20070530

1420 HRS MAY 30TH 2007

Living in this world

is like being in a casino.

You can't think too much,

if you do,

you stop enjoying the game.

If you think too much

about Life,

you won't have time

to enjoy Life.

You just lay down your money

and play your part.

You must know

which cards to hold

and which cards to throw,

just like you must know

which people to hold

and which people to throw,

even friends

or spouses.

Just enjoy the game,

no matter what cards

you've been dealt,

and play the best

to your ability.

Just like in Life,

you must always endeavour

to give your best shot

in everything worth doing.

If you're not gonna give your best

you might as well not even try.

You can't walk,

in the middle of a game,

just like you cannot

resign from Life,

unless you wanna die.

Never count your money

when you're still

playing the game,

just play the cards

you get dealt,

even bad cards.

When you count your money,

you either get complacent

or greedy.

If I count my blessings in life,

tomorrow being Vesak Day,

I'll sit under a tree

waiting for Enlightenment.

And when you're out of aces,

go next door and

sing karaoke instead.

No point trying too hard

in life,

particularly marriage.

A married life is happiest

when you don't really need

to try so hard.

When your casino ship is sinking,

you don't sit there and pray,

you jump.

20070529

1050 HRS MAY 29TH 2007

What I meant yesterday,

was for relationships between

two human beings,

be it romantic or platonic,

our whole,

have to be more than

the total sum of our

individual parts.

Meaning,

1 + 1 > 2.

A human relationship

can only be sustained that way.

If

1 + 1 = 2,

what incentive is there

to be friends?

We're no better off

than before when

we were strangers.

Worse if,

1+ 1 < 2

We're no good for each other,

We're dragging each other down.

So for our sake's,

let's just forget

we even knew

each other.

20070528

1210 HRS MAY 28TH 2007

Human relationships are strange.

Time may cultivate familiarity,

but familiarity breeds contempt.

Once that barrier of

common courtesy

between strangers

been overcome,

best of friends

have this tendency

of being overly critical,

easily confrontational,

putting you down,

shattering your confidence,

to the point

of brutality.

They say,

they do it

out of friendly concern,

all well and good,

but is there a need

to be fucking rude?

Worst when a snide remark

is disguised as a joke,

its not funny damnit.

Just what sort of

gratification

do you get out

of cutting me up?

Just what sort of

sick satisfaction

do you get out

of putting me down?

Just what sort of

fucking thrill

do you get out

of breaking my spirit?

It is just not me

to respond,

I'll absorb your punches,

I'll take your beatings.

And I do have a

great capacity

for punishment

from someone I love.

But at some point,

I'll miss

being strangers

again.

20070525

1540 HRS MAY 25TH 2007

Now this is exciting

my imagination.

Malaysia and Singapore

are planning to cooperate

in building

the Iskandar Development Region

in Johore.

The area will be

3 times the size

of Singapore.

This is one time,

the two countries

will be working together

for mutual benefit.

Malaysia needs our

capital, expertise and technology.

Singapore needs

cheap abundant hinterland,

and human resources

to move the manufacturing sector.

I have seen how

Shenzhen benefitted

both China and Hong Kong.

In this age of globalisation,

when all manufacturing jobs

go to China,

and all outsourced services jobs

go to India,

both Singapore and Malaysia,

have to work together,

be competitive and relevant

or die a natural death.

More importantly,

just as Shenzhen

spelt the death

of communism in China,

Iskandar Development Region,

should spell the death

of bumiputra policy in Malaysia.

Politically,

with equally vested interests

in such a huge area,

bilateral ties between

Singapore and Malaysia,

can only get better.

We're stuck together

for better or worse.

Pertinent issues

like water supply,

West Malaysian CPF withdrawals,

Customs, Immigration, Quarantine (CIQ)

will look like tiny minor problems,

in the face of a region,

whose economy

can potentially be bigger

than Bangkok or Jakarta.

Of course,

a grand vision

that can potentially change

the socio-economic lives

of two countries,

came from PM Badawi,

and not our millionaire ministers.

All our guys can come up with

are building two casinos.

Malaysia is still

a nett commodity exporter,

which will make them

politically and eonomically

aligned with China,

the next economic superpower.

Because of Malaysia's Islamic roots,

it will also align itself

with the Arab world,

Shariah compliant financing

cannot come easier.

I read that,

they will build Danga Bay,

a massive waterfront

housing project

in conjuction with

Iskandar Development Region.

Danga Bay gives me incentive

to marry a Malaysian chick,

Malaysian property,

Malaysian ringgit,

cannot go wrong from here.

20070524

1455 HRS MAY 24TH 2007

They tell me,

Love is Blind.

If that is so,

Love comes with a

Braille Financial Calculator.

They tell me,

Its the Thought that Counts.

Then why the fuck

is that Taka Jewellery ear ring

not as good as Paloma Picasso range

from Tiffany & Co?

They tell me,

Love Conquers All.

Yes,

until the next Bigger Better Deal

tries to jump into her pants.

Especially in Swingabore,

Once you lose your job,

you lose your woman too.

Natural progression of logic.

They tell me,

Absence makes the Heart Grow Fonder.

Are you fucking kidding?

I have hard statistical evidence,

that once your're out of her sight,

you're out of her mind too.

They tell me,

All you need is Love.

Yes, and a generous helping of

expensive restaurants,

luxury holidays,

branded goods,

private estate address,

not just a car, but a German Marque.

They tell me

lots of things.

I just wish

they will just

shut the fuck up.

20070523

0055HRS MAY 23RD 2007

I can't sleep.

I kept on thinking

of that night.

When a virtual stranger,

almost barged into my life.

She is pretty,

maybe with a few extra pounds,

but at her lanky height,

she carries them off

not too badly.

We've been introduced before,

I know of her as a single mum,

who is recently available again.

She knows,

so am I.

Very charming,

in a breezy sort of way,

I admit,

I was somewhat aroused

when she got a little

touchy feely.

Later that night,

she invited herself

to my place,

for drinks.

The silent come hither

was loud and deafening,

the good night kiss

wasn't exactly a friendly hug.

In my intoxicated haze,

I heard the words

of that old movie Forrest Gump,

"Run Forrest Run!!!"

Yeah, I ran.

Like that mentally retarded.

Look at me,

I know I am not

exactly someone

who can make a woman

wet her pants

for a one night stand.

Seems more like

she came with

a business plan.

I could have played

her game,

but I know

I am no player.

If anything,

I'd fall hopelessly in love

feeling so thankful

and appreciative

of being accepted

by her,

the very morning after.

She must have thought of me

as an easy target.

And later,

I found out,

that she done this

seduction act before,

in search of

her (and her son's) meal ticket

and car installment.

Suddenly,

I felt so alone again,

almost scared.

They always tell me

the ocean is full of fishes,

they forgot to tell me

its full of barracudas too.

20070522

1400 HRS MAY 22ND 2007

I very seldom

take a break

for lunch.

But today,

I decided to go

for a walk around.

I stood outside this

nasi lemak stall,

and found it amusing,

why people (especially women)

place a packet of tissue paper

on the table,

to reserve the seat.

Just why do they do that?

I guess they want to be

assured of a seat

when they return

with their nasi lemak.

Its so amusing.

John Nash won

a Nobel Peace Prize

for his work

on the Game Theory.

I'm no mathematician

or genius like John Nash,

but we're both schizos I suppose.

The nasi lemak tissue paper seat grabber

is a simple example,

of that Game Theory.

I noticed,

it takes about 5 minutes

to queue up,

and about 10 minutes

to eat.

Let's say tissue paper seat grabbers

were banned

by Encik Nasi Lemak,

Everybody queues up

for his nasi lemak,

all things remaining equal,

with 5 minutes queuing time

and 10 minutes eating time,

every 15 minutes,

there will be a new seat available!!!

