Stong (In Pictures)

A picture speaks a thousand words. Indeed ;)

Stepping aboard the train...Carriage 1


My "Mission Impossible" bag


Landing in rural Dabong on a misty morning


We're left high and dry...


Committee Picture


Face-off


Peek-a-boo!


Our base camp


Our backyard


Hashbrowns out in the field!


Egg omelette!


Jimmy cooking up a storm! (I mean, food)


Our backyard


Stong-ers!


Me & Tze Han


Group Pic


Dangerous things lurk overhead


In the jungle


The guys (TCHS!)


Tree-top walk to summit!


Us!


Me and one of the groups


Left: Before trekking
Right: After too many treks


Jimmy sleeping atop the summit


Us & the Guide


Smoke emission


Sunrise


Recognise who's who?


Aeron doing a hand stand?


Chris & I


The lone stone


Another view from Stong


Nice sunny day


Too much abseiling?


More pictures to come...Plus, I hope to re-visit Dabong again. Such an idyllic place, so peaceful, so away from the many distractions which make up our life. How I'd wish we had lived a life doing things you enjoy, and not continuously chasing after something else. We live, indeed, in a messy world. Complicated. Results orientated.

Something has to give, maybe.

But the people there are happy as they are! Lack of handphones do not cripple them; lack of advanced tools do not disable them. They just make do with what they have.

And I admire them. In fact, I wish I could be like them at times.

Getting back to trekking, the main point of trekking trips is to enjoy, not to break records. (Well, the record breaking is just on my side la. It's just for the fun of it.)

Stong-Angsi anyone?

Current Music: Lee Jiu Zhe - Zhui Hou Yi Shou Ge

Back from Stong!

Am dead tired.

Not gonna blog now. Gonna get some snooze first, and settle my Ophir Trip stuff.

Transferring my pictures to the PC as I speak. Lotsa photos with the others, I've just a few.

But the trip was fun! Though it was a long journey, the people on the trip were fun and easy-going, and it was really great to be with them. Not to mention the many interesting things which spontaneously came out during the entire trek.

Added to the fact that the trek up to the summit is tough but not worthwhile (irony?) and the adventureous waterfall trek without our trusty sandals, as well as waterfall abseiling, it is simply an amazing place to have fun, fun and lotsa fun!

Food was simply nice. Hashbrowns works up there. Nata de Coco simply does not lose its lusture.

Not to forget, the weird names and 'scandals' we hear throughout the trip - "Horny Gal", "Veggie", "Papa" and "Jimmy Boy" are just some of the codenames for different people on the trip. Fun, I must say. (I think I've forgotten their real names already...like, "Edmund" vs Edward? Haha.

Signing out~ Sleep beckons.

Current Music: Cao Ge - Superwoman

Last post b4...

I'm outta SG. Yeap. In less than 18 hours time, I'll be on my way to Gunung Stong via train. Hope everything turns out well - good weather, nice scenery, and something worthwhile to blog about. Not to mention new friends.

Malaysian PR lifestyle for May? I think so too.

Besides, this is the activity which might just help me get over the suddeness of the recent events. Nothing much to mention about it though, just felt that a chance should be given. Yet it wasn't...why?

So my plan for May/June shall be:
08-12: Stong
15-17: Ophir
19-21: Berkelah Recce
28-30: Berkelah Waterfalls
06-11: Mt Kinabalu

Sounds packed? Not really...Still managing to find time to relax at home on weekends. And this was planned way before. Now I wish I had not planned it this way. Would have been great to settle all trips by May, then diving could commence in June.

But, either way you see it, it's just over. Nothing I do can change it already. So whatever.

Failed to have supper outing with Jac and HH. Quite wise too, considering that I've to wake up early tomorrow to meet the S09 mates for lunch in...NJC! Haha, the girls still have the "heart" to go back to savour the food there. Hiaks. I shall just tag along :P

Current Mood: Exhausted

Melo-drama has ended.

Time to carry on with life...Well, that's what most people might think.

No change to results. Still 82+1+1.

But the PAP has managed to garner roughly 67% of the total votes cast, and the opposition managed an astonishing 33%.

The fact is, the opposition parties did way better than in 2001. With 7 GRCs up for fight, WP have managed to pull in many of the voters over to their side. This might show the disgruntled side of voters over the ruling party.

Simply put, the WP and SDA put up a tough fight against LHL's PAP, and came away with results largely unexpected. Almost every seat being fought has at least 1 in 3 voters supporting the opposition (please discount the SDP). Shows something huh?

And someone said he's happy with 66%, and thanked them for their support... Woah.

Life just goes on. Let's hope 2011 elections would be WAY better.

Oh, before I forget, will Sylvia Lim be the next NCMP with her rather successful stint over at Aljunied? Might be. And how about Gomez Superstar case? Probably a huge follow-up by the winning party. Probably.

Current Mood: Pensive

Current Music: Hu Yan Bin - Hu Die

Elections...in 9 hours

The Singapore Elections 2006, such a well-watched melo-drama of all sorts this time round. And to think that online discussion of the political arena is somewhat subdued. Voicing out of one's personal feelings should not be done...lest you get abducted in the middle of the night and vanishing without a trace.

Haha.

This podcast by MrBrown rocks: Audio file for the mrbrown show 1 May 2006: the persistently non-political podcast no. 6

Hilarious piece of parody.

Anyway, back to the gist of this post.

The JG issue really seems to take the wind out of the elections. I always wondered where the focus of the entire elections was, JG or the people? (Obviously JG, "the man and his ideas", cannot be representative of the society as a whole, so why harp?) This really is a concern to me, as my future depends on the type of people I vote into power.

On top of that, I'm concerned with the speech which our dear PM made in his lunch-time rally, which was really interesting. Go read the CNA news articles for more info. But seriously, I would think twice now...won't I?

Freak result, tomorrow? Hope the people vote wisely...

Current Mood: Nerdy

Current Music: Jing Hai Xing - Du Li Ri

Mission Impossible III

This is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and I missed the opening premiere on Wednesday, so I caught the show today with Joyce at Jubilee. Long time never meet up with her already, so it's just as well that she likes Tom Cruise. Haha.

Maggie Q is sizzling hot in that red number of hers! Totally blown away. Woah! And the Lambo was blown up! Such a waste of a multi-million vehicle.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) returns for the third installment in this series, which is very well-woven with the idea of lies and deceit, not to mention the standard high octane, fear inducing stunts, such as leaping off high buildings and pin-point accuracy.

Which makes me wonder whether the agents are God or are they only human. Haha. I wondered whether the record long jumper can even do the jump which Cruise did in the movie: jumping over a gaping hole in the bridge.

And this time round, we encounter a love story and how our dear Ethan Hunt tries to balance work and personal life, with his wife being dragged into the international spy game of high stakes.

U even have a scene of Tom Cruise running (somewhat spastically?) in Shanghai, saying "Rang Kai Rang Kai!"

Realised that AMK had run out of places to walk. Lack of arcades and upgrading which does not seem to cease really makes me wonder what has gone wrong with the area. It was once bustling with activity, but it seemed otherwise to me...

KTV Outing!

Class KTV Outing! Finally, one outing after exams! And...I was late. *oops* Somemore, I was the organiser. Sheesh. Blame on traffic. Haha.

Anyway, it was a pretty decent turnout (like always, I'll get the same ppl going for the outings, which is quite good...core group of ppl?) at the event, which was a KTV session at Chinatown! Alvin, Daniel, Daryl, Ghim Song and Zhan Sheng had already arrived prior to my belated entrance at Chinatown NEL MRT.

Grabbed some food at the hawker stalls along Pagoda Street. Food is friggin' expensive there. Sheesh. Now u understand why Chinatown is meant for the tourists and not for the locals. It's bascially just jacked up prices...

Went over to Lucky Chinatown to have our K-ing session, and we tried out the K-ster which was on the 4th floor. Pretty decent rate (@ 13 bucks!) and the song selection was relatively good. Sang all the way till midnight...Haha!

They even have rooms which are for people to laze on the floor with cushions! Shiok!

Enping, Amelia and Wee Kwok arrived soon after we started. And the room started to get a little stuffy with 9 people in a small room. Haha.

Talk to my hand...


Look closely...


Daryl and Ghim Song


Me and Zhan Sheng


Amelia, Daniel and Enping


Wee Kwok giving the performance, Alvin, Ghim Song next to him


Group Pic!


Current Mood: Awake

Current Music: Cao Ge - Superwoman

Hols!

First expression: Whee~!

Haha. Well, today (actually, yesterday) marks the last day of exams, officially, for the semester.

But ah well, dampened by the fact that most of the hall peeps have events on, and that I've a briefing at 3pm for Stong trip. GAH.

Nevertheless, managed to have lunch with Alvin, Daniel, Enping, Jialiang and Zhan Sheng. Had a simple lunch at NYDC at Holland V, then we talked and parted ways. Realised that NYDC had a spanking new menu. Interesting, indeed.

After that, returned to YIH for the Stong briefing. Everyone seemed normal, or at least I felt so. Oh well. After exams, stress level all-time low. I had placed my CN textbook on top of HH's so that I could retrieve it at a later date, and I noticed another book there.

Basics of Management Accounting

Interesting...Anyway did my basic job of the treasurer, and realised that I'm a little feverish. Too much studying? Maybe...Stong briefing was quick, smooth (Thanks to Peiyu haha, cfm no problems) and there was the usual errors made by Danny to make some laughter. 25 people on the trip. Really gets interesting when there are MORE GUYS THAN LADIES! o.O"

After the briefing and discussion on the food to buy for Stong, we broke up and I went to meet up with Anqi, Esther and Weili, who were at Marina Square K-ing. I met Henghong and Jac's class en-route to meeting them.

Had Choc Fondue at Esplanade, simply delicious! The dark chocolate was simply too good to resist...thereafter it was just chilling out by the bay, talking and I even managed to meet up with someone at the Esplanade! It was damn coincidental - He just came out of the toilet, my friends and I were about to go in. Saw him and he was stunned, and I knew he was hiding something...or someone. Haha. Shall not reveal the identity of the person and his mysterious date, just that they "followed" us all the way to Fullerton Hotel! *lol*

Had satay at Lau Pa Sat, where we witnessed a "live" kungfu fight between 2 Malay assistants. Really a commotion. And 2 police uncles who were around later after the fight was stopped, were more interested in buying dessert o.O"

Seems like Lau Pa Sat ain't that safe...? Haha.

Just wished all the Datuk ppl a safe trip up, hope the view up there is just as nice. Time to move on after devastating (yes? no?) news...

Stong, 8-12 May!

Current Mood:

Current Music: Lee Jiu Zhe - Zhui Hou Yi Shou Ge

5 down 1 to go...

And mood is just so so so gone.

Wonder why. Cos the previous papers all made me feel worse off already? Maybe. The fact is, no matter how much I studied, it was simply worse off than the past year questions I did.

Tough papers, and it's now down to the might of MODERATION. Or, silently hoping that there ain't a freak who will be super-high-scorer. Sheesh.

One more to go...CN1111. Or rather, CN "four-middle-fingers". Haha.

Went out to chill at Holland V with Lai Yee and her friend, Dion (did I get the spelling right?), after FNA exam on Saturday night. Totally forgot that the live (and early) match for Chelsea and Man Utd. Wanted to get a seat at one of the pubs in the area, but was disappointed - all were fully booked. So we went off to the Tea Party to chill and talk. It was great, 'cos u get to let loose after weeks of frustration (which aint over!) from exams preparation which had gotten you nowhere.

I wonder how people manage to get straight A's. I'm just not smart enough. Sigh. Hardworking can help out? Maybe not after all...

Time to snooze...