New "Clutch that Matey!" II

Hmm.

Disclaimer: Ok this is a weird post warning. Yes, I am a guy, and yes I would be attracted to women. However, I am very selective about my choices. Anyway, this post is not about ME being attracted to someone else... but.... oh well read below and find out.


Okay.

Work. Woke up at 6:30, got ready, went to work, started on time. Typical saturday morning: PSLE classes going on, caucasians come for breakfast first, followed by chinese, then indonesians/malays and then the bahyees. But this post is not about the bahyees. Well, maybe later.

Anyway. The thing about saturdays is that there will always be a bunch of PSLE students who attend this 'enrichment' class, which IMO (in my opinion) is full of bullshit. The class involves all sorts of gimmicks like videos, games etc etc.. anything but honest hard work on the part of both students and the teacher alike. WTF kind of programme is it? It is specifically designed for full-of-concern parents to send their spoiled kids to fatten the cannot-care-less teacher to waste money and also in the process give the YMCA business. Weekly business at that.

For one, the kids love to eat cookies. We dish them out. $1.50 per cookie. How's that for a eatable that's roughly worth 3 bites? But it's yummy, so wth anyway.

So the kids come for 'class', and sometimes their parents send them and wait for them. In the process, sometimes the parents drink coffee, eat cookies themselves, read newspapers and mother of things.. one woman (I think she is a grandmother) chooses to stare at me.

Yes. You read that right. She stares at me. For 3 weeks now ever since I spoke to the mother and grandmother, that granny keeps staring at me. I dunno what the heck she stares at me for, but I sure as heck don't enjoy being looked upon like a Big Mac patty. Maybe she's just distracted by my hair. Maybe I'm the only staff member who is below the age of 20. But whatever reason she holds for staring at me... I don't-like-it.

No. Non. Nah. Niet. Mai. I don't like it at all. Because it's creepy.

Girls, ever had that uncle stare at you up and down in the MRT or bus or whatever? I'll admit I'll glance at women, girls etc etc. But I don't stare. Because I know it's creepy. But you all know that it's not an enjoyable experience. I know skinny pole had that experience once. And as I mentioned before.. no one likes being looked upon as a piece of meat. I might have a certain amount of flesh on my body, yes. But frankly, no thank yew.

Ok. Now I'm ok.

You know it's funny how some people can look at things and be completely oblivious to the difference amongst obviously different objects:

Woman: "Excuse me, where are you spoons?"

CDD: "uhh, it's all over there *points in the direction of cutlery spot*"

Woman: "But there's no spoons"

CDD: "I just refilled the spoons, ma'am"

Colleague: "just give her a spoon"

CDD: *gives Spoon*

Colleague: "I thought I saw you refilling the cutlery?"

CDD: "yah.."

Colleague: "Then it's either finished or she's blind"

So I went back to the cutlery spot, true enough, there lay the spoons in the basket. I walked back and loudly proclaimed:

"Dui, ta shi Paht Jiao"

translation: yah, she is blind


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

All Apologies

Hmm.

Here's my formal apology to those who felt insulted by my post 'Reflections'. It was a point where I was somewhat agitated, and I apologised for taking my criticism too far. I hope for you to forgive me for my insensitivity. The post has been removed, and I'll take note of this mistake.

Till then, God bless and enjoy your break.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

The Guitar and the damage done

Hmm.

A long while back, when I was still working back at Molly Malone's Irish Pub I managed to get to know a certain Robert Bartlett. He was this tall, friendly, ageing but fantastically talented guitarist and singer. Add that to the fact that he was so generous and full of life and was willing to give a helping had when neccessary. He was the one uncle-figure whom I looked up to in terms of being a musician. What an inspiration he was to me and Alvin when he played on three of our songs on our up-coming 2nd album.

Last week Friday, I had gone out for an evening of pure freedom and reunion with my friends at the pub. I had asked Gerry whether he had seen Rob, but apparently Robert had disappeared from his friends and his wife 3 months ago, without a trace. I was shellshocked because not more than 4 weeks back I saw an advertisement in a local classifieds website with him trying to sell off one of his lap-stell guitars.