If everything goes according to

the Game Theory,

Encik Nasi Lemak

needs just 2 seats

to keep his business going

for 2 hours of lunch

to serve 22 customers!!!

And he probably has

about 25 seats!!!

So why does Encik Nasi Lemak

have a problem

seating his clients?

Its the tissue paper seat grabbers.

I guess the basic problem

is it is against human nature

to think of costs and benefits

from overall perspective.

We think only of benefits

and lay the costs

to others.

When it costs us,

we think of only our own benefits.

If the tissue paper seat grabbers

can realise that,

it is totally unproductive

to leave a packet of tissue paper

on the table,

serving no nasi lemak client,

whilst they queue up,

and that it has hardly any benefits,

whilst the cost,

is borned

by other clients

notwithstanding Encik Nasi Lemak.

Only humans,

exhibit this tendency

to reserve.

Animals never do.

They hunt

only when they're hungry.

They are inborn

with the Game Theory.

Its so easy,

to make this world

a nicer place

to live.

0940 HRS MAY 22ND 2007

Life is good.

Maybe not great,

but sure as hell

could be alot worse.

I am happy,

I know I can be happier,

but that hardly matters

anymore.

I am one lucky guy,

I may not have achieved

somethings I dreamt of,

but I have to take responsibility

for my part of the blame.

As it is,

life have afforded me

plenty of comforts

and some luxuries,

a million men would

gladly swap places.

I loved 3 beautiful women

in my life,

I may feel robbed

of experiencing fatherhood,

but there are people

who die without

experiencing love,

I've done it 3 times.

I absorb full responsibility

for being both

blind and stupid

for making wrong choices

in my relationships.

But enough

of feeling sorry

for myself.

I've cut huge losses

before in my life,

another woman walking out

is just another cut loss.

Its nobody's fault

but my own,

that I chose

to focus my efforts

on money grabbing

gold digging sluts.

Once responsibility

for the failure

has been absorbed,

blame can be absolved.

No time for regrets,

Life is too good

to be living

in the past.

Memories are

for the dead,

not the living.

Peace resides only

in the cemetry.

Life is for

the Living

20070521

1145 HRS MAY 21ST 2007

Its hard for me

to understand,

this emotional dependency

people call Love.

Some people

seem to think of love

as wanting to be together

with their partners

all day long.

They just want to cuddle

as much as humanly possible.

Well, I do cuddle

my cat too.

But is that love?

Some of them like the feeling

of their heart skipping a beat,

when they see their partners.

I think of that sort of feeling

as juvenile,

last experienced

as a teenager

25 years ago.

Love have to be

more than just a feeling.

Heart skipping a beat

or wanting physical intimacy

is no more than just

a passion,

and passion seldom lasts.

It is probably

just a good start

for actual love to grow.

I wonder if people

are really in love,

or just in love with

the whole idea of being

in love.

I think of love

as a living thing,

as my partner

being part of my overall personality.

Where together,

we develop and grow

spiritually as humans.

But we cannot grow,

if we're so dependent

on each other's presence.

We go on with our individual lives

as independent people,

but nourish our souls

when we're together.

We still have our lives

with our individual families,

we still have our lives

with our individual friends.

Ah well,

the fuck I know

20070518

1340 HRS MAY 18th 2007

Its strange how people

always tell me,

women are sentimental people.

The entire premise

of that John Gray's book

"Men from Mars Women from Venus"

is based on

Men are egoistical

Women are emotional.

I can't say that is

totally untrue,

but I've seen many

Men who are emotional,

Women who are egoistical.

Somehow when a woman

is in love with you,

she is all over you,

like cheese is all over pizza.

No matter how busy she is

at the office,

she will pause for a while

to think about you,

and her heart

will be filled

with this nice

warm and fuzzy feeling.

When she is out of love,

she doesn't have time for you,

and when she actually thinks

about you,

she feels sick

and makes her wanna pop

her anti-nausea pills.

You to her,

is like Avian flu virus

to chickens,

or Colonel Sanders.

Wallow in your hurt, misery

grief and anguish,

but never never never

try to make her change her mind

once she has a change of heart.

Women are the

most unsentimental animals

once they've changed their hearts.

For God's sakes,

please don't beg,

don't grovel.

All it does,

is boost her ego

and hardened her resolve

to dump you.

Actually I believe,

the grovelling

only serves

to entertain her

a little bit.

20070517

1025 HRS MAY 17TH 2007

I was bored in the office,

as usual,

googled "Law of Attraction"

out of curiosity.

The basic concept is

derived from Quantum mechanics,

the premisse of

"like attracts like".

Extrapolated further,

you get what you think about,

whether wanted or unwanted.

All matter and energy

are attracted

to that which is of its

similiar or identical vibration.

It therefore follows that,

if I want money and health,

as long as I think enough

of money and health,

surely money and health

will follow.

Can it be that simple?

Why aren't we awashed

with good looking billionaires

fit enough to run circles

around Singapore then?

Let's assume

I fully suscribe to

the Law of Attraction.

If I were to wish

for money and health,

and spend all my time

and energy,

deliberately trying

to attract

money and health

vibrations,

I think I have just conceded,

that the reason

why I was wishing

money and health is

precisely because

I LACK money and health.

That lack

will be the predominant emotion,

it is that lack

that will cause

further like vibrations,

and therefore

that lack

to further create

more lack.

20070515

1055 HRS MAY 15TH 2007

If there is anything at all

this we learnt from history,

is that

we never learnt anything

from history

at all.

I suspect

it is against human nature

to learn from

the bad experiences

of others.

The high rate

of delinquency

amongst children

from broken families,

is a well documented fact

and both common knowledge

and common sense.

But I see parents repeatedly

subjecting their children

through this trauma

at very impressionable ages

of their kids' lives,

because they tell their husbands

the standard end of story

"I do not love you anymore".

It is frightening

when love goes bad.

Somehow, a wife

can see absolutely nothing good

in her husband,

absolutely none whatsover.

The things that used to endear

suddenly becomes

a constant source

of irritation.

Tender loving care

suddenly gets perceived

as needy and clingy

or no fucking backbone.

Saving the marriage,

is actually counter productive

for him.

Everything he does

is wrong.

Everything he didn't do

is also wrong.

Even if he strikes TOTO today

and becomes an instant milionaire,

by tomorrow she'd be cursing

its only one million.

When she can spend hours

at marriage counselling,

with a closed mind

and closed heart.

She showed up

only to ease

her conscience

that for the record,

she did try

to save the marriage,

she even went

for counselling.

She rather be

somewhere else,

like in the arms

of somebody else,

anybody else

but him.

Will she live to regret

the decision?

Her friends and family

may despair,

but certainly not her.

Like my ex-wife once said,

"Even if I live to regret

my decision,

I know it is something

I have to do,

I don't want to live

the rest of my life

wondering what could

have been"

Hell cannot stop

the curiosity

or determination

of a woman

who wants to know

what is life outside

her marriage.

And they will always

rationalise their decisions.

7 years later,

my ex-wife

bought a 3 room HDB flat

with my money.

Please lah,

wanna find angmor

find one that will

at least pay for housing la,

still gotta need your ex-husband

to house you.

I feel alive now

she said.

My elder sister's son

is a school drop out,

after being savagely beaten up

by her butch lover

(actually became a police case).

But my two daughters are ok

she said.

Its not mine to judge,

if you can't find happiness

in our marriage,

please go find your happiness

elsewhere.

No point staying unhappy

in this marriage,

for whatever reason

you're staying

and punishing me

for the rest

of my life.

This house of mine

is not a prison,

you're welcome to

stay or go

if you wish.

