Designer: Poppierazzi
Resources: Blogskin & Yours Truly

Saturday, December 31, 2005

>> Most Eyecatching Couple!
Alex and Jude.

>> the view from my room...

My Fav. Restaurant

>> Silkroads at Amara Hotel

Most Pro Pool Player (lookalike)

>> Ms Yucherrn!

My 2 favourite Models

>> Unsure of their feelings for each other?

>> professionalism: they decided to put aside their differences, to endorse YAMI Yogurt.

>> Had a tiff thereafter again...sighz...

Best Amateur Xmas Deco

>> Credits: Wording: YC and Mel, Streamers: Alex, Jenn, YC, Mel, Tree: Mel and Me.

>> Tree in progress. Can u spot YC at the bottom-right corner?

Most Drunk During Xmas

>> Mr Chin Wee!!!

Best 1st-Time Effort in selling logcakes

>> Alex with his toothy grin, heh

M A L A Y S I A - 1 7 th D E C '0 5

Most Romantic-looking Display

>> Mr Chicken Little, a.k.a Meiho's BF.

Most Traditional Way of using Chilli Sauce in KFC

>> p.s. the bottles were sticky

Cutest BearBrick Display

>> Dimensions: Daddy bear is about 2 feet tall, while Baby Bear is about... 2 inches tall.

Most Unknown Merchandise of a well-known Brand

>> Anyone knew NIKE sold skipping ropes!?!

Most Innovative Display Shelf

>> Shirts were hung on an automated movable chain, so they keep moving in 1 direction, to show you more in the same space. Cool.

Most Striking (unintended) resemblence

>> Ms Yucherrn again! This pic was taken from the design of a t-shirt, lol. (mayb not Really sooo alike, but well, at least alex and me sense the resemblence, haha)

Most Memorable School Events

>> BAsh It Out (1)! Thx Cat and Clarence!

>> OCOM Presentation

Most fanclub-like event

>> Musical: Moonpeople, at TP. (everyones wearing white, so synchronised) Thx Wanda!

Most anticipated BA_Comm Event

>> TOP Ceremony! Coz its our very 1st event. Thx Jude!

Most Fun IS Tutor

>> Samantha!

B I R T H D A Y S

1st Birthday celebrated in NP (TB23)

>> Meiho's! Am I the only one who noticed how much prettier Meiho is now?

1st out-of-school BA_Commer's bdae celebration?

>> Alex's (Alexus'es. C how troublesome that name is, bro?)

Most heartwarming

>> My aunt, uncle and I surprised my Mum (right). Mum, to me, you're always the youngest!

Most confusing celebration

>> My younger bro, Nic's party at home. There were sooo many of his friends + relatives + my friends. Very smelly too!

Most interesting impromptu creation

>> Bottom: Orange juice, Mid: Green Apple + Celery juice, Top: Watermelon juice.

Most Candid Pose

>> Ms Judette Teo! with 2 dices by the side, lol. (for those who have 4gotten, the 2 dices belonged to part of an extension of Alex's old pencilcase. *grinz*)

F I N A L L Y

The Most Simple, yet Eloquent Picture

>> my 2 best pals. May you guys always be happy.

Happy New Year to All!!!

I wished I...

didnt have to raise my voice at you.
never made you angry.
could bring more joy to your life.
had shown greater understanding.
had felt less jealous.
could have more time with you, yet less friction.
didnt have to grapple with new-found facts about you.
was blessed with more patience.
could show you how I truly feel for you, coz sometimes, words are more of an obstacle.

If I could paint you my emotions, it would be a simple shade of love, nothing more complex.

But I dont regret having known you, accompanied you, and loved you. My life would have been incomplete otherwise.

- Adapted from the book: "10 Complex Human Emotions made Simple"

-----End of Roleplay-----

Its been awhile since I've touched my notes. I'm so glad I was able 2 study for like, 3+hrs 2dae.

I noe I really need to concentrate if I wanna maintain my results... But its like so hard 2 concentrate these days somehow.

I'll try 2 push ahead. I'll miss the old days tho. I changed my blogskin, but theres like sth wrong with the top right corner. any1 can help??

Edit: Thx JEnn!! the above-mentioned problem is settled.

(This is gonna be a long entry, not for the faint-hearted.)

Who Am I?

I'm now sitting in the Atrium of my school, trying to study, trying to blog. I'm using a Nokia phone, wearing Havaianas slippers, and a Topman Sweater. Is this me tying into my Fujitsu Lifebook?

Is the above-mentioned description really about Marvin? or is it someone who is trying to be Marvin-like?

From birth, we inherit certain genetic traits, as the doctors claim. To a layman (me), I was born with nothing. No knowledge, no wealth. Now, why do I wanna wear certain brands? Why do I have specific preferences? Why do I think I crave for things at times? I look in the mirror and wonder, is this me, or am I juz pretending?

So who pretends?

Everyone thinks, KIDS. They pretend all the time. Boys pretend to be superman, or some other action hero who thinks he saved the world again in 25 mins (duration of most cartoon episodes), while girls pretend to be that pretty model they saw on adverts.

People in the showbiz, we say they pretend all the time too. Firstly, it is afterall their job, to act in a role, to play a specific kind of character. What about off-screen? How often have we read articles about celebrities pretending to be someone they aint, to boost their popularity? You'll hear people on the streets gossiping, for example like, Zoe Tay is Very "dao" in person, Fann Wong keeps trying to "slang" her English...etc.

Yeah you are right. These people are pretending. Whatever their reasons may be.

Who Else Pretends?

So, do You pretend? I'm gonna list down some of the pretentious things many of us are guilty of. Me especially.

1. Talking to people we don't like.
2. Doing things we loathe.
3. Wanting to look cool.
4. Wanting to sound cool.

(pt 3 + pt 4 = Act Cool)

Actually these points pretty much sum up what I'm trying to say,

"Everyone pretends."

How people view pretending

1. Its so fake.
2. Its so hypocritical.
3. The person pretending has inferiority complex.
4. I cant stand pretentious people.

Bingo. Here and there, some of the perspectives would certainly be accurate. Thats y, most of us consider "pretending" to be negative.

How I view pretending

Pretences are inevitable. Pretences are everywhere. I pretend all the time. Don't you? I try to wear things i saw being advertised, hoping i'd look half as cool when i'm the one wearing them. Thats the effect of media. U noe how many pple these days are obsessed with tanning? Anyone realised "tanning" is a fad as well? Years ago, being white was the in-thing. Alot of us pretend to be physically different.

Pretences are a form of defence. So many times, I pretend to be alright, so I thought I'd be less hurt. I pretend to be tired, so that I have the excuse to not think. I pretend to be blur, so I thought I neednt know about things I dun wanna noe. I pretend to protect myself. Sometimes, I pretend to protect others too.

Change your perspective

Don't fall into the easy pitfall, to confuse "pretending", as being hypocritical. All of us pretend at times. Its juz an issue of consciousness. Many of us are simply oblivious to our own pretences. I'm aware of my own too, and I dont deny my identity. If someone were to walk up to me and say:

"Marv, you are always pretending."

I'd reply:

"Yup, I am. So are you."

I'll leave you guys with a simple quote, from Mother Theresa.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.


God bless you all. May you have a truly momentous year to come.

The year is coming to its end, and I was looking back at what I did in the last 357 days of 2005. For those who juz knew me, allow me to glimpse you thru.

Jan - April

I was still working in MOE then, as a customer service executive in the call centre (a.k.a hear people complain, and try to help them with those complaints). Life was pretty weird then, coz i was handling lotsa students who were undecided about which Poly to go (Of coz i said Ngee Ann rite? heh), to go Poly or JC...etc, while yours truly was also at the exact pivotal point of his life. On one hand I was telling people like, "Hey, you must think properly about ur future...etc!", and on the other hand, I have like already wasted 5 years of my life wondering wat 2 do. Yet another distinct irony of life yeah? But for once, I really felt that I was doing things which were quite selfless, when I went the extra mile to explain to the confused youngsters about their dilemma. Its nothing noble, but it really made me a happier person.

Start of May - 23rd May

I went Hongkong with my very close frns then. Really, that was the time of my life. Despite my numerous complaints abt the smelliness, the expense, I truly enjoyed myself utterly. I guess the company made the difference (not the things i bought...etc). I know it is near impossible anymore to replicate the same kinda experience, but I really hope that the chance would avail itself again one day.

When I came back from HK, I was sick, big-time. The kind which made u stay in bed for eternity. Thankfully, I had company, and i recovered b4 sch started.

24th May - 15th Dec

Whenever we are about to enter uncharted waters (like going into a new sch), I guess all of us would be worrying about certain things. Mine were plain; I had no confidence that I could fit into the poly environment, with the burden of my 7 additional years. As many of you call it, generation gap.

Anyway, so far, everythings going pretty ok. I am grateful for all my friends who tolerate my irritating-ness, my bluntness. To many people, friends may be merely companions who happened to share similar objectives at a point in time, in the same enivronment. To me, you guys are people who have certainly etched a significance on the evergrowing memory blog in my heart. Thank you.

For those of you who know me, you'd probably have realised that I dont really like to talk about serious stuff which I'm like very affected by. I prefer talking about happy staff, thoughtful stuff, which would be more beneficial for everyone. Pain and sufferings are part and parcel of one's life, and sometimes, bearing the burden alone helps make the lingering memory last longer.

16 Dec onwards

Made myself busy with christmas celebrations...etc. Went Malaysia, as most of you already noe. =) Yesterday night, got drunk again with Alex, Chin Wee, Melvin, Shawn. All guys night! But I must agree with alex, that None of us shld assume that alchohol is the answer to all problems.It is only a suppresser.

What's on the menu for next year?

Seriously, I know it sounds funny and immature, but I'm not sure how my next year should be at all. I dun really see my purpose, like why m i studying...etc. I guess time will help work that out, but currently, i'm as lost as an over-zealous tourist who suddenly just lost his map. Anyway, Merry Xmas everyone! Make it a point to catch up with people you are missing out on, especially ur family. I hope that your Christmas this year will be a love-filled one. =)

p.s. I'll be blogging again tis Xmas, specially for all who care for me.

Friday

Went to watch kingkong wif 11 ppl. *grinz* big group. quite a nice show, albeit abit expectable, as alex says. Then again, sometimes its also quite relaxing to watch simple shows. Was sitting away from the rest, but i dun mind at all, really! (no worries, meiho)

(I'm in my room blogging now, can hear the background music for "My Date with a Vampire III" outside in the living rm. Damn touching tunes... Still remembered myself catching it on vcds all the way earlier this yr. all 30+, 40 episodes. For those who like thinking stuff in chinese, do catch it! I enjoyed it, but enjoyed the company of those watching wif me too.)

Saturday

Had ambassadors training at 10 am. Rough morning. Really cldnt bring myself to socialise. There must a few new additions to the list of ppl who tink i'm stuck-up. Anyway, the highlight of the day was going over to JB. Really needed a break from SG. Would b uploading the pics soon (when i fig out how...lol), but these were the 10 interesting parts of the trip.

1. Running in rain after we went thru the custom
2. Saw lotsa stuff we thought was nice for girls (irony...)
3. Super nice and spicy KFC (cheap too!)
4. Talking to taxi uncles abt politics, hehe
5. Buying a new bag, and HP casing! (yc says its Very ugly, sighz)
6. Eating "Kuay teow kia", really very nice. the tau kwa (or tau hu, really cant differentiate) real smooth, and the braised egg up 2 standard too.
7. Saw alex's parents' friends in a pub, quite a comfy place. we played 5-10 for awhile. boy, i really suck at anything but 5-10.
8. Tried OSIM Products at alex's place. I-Pamper, I-Squeeze, U-Zap. Any1 else gets the joke?
9. Alex and me drinking and getting high and spouting tons of rubbish, haha.
10. Taking loads of photos!

Sunday

Came back to SG abt 12+, rched hm at 1+. Slept. zzZZZzZZzzzz.
Went out wif alex and yc to buy stuff. ate yumi yogurt. really missed eating it at suntec. Went to play pool after tat. I took some real cool pictures too. YC already has 1 of the nicest one as her display pic in msn, go see! she and alex really like models liddat. Came home, now blogging. =)

Thx alex, for accompanying me tis wkend! I shall be happier.

>>marv

How often have we felt that our lives are complete?

People always feel like theres something more they want. People who are attached want more time, either for each other, or in sad cases, away from each other. People who are Not attached, want to get attached, thinking that its the panacea to all emotional ailments. How wrong can they be.

I'm always overwhelmed, whenever i'm on the brink of losing someone, something, or some emotions in my life, for good. Don't misunderstand me, its not juz like, losing a closed one. It can be as simple as, losing the joy you used to share with anyone, say a friend. The fear i always encounter, is that no matter what, i'll never be able to replicate the same emotions...

I'm like a historian, not wanting to miss out the details of anything happening around me.

Of coz, if it comes to more severe matters, like really losing a loved one, like your girlfriend/boyfriend, juz multiply the sadness by, say 10. Coz most of the time, it means the persons gonna b out of my life for good, no matter what any1 can promise. Its nobody's fault i guess.. but its real hard 2 like, really keep the person in your life. Its so easy, if its the case that you are the one who lost your feelings/understand that it impossible for u 2 carry on.. But how about the other party, who still remembers, cherishes and wants to honor his/her promises of yesteryears...

