Guilty! Of holidaying in the first degree. . .

Well that's just one (lyrics albeit distorted by me) of the many many songs back in the 80s you would expect to hear when you're here!

Yup its none other than ZOUK on a Wednesday night! The SIM guyzos of the other clique organised a end-of-exams Mambo Night out celebration. Since I never been there I reckon there's no better time to hop along!


From Left: Desmond, myself, Jia He, Zhong Hao and Wei Hao


Some of the many drinks that was wiped out that night.

The drinks are really weak compared to that of St. James. Too much syrups and too little alcohol! But I guess you can't expect much from free drinks or cheap cocktails and shots. Ha!


Now you see it, now you don't! Its time to head to the dance floor!

I don't think there's much that needs to be said. I must be the backward few 23 year old males left in S'pore who has never been to Zouk on a Wednesday night. Everyone has heard of MAMBO night and Zouk right???

Well I did enjoy my first visit there. For one the music totally rocks! The best of Belinda Carlise, Nena, Chumbawamba, Abba, Bananarama, Rick Astley, Marianas Trench, Eddy Grant, etc. I found myself humming along with almost every song that came along. Much better than the trance music (do you even call that music???) that was playing during the SIM bash at St. James.


The larger group of people at the end! All from SIM!

And yes for the UNINITIATED, I hope to give you a glimpse of the defining trait of Mambo night. Introducing. . .


The classic 'hand' dance movements!

Eg.
Belinda Carlisle's Summer Rain

Step #1 Chorus: 'Oh my love, it's you...' Your move: Bring both hands together to form a 'heart' over your left bosom, then use your right hand to point at 'you'.

Step #2 Chorus: 'that I dream of...' Your move: Bring your right hand up and point to your right temple.

Step #3 Chorus: 'Oh my love, since that day...' Your move: Bring both hands together to form a 'heart' over your left bosom, then raise your right hand upwards, palm facing up.

Step #4 Chorus: 'somewhere in my heart, I'm always...' Your move: Bring your hands together and make a heart shape over your left bosom, then clap twice in rhythm with 'always'.

Step #5 Chorus: 'dancing with you in the summer rain...' Your move: With both hands half-raised and your index finger and thumb pinched together, make little circles as you twirl your hands around for 'dancing'. When the chorus goes 'summer rain', stretch out your hands and make little ripples with your fingers as if simulating a shower of rain.

(Wikipedia 2008)

That is just part of a song. I can't believe there are actually people who memorised EVERY unique dance move for EVERY darn song! Simply AMAZING!!! Don't these guys have anything else better to do??? I mean with this sort of effort taken to memorise, one could probably memorised all the taekwando moves right up to black belt or something! Hahaha. I mean at least that is more practical right?

*Performs 'cross my heart, hope to die' Mambo Zouk move in front of a would be robber*

No use right??? I'd rather learn how to execute a chin kick or something. Anyway if you see carefully, those guys on the platforms really know all the moves. I heard that the moves can be learnt on You Tube as well??? Can't believe it. So free ah these people? I pondered on the rationale for learning every single movement but I guess only those folks on the platforms can tell you that!

After a while,


It got too smoky to take any other pictures. So I'm still awaiting the photos from other friends to come in! In the meantime its time to dance man. . .

I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

The HOLIDAYS are here!!!

It's the end of the schooling term and I finally have time to sit down and do some updates.

Well for those who have not already known, yours truly will be on an exchange program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro come January. Was able to finally settle most of the administrative matters as of today. I got my visa, my air tickets are booked, I planned some itineraries for travelling, I got my modules, I'll be buying the required insurace there, so I guess I'm pretty much settled on the admin side.

I will be taking 5 modules and an additional module required of all students in Semester 6 for my course. So looks like I'll be kicking start 2009 with lots of activities. First up would be the Work Integrated Learning(WIL) Module whose lessons I have to attend in Singapore, before completing via online submission when I'm in USA. I will be taking the standard four business modules and a special elective that I have chosen.

It was very tempting ideally, I must admit, to pick up modules like these for my exchange:

Course ESS 204-01 : Intermediate Basketball
Course AST 235-01 : Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies
Course HIS 221-01 : Medieval Legacy
Course MUS 131-01 : Classical Piano Level 1
Course LIN 262-01 : Sociolinguistics

For a small scale management university like SIM, such diverse modules are not offered, and it would really be an eye-opener to actually be able to gain education in a full-fledged university.