If you think so poorly of me,

I owe it to myself,

to savage whatever's left

of my dignity

and self respect

to let you go.

In fact,

I'd even

pack your bags

for you.

20070513

1455 HRS MAY13TH 2007

The other day,

I went to see my Dad.

Suddenly,

in his senility,

a brief moment

of serendipity

burst forth.

He commanded me,

"Boon who bullied you?"

"Nobody bullied me Dad"

"Who bully you, you must tell me OK?"

"OK Dad, I'll tell you, don't worry"

It struck me,

that I had this same conversation

with him 36 years ago,

when I was in Primary 1.

He was 43 years old then,

I am 43 years old now.

The powerful coincidence

both thrilled my imagination,

but saddened my consciousness.

Because I realised,

his consciousness has reverted

to a time,

when he was a younger

43 year old

strong and protective father,

and I was a small 7 year old kid,

unable to fend for myself.

Somehow,

in his senility,

his consciousness

had gone back,

like as though time

was frozen

in the peak

of his life.

He may not be

the best Daddy in the world,

but he sure was

the best Daddy he knew how.

I've always known him,

to be a big eater,

afterall he was a stout

and powerfully strapped man

with big broad shoulders.

But when we ate together

as a family,

I always realised,

he was happier

just to watch

the family eating.

He gained far more pleasure

watching us partake

of the food he provided,

than pleasure

from the meal itself.

His life,

was one of

unrelentless giving

to his family.

As I wonder,

in the senility

of his day,

where does his

consciousness revisit?

Clearly, the times

when he could give and give,

and expect or want nothing

in return.

Why was I thrilled

by this conincidence

that I so happen

to be 43 now?

Because,

it is a little miracle

by itself.

I would like to believe

Dad said that to me

on purpose,

knowing

I am at the age,

he was then.

He wanted to tell me,

that one day,

when I am bed ridden

and my consciousness,

clutching on

to what I used to be,

I would have no regrets,

because

I gave and gave,

to people that matter,

like the way he did.

That I led my life,

making each single day count,

because he taught me,

there is far more meaning

to giving

than taking.

Relax Dad,

you can rest well.

Because you have taught

me well.

20070511

2310 HRS MAY 11TH 2007

I think of

any relationship between

two people,

be it romantic

or platonic,

based on two crucial

building blocks.

TRUST

and

RESPECT.

Don't get me wrong,

I did love you before.

But love is freely given.

Trust and Respect

have to be earned.

So I no longer love you,

can we be friends,

based on a shared past?

Think about it,

you're someone

whom completely

betrayed my trust,

more than once,

consistently.

You whom had

abandoned me

for your bigger

better deal.

And I lose respect

for people

whom betrayed my trust.

So how are we left?

Can we still be friends?

Sure I can forgive,

but historically,

when I lose

my trust and respect,

not one have ever

gained my trust and respect

again.

None.

Maybe they did not

try hard enough.

You're welcome

to try.

In fact,

the onus

is on you,

to try to earn

my trust and respect again.

But until then,

you're not a friend.

Just somebody

that I used

to love.

1140 HRS MAY 11TH 2007

Singapore politics

is just so funny.

Funnier still

is how Singaporeans believe

every single thing

they read in the Shit Times.

We have ministers being paid

$100,000 a month,

saying they should be paid

$200,000 a month,

otherwise they would be

businessmen

in the private sector.

My company better start

paying me

$1,000,000 a month too

otherwise I will play football

for Manchester United.

My company better start

paying our Kopi Ah Soh,

$1,000,000 a month too,

otherwise she will start

an acting career with

Jessica Alba.

My point is,

if you PAP politicians

actually believe,

you can make it good

as businessmen

in the private sector,

just why the hell fuck

did you go into politics

in the first place?

The most likely reason is,

the politicians knew

deep down in their hearts,

they lack the business acumen

to make it in business.

If I knew,

I stood half a chance

to be selected by

Manchester United,

do you think,

I'd even bother

to go into

the finance industry?

For that matter,

just how many

of these government scholars

actually succeeded in business?

Ask Ho Ching.

20070510

2225 HRS MAY 10TH 2007

Living with Schizophrenia.

It took me a long time,

to want to write about

this affliction of mine

that I've been living with

for 7 years now.

As in virtually all mental illness,

I doubt schizophrenia

is fully understood

by medical science.

My own experiences

made me derive my own prognosis

which maybe radically different

from those of mainstream psychiatry.

It started 7 years ago

24th June 2000,

when my ex-wife left me,

and I came back

to an empty house.

The initial shock

led to severe depression

and led me to drink,

the weed killer

from the garden.

I suspect

the combination

of poison and depression,

permanently altered

the chemical balance

in my head

and I started hearing

voices

and seeing delusions

thereafter.

I said permanently

because unfortunately

brain cells do not regenerate

unlike other cells

of the body.

Ultimately,

it is the result

of an overactive mind

in unoccupied circumstances

that often lead

to delusionary attacks.

The starting point,

is almost always,

a disturbed state of mind

in emotional turmoil.

I've learnt,

that human emotions

are impossible

to suppress.

They always resurface

in another form,

almost always

more destructive.

In my case,

my subconsciousness

created a parallel universe

for me to escape

reality of living.

In my murky world

of subconsciousness,

my mind somehow distilled,

my two alter egos,

good and evil.

Before I learnt,

that it was schizophrenia,

that I was dealing with,

I entertained those delusions.

I had hours of conversations,

with my two alter egos.

The good, I called Daniel,

the voice of my conscience.

The evil, I called Lu,

short of Lucifer.

I used to sit down,

and had wonderfully intellectual debates,

with the two of them,

until I totally exhausted myself.

They will reappear

everytime I was alone

and I actually welcomed

their presence

as though I was meeting

old friends.

Together, we would

analyse, hypothesize,

theorerize

Life in itself.

Later on, at the advise

of my psychiatrist,

I was told to avoid

these delusions.

The danger is,

at one point,

in severe cases

of Schizophrenia,

I may lose the ability

to differentiate

between delusions

and reality,

and remain

permanently

in the world of delusions.

I was administered

this horrible medication

called Risperdal.

My own unfortunate experiences

with Risperdal

were two fold.

It does indeed instill

mental calm,

and nothing can ever upset me

in that state of peacefulness

and calm.

Risperdal's life cycle

is 24 hours,

and I was supposed to take

ONE tablet a day.

But the problem is,

the body gets accustomed

very quickly,

and that life cycle

gets shorter

every single day.

The nightmare is

when Risperdal's life cycle

wears off.

The delusions come back

a hundred times worse.

I would be seized,

in a state

of utter fear

and paranoia.

A constant state of anxiety

and panic attacks.

The delusions,

by now Daniel is gone,

and Lu plus a thousand others,

will mock and laugh at me,

hurl insults,

asking me to jump off

the 11th floor

of my apartment.

There were times,

I wanted to jump off,

just to silence them.

My medication went from

ONE tablet of Risperdal

to FOUR tablets a day.

I knew,

I was getting hopelessly addicted

to Risperdal.

I locked myself,

in a hotel room,

in Batam,

for 3 days

to totally wean myself off

from my addiction.

For 3 days,

I battled with my delusions,

till the after effects of Risperdal,

disappeared from my system

totally.

Now, having learnt

that chemically induced calmness

dispels my delusions,

if follows that

if I can self induce

my own calmness,

it will dispel delusions too.

I learnt that,

the moral support

of loved ones,

family and friends

help better than any

available medication.

In the absence of that,

I suppose religion

is a great healer too.

Unfortunately,

I often lacked the faith

to believe in

any organised religion

wholeheartedly at least.

I don't think this affliction

will ever go away

completely.

I've learnt to cope,

by being focussed

mentally

or physically,

such that my mind

will not have a chance

to allow delusions back in.

