUS WATCHED ABIT OF TV"! ehehheheeh.

Ang Bao money this year was phenomenol! Not gonna say the exact, but it certainly went past the $200 mark! Not a little bit, but by "quite a FAIR" margin. hehehe. Now now, you sharks keep away from me ok. dun think you could come and sponge me dry!!! wahahaha.!!

Tts abt it for now!

ANG BAO GIA LAI!

Ah-Ken

Mickey Mickey...

2007-02-13T08:38:00.000+08:00

Here's another to add to the record. =)

Windows Vista Anyone?

2007-02-12T13:59:00.000+08:00

Man, this is good. Hahah!

Shortest one ever.

2007-02-11T14:34:00.000+08:00

Hello, this'll be a short one.

I'll be pushing the ballooning class into March. It will be done a supply and demand basis. More updates will be coming.

Life's been great, work is great and played in worship service today after a long break. Everthing's pretty much on track. Val's day is coming, n its dad's birthday. So it like work, then celebrate bdae at nite, so cant ask girl out. sigh. Heh..

Tts for now, ciao.
Ken-san

~Lets twist again, like we did last summer... yeaH~!

2007-02-02T12:52:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, gals, aunties, uncles or whoever it may concern,

Are you looking for a new past time or hobby?
OR
Are you looking for that something colourful and cute to add to ur repertoire of chilren's entertainment?

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!

Alrite, enough of the crap. haha.
Basically, im jus gonna be conducting a Basic Balloon Sculpting Class soon, either end of feb or early march.

Description
To give people with little or no experience in balloon sculpting a good foundation in the basics of twisting, shaping and manipulating balloons.

Course Outline
- Introduction to 260Q Balloons
- Equipment needed
- Basic Twists
- Basic Shapes
+ Dog, giraffe, rabbit
+ Flower
+ Heart
+ Bear
+ Butterfly
And more!

There will also be a few balloon items on sale, mainly balloons and pumps.

This is definitely not to be missed. Only abt 25 places(max 30) would be available, at a special price of $25 per pax BEFORE 15th of Feb. After the 15th of Feb, it will be $30 per pax. So if you're interested, pls dun hesitate to post ur name in my tag or the comments section under this post and i'll get back to you shortly. Pass the word around!

NOTE: Place and date will be confirmed soon once there are pple who are interested in attending. Pls take note it'll most likely be on a saturday evening.

Thanks and regards,
Kenneth Soh
96774036

A huff and a puff... and i'll blow you up?

2007-01-23T21:54:00.000+08:00

*Chak!*(Trying to imitate the typical-Phua-Chu-Kang-Peek-a-Boo-ah-beng-style). What a great weekend it has been! Spent my sat at work(tho not realli working) and ended up reformatting my boss' com at his place. What a load of rubbish he has in it. Of course, thanks due to his son and daughter's "crap"(MAPLE, AUDITION, and so on and so forth). *totally useless stuff* heh.

Did ballooning at Joash's birthday party. Apparently i shall alias myself Uncle Kenneth from now on. haha. Not jus 1 or 2, not kids mind you, the PARENTS told their kids to come ask "uncle" for a balloon. Tho not unjustifiable, it jus made me feel a little, well, old. heh. Nevertheless, the balloon making part was great! Did my big bugs bunny balloon, onli to realise tt i forgot the neck(people took it home before the party ended officially tho. lol) The pink panther was also gone as quickly as the rabbit. ahaha. Its very interesting to have kids come up to u innocently and ask for something which you dont know how to make *embarrass*, and how some kids jus spoil their balloons soon after you made them. Its no mean feat to be blowing balloons without a pump k. haha. Happy i survived tt. Overall, it was great experience!

What i gotta learn and develop is my interactivity with the kids/people, and be more sure of the balloons i make. PRACTICE!

Maybe i'll try blowing condoms next. heh.

Uncle Kenneth.

Certainly one of the best days in this new year. =)

2007-01-18T21:03:00.000+08:00

Woohoo! My title says it all! Today was a great day! Haha.