I had a wonderful evening after that.. I even went up and did a 5 song set which brought back so many good memories when I was moonlighting after my shift ended on friday evenings. A pint of cider in my hand, and jokes with my friends and Gerry's girlfriend, Mags somehow made things seem so much better.

Then just as I was playing my guitar earlier in the evening, I received an sms from Gerry. It seems that Robert had sold off all of his guitars and had eloped to the UK with another woman, leaving his wife Jill behind to nurse her emotional wounds. Initially, I was wondering to myself.. why did he go and do something so reckless and insensitive?

I mean... if he had departed to a life of peace and quiet due to his medical condition, anyone would have sympathised with him due to his busy working schedule and his dependency on painkillers in order for his body to function. But leaving his wife who had toiled with him through so much, to depart away from her for another woman? Even as a guy, I know it's absolutely wrong. Which led me to think back about the things which made me admire Robert. I have to say that I still respect him for his musical talents, but his behaviour has caused his stock to go down in my point of view.

All I have to say now is that... one of the things which Robert did for me was to partially sponsor the purchase of a mixer for me and Alvin to use to record our music. He had lent me $100, which I feel should go back to Jill (Robert's wife), just so that she could have that extra bit of cash to help her in any little way possible. I also want to offer her my time and help since I am having my break now.. and what better than to aid the wife of a friend who has deserted us all?

My heart tells me that my help is needed now more than ever, and tough times lie ahead for Jill. I need to do something to help her. I know, because I prayed, and it seems that the big guy upstairs wants me to tread this path.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

The Ending of the Week

Hmm.

Life for now allows me to undertake a huge task, finish it off in the nick of time and then I can look back in satisfaction. Today I officially closed my P5 project, which consisted of a bicycle stand and a dining chair. I managed to polish off my design journals, but admittedly I left out some stuff regarding my design process of the two projects, but that's really due to a lack of documentation, so I guess I'll leave that as that.

But what's cool is.... I'M FREE!!!! YAY!!!!

Yesterday after my presentation, I had some makan, went home and played my guitar. Iplay so much until even a string broke on my Fender -_- but what to do...? I've been missing my guitars for so long.

But the war's not won.. I still have my industrial projects and a guitar decal design or two to finish off. I guess I'll still be busy in the upcoming days... and of course I have to clear up my desk by tomorrow argh. I love my desk, yet I dislike it because the damn computer screen faces the bloody corridor.

But anyway, you guys are welcome to view my presentation boards and my scaled-down models along the Block M level 6 corridor! Go! See! Now!


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

Look at yourself

Hmm.

look at yourself sitting in front of your laptop
pushing yourself to be nothing but the top
fulfilling dreams which others wove for you
but still a someone who can never be true

look at yourself playing your fancy guitars
imagining yourself performing under the stars
praying for a windfall to cushion your fall
you think you got it but you've got nothing at all

look at yourself working for a servant's pay
hanging around wasting your time all day
getting the girl but never getting the heart
and always blaming others for being too hard

look at yourself writing and playing your songs
trying to blend into the ever unwilling throngs
things are hard for none and no one but yourself
and it's time to put your heart back up on the shelf


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

Storm in a fishbowl

Hmm.

Friday night I went to see Alvin's COGS musical 'Storm in a Fishbowl'. Let me give you a first-hand account of how the musical went:

Went to the new underground sanctuary at St. Andrew's Cathedral. Found Alvin's folks and sat down next to complete bimbo on the left and the nice Uncle Paul on the right. Emcee went onstage. Kinda geeky guy but nevermind. Had to refer to a few cards in his hand to refresh his memory of what he needed to say. Prayer was said, lights dimmed.

Show starts. Stage involves 5 elevated platforms which somehow make you wonder what they are for. Until flashing lights and music from the live band starts playing when you see the characters appear in their respective platforms and sing along to the intro song which eventually stops along with a cut in the irritating flashing lights.