It is presumptous

to expect

that I will not face any form

of adversity

in life's paths

to cause a recurrance

of my chemical imbalances.

It helps to take life

with equanimity

and a stoic outlook.

I've learnt that for me,

the delusionary trigger

is almost always

fear.

Fear of failure, fear of betrayal.

I am generally successful

in most aspects of life,

my biggest failures

have been my relationship

with women.

And these days,

the delusions will mock, gloat

and laugh hysterically,

at my relationship failures,

undermining

my own perception

of myself,

devastating all

my confidence.

But I've learnt

to exhaust myself physically

by constant activity,

or keep my mind distracted

by reading or any other

activity that demands

total concentration.

But if you have friends

or family,

with this affliction

of Schizophrenia,

and they lack

the capacity or ability

to help themselves,

I would say,

nothing beats

the reassuring environment

that love from friends

and family

can provide.

20070508

1200 HRS MAY 8TH 2007

Karl Marx wrote in 1859,

“The general conclusion at which I arrived and which, once reached, became the guiding principle of my studies can be summarized as follows. In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness.”

Since,

the consciouness of men,

does not determine

our existence

but

our social existence

determines our consciouness,

it follows that

in this capitalist world,

I should be

no more than

a materialist.

Fuck philosophical idealism.

Fuck political idealism.

Fuck social idealism.

Its the economy STUPID!!!

Therefore the size

of your wallet

that measures

a man.

My contemporaries

can intellectualise all they want,

the answer is still

the same.

Human societies

are a hopeless mess.

The global economy

is contingent on

the American economy,

which in turn is

contingent on

just 30 stocks

on the Dow Jones index.

What is wrong

with this picture?

The Americans

understood Life.

Invest in military hardware

Invest in nuclear weapons.

The rest of the world

will bow at your feet

and throw money at you.

20070507

1005 HRS MAY 7TH 2007

My dearest friend Ms B,

told me that someone

commited suicide

opposite her block,

plunged to his death apparently.

Somehow that kept me awake

all night, thinking.

I've lived 42 years of life,

I probably have about 30 years or so

to go.

I've passed my half way mark

too late for mid life crisis.

What do I do

with my next 30 years?

How do I make it count

after I bungled and blew away

my first 42 years?

Something is happening

and I don't quite know

what it is.

I do know that

I like to be

by myself recently.

I deliberately opt

for activities

that I can only do

by myself.

Like reading,

swimming,

and cycling.

I've reached a point,

where I really hate to say

HELLO.

Because invariably,

once you've said HELLO,

you'll say GOODBYE.

Either Life itself,

drifts people apart

to a GOODBYE,

or Death

forces the GOODBYE.

Saying HELLO

means

a painful parting

at some point

for me.

The onset of Life itself,

at birth,

is a big HELLO,

and death,

the final GOODBYE

20070506

1745 HRS MAY 6TH 2007

Last night,

I attended my nephew's wedding.

Amazing part is,

his young bride,

already has a 4 year old son.

She is barely 25

I guess.

Uncle Mack is a grand uncle now.

I can't help but imagine,

the conversation she had

with my grand nephew

this morning.

"Mummy where were you last night?"

"Mummy got you a new Daddy"

"Mummy what is wrong with the old Daddy?

I like the old one better

I don't want a new Daddy"

"Shut up, its not for you to decide!!!"

"Ok, Mummy, but can the old Daddy

still out his kuku bird in your mouth?

He seems to like it alot"

0925 HRS MAY 6TH 2007

I met a couple of

ex-schoolmates

at a wedding last night.

The proudly declared,

RI boys rule Singapore

ACS boys own Singapore

St Pat's boys enjoy Singapore.

I dunno whether to laugh

or cry.

We came from the biggest

loser school in Singapore

20070504

1505 HRS MAY 4TH 2007

I find it impossible sometimes

to talk to Singaporeans.

Only in this country,

can people make comparisons

between a country

and a corporation.

Irregardless

of how ridiculous

the comparison is.

I guess the government here

have done such a great job

in its propaganda machine,

comparing ministerial salaries

to the private sector,

people here feel the liberty

to think of this place

as Singapore INC

rather than

Republic of Singapore.

Just how the hell fuck,

do you compare

an employee

to a citizen?

The relationship

between an employee

and a corporation

is purely economics.

An employee

will be employed

as long as he or she

is economically viable

to the corporation.

Likewise, an employee

will remain loyal

to the corporation

so long as the corporation

serves his or her's

economic needs.

The relationship between

a citizen and his or her country

goes beyond economics.

It is about nationalism

it is about nationhood

about sovereignty.

A citizen can put his life

on the line,

by going to war

for his country.

He does not do it

because he is paid

to risk his life.

In doing so,

it is the country and the government

moral duty and responsibility

to take the citizen's best interests

into account and priority

for all their government's policy makings.

As an employee,

I serve my corporation

because of money.

As a citizen,

I serve my country

because this is my land,

these are my people.

As an employee,

if I am unhappy

with my bosses,

I take my skills

to a rival corporation.

As a citizen,

if I am unhappy

with my government,

it is my right,

to demand changes,

because polices must

be for the overall good

of citizens

and not just an elite group

of politicians

or skewed towards

rich foreigners

who have no vested interests

in this country.

I just don't see how

a patriotic relationship

can be translated

into an economic relationship.

Only in this country

I guess.

20070503

1700 HRS MAY 3RD 2007

Its strange,

after all that has been

said and done,

all that has been spoken,

the feeling just

isn't right.

I still go through

the night,

tracing our footsteps

from the beginning

until they disappeared

into thin air,

wondering how

our lives

led us there.

empty house,

empty bed,

empty life,

empty.

Words just come easily

to me.

But my words can't

quite describe

the feelings

when you first kissed me

because you thought

I was asleep.

How sincere

I thought you were.

I now wonder

what I loved in you,

and wonder

what you loved in me.

Maybe you just loved

someone else

you were hoping me

to be.

Just how long,

have I been drifting

in your life,

just how long

have I been dreaming

I could get this right.

Even if I tried

with all my might

to be the one

you actually love.

How could it be

any surprise

when you walked out

of my door

for the last time.

Just an empty surprise,

empty.

1040 HRS May 3RD 2007

Let's stop bullshitting ourselves.

Ours was not

a relationship.

It was no more

than an extended 4 year long

domestic partnership

No more than just

a sleeping arrangement.

Don't you even dare

call me

an ex-boyfriend.

I think of you

as merely a former

fuck buddy

and not very good either.

You treated me

like a lump

of dried out dogshit.

Don't insult the word

Love.

When a woman says

she loves me,

I expect both

her words

and actions

to reflect that love.

On both counts

you failed.

All my life,

I never had a girlfriend,

who did not bother to call

me on my birthday.

Let alone

a birthday gift.

Last Christmas,

I bought you

an LV.

Shortly after,

on your 30th birthday,

I bought you

a Tiffany.

I had them couriered

to Jakarta.

You did not even

have the common courtesy

to call and acknowledge receipt

let alone say thanks.

I was so damn worried

that the shipment

got lost.

It took you 3 days

to answer an sms

from me.

Don't try to ease

your conscience

that you did not leave me

for another man.

You knew this guy

been pursuing you

for months,

you merely kept me

hanging on.

And used rude behaviour

to force me

into a decision.

There is no difference

between leaving me

for another man,

or leaving me

with the intention

of finding another man.

Just get the fuck

and stay the fuck

out of my life.

20070502

1625 HRS MAY 2ND 2007

Javier Mascherano,

you're a monster.

You were fucking immense

last night.

You broke up their game,

shackled their runs,

tackled their legs,

and yet found time

to launch quick

counter-attacks.

Your crossfield passes

to the wings,

were a joy

to behold.

