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Melbourne

We bought the bank draft for my school fees today, effectively confirming my enrollment into Trinity College in Melbourne this July.

It's been two long years of hesitation (in fact, longer since I effectively began to wonder about my local prospects even before the 'A' levels, lol) since I couldn't make up my mind on where to further my studies after JC. My grades limited the options drastically. In the end, it was down to two: Arts at Monash University, or Foundation at Trinity College.

Perhaps, time will tell whether this is the right choice. I've prayed so hard, it's got to be. It's got to be (please be!). So the countdown's begun. Two months to go.

Post Number 600

If you're one of the (on average) 15 visitors daily interested in my life, I'm doing quite well, really, despite the apparent silence (compared to my usual blogging pace anyway).

I've been doing quite a bit of reading here and there, articles, books, etc. It's funny, you know - I find it hard to finish the books I'm reading precisely because I'm reading other stuff. I'm a sufferer of my generation's short attention span. I mastered the Greek Alphabeta yesterday in a few hours (I was trying to beat my last record of learning the Hebrew Alephbet in a day).

And busying myself in these-and-thats, I seem to have lost interest in certain things that used to matter so much to me in the past, because at that time they represented an old familiar lifestyle I tried so feebly to cling on to (betach) especially when everything familiar was increasingly being torn down and robbed from me. Now that I've finally regotten the freedom to redefine my preferred lifestyle, these things, like blogging and seeing movies, seem to have lost their importance and urgency.

Anyway, this is officially my 600th Post! Ok, based on the imported posts from my Old Blog, there're probably many more. I'm thinking of migrating to Wordpress, which seems easier to use, stabler, cleaner and all. I'm thinking. I'm considering... Hmm.

School starts on 13th July for me. That's around a week or two before my 21st birthday. =/ And I haven't found a place to stay in Melbourne yet. Oh, and I highlighted all the school holidays in my Google Calendar already. =) Lol.

Flight

Dug up my 'O' level essay the other day from the pile of old stuff that I've been keeping in boxes from many years ago. I finished the essay so quickly I had time to check through it a few times and then copy it in its entirety on the question paper. =) Please, it was written by a 16-year old, so go easy on the misspellings and silly sentences. Lol. These are the kind of things you find among your old papers and notebooks and cringe at how badly you used to write. >.< Haha, I have no idea how this earned the A1 it got.

Since the most ancient of times, the unquenchable thirst for reaching the heavens has been fueled by the verocious obsession man has, to this day, to be almighty. Perhaps the earliest evidence of this could be the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, where the men of earth tried to reach the heavens by building an astronomical tower. Their plans foiled only when God decided to stop them. Or take the ancient Greek legend of the man who tried to fly by attaching feathers to his body by the fusion of wax, only to realise that flying brings him closer to the sun, and the sun melts wax away amongst other things.

Man is an extremely greedy beast. Always wanting everything. He was made to walk on dry ground, but has learnt how to swim in the waters of the sea, and to speed on the land at menacing speeds on steam engines and motorcars. But to fly was man's ultimate desire. The beauty and the freedom the birds of the sky possess have long enthralled man tremendously, and many have attempted to fly, to touch the heavens, to reach the unreachable heights of the heavens, but none succeeded. That is, until the historic success of the Wright brothers.

No elaboration on the story of the Wright brothers is ever needed. Practically everyone knows the time honoured story. But with that one success came a whole mode of transportation that has changed the way we live since. Picture a world without planes or aviation and you just might shudder at the thought of it.

The capability to fly now opened a whole new realm of possibilities. Before the Wright brothers, man longed to fly, and even wondered if it was possible in the first place, but now, man looked beyond that. Now that he could fly, he wondered if space travel was possible. How like man to be never satisfied! But it is also with this very spirit that we attain higher good/ground.

After the success of the plane, improvements were made, but at a snail's pace - if it were even advancing, that is. But World War One and World War Two saw the greatest leap in aviation history and advancement. The Hindenburg, for example, marked a whole new chapter in the story of man's urge and desire to fly, but its tragedy __ the hearts of many, but most importantly, it made people think about what went wrong, and to solve it.

The improvement of aircrafts and the invention of better planes have brought the word "flight" to a whole new dimension. Flight is no longer regarded as one of man's many curiosities, nor as a mode of war, but also as a mode of transport and even luxury today. Flying is not as dangerous as it used to be in its first days, but with the dawn of the terrorist age, the magnitude of the disaster a hijacked plane can cause is fully displayed in the wake of the September Eleventh disaster in New York City.

Life thus far

No, I'm not dead yet. I haven't been updating this blog for the longest time, and I really have no justification for that, given how absolutely free I've been.

