Dared and Reached the Highest

The once a month post

2008-05-21T00:24:00.000+08:00

Just realised it's just me posting once a month. So here's the vid of the month. Hahaha

My Cubicle - Watch more free videos

Complaints Choir of Singapore - Live

2008-04-05T00:10:00.001+08:00

THE COMPLAINTS CHOIR LOCAL LYRICS
(taken from cloudywind)

We get fined for almost everything
Drivers won't 'give chance' when you want to 'change lane'
The indoors are cold, the outdoors are hot;
And the humid air, it wrecks my hair
Those answering machines always make you hold
Only to hang up on you

When a pregnant lady gets on the train
Everyone pretends to be asleep
I'm stuck with my parents till I'm 35
Cause I can't apply for HDB
We don't recycle any plastic bags
But we purify our pee

What's wrong with Singapore?
Losing always makes me feel so sore
Cause if you're not the best
Then you're just one of the rest

My oh my Singapore
What exactly are we voting for?
What's not expressly permitted
is prohibited

"Ooh"

When I'm hungry at the food court, I see
People 'chope' seats with their tissue paper
To the aunty staying upstairs:
Your laundry's dripping on my bed sheets
Please don't squat on the toilet seats
And don't clip your nails on MRT

Stray cats get into noisy affairs
At night my neighbor makes weird animal sounds
People put on fake accents to sound posh
And queue up 3 hours for donuts
Will I ever live till eighty five
to collect my CPF?

Singaporeans too kiasu! (so scared to lose)
Singaporeans too kiasi! (so scared o die)
Singaporeans too kiabor!(scared of their wives)
Maybe we're just too stressed out! (even the kids)

"Ooh"

Old National Library was replaced by an ugly tunnel
Singaporean men can't take independent women
People blow their nose into the swimming pool
And fall asleep on my shoulder in the train

Singapore's national bird is the crane (the one with yellow steel girders)
Real estate agents' leaflets clogging up my mailbox (en bloc, en bloc; en bloc, en bloc)
Why can't we be buried when we die?
No one wants to climb Bukit Timah with me

"Ooh"

There are not enough public holidays
My neighbor sings KTV all night
Wedding dinners never start on time
My hair is always cut shorter than I want
Channel 5 commercials are way too long
Why do men turn bald?

At first it was to speak more mandarin
Then it was to speak proper English
What's wrong with my powderful Singlish?

People sit down during rock concerts
We have to pay for tap water at restaurants
ERP gantries are everywhere
But I can still see traffic jams on the road
All the bus stops have tilted benches to keep you off balance

Rain, Rain Go Away

2008-03-03T21:37:00.002+08:00

It's been a tiring day. Whole day learning about sailing. And just when we're about to get out into the water, the sky turned grey and it was going to rain. Ended up only practiced capsizing before heading back to the classroom. Tmr promises to be out the whole day, so hoping for the best. Test comes on Wed, then Sat got 1st aid test. This is becoming to feel like the mid terms, but this time round, half the module was taught in 3 full days. So.... gonna study to pass the test. Haiz, never knew I had to do this after I grad.

Another long day ahead, so gonna turn in early again. I'll leave u another vid, or music vid, a rather long music vid to be extact. It's by R Kelly, titled Trapped In The Closet.

Here's the links, dun want to vid to slow down loading the page.
Part 1
Part 2
Weird Al" Yankovic spoof (yeah, there's even a spoof)

Have fun listening to it. Don't die laughing...

To those with midterms, all the best!!!
To those with FYP, jia you!! You're almost at the end!!
To those busy with hall events, enjoy it while u can!!
Oh and dun forget to apply for Hall stay!!

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

A Few Things I Learnt In Hall

2008-02-10T01:53:00.000+08:00

After staying in Hall for so long, I manage to learn a few things which I started noticing when I moved back home.

1. You start to realise that you can stay in ur room for hours on end and never come out. Except for going the toilet, or to eat, or to settle ur laundry. (sounds like hooked on WoW)

2. You don't ever need the TV again. Your TV became the computer, which from the internet, can watch almost anything. Even though I have cable, I almost never need it, cept for soccer matches and some local tv. And there's too much american tv out there waiting for u.

3. Your computer is everything. It does your work, is your entertainment center, your pirate center. Now trying to doing everything at the same time and stress it out. Like american express, you can't do without it and when u leave home, you think about whether to leave it on to download before going out.

4. The internet connects you to the world. Without it you're like a hermit stuck on bukit timah hill. (Hell, i think they even have wireless there now) When your router breaks down, it's like your girlfriend breaking up with you. And you make sure it's work again within hours.

5. You realise you have double of everything, like toiletries, which should keep you in stock till the end of the year and beyond.

6. You also learn to keep a stash of food in the room for the midnite hunger dash, instead of heading to the kitchen and waking the whole family. A midnite snack is also always a part of the plan. And kicking the habit is like staying away from drugs or having a nicotine patch.

That's all I can think of now. Happy CNY everyone!!!

The Longest Day

2008-01-25T23:58:00.000+08:00

I don't think that since the time Winston Churchill first said it during WWII, have the lives of so many depended on so few.

Ok so i'm a sucker for hyperbole. But nonetheless, the cocktail of ecstasy and adrenaline that rushed through your body once the referee blew the final whistle was comparable to hearing 'Sheares Hall' declared winners of a coveted shield at Rag. And the strangest part is that it was just a prelim game. It shouldn't have been so close. But we went through with the slimmest of margins, hitting our exact target of a 2 goal victory, coming back off a loss, coming back from a 3-nil start, to take a place in the semis. Too close for comfort I tell you.

And that's why the title of this post. Friday is my packed day - 10 to 6 with a lunch break. And in none of my 6 hours of lecture could I pay full attention to what was going on in class, whether it was the baby carrier that broke apart in our materials failure case study, or questioning the definition of life in my complexity lesson, or finally the agonizingly long final lesson from 4-6 on heat cycles where I was constantly shaken from my peaceful slumber by a certain Neo Jun Leong. But I digress. None of us I bet was fully concentrating on academic matters today, our eyes fixed on the clock ticking away ever so slowly to the fateful hour. All we could think of was the game. We'd gotten ourselves into this precarious position by losing to TH, thus forcing ourselves into a do-or-die game tonight, and to make matters worse it was a derby!

But in the end all the anxiety and anticipation, cold feet and sweaty palms, ended in relief as we clawed our way back into the competition. The derby was a nail-biter and surprisingly didn't get ugly at any point of time (kudos to KR too for playing with good spirit!).

However the biggest thank you has to go out to the supporters who did come down to cheer us on, even as the Sea of Orange was thinned due to the concurrent chingay dance rehearsal.

To the 8 short boys, old and new, thanks for always being by our side without fail, spurring the crowd on whenever there's a lull, and being our pillars of strength whenever needed.

To the level 7 girls (and joyce the wolf-crier too!) thanks for coming down and shrieking away to glory and getting an earful for your earfuls too! Your unabashed support is greatly appreciated!

Lookin' forward to getting this show on the road - semifinals on Monday - another day of
misplaced concentration and anticipation.

Hope to see you all there again!!

PS. This also happens to be our blog's post number 42 :D

The Girl who cried Wolf

2008-01-25T02:18:00.000+08:00

IF there is one thing we should learn, it would be to not believe a certain unnamed blockhead! On the night when Block C was having mass ponding session, certain unnamed blockhead used her authority to charm unsuspecting victims out of their rooms, much to the delight of the ponders.

Tricking the victims into believing that she had valid reasons to ask them out of their rooms, this unnamed blockhead is as cunning as a fox. And nerves, she definitely have nerves, to try to test her trickery on 8Short.

But warning drums were sounded and 8Short promptly barricaded themselves. When this certain unnamed blockhead reached 8Short, she only found locked and empty rooms.

Empty!!!!

In fact her top target, an unnamed swimming captain was quietly enjoying himself in a locked room (girl not included). The rest, hiding in their rooms waiting for reinforcements.

The 3 hiding stooges..

Sensing that she was outwitted, she proceeded to attack Ian's slightly ajar door. First, using soft persuading method (read: crying wolf) to get Ian out. Then, using her deadly water gun, she managed to wet Ian's bed! But Ian wouldn't give up even if it meant flood in his room.

Ian's wet bed!

Again, failed to claim any 8Short victim, she called Abhi pretending (again crying wolf!) that she had some problems and wanted to see him. Such trickery! Unknown to her, our dear Abhi had already received advanced warning. Finally she had to give up her desire to claim an 8Short victim.

But 8Short brotherhood is strong. And thus we plotted a fitting get back to teach this unnamed blockhead a lesson she won't forget too easily. We will let the video tell the story.

Nevertheless, 8Short loves YOU!!

The Girl who cried Wolf

Week 2 and Already Foolin' Around?

2008-01-23T13:33:00.001+08:00

It's 0230 hrs on a Wednesday, and 8 short is BUSTLING! Ah, good times are here again. All 6 doors wide open at wee hours of the night and plenty of interesting activity ongoing within, music ebbing and flowing from room to room - one can literally feel the brotherhood and cameraderie oozing out into the corridors. A brief camera scan of the area reveals each resident's source of nocturnal activity...