You had a yellow card

which would have

ruled you out

of the Final,

but you never cared.

You flew in

with your well timed

tackles

and perfect interceptions.

You just had to

do your job last night,

to hell with the Final,

let someone else

do the job.

You fucking rule

you little Argentinian warlord,

I love you to bits.

If it was up to me,

I would have given you

the Falkland Islands,

without a fight.

Thanks for adding on,

to the greatest nights

of my life.

20070430

0215 HRS APRIL 30TH 2007

I can't sleep.

I tried but kept feeling

a strange out of the body

experience.

I felt myself

leaving my own body,

and looking at the man

that I am,

and trying to be

the man that

I want to be.

I've been bitter,

that I've tried so hard

to win love

but only lost,

all that I worked for

in life,

I had no one

to share with.

All that I am

was not good enough,

my love

was not good enough.

I longed for

the acceptance

of one woman,

whom I will love

as she loves me.

She loves me,

not only for the man

that I am,

but also the man

that I want to be.

A kind, happy, gentle,

self-assured,

righteous,

calm, peaceful

quietly confident man.

It does not matter

how many times

love have failed me.

Love is always new.

It can take me to heaven

or it can take me to hell,

but it always take me

some place new.

I have to accept

the gift of love,

because it nourishes

Life.

I cannot be enslaved,

by the failures

of my past.

I cannot judge

my future loves

by the sufferings

of my past.

Each new love,

writes its own rules,

its own book.

Love is good,

no matter where

it comes from.

If I reject love,

my soul dies

a slow death,

because I lacked

the courage

to pluck

the fruits of love

from the tree of Life.

Love is Life.

20070429

1305 HRS APRIL 29TH 2007

I have difficulties

understanding women

or people in general.

I have alot more respect

for animals

than people.

Women in marriages

or relationships,

have a tendency

to outgrow their men

over the years.

It reaches a stage

when they think

deep down,

but will never admit

that they're too good

for their men.

They go around complaining

about their men

to others,

making themselves

seem like such

sad and pathetic

victims

of their monstrous men.

But I have never really met

a real monster in my life.

Neither have I really met

a real angel in my life

for that matter.

Everybody is about

the same,

take away some strengths

and some weaknessess.

So women leave their partners

for two reasons,

(1) they have a better alternative

(2) they have the INTENTION

to find a better alternative.

Both of which I find

equally wrong.

Some actually bullshit themselves

that they're more comfortable

being by themselves,

that they do not need

a man in their lives.

But yet when someone new

walks into their lives,

they get all excited,

hence they fall under

the intention category.

I do not believe,

that there exists

a perfect couple

made in Heaven.

If a woman wants

a better alternative,

no matter how

happy the marriage may be,

I bet you every single cent

I ever owned,

a better alternative

WILL appear

in their lives.

It is not IF

but only WHEN.

The ultimate sin

in any marriage or relationship,

is COMPARISON.

When you do not stop comparing,

someone will walk in,

and make your partner

look like some sad citizen

from Republic of Losers.

We think we're smart

and modern.

But our forefathers,

had all the answers.

The reality is

when you made a commitment

you stick by it,

for better or worse.

You stopped loving your partner,

you hang in there,

because love is such that

at some point,

you will find reasons

to fall in love

with your partner again.

We fail to realise

that love is

very cyclical in nature.

If we hang around

during the downs,

it will go up again,

at some point,

if two people

make a conscious effort

to think about

what got them together

in the first place,

what kept them together

in the second place,

and decide that

they owe it to themselves

to find a reason

to love again.

20070426

1340 HRS APRIL 26TH 2007

I've been having

troubled sleep

for weeks now.

I usually drink

till I'm a bit drunk

and then go

to bed.

Last 3 days,

I've stopped drinking,

and going to bed

is more probably

more torture

than death itself.

Last night,

I kept asking myself

two questions.

(1) If I can

turn back the clock

and relive

one single day

from my past

which day,

would it be?

(2) If I was told

I have just one

more day to live,

who would I

choose to spend

my last day with?

Maybe I'm dying

20070425

2150 HRS APRIL 25TH 2007

Two days ago,

I took my boat out.

I had no idea,

where I was headed.

The sun was blazing hot

as the sea reflects

the sunlight

onto my face.

Somehow I sailed into

Sungei Rengit,

the scene

of so many

happy memories.

I was here

with her once,

I bought seafood,

crabs, lobsters, fish

and under

the midnight moon,

we ate

and drank wine

on the open deck

of the boat.

We chatted

until the wee hours

of the morning

right in the swamplands

of the Malaysian jungle,

only the sound

of cicadas

and crickets

in the swamps,

and glow of

fireflies

in the bushes.

I was drunk

and careless,

I lost my bearings

and navigated wrong.

We were lost

in the darkness

of the Malaysian jungle.

I prayed to God,

I probably deserved death

for all the sins against Him.

But please spare

the girl that I loved,

she should not bear

the sins of

my punishment.

I never prayed so hard

in my life,

because it was out of love

for her that I prayed

for our survival.

I was running

dangerously low

on fuel,

and I feared

tree snakes above

the canopy of branches

over the river,

and the wild crocodiles

that lurked beneath.

Miraculously,

I found my way out

of the swamps.

Thanks be to God

for his mercies

on me.

I could not stop laughing

in sheer joy

that we survived

this ordeal,

went back to the marina,

and made love

till we passed out.

As I surveyed

the same swamplands,

the memories

came back,

and laughter turned

into tears.

On this river,

where love was once found

and love is now lost.

I sailed aimlessly

on the Sungei Rengit

and cried,

where laughter

turned into tears.

As tears flowed

into the river,

and the river flowed

into the sea.

The sea evaporates

into clouds

and clouds condenses

into rain.

The cycle of Life

goes on.

1030 HRS APRIL 25TH 2007

I dunno.

These days

as I age,

I have a tendency

towards discarding

socially accepted morals

governing sexual behaviour.

I've been veering towards

a form of sexual nihilism

where I reject

all forms of sexual morality

or religious values.

I find existing codes

of sexual conduct

baseless, obsolete

and redundant

in this day and age.

Sexual fidelity

as we knew it,

was imperative

and probably still is,

in the formation of

a lasting and stable

emotional union

which in turn

provided the solid foundation

of a family unit

in which children

can thrive

and develop.

All well and good,

at a time when women's

role is at home

and her social

and professional interactions

were effectively non-existent.

Today,

the educated and professional woman

faces countless choices

and temptations.

At work

and at play,

she meets exciting

and more happening men

compared to the dour cow

of her husband at home.

As for today's men,

temptations are everywhere.

Almost all my clients

whom I entertain

at girly KTV bars

are married with children.

It does not matter,

if you have a beautiful

doting wife,

it does not matter,

if she is a high flier

who pays her half

in the mortgage

of his penthouse.

And commitment

is no longer sacred.

Does not matter

if you're married with children

or simply attached.

Suitors will come

and test your resistance

until you say yes.

It is so much easier

to say yes

than no.

So why even bother

making promises of loyalty

to your girlfriend or boyfriend

only to dump her/him

for the next better deal

to come along?

Why even bother

going to a church

and making marital vows

in the House of God

only to break them?

I'm far better off

paying for sex

with young and gorgeous

Mainland girls

and for that 2 hours,

illusions of intimacy.

Better than waking up

next to a middle aged woman

who will run away

with another man

taking with her

your house and car

anyway.

Diseases?

Who cares,

if people tell me

that I should live for myself,

it follows that

I should die for myself too

20070424

1700 HRS APRIL 24TH 2007

Isn't it funny,

how everybody

seems to know

how I should live my life,

except myself.

I like to do things

my way,

I like to think things

my way,

I rather be proven wrong

and learn a hard lesson,

than prove others right

and not even try.