Alvin's character, Kiat seems to be the typical money-faced yuppie whose drive in life is well... money. Veronica, his wife is typical naggy "tai tai" affair, played by a certain 13-year old Lydia Cheam whose demeanour suggests she could be a natural actress/nag? Note: way too much stage makeup on their faces. Look like dolls. Does Lydia look older or is it because she's of an age which is one year younger than what Alvin appears to be? Mic for Lydia also fails, so audience is left wondering why "Kiat" is whimpering loudly and uncontrollably.

Joshua Cheam plays your hopeless NS man, Andrew, who is tired and sick of life in the army. He shaves his head for the role. Clearly the SAJC crowd which shrieks in appreciation of his wooden acting and inadequate singing are there to see their fellow SAJCian work his lack of charisma. Isn't remotely moved by his performance.

Then comes along a good watch in the form of Deasiree who plays Debra the clueless schoolgirl. She is late for school for the first time and is at her wit's end as to how to go about her life due to lack of parental guidance. Definitely one of the best renditions of a typical singaporean schoolgirl I have seen. Too bad she doesn't act cute like her real-life peers.

Rachel Ang portrays the retired Betty, whose only (and most beloved) son seldoms visits her possibly due to her (apparently) evil daughter-in-law who insists in Betty being dressed in a chiongsam. Her character flits between the natural chor-lor auntie and the sophisicated british-accented prude. Performance-wise, she adds the dynamics required of her character, but thank goodness only a titch as wooden as the NS man.

Last of all to be introduced is Lawrence the fishbowl keeper, whose main focus of his life are his three fishes, Peter, James and John who are mercilessly under the intense spotlights of the stage light rig. He definitely give you that good-boy impression, and his performance isn't that bad either. Lack of experience is forgiven.

The story goes on to portray the 6 neighbours converging at the lift in the morning. Alvin's attempt at a straight face fails utterly. He looks like he might be retraining gas instead? Anyway...

The six neighbours exit the lift, and a conversation ensues between Lawrence and The Cleaner, which is punctuated by a song sung by "Lawrence". His singing is horrendous, despite help given to the audience in the form of lyrics projected unto screens on either side of the stage. Pitch issues aside, there is the terrible visual distraction taken in the form of The Cleaner, whose cringe-worthy rendition of the duck walk with his broom leaves something to be desired ("Infidel! How dare thee taketh away the trademark of the highly esteemed Angus Young?!").

Now the main focus of the play centres around Andrew the NS man. Apparently he chooses to sing whilst "playing" his guitar (insert music by live band here) and lying down somemore. In the background you hear his mother's naggy voice, followed by his father's boomy vocal telling him of future prospects and your whatnots. Bad singing does not do much to ease the pain with which I'm sure his SAJCians must be experiencing due to the garbled audio mess which combines the live band, the parents' voices and the singing.

"7:30 AM again" shows the neighbours once again at their usual morning rituals... Kiat and Veronica fighting, Debra the schoolgirl being late once more, Andrew sleeping, Betty waking up, Lawrence tending to his fish.

Converging at the lift once more, they enter and soon reach the ground floor (lift scene aided by lift video projected onto screens), only for a resounding boom to resonate across the hall and a red light flashes unto the characters who scream on cue to hammer in the effect of being scared and shocked. It works, and I'm delighted to be shaken out of the monotony... only to realise it's the intermission.

Intermission over, we return to the scene of distruction, where we find a waking Kiat rising from the rubble which is the basement/1st floor. He yells in vain for his missing wife, Veronica who is nowhere to be seen. Next to wake is Andrew the NS man, who is yelled at by an exasperated Kiat to "do something! anything!". What thing? the audience wonders.

Next to be awaken is Lawrence and the Cleaner. Betty is found, and after a while Debra, who appears to be unconscious. The classic "does anyone know CPR?" question is fired out, only for the obvious "Ok, I shall do it" to be met with squeals from the audience. Debra screams and jumps awake just as Lawrence's lips are an inch away from hers. Cliched, but effective I guess... as seen in the form of the delirious audience who roar with laughter.

Kiat still cannot find his wife. Lawrence soons teaches everyone how to straighten out their life by comparing then with species of fishes (insert "fishcake" joke here... Alvin you do not want to know what the fishcake joke is) and to 'trust the owner of the fishbowl because blah blah blah. Everyone except Kiat is touched by his words, who remains cynical and scorns Lawrence's zen-like peacefulness.