Clockwise from top left: Jung Kiat catching up on the news around the world, me trying to design a new E-shack poster (i'm behind the camera for now), Ian browsing thru his photos to find something suitable for the competition, Jun Ming returning from his hourly bath, and Lawrence psyching himself up for the upcoming handball game. And that pretty much wraps it up.. NO, WAIT.. we've forgotten about someone....

And this is truly what makes the 8short brotherhood special.. It's at times like these that you wonder that with comrades as such, who needs enemies? There you are, happily exchanging massages with an unnamed girl (to protect identity) in the comfort of your corner room, and before you know it your neighbors have already snapped enough suggestive pictures to put the paparazzi to shame.. wtf were you thinking Fulin?

PICTURE REMOVED by SINGAPORE INFORMATION PROTECTION ACT

LOLWTFpwned! Welcome to 8short Brother He! No one is safe here. But thank you for making our lives so much more exciting with your irresistible presence. We look forward to many more nights of scandal and sensation in your company! And our young padawan Jung Kiat is still looking for someone to teach him the ways of the force...

All hail the master!

even other halls' cameras are pointed towards him!

8Short Quality Time - Part 2

2008-01-20T23:12:00.000+08:00

Saturday morning saw our action packed weekend continue its' activities at the SRC swimming pool. with the swimming IHG and opening ceremony taking place, and each one of our 8shorters were actively involved - ian, lawrence and fulin swimming, jung kiat and potato doing marshal duties, and abhi trying his best to rouse up the sea of orange from the stands. Potato and Jung Kiat should look for a career in being professional marshals as they not only possess the 'look' but also now have a few swim meets and rags of experience under their belt.

We are Marshal!

All in all, it was a rather enjoyable day at the poolside, doing impromptu cheers with the SWOCs and raffles hall, and even though the sunshine was harsh, almost every Shearite present had a chance to cool off in the water as hardly anyone was spared in the mass ponding that ensued.

It was also a great debut for newcomer Fulin, who was the center of attraction not only for being the swim captain, but for the hordes of girls who kept crying out his name in ecstasy each time her emerged from the pool.

But the morning's swim and handball training took its toll on everyone as the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in playing sleep-relay where people kept falling asleep and waking up at routine intervals, walking around to see who else was awake, and going back to sleep after realizing that everyone else was pretty much doing the same thing, hence restarting the vicious cycle.

More pictures from the day:

is that Lawrence washing his trunks in the pool? eww

8short rookie, trying to hard to live up to our hotness reputation

cheer-ite

8short swimmers: ian, fulin, law, potato

the past, the future, the random angmoh, the present

8Short Quality Time - Part 1

2008-01-20T17:51:00.000+08:00

The doldrums are over,
the holidays are gone,
the term's underway,
and we're again siao on.

Yes its true, 8short is back to its old ways, owing much to the completion of resident mugger Heng Jung Kiat's submission of his FYP and the utter disregard amongst the rest of us for our own projects. Potato moved out, Fulin moved in and started complaining that level 8 is quite quiet of late, so we've decided to rectify the situation in honor of our newest member. Ironically though, he couldn't join us for most of our recent activities - but fear not - there shall be many more to come.

So as for now, its been daily breakfasts at around 8am whereabout Jung Kiat will come around waking people up in a novel manner each day, drawing on his creativity time and again to figure how next to shake us from our slumber. Highlights include blowing the little SMB horn in our ears, to spraying deep heat, to even jumping on the edge of our beds causing the unsuspecting snoozer to roll off his bed. Good times.

Besides breakfast, the first outing was our post-departure reunion with potato, where we went o vivocity to watch Cloverfield on friday night.

We'd been waiting to watch this a realllly long time. Here's my review: Its definitely worth watching in a cinema to best experience and appreicate JJ Abram's production brilliance, but perhaps not worth watching on a weekend for the casual movie-goer. As for the movie per se, it was like watching 3 seasons of Lost in 90 minutes. Too many questions, too few answers, great thrills and mysteries, but no satisfaction. The first 89 minutes were noteworthy.

In short, it was enjoyable till it got over.

Here are pictures from the night

JK Testing Ian's vision without his specs. Question: How many fingers? Answer: Three. (correct ans is 5)

jk and ian gaying it up

outside GV - reunion with potato

jk trapped between the two towers

cloverfield

Hello Goodbye

2008-01-15T01:12:00.000+08:00

First lets have a few lines from the Beatles song of the same name, to set the mood

You say Yes
I say No
You Say Stop
I say Go Go Go-o-o

No-o No NO

You Say Goodbye
I say Helloooo...

Now let the pictures do the talking

GoodBye Potato!

Hello Fulin!!

We'll miss you potato - do come back and visit us as often as possible, and keep posting on the blog. Fulin, welcome to 8 short! You'll never fully be a replacement for potato, but i guess we'll have to make do with what we have... wahahhaa.. just kidding... great to have you here with us.. here's to a terrific final semester!

Cheers!

Bidding sucks, but good luck anyway.

2008-01-09T16:29:00.000+08:00

It's that time of the year again......

But exactly one year ago, I was so stunned by the bid points and how desperate ppl wanted the module that I did a print screen of the CORS. That's the highest points I've seen or ever will see in my NUS life. So if u think that module u have in mind is hard to get, always think of the odds I had to face.
At the end of the day, I just went down to the Sci office and complained that I needed it to graduate, so they gave it to me in the end. Costing only about 600pts (average of all the points used in all rounds). To the person who spent 2k on it, I hope it was ur graduating sem.

There and back again

2007-12-30T13:30:00.000+08:00

So i'm back. No not yet to Singapore. But back to Delhi after making a trip to Bombay for a great Indian wedding. I went with my family, we took an overnight train (about 18 hours) back and forth, and spent about 7-8 days there in between.

Through the course of that trip i got to meet a lot of old friends in Bombay (where i grew up) and some old enemies too (namely food poisoning and humidity). Thus, I was bedridden for most of the trip but still managed to play lots of tennis and take a few pictures while i was at it.

Now i'm back in Delhi where we're having the coldest day of the winter (so far) at 3 degrees Celsius. We've been having a few sunny days of late but today is just frigid. I woke up to the news that united's given up their lead overnight, and then decided to stay in the blankets a little while longer.

4 more days before I begin my journey back to Hall. Anyone want anything from India?

more pictures from my latest trips HERE

Travelling

2007-12-17T15:58:00.000+08:00

Since I last posted, the sun has decided to grace the frigid climes of Delhi and provides some respite from the biting cold, allowing for some great trips around the city, mostly on foot, but also via the new Delhi Metro (mrt) with the occasional connecting trip having to be made by cycle rickshaw. The bleak skies lit up during the day make for some nice black and white photos too, too many of which to post here on the blog so i've put them up on facebook and you can check them out via this link even if you dont have facebook or dont want to log in.

http://nus.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8676&l=ebee3&id=227700323

That aside, i'm off the bombay today for about 10 days, so i wont be online as regularly. Bombay should be warmer, but not hot - about a consistent 25 degrees. Hope to get some intensive tennis played while I'm there. Will post if anything interesting happens.

In the mean time, where the F#)$k is everyone is else?

Updates from India

2007-12-13T14:25:00.000+08:00

Ok so this is my first of hopefully many more posts from my holiday. Now that i'm slightly better acclimatized to the frigid temperatures, i should try to get out more and take some pictures and have some adventures. My camera was out of battery until this morning too, which i regret not bringing with me to the army hospital that i just went to for a check up. I especially didnt carry the camera along since i didnt really expect to see anything picture-worthy at the hospital of all places. But upon reaching there i realised that i shouldve brought it along after all since the hospital was really quaint and very old world - probably in the same state that the British had left it in when they left the country (the exteriors atleast) - sprawling barracks converted into various wards, old wooden sign boards with the various departments and specialists' names on it, etc.

Anyway, here are random things that i did get to take pictures of before my camera died.

Good daily breakfasts at home (no offense to uncle V)

My Dad and me before heading out the Navy Ball (something like the navy's DnD)

My Dad checking out Walking Canes at a handicrafts shop. A walking cane is not as long as a walking stick, but its just something you generally carry around with you when youre out on a walk so that in case a dog or some other form of wildlife jumps out in front of you you can beat it away and carry on with your delightful stroll.

more pics to come now that my batteries are back and the sun is out!

The Root Of All Evil

2007-11-29T23:25:00.001+08:00

Ever wondered where we get all our anime from? And how they are uploaded so fast?
Here's ur answer.
From here.

This guy has like over 10 recorders lah. So if u think I'm a pirate, I'm just a end user in the bigger picture.

Monday Blues

2007-11-26T18:36:00.000+08:00

It's one of those lazy Monday where it's raining and you just feel like sleeping in after a long Sunday night of studying. You dread the week ahead with how much u still need to cover and what questions the crazy lecturer will unleash upon us in that 2 hours of hell.

As I take a break now n then and walk about to rest my eyes. I usually check what the others are up to. It's also my first time I stayed through the weekend in hall, and in 8 short, so I wonder what these guys do on Sundays while I'm at home catching up with my family.

