My 2 Boys

"Daddy, you have surprise for me?" Daniel will always ask me, whenever I come home.
"No, Daniel. Yesterday, Daddy bought you a new pack of Pokemon cards, and Mummy bought you a new Transformer toy, remember?"
"But, I don't have the new Power Ranger toy..."
And so the conversation will go on and on... For a 4-year-old, I've got to say that Daniel possess great debating skill, in that he'll strive to persuade both my wife and me to get him a new toy everyday. Not that he lacks anything (his toy boxes and cabinet extends all the way up from the floor to the ceiling in his room, and his wardrobe is fill to the brim with clothes), I guess I have to start by saying "no" to him.
As a trained primary school teacher who has gone through the theorithical aspect of child psychology, discipline, positive reinforcement, active communication and etc, etc... I have no problem handling other children. "Wait till you get your own children, it will be entirely different..." I remembered someone once told me. How true! Well, I guess my journey has just begun...


... And so the Circle of Life starts all over again... Brian is 4 months old, just learning to flip over and neck is just strong enough to support his head. But, I thank God that as compared to Daniel, Brian is more hardy as a baby (I remembered Daniel was in and out of hospitals and clinics numerous times before his First birthday), whereas Brian has yet to fall ill. However, as compared to Daniel, I've to confess that I spend less time with Brian. This could be due to the fact that the maid is always taking care of him, as compared to Daniel, when we have no domestic help then. Nonetheless, Brian is a very responsive and fearless baby, who will get stuck to whoever, whenever you carry him.

To Daniel & Brian: Daddy loves the both of you!

My Company's D & D

Date: 3rd Day of the 11th Month, Year 2007

Location: Harbour @ Furama RiverFront

Event: Pirates taking over the Pier!

Writer's Block

Call it writers' block, but it's come to me... I have no idea what to write... Oh, no!

Should i write about current affairs?

Maybe I should comment on Myanmar's junta crackdown on the people's voice... Well, every nation has a voice, hasn't it? This voice must be heard sooner or later, oppressed or free, it will surely be heard. United States tried to do it by imposing ecnomic sanctions, but UN & ASEAN had other ideas. So, how? Well, I guess the ones to suffer are the people of Myanmar, and the ones to benefit are the junta and the MNCs stationed in Myanmar, sucking the land of its resources. Wouldn't you agree?

My favourite Song....

Jesus loves you

Game & Watch... & 51: My Childhood Memories

It was the 80s, and yours truly was in primary school. As we waited for the bell to go off, only one thing flooded my mind. How I was going to rescue three to four falling men out of the burning building into the ambulance... Yes! It was the dawn of Nintendo's gaming era, and with that, it launched the Game and Watch!

Life was much simpler then, no backlight or colour screen, just a blank screen with some printed background of a building, grass patches and an ambulance. LCD black 'ink' made up the shape of 2 firemen rescuing jumping men. I didn't have the good fortune of owning 1 of these luxury item, of course, but I had friends who did. And after school hours would see me engaged in this pre-PSP era of game console.

Firemen! & Rescue 51! They were my favourite on-screen characters... Every Wednesday evening at about 8pm, I would be wearing my No.51 Fireman's hat, waiting for my all-time favourite TV series, Rescue 51. Man, I would cheer every time these heroes saved somebody from a blazing building. My favourite vehicle was, needless to say, the Fire Engine! My ambition was to be a Fireman, rescuing people's pet dogs and cats and babies from the evil Mr Fire!

Life was much simpler then, so much simpler...

Brandon

Well, I must say that I'm having a new pet... well, not really... Read on to find out...

Actually, Brandon is one of my student care centre student. I knew him since he was in Pri 3 and that was 2 years' ago... He has since grown, like all children...

The point is: He has stuck on me like a sore thumb, well, maybe, not so much the sore part...

Having the endless speech of a blabbermouth, he will talk and talk and talk to me whenever he has the chance. It's not that I find him a nuisance, but he will be the one to accompany me into the evening whenever I'm working late. I appreciate all his company and nonsensical speech, though.