Another song is sung, along with a hokkien/cantonese rap breakdown section which goes compeltely over my head. I find it was absolutely uncalled for, and definitely reduced the entertainment factor of an already excessively drawn-out song. Why have so many choruses? What about the lyrics which can never seem to rhyme properly? Ello???

Eventually, Veronica is found. Another earthquake ensues in a climax which involves Lawrence pushing Kiat aside as a "concrete block" falls, crushing Lawrence in the process. Everyone is stock still. The Hall is silent as Kiat picks up the fishbowl and starts a mournful tune. It is arguably the best vocal performance which almost brought me to tears. Thank Alvin for being 95% pitch-perfect, and bringing out the melancholiness of the tune. The plays ends abruptly. How come liddat one?

Overall, I give it 4 stars... the above remarks are due to my vindicative nature in nit-picking out irritating details in a play which is not meant to be a professional performance. But come on lah. If you want people to sing, make sure they CAN sing. If you want people to act, make sure they CAN act. If not, I'm sure the COGS youth congregation can reveal a few more diamonds in the rough to be polished up for future endeavours. That's my take.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

Interesting...

Hmm.

The past few days have been incredibly hard for me. I've been working incredibly hard on my chair model, and using a brand new material which I have never worked with before. Let me explain more.

Since my chair design in real life is made of plywood, the appearance of the chair is like a shell sitting atop a set of legs. Due to certain complications in the production of the real full scale model, I have to create a 1/4 scale model, which still has to retain that shell-like structure. That was the challenge: to create a shell structure with the existing methods given to us.

One way was to make it out of balsa wood. I would have to make a mould of the chair and wetting the balsa before pressing it into the mould and hopefully it would not break. It would be very high risk.

Another way was the using of a vacuum-forming method. Once again, a mould would be required but a sheet of plastic would be heated and then vacuum-formed over the mould so that the shape could come out. It would not produce the desired effect, but it would be better than nothing.

The third way would be using the vacuum-formed shape (once the plastic cools and hardens into a shape which is very close to the real shape of the chair) and coat the interior with a layer of substance which would harden and eventually form the shell-like shape which I desired so badly.

Trouble was, the third method required a material which I had no idea how to procure.. until my lecturer literally delivered it under my nose.

The new material which he introduced to me was originally meant to be used in place of the 'traditional' wall putty, which cracked very easily and was a bitch to maintain. However with the arrival of this new material, I managed to completely (and I'm not trying to boast here) revolutionise the way models are being made in IDC. The material I used was a polyester putty with hardener, which would eventually harden into a solid that could be sanded down and painted with ease. With this new material, I easily created the effect which I so desired.

According to that same lecturer who provided me the material, I was the first student utilise that material in such a manner. I had taken a huge gamble with this material because I had no idea whether it would stick to the mould or it would come out easily. I had applied the putty and allowed it to cure overnight in school, and the next morning, my wildest dreams were realised.. and I went on to create IDS modelling history XD.

So now my model is receiving it's first coat of base paint, which should dry within the hour in the saturday afternoon sun. I still have to bend the legs and produce the p-boards. What a life. Until next thursday then :)


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

That feeling once again?

Hmm.

I have always enjoyed going for a jam session with new people, even though for the past few months I have been trying out new people. It's the experience of meeting new people and encountering different and difficult situations which I feel has moulded me into someone whom I could not have forseen before all of this had happened.

I guess, sometimes it's not just about the feeling of trying new people out for future bandmates, but also that adrenaline rush when all you feel is the music you're producing along with 4 other people. That's one heck of a powerful thing when your music just locks into the moment, all that matters is you and that instrument you're carrying on your shoulders and the mental connection between the strings and your brain.

Sweat doesn't matter, pain doesn't matter, all that matters is that you're getting that feeling of being high that you can never get from any drug or substance. One of the reasons why I absolutely refuse to do smoking or whatever is that I have the knowledge that such things are so temporary. I find the best way to find 'enlightenment' per se is to be myself in the best way possible: be utterly honest with myself and understand my limitations before moving on to accomplish a task the best that I can.