It's crazy, the ill-discipline I'm plagued with! I've been wasting a whole month away, spending my time getting up late every morning, reading books and articles and surfing the internet. It's astonishing what the internet can do to time. I've got 2 months of this left.

There were so many plans, so much to do, and there still is. Ah, but a morning that starts at noon can hardly seem to be productive anymore. =/

In fact, I've been too lazy to even head out sometimes. I had to force myself to take a walk the other day to Orchard Road and back - just to get my muscles their bare exercise minimum. Oh gee.

And yes, I'm tying all this, but I'm still at home. =x

Ok, fine. I'm going out for another movie this afternoon. Oh no, that's routine too.......

Not that I'd rather have my previous life back anyway. =)

Tales From Nowhere

The book that spun it all was Rite of Passage: Backpacking 'Round Europe. A collection of short stories, I read it around 5, 6 years back, while I was still in Secondary School. It was one of the first books I encountered which, as you near the end of it, you lament at how quickly it was ending.

Ever since that book, I have been dreaming of a backpacking trip around that continent, planning itineraries of myriad lengths, sights, budgets and degrees of detail, ever ready to hook my luggage up and go. =) But alas, not yet. =/

I just read yet another Lonely Planet anthology, Tales From Nowhere. It's unfortunate that no travel literature today can do me the illuminating service Rite did at that formative year anymore, but the ride is nonetheless enjoyable everytime.

The concept of Nowhere is not geographical. At so many times - even at our home country (though, of course, more likely in a foreign land - the whole point of a travel lit) - so the book displays, the disorientatedness that so characterises it, is all about losing your sense of familiarity. One would think of a few interpretations of it. Ah, but the book shows you yet a few more.

-------

Updated booklist:
(* Asterisks for the books I own.)

Books I'm currently reading:

1. The Essential C.S. Lewis*
   
2. Teach Yourself Hebrew (my long term endeavour)*

Books read in 2009:

1. The Happy Prince*
   
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*
   
3. Tuesdays With Morrie
   
4. Struck By Lightning
   
5. Common Sense and Agrarian Justice (Thomas Paine)*
   
6. Tales From Nowhere

Books I want to read (but have had the lack of self-discipline to do so yet):

1. Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the China He Lost*
   
2. The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East*
   
3. Hitler's Second Book*
   
4. The Soong Dynasty
   
5. 1984
   
6. On The Shortness of Life (Seneca)*
   
7. On The Nature of War (Clauswitz)*
   
8. The Inner Life (Thomas Kempis)
   
9. On Suicide (David Hume)
   
10. On The Suffering of the World (Arthur Schopenhauer)
    
11. Completely Unexpected Tales (Roald Dahl)
    
12. Church Shift
    
13. The Social Contract*
    
14. The Metamorphosis
    
15. The Catcher in the Rye
    
16. On the Love of God (Thomas Kempis)*
    
17. History of Ireland (Teach Yourself)*
    
18. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Vintage Classics)*
    
19. Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees*
    
20. Hitler's Mediterranean Gamble*
    
21. Conversations with God, An Uncommon Dialogue
    
22. Either/Or
    
23. The Missing Peace*
    
24. Q
    
25. Life of Pi
    
26. A Tale of Two Cities
    
27. And Then There Were None
    
28. A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bryson)
    
29. Made In America (Bryson)
    
30. Philosophical Dictionary (Voltaire)
    
31. Age of Reason

Books read in 2008:

1. We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families*
   
2. A Little Too Close to God: The Thrills and Panic of a Life in Israel
   
3. Leaders of Singapore
   
4. The Rough Guide First-Time Around the World*
   
5. Bad Lands
   
6. Mein Kampf*
   
7. The Kite Runner
   
8. Iraq: A Report From The Inside*
   
9. The Israel/Palestine Question (Pappe)
   
10. Collins Atlas of Military History
    
11. What Should I Do With My Life?
    
12. The Prince (Machiavelli)*
    
13. Meditations (Aurelius)*
    
14. Japan's Greatest Victory, Britain's Worst Defeat: Capture and Fall of Singapore, 1942
    
15. Fooled By Randomness
    
16. The Rules of Life
    
17. The Little Prince*
    
18. Chasing Daylights
    
19. Coaching For Performance
    
20. Confessions of a Sinner*
    
21. The Art of War
    
22. Failed States
    
23. The Da Vinci Code
    

Books read in 2007:

1. Paradise Lost*
   
2. 1421*
   
3. Singapore: The Airconditioned Nation*
   

The Diners' Club: St. Regis Hotel's Brasserie Les Saveurs

What a trouble it was, deciding on where to have lunch today!

It was meant to be brunch, 11am, at Brunch at the Pan Pacific Hotel. But we forgot that Zhao Feng has French lessons in the morning, and I forgot I had an appointment at Shenton Way at 12nn myself.