However, in the real world things do not often go the way you would really wish for it to, so the modules that I picked for my exchange are:

Course ECO 300-02 : The International Economy
Course MKT 424-01 : Consumer Behaviour
COurse MGT 354-01 : Managing Diverstiy in Organizations
Course ENT 403-01 : Marketing for Small Firms
Course GER 101-01 : Elementary German Level 1
(Can somebody say what a bore???)

Saved for my beginner's German course (which is no easy language to learn itself), I'm killing myself by strapping all the level 300s and 400s modules. Hahaha. I hope I don't drown myself there. Throw in the WIL I mentioned earlier, it's essentially 6 modules compared to the usual 4 I take in SIM. SAVE ME!!! Looks like I'm gonna be a chao mugger there.

In a recent msn conversation with Kiam:

pisspot - més que un club says:
travel all over USA man!
pisspot - més que un club says:
leave no weekend sober!

There's gotta be more to life, than chasing down every temporary high... says:
maybe but i dun think so
There's gotta be more to life, than chasing down every temporary high... says:
will be studying a lot!!!

pisspot - més que un club says:
wahahah!! That will be what you say now.
pisspot - més que un club says:
i will remember, and you will recall this statement from me shaun.
pisspot - més que un club says:
hahhaa.. exchange students never study! there are too many distractions.

Speaking from EXPERIENCE eh bro???

Anyway I do look forward to all the travelling. Sadly I will not be making any ventures to the western side of the United States this time. This is due to the high cost and also the lack of convenient air tickets for the three of us. Oh did I mention that I will be travelling with 2 coursemates? Well you guys will meet them in due time I reckon. Ok back to travelling. Looks like its the Eastern side for me all the way then. Cities within our striking range include Washington DC, New York, Boston, Portland, Miami, Atlanta, and Orlando. Well so much said but I guess plans will change along the way!

Next phase of preparations include getting the necessities like textbooks, winter clothings, power plugs etc. I'm getting sick of doing so much online and text research since the end of exams. With most things settled I can take a break from tomorrow and slowly savour the holidays! Had plans to work initially due to a fast depleting savings account and a rocketing monthly credits, but since I'll be busy again come December (think wedding bells), I guess I'll rot my butt silly and SCV Channel 16 my holidays away! Hmmm maybe not. Squash, Kbox, movies, mahjong or badminton anyone???

More updates coming your way! Including a short post on Zouk!

Time to begin my holiday proper by curling up with a book under the covers! Good night!

Food Tasting for the BIG day

I’m sorry this took forever to come up, but here it is! Late, but never, never! Ok straight to the photos!!!


Here I am at Holiday Inn Park View, the venue of Elder Bro’s wedding in about a month’s time only! The families are here to sample the selected wedding banquet dishes and to approve the final menu. I get to go for good food sampling right after my last paper.


Menu for the BIG night as planned by the couple


First Up! The Cold Dish Combination. Roast Chicken, Prawn Salad, Pacific Clams, Seafood Roll and Sushi Roll (which will be replaced by Suckling pig that day as they don’t want to cook a whole pig just for ONE table of food tasting for us).

Well everybody condemned the Seafood Roll. Taste boring and cost next to nothing. Thank goodness it will be replaced. But other than that the dish was great! Especially the pacific clams and prawn salad. Yummy.


Dad and Mom having a go at the food. See those cynical and critical eyes???


Next is the Braised Shark’s Fin soup with Crabmeat and Conpoy. It’s a good thing there’s only 9 of us! Most of us got an extra bowl of soup to slurp up. The helpings’ surprisingly generous. Dad commented that the quality of shark’s fin’s passable so I reckon its good, being the typical negative critique that he is.


Here's a closer view of the delicacy


Introducing the Groom and the Bride to be! Elder bro and Cindy. Can somebody say "at last"??? HAHAHA. So happy for them.


The Crispy “Pi-pa” Duck with the weird sauce that actually makes the dish taste worse. Haha. But the duck on its own’s excellent. No bit of the crispy skin was left uneaten.


Some other random photos.


Sister-in-law and her parents.


Steamed Red Garoupa with Superior Soya Sauce. The typical fishy dish of weddings. The fish was fresh and delightfully cooked. Only comment on that dish: “Please maintain the dish’s standard on the day itself”.


Look at how thick the meat is. The supposed superior sauce must have worked its magic. Can't resist slurping the sauce up although Dad say its bad for health.