I believe I have

a personal duty in life

to fulfill.

To be a better man

than what I would

otherwise be.

The possibility

of achieving a dream,

makes living worthwhile.

I want to reach

for the furthest star,

but also know,

that simple things in life,

are a blessing

and a miracle,

it delights me

to eat my favourite

char kway teow.

I embrace

my own humanity.

I acknowledge

my emotions.

When I am sad,

I want to immerse myself

completely

in misery.

Because misery

is human.

But like everything else

I have to detach

at some point,

and be useful again

to the world

around me.

This world does not stop

spinning for me,

when I'm down.

There are still lots of things

to be done,

lots of things to learn,

lots of things

to be happy about

20070423

1515 HRS APRIL 23RD 2007

13 years ago,

I was attached to

New York office.

I came home to Singapore.

Dad insisted

on taking me out for lunch.

I asked him,

where are you taking me Dad?

He said, you just shut up

and follow me

let me show you

where to go

for good food.

We went Joo Chiat

and had chicken congee.

When we came home,

Mum asked me,

where did Dad take you?

I replied, Joo Chiat.

He brought you to out

to eat chicken congee?

I said Yeah.

She said,

but

you hated congee

since you were a kid!!!

Mum remembered.

1505 HRS APRIL 23RD 2007

If

I were to create

a balance sheet statement,

for Mum,

where everytime she did

something for me

in my life,

I'd record it as an asset.

and everytime I did NOT

do something for her

that I should have done,

I'd record it as my liability.

I am the most fucking

morally bankrupt guy

in this world.

20070422

2300 HRS APRIL 22ND 2007

I was 9 years old,

and an extremely avid reader.

Mummy encouraged reading,

Dad thought it was a sissy activity

for girls and not boys.

Mum would bring me

every weekend

to Lucky Bookshop

at Siglap,

no matter how poor

we were,

she would buy me

a new book.

There was once,

I was in the shop,

I chose this book,

"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".

The auntie at the shop

said I cannot read this book.

It was too difficult,

and snatched the book away from me

like as though

I tried to steal that book.

I walked out of the shop

looking miserable.

Mum asked why didn't I

choose a book.

I said I did,

but auntie would not

let me buy it

because she said

it was too difficult

for me.

Mum looked at the auntie,

and asked,

which is the book,

my son wanted?

Auntie said,

that book is an American literature classic,

it is too difficult

for you son.

Mum said,

I'm buying that book.

And please don't tell my son

any book is too difficult

for him.

And so I read my first

literature classic.

1455 HRS APRIL 22ND 2007

I bumped into

my colleague today.

He was looking so happy

to be pushing his baby's pram

like a proud father would.

This is the first time,

I saw him

on a weekend,

away from work.

He usually wears

this look of

frustration and

resentment

on his face.

But today,

pushing his toddler's pram,

he wore this face

of contentment

and filfillment.

I've always wanted

to be a family man.

I've always wanted

to be a Dad.

I've always wanted

to rush home after work

to be with my family.

When I am

with my loving wife

and wonderful children,

and realise

all that I go through

in the office

was worth the while.

Because I would do

anything,

and everything,

to make them smile.

If I were to die today,

I will want 3 more hours,

to spend

with the 3 women

in my life.

I just want to know

why.

Why was I robbed

of an opportunity

of family life.

Why was I robbed

of fatherhood.

Why was I robbed

of my youth.

Couldn't one of you

have stood by me

through

thick and thin,

through

ups and downs?

Being with them

I felt like,

I could go to battle

with this monster

called Life,

with a backup.

After being beaten up

by this monster

called Life,

I got back up

on my feet,

to take another beating.

I took a quick glance

and realised,

my backup had left.

And I fought

alone.

20070420

1000 HRS APRIL 20TH 2007

So,

he does not have time

to see you

to spend time with you?

There are 168 hours

in a week,

and he is too busy

to spare you one?

By the way,

if you so happen

to be Zhang Zi Yi

and so in love with him,

do you think

he can spare you

a bit more time?

So what do you think

is his level of interest

in you?

Go check the toilet bowl,

he flushed it down,

but for you,

its still swirling a bit

amongst alot

of his shit.

20070419

2000 HRS APRIL 19TH 2007

I belted out this old

1936 song written by

Charlie Chaplin

to myself

at the top of my voice

all alone at home,

it was

instant therapy.



Smile
Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though its breaking
When there are clouds
in the sky
you'll get by
If you smile,
though your fear and sorrow
Smile, and maybe tomorrow
You'd see the sun
come shinging through
for you
If you just smile
Light up your face with gladness
Hide, every trace of sadness
Although a tear,
maybe ever so near.
Thats the time,
you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
You find that Life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

1200 HRS APRIL 19TH 2007

People

who go into

extra-marital affairs

or cheated in a relationship,

just what the hell fuck

are they thinking?

You leave your spouse

for your lover,

or demand your lover

leaves his or her spouse?

I don't have actual statistics,

But I've seen

the long term

success rate

of such affairs

as ZERO.

A relationship

between a man

and a woman,

have to be built

on a solid foundation.

That foundation

is always the

moral values system

each partner holds.

Ideals of loyalty

and truth,

honesty

and commitment,

fidelity

and perseverance,

tolerance

and patience,

kindness

and graciousness,

compassion

and warm heartedness.

What foundation

is your relationship

based on

when right

from the onset

it was deceitful

and disloyal,

and causing

unspeakable amount

of pain

to someone else?

And you think

this new relationship

is going to work?

Maybe,

but statistics

will show,

the odds are stacked

against you.

1145HRS APRIL 19TH 2007

"You vandalised my heart

You raped my soul

You torched my conscience

You thought it was one

pathetic boy's life

you were extinguishing.

Thanks to you,

I will die

like Jesus Christ,

to inspire

generations of the

weak and defenseless people."

The last words

of Cho Seung Hui

before he went

on a killing rampage.

I don't for a single moment

think that people

spontaneously mutate

into murderous psychopaths.

The world we live in,

gradually transform them.

This world where we divide

the haves and the have nots,

the rich and the poor,

the winners and the losers.

Clearly,

young Cho was crying

for help

for a long time.

His soul was tortured

his being was tormented

his pain excruciating.

Buried amongst us,

there are many other Chos.

Inside each of us,

is a Cho screaming

for help.

Do we care?

Until a tragedy

occurs?

20070418

0950HRS APRIL 18TH 2007

They always tell me

Time is the

Greatest Healer.

Time heals

all wounds.

But they forgot to tell me

Time is also

the Greatest Distance

one have to travel

with the wound

still raw

and bleeding.

Disembodied voices

in my head,

hurling insults

tormenting my sleep

with their hysterical laughter.

Sometimes I see you

at home,

in your lingerie

that I bought.

Walking down the stairs

smiling at me

and then

with painful realisation

I saw

the smile

was not meant

for me,

but the guy

behind me.

I still feel the warmth

of your body

next to me,

as I doze off

to sleep.

Only to realise

the bed

was stone cold

on your side

of the bed

when morning breaks

into yet

another day

as time travels

its boundless

and immeasurable

distance.

0915HRS APRIL18TH 2007

So

a young psycho gunman

went berserk in Virginia Tech

killing himself

and 32 others.

I really don't see why

the Americans find this

so shocking.

Such incidents

are accidents just

waiting to happen

in America.

Firstly,

the stupid gun laws

in America.

If the Americans

love guns so much,

let them have guns.

Why don't they simply

ban bullets?

Its not guns who kill people,

its not even people who kill people,

its fucking bullets that kill people.

Secondly,

the high school and college culture

of America,

where loners and losers

are constantly taunted

and victimised.