So we went to Brunch at Pan Pacific at 1.30pm instead, for lunch. But it turned out, the heatwave that's just so endemic to Singapore melted any prospect of dining there and enjoying the meal.

So we drove off in Jeffrey's car to Swissôtel The Stamford, intending to have a nice buffet lunch at Café Swiss, but they were serving mostly local food and we, being the picky us, didn't fancy having that for today.

We walked over to the Marina Mandarin, and wanted to eat at AquaMarine, but their buffet spread was also local food for today.

And can you believe it - we walked over to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Lol. We walked over to the poolside, the very pool I used to swim in every Sunday as a kid, and where I would sneak into the sauna rooms and risk getting caught by the lifeguard on duty for being underaged. =/

We walked over to Dolce Vita by the poolside, but, Oh Miserable Miserabilities, it was already 2.30pm and their lunch ends at 3pm!

All exasperated, we walked back to Raffles City where we parked the car, and drove off to St.Regis Hotel for their Afternoon Tea at Brasserie Les Saveurs. Angela had been telling me so much about it the last time we met over dinner at M Hotel, and I had suggested this over Brunch in the first place. What a circle. =p

Anyway, the Afternoon Tea at Brasserie Les Saveurs was fantastic. Really, it was worth every bit of the S$48+++ ($53+++ with champagne), what with the free-flow of macarons, 21-kinds of tea, caviar-topped sandwiches, raisin-scones with light cream cheese spread and jam, sweets, chocolates, and all sorts of cakes and pastries topped with the most succulent berries and gold foils.

Add to that the St. Regis brand of sophisticated decor and ambience in a space illuminated by a splendid wall of windows overlooking a sparkling pool during the day, under the magical glitter of three enormous hand cut crystal chandeliers and chromatic ceiling art complemented by a symphony of water, light and music by the glass facade. (italicised lines from the webpage, but said so nicely I couldn't improve, lol).

Only eat with moderation.

Everything was so, so good that we just couldn't stop trying everything at least once - any many, a twice and third time, lol. The cakes and pastries were the best and oh, goodness, we have to let the pictures speak for themselves. In the end, we all left with an overwhelming sugar-rush; we ate so much lesser than what we wanted to, but everything filled us up so quickly!

This is REAL decadence!

Notice the mini macaron? =)

Zhao Feng

A very satisfied me =)

Caviar-topped egg sandwiches

Cream cheese and jam for the scones

Scones - plain and raisin

The Diners' Club: Barracks Cafe - 28th Feb '09

Another late post, photos courtesy of Jeffrey Ngiam again. =) This time we included him in the photos. Lol. But he doesn't want to be featured in this post. =S

Barracks Cafe is part of Dempsey House, a lifestyle concept space (now, that's ambiguous, but that's also the whole point) at where else but Dempsey Hill, everyone's favourite hang-out spot today (almost). Apart from Barracks Cafe, House houses Spa Esprit and Camp Bar.

7-layer Pancake - $15.00

Mushroom Risotto - $24.00

Red Snapper - $25.00

Zhao Feng with his Red Snapper

Me with the Mushroom Risotto

The Diners' Club: The White Rabbit - 21st Feb '09

The White Rabbit is a restaurant and bar tucked in the (still) relatively quiet corner of the increasingly mainstream (sigh) lifestyle precinct of Dempsey Hill.

Occupying what used to be the Ebenezer Chapel on Harding Road - with the stained glass still preserved - it is a cosy and lovely place for that private, casual, fine-dining meal.

Here's a really outdated post on our visit on 21st Feb '09! Photos courtesy of Jeffrey-san. =) Sorry, that's also why there were no photos of him. Sorry, lol. We corrected this grave error for all other photomeals. Lol.

Free-flow of 4 kinds of breads-of-the-day

Camomile Tea - $6.50

Me working on my Lobster Cheese Soufflé

Zhao Feng and his White Rabbit Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese - Served with spring vegetables and truffle sauce - $28.00

With my Sofflé

Lobster Cheese Soufflé - Served in lobster bisque - $28.00

Zhao Feng!

Jeffrey's Grilled Salmon - Served with seasonal vegetables and orange Maltaise sauce - $29.00

Canon 50D

So I bought a new Canon EOS 50D on Saturday, but I didn't get a lens till Monday! Lol. Can you imagine the agony I had, of holding the camera box in my hands, not wanting to even open it till I got a lens to use the camera with? Argh!

So anyway, I got myself the Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM lens. Together with the extra warranty for both the camera and lens, and the dry cabinet, the total bill went up to $4000 - even after bargaining, discounts and all. T.T I initially set aside half the amount only. Afterall, it's my first DSLR, and I'm a novice. Ah, but my parents agreed to pay for the other half, so my bank account is still reasonably healthy. =)