Braised Sliced Abalone with Chinese Spinach. We were already almost full by then arrival of this dish. So there’s a little bit of spinach leftover. Hahaha. The presence of my younger bro is sorely missed too. But come to think of it, there might not be enough to go around if he was present.


Drunken Live Prawns with Chinese Wine and Herbs. Huge gigantic and fresh prawns! The Princess’ favouritest food of all time. Well there were 2 prawns for each person but no prize for guessing who had MORE than the rest! Heh.


Stir-fried Fresh Scallops with Asparagus in X.O. sauce. My favourite dish of the whole menu. Because of the freshness and the thickness of the scallops! The Asparagus’ flavourful, crunchy and well cooked too. Dad and Cindy’s mom was telling us how to prepare X.O. sauce without any X.O. wine. Good to have the pros around during food tasting.


Here’s a better picture of the same dish taken by the Princess. I gotta mention that the planning of the dish’s order’s was highly apt. The prawn and scallop dishes are really light and ‘non-stuffing’, leaving us with enough space for the last dish.


Braised Ee-fu Noodles with Crabmeat, Golden Mushrooms and Chives. Since I was bursting by then and not an exact ardent fan of these noodles,I was pretty much fishing out for the crab meat and golden mushroom most of the time.


Sweeten Yam Paste with Ginko Nuts and Pumpkin. I passed all the Gingko nuts to the Princess. Dessert’s moderate on the whole according to me but the pumpkin is a refreshing light touch to the otherwise thick and creamy dish.


Elder Bro writing comments furiously while Cindy enjoys her dessert. A woman's prerogative I reckon?

The final verdict??? The standard of the food in terms of quality, quantity and variety exceeded all expectations. Dad was especially surprised by the value given that it only cost my elder brother 788 bucks a table. This is inclusive of free flow beer and a bottle of red wine per table as well. Good deal I'd say.

Its the second time dining here for the Princess and I, with our first foray with their banquet food going way back into 2005. This is the venue for my ASLC's graduation ball during army times. I only remembered good food that night so no exact surprises here. I hope they maintain the standard of the food on the night itself. I can't wait for the wedding! Its gonna be a blast.

The best thing is I get to eat all these sumptuous food in about a month's time!

Its the last day of school. . .

And the last day of exams. . .

Well almost. . . But its definitely one of the last time suffering in SIM!!! All that's stopping me is my visa interview come this Wednesday. Hope that it will be a seamless passage.

Couldn't resist bringing my Olympus along in this possibly last historic day of exams in SIM. With any luck the next time I see this place again would be graduation! It's been an especially tiring and trying semester for me. The most challenging semester by all yardsticks across my undergraduate academic life. I thank God for seeing me through these tough times.

I did had a lot to say about a lot of things that went on this semester, but somehow one can't always classify some feelings into a standard set of vocabulary. There will be a time for it I suppose. That's what a blog is for anyway. If I wanted a 'display' area for remembering all things happy, it'd be called the photo album, not a blog.

But anyway!!!

Some last (possibly?) pictures of the wonderful group that has been the backbone of my academic pursuit the past year! Thanks guys for giving me the opportunity to be able to work with you all! I really cherish the times we spent together. Though we feel like strangling each other sometimes, it was pretty fun slogging it out together. Although I just found the perfect person we should channel our fingers and knuckle strength on. His name is R _ _ _ _ y. No prizes for guessing who!!! Hahaha. (Sorry for the insider joke there!)


This gotta be the best group ever.


Essentially we're just a bunch of cocksters la.


Still you guys rock!

K just a short entry for now.

Next up lotsa yummy pictures coming your way! Check back soon! Off to find my air ticket. . .

Love the buddy, hate the club

From a recent MSN convo:

pisspot - més que un club says:
did u see my liverpool picture?

pisspot - més que un club says:
that middle finger is for you and your stupid kop.

pisspot - més que un club says:
hahahah!

pisspot - més que un club says:
this is for you shaun

There's gotta be more to life, than chasing down every temporary high... says:
funny ah

WAHAHAHAHA. Nice one Kiam bro. Take care in Europe man. Will laugh at your West Ham's miserable fate when we catch up at the end of the year!

From the electronic mail. . .

Coming soon to the skies near you!!!

I HATE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (SM)

Even Spiderman cannot survive the studying of SM for a day...

I'm glad its gonna be over soon.