Its about time,

Americans do a bit

of soul searching

about their very system

that consistently

breeds

such killers

20070417

1245HRS APRIL 17TH 2007

Too late to say

I'm sorry,

Too late to say

I love you.

Too late to restage

the play,

the game of love was over

in that playground

of yesterday.

Too much emotion

too much pride

the game is over

and I've have lost

yet again.

Now in sad reflection

as the fool escaped

his paradise

and cried.

I'll hold my peace forever

when you wear

your bridal grown.

Like a deaf mute

in a silent scream.

Hope when you kiss your prince,

you don't find a frog.

The game is over,

and I have lost.

Can you still say

you love me?

0045HRS APRIL 17TH 2007

So

you found

your tycoon's son.

The man of your dreams.

All your life's prayers

are answered.

The Heavens

must be rejoicing.

Guess

with your family's

social status,

someone like him

is most befitting.

Just what the hell

was I expecting?

With my old beat up Porsche,

rotten driftwood

of a boat,

cheap penthouse

in a HDB estate,

he probably earns

in a day,

what I earn

in a month.

Or am I still

overestimating myself?

It is a battle

I simply could not

hope to win.

You've found

what you've been searching

for your entire life,

a tycoon's son.

I just have to

take defeat

like a man.

I fought

a good fight,

I ran

a hard race.

But I am clearly

in a different league.

So here I am

once more,

in the playground

of losers.

I just have to admit

I am not good enough

for you.

Just what the hell

was I thinking?

I've always known

for the last 4 years,

I was not what you wanted.

You merely settled for me.

You wished I was richer

and better looking.

I've always felt

your disdain,

your haughty contempt.

I reacted

by overcompensating

for my shortcomings,

with outpouring of

love and patience.

It was clearly not enough.

My love was not enough.

Rejection

should not come

as a surprise.

20070416

1215 HRS APRIL 16TH 2007

I find it strange,

how women

all say the same things

when they want out

of a marriage.

The same choice

of words,

more or less.

I don't love you anymore

Life is short

I don't want to live

to regret.

My ex-wife's words were

If I don't leave you

I will keep wondering

what is it like

to be with someone else.

Yeah, considering

you once thought

you're the luckiest girl

in the world

to be with me.

And if I leave

a relationship

because I no longer love,

I would be changing partners

every few weeks.

Within a relationship

people fall in and out

of love

CONSTANTLY.

I always thought of

marriage as a bond

that keeps

two people together,

when they fell out

of love,

just long enough,

till they fell

in love

with each other

again.

It used to work

that way,

for better

or for worse,

in sickness

or in health,

for richer

or poorer.

In this bloody country,

when a man loses his job,

he loses his marriage.

What happened

to that sense of duty?

What happened

to the sacred vows

sworn at the altar

in the House of God?

What happened

to the self-sacrifice

for the sake

of your spouse's happiness?

And his happiness is

truly your happiness?

But then again,

if on my death bed

you tell me,

you stopped loving me

years ago,

and hung in there,

because of our children,

I would have said

THANKS,

but will die

hating you

for the rest

of eternity.

20070415

2325 HRS APRIL 15TH 2007

I was walking around Simei

as usual,

on a Sunday.

The air was filled

with music

from this blind street busker

singing James Taylor.

"I've seen fire,

I've seen rain.

I've seen sunny days

that I thought would never end

I've seen lonely times

when I really needed a friend

But I've always known

I'll see you again"

It suddenly occured to me

that although he is such

a talented singer,

nobody at the town centre

appreciated.

No one was even listening.

But he went on singing

anyway.

He was totally immersed

in his own blind

but musical world.

He did not sing

for our applause.

He did not sing

to crave our

appreciation.

He went right on singing

because it was his job.

In Life and in Love,

we should do the same.

We do our best

in our jobs

and in our relationships

and in love.

Even if

people do not show

appreciation

for how hard

we tried.

It should not matter.

We have our own personal

duty in life

to fulfill.

Even if my love

is not good enough

to keep her,

like the blind singer,

we go on doing

our very best,

its our personal duty

in Life

afterall

1945 HRS APRIL 15TH 2007

Memories

are like a curse.

They haunt me

like a ghost.

I was sitting at home

listening to

Gustav Mahler's Adagietto.

I suddenly remembered

listening to that music

with you

sharing a bottle

of wine.

I felt so in love

then.

And then the next piece

had to be

Jules Massenet's Meditation.

I remembered

we were in Prague,

on a cold winter evening.

Standing on Charles Bridge

looking at the river,

as the moonlight

is reflected

on the little wavelets

sending millions of

little shimmering ripples.

It was so beautiful

to me.

Like you're so beautiful

to me.

The splendour of

Prague Castle

was behind us.

The gentle shimmering river

in front of us.

Holding a cup of

hot wine,

and a cigarette.

There was this

strolling violinist

playing Jules Massenet

on the bridge.

You huddled

next to me,

I felt like

the happiest man

in the world.

Now I'm just

a useless memory

still holding you

tight

1300 HRS APRIL 15TH 2007

I know

I should be happy

for you

that you have found

someone new

in your life.

I should take

my defeat

of losing you

like a man.

But I can't tell you

how badly it hurts.

I keep wondering,

who is he,

what business he does,

how he looks,

if he is treating

you well.

You may not be mine

to care anymore,

but I keep wondering

if he treats you right.

If he loves you

as much as I do.

I can only guess

that he is everything

to you

that I was not.

No matter how hard

I tried.

I even wonder

no matter how painful

it is,

how he is

in bed with you.

I even feel like

meeting him,

just to tell him

what it takes

to make you

climax.

Or maybe he does

things for you,

that I can never do.

Maybe he is

the super rich guy

that you always wanted.

Or just taller.

I can't tell you

how this have

shattered

my confidence.

I've always been

a confident person

all my life.

I always knew

what I wanted

and how

to get it.

Having tried so hard

with you,

I don't know

anymore.

I thought I have

all the answers,

now I just don't know

anymore.

My well meaning friends,

kept telling me,

to move on,

to get up and go.

But I'm so tired

I feel I no longer

have anymore

get up and go

left in me.

I've picked myself up

so many times

in my life,

I now just wanna

lay down

like a boxer

who was just

dealt a knockout blow.

Lying down on the canvas

all beaten up

no more energy

to get up

for another fight,

just lying down

bleeding,

with blood

that has left

my heart.

I'm only bleeding.

Deep down,

I wish,

you can just

see me,

and hold me,

one last time.

And feel a bit

of my pain.

20070413

1530 HRS APRIL 13TH 2007

Farewell

old self,

you're tired

and need some rest.

Farewell

old self,

you've given your best

in difficult and

turbulent times.

You've tried to touch

the mind and heart

of the one you loved

and make a difference

in her life.

Your energy is long gone

the fire doused

the spark

in your eyes

dulled.

Rest well now

and get the peace

and quiet you need.

May you soon find

what you seek

in your new adventures

with passion

and kindess

renewed.

20070412

1710 HRS APRIL 12TH 2007

I don't know why

people always say

money talks.

The only thing

money ever

said to me was,

GOODBYE

20070411

1045 HRS APRIL 11TH 2007

Of late,

I've been toying around

with the cyclical nature

of Life.

It started with this verse

in the Bible.

"All the rivers

run into the sea,

but yet the sea

is not full"

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verse 7


We can have all the sources

of happiness in our lives,

spiritual happiness,

physical happiness,

emotional happiness,

material happiness,

sexual happiness.

But our lives can never

be totally fulfilled.

We only think

it is full.

As sure as the sea

evaporates,

so will our

perception of fulfillment.

Perception maybe

our immedidate reality.

But comes the morning sun

reality persists.

We just have to learn

to live with it.

Don't cry,

when the sun goes down,

because the moon

is made of gold.

When you learn

to take life

with equanimity.

"Vanity of vanities,

all is vanity"

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verse 1


We only think

we know it all.

We only think

we have the answers.

But I've long accepted,

the more I know,

the more I don't know.

"He that increases knowledge,

increases sorrow"

Ecclesiastes Chaper 1 Verse 18


And if I may add,

without being offensive,

"There is no new thing

under the sun"

Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 Verse 9

20070409

1130 HRS APRIL 9TH 2007

If I do not

suscribe to your beliefs

please don't tell me

that what I believe

is wrong

because you may not

be right.

If what I want in life

is not what you want,

my want may not be right

but your want

may be wrong too.

If I act

or fail to act,

in the way you would,

kindly let it be.

I do not ask you

to understand me,

because I know

you will understand,

the day you given up

trying to make me

a photocopy of you.

We are all different

I've long accepted that

and I even think

differences is good.

As much as you're different

from me,

I seek not to change

the difference,

but actually to preserve

and even embrace

our differences,

because nuturing

our differences

have actually made

life a whole lot

more interesting

20070408

1120 HRS APRIL 8TH 2007

Looking like a

New Age Messiah,

talking like a heretic.

Making friends feel

they're not whole

and they have no

self worth.

All because

we have not learnt

the inner secrets

of the joys

of loving oneself.

Living on organic food,

and herbal supplements,

drinking resonated water,

saying you're so happy now.

But are you ready?

to be disappointed.

Are you ready?

to be disillusioned.

Are you ready?

to be heartbrokened.

When you wake up one day

and realise

your New Age prophets

were wrong

all this while,

and your grandmother

was right.

Darling, what does it take

just what does it take,

to make you realise,

no one deserves the right

to say

you're not whole?

We are creations

of God,

and God does not

make mistakes.

Parcelled in each

and every one of us

is a perfect gift

to Humankind.

We're all whole people,

in our own special

and unique ways.

Not everybody

can feel good

by quasi laws

of attraction

casually derived

form quantum mechanics.

Maybe it works for some

but certainly not

for all.

I grew up

in the 70s,

when this notion

of self love

was born.

It started

in 1977,

when a movie

of the life

of the greatest boxer

of all time,

Muhummad Ali.

And the title track

was

"Greatest Love of All".

And the catch phase was

"Learning to love yourself,

is the greatest love

of all"

I've seen the New Age prophets

of my time,

preaching the good news

of loving yourself.

I've seen seminars

and workshops,

where people pay money

to cry their eyeballs out

to learn self-love.

Self-love is good,

when you do not allow

yourself the indignity

of doing something

morally wrong.

But I've seen this idea

of self-love mutate

into something horrible

and dangerous even.

I've seen self-love

taken to the extreme

and transmute into

narcissistic

self interests

self preservations

self centredness.

I've seen self love

destroy families

devastate careers.

I'm sorry.

I'm an old man

who suscribe

to old fashioned values

of our grandparents,

where life on earth,

involves a very

self-sacrificial aspect,

where you dedicate

your very existence

for the betterment

of others.

In a world

and a life

where the love you get

is the love you give.

20070407

1725 HRS APRIL 7TH 2007

I believe in miracles,

but not the sort

that is scientifically impossible

to prove.

When I am out at sea,

my boat anchored off

a deserted island,

I hear the little ripples

of wavelets

made from the wake

of a passing boat

gently lap against

the hull of my boat,

I smile.

I am at peace

once more.

The sea always

have this effect on me.

I am thankful

for the sea.

I had lunch

at the SBS bus drivers canteen.

I've always loved

the traditional way of

cooking pork trotters

using vinegar.

These days

they only have

the bak kut teh style

and not the traditional

vinegar recipe.

I observed,

4 bus drivers opposite me.

I've always admired

bus drivers.

My dad

was a bus driver

all his life.

They have so little

materially,

but they probably

laughed more

in that 10 minutes,

than I did,

in the last 10 days.

Little observations

like that

thrill my imagination.

It is this childlike curiosity

that we lost mostly,

the enthusiasm in life,

and the ability

to be thrilled

by little and simple things,

and be happy.

I love meeting old friends,

and catching up

with lost time.

Sometimes it saddens me

how a friend

can fall on hard times

as I could only listen

and offer a helping hand.

Sometimes it thrills me

how a friend

can do so well

as I could only listen

and be happy for them.

It is not ours to judge

a friend.

In these,

I meant,

by miracles.

The small things

in life

that makes me happy

20070406

2340 HRS APRIL 6TH 2007

Young man,

I wish 20 years ago,

someone had a talk with me,

like I'm talking

to you now.

Chase wealth,

it is good

for a young man

to chase wealth.

But do it

for the right reason,

not because of

vendetta,

because your ex

left you

for a rich guy.

In a few years,

you will realise

like most men,

that you stop

doing things

for yourself.

You want to provide,

for your woman

and your family.

There is a certain beauty

in being wholly responsible

100% responsible

your entire existence

to provide the very best

for the people

you love.

It is only right,

that you start building

your life now.

Because chasing dollars

to impress chicks,

will one day

be so meaningless.

Like everybody

is racing towards

the furthest palm,

but beyond that,

is the desert

and nothingness.

But when you do it

because of your loved ones,

the motivation comes

from within.

Like many men

before you

and after you,

you will realise

the beauty

of being

wholly responsible

for someone else

and not yourself.

But

whilse chasing dollars,

don't forget

not to lose yourself.

Always

do the right thing

that a good man

will do.

I made that mistake,

too busy chasing dollars

I forgot

to be a husband.

My ex-wife

was no more

than an accesory

in my life,

a silent partner

in my marriage,

a non-entity

in my home.

Your woman

is not a Tamagotchi toy,

She is human

and an individual,

with feelings

and thoughts,

that you fell in love

and want to dedicate

your entire existence

to her.

Yet with all that,

bear in mind,

that shit happens.

The last 4 years

of my life,

I dedicated myself

to providing for someone

who felt that a 5 figure salary

should be earned

in a day

and not a month.

Like I once said,

God dealt cards,

that you may not like,

and a game

you cannot win.

But play your best hand

anyway.

Win or lose,

just enjoy

the card game.

And feel God's pleasure

that you done your best

against His odds.

If you have to ask,

yes,

thats how I view

self-worth.

When I can look myself

in the mirror

and say

Yes, I've done

my best

to be a good man.

Not because

my self-assessment

is contingent

on what others think

of me,

but I did my best

because that

is my calling

anyway.

20070405

2140 HRS APRIL 5TH 2007

You PAP Youth fuckers

or Lee Family running dogs,

go get a fucking life

of your own.

Are you paid

just to read

blogs like mine?

You're sadder than sad

pathetic fuck.

This blog is not

like your government said

"consistently political".

If anything, its more

about my fucked up

love life.

I won't reply to you,

unless you're a hot chick

with a photo

and without clothes on.

You said,

why not compare

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,

China, India, Pakistan.

Yeah, some fucking benchmark

you set for me.

I thought Minister Mentor said,

we're First World.

And you want me to benchmark

against Third World countries.

And,

just who the hell fuck,

give you the right

to ask me

to migrate

if I'm not happy?

Singapore

is my fucking country too.

I have all the right

to stay here

as long as I wish.

Nobody,

you nor your Minister Mentor

have any right

to ask me

to migrate.

This is my fucking country

and I will stay

as long as I want.

Strange as it may sound

I love this shit country.

It is the place

I was born,

It is the place

I grew up.

It is the place

my family

and friends are.

Just why the hell fuck

do I bother

to critisize

if I don't like this place?

Is it wrong

for me to want

my country

to be even better?

Is your way or your Minister Mentor's way

the only way?

Come on,

you have a brain,

think for yourself

for once.

And stop being

another mouthpiece

for your government