Many a time I have failed in certain things, and I have avoided such circumstances from then onwards because I know it is not my time for me to accomplish such tasks. I could not get angry, but only sift it out of my system and move on. Sometimes pain can be so useful for learning things... unfortunate but ultimately neccessary I guess?


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

Status: Unsure

Hmm.

A while back, my bassist and I were chatting on msn, and he asked me:

K: "Errik, do you have a gf?"

CDD: "No. Why?"

K: "Do you feel lonely?"

CDD: "Umm.. sometimes lah, wassup? LOL u got someone to introduce?"

K: "Well I was thinking... people like Clapton, Hendrix, Page... they all started out lonely, but when people got to know them, the world was laid out at their feet"

CDD: "Truth to tell man, I dare not think so much about it. What will be will be I guess."


What is my purpose on this earth? There has to be a certain reason why the big dude upstairs has allowed me to continue on this path of musical exploration and development for so long. Sometimes I pray for a clear answer... something that allows me to work towards, but I don't think I have seen it yet. I have the passion, I have some sense of vision, but somehow I need to work harder to realise my hopes of being well.. a true rock musician?

Over the past month, my contacts in the local musician scene has expanded somewhat, more often than not due to my continued involvement in musicians' forums. I try and keep my head down, work hard in getting the stuff together, and yesterday was a real triumph for me because the fellows I have been trying so hard to bring together have finally congregated in one space, jammed together and after that, sat down and had a good long chat. It really brings great joy to my heart to see some of the hard work pay off after slogging so hard to find a group of people who share a common time, a common vision, a common effort.

I also feel a stonger sense of community at work, where my colleagues and I are so much more at ease with one another. Contrast that with the situation at school, where my classmates chose to not fill me in on a class gathering outside of school. Imagine how I felt when I found out. I had put in the effort to try and gel with my classmates, but still they just throw my goodwill out of the window. Is it so hard to just change a mindset and forgive and forget? I know that I have done my part, and if they refuse to do so, well I guess it's their choice. I cannot force people to accept who I am, for what I am and how I am as a person.

This is the reason why I chose to not invite anyone from my class to my birthday, and which was the subject of one too many quarrels with my folks. They kept insisting on me to invite a least a few people, but I resisted because it would be a move of political correctness and an effort of futility. Their mindset is that I'm this unforgiving, uncompromising, ang-moh-ish fellow who cannot care less about their interests. Irony is that I feel the same way in return, albeit not in such a childish and shallow manner. I now feel indifferent towards their falseness when it comes to being around them in school. Their behaviour has been so fake that I cannot help but just play along so that everyone looks happy on the outside.

Call me an arsehole, but why should I make anymore effort? Must I devote so much energy and time so that I can fit into a crowd that I do not belong in? Many a time I find my style of a one-man band such a powerful thing: it's just me, my guitar and my voice. Take it or leave it. You have a choice.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

The Jam was gooooood II

Hmm.

Wow. What a day.

I woke up early for work, felt like shit because I had this horrible headache, like a huge pressure in the temples. Thank goodness for coffee at work (I drank about 3 cups just now over the course of 8 hours) because it worked like a miracle substance.

I was also lugging along my guitar (Red Twanger) and my pedals *chuckles*... a load which further made my headache almost unbearable.

Work was ok I guess... with my colleague (this early 50's lady whose behaviour reminds you of a bitchy 15-year-old) coming into the pantry just as I was about to change in to my work clothes (I was about to press the lock button on the door handle when I heard the patter of her feet and she beat me to the handle). She just started KPKB-ing about how one other auntie at work called her a bad egg, and started defending herself to my still-groggy-due-to-headache self in the relative cramped-ness of the pantry.

This colleague of mine seriously needs a new job, one where she can start over. She's been working at the YMCA for like 6 years now, and it's kinda sad to see someone who is villified by her co-workers for being who she is. Truth is, she's not really easy-going.. she loves to skive off duty (to where I don't know and don't want to know), and she also loves the delegation of duties unto lesser workers such as myself. I have kena saboh by her: *Eh Errik you help me serve this customer hor*.. in the end kena pluck by customer because she cocked up their order.