He may not be exceptionally outstanding in his studies or behaviour or his abilities, but one thing he possess: The ability to stuck on me.

Fatherhood 2

Ha! Ha! What do you know? I am father again...

6th August 2007, at about 1pm, Brian Ch'ng Han Yong was born into the world.

Defenceless and naked, weighing 3.75kg at birth, there he was... My 2nd bundle of joy...

The Circle of Life has began...

Mizuno Wave Run 2007

6.00am: "You guys are crazy! It's 7am on a rainy Sunday morning, and 8,000 of you are gathered here waiting to run in the rain!" the DJ yelled over the P.A system, "it's incredible!"

"Yeah, right. I'm one crazy guy, man!" I thought to myself. Temasek Poly Sports Complex was full of men, women, boys, girls, even old men and women all gathered for one purpose: To finish 10km round Bedok Reservoir, Tampines and Bedok estate. 8,000 insane people, and I was among them.

Organisational wise, it was a mess! Men and women jostled to deposit their bags in the trucks that would bring their belongings to Bedok Reservoir, which was the finishing point. "How on earth are they going to identify thousands of these bags and lay them out?," I thought to myself. The VIPs were late, and everybody was restless. However, weather wise, it was perfect. Cool and wet, cloudy with no sun.

7.40am: BG George Yeo, the VIP, sounded the horn. I found myself running off with the First wave- the Men's Open. It would be a race like no other I've ever took part in. Full of bottlenecks (Bedok Reservoir is too narrow a place to accommodate thousands of runners), mud pools (I wonder if the organisers were thinking about the Waves generated), and sand in my shoes (I was awarded with blisters). Along the way, I was baptised in mud, sand and water. I've never been so dirty and thrashed out in a run before!

8.30am: Saw the Mizuno balloon arc and crossed it! "Yes! I've finished!" I thought to myself. "Sir, the finishing line is further down, not here," the official told me. Man, talk about getting the Messiest Race Award! The last 1km was full of Ah Ma and Ah Kong from the Aljunied GRC doing their Walk-A-Jog along the same path that we were doing our run! As I sprinted across the finishing line, I had to take extra care not to bull doze down these elderly folks! I crossed the finishing line at 50min.

But, the mess had only just begun. The goody bag collection area was already crowded and full of people, with the Q-line extending as long as the race itself. The baggage collection area was like Sungei Road, with bags and stuff all laid out on the field, extending all the way to the car park! You could hear people cursing and swearing as they dragged their weary bodies around the war zone, salvaging their stuff.

I guess that I could have joined in the colourful language, but I was thankful for the cool nice weather in which I could run. I was also thankful for the improved timing. Actually, I was not too sure if my knee could take this 10km (I injured it a few days ago, while falling out of the bus carrying my beloved Daniel). Improving by almost 5 minutes from the Passion Run, I was quite happy with finishing this run at 50mins.

In life, as with running a race, we can never expect things to turn out the way we want them to. The challenge is: In spite of the mess, obstacles and difficulties, we have to see beyond all these and make the best out of it. The winner goes to the one who can rise above these present challenges to finish the race!

Sacrifice

We have always benefited from the sacrifice of others. Our parents sacrificed for us, worked hard and stringed on every penny so that they can provide us with the education and needs that we require to make it in life. I don't know about you, but I will never forget how my mother endured my dad's abuses, just so that she can be there to protect us when he was in his drunken stupor. She could have just left my two sis and me to him, but she chose to suffer the black eyes, bruises and endless smashing of plates and bowls, so that we were protected. Sacrifice.

I was bringing my 3 and a half year-old son, Daniel to his child-care centre the other day. I boarded an overcrowded bus, which was a great mistake. As I was squeezing my way out, carrying Daniel and 2 bags, I tripped on some one's feet. Not in the bus but while going down the steps! My subconscious mind told me I was in for a bad fall, down the steps of the bus and onto the pavement of the bus stop! However, instinctively, my response was to protect Daniel from hitting the ground. I didn't know how, but I ended up with a lacerated and bleeding elbow, bruised shoulders and knees, while Daniel was totally unhurt. He was crying away anyway, more from the shock of the fall than anything else. I showed him my wounds and he stopped crying. "See, Daniel. Daddy protected you and now, Daddy's bleeding." Sacrifice.