In actual fact, this week was diff. Everyone was in study mode, so there wasn't much activity. But when the sun sets and moon rises, that's where the fun begins. Remember the breaks I took now n then? I decided to do a bit of snapping...

Found a guest in 8short. Looked rather satisfied in bed. (bottom half couldn't be shown)

Usually, Abhi would be in Eshack, otherwise, he'll be back in 8short photoshopping or sleeping the day away. I guess the sleep caught up to him faster than he can catch up with the news.

So you see, mugging has always been a tiring process, even with 3 years of experience behind our backs..

On another note....
Most of you might be wondering what all the going level 7 and taking sugar is for. Well you see, my lecturer gave us some dragonfruit seeds a few weeks back. I decided to plant a few of them and watch them grow. Besides, I'm studying plants in all my 3 modules, so watching them grow is like have watching what u learn come alive, literally. It also helped me wake up each morning so that these guys can get the morning sun that enters my room each day.

And of course, the bottle was stolen from the labs. But hey, I paid so much for my school fees, so I kinda paid for it.
I was also did a project on roses and I'm trying to resurrect a rose stalk right now and maybe grow roses at home. Hence, the sugar was needed cos the stalk has no roots and proper leaves to get it's own sugar. No photos at the moment cos nothing conclusive appeared yet.

Well, that's all for now.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE.

Updates

2007-11-24T20:48:00.000+08:00

Just and update on whats been cooking on level 8 during reading week. While everyone's pretending to study for their exams, the old men of here have pretty much succumbed to fighting fate and seem rather relaxed about taking exams for the seventh time yet.

Wednesday night saw us watching the England-Croatia game at Potato's room and what a rollercoaster of a game that turned out to be. As the game kicked off, Potato and Lawrence took their seats around the screen while I was still doing my own stuff, not expecting anything exciting to happen so early on in the game. But surely enough, potato soon shouted GG! on seeing Scott Carson's blunder which caused me to rush into the room by the time the instant replay was on, which was followed by a colorful series of expletives being doled out by the three of us, so loud that it woke Ian up from behind his closed door where he was stocking up on shuteye for his morning paper. Ian would then be voluntarily woken up several times on from that point, as our agony turned to ecstasy after half time, and then back to utter disgust once Croatia's third goal went in. I think enough people have said plenty about Carson and Maclaren so I think we'll spare you that bit. But our heart does go out to our fellow level 8 resident David Beckham who should've been brought into the game so much earlier, and when he eventually was put onto the pitch, his effect on the game was instant, what with that excellent ball in to Peter Crouch. But alas, owing to atrocious managing by Steve-o, David may not have a chance, after winning his 99th cap that day, to become the first 8-shorter to win 100 caps for his country. We feel for you bro...

David after coming back to level8 and realizing he might not win his 100th cap!

Soccer aside, the 8-shorters only get to see each other at breakfast over the weekdays, which each of us finding our own unique 'study' spots. Pon and Potato each in their own rooms with their new loves (Grace and Call-of-Duty respectively), Lawrence in the Library, JK in self-imposed exile, Jun Ming in engine, and me in the E-shack. But its really quite shiok studying in the E-shack with the TV on in the background, especially at odd hours when channel 5 reruns old tv shows and sitcoms like Alf, Picket Fences, Wonder Years etc. This is the stuff I was weaned on and it feels really good to be seeing them after all these years from a completely different perspective that too after having grown up (a little).

Today was our Forensic Science paper with atleast a dozen shearites taking this module. Lawrence challenged me to finish the paper in time such that I'd be able to buy Subway and come back to the MPSH before he and the rest managed to get out. And surely enough, I left the exam venue at 1030 with Joey Gan and was happily waiting for them outside the door (subway in tow) as they emerged from the hall at 11 plus. That said, another thing i'm going to miss is slacking around NUS when its broad daylight, whether its while walking from one faculty to another handing in term papers on a lazy afternoon during reading week when there's not a soul around campus, or perhaps like today, after a Saturday morning exam buzzing around the YIH area buying food from various outlets and strolling from point to point while shouting out to other Shearites one might spot across from the bus stop to subway. These little simple experiences are really hard to put to words because their very nature is so trivial, yet when you're living in that very moment its just so peaceful and free from interest in its triviality that you just want that sublime instance to last forever.

If spotting Shearites left-right-center during lunch wasn't bad (good) enough, this evening was even more obscene. Probably the entire present population of blocks C,D and E decided to descend to level one and make their way to Ginza for dinner at the SAME time. I'm not kidding but I think there were at least 30-odd (maybe even 42) people at the bus stop by the time the bus arrived, so many such that block D actually had to take the next bus. Other people in the bus were thoroughly amused though with the fact that Ian, Myself, Jun Leong and Robin had to spend the entire journey with our neck tilted at 45° angle due to the height (or lack thereof) of the ceiling of the bus. But again, the cluster$^!% at Ginza was fun too as 8-short managed to catch up over dinner after quite the hiatus.

In other news, a certain block C female kindergartener commented to me that the level8 guys are rather un-'sexy' and unkempt. Scalding to the ego as that statement might have been, the optimist is us likes to believe that that probably means that we aren't superficial but true-to-ourselves, less concerned with outwardly artifice and more about substance and virtue. But if the rest of you think my BS is only speaking for myself, then I suggest its high time we do something for our image. I also learned that these very same girls have a list that ranks the guys in order of unsexiness, and I do have some information pertaining to this list, however I shall refrain from disclosing any of these facts based on what I also learned from a recent episode of South Park whose moral suggested that probing lists can be highly injurious to not only one's health, but to the very notion of what we believe the female species to be.. and we also wouldn't want things to end ugly with someone throwing up on.. someone... (inside joke)

Finally, if you're bored and there's nothing to read on 8short, pop over to the Acers blog where Bona and Sean post almost a daily fix of hilarious videos to provide you with adequate reasons for procrastination. Below are my top picks from their last few posts. More of such can be found if you follow the link above. Cheers.

When It's Too Much To Take

2007-11-22T16:07:00.000+08:00

It's less than 24 hours to your first paper...

You've been studying non-stop for days...

Your neighbour isn't helping by playing cool games he just downloaded and showing it to u...

Your internal clock is screwed, the only indication of time is when u have your meals...

And you have ur gf writing on ur whiteboard that plucking her eyebrows is more impt than the last exam...

You have your itunes playing in the background, pumping rock music.

You sit back n ponder about it all...

....and this is what happens....

JIAYOU everyone!!!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9556722784

2007-11-20T22:20:00.001+08:00

Yeaahhh the holidays are coming.. something to look forward to after the wretched exams..

here's something to start the festive mood with

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9556722784

A Series of Unfortunate Dua Kangs

2007-11-20T05:52:00.000+08:00

Last night Lawrence asked me for my Matric card so that he could pack 2 breakfasts in the morning instead of 1. He was planning to eat the other one for lunch. Since I wasn't going to sleep before 4 as usual, which would narrow the possibility further of my waking for breakfast, I decided to oblige Law's humble request and give him my card to keep overnight so he wouldn't have to disturb my slumber in the morning when he needed it.

Little did I know that the next morning, I would be paid a visit at 830am by my other friendly neighbor Ian, who decided to do the courteous thing and wake me up to ask me whether I wanted to join him for breakfast. Below is an extract of the conversation that ensued:

Ian: Abhi... Abhi.. Abhi...... (by this time he's already in my room and looming over my bed)

[I finally wake up and see him staring down at me]

Me (groggily): Yo.. whats up

Ian (seemingly genuinely): Wanna go breakfast? It's 830.

Me (still disoriented): Huh? Hmm.. Breakfast? .. (thinks a while, searches brain for meaning of word).. oh... hmmm.... ...... . ... ... uhhh... nah no thanks.. actually... ok la ok la fuck lets just go

Ian looks a little disappointed for some reason (I dont know at the time) and I step out of my bed and get halfway across my room...

Me: CB wait.. Lawrence took my bloody matric card so that he could get double breakfast

Ian: Oh.. noo.. then how?

Me: Nvm lor.. I go back to sleep..

Ian (sheepishly): actually, I didn't think you were going to come down in the first place. When I woke you up I was hoping and expecting you'd say No since you slept late, so then i could borrow your matric card so that i could eat double breakfast.. heh heh heh

And with this revelation of my dear neighbor's true motive i went back to sleep with the image of the thinning moral fiber of the 8-short brotherhood running through my mind. But this was not the end.

When I finally surfaced later that afternoon, I bumped into Lawrence and narrated the story of Ian's dua kang masterplan which was foiled first by my willingness to wake up for breakfast which was followed by the realisation that Lawrence beat him to my matric card. Lawrence had only one thing to say in response:

"Actually... you could have taken your matric card back in the morning, and mine too even, coz i didnt even wake up to pack breakfast in the first place."

I have nothing left to say.

Except, that I am flanked on both sides by C#@®£3$3$....

The Day The Glass Broke

2007-11-19T23:12:00.000+08:00

It was one of those lazy Mondays. You know there's no school and you should be studying...
Woke up for breakfast at 8.30am but hit the bed again till like 12 noon.