What to do? Many people have snidely attributed her single-hood due to her character issues, and well.. I'm taking a neutral stand on it. I'm not going to make any further comments.

Jamming after work was so much fun! Although the bassist was late, and we only had half an hour to jam with the complete lineup, we did manage to polish off 5 songs today, and we were pretty tight as a whole considering that this is the first time the full line-up had played together. But everything meshed pretty well, I was in top-form, and we also came up with a name for ourselves! wait for it...

We're called Free&Easy

Ok you can start laughing about how suggestive the name is, how it might suggest the attitude we might have towards certain aspects of our lives, but frankly the term 'free & easy' refers to how we are readily receptable towards a wide range of musical genres, despite our base being rock and roll. No sexual connotations, please. But in case you were wondering, we did take the idea from a travel company advertisement. LOL.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

Friday is herreeee!

Hmm.

Well I guess I've not been updating as often as I used to.. I've been really lethargic as of late, and I would doze off in the bus on the way home, before jerking away and jumping out of my seat and getting off at the last moment.

Oh and this is to Liesl and Andrea:

You guys have no need to apologise to me, because I understand that you girls have your bad days. In all honesty, if I had a bad day, I'd probably be telling people to piss off rather than going around apologising. But I appreciate your apology, and let's try again some other time. You all are busy, busy, busy people and I should not have suggested it in the first place, so here's my apology to you all.

There's only about oen and a half weeks left before my final presentation... so far things are goign just fine. I've been focussign alot on my industrial project, and one side project, which involves guitar decals. I'm expecting some money for my efforts, so I guess I can save up for my possible Germany trip, or I can just go ahead and put that cash to good use by one of the following:

1. Upgrading my amplifier: sell of my old one and use the additional cash to get a new one.
2. Throwing in a delay pedal into my signal chain. I've been dying for an echo effect pedal!
3. Zhng my SG's guitar pickups, by upgrading them to more 'powerful' units *drools over Angus Young signature pickups*.
4. Get a new microphone (probably a solid, road-tested one like a Shure SM58) and maybe another microphone stand?
5. Replace that iffy neck pickup in my Red twanger. But what to buy, and how to test???

Anyways, the mother just came back last night. I can't believe she got my brother a GERMANY JERSEY!!! WTF???!!! But I cannot comprain.. she got me something completely unexpected, but arguably something which I would not use very often: a chromatic harmonica which costs 41 Euros (equivalent to roughly S$82).

Not that I don't appreciate her effort? But rarely does my mum ever put in the effort to get something of such value for me, and well I guess I can't blame her for not knowing what's in my head, and what I want to get. Because of all the things I ever buy for myself, they're all pretty expensive items and I seldom buy them in the first place.

Take for example: all of my pedals, I had to buy them in secret and slowly 'bring them into the open' over a period of roughly 2 months. Here's a low down on the gadgets that I had bought in order of price:

1. $220 Wah Wah pedal
2. $220 Overdrive/Distortion pedal
3. $77 Overdrive pedal
4. $50 EQ pedal
5. $40 reverb pedal
6. $25 noise reducer pedal.

So that's about $632 worth of pedals. So how do you hide $632 worth of gear in your home (not including the guitars and amplifier)? Simple: just lay them out on the floor, and she'll be too boggled by the variety to realise that you've added one more 'brick' to your 'brick-yard'. I've been slowly adding them to my collection over the past 2 years LOL.

I've just realised that the total worth of my current guitar-related gear (including Mandolin, accessories and blues harps) is standing at S$3607. That's a lot of money, considering that's the amount of money I have roughly spent in terms of gear ALONE. Man, I'm such a freak for gear.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

YEAHSSSSSSSS!!!

Hmm.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you slog it out and then everything crashes around you no matter how hard you try? Then all of the sudden, everything builds back up by itself, and you receive one heck of a cherry on top of the cake?