What is really true, unconditional love?

I believe that it is the willingness to do anything, absolutely anything, for the other party.
(Not obligation)
And that includes letting the person go, out of ur life. Yes its definitely painful. But why persist if the love you have for others isent mutual? Theres no such thing as fairness; thats a fallacy. theres no real and tangible way 2 measure love; theres no loveometer.

Everyone of us are selfish by nature. Thats a fact. The issue is the extent.

When we prefer to do something with some1 else, thats being selfish. thats a recognition of one's preferences, despite others.
When we choose to do something which furthers our own cause, be it as noble as education, or lowly as theft, thats selfishness.
When we are in a relationship, and there are other things we value more than the person, thats selfish.
But no one said selfishness is bad. its juz... selfish.

When you really feel the immense pain of emptiness, I know you'll agree with me (*winks at MH).

(Haha, this post is purely random. So guys, dun tink so much abt it yah? its juz stuff i may wanna use for our next musical)

>>marv

Hey guys! after adding chin wee, shawn, edna, keith, we have 24 members!

Its good to see more n more ppl getting interested in what we r doing, so we'll carry on the spirit. =)

went school 2dae to study wif lex, yc, jane and jenn. covered quite abit of the stuff i didnt understand previously. as i told lex, pretty sure i wont do well 4 this test. will try my best still. =)

sometimes it feels weird, like u've known ppl 4 long, but actually u barely noe them! even like alex (u listening?), feels weird 2 say like, we noe ea other for like... mayb 5-6 mths?? many others too.

p.s. is there any way to speed up the process of friendship?

"Call me Mrs Darcy, only when u r utterly, thoroughly, completely, incandescently happy." - Pride and Prejudice, Dec '05.

What should happiness be? Ideally a complete sense of joy? or a relative lvl of sufficiency.

Its a very meaningful show, but only for those who likes literary and metaphoric stuff. Not 4 the action-seeking moviegoer.

Shld love be about finding some1 who is utterly in love wif u (vice versa), or shld we all settle for stability?

Mayb humans shld stick with frns. Frns are better. Less expectations, , less dissatisfaction, less unhappiness. =(

Unit of Measurement for the water in your bottle: Millilitres

Unit of Measurement for the length of your... ruler: Centimetres

Unit of Measurement for the weight of yourself: Kilograms

Unit of Measurement for the duration of Your Life: Time
(Does that sound correct?)

1. Time isn't simply "Time"

The more common phrases you hear about "Time", would be like, "time can wash away all your pain", "time can heal wounds"...etc. But has anyone ever thought of the significance?

I can no longer recall the 1st time I felt pain, happiness, sadness, hatred or even anger. Who is to be blamed?
At the same time, I tink i can still remember the most recent occasion i felt those emotions, but I'm quite sure time will take care of those memories too, soon enough.

2. Sneaky Time

In terms of the minutes and hours that go by, you can count them. But as time goes by, you lose track of them. Very often, you tend to forget "how long ago something happened". Thats how elusive time is.

3. Time waits for no one

Parents or seniors will always tell you, once time is gone, you cant get it back. Thats exactly how powerful time is. For everything else in the world, if you have the correct skill or equipment, you can capture it. Even light.

Time makes you regret silly decisions you made in folly. By the time you realise your mistake, its usually too late. You cant help but feel that time is there, to mock your disablility to change history.

4. I think Time is God

In more ways than we realise, time doesnt seem that far from godhood. To a very large extent, time chronicles the happenings around the entire universe, every single nano-second of it.

Here we are, bounded to the perpetual "rat-race" of mankind, striving for all forms of excellence. At times, we fall short of targets, fail our objectives, and feel dejected and disappointed. But time is here to soothe those unhappiness memories. Given enuff "time", we'd get over it.

5. What if there was no time?

Unimaginable. Utter void.
You'd lose all meaning in life. Completing assignments within a deadline, say 1 month, gives us the typical sense of achievement, but what achievement would that be if you had an eternity to pursue it?

The world will plunge into a state of stasis. Whatever matter associated with timeliness would suddenly lose their purpose. Metals stop rusting, matter stops decomposing, people stop... dying. Man, thats scary. Hell, I dont even know if life can go on, literally.

6. In the end...

We all need time. We need time to keep track of whats happening, we need time to feel. Unfeeling it maybe, time is omni-present. Whether you are rushing to save a live, or rushing to rob a bank, time is impartial, and it juz goes on and on.

Embrace time. Don't fight it. Theres a reason why we must always be on time.