Passion

Some one once said that if one has nothing to die for, then one has nothing to live for. Very profound, but nonetheless, very true.

The venue: East Coast Park.
My watch showed 5.30am, and my heart rate was reading at 100 bpm. Despite the early hours, thousands of people had already gathered there. After my warm-up to get my body ready, the loud music and DJ in the background announced that it was time for the runners to gather.
It was a Sunday morning, 6am. While you were still in slumberland, four thousand men and women were getting ready to start a 10km run along East Coast.
The VIP took her position on the podium and sounded the air horn. I started my stopwatch, heart rate monitor registered at 120bpm and raced on. I would finish 54 minutes later, hitting my heart rate at 185. There and then when I finished, I savoured every moment of it. I may not be the first, or come in the first 10 or 100, but who cares! Man, I love it! I love the feeling of running among thousands of friends who were focused at finishing the race. I love the feeling of the early morning breeze blowing on my face throughout the run. I wouldn't exchange that for anything else in the world. The souvenir was a white towel, printed with the word "PASSION". How appropriate!

Venue: An old military base somewhere in the north of Taiwan, R.O.C
The time was already past 12 midnight. Alone, I took my handphone and charger up the slope to the technical workshop. Along the way, darkness engulfed me, the cold wind blew as the dogs howled. My army friends were all asleep in their respective bunks, but here I was, trying to get a 220V power plug, so that I can charge my handphone to call back home (Generally, Taiwan uses 110V AC). This was my fifth trip to Taiwan in my military tour of duty and countless trips up this slope to the workshop, but my heart was still racing fast. Not because of the hostile environment.
I found the power point and plugged in the charger. Immediately, my handphone sprang to life. I punched in the International Direct Dialing number to Singapore and her phone number. This would connect me to a certain girl staying in Ang Mo Kio. For the next 30 to 45 minutes, we would talk about sweet nothings. By the end of my Taiwan's attachment, I would have chalked up close to $1, 000 (Sing dollar, not NT1,000!) of phone bills. 3 years later, she became my beautiful wife. 6 years have come and gone, we have Daniel and his brother will be born in 3 weeks' time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Many times, she would have her opinions and I would have mine. She would have her say and I would have mine, but we are united in one covenant. I love you, Shumei!

"Daddy, daddy! Come, I show you something!" Daniel would exclaim whenever he sees me coming home. He would then proceed to show off whatever Mummy or 'Wai Kong' (Grandfather) had bought for him. At 3 and a half years old, he is full of questions and tantrums. "Next time, you must share your toys with Di Di (little brother), ok?" I would tell him. "Ok, I will teach Di Di how to play toys," he would say. His favourite time would be bedtime reading. I will ask him to get a story book and snuggle up with me in bed, and for the next 15 minutes, I will read to him. Am I tired after a full day's work? You bet I am! But you know something? I would gladly do it everyday for Daniel. He completes my day.

What would I give up my life for? PASSION... The love of my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Children...

1996 was the year I handle children in a professional manner. It was my first attachment to a primary school, and as a Trainee Teacher, I was supposed to impact and influence them in the most positive manner. I struggled, tried and erred...

I remembered that it was raining very heavily, and my supervisor from NIE was supposed to evaluate me teaching these Pri 1 children basketball. There was a slight problem though. It was an old, worn-down school and their facilities were totally integrated! Integrated as in canteen-hall-badminton court combined. And since it was raining that fateful day, the canteen-hall-badminton court-parents' waiting area was, er, were, whatever, full of people. So, I have 4 other teachers with 4 other classes having their P.E lessons, canteen vendors washing the floor, parents waiting for their precious ones, armed with umbrellas and raincoats, slippers and maids. In the midst of this pandemonium, you have yours truly shouting at the top of his voice, trying to impress the 'ang moh' sitting behind, who is obviously anything but impressed! Just as things couldn't get any worse, it happened! In slow motion, I saw the ball being hurled out, flying through the air and landing on the nose!