The past two weeks were quite disappointing for me: I lost my drummer and keyboardist due to their personal commitments outside of music, and a drummer I had contacted did not reply my email; I did not manage to get into the attachment for Hong Kong like I previously thought would be so; I received intense pressure from my supervisor to come up with the accurate dimensioning of both my bike stand and chair designs on top of their respective 3D models in the computer with complete renderings.

Then suddenly things started brightening up again... I received compliments for one of my compositions, the drummer contacted me again and the band had a great jam on Saturday afternoon, the soft bbq went very well although I stayed up until late and I started to sketch much better than I have ever done in my 2-1/3 years in poly, as seen with the sketches I have done for my industrial project: a wireless LAN (WLAN).

So what's the cherry on top of the cake?

I was working on a 3D model of a WLAN when Garry went to my supervisor and I overheard him saying:

"this is the list of students that Mr Soon has selected for the Germany trip"

For those in the black, the door to Germany for attachment had just swung open in the last month or so. As I was under the impression that I would be going to Hong Kong, I did not think much about it, but after the disappointing news that I would not make it for Hong Kong, I had approached Mr Soon (our ID deputy Director) with hopes of having a slot in the Germany trip. Mr Soon had replied by saying that he had taken note of my interest in the programme.

So there I was, in my seat feeling all miserable because I cannot go Hong Kong or Germany because Garry soon went around looking for my coursemates and placing that same piece of paper (which he had shown my supervisor) under their noses and obviously informing them that they were chosen for the German trip. I guess I was doing 3D modelling (my favourite 'pastime' in ID) so I soon did not notice it anymore.

It was about 4:50 pm when I had finished my model of the WLAN (I started around 4 o'clock) and I showed my supervisor the finished rendering. She proceeded to give me feedback on my rendering:

SUP: "why you use a block in the rhino?"

CDD: "oh.. to show that the LAN is sticking onto the wall mah"

SUP: *nervous smile* "I think you just use a plain vertical surface can already"

CDD: "oh ok lor.." *tweaks 3D model*

SUP: "yes, that is better" *smile*

CDD: *presses render button and sees object materialise on screen* "yah hor looks better.."

SUP: *soft voice* "did you know... Garry says that Mr Soon has confirmed that you are going to the Germany trip.."

CDD: *shocked* "are you suuurrrre...???"

SUP: "yah... good right?"

CDD: "why.. yes! Yah.. but I have to check with my folks lah... if it's too expensive then I dunno liao"

SUP: "ok, you check and get back to me"

So I called up my dad, and he said it should be no problem I quote: 'if you can get it, we will support you all the way'.

On my way home.. I could not help but grin to myself: I'M GOING TO GERMANY!!!!!!! KLOSE JERSEY HERE I COME!


Cheers,

Crawldaddy

NOOOOO

Hmm.

Sad lah. England lost to Portugal, but I guess it's only fair to say that Portugal had a better chance since Wayne Rooney kena sent off, and with England's striking chances resting on Peter Crouch. Oh wells to Gerrard who failed to convert during the penalty shootout and Paul Robinson's inability to keep the Portugese in check.

It was also bizarre for me to hear the news that Brazil kena beaten by FRANCE???!!! I'm like... omg how come can kena until liddat? But of course just like anything else, overcoming the odds involves not only skill, but strategy.. which was the the route the French played to overcome the mighty Brazilians.

Anyway, no harm done.. only need to remove that England banner from my chair in block M (lol). But I've been pretty impressed with Germany.. and so it's official: I SUPPORT DEUTSCHLAND! GO KLOSE!

Yah.. Klose rocks man, bugger scored like 5 goals in 5 games and he seems unstoppable. I also want to add on to one more thing: why I think England failed.

When it comes to an event like the World Cup, the moment one scores, your market value increases like mad (in my opinion lah). So obviously everyone wants a share of the moonshine and everyone wants to score.. problem is in this kind of 'I wanna score' situation, would it compromise on the team's unity as a whole? I think that was the English team's achilles heel, that they were not willing to give each other that added assistance but rather hoping that they could get the ball themselves and hence a higher chance of scoring.

Well boo hoo, and hope this is a good lesson to my heroes, but I still respect them immensely.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy