Iron Man 3

Secret War Journal[18 May 2013][Spoiler Alert]

I apologise for the lack of activity prior to this post. I had been busy with work and the physical copy of my journal was (and as of now, still is) loaned to a close friend of mine. I cannot publish the post without it. Thus, I seek your understanding to bear with it. :P

Woah, it has been some time since I went out for leisure! I had weekend shifts every alternate week recently. Compounded by the fact that most of my friends were having their finals examinations, I really had no one to go out with. Hahas!

After some time, I was really dying to out and unwind. So when Marcus asked if I wanted to watch Iron Man 3, I readily agreed.

Yeah, I know I am late to the bandwagon but hey! Better late than never right?

Plot Summary
Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?  
- Written by Jawadjee

My view
While I like how the introduction went (like a form of foreshadowing), one part of me wished they left that detail as a mystery. Nevertheless, it did threw me off track for a while since I thought for a moment that Aldrich was Mandarin. Hey, they looked similar, sorta.

Despite what other reviewers thrash about the movie, you must admit that the Aldrich's plan is well-thought. To have a scapegoat like Mandarin is brilliant, provided you do not get caught up in it too. In this case, Aldrich's downfall lies in the fact that he was too openly involved in his experiments. He should had used Mandarin as a puppet thoroughly, only talking through him, such that no one else would be able to identify him as the mastermind if caught. Furthermore, why would you get an actor such as Trevor? Yes, while I agree that he had to get a clueless actor but, an actor that reveals everything to any random stranger? Not the best choice, in my opinion.

Aldrich's mistakes start from the very beginning, when he approached Pepper. This encounter led to Happy being injured in an explosion after tailing Savin, ultimately bringing Stark into the game. Why would you invite disaster into your doorstep? I guess he was blinded by revenge to care. Pity.

Granted, the humour, iconic presence in the Iron Man franchise, is ever still present though remarkably less in this latest film. Watching this movie made me compare to the Dark Knight series unconsciously. After all, the plot this time is much darker than the previous two. With themes such as revenge, humiliation, and growing up, it is difficult to imagine this film being targeted at family. Rather, it is for mature teenagers and above.

Well, he did ask for a digital watch

G.I.Joe: Retaliation

Secret War Journal[30 March 2013][Spoiler Alert]

Before we watch the movie, we decided to spice this movie outing up a bit. Meeting up at City Square Mall, we had lunch at the Kopitiam housed in there.

After purchasing the tickets, we adjourned for some awesome ice-cream at Anderson. Unknown to the organiser, we had prepared something for him. Ending up in this restaurant was a ploy to our next phase of our plan. Not long after we settled down on our seats, a waitress arrived at our table, with an Anderson's Classics.

Happy Birthday, Johnston!

And the rest was savoured. ;)

---

Settlers of Anderson
While waiting time to pass, we started to play some board games.

Let the games begins!

Who shall emerge victor?

The Birthday Boy wins!

---

Retaliation

A sequel to the movie G.I.Joe: Rise of Cobra, I found the subtitle 'Rise of Cobra' more apt for this film instead. In this movie, we see the Cobra commander's rise to power with the aid of Zartan, the master of disguise. As we know, Zartan captured the president and impersonated him during the events of the previous film.

This prior knowledge did spoil a bit of the viewing pleasure from me. I felt that the execution of the plot would be better served with a plot twist revealing Zartan.

Nevertheless, it was a good move to wipe out most of the characters in the beginning. This gives the director the ability to focus on the more important characters. It helps to make this movie looks less clogged with too many characters.

Lastly, I am not a G.I.Joe fanatic. Thus, I am not really sure why was Cobra's second-in-command left out and not saved? I might had left something out. Hmm...

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Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant

After the movie, Darian left.

As we had talked for some time, we came to this Restaurant for dinner. There, we met up with Keller.

This restaurant provides Tim Sum delicacy at an affordable price. Some of the must-try dishes include Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, Fried Golden Doufu (I ordered seconds for this! ^^), Plain Noodle and Onion La Mian, Siew Mai (took me some time to realise there are prawns inside. :O)

For those who had yet to try out this restaurant, I strongly recommend you to try it out! I guarantee that you would not regret it. :) 

Getting there:

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"Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Persona by EML

Secret War Journal[9 March 2013]
Do not be deceived by the name. It is actually a concert.

Comprised of mainly electronic music, it was a performance performed by Electronic Music Lab, a club in NUS. Johnston is a member of the club and he would be performing on some of the songs in the concert. Together with Qi Xiang, Marcus and Meldon, we went down to the school's cultural centre dance studio to support Johnston. Below is a audio recording of the concert. Enjoy! :)
(Note: It is a bit soft, so you might need to turn up the volume. :O)

The Stage

I must admit, that not everyone would be able to appreciate such genre of music. Personally, I enjoyed the song that Johnston performed in (51:40). It is similar to trailer instrumental music. I like such styles, it makes you feel alive. It energies you. :)

From Left: Leroy, Qi Xiang, Meldon, Marcus, Johnston

Zero Dark Thirty

Secret War Journal[26 January 2012][Spoiler Alert]
Chinese New Year is round the corner! Most of my friends have already bought their Chinese New Year clothes but I had not finished my shopping yet. Thus, today we are gathered to get some last minute shopping. Hahas.

With me as advisers are Marcus, Keller, Qi Xiang, and Meldon to accompany me. Originally, I planned to head to Bugis to get a pair of pants for Chinese New Year. I had thought of buying a light brown pants for a very long time, since last year. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up in Ion Orchard. As I had thought about it for so long, I purchased a pair of Chino pants after trying it out immediately. Meanwhile, Marcus and Keller attempted to find clothes to buy too.

When we were finally done, we had lunch at Pepperlunch while Meldon ate out at Subway since he is vegetarian. Keller had to go after lunch for Reunion dinner. Thus, the rest of us went to play LAN without him.

---

Discrepancy

After two hours of gaming, it is time for a movie! Marcus wanted to watch Zero Six Thirty so here we are, heading into the theatre with 2 large drinks and a small-looking popcorn. Without realising we were actually late, causing us to miss out the introduction of the movie. As it turns out, it is actually quite important because the omission of the very beginning took me some time to understand when the movie actually started in.
--
Review
--
At this point, I feel that I should include the synopsis of the movie or else I am afraid some people who get lost here. :P
Synopsis
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for Al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011.

Maya is a CIA operative whose first experience is in the interrogation of prisoners following the Al Qaeda attacks against the U.S. on the 11th September 2001. She is a reluctant participant in extreme duress applied to the detainees, but believes that the truth may only be obtained through such tactics. For several years, she is single-minded in her pursuit of leads to uncover the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden. Finally, in 2011, it appears that her work will pay off, and a U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent to kill or capture Bin Laden. But only Maya is confident Bin Laden is where she says he is.

- Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/

--
Perhaps the first thought that would come to mind when the movie finishes would be that the movie was a bit too long. Designed to be slow-paced movie to allow the audience to ponder and reflect through the process of finding Osama bin Laden to his imminent death, the lengthy film has a tendency to tire out the audience as they strain their brains for a good 157 minutes. Not very gentle for the causal moviegoers, I would say.

One of the highlights of the earlier parts of the movie would be the treatment of the confinees. Captured terrorists were held in black sites. There, they were 'tortured' and brutally interrogated. Treatments include depriving them of food and beverage, physical punishment and water torture. Tactics such as occasionally being nice to get information were also used to obtain intelligence on the extremist movements. These continued to be used in the war effort against terrorists until President Obama put an end to it due to the public uproar over it.

While it is a serious breach on human rights, let us pause for a moment and ask ourselves: Why did the Intelligence Branches have to resort to such inhumane acts? I am not supporting nor sanctioning such acts but they do have a point, which Kathryn emphasize quite brilliantly. Without the threats that they can issue to the confinees, how are they going to 'persuade' them to leak vital information that would help to prevent terrorist attacks, hence saving countless lives in the process? The principle "kill one to save many" is a cruel mandate but if one is given a choice to kill one to save many or kill many to save one, I believe the answer by most would be the former.

Meanwhile, the movie then goes on with their struggles with obtaining information without the conventional means. As terrorist attacks grow rampant, it became a race against time for the operatives to obtain useful leads to guard against future attacks. On the other hand, Maya, the main lead in the movie, with the help of her aide got hold of a terrorist who seems to be willing to sell the terrorist network out for money. On the promise of information about the elusive network, they decided to meet face to face in a camp supposedly named Camp Chapman. When the convoy comes into the camera view and a sad music plays in the background, you already know full well that the outcome is not going to be pretty. In the end, the informant turns out to be a suicide bomber (no surprise, is there?), killing Maya's aide and a task force with him.