Gasps of air being inhaled could be heard as everybody focused their attention on the bloody scene. By now, red could be seen all over the boy's face. Thankfully, the other teacher offered to help by bringing the boy for first aid treatment in the admin office, while I called up the parents. They were very understanding and didn't blame me for their son's bloody encounter with the basketball. My supervisor, the 'ang moh' was not so merciful. He 'crucified' me with his evaluation and needless to say, my first teaching assessment was a failure! I mean, what did he expect me to do? With such retro facilities and equipment (he said the basketball was too big and heavy for Pri 1, but the next option was the 5kg medicine ball!). And he had to visit and evaluate me on that day when nothing turned up right!

I moved on from there. Perfecting my 'killer-stare' look that is to be used on kids who have crossed the line. My line, that is. 4 years as a General Education Officer (MOE's term for a teacher) had seen my experience with these young ones increase by leaps and bounds. 'Remote-control' is the next step. This feat requires the teacher to look and stare, at a distance of 5m or more, and the kids will obediently and quietly make their way towards the teacher without any unnecessary movement. It takes practice but with patience and proper guidance, the rewards of 'killer-stare' and 'remote-control' are great.

1998. I was handed the Basketball team. Consisting of a motley-crue of kids, I transformed them into a dream team that got 2nd in the West Zone mini-basketball tournament. The trick was to be their friend and pal outside, strict disciplinarian and coach during training. One boy, however, stuck in my mind.

Eddie was Pri 4 when I first came across him. He was very skinny, bespectacled and barely 1m tall. You'd have thought that he was still in Kindergarten or Pri 1. He came for the Basketball selections, and everybody laughed. But, boy how he dribbled and got pass the other bigger boys! And the way he commanded the other players! I knew I had a gem.

Pre-match competition trainings consisted of 50 lay-ups, chest passes using medicine balls, runs around the school compound and Saturdays would see the entire Basketball team on the school bus en route to Bt Timah hill for our weekly run. That's right, the boys didn't climb Bt Timah, they ran up Bt Timah!

Eddie was the natural team leader. Despite his physical stature, he was always the fastest and fittest. Cheering the team on, encouraging them and rebuking those who were not concentrating on the game. My job was made so much easier, Phil Jackson and Michael Jordon, Sir Alex and Roy Keane, coach and captain. Our partnership lasted 2 years. In those times, I saw the world through his eyes, and he, through mine.

It was his thyroid gland. It had malfunction, thereby restricting his growth process. Even though, Eddie ate a lot and did lots of exercises, it would have no effect on his physical growth. However, that wasn't his only problem. His parents were both absent from his life, and his elderly grandmother took full responsibility of him. His father was in drug rehab, and his mother had run away with another man in search of a better tomorrow.

I always told him that it was a privilege for me to mentor him. Indeed, he was a very self-motivated player. The love that he had for the sport was undeniable. But his Achilles' heel was in his studies. I would very often find myself throwing my hands up in exasperation, trying to tutor him. But no matter, he would always say, I'd be a Basketball coach when I grow up, and all these Maths problem sums would be of no use to me then. What would follow next would be me scolding him for talking rubbish, and then telling him off, saying that he would starve to death if he depended on Basketball. "For your info, there's no NBA in Singapore!" I'd affirm him. Well, he would continue to challenge me on local sporting issues, very often resulting in me losing my head. He was a tester for my threshold of patience.

2000. It was the turn of the millennium, and also the turn of my life. Eddie graduated from primary school and I left the teaching profession...

I saw him when he was in secondary school. I think it was in the MRT. Still standing at 1.2m, still holding a basketball in his hands, he was telling me excitedly how he got in the school team. Next week was the semi-finals, and if they win it, they would be in the West Zone 'C' Div Finals! That fire of passion was still in his eyes.