The main excitement today is about my basic theory test!! may not sound much, but what happened was certainly interesting. See, here i was last nite at home n registered for the basic theory test. Bummer, the only available(earliest) date was 12 of March. Its like a long two months plus down the road. So i jus registered and shrugged. Went to work as usual today, and sat down in the morning, only to find Nick "nudging" me on msn n telling me there's a slot for basic theory on 22nd feb! AHH! Quick n swift i tried to grab it. OH NO! it didnt show on my screen. Damn, jus missed it. n there i was, a little disappointed, but went "God, if its your plan....". Then i went about my business in the office. 15mins later, i was clicking on SSDC website, nothing. Then a short 5-10mins later, i clicked... and there it was!! GUESS THE DATE!!!

GUESS...
Guess...

26th of JAN!!!!

Hurriedly i fumbled and typed away, waiting for the sluggish internet to flicker!! DAMN! i still had to cancel my previous booking first! hurry hurry!! click click clik! "You have registered for basic theory on the 26th!!!!" WOOOOOHOOOO! n tts jus like next week!!!! PRAISE GOD!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!! i was like screaming in the office. wahahhaaha.

Another excitement today was tt i received my balloons order delivered right to my office! woo! Watch out for uncle kenneth this sunday at Joash's birthday party kids!!

Last but not least, this is the final product!
Cheers,
Ken

A preview...

2007-01-17T10:02:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the short hiatus. Here's a short post and a small preview on what im doing.

Sometimes, lessons are best learnt the hard way. :)

2007-01-08T00:05:00.000+08:00

Yoohoo! Its been awhile. Sorry folks.

Went to JC Sum's Micro Magic Convention yesterday, so sorry to Nicky if i didn't reply to ur message. Oh btw, if y'all don't know who JC Sum is, he's the fella who did a magic segment for Top Fun(Channel 8 variety show by Jack Neo and team, every mon nite), for a period of time. Ring some bells? If not, i shall just carry on with my rants then.

So basically, the micro(due to spaces limited to onli 50 pple) convention, was held at Fluid Bar at Far East Square with free flow of coke, sprite and lime juice It started off with a great lecture where JC shared some of his original close-up effects with us. Though some of us may not really put them to use, it was great insight into how we could produce great effect for even close up magic.

After the lecture was the "Producing Your Act" segment, where pre-signed up pple get to perform in front of everybody. So I, boldly went to sign up for it. Made quite a mess of my routine, because i was so nervous, n i tend to just rush through everything. So i flopped my bottles, dropped my cane, fumbled my linking rings. Man! 5mins seemed like an eternity! I knew that i wasn't gonna do very well, n a normal person wouldn't even think of signing up for something like this in the first place, but i did it because i wanted to know, first hand, what were my flaws and how i could improve. After my routine, JC gave some SOLID critique which left me pretty much satisfied. Thank God for the many others who encouraged and gave me some good advice as well. After which, was a performance by another guy who took up the "Producing Your Act" segment, then came the veteran guest performers.

The convention pretty much ended after food and the sale of alot of magic stuff and a lucky draw in which i wasnt so lucky in, but i was presented with a personalised JC Sum deck of cards instead. The stuff on sale were great in which i bought quite a number, so now having no choice but to put on hold my bike course for another month(damn!), but i guess its all worth it.

So thus ended my sat, still feeling proud of myself for having the courage to perform, and still feeling the passion! But all is not done yet! Another magic workshop, Secret Session 3 this end of month!!! CHIONG AR!!! but still need to spend more money. damn. hehe.

Yours,
Ken

Bugs bugs!!!

2007-01-04T21:33:00.000+08:00

WOOOOHOOOO! CHECK THIS OUT! This certainly holds the record for using the most balloons and time. Adapted most of it from the other pic. Sorry peeps if these few posts has always been abt balloons. haha. im ADDICTED! Likewise, you all can always place an order for any of them, and ask me for a quote! ;)

"Da dum da dum, da dum... ...

2007-01-03T06:55:00.000+08:00

Meet my good friend, Mr Pink. Sorry he forgot his bowtie. hehe.

Such a day will come...

2007-01-02T11:05:00.000+08:00

EEYORE!!

2007-01-01T22:59:00.000+08:00

One more to add to the record. I made this cause had a request for it. Apologies it looks kinda ugly, its my first ever eeyore, n i didnt have a guide to teach me how to do it. Found a pic of it n tried to copy la. haha. oh wells.

Squeeze, Pop, Bang!

2007-01-01T20:23:00.000+08:00

Well well. ITS A NEW YEAR! 2007! woo! tho it feels the same as any other day. heheh. Haven thought of any new year's resolutions or what, cos i almost never keep to them. haha. but for this year, i wanna advance in my magic n ballooning, settle my STUDIES, and be a good boy to my parents n friends. unbelieveable? yeah, i think so too. heheh.

Alrite , some current updates for the past few days. Have been doing quite abit of ballooning the past week. My first pack of Qualatex Balloons in my whole life onli lasted me a week. duno how long my new pack will last, cos balloons are so addictive!!

Here's for me to brag abit. hee.

Ok! first pic's an original flower design of mine i guess. ahaha.

Next is a flower on wrist, quite an original of mine i suppose?

Last. TIGER!!! not an original, but sure makes use of ALOT OF BALLOONS! made this for Yvonne Chia for her christmas prezzie. :P

you all can place orders for all these you know. jus ask me for a quote. wahhahaha.

Yours,
Ken

"Mani Kum Mani Go"

2006-12-30T22:03:00.000+08:00

Christmas passed as soon as it came. Whew! What an eventful year it has been indeed for 2006. Maybe just a tad too eventful i could say. Can't help but recall this Indian Character in the comic strip in the soccer section of the Newpaper called "Mani Kum Mani Go". Though true that "Money Comes, and Money Goes", i guess it holds the same truth where time is concerned.

I could honestly say that the pace of life in Singapore is too fast for me. Give me a countryside residence with a small farm in Aussie and New Zealand, and i'll be very contented to just prune bushes and pluck fruits. A little red wine to go with the steak will really make my day. Truthfully, the fast-paced-ness of the Singaporean society is really stressing me out. Call me slack or lazy, but its the cold hard truth don't you think? After Os, we're 16. Poly till 20. For guys, NS till 22. Then prob work for a couple years then maybe go for a 4yr degree course. So when we, in Singapore, get a degree, we'll be like what? 28?! People elsewhere already have one by 21! And we work so hard here to get a piece of paper, n after tt, $2.5k a mth??? hmm. ok maybe im generalising abit too much but that's quite true too rite?

Hmm. A couple UP THERE said to let the young people go out into the other countries to study, work, and bring back their experience etc. to S'pore. Thing is, which fella in the sound mind will? No doubt the GST may be high else where, but at least their paycheck makes up for it. Whereas, here, everything is rising(even the water level), except the paychecks!

Sigh. No welfare, certainly no WORKFAIR also!! i can't say too much too rite? HEHE!
Oh well, jus some random thoughts from my rambling mind. ;)

3 'C's - Character, Commitment, Consistency

2006-12-23T23:37:00.000+08:00

Ok. Let me talk when everything is still rather fresh in my mind.

First things first. To Rachel, Rachel's family, and friends concerned or whom may be concerned. Yes, its true that i have failed in the part of the relationship. Having made promises but not able to fulfil them, resulting in hurt and animosity. i would like to clarify to say that it too wasnt easy for me, but priorities do change over time. im not gonna defend myself and put my pride on the line saying that i did no wrong. fact that it was i in the beginning who initiated everthing in the beginning and even ending it with my own hands, shows that i have failed horribly as a boyfriend and even a friend. honestly, i do feel guilty about stopping everything, but it was something tt had to be done. all i could say is, im sorry.

Next. To my parents, whether you read this or not. There is nothing between another girl and me. i apologise for having left the house that nite, and subsequent late nites and for not acknowleging you. i honestly felt very accused by ur statements and comments and lack of trust in me. i know you may have good intentions, but i felt things could have been better said and done, that the situation would not turn so ugly. Mom, you asked me what i wanted for my christmas present. i honestly do not expect anything, but i jus wish for you to understand me better, and not see every choice that i make is bad. i honestly jus want your trust. do you know how hurting it is when even my family places a judgment on me when everyone else seems to be doing the same? home doesnt feel like a home already. i know ur good intentions, i jus felt things could turn out better. i have decided to forgive, hope you will too. i love you Mom and Dad.

Third. Had a very good talk with Ps Gordon today. He is realli one person that i could talk to with nth held back, and he would always give good advice to me. Pastor taught me 3 'C's today. Character, Commitment and Consistency. these 3 'C's would ultimately determine the person you will be in life. What is your character? is it strong? What are your commitments and are you committed to them? What is your consistency in life? in the things you do? in your walk as a christian? Remember this well.

One major thing that has also struck me is, credibility. how credible are you as a person? so what if you have all the skills in the world, all the good looks etc. its ultimately ur credibility as a person that makes or break you.

i have got a question to you readers out there.

1. How do you determine success in your life?

Till now, i still cant fully answer that for myself. if you readers out there would like to encourage me and other readers about your views, pls post in the comments section under "Kennection" at the bottom of this post.

Work work work. shit shit shit.

2006-12-22T09:11:00.000+08:00

WORK WORK WORK. Have been so preoccupied with work these few days n its no joke working an average of 9am - 8pm everyday. Even right now im in office typing this out. No complains if the working environment was good, but Tim n I soon realised things were not what they seemed and politics flying everywhere(jus like SOMEWHERE else). So things kinda develop in a drag.

SHIT SHIT SHIT. Some stuff happened to me lately which caused me to doubt alot of things in life and in people. So sorry to pple who msg me n i dun reply, cause i honestly jus need some space and time to myself. I shant emphasize much cause i dont want to(no using of "brother" or whatever to pressure me pls).

I shall jus say this once and for all. I'm not having another relationship. so jus (forgive the language) f**k off if ur thinking of tt. i've had enough.

To the certain group of people. DONT use ministry to pressure the youths or whoever in the church anymore! and say it to my face if u have any issues with me, and see what position ur in before deciding on whatever changes you want to make! so if ur not happy, tell it to me face, or jus get lost.

To the certain couple of people. I'm happy the way i am now. no regret on what i did. i believed at least i was honest enough in the path i chose. the onli regret i have now is starting everthing in the beginning. i had no such feeling actually. thanks to a certain someone, i do regret it now. say im a bastard or flirt, or whatever, i dont care anymore. im numb. so whatever shit u consider doing or have done to me, jus do it. screw my life for all i care. take all ur bloody sarcasm n judments with u.

Flood waters! yay. Singapore's going under!

2006-12-20T00:22:00.000+08:00

Along Thomson Road before SLE.

1st Stage Performace at Geylang Methodist Pri

2006-12-17T08:11:00.000+08:00

1st performance was a great experience! Made a fair bit of mistakes but hoped it wasnt too major. Haha. Fumbled on my Linking Rings abit too especially the last part. too bad mike wasnt able to capture my fire silk to cane effect!!!! ARGHHH!!! oh well, less words, video now. enjoy n post comments pls in the comments section under this post. :)

HOOOO! GAY MOTIVATION desu!

2006-12-16T00:37:00.000+08:00

Fresh from the fire!

2006-12-15T02:18:00.000+08:00

Oh and ya, this happened when i was cutting my toe nail.

Youth Camp!

2006-12-14T02:53:00.000+08:00

Btw, I have just returned from youth camp not long ago. It was a camp that was truly a turning point for many of our youths and me as well. Thank God for the many miracles and healing that took place.

I didn't take any pics during youth camp. Only managed to get a few of the formal nite. so here they are. :)

Inspiration!

2006-12-14T02:51:00.000+08:00

Meet Lu Chen. A professional magician from Taiwan. To me, it's just "WAAAAH!"

Pssst! im baaack!

2006-12-14T02:07:00.000+08:00

Well, well, well. *laughs* I personally do not know what has made me to return to creating a new blog and start a whole new blogging saga again but this time the blog certainly looks way cooler right? Instead of the past fishy-ness, the blog is renamed and revamped to suit a whole new lifestyle!

Why the name "light-a-candle-flame"? Well, it goes to the roots of how i started in magic(i prefer illusions rather). A noob, i started with a fire palm trick, in which i have not put to good use and have since learnt that its not a good habit buying things on impulse when you're still not up to a certain standard. Another factor that made me choose this name, is because I'm actually doing a candle act in my FIRST performance this Sat on the 16th of Dec and i know that this candle act would certainly be a core part of my expanding repertoire of my illusion routines.

The fact that the candles were one of the very first sources of light to people show that this will be a new beginning for me in my life and my walk. Not forgetting my new motto "Live. The Passion. The Love. The Life."

Ciao.