That was a setback that almost broke Maya. However, she instead decided to turn it into a force of hatred, driving her to find the heart of the network and hunt him down, Osama. Not much progress was made until one fateful day, they found the real identity of Osama's most trusted courier. Seeking him finally led them to the whereabouts of Osama and the rest, as they say, was history.

IKEA Tampines

Secret War Journal[5 January 2013]
I must admit, this is not the first time I dine at the food restaurant @ IKEA Tampines. However, I never really tasted the specialities of the restaurant until this night.

 I would therefore have to thank Sally and Marcus for suggesting IKEA to dine at, creating an opportunity for to try those out! Gahahahahas!
--
Meatballs!
It is no wonder that it is everyone's favourite. This swedish recipe really sets itself apart from the meatballs that we normally consume outside. The tender meat along with the just the right amount of salt allows one to enjoy the great taste of the meatball with every bite. Coupled with the (I presume) mushroom sauce, it is already perfect. Of course, most people would spread it with jam to complement the taste. (I did not do that though, I do not like jam. XD)

Chicken Wings

This is sinfully nice. Hahas! I sort of felt guilty after eating but who cares! It is nice!

Fries, Nuggets, and Onion Rings!
This comes as a set. I like the nuggets. :)

---

"So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being." - Franz Kafka

Citadels & Looper

Secret War Journal[20 October 2012]
It is time to celebrate Qi Xiang's Birthday!

Together with Marcus and Meldon, we had a blast at Mindcafe near Dhouby Ghaut.

We played a match of Settlers of Catan. After that, we went on to play a round of Citadels.

Citadels

Apart from Qi Xiang, I think the rest of us never played this game before. (At least I know I never played before)

At first look, the game may look a bit complicated due to the presence of 4 different sets of cards, excluding the instructional cards. Of course, on hindsight, it certainly looks a lot less complicated than Settlers of Catan but hey, I was not comparing this board game to any game when I first saw the contents.

Basically, in this game, your goal is to accumulate as much points at the end of the game. The game ends at the end of the round when a player constructed 8 districts.

The more expensive your districts are, the more points it would contribute. Players who constructed 8 districts at the end of the game would receive bonus points and the first player to construct 8 district would receive the most bonus points. Some districts have special abilities.

Perhaps, the key element of the game is the character cards. Each round, you get to choose a class/character where no one else knows until it is revealed later phase of the round. Each character has a special ability which you can use in that round. Some abilities include destruction of a district, extra gold, make a player lose a turn.

The remaining 2 sets of cards are bonus decks which you can opt to replace the original cards in the district and character decks. In my opinion, some of the cards from the bonus decks are quite imbalanced and breaks the game but that's just me. :P

---

The Present
Before we headed off to the cinema, we side-tracked a bit to a nearby games store.

Mind you, this was all planned beforehand.

Qi Xiang had mentioned about this game for quite some time already. Since he does not yet own this game, we decided it would make quite a decent birthday present for him.

Thus, as we entered the store, we started to talk about the latest games available in various consoles. Meanwhile, Marcus went to purchase the game to present it to Qi Xiang.

Qi Xiang looked a bit shocked when he saw the present. He had an expression which said "I can't believe you guys just bought this for me!". Hahas!

Mission accomplished. Time to watch the movie. :P

---

Looper

In my opinion, it was an insightful movie. Though I won't call it a great movie but it is indeed thought-provoking. Time travel has been a concept that many had imagined. However, many considerations need to be taken when writing a script based on time travel. It is just so easy to create paradox on the fly when you are writing a story with time travel involved.

Looper is one such movie that leads one to feel that the author did not bother to tie up the loose ends in the movie, leaving the paradox unexplained. Of course, it could also be the intention of the author to leave it to the watcher's imagination. Sometimes, explaining the paradox could kill the action in the movie which I would agree in this case since this movie is seriously lacking some thrilling action. Even though I believe it was not meant to be an action movie, but hey, a little more action would not hurt right?

One aspect I really liked about the movie was how the director managed to portray the motivations of various characters in the movie. Despite the lack of screen time for the older Joe, it is not difficult to know the driving force behind his actions. Similarly for Kid Blue, his motivations are also explained in the movie.

Regarding comic relief, I believe one of the best played scene was the anti-climatic scene, much similar to the anti-climatic scene in Iron Man 2. Another well-played act was the conversation between the two Joes in the restaurant.

Comparing to other time travel pieces, I feel that Steins;Gate is still a better option. It could possibly due to the fact that it is not a movie but has many episodes to slowly build up on the time travel concept which gives Steins;Gate ample time to close the loose ends. Steins;Gate allows the audience to get mind-blown as everything makes sense, where everything fits despite the move into the next time line, preventing major paradoxes.

Finally, Looper is a movie that ensures that one would be talking about it after the movie, allowing intellectual discussions on each other's perceptions/understanding of the movie. Each and everyone has different approach to understanding the movie, allowing this movie to be a great topic to converse about in social gatherings. That is where Looper truly shines, I feel.

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"I must govern the clock, not be governed by it." - Golda Meir

Soup Restaurant

Secret War Journal[8 September 2012]

We (Marcus, Johnston, and I) had not met up since University started. Taking full advantage of the short leave I had from my recent graduation from Foundation Term, we met up at Nex Shopping Mall to have a great dinner.
--
But before that, it is time for me to meet up with Meldon and Qi Xiang for lunch at Ajisen Ramen!

But honestly, I seem to be eating Ajisen once monthly. Heck, I just dine there with Cynthia last month?

If I knew, I would had kept the card that Ajisen Ramen kept giving me...

I just tried the White Fish ala-carte. Okay, I tried that the last time I ate at Ajisen through the recommendation of someone but hey! I ordered it this time. Ha~!

It was a lot of fun when we shared what good reads are there. It was funny when Qi Xiang got overwhelmed by two epic fantasy series: A song of Ice and Fire and the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Personally, I, too, cannot believe we spent so much time at the Library reading Foxtrot comics. Hahas!
--
Back to Soup Restaurant. :)

I am almost twenty years old and this is actually my first time trying Soup Restaurant. (Hmm, that made me sound as though I am deprived. :O)

Basically, it is a Chinese cuisine restaurant. I know a lot of Singaporean of my age generally got sick of Chinese cuisine already but I am actually the opposite. (As usual, hahas. I must be born at the wrong year)
I had been eating so many Japanese (+a bit of Thai and Korean) and Western cuisine that I actually find myself missing Chinese cuisine. I guess my heritage makes me wanting more of Chinese Cuisine. It is more likely to leave me feeling more satisfied after a meal. I am not really sure why myself, perhaps it is just ancient instincts.



Seating down, we ordered a set meant for the three of us. It includes a plate of sliced chicken with cabbage, minced meat with soy sauce, claypot tofu, vegetables and pork ribs with corn and red carrot soup. Along with these, are free flow of white chrysanthemum tea.  =)
 
Enough talk, let's eat! I have a 4 course meal + soup in front of me!!! *Readies chopsticks*

(Hahas, I was joking. I had obviously finished my meal. :P

Throughout the meal, we talked about the recent games that we had been playing and planning to play. Sims 3, Dragon Nest and D.C. Universe Online.

We went on to talk about University/Academic life thus far. I even asked Johnston for some medical advice since I suffered from some ailments since entering army, of which I had no time (or maybe just plain too lazy, hahas?) to consult a proper doctor. I had not told anyone. I guess it is appropriate that my best friend knows about it first. :) Marcus left to settle the bill then, I guess God doesn't want him to know, I accept His decision.

Marcus is now studying Psychology. I really learnt some cool stuff from him on our way home. In fact, I learnt some shocking theories. I hope I learn more of these interesting snippets of it! ^^

Sigh, how I wish I have something to share too... Everyone is learning new things...)
--
Observers (if you could be there) would realise that we all hardly talk about army life. There are many several reasons for it:

1. Things about army are generally classified, we cannot talk about it in public.
2. Not everyone goes through army and thus would feel left out. (Applies to Qi Xiang and Marcus to a certain extent; besides Johnston is now officially a civilian)
3. Army does not really warrant that much of an attention as a conversation topic. I mean really? There are more interesting things to talk about! :)

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"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." - C. S. Lewis

BMT POP!

Secret War Journal[8 July 2012]
Passing Out Parade (POP)
After a week of non-stop of rehearsal at Palau Tekong, we had finally reached the final stage for our performance.

First, we marched in with our armour and field pack. Sweaty we were from the long march, tired we were from the long journey, we marched in proudly. For today was the day we were no longer recruits. We were going to pass out to be a private in the army!

Due to the poor design of the uniform, many of us had injuries at the thighs. As a result, we had great difficulty marching straight forward. Despite that, we pressed on and put on a good show for everyone.

Marching in, we saluted the Chief of Army and the reviewing officer. After that, we stood to attention while the prize ceremony proceeded. After that, we marched off to return our weapons.

Returning to the parade square, we said our pledge, sang the National Anthem and finally performed the BMTC Roar.

---

My thoughts:

Finally! The moment had finally arrived!

After 4 months of training to be a soldier and marching a quarter of the borders of Singapore (24 KM), I am finally no longer a Recruit in the Singapore Armed Forces! :D

It was a long journey, I would say. One that certainly felt very long. Despite the physical trainings and months of regimentations, I cannot confidently say I am adapted to military life. This is partly due to my attachments to my civilian life.

Of course, I would not had been able to survive through the months of being a Recruit in the army without support from my friends. This includes my best friend, Johnston and Marcus. :)

I certainly cannot imagine life without your moral support and listening to my ranting when I am disgruntled with military procedures. :p

Not to mention other close friends like Cynthia, Keller, Jie Sheng, Meldon, Qi Xiang, Siew Yan, Wei Ting, (... the list goes on ;) and friends like Trevor, Lai Yin, Pei Shi who made effort to stay in touch despite less opportunities to do so since our graduation from junior college and for some who were currently in school.

Special mentions goes to Johnston, Marcus and Keller as usual who makes effort to stay in contact. I believe that is what keeps our friendship so strong after so many years. =)
Being a lazy person, sometimes I feel that I did not put in that much effort in keeping in touch with people. Thus, I really appreciate you guys who periodically organise meet-ups. :)
Adding to the list would be Cynthia. Thank you also for making efforts to stay in touch. Friends for ever! :D
--
After taking photos, we had lunch at Suntec City before I was herded by home by Marcus who proclaimed that I needed the rest after spending around 10 hours awake since last night. As a result, the rest of the boys went out to play while Wei Ting, Cynthia and I headed back home via cab. :O

[Update: I really slept like a pig, I woke up at 7pm, only to sleep again after dinner. Heehee!]

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As a whole, I was actually quite amazed I went out with friends every time I booked out from camp. Sadly, that trend is unlikely to continue when I enter a new phase of army life as school is re-opening soon... not everyone would be as free as they were before.

Looking at the pictures taken during my time when I booked out, I had gone through a lot of fun. I would keep those fun memories. To tell the truth, I felt a bad sad as I looked through the pictures because I am uncertain of the future. I am uncertain when would be the next time I can meet up with everyone and have fun and chill again.

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My vocation posting results would be out this coming Friday. I am hoping for the best, wish me luck! :S

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"If it's natural to kill, how come men have to go into training to learn how?" - Joan Baez

Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki

Secret War Journal[7 April 2012]


Had a wonderful dinner at Sakae Sushi Teppanyaki after LAN with Marcus, Johnston and Trevor before going for arcade! :)

Hunger Games

Secret War Journal[31 April 2012]

Recently, Marcus and I just went to watch the highly anticipated Hunger Games in the cinemas.

There were many critical reviews on this movie, some good, some bad. Most felt the acting and the delivery was good while others felt that the movie deviated from the original story plot and much was lost in the film. In my opinion, I agree that in certain scenes, the delivery of the emotions and expressions were well done. While I never read the book, giving the story the benefit of doubt, I am pretty sure the romance did not build so quickly as in the film. Thus, I feel that the pace for the development of the romance between the main characters set by the director was too fast to be natural and realistic. While yes, it is a fictional story, it should be realistic to a certain extent, no?

In addition, I also feel that the action scenes in the film was also quite rushed. The motion were a blur (I guess we can call it motion blur here.) and I cannot really see what is happening in that chaos. That is not a good thing though I probably understand it was a form of censorship to downplay the level of brutality displayed in the film. Perhaps, it may not also be the focus of the film, as determined by the director.

Nevertheless, I hazard a guess that most fans would just watch the film to find out just how the film had deviated from the plot in the book, for better or worse. One wonders how the sequel firm would be like now...

2011: For Friends

Secret War Journal[2011][Long Post]

Ah, the last days of 2011 approaches.

What does it mean? It means that it is time to bid our good-byes.

This year, I decided that I shall call it the Year of Friendship.

Indeed, my friends. This year is dedicated to all who I deem as friends. There aren’t many, I know but know that each of you count. Numbers mean nothing to me.

After all, there is no point in claiming many as friends when you know at the back of your head that they are plotting your downfall.

Why this year, you may ask.

This year had been hella tough year. Family was not of much help (as usual). Of course, tolerating certain people also did not help much but I am glad that you people were there for me.

Some days when the days are cloudy and dark, you provide light to show me the way.

Some days when the days are bursting with tears, you provide shelter from its pounding droplets.

Some days when the days are beaming with sunlight, you would be there to bask in it.

In short, thank you for being there for me. :)

--

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely." - Pam Brown

--

Of special mention are the following people:

1.      Johnston

Thank you, my best friend. For being there, when I feel down. For being there, when I feel sick and tired of humanity. For being there, when I feel that there is no point in staying in this place. For being there, when I am at a loss of what to do next.

Thank you for making the effort to re-connect me to the world when I lost touch to the outside world.

2.      Emelia

Your cheerful self reminded me of my past, in a good way. I am happy that despite having fewer opportunities to meet up in person, we were still able to keep in contact via new media. :) Your efforts in making those cards and greetings did not go unnoticed. Thank you! ;)

3.      Marcus and Keller

Thank you both for setting aside time to go out with me for varying reasons. I do acknowledge that it takes some effort and patience to allocate a portion of your free time to go out. Unfortunately, you two sometimes became targets of wicked tongue when we meet because I am often in a foul mood this year. I’m sorry and can only hope for your understanding. I really appreciate how the both of you tolerated shit from me and kept our friendship alive. Thank you.

Keller and I should remain in contact either via Facebook or via mobile. :)

4.      Qi Xiang and Meldon

My bubbly friend, Qi Xiang who had, perhaps ironically, made the best group of friends during his two year in Junior College between Keller, him and I. Sometimes, I envy his life though most of the time I wonder why (often ending up in much hilarious results)

Meldon, Qi Xiang and I actually have some common interests which I believe had ensured hours of talking (which may had distracted our studies slightly this year)

Still, it was fun talking to them and I really enjoyed the conversations a lot. Not to mention, the laughter coming from those. ;)

--

I’m not really sure why but somehow I felt that staying in touch with everyone could start to prove to be difficult. Here’s my analysis on who I would likely to stay in touch after this year: (maybe you would notice a trend…)

Primary School Friends:

Johnston – I’m sure we would remain in contact after all these ordeals. :)

Emelia – Similarly, I doubt we will lose contact. :)

Marcus – Based on past experience, I believe Marcus will also take effort to stay in contact. :)

Jia Xin – Staying in touch with her may prove to be difficult in the coming years since there is little opportunity to meet up. However, I like how we are open to the idea of planning meet-ups. ;)

?? ??? – Highly unlikely to meet you again. Sigh. Promises are just too powerful.

Secondary School Friends:

Keller – I have faith that he would take the effort to stay in touch but who knows what may happen in the future? Worse case scenarios, there’s always Facebook :S

Qi Xiang – Meeting up with him always had been hard. Hahas! At least we still can contact each other via Facebook (unless Facebook goes into a downturn, oh no!)

Cynthia – Kind of surprised hearing her coming with a plan to meet up with the rest of the group which I guess warrants her name being placed here. Not bad, much improvement on her part. :p We shall see how much she is determined to get it going. It is not going to be easy, but I think she needs the experience.

Siew Yan – She and I discussed about possible meetups in the future. I’m not really sure it was light talk but I’m pretty serious with what I said – Obviously one would prioritise old friends over bunk-mates during the NS period because the opportunity to meet bunk-mates is so much higher during that period anyways. In my opinion, the real challenge, for me, comes after my national service. I think there could be a potential for a conflict of interests then.

Lai Yin – I guess she will make the effort? Strangely enough, her schedule and mine seems to clash a lot. I guess we have differing definitions of free time and work. *Shrug*

Junior College Mates:

Shereen – Ah, my god-daughter of mine. I trust that her constant worry that we lose contact after National Service would be cause enough for us to stay in contact. She is always afraid I would forget her after NS. Hahas, silly girl.

--

"Never have a companion that casts you in the shade." - Baltasar Gracian

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And also other things...

2011 was surprising an eventful year. Time to review my wishlist for 2011,
score: 5/8.
Details here.

Dang, not as well as I had hoped for. Still, I guess it can't be helped.

After all, some matters are really not up to me to decide.

Weekends in 2011 were pretty much devoted to housework and judging by how things go, it would be the same for the next year too. Shucks.

Don't get me wrong, doing housework is okay. Demanding people to do housework EVERY DAY borders on insanity.

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Of falsehoods

I decided to pretty much cease writing about my broken family except for really generic stuff that everyone else writes about. The rationale behind is that I realised that those posts are getting quite a number of people worried about me. That is unfortunately not what I want.

So, to have less people getting concerned over such matters, I decided to stop writing about such matters in this journal. Originally, I just write those to calm myself down. I am someone who needs to write some stuff to organise my thoughts else those thoughts would run amok in my brain. (which could make me quite insane at times)

While at one hand I'm saddened by the fact that I had to resort to this on this journal, I guess I would get used to it. After all, I put on a false front everyday.
--

"A half truth, like half a brick, is always more forcible as an argument than a whole one. It carries better." - Stephen Leacock

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Changes for the coming spring,

I decided to abolish some formatting styles for my entries for 2012.

Instead of the usual cyan background header in my entries, I should now adapt a simpler larger font size with bold for my headers (with Georgia), like these in this entry.
I guess most reader would probably exclaim, "Thank goodness, I thought this day would never arrive!"
But I still wish to justify my rationale for using the cyan background for my headers initially. It was to provide for a high level of contrast for easier reading. Of course, at times, that made it look out of place in the entire journal, the harmony of colour seemed broken at some point of time.
Thus, I decided to restore the harmony at the cost of its contrast. Of course, if any of you have a better suggestion, please do tell me and I would consider them.

Another writing technique I am planning to change could be using Microsoft Office Word to write out my entries from now instead of the native engine available online. I believe Office Word would provide me with more options for formatting and more room for creativity. Of course, this means that the underlying code could potentially become more complicated. (But I guess it is not your problem, to speak of hahas!)

For this post, I used Office Word. I would like to say I really enjoyed typing there, as if typing here is not already a joy! Hahas!

Another advantage in using Office Word would be that I could type my entries even when internet is not available. I am not always at places where there is internet, unfortunately, and that had hindered my efforts to write my entries throughout this year.
Of course, there is also an issue of privacy when I am typing the entries. After all, I am not very comfortable with typing my entries in the presence of people, in general.

What about changing the design of this journal, you say?
Hahas! Sorry, I have no plans to change the current just yet. Let's just say my mood when I decided to use this design is still aligned with how I feel like now. :)

Okay, how about removing that irritating cover post that had been there for months? Sorry again, there was a reason in placing it there as it is. Until there are more reasons to remove than leaving it there, it will remain.

One, I do not want certain people to know this journal is updated and well. Second, it is easier to track who is reading my journal and what post they were reading via the URLs visited.
For some inconvenience, I think the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages thus far. So, no not a chance.

---

With Love, Leroy

There were, of course, many things that I wished I did not do. Nevertheless, this year was also a year where I felt there was some progress in my long-term goals.

• I am nearer to completing one of my promises.
• I felt the presence of my old self, like finally.
• I met my grandaunt, another recollection of my past.

One day, I will return to my old life and leave this pathetic life that I live now. I am working towards it, watch me.
--
With 2011 coming to a close, I realised there were also quite a number of misses, namely:

1. The inability to stay in contact with some people
2. Unable to find time to meet up with cousins during weekends which puts me in a bad mood some days because I miss them :(
3. The inability to spend time with myself and re-connect to my own world
4. The inability to have the time to pursue my goals
5. The inability to express myself due to physical constraints

I still sleep with much sorrow each day. This cannot last. Let's hope it ends this year.
What is this sadness that weighs me down? It is of loss. It is of denial. I feel so cold, where is the warmth in this world?
--

"A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts." - Harold MacMillan

Green Lantern, sadists, and Munchkin

Secret War Journal[18 June 2011][Long Post][Photo-Heavy]

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Belated Birthday Celebration

Wohoo! Another morning, my parents ain't back from overseas yet.

Johnston, Keller, Qi Xiang, and Marcus have organised a birthday celebration for me. Actually, they intended to have it yesterday but I already agreed to go out with Christopher and gang to celebrate birthday. Hahas!

I guess we can't have everything squeezed into a day unless I decided to not sleep at all. Hahas.

Before that, I would like to say I'm really grateful for Cynthia, Pei Shi, Laura, and Debbie for planning to bake a cake. Hahas. Thanks for your thoughts. ^^

Alright, before I go completely off tangent, I was a bit late for today's outing actually because I was doing house chores before I could leave with ease. (you know, parents complaining the shit out of me when the house is anywhere but perfectly clean....)

Nevertheless, I met up with Johnston first at Daiso, Plaza Singapura. He was buying some textiles for Emelia because Emelia wanted some as decorations for her scrapbook (if I recall). The textiles there are really a challenging area, me not knowing what to do with them. Hahas!

Heading towards where the rest were, I had a hard time locating them because they were dining at a place where we seldom go in this shopping mall. Half-embarrassed myself for spending around 5 minutes looking around like an idiot because I ignored the possibility of them being there. Here's a lesson to learn. :)


Of course, there's a reason why we're all meeting up at Secret Recipe.

There was a cake!


My surprised face. XD




This is where we all got sadistic and tried to 'torture' the cake. The above picture is me trying to 'slice' the cake with my bare hands!


Close-up shots of the cake they bought for me!





Caught admiring the cake, oops? :p



Going in for the kill!


Excalibur!!!



Widening the wounds of the cake!



Look at my evil smile! O.o



A fellow sadist. With added sound effects.



His trophy!

Really appreciated the cake and allocating one day just for me. I'm really glad you all meet and organised it. Special thanks to Johnston. :)

Hahas, the cake was sweet. :P
You people gave me a hard time thinking of a wish! :O Hahas!

---

Green Lantern: The Movie

Shortly after the clean-up of the corpse of the banana filled chocolate cake, we adjourned to the cinema above for a film of Green Lantern: The Movie.

I would say, this is a movie meant for hardcore Green Lantern Fans. Hahas!

Why do I say that? The climax was rather short. Worse, I thought that was a lead-in all along. Ah! Imagine how disappointed I was when one of the character did not become villain as I thought it would (according to the comics)

Oh well, not much cool effects. Average plot, not much action though.

Hahas, it's hard for a movie to satisfy me huh? :p

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Fort Canning Park

After the movie, we went hunting for a place to sit down to do something.

From Plaza Singapura we exited and headed towards the Fort Canning Park for a desolated sitting area.

Well..... we couldn't find one but that doesn't mean we didn't have fun in the process. XD

We're stuck in the Fort! Noooooo!

~Qi Xiang teleporting away or trying to get out of here.



Guys! Don't leave me behind!




Think Gongfu Panda.



The Three Wise Men







No Kellers were harmed in the process of developing this picture.
--
This warrant a section of its own! Keller planking!

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Munchkins

If you're wondering why we were looking for a place with tables and chairs, it's time for me to reveal (while I open my birthday present!)


Presenting the birthday present (left), an expansion set to Munchkin!

Munchkin is a boardgame that adapts a RPG style that is rather fast-paced.

So yep, we decided to go to SMU study benches to play our boardgames. :)



The Munckin gang!



With the board games!
--
Once again, I would like to thank you guys for buying this wonderful present! I had a lot of fun today! Thank you!

---

Dinner @ Clarke Quay

Thought that's the end? No way! Hahas! After playing Munchkins, we headed down to Clarke Quay to treat ourselves to fine cuisine. Ah, it's been such a long time. I think it's the first time we all went together to eat there. :)

Ordering the dishes was very fun. We accidentally end up in a Sichuan Restuarant (which is known for their spicy recipes) and half of us can't take spicy.

Thus, we ended up ordering non-spicy dishes in that restaurant which was very queer by itself, and earned stares from the staff. Hahas, there was this point of time where the waiters were staring at us, looking worried. So funny. :P

I guess, we must had been the strangest customers ever and freaked the heck out of them. The boss even came over to make sure everything was all right. Hahas!

The Fish ultimately became our main dish. We had a relatively long debate whether to include a fish into our course meal as we didn't want to over-spend but it turned out to be a good decision as it really filled our stomachs. :)

To end it off, we're treated to fireworks! Enjoy!