The other day, I was jogging on the treadmill in gym when he called. I pressed the 'stop' button, when he identified himself as Eddie over the phone. He had just finished his army (he was given a clerical post due to his medical condition) and he is taking his basketball coaching test. He has been attached to a few secondary schools, and will be a certified coach soon. I asked him how he knew my number. He said that he was going through some old records and he came across my number. He continued to say that he has passed his practical coaching test, and will officially register as a basketball coach by the end of this year. His dream had come to pass. Heartily, I congratulated him. For a moment, an image of a 1m-tall boy, dribbling pass defenders and commanding his fellow players on the basketball court, flashed across my mind. His love and passion for basketball permeated through the phone and into my soul.

The next day was my off-day. I took out my basketball shoes, inflated my basketball and went to the basketball court. I finished 50 lay-ups, shot 3-pointers and penalties... In the midst of it all, Eddie's image stayed with me.

Running The Marathon

After running 5 marathons, 3 half-marathons and countless races of 10km, you tend not to take your body for granted. This is due to the simple fact that at 34 years old, you understand that it is no longer as simple as a 18-year-old army guy clearing his 2.4km or SOC. I mean, 16 years ago, I thought my body was indestructible. I would be smashing my body on the ground, firing my machine-gun one day, clearing 2.4km within 9 minutes the next morning and finishing my SOC in 8 minutes by the evening, with no adverse effects whatsoever. Then, came the age factor. The other day, I got a bad flu and fever for 3 days. When I recovered and went back to my gym workout, my body ached so much so that I thought I had disintegrated!

Back to the races. Many of my peers and friends can never understand why I put myself through these torturous regime of exercises and running mileage. "Aiya! Reservist also finish already, no more IPPT already mah! You very free hor, got so much time to run here, run there." Free? I have to sweep the floor, mop it, clear my son's toys, wash and hang up the laundry at home as my CCA, go to work every day, help in my church as a volunteer on Saturdays and go to church on Sundays. Not to mention bringing my son to his child care, working late to finish my report and buying durian for my wife (that's another story by itself...)Fundamentals, my dear Watson. It's all about managing your time. And discipline. It is a routine for me to wake up at 5am in the morning, go for my 10km run and gym workout before starting work. I'm not trying to say that I'm a much superior being than you, but it's all about passion. I love the feeling of being one in a sea of runners, with one focus at the starting line: To cross the finishing line.

And the process. As you subject your body to the training, many times it's very boring and tiring. Perseverance and hard-core determination are needed. Well, I guess this is one very important trait to possess in life. For many people, quitting is the easiest thing to do. I believe that champions are people who never quit! Keep on keeping on!

2006 marathon. After the 30km mark, my entire legs felt like 2 pieces of metal lead. Hardened, stiff and unbelievably heavy. The cramps came and left for the last 3 hours. Along East Coast beach, the people were cheering us on, but I was so exhausted and in pain. I was walking. I saw many fellow runners stopping at the medical post, receiving treatment and going back by the ambulances. I was very tempted to call on the paramedics and hitched a ride on the many medical vehicles that were on standby. "Come on, Andy! You can do it for teacher! Let's go! Don't stop! You can do it, Andy!" I turned my head to see a lady running along side a rather odd-looking boy. "Hmmph... Hmmph..." he grunted, as he ran on awkwardly. I didn't understand until I saw their bright yellow T-shirt. "In support of Special Education... Because I am special!" They ran past me, and a surge of energy and motivation arose within me. "Come on, Danny! Don't give up on me now, you hear! You will finish this race. That boy and his teacher didn't give up, and you will not quit this race!" I finished that marathon in 4 hours 25 minutes. I received education from a Special Education student and his teacher: Never Give Up!

2005 Half-marathon. At the last 2km mark, I was slowing down a lot as I climbed a slope. I could not really recall the location, but there was this army guy struggling along. "Come on, soldier! You don't quit on me at the last 2 click! Let's go!" I shouted at him. "Sir, my legs are very painful, in serious cramp," he gasped in between his breath. "You don't know anything about pain, soldier! They don't exist! You will race me to the finishing line, now!"I shouted back. We crossed the finishing line together and I hugged him. I don't even know him, have never met him before and have not seen him since, but at that moment, a bond like no other existed. There are no strangers, just friends we have not met. And these 2 new-found friends finished the race.

For every race that I run in, I always bring back with me a learning point or lesson. This is the reason why I will always continue to run. Life is a journey of lessons. We never stop learning.

Friends: The Trilogy

The next few minutes seemed like centuries. Our civics tutor [form teacher lah, but as u know, in JC, they tend to technicalise everything... Prefects are known as School Counsellors (who do they counsel anyway, their blazer and tie?... Class Monitors are known as Class Rep (what? an MC Hammer in class?) I bet they called our toilet cleaners Hygiene and Sanitary Specialists... anyway, back to our story... ] was informed, principal was notified, ambulance was activated, students were evacuated & I felt executed!

Everybody debated on how Thian Cheng got on top of the entire class and hall, and how he fell down (if u r lost, that means u've got to read my previous entries. This is the third instalment, or Trilogy of Friends, dude!). It seemed that everyone had their own theory, but only I alone knew the answer. The paramedics came and my friend was stretchered off with my form teacher accompanying him in the ambulance. I remained silent. That night, I dreamt of Judgement Day, and how I would be condemned... It was not a dream or nightmare, I reckoned it would be my portion. I was a killer! A murderer of my friend!

Newspaper across the nation would scream out:

"Man-slaughter! JC Boy kills friend in school!"

The next dawn, with legs as heavy as lead, I dragged them to school. After the flag raising ceremony, Mr Govindarasu (don't even try pronouncing it), our Principal, said something about students going into prohibited places in the school and abusing them, so much so that there was a case of a JC1 boy going into an air-con housing unit, and jumping off the roof of the lecture theatre. He also said that it was very fortunate that the boy only sustained a fractured hip bone. A fractured hip bone! So, friend was still alive! I didn't hear what else he said, but it was not important. Thian Cheng was alive! I did not kill him. Miss Liew, my form teacher! I had to talk to her to gather more details. She must know, because she followed him to the hospital.

"Alexandra Hospital, Ward XX, Bed XX (how do you expect me to remember the ward and bed number, it's almost 2 decades ago, man!). Anyway, he's ok. Had a small cut on his forehead, but he shattered his hip bone. Guess he would need two to three months to fully recover, with clutches and a lot of help. I did told him off though, he had no business going up the roof of the LT. He said that he was curious. Well, curiosity killed the cat, and he's lucky he wasn't killed!"said Ms Liew. Curious? Thian Cheng didn't even mention my name?

And so, the next few weeks saw me going in and out of Alexandra Hospital. As a visitor, I did more than that. I brought lecture notes, homework, worksheets, biscuits, food and drinks daily. I was eternally grateful to Thian Cheng for not even mentioning that it was me who locked him in, and I was determined to make whatever restitution to repay his kindness. Not only didn't he blame me, Thian Cheng said that it was his foolishness to try to 'escape' by going through the roof. Well, one thing's for sure: My friend brought the roof down, and I guess he pulled down my conscience as well

The X-ray of his hip bone resembled that of a jigsaw puzzle: totally shattered! As he slowly rebuilt back his life, I made it a point to be with him. His first steps using the clutch, going back to school, taking the bus... For three months, I carried his bag and held his ring folder, as he 'walked' in his clutches. Our friendship gelled together even stronger. After he recovery, I no longer made fun of him, I supported him. I no longer took him for granted, I appreciated him.

After our A Levels, we went our separate ways due to our National Service. A couple of years ago, I read in the newspaper that Mr Oei Thiam Seng was voted 'The Best Teacher' in a primary school! Way to go, Buddy!

Friends 2: The Story Continues...

And so, I was in college, misty-eyed for the first 3 months, as I struggled to live with my Wei Nan's demise (u've got to read my previous entry to follow my story, dude... :) Anyway, I did badly for my first year, just managed to squeeze pass my Promo by the skin of my teeth... Then, this geek appeared in my life...

Skinny, wearing a pair of big and brown spectacles, always carrying his green Umbro haversack (Man, how i miss carrying these Umbro haversacks, which we used to carry just by one side. Hey, it's not easy, you know, and you need technique for that, ok, if not it'll just slide off your shoulder as you run for the bus) and black, thick ring file was this bookworm. Of course, this time round I knew his name. Oei Thiam Seng, or Thian Cheng. The reason that I hooked up with him was due to the basic instinct of College Survival. Definitely not for physical protection. Yes, you guessed it... it was purely academic.

Econs (economics), Accounts, Management of Business, A Maths, C Maths, F Maths, XYZ Maths... whatever letter, whatever subject, you name it, he excelled in it! And so, I found myself with him in the library, studying! I knew I had to stay with him more than my Rugby or Gym buddies, because they didn't have The Sports School back then!

Anyway, it was fun hanging out with him because I'm always the one to make fun of him. I had him at my beck and call, and for some strange reason, despite all my 'bullying', he stuck with me, and I took him for granted until one day...

It was an ordinary day, full of lectures and tutorials. Lecture Theatre 1, or LT 1 was the mass lecture hall back in JJ then. Big and tall, and it was capable of holding 2 to 300 students at one go (Ok, ok i know... But 17 years ago, that was huge lah!) Anyway, some of my pals had this air-con housing unit above LT1 that was big enough to house 4 man and a mahjong table. It was an exclusive thing, as not many people know of this cove, where illegal pleasures of every sort took place there. But of course, membership has its priviledges. Feeling bored that day, I took Thian Cheng's hand and brought him to this cove, despite his unwillingness. Hey! Stop your imagination! I'm not gay lah!

So, we are standing outside this 'exclusive cave' and Thian Cheng was in awe! He had never known that such an oasis existed in campus. As soon as he went in, I shut the door and locked him in! As it was a one-way latch, my friend is caged in, with no way of escape!

I was laughing all the way, as I made my way down to LT1 for my lecture. Thian Cheng would have a bird's eye view of the entire LT from where he is. Man, he's the top student of the class today!

As I opened the door of the LT, it happened! First the sound of the ceiling crumbling, then a figure crashed out! 5 storeys! I tried to imagine that I was watching a movie of Jackie Chan jumping down from the roof, but he was no Jackie Chan! Like what lasted an eternity, he landed! On the steps, and then he tumbled down! Screams and chaos erupted in the hall! My jaws stayed open, in locked position. Blood, it was the blood. First, from his head, then it covered his face.

Friends...

"Friends"... a term we use very loosely. School mates, Uni friends, poly course mates, church mates, colleagues, neighbours, army platoon mates are just some of the people that fall into this category.

My earliest impression of a friend was a primary school mate. He was a few years older than me, bought food for me (I was still a Pri 1 freshie then), taught me how to catch grasshoppers and spiders and house them in matchboxes. I had the time of my life with him, as we hunted in the forested area at the back of our kampong school for prey to play. Before I knew it, the school was demolished to make way for a modernized Singapore and he disappeared from my life. His lanky body, fair skin and a loud laugh were the only attributes I remembered about him. I didn't even know his name. I always called him, "Big Brother" in Mandarin.

My next image of a friend came in the form of a big-sized, loud and funny guy in Pri 2 (I think...). He was a popular boy even before his first decade of existence. For some unknown reason, he liked to tease and make fun of me and I liked to be bullied by him. We made a great couple. More then the bullying, I found myself relating to him more and more. This time round, I made sure I knew his name in case he disappeared again. And so, Wei Nan and me had this friendship that lasted right through primary school into secondary education. I had less freedom because my father monitored my movement after school very closely, which I absolutely detested. Wei Nan, on the other hand, had more freedom and was more streetwise than me. Whenever I had the chance, he would bring me swimming along West Coast beach, which is now closed off. Well, we were very close, seeing each other grow up, from kid-hood right up to teen-hood. Exchanging papers during tests (he was very good in Chinese, while I 'specialised' in English), showing off our "stead", going for tea-dance (hey! don't laugh! That was the in-thing then, ok...) were just some of the many things we enjoyed doing together. It was not to be eternal, but I really thought that this friendship was. Until after the 'O' Levels, that as I left him to go study in JJC, we still stayed in contact as he enrolled in a Pre-U centre.

Events took a drastic turn . Very soon, I found myself visiting him in hospital every other day. I remembered very vividly, the Man in White said that it was cancer. First of the skin, then of the bone... It was beyond my comprehension, but when I saw my burly buddy reduced to an emaciated piece of skeleton, I understood. I cried and held his bony hands. I attended the wake 1 week later... Once more, my friend had left me. The difference was, this time round, I knew his name.

Birthdays!

Birthdays are sacred days, agree? Not that it's mine this month, but I've made a commitment to remember as many as I can (& trust me, the number's not impressive 'cos I've to make sure I remember my wife's!) So, to all my friends reading this blog, read on...

People make it a yearly ritual to strive and receive as many gifts and attention upon themselves on their sacred day as possible, and woe to those who disappoint them! This poor soul who happen to forget their sacred day shall be subjected to much gnashing of teeth!

After 34 birthdays, I'm not much the wiser than you, but I did learn a few things in the process. The most significant being: you cannot be responsible for somebody else's action, in this case it's mis-action, or inaction... whatever... you know what I mean? So, the next time your friend forgets your b-day, don't make it a d-day for them... By doing so, you not only lose that poor soul, you condemn him or her to a lifetime of damnation & you subject yourself to a lifetime of anger! Triple whammy!

The other day, Daniel (my 3.5 year-old son) came back from his child care centre one day, and very happily showed me a goody bag consisting of titbits, drinks and stationery. "Daddy, daddy! Today friend Grace bird-day. Friend give me present!" he proclaimed. What a mind-blowing concept! Friend bird-day and friend gave ME present! We should take a leaf out of these kids' book! Give your friends present when it's your birthday! & you know something, these kids read books of the very basic-est level at Nursery class. Maybe, just maybe, we should go back to reading Nursery books...

I'm still trying to comprehend this new concept, but in the meantime, I've spent my 34th birthday 2 months ago running 10km on Sentosa's beach, alone...

The Circle Of Life

It's called A Life Cycle...

The Mosquito has one consisting of 4 stages:
Egg, Larva, Pupa & the Adult stage.

The ever-present Cockroach has one in 3 stages:
Egg, Nymph & the Adult.

Well, this is mine. 3.5 years ago, I procreated one in the form of Daniel, and I must say that my junior has taught me more about LOVE than anybody else. For starters, I found out that having a Father's Heart is easier said than done. And you know what's the fun thing, even after 3.5 years, I've only just begun...

Genesis

Being born in the early 70s when the Americans were pulling out of Vietnam and the Middle East had just finished a 6-Day War, does put some perspective into your life. I never understood why manKIND would resort to such UNKIND acts towards each other.

As a child engaged in the growth process, my family didn't had much positive input upon me too. My mother and us (my 2 younger sisters and me) struggled against my father, and ultimately regained our state of freedom in the form of separation from him.

I understood that FREEDOM means that somebody has to make SACRIFICES... Wouldn't you agree?

My View

Well, what can i say...?

After being in existence on this planet for 1 score, 1 decade & 4 years, one does acquire some experience. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly...

I have no intention of sounding pessimistic, rather the reverse is true. I strive to achieve optimism in all that I perceive. Life is full of paradoxes, wouldn't you agree? For those of us who loves durians (by the way, I absolutely detest them), these 'delicious' Kings of Fruit are encased by thorny barriers to keep intruders out. Roses despite their beauty, have hindrances in the form of thorns. Success is often the result of many failures.

To love, one has to make sacrifices. The ultimate LOVE was demonstrated when the ultimate SACRIFICE was made!