The winds were picking up and the sky was darkening, I was at the corridor asking Junming
how was he settling his lunch when it happened. The loud sound of glass shattering caught everyone's attention. I looked across and just said, "Deja vu sia. Not again."

This wasn't the first time the glass door broke. This was the second. Kenneth opened his door and gave the WTF look. He looked over at me trying to find the answer, but the block auntie appeared from the lift lobby.
"Aiyo, I heard the glass breaking from level 1 lah and rushed up here." She said in a mix of chinese and english. She rushed to get the broom while I grabbed my camera to take photos.
It woke up the whole level I might add. But luckily no one was hurt. The incident was report to the office shortly afterwards.

Apparently, the winds were so strong it slammed the door in and shattered the glass inwards.

Oh well... another day at level 8...

Flashback to June holidays....
This time it was a saturday morning. There was a thunderstorm raging outside. Everyone was sleeping, knowing they don't need to wake up so early compared to the weekdays doing internships and attachments. Again the loud shatter woke everyone up.

I was staying in Darius's room that time. I opened my room to see the damage right in front of my door. My shoes were filled with glass fragments. It really looked like a scene out of a Hollywood set. Like some monster had jumped through the door and smashed the glass.

We didn't have the luxuary of blk auntie to come clean up the mess and had to sweep, pick and brush all the glass fragments up. Even so, some of the fragments were so small I had to brush all my slippers and shoes with a used toothbrush to make sure all were gone. When Monday came, I heard the whole office came to view the damage. A few weeks later, the guys came to replace the door.
Oh well, one of the perks (or not) of staying near the rooftop.

For 8 Short---

(Abhi showing how big the hole was.)

Friendly Senior Advice

2007-11-17T03:33:00.000+08:00

Advice no. 42: No matter how ingenious it sounds, don't appeal to CORS to allow you to take 2 modules which have clashing lecture timings, even if you're really sure you can juggle/recap/catch up on whatever you miss out at either one. Sometime, somewhere, something will definitely go wrong.

And that's exactly what ALMOST happened to me on thursday. Every thursday of this semester, I have my USP Cyberarts seminar from 2-6 which happens concurrently with my 2-hour Mech Engg module. I really needed to take both modules this sem so I managed to appeal and get the university to allow me to register for both. Since the ME module is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I made it by this semester by only going for the Tuesday class from 4-6 and attending the entire Cyberarts class on Thursdays from 2-6.

Unfortunately, the last few weeks of the semester saw the ME lectures come to a close, only to be replaced by lab sessions that were 10% CA each. Though the first two of these labs fell on tuesdays, the last compulsory session was to be this Thursday, which also happened to be the last Cyberarts class where we were supposed to present our final projects for the semester. So now i had 2 simultaneous CA's happening on thursday, but thankfully enough, my Cyberart tutor was kind enough to let me and my group present first, so that I could leave by 4pm and head for the other CA at the lab.

However disaster still struck as I had happily assumed the lab was from 4-6 (recollect that I had never attended this lesson on a Thursday before, and the tuesday slot was 4-6) and at about 5 minutes past 2pm, as i'm setting up my computer for the presentation, i get a call from Neo Jun Leong asking me where the @%$^ I am because the lab has already started. Yes, on thursdays, our ME class apparently happens from 2-4. So i had to frantically apologize to my teacher for the mixup, promise her that i will be back by 4 to present, and run from USP to the lab at E3. All this while i was sick and with another term paper due at 2359 that same night.

Moral of the story: Check your timetable properly. Better yet, don't leave things for last minute. Better yet, don't take two modules that run concurrently. Even better yet, don't take Mech Engg and USP because the combo #$@%ing sucks and every semester all the modules I want/need to take always !%#@ing clash.

But that said, i still love school :D

Finally, after such a harrowing day, which ended with me submitting my paper at 2353hrs, I decided to go and try out level7's supper and it was pretty darn good. Pasta with cheese sausage and a complimentary pocky on the side. Haha. Yummy stuff. Can check out their blog at yellowscramblyeggs.blogspot.com
Their cooking's really good. But their business model needs a serious overhaul.

My Buaya Week (2007)

2007-11-16T03:19:00.000+08:00

Updated my blog about buaya week. ie, what my buaya did and so on.

Long overdue but still, something worth compiling.

Go check it out.

http://nukescientist.blogspot.com/

Oh and remember to support my blog by clicking on the ads. ;)

Last Days

2007-11-14T02:10:00.000+08:00

Potato just told me that today is going to be his last day of school. Ever.

Unless of course he goes to grad school.

But even then, how time flies. 3 and a half years. Screw that. 22 years of school. Of carefree childhood. Of innocent youth.

We complain every morning when we have to wake up for class, all the way from kindergarten, to jc, even in university, that we have to go to school. When it's your last day of school, suddenly all those years didnt seem so bad huh?

Potato, i'm not trying to bum you out by rubbing it in, but i'm saying this in the hope that I and everyone else around us or who reads this blog, cherishes every remaining day of school life, or life in school, (especially those who've enjoyed it), and for those who don't enjoy it, maybe you could take notice and appreciate the little things around you in school that make these memories so precious, and savor them before its time to get into the merciless working world.

Little things like knowing what time the buses frequent each bus stop, so that you know you can buy your subway and still be in time for that once-every-half-hour bus that takes you back to hall on a wednesday night after a long and shagenating handball training. Or missing that bus and cursing your judgment of time but being pleasantly surprised by a BTC that shows up at the YIH bus stop shortly thereafter.
Or reaching your morning lecture early for a change, and just relaxing in your chair, watching people stream in, someone reading the newspaper, someone blogging away on their laptop, another taking a nap after their long ride to school (which makes you appreciate your proximity).
Cheap food. Free medical care. Great sports facilities. Bazaars. The fact that you can wake up one morning, look and the dreary weather outside your window and just say "ah fuck it" and go back to sleep and drop an email to your prof later saying you had something on (if he's bothered) and take the rest of the day off and do this as many times as you like (something you so cant do once you're working). The list is endless. And i'll sure i'll come up with a longer and more organized list soon.

But just wanted to write out something when potato threw this curveball at me out of the blue, and this will be us in six months time. Like i said man, this wasnt meant to bum you out - we've had awesome times together in hall, and i'm sure we'll continue to because you're definitely coming back, but we will sure as hell miss you around here when you don't. Hope you enjoy your last day of school. Do shit you've never done before in school. Take pictures of the lecture while its in progress. Stand up and ask a question halfway thru the lecturer's sentence. Put your legs up on the chair infront of you (make sure no one's sitting there first. Heck, do it even if there is!). Eat during your tutorial and if the tutor looks at you funny, offer him some food. Take a 'souvenir' from your lab. Video your entire last day!

Anyway, lets hope you manage to get that apartment we were talking about and we can carry on the 8-short legacy there!

Here's some random pictures i rummaged from our archives

Year4Fun GoodLuck PotLuck Dinner VIDEOS

2007-11-10T16:27:00.000+08:00

Here are some of the snippets from the amazing night we had at the block E rooftop.
This is the video of clips from the guessing game. Sean Bai, you especially must watch this!

more videos/posts regarding the event coming soon

for now, here are links to the facebook photo albums

album1(food)
album2(games)

Happy Birthday Jun Ming

2007-11-07T18:34:00.000+08:00

Haha i know this is kinda late, it shouldve gone up yesterday, but oh well, better late than never..

It was priceless seeing James Tan Jun Ming walking in a drenched white tee shirt with a bright red bra underneath, from block B to block C where the level 7 girls didn't even realize he was wearing a bra as according to a particular Ms. J "it blended in so well and he carried it off so naturally."

Looks like we've discovered a new talent. Pictures and Videos to be up soon?

Anyway, after all the sabo-ing, i must say it was super shiok sitting with the rest of 8short on the rooftop, good drinks, good company, good weather, the clouds flying real low, cool breeze - perfect weather for talking cock and reminiscing about JC days until we realized it had become 5 in the fucking morning. That probably explains why no one was awake and available for the rest of the day to post you your happy birthday message on the blog. SORRY :D

Lets get the photos/videos up soon so everyone can benefit from James' misery

Choon Han/Yen Bin are you reading this?

Pool Finals highlights!!

2007-11-05T00:05:00.001+08:00

For those who missed it. Watch how Ian lost the final ball to Ronald.

And his comments right after match!

8Short-lived Halloween

2007-11-04T14:32:00.000+08:00

An excerpt from the block C diary, posted by our dear blockhead in response to our stunt in the lift. Unfortunately it scared the bejeezus out of our resident toddler and had to be taken down prema

Halloween is here...

Being the lazy person that i am, i wanted to take the lift up to
level four to reach the comm hall this morning... even though i was on level three.

To my horror, this is what i found in the lift..

wah lao.

# posted by joyceh- @ 12:12 PM 0 Comments

For a link to the accompanying back-story about peter, here's the post from the diary..
http://blkcdiary.blogspot.com/
hmm apparently individual posts on the diary don't have their own links.. strange..
anyhow.. just go to the diary and search Peter if you're curious. :)

Doldrums

2007-11-03T21:22:00.000+08:00

Exams are around the bend. Everyone's busy
Term papers, lab reports, job hunting's not easy
Comm's have closed, no recent ponding
Even been missing out on our breakfast bonding

Played boardgames last night
With Pot, Grace and Pon
Settlers and Citadels
Till the break of dawn

Jake, where are you
hope everything's alright
and its just academia
thats keeping you away at night

For some of us, final year
is merely a formality
For others its the last chance
to make our dreams reality
For some its the final stretch
after 3 hard fought laps
just need one final push
to solidify our CAPs

For some of us its not even a year
but just one final sem
"Should I try and up my grades
so that I can spend more time with them?"

Its a pensive time for all of us
But time doesn't plan to wait
Could that explain the lull on the blog
Reflecting the doldrums in level 8?

But winds one day will blow
As doldrums they come and go
Once we see these waters through
We'll be back soaring through the yonder blue

Lets not forget our dear James
(my apologies for protecting some names)
His special day is coming near
so ready the soakers and the beer
And there's our good luck dinner
which promises to be a winner

So up the spirits
and burn the oil
its time to mug
its time to toil

but all work and no play
is just plain... gay
so lets rework our clocks
unfasten our locks
and start the new week
with the breakfasts we seek
and get back in this together
through fair and foul weather

Jake we miss you man. Hope to see you spreching soon

15 Things to do on a Sunday Afternoon @ 8 Short

2007-10-28T17:17:00.000+08:00

I wanted this to be a photo essay but in the end i was too lazy to take and transfer so many pictures and by the time i had the idea for this, half the events had already passed. Next week perhaps.

Anyway, for those of you interested and wondering what goes on on a lazy Sunday afternoon when most of you are back home or visiting family or friends, or even recovering from a night of being fugitives from the Zhi Char lady, here's a step by step look of how the lao jiaos of level 8 while away their typical weekend. Lets see if you can figure who is responsible for what action

1. Wake up at noon. Too lazy to go out and eat. Cook Noodles in Kitchen.
2. Clean up dishes from lunch and all the other dirty dishes piled up from the week that went by
3. Try to catch up on internet activities. Start cursing in chorus at the fact that all our favorite sites are down, facebook, soccernet, ifilm, etc
4. Catch up on 8 episodes of lost between lunch and dinner
5. Watch your level mate return from the luxury and comfort of home, while the other 4 of us have to vegetate in hall and settle for noodle lunches and dinners, and if thats not enough, watch him be welcomed by a bowl of freshly cooked pasta for his lunch.
6. Start to stir shit.
7. Investigate new Scandal.
8. After finding little relevant evidence, cool our heads by shooting super-soakers into block D windows.
9. Refill all the guns and re-stock the armory before heading back to the wing.
10. Do laundry, fold clothes, and other such gay housekeeping shit.
11. Watch your fellow wingmate fill up 11 bank applications and watch him small-time his way thru each one of them.
12. Then watch him get fed up and start playing retarded games like Wario on his Wii in a futile attempt to destress
13. Realise that the blog has been neglected, and seize the opportunity to make up for all the post-less days gone by.
14. Blog about night cycling and all the other subsequent events unfolding in the wing
15. Wait for potato to come back so we can suan him for some reason or the other, since the 5 of us are by now sick of each other's faces after spending an entire sunday together pretty much doing nothing.

CCB: "The Mystery" - Pasta-mania (1)

2007-10-28T16:17:00.000+08:00

There are many mysteries going unnoticed on the grounds over your head. Strange water flying around, strange ladies appearing out of nowhere, strange noises heard at night, and strange images haunting the occupants. "The Mystery" aims to shed some light on these happenings, and perhaps offer some reconciliations for the events that should not have happened, but happened anyway.

Today "The Mystery" looks at the Mystery of The Appearing Pasta.

Names and events have been changed to protect the identities of the party involved.

James Chen is like any ordinary man. It was indeed like any other ordinary Sunday. But events that follow is anything but. Having spent the entire day doing something that shall not be revealed yet, James was hungry. Breakfast with family was good, but apparently not filling enough. What can 2 pieces of Yew Char Kuey do?

He contemplated cooking noodles, maybe add some eggs, or probably just cook corn soup. But he was out of bowls, 'cause you see, he haven't been washing the bowls he was using couple of days ago. Oh, that dirty bastard. Shockingly he contemplated just cooking with the dirty bowl, when out of the blue there was a gentle knock on his door.

What follows was series of blurry exchanges.

Lady: Hey *** somebody asked me to pass you this.
James: What the...? Who was it?

At this point the lady giggles, to the chagrin of the rest of the hungry souls of James' wing-mates

Lady: It was somebody called ***
James: Who is that? Who?
Lady: She's called ***. I don't know.
Lady: I don't know all the people living in the Block ok..
James: *bleep* *bleep* la, I need to go toilet..

Questions. Who was the person sending James this 'thing'? Why does he needs to go to toilet immediately after receiving the 'thing'? Is it some sort of a communication ritual all James' wing-mates doesn't know, or shouldn't know? Why was James shocked? Was he expecting something else? And what is this 'thing'?

Yes this 'thing' is the innocent yummy looking pasta. But it is anything but. Look at the way the prawn is placed. As if screaming "I'm lonely, I need you". And if you count, I'm sure you will, there are exactly 116 strands of pasta in that bowl. 11/6, November 6th, James' birthday. Coincidental? I don't think so. Most shockingly, there was NO notes given with the pasta. Usually, from experience, this kind of occurrence comes with notes. Love notes, hate notes, etc. But no notes. This can only mean that there is more to this than mere overdue Buaya Week goodie. Sure the pasta filled our poor James' stomach. But there are too many questions unanswered. And "The Mystery" will go to great lengths to uncover the truth.

At this moment James is quietly enjoying the pasta. The plot thickens with the receipt of an anonymous text message, and an anonymous telephone call... "The Mystery" returns with more uncovered details, details that James himself would die protecting.

CCB: "Days that shook the World" - Teaser

2007-10-28T16:09:00.000+08:00

It has been two days since the D-Day. It was indeed an astronomical story to tell. Shocking discoveries about pirates, and stars, and perhaps one unholy destiny. Bigger, longer, and uncut, "Days that shook the World" will finally reveal, the man, and the lady, intertwined in a twisted story of love, betrayal, and with a twist that will leave everybody questioning the very foundation of belief.

Because CCB is under intense budget cuts, she was unable to send her investigating officers on a road trip on D-Day. But technology in a form of a Imaginary Imagination Imaging System, the events of the D-Day are constructed to fill the gaps left behind by the previous 2 episodes.

Stay tuned, and the "Days that shook the World" promises to offer more than mere shocks, it promises to awe.

8 Short @ Night Cycling

2007-10-28T02:16:00.001+08:00

It was indeed romance on the road during Sheares Hall's starlit and full-moonlit night cycling expedition as 8 short was represented by 50% strength, 66% of which comprised of blossoming couples seizing the opportunity to take their love to astronomical heights. Here are but a few of the pictures from that stellar night, and as promised by my trusty neighbor who missed out on the action, there will surely be more exposing stories and photos to come!

8 short sets out

CTs storming the Botanical Gardens

A Glimpse of more damning evidence to come...

Die Another Day - The Videos

2007-10-22T13:39:00.000+08:00

The visual account of thrilling encounter is now here. Thanks to Yen Bin's filming and Abhi's editing, you can now witness how the events unfolded FIRST HAND..

However, we strongly recommend you read the story below in the previous post, first, before watching the video, in order to maximise your experience

The video is split into two halves for uploading purposes

Segment 1:

Segment 2:

Die Another Day

2007-10-22T01:52:00.000+08:00

October 21st 2007 (22 A.D.)
0100 hours

Counter-Terrorist (CT) Headquarters (C808)

CT Metalaway: Do you have the directives from command?
CT Sprecher: Yes i've just received instructions. The mission is as follows:
Target: Barack Obama, serial number 42
Mission: Extract and deliver target alive to Counter-Terrorist roof and execute Operation White Christmas
CT Metalaway: Affirmative.
(CT Metalaway purchases Milk, Flour and Kaya while in the buy zone)
(CT Sprecher Purchases 2 x Supersoaker Helix short range splash damage rifles)
(CT Mulder searches for third gun meanwhile - aka, no money to buy gun)

CT Sprecher: So does everyone know the plan? We surround the terrorist, bring him to the rooftop, and on his 22nd birthday we turn him white for a change.

CT Mulder: Roger That

CT Sprecher: Get into position and wait for my go
CT Metalaway: I'm in position
(CT Mulder decides to fill a pail to use as his weapon)

And thus the real life version of Counter-Strike was ready to unfold . It was supposed to be a simple extraction sortie. Probably the first operation you learn to execute during FIBUA training. Surround. Kill. That's it.

And everything was going according to plan. They surrounded the terrorist, he changed into shorts and a tshirt, left his valuable behind, and decided to co-operate and walk willingly towards the execution chamber.

With one minor detour. The three CT's closely following him, he stopped to pick up his shoe bag so that he could wear a more comfy pair of slippers. The bag unzipped. And that fateful harmless unzipping sound would probably haunt the CT's for the rest of their hall lives.

Have you seen those old mafia movies, where the mobsters always walk around carrying a violin case, and should anyone try anything funny, all it takes is a couple of buckles to be popped and out comes a tommy gun and all hell is let loose via the hands of our unassuming mafioso?

Well, little did our CT's know, that this little yellow shoebag was housing the very gun they were searching for prior to the encounter, the sniper rifle of all super soakers, that would turn out to be the bane of their existence for the next thirty minutes. Within a flash of a second, before the CT's realised what was happening, Terrorist Obama had flown down the flight of stairs, toting his rifle, taking potshots at the CT's who though having the higher ground, were still having trouble getting their aim on target while trying to regroup. And so the chase began. And it was supposed to be a simple 2-step extraction.

The terrorist had by now run down to level 7, the CT's hot on his heels, as they tore down the level 7 long wing, jumping over tables and other flotsam and jetsam strewn on the floor, down the far stair case, back through the level 6 long wing, and back down the main staircase. By this time, Obama had gained just enough ground to be out of visual contact with his pursuers, and took the opportunity to run out into the deserted level 5 short wing. But it wasn't as deserted as he had hoped. As he climbed over onto the roof of the block C linkway to get into his favorite camping spot, he was sighted by his buayee, who almost gave his position away, but manage to contain her natural urge to squeal once he played the birthday card. The fear was unwarranted however, as the CT's had run all the way down to level 4 and over to the lounge, block B, back to the rooftop, and then finally to the kitchen, all the time moving in formation, covering each other, strafing around each corner, in typical CS fashion, looking high and low for their target who had been so close but now yet so far, cursing and blaming one another for being so noob.

In the meanwhile, our misunderstood 'terrorist' used the time to reload his rifle with some nice ice cold water and after completing a quick scan of level 8, headed for the block B linkway to get a good vantage point of what was conspiring back in his 'home' block. But alas, as he took position between the vending machines and took sight of his enemies who were crawling about level 5, the lift across from him opened at block C level 5 and CT Mulder managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of him, and once again the chase was back on. This time Metalaway led the chase across from block C to B, but by then Obama was already at then end of the corridor at block A contemplating his next move.

At opposite ends of the longest stretch of hallway in Sheares, Metalaway and Obama were both frantically trying to determine the position of the other, while taking cover at their respective corners. They both stuck their heads out at the same time, sighted each other, and ducked back in, each wondering if the other had seen them, or seen them see the other. As exit strategies began to run through his mind, Obama began accepting that the end was near, he would be cornered soon, but he wouldnt go down without a fight. Not this day for sure.

Metalaway went back to get his reinforcements, and told them to storm the corridor while he would run around the long way and block the exit at block A, boxing in the resilient terrorist. As he made his way back, Mulder and Sprecher pressed ahead, regrouping at their end of the long corridor, ready to burst around the corner and chase after the unsuspecting prey. But this time, the prey would be ready. Knowing that his days were numbered, he had walked all the way back to the mouth of the corridor, ready to enter into a staring match with death, and make pretty damn sure death blinked first. The CT stormed the corridor, ready to make their final charge, only to find Mr. Obama standing right there in front of them, letting loose a barrage of water bursts straight into their faces as they walked right into his line of fire. With the CT's in disarray once again, Metalaway heard their cries and aborted his surround mission and ran to their aid, freeing up the exit as Obama began another run.

Now the CT's were pissed. This was getting too much. How many times would this one measly terrorist get the better of them. Where could he hide. Afghanistan is only so big. Or so the Americans thought.

But still pissed they were, and they ran after him with a vengeance. Sprecher grimacing. Metalaway snarling. Mulder panting. He was still lugging the pail around during all these chases. The wretched pesky terrorist just wouldn't stay still form him to cast his ultimate spell.

The chase continued down the former Gaza strip (which might i mention was the location planned by Metalaway for his previous 'box-in' strategy to take place), into the carpark, onto the road and up the slope. Anyone awake at that hour and watching must've thought that this was a scene out of the show U.S. Marshals, the sequel to The Fugitive, where we have one poor black dude running for his life like MoFo all across town with a whole bunch of white guys toting guns chasing after him. Talk about a lynch mob.

But another thing about the darker skinned folks is that they can run like mofos when their lives depend on it, especially when theyre barefoot. I can probably list a dozen historical, economical and socio-political reasons to prove that phenomenon but I shall refrain at the risk of sounding racist. Anyway, lets just say that our terrorist friend was by now up the slope heading towards the block E back gate while the CT's, weighed down by their armor and ammo were still at the barrier in the carpark. Suspecting that their target would try and climb his way back into hall, they drew on whatever strength they had left to bear him down before he crossed the border in his instinctive illegal immigrant style. The runner however took a detour and turned towards a clump of trees opposite the gate, hiding in the shadows, catching his breath, and waiting to watch and plan his next move.

CT Metalaway once again was the first one to reach the gate, and even though he had spotted the fugitive in the trees in the distance, he decided to act blur until reinforcements arrived so that they could flush him out. Once backup came, they put on act to show our camper that they thought he had climbed over, and began to pretend to climb over too, making their conversation nice and loud so that the enemy would defintely hear them. However, they took their acting a bit too far, and realizing that their voices were way over the natural decibel level, Obama began to smell a rat, and his mind began racing once again. It was just then that For one split second, all 3 CTs had their backs turned towards the gate as they faked their climb, and seeing that it was now or never Obama crashed through the foliage and let fly another round of his ammo before heading back around the corner to Sheares, catching his screaming victims off guard once again. The CTs, now raging mad, split up and took two routes to cut him off. One chased him along the road, while the others decided to take the lower ground and cut through the rag area. But being one step ahead, Obama veered off the road, lost his follower by hiding in another tree, and began shooting down the other party from his elevated position as they lumbered their way up.

Feeling might kicked about his exploits, our fugitive began what was to be his final run, as he stepped on a large piece of stone and injured the ball of his foot. Unable to put any more weight on his left leg, he was forced to slow down to a walk, and as Metalaway and Sprecher finally flanked him, he stopped. He raised his rifle one last time, and fired every last drop out of it at the two assailants as they struggled to restrain him and finally bring him down on the road in front of Sheares Hall. This amusing sight prompted a priceless comment from our cameraman: "I wish people were here to see 3 ex-JCRC members fighting on the road in front of Sheares Hall in the middle of the night."

Finally, with the target injured and subdued, Mulder finally was able to make use of the pail he was lugging the entire night and take consolation in merely drenching the enemy.

CCB: So, was Operation White Christmas a success?
Obama: I think i'll die another day. It's not my time to go.

CCB: "Days that shook the World" - P2

2007-10-19T02:58:00.000+08:00

Previously on "Days that shook the World", one man's quest, "Oh, I dun mind actually..", one lady's agony, "Er... haha", and the world's burning question, "Who is the lady?" We call experts to help us piece together the story leading to the shocking event and fill those damning gaps in today's "Days that shook the World".

Following previous episode we found out that Mr. P did indeed asked the lady to be his partner for nite-cycling. But recent revelations showed that he has more in his mind than mere tandem-ing. What was his "intentions"? This and many more questions, right here, right now.

The following events and names have been changed slightly to protect the identities of parties involved.

The following partial excerpt of the MSN conversation is NOT a dramatised reconstruction, it is extracted from the actual transcript, as Mr. P himself would attest to. We shall now look at the conversation more closely.

After having established that the lady was indeed in her room, Mr. P proceeded with his "intentions". What were his "intentions"? Only he knew.

P:just wondering.. so wat *tut* said is true ah? u wanna ask me for nite cycling is it?
The lady did not reply for a long time. Unknown to Mr. P, she was panicking. She was always a SHY lady, how would she respond to this kind of question? Not only that, it was clear that Mr. P had structured his question such that the lady had difficulty refusing. Such techniques are common for predators. We ask Mr. John Oliver, an expert from The Imaginary Criminology Department. He answers, "Looking at his sentence structure, starting with 'just wondering' he clearly caught the lady off-guard. By posing an 'is it true?' question, followed by YOU WANNA ASK ME FOR NITE-CYCLING?, he then leaves the lady with little choice but accepting. This is a classical long-lost technique called INSTEAD I ASKING HER, WHY NOT ASK HER ASK ME technique, usually only used by high level predators".

Lady: hey sorry! was running ard the blk jus now.. ahaha.. why? u wana ask me ah?
P: haha... dun mind...
The lady, sensing the danger, probably her feminine instincts giving her warning signals, tried to negate Mr. P's question by cleverly deflecting the question away. She was hoping that Mr. P would take the hint, and ASK her properly like a gentleman. But his predatory instincts was strong. This man, Mr. P is a cold, calculative crocodile. Mr. John Oliver agrees that Mr. P's response was a stroke of genius. By HAHA-ing, and DUN MIND-ing he inadvertently assumes that the lady would say yes, and that he wouldn't have to actually put his intentions to ask the lady's permissions to have her as his partner for nite-cyling in an actual physical sentence.

