Maybe He's Dead!?!?

Of Latin Mass and Temple Churches...

2006-10-21T16:53:00.000+01:00

Meant to blog this on Sunday, but I was too busy. Been busy the whole week, so I've only found the time to write this now.

It all started with me oversleeping last Sunday morning. I woke up at 1010, too late to make it to Newman House, so I whipped out my laptop and goggled for masses in my area. As it were, there was a 11am service at St Etheldreda's Church, a 15 minute walk from my hall. In my haste, I ignored 2 words in brackets, that would later come to haunt me - (Sung Latin).

I raced across the Blackfriars towards church and was pleased to arrive in good time. The church looked really old and apparently it is the oldest church in all of England. I was awed in particular, by the magnificent stained glass windows that adorned the walls of the main chapel. This picture should give you a better idea of the beauty of the church.

My awe turned to horror as the priest started the mass in Latin. Only then did it occur to me what 'Sung Latin" meant. It meant the WHOLE mass was sung in Latin. With the exception of the readings, gospel and homily, I was pretty much flabbergasted at the utterances of the congregation, as I moved my lips, hoping that some divine intervention would allow me to join in the chorus of voices.

To be honest, it was not really all that bad. The choir was lovely and the mass was really beautiful (save for the fact that I didn't understand half of it.

On Wednesday, I had lunch with J Fok in Temple, a short 5 minute walk away for the LSE. Basically, what it is is one of the four inns of Court, sort of like a guild house for lawyers. Thanks to J Fok being a lawyer in training, I had the pleasure of being his guest for lunch in the Banquet Room of Middle Temple.

It looked like a scene out of Harry Potter, with long tables stretching the length of the hall and a long table in the front for the Temple's members of the Bench. Everything, from the plates, to the chairs to the tables were adorned with the crest of Middle Temple - a lamb carrying a standard. The walls were filled with the numerous crests, presumably that of the Knights Templar, who used to occupy these buildings. Its a pity I couldn't take pictures, but the interior of the hall was truly beautiful.

The food was as good or even better than the decor. The roasted pork loin melted in my mouth and the crackling that accompanied it sent shivers down my spine. Jon's soup tasted so rich and fresh, even though it was just chicken and vegetable soup. (we nearly gave it a miss thanks to its unassuming name)

We adjourned to Temple Church for a quick visit. For the uninitiated, this was the location of one of the climatic scenes in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. The architecture was nice, though it didn't really stir up too strong emotions in me. Might come back soon though. Apparently a pretty good choir comes to sing here every Sunday.

'Wicked' is Wicked

2006-10-15T00:54:00.000+01:00

I watched my second musical in London today - Wicked. On Jon Fok's recommendation, I caught it with him and a few of his friends. The show lived up and even surpassed expectations (which were really high, considering I was paying 45 pounds for it), and I am more than happy to part with my money.

Basically, the show is adapted from the Wizard of Oz and proposes that the Wicked Witch of the West is not wicked, but actually the victim of societal prejudices and a 'smear campaign' orchestrated by none other than the 'wonderful' Wizard of Oz.

From Tony Award winner, Idina Menzel (Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch) to the rest of the supporting cast, the vocals were fantastic, with many a number leaving my skin tingling with delight. The satire and wit woven into the storyline were thoroughly enjoyable and easily appreciated by anyone with prior knowledge of the Wizard of Oz story. Coupled with the fact that we got pretty good seats, it made the whole musical experience absolutely fantastic.

All that being said, this performance really set the bar for musicals really high. I doubt I be able to say another musical is good for a long time to come.

This show is a definite must watch, though preferably before Idina Menzel, who was originally cast in the Chicago production of the show, ends her run at the end of October. I'm sure you'll think the show is pure Wicked too.

Yawn....

2006-10-13T14:49:00.000+01:00

I'm so sleepy... Having a 6 hour break between my History and Economics classes. It's no point walking back to hall because it'll take me an hour both ways, so I'm stoning in the library. Really should be doing some reading at least. But, my brain doesn't want to work. Zzzzzzz....

3 Day Week!!!!

2006-10-13T00:23:00.000+01:00

Just got a new time-table today, because I made a change to my choice of course. I now have a 3 day week, with school on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I'm loving it!!! Except of course the inevitable crush of lessons on Tuesday. I have 5 out of my 9 hours of lessons per week on this day, with only a one hour break in between. Thankfully, it's at lunch time, so no major disruptions to my gastro-clock will be required. Bet you are all jealous of me.... :)

Hello Singapore, This is London....

2006-10-11T23:56:00.000+01:00

After a very, very long time, I have finally decided to return to the world of blogging. Casting aside my fear of being discovered by people I hardly even know, I will try my best to update this blog as often as I can.

It's been a great first 2 weeks here in London so far. If you've spoken to me, you've probably heard me gushing about the weather. It's been nice and cool (around 16 degrees) and apart from the frequent rain, it's a very welcome change from Singapore. Most people think I'm crazy walking around in the clothes I usually wear in Singapore ( jeans and t-shirts), while they are in their jackets and coats. But, I'm just relishing the cool air on my skin, before it gets too cold to enjoy a simple pleasure like that.

To cut a long story short, I've been settling down in London pretty well. Got the whole infrastructure (ie. toileteries, groceries, cutlery) up, with a few exceptions, and trying to get into a reading/studying mood. There's a whole load of texts to read for my International Relations, History and Politcial Theory courses, and I'm just too slow a reader. Ah well, I better get used to it quickly, though it's still early days.

Today was a pretty good day. Went for my first run in London, down the Thames, up Millenium Bridge, up the Thames and back to hall via Blackfriars. A pretty short run, but I'm getting used to the cold air here. Also cooked my first meal solo - an egg mayo and ham sandwich. Pretty easy stuff, but hey, it's a start. I ran for PR Officer of the SingSoc and got elected. Pretty happy about it, though Ian Cheng said I gave a horrible speech because I was too aggressive. On hindsight, I quite agree with him. I can't do 'fierce'. I'm too much of a nice guy. Don't you agree? :p To cap off a wonderful day, we had a 19th gathering at Andrea's place. Our lovely host made chicken rice, curry chicken and red bean soup. All were fantastic! I can't wait to be invited back again. *hint hint* The company of Zhong, Max and Cheng was also fantastic. I'm really glad I have such a fantastic bunch of friends even in such a far away land.

Got so much to say, but so little time. Will post some of the beautiful pictures I've taken in London and Brighton (yes, I've already been on a day trip and had a wonderful Saturday by the sea) as soon as I find the time.

AFK.... (away from keyboard)

2006-05-03T06:37:00.000+01:00

Back from a long hiatus. Been busy at work and play. Have a whole load of articles to do now, that are keeping me on my toes. Got an article for tomorrow's Urban and two for Sunday's Lifestyle. Going off to Joo Chiat to chase two story soon, so decided to blog while waiting.

I've made a decision on my future at last. Won't say exactly what my plans are here, but if you ask me, I'll be more than willing to tell.

Don't feel safe saying sensitive stuff here. Was just checking statcounter.com and found out someone accessed my blog by googling: SMU scholarship interview. So a bit more wary of what I am writing here.

1st Article Tomorrow!!!

2006-04-25T14:55:00.000+01:00

At last, my first article will be coming out tomorrow... So happy that it is coming out after 2 long weeks at Life! It'll be on Life! page 2, so check it out yah...

Resuming Normal Service

2006-04-23T07:57:00.000+01:00

Back at last. Finally got over my spell of 'depression'. Feeling alot better. Thanks everyone, for you concern. Really appreciate it.

Started getting work this week. 2 articles, one on Singaporean buses and the other on penis size, both equally eventul.

Let's start with the bus story. Was supposed to do a straw poll with 5 questions, so I headed down to Boon Lay bus interchange to carry out my survey. In the 3 hours I spent there, I only managed to get 19 people to fill it up. That was uber-depressing. My morale was sooooooo low. The feeling of being ignored or waved away by 9 out of 10 people I approached was a real blow to my ego. I think it was a really humbling experience. I can't count the number of times I have ignored people giving out flyers or conducting surveys in town, so I guess this was a real reality check for me. A wake-up call to be more sensitive to the needs of people around me, even those who I don't know personally.

Next was the penis size story. Got it on Wednesday, after the news report of a JC student killing himself after feeling his penis was too small. Found that it was quite a weird topic to work on. For starters, penis is not a word we use very liberally in our social context. In the 3 days I worked on it, I probably said the word 'penis' more times than the rest of my life put together. Also wasn't too sure where to draw the line between being informative and being obscene. Angle was also a little vague especially with the further reports on Thursday that he was suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Anyway, both stories were scheduled to be published today, but on Friday they decided to postpone the bus one to next Sunday and the penis size story indefinitely. On my part, I hope the article never sees the light of day. Not too proud of it, in terms of both writing style and content. Looking forward to writing articles of a more 'normal' nature.

Down in the Dumps....

2006-04-18T17:23:00.000+01:00

Been wanting to post these few days, but couldn't really muster the strength to do it. Feeling quite low, especially today. Can quite find the words to describe it, but just feel down right miserable. Work has started to come in at last. Hopefully I can drown myself in it. Will try to iron out my thoughts these next few days, before posting again. Really sorry to disappoint all the people coming here hoping to see something new. Just give me a while to sort out my feelings.

BORED.....

2006-04-12T14:17:00.000+01:00

HELP!!! I'm so bored at work. Haven't got any assignments and it seems my supervisors have forgotten about me. Spent the last 3 days browsing through all the articles that the other writers have done, but no work for me yet. Wasting 3 days fighting an epic battle with the Z-Monster is no joke man... What does one need to do to find work??? Ah well, will take matters into my own hands and go ask for work. The lack of work aside, the kind of work the others are doing seems really challenging but fun. Can imagine the amount of satisfaction they have seeing their articles go into print. Can't hardly wait for my turn to come.

Just another day at work...

2006-04-10T15:19:00.000+01:00

Started working at the LIFE! Desk today. Not very eventful as I haven't been assigned any articles to do yet. Spent most of the time looking through and getting used to the Messaging and Story creation interface, as well as getting to know the Desk's SOP. More or less getting the hang of it. Got some work at the end of the day, checking out MRT station toilets for a feature. Found it quite awkward going into and rating loos - just seems so weird. Saw some people giving me weird stares as I rated the toilets, but it's all cool - just another day on the job.

Weekend well spent

2006-04-09T08:08:00.000+01:00

Haven't had a weekend this good for quite while...

Started on Friday night, having dinner and dessert with the 'Carebears' - Russ, Nic, Kel and Joseph (and Wan Yong, though she isn;t a Carebear.) at Sushi Tei and then NYDC. Never knew we were called that until Wan Yong's 'Thank You' SMS on her birthday. Joseph actually found the time to check out the ' Carebears' and allocated one to each of us. I'm Champ Bear. LOL!!!
Really enjoyed myself on Friday night, seems just like old times, sitting in Sakae Sushi at Cineleisure. We should do this more often.

Cute huh?

Went to play floorball in VJ on Saturday morning. For the 1st time ever, we got to play in the Hall. How rare is that? Really hope they'll continue to let us use it, because it's so much better playing there than on the astro-turf. Was really tired after floorball though, haven't done much exercise for a week already. ARGH! Really need to motivate myself to keep fit.

Will be going for Conversational Malay lessons this evening. Been wanting to learn Malay for quite a while already, so I will finally embark on the journey today. It's being held at the CC near my place and $68 for 12 lessons is quite a reasonable price.

Work is FUN!!!

2006-04-07T05:35:00.000+01:00

Started work on Wednesday at SPH. Had some time to blog the past two days, but was lazy. :p

It's been quite alright so far, mainly learning how to use the various systems for producing the newspaper. Quite interesting actually, seeing the various steps involved in coming up with the articles that we see in the papers everyday. Starting work at Life/Lifestyle on Monday. Really looking forward to it. Heard that there are already 7 interns working there, so competition is going to be tough.

Got the day off today to attend SMU Scholarship interview. I'd say it went rather smoothly , with my pet topics - the Iraq War and the General Elections being discussed. On hindsight, I could have answered some of the questions better. (but then again, if everyone had the benefit of hindsight, we'd all be billionaires, not just Ian Cheng. :p) I guess I'm a perfectionist?

Was waiting to be interviewed, when the guy after me came in, wearing jeans and track shoes for the same interview. I don't mean to sound pompous, but I was a little put off by his dressing. I personally feel that when you attend an interview, you should dress well, ie. for guys, pants, covered shoes and long-sleeved shirt. Not only does it impress the interviewer and shows how seriously you take the interview, but it also gives you a greater sonse of confidence. Amazingly enough, this is not the 1st time I've seen someone dress this way for and interview. Are my expectations too high? Is wearing jeans and track shoes (ie. Orchard Road attire), an acceptable norm in Singapore? Look forward to hearing your views.

Tuesday Nights Alright for Blogging..

2006-04-04T16:11:00.000+01:00

Tuesday Nights.... Perfect for blogging? Why? 'Cos the WoW servers are down, of course. (For the uninitiated, WoW is World of Warcraft - "Dude, where have you been living the past 1 year??")

Just got back from watching Ice Age 2 with Ervin, Cheng, Zhong, Wei Han, Max and Pearlyn at Marina. Really enjoyed the show - probably the 1st I liked in a really long while. Definitely recommend you to watch it. Was practically laughing throughout the whole movie.

Was walking through Marina Square just now and realised it's quite a 'happening' place. Lots of cool shops, like Zara and Topshop, and a whole range of eating places, offering, Western, Japanese, Chinese, basically nearly every type of food a typical Singaporean could ask for. They even have Azabu Sabo, the Japanese restaraunt that I had dinner with Han Joo in Kaoshiong.
Think the recent renovation of Marina Square has really paid off. I still remember how drab and dull it used to look back in our JC days, when we went there to catch movies.

Starting my internship at SPH tomorrow. It's my 1st ever 'job', if you could call it a job. I will be working in the Life!/Lifestyle desk, so I think it should be quite interesting. With enough luck, you'll be seeing articles written by me in the weeks to come. Really looking forward to it and hope I'll make a good impression. Will keep you updated on any articles that will be coming out, written by yours truly.

Also, had an unexpected surprise over the weekend. SMU called to schedule an interview for their scholarship, which I had clean forgotten about. It's a bit of a 'spanner' as I was leaning very much towards going to LSE (London School of Economics) with or without a scholarship. Guess I'll have to re-think my options again. Will be coming down on Friday morning, so if any of you SMU babes want to have morning tea, I'll be more than happy to join you. *wink*

Any of you tried out the 'The Wicked' Game yet? Anyone lost hair yet? Me and Edward are up to Level 11 as I'm typing this. Quite challenging. Some knowledge of source codes required.

Disclaimer: The author of this blog will not be liable for any physical or mental harm caused as a result of playing 'The Wicked' :p (Covering my ass... LOL...)

Cool Game....

2006-04-04T06:48:00.000+01:00

Check out this game, guaranteed to make you tear your hair out and have nightmares of it...

http://weikiat.ikueb.com./thewicked/index.html

1 Whole Year as a 2LT...

2006-04-02T12:42:00.000+01:00

Just remembered today is the year anniversary of 56/04 Commissioning Parade. 10 months of sweat, blood (really blood, for some of us...) and tears finally paid off as we were commissioned Officers of the Singapore Armed Forces... Seems like an eternity ago... We've come along way, from being Young Second Lieutenants (YSL's) to the lao jiao 2LT's (soon to be LTA's) that we are now... (2LT(NS) for me...)

Really missed training with the guys from BRAVO 2... This is a tribute to you... Happy Anniversary!!

Me and Jasper after ACPC...
Me and Sandeep during Ex Spade. Spotting bad engrish in Taiwan with Lionel...
Chilling with the guys during GPMG L/F...

1st Ever Post...

2006-04-02T08:48:00.000+01:00

As the title suggests, this is my 1st ever post on my 1st ever blog.... After putting this off for so long, I've finally decided to start my very own blog, my very own enclave on cyberspace... Being a "virgin" blogger, I feel both excited and apprehensive... A blog, after all, is a sharing of your personal space with the rest of the world, an avenue to release pent up frustration, and above all a long-term commitment to one's dedicated readers... (though at this point, I assume I have none - though hopefully that will change in time to come)

Will end this post here... Your comment, feedback and tags are warmly welcome... Hope you enjoy your time here....