Lady: ok. i can go with u! hahaa
To the untrained eyes, the lady seemed to have agreed to go tandem-ing with Mr. P, despite the fact that Mr. P had never made a FORMAL request or invitation. But according to our expert, Ms. Samantha Bee, from The Imaginary Department of Psychology of the National Health Centre, the sentence above is anything but. "By punctuating an affirmative sentence with the famous H-A-H-A-A code, she was actually saying NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOO". But Mr. P already assumes that she said yes, and thus there is nothing the lady can do.

P: nvm... if *tut-tut* ask u then it's ok..
P: it's up to u..
Mr. P then made his final move by acting seemingly innocent. Knowing that the lady is actively asking some other people to go with her, he coyly allows the lady choice. This, according to Mr. Jack Black from The Imaginary Anti-Predator Council, is the all-famous IF YOU DARE TO GO WITH OTHER PPL I WILL CRY LIKE A BABY move. A technique that will irresistibly make the lady ASK HIM to go tandem-ing, as if she was the one with the "intentions" instead of Mr. P himself.

Lady: hey so how? ride with u? confirm!?
Lady: ???
P: alrite then
And surely enough, the lady HAD TO ASK, instead of the other way around. And she said YES, even as she was screaming NO. Mr. P had sealed the deal, like a true blue predator.

So there you go, from Mr. P's seemingly innocent question at the start, he had use the sacred MSN to poach for a nite-cycling partner. That too BEHIND HIS FELLOW WING MATES. And most shockingly, he coyly admitted of having the lady asked him, when in actual fact it was him with the "intentions". In the end, the main premises of "Days that shook the World" part 1 stand. That Mr. P firstly assumes that the lady WANTS to go tandem-ing with him. That he secondly did not ask the lady in PROPER manner, but OVER MSN. That he thirdly did this behind his wing mates, and then coyly disclosed that he already had a partner for nite-cycling because A GIRL ASKED HIM.

But most importantly, as we mentioned in the first few lines of today's episode, what were his "intentions"? Could it be that he has FEELINGS for this lady? Could it be that he is a predatory crocodile, wanting to get this nite-cycling opportunity to GET HITCHED? Could he be harbouring FORBIDDEN LOVE for this lady? WOULD THE LADY ACCEPT HIM? Ah, intentions, intentions and more intentions, all will be revealed in the third, and the concluding part of "Days that shook the World".

"Never shit in you own backyard"

2007-10-18T02:23:00.000+08:00

There's so much shit going around, is clearing them considered "sai kang"?

So guess it's time to start to clear some of it. Firstly, I quote, 'This is a dramatised reconstruction of true events.' The actual event itself is of course much watered down and boring.

Here are parts of the conversation:

P: u there?
Lady: yo!
Lady: im here now!
P:just wondering.. so wat lawrence said is true ah? u wanna ask me for nite cycling is it?
(Lady didn't reply for a long time)
Lady: hey sorry! was running ard the blk jus now.. ahaha.. why? u wana ask me ah?
P: haha... dun mind...
(Again disappears, P starts to panic)
Lady: hey sorry! went ard blk again..
Lady: realized that some of my clan ppl asked ***** to ask me for the nightcycling.. but ***** havent confirm
P: haha.... ic ic...
P: how come u keep running round the blk?
Lady: haha coz my neighbours all busy.. then left lvl* ones.. so ive to go there lorh..
P: oic...
Lady: ok. i can go with u! hahaa
P: nvm... if ***** ask u then it's ok..
P: it's up to u..
(Lady went offline, P went "maybe she need some time to think")
Lady: hey sorry got log out
Lady: can go with u.. i just need u to build up more muscles so that u can ride with me!! hahaahaa...
P: lol...
P: haha... i'll try...
P: eh u can run loh...
Lady: hahaaa running still ok.. cycling.. errr... got problem
P: it's almost the same thing ....both need leg power n stamina
Lady: hey so how? ride with u? confirm!?
Lady: ???
P: alrite then
Lady: ok! gtta slp alredyy!!
Lady: gdnight!!
P: nitez!

So there you have it, the truth and nothing but the truth. And come on, I'm not like asking someone for a date. It's just nite cycling. If it's a date, I'll go ask personally lah. Since when asking someone out was condemned on msn...

Sighz.. first post already doing "sai kang"...

C-Central Broadcasting (CCB): "Days that shook the World" - P1

2007-10-17T00:44:00.000+08:00

The five ways how (NOT) to ask a girl to be your nite-cyling partner.
Events and names have been changed slightly to protect the identities of affected parties.

5. "Eh, I think I need a partner to cycle for me on nite-cycling. You interested?"

4. See 5.

3. See 5. Seriously.

2. OK fuck it, I give up. I'm more interested in writing the Number 1 way how (NOT) to ask a nite-cycling mate.

1. Based on true accounts. By the time this event unfold within the walls of his secret lair, it was well-documented how well this man, whom due to undisclosed reasons shall remain anonymous, has always wanted to go tandem-ing. This is a dramatised reconstruction of true events leading to the final minutes of "Days that shook the World".

After certain covert shit-stirring exercise by certain unnamed person(s), this man, let's call him P, wasted no time by MSN-ing certain lady in questioned. The following is a dramatised reconstruction of the MSN conversation.

P: Eh, is what *** said about you wanna go nite-cycling with me true?
At this point, the lady doesn't know if she should cry or laugh. Of course it was not true, but having been caught off-guard, she could only muster a weak reply.
Lady: Er... haha.
P: Really true ah?
Wanting to divert the question, she tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to say something ambiguous.
Lady: Er, aiya, see how la.
P: Oh, i dun mind actually... Let's go.

WTF..? Let's stop and look at the sequence of event in parts. Firstly, it was not mention in parts, by the lady, that she was interested in going nite-cycling with this certain Mr. P. But Mr. P assumes so, partly thanks to the covert shit-stirring exercise by certain forces within the ranks. Secondly, the lady did not agree, nor sadly, disagree, to go tandem-ing with Mr. P, but he assumes so, and thus sealing the deal without consent from the other party.

For the record, the nature of the way Mr. P asked the lady to be his partner for nite-cycling was rather, to put it nicely, totally unacceptable. Over @#$*&%$ bloody MSN. Where is the sincerity? And besides, doing this behind his wing mates, he has crossed the line, like a certain Selangor born Prince in an undisclosed event in SNDCC.

And that too, after assuming that the lady would go with him tandem-ing without a confirmation or consent. It is very certain that this event has shook the world to its core. CCB investigates the aftermath, and answers all the burning questions in part 2 of "Days that shook the World".

Startling Revelation!

2007-10-16T22:53:00.000+08:00

Our @$@%#*^@ level directory keeps falling off. This is the third time since it was first mounted. Need to buy hook AGAIN to put it back up....

However, on further examination, I stumbled upon a startling clue, that might help explain the nature behind this photoframe's inefficacy in defying gravity. It all lies in the name.
DROPS. WTF! Who in their right mind would go and name a wall hanging photoframe DROPS?! It's liking naming your first son Dumba$$ and expecting him to discover a new special theory of relativity. Why would any piece of embellishment want to put up the slightest fight against a force so strong as gravity if it's lived its entire life being conditioned into believing that it was named with the purpose of carrying out precisely the opposite function. Screw you IKEA. Go back to Sweden and do what you're good at, like invent Nobel Prizes or eat meatballs.

Level rep, if you're reading this, maybe you have some alien technology at hand that could help us brainwash this poor piece of plastic into having a little more self esteem so that it can begin to believe in itself once again. Or else even a stronger hook would do.

DROPS. sheesh. i still can't get over it.

for the record we still love ikea and the wonders it has done for brightening up our rooms. please don't go back to Sweden. I was only joking

CS Debrief 15.10.07

2007-10-16T12:50:00.000+08:00

After long last the brotherhood finally took back to the sacred corridors of CS_Fastline, attempting to infiltrate an unsuspecting MRT station and blow the crap out of the counter-terrorists. Time however had taken its toll on the rusty insurgents, and the CT's seemed to have made other plans too, the carnage seldom going further than the first set of turnstiles as they massacred us 17-2 within the first ten minutes. Even Metalaway was playing like he had one too many erdingers the night before, his disGRACEful statistics leaving him at least 2 notches below the top spot we expect him to be at. The entire course that game 1 took could be summed up by one line typed during the game by Metalaway after our entire team was reduced to dust in a matter of seconds at an ambush at the escalator. All he said were two words - "we're fucked." And at that moment, all i could think of was this time magazine cover, and thats when i knew it was time we pulled out of Iraq.

After getting creamed to the point where we were broke and battered, a re-start and re-group was called, and after a few 'cheebais' and 'wake up you ideas' flew across the wing, it was certain that there would be no more second chances after this. We had to do this together, do this as a team, and do it ponding style - hard, fast, first.

And so the counter-attack began, with Mulder storming the front in typical fashion, Sprecher picking off dead bodies as Metalaway would get to them a second sooner, Obama getting head-shot every time he had enough money to buy his BIG gun, Buangster running rampage with his trusty shotgun and Ma Xiao Ling as usual doing his own thing coz he's one block away, and also, that's just his style.

But things were starting to look normal again, flawless victories, good communication, effective ghosting and lots of buang grenades thrown by the Buangster, upon which he exclaimed - "Sorry la, i release too early". Bro, just between the six of us, that's okay... but just so you know, you don't ever want to find yourself saying that the next time you're with a lady, yeah? :)

Quotable quotes aside, the last leg of the game took on a new dimension of fun when Obama introduced a smoke grenade into the mix, which initially confused the shit out of his team mates but in the end resulted in a complete decimation of the opposing force as a John Woo style battle ensued in that smoke filled corridor, all their bullets missing us and all ours hitting them. After that round of madness, everyone was buying smoke, even though a certain someone hadn't yet figured out how to use it effectively, exacting high decibels kao-pei's from his neighbor. But it was indeed a hilarious sight to see, 6 smoke grenades going off at the bombsite and the poor CT's having no clue whatsoever where the bomb was, as mulder and co. picked them off one by one. Mulder however was a cause of one smoke attack backfiring as he was killed at the vent's opening WHILE THE SMOKE GRENADE WAS UNPINNED IN HIS HAND, causing it to go off right at the mouth of the vent, giving the CT's the perfect screen to run through our ranks.

The endearing image of last night's game however has to be Sprecher trying to communicate with Ma Xiao Ling and get him to follow into the train to flush out the last CT. MXL obviously cant hear us, so Sprecher had to find other creative ways to draw his attention and get the idea across. So he shoots a couple of round at MXL to draw his attentions, and the starts gesturing and gesticulating by swinging his gun from left to right again and again in order to tell MXL to follow him into the right corridor. It was pure comedy to see the two of them staring each other, sprecher swinging wildly in the direction he wants to go, and MXL just wondering WTF is going on, before turning around and running the other way.

We need to play more guys!

Perfect Beauty

2007-10-15T02:22:00.000+08:00

He can't remember the first time he set eyes on her. Actually he did, but he'd rather not. 'Cause that was the first time he felt so crazy, yet so calm, and a little scared too. It would always be perfect, that moment, when he saw her smile. Or was it her eyes?

It took another few months before he made up his mind that she was the one. Or was it days, I don't really know. But he was certain, that for all that matters, she was the one. So fragile, yet so strong. So beautiful, yet so distant, from him and his world. He was all 933 kind of guy, but she was more of 98.7 kind of girl. So different, yet he felt so right.

But fate always has something up his sleeve. As it was, she was with somebody else. And how unfair that was, he felt. There was this song, by a certain McFly. So apt, wouldn't you think so, that song 'Obviously'?

But this girl, although beautiful, was imperfect in her own ways. She shouts a lot. But they seemed like music to his ears. She is a little crazy. But nonetheless adding a little spice to his life. She always ignore him. In due time, he always say to himself. She is always scolding. But he'd rather let her, because she'd always remain lovable.

It's all that, but it is OK. He knew that in his heart, she is always perfect. A perfect beauty.

This story is inspired by a certain 3rd Sargent who refuses to reveal himself. But he knew that the girl is right now single and available. And that although she is not here right now, she is always in his heart, always perfect. Maybe it's time, now?

10 things to remember while playing CS

2007-10-15T02:05:00.000+08:00

10. Do not anyhow flashbang, remember to give warning.
9. Remember that when you're wondering who has the bomb, it is almost always you.
8. Black terrorist makes good sniper. But yellow terrorist makes better snipers.
7. Play as a team, and that means people like sprecher will have to be contended with shooting dead bodies. Besides the fact that he is lousy.
6. Always let potato go in front of you because he is a bullet magnet. He always almost get shot first before the bullets come flying to your head.
5. Always let buangster go in first. He'd either shield you from dying, or he'll kill those CT faster than you can say 'Get out of my way'.
4. Do not camp. Or in some cases stare at the door.
3. Do not AFK in middle of a game. You don't see the US AFK-ing while they go after those terrorists do you? Getting involved in IRAQ does not qualify as AFK-ing.
2. Leave your girlfriend behind. I'm serious.
1. Let's just fucking play for crying out loud.

Hmmm...

2007-10-14T00:28:00.000+08:00

Yeah so i know we like said that the reason we started this blog is because we had wayyyy too much shit to post that we didnt want it to cram up the block C diary and now all we have to show for two weeks of going live is two measly posts, but trust me, all dua-kang-ness aside, theres is a shit load of stuff collectively strewn over the 11 hard disks of 8 short that is indeed worth sharing - its just the consolidation process thats taking a bit of time

so if there's anyone out there reading (doubtful) and anticipating (even more doubtful) our posts,, hang in there - we won't disappoint! as soon as some of us wake up our ideas, that is, and get back to making the coridoor their first priority again!

Before we all go separate ways

2007-10-08T21:07:00.001+08:00

This post is dedicated to all 8Short

Just today I overheard a familiar face grunted about how she is going to die and fail her CA. Just how worried she was because she didn't finish revising her materials, or even if she did, she wouldn't understand any of them anyway.

And as we go through our University days, I am sure there will be more worries to contend with. From tests and exams, to lectures and tutorials, and to the extracurricular things outside school, we will never, and I'm not exaggerating, stop worrying about them. We will be consumed in our little world that we forget the beauty these four (or three, depending on your course) years have to offer. And it is a waste if you leave this compound not learning what I've learnt.

Between assignments to assignments, lectures to lectures, the most important lesson I've learnt from my professors is not thermodynamics or conservation of energy, but the simple insatiable crave for learning. While we are all fighting fire from deadlines to deadlines, the most important thing to remember is not the equations or numbers, but the process of learning. That when we graduate and are thrust into the real world, the same equations and numbers will not solve our problems. It is our ability to learn, to infer and to conclude that will keep us competitive and survive the dog eat dog world. Make it a point to learn, and not to just remember blindly. And as we grow older, do not stop learning, do not dread learning.

But the greatest lessons I've learnt in my University days are not taught in class. I've learnt the value of friendship. From the moment I stepped in Hall, and 'till the moment I leave, the most valuable asset I will take away is the friendship forged. That in times of distress, and in times of jubilant, the same friends are always there sharing the burden and the joy. I am sure you have the same sentiment. But as you rushed to your next lecture just now, did you notice the frown on your friend's face? Friendship works both way, that you have to keep you side of the bargain. So treasure the true friends you have now, forget the imposters, but most importantly, take some time off your busy day to connect with your friends. 'Cause really, he could be carrying the heaviest of burden, and you'd want to share that burden with him. That's what friends are for.

And in my days here, I have fought well and tasted both the sweet serenade of victory as well as the agony of crushing defeat. And have learnt to treat those two the same. Sometimes we focused too much on a failed relationship, or the thrashings from soccer last Saturday, or the test which we just flunk. Sometimes we let the perfect score in our project, or the victory over our nemesis team, or the praise from our professors go to our head. My best achievements are not the perfect score in tests, or being a top scorer in certain college, or having a CAP within a first class range. My best achievement is my ability to stand up and to face the challenges when I've fallen flat on my face. And this is a lesson learnt from the many falls I've experienced.

And I worry too. Sometimes unnecessarily. But I've learnt that for all the time spent worrying, the amount of effort expanded does not justify anything. That I could spend those times and efforts doing more constructive things. That instead of worrying if I'm gonna fail my exams, I could be focusing on making an effort not to fail them. That for all the worrying done, my real troubles are those that are unexpected. The kind that left you witless on an idle Tuesday. And that I cannot be prepared for, but always ready to face.

But the most humbling lesson I've learnt is to love, and to love always, deeply. Enough said.

So dear friends, as we finish up whatever is left in our University days, let us remember the friendship we share. That I am willing to listen, if you're willing to share. Let us not forget our drive to learn, from the South Park philosophy to the world philosophy. Let us worry less, and concentrate more on the things that really matter in our lives. Let us remember the victories we hand-in-hand brought home, and the defeats we faced with arms over each other's shoulders, and treat them both for nothing more than they are. And most important, let us love, and let us love truly and not be reckless with other people's heart.

As a parting shot, let us remember the days of our lives right here, right now.

First Post

2007-10-03T19:18:00.000+08:00

Testing
1.... 2.... 1.... 2.... 3....
We sons of Sheares Hall, we...

Okay, so the blog works. Why a separate blog for block C level 8? Don't worry this isn't a secession or a revolution or what not, its just to divert some of our traffic to a different channel to avoid cluttering up the Block C diary with the overwhelming amount of videos, pictures, stories and anecdotes that we have to share.

Contributions to the Diary will still continue, and highlights from here will surely be posted there as well, but if you're just a little curious to find out more about what happens behind the blue curtain once it's drawn, this is specially for you.

Why 8short? Because we're level 8 short wing (though there is no long wing) and 8 short sounds like headshot which is a commonly used piece of jargon from Counter Strike, which is one of the many official sports up here. Other official sports include swimming, tennis, hockey, handball, ponding, monopolising, buayaing and candid cameraing.

Stay tuned for videos from the past, present and future and feel free to comment and contribute

8Short!