Ninja Warrior!

We were approaching the Singapore customs checkpoint.

The tour bus guide made an announcement over microphone:

"Please take note, you are not allowed to bring wet foodstuff into Singapore. And just now I saw someone was carrying what looked like a samurai sword."

The latter was of course me.

"I do not know if it is made of plastic or metal, but even if it is a toy, you must declare it at customs. You want to be a ninja?"

I sensed the fear he was trying to instill in all our hearts and responded bravely by shouting out loud:

"YES! Because a ninja will never get caught."


Needless to say I did not declare my sword, and managed to get through without getting caught.

Conclusion?

I am a ninja.

Pearls Before Swine

M2M

Don't say you love me
You don't even know me
If you really want me
Then give me some time

Don't go there baby
Not before I'm ready
Don't say your heart's in a hurry
It's not like we're gonna get married

Give me
Give me
Some time

MLIS

Yeah Right

Which surprises you most?

I met a girl who likes my handwriting.

I met a girl who asked me for fashion advise.

I met a girl who let me do her nails.

I met a girl who likes my mom.

Manson, Manson, Manson

Little girl in the lift

We all thought looked cute.

She waved as she exited the lift with her parents.

I looked at dad surprised.

She looks exactly like Kimberly did when she was this little girl's age.

I'm going away

I'll be back next week.

If not, my blog will still go on posting till next year.

Very Short Film

How can someone tell such a rich and complex story in the span of a mere 3 and a half minutes?

Results

I enjoy Psychology but I suck at it.

I struggle with Sociology but I score at it.


Usually people like what they are good in.

How did I ever get to this state?

PSPC

How about the parents of diaper changing babies?

Attack of the killer pokemon

Liminal Teenage Dream

I've lived my life in the liminal.

It's a theme of my life.

Well, this life is liminal anyway.


I don't live for the destination, I live for the journey.

The journey is my destination.


Yet I totally forgot about this in a different context.


We tend to rush to get a degree, to get married, to have kids...

Okay not really; let me take it down a notch.


We, at my age rush to get closer to those things.

We try to get good grades, we try to get into a relationship.

But I've realised something that is so easy to miss.


The period of time, between being friends and getting attached, the liminal stage, is actually an amazing place to be.

The thing is that it's a stage of limbo. It's a stage that is not called a stage.

It's a transitionary stage.


But i think it's the most beautiful period of all.

Here everything that happens... decides the fate of both involved.

The funny thing is that if it does not work out, there's nothing much to remember from this stage.

What happened? Looking back... you may recall nothing.

But if it does work out, then this stage was when everything happened.

It's just that this stage was the one in which everything was still left unsaid.

It's amazing how what happens after affects what happens before- The way in which this period ends decided the meaning of the memories kept of this stage.

I guess if it never works out, the stories never get told, and the emotions are never remembered as being more than just one's own.


Whatever the case, all I'm saying is, don't rush this stage.

Just because you're not at point A or B does not mean that you are lost.

We tend to be anxious when we are in between, but don't be.

In due course you will find yourself at either one.

But either way, the journey lasts only as long as the destination is not reached.


Enjoy the journey while you can.

Whichever point you end in, you'll never have it like this again.


One side has freedom and carefreeness, the other commitment and love.

But this liminal state has both, and very rarely do both meet.

The cold wind before the storm does not last long as the thunder and lightning eventually bring rain upon the earth. So, treasure the transitionary periods.

All I want for Christmas...

When small problems meant life and death

I had a dream recently that brough back a memory I had long forgotten.

It was of the difficult times in secondary school.

I basically spent most of those years struggling with teenage girl issues.

I had long forgotten them in recent days, but something caused it's spontaneous recovery.

It's probably the Taylor Swift songs.

Why I love Mun-days

Naomi

The sec 1 and 2 girls at camp were surprised wondering how an 18 year-old could be having so much fun at a teddy tea party with them.

They were even more shocked to find that I had long past my 18th birthday.

But I replied that I never lost the child-like wonder of the world around.

Yeah. 

I think that answer sufficed.

Camp

In case you didn't know, I spent the past 4 days at church youth camp.

I think it's better that I don't talk about it until I have had time to process the huge amount of information, and until I have had a good sabbath's rest.

So many tweets I didn't tweet, and thoughts I didn't write down. I need to process the stuff.

Graduation

I actually do use the "1st-3rd-last" rule.

Well minus the last. That's over the top.

Tell me...

Why is a feline male called a tom cat,
But a masculine female a tom boy?

I now pronounce you husband and wife

Why is it at weddings they say:

"You may now kiss the bride."


In an egalitarian world it should be:

"You may now kiss each other."


Or at the rate feminism is going:

"You may now kiss the groom."


Well yeah. At my wedding, it's gonna be:

"You may now do the salsa."

Fearless

I tried listening to Taylor Swift's album today.

By the time I hit 15, I had to stop.

My heart welded up within me and wanted to burst forth.

No no, not now.

Now was not the time to cry.

I was trying to come up with something intelligent to say about this magnificent photograph.

But all that came to my head was:

Birdie. Birdie, birdie... Birdie.

Philippians 3:7-8

So I'm missing out on a singing gig at 313 Somerset.

And an emceeing job at Orchard Central.

And the entire Fencing camp with included Rookie Challenge.

But all these I willingly give up for the sake of the kingdom.

And I look forward with all my heart towards this week's camp.

It's Manson Mun-day again!

I'm a slow learner

I went kite flying today. Tragic.

I got my brand new eagle kite up in the air with a 30 meter long tail for the first time.

Then the string snapped and the kite drifted towards the LRT line.

It was so well flown that it landed on the LRT track with the streamer dangling down to the road below.

I rushed towards the scene, but was afraid to touch the tail for fear of electrocution.

The wind was strong and blew the tail up on to the tracks out of view.

You know, this is the second time I lost the exact same kite with the same 30 meter tail because I was using the same weak string. Man... I'm a slow learner. $_$

This was the last I saw of the kite.

And then...

I heard a crack.

And then to my amazement, the driverless LRT was suddenly seen pulling a 30 meter long rainbow coloured streamer tail fluttering behind as it zoomed down the line.

That alone was worth the $40 spent on the kite. Well not really, but at least the cloud has a silver lining. And what a sight it was. I was so proud of my accidental deviance.

Speaking of which, can you spot the rainbow dad spotted? I tried to take it, but I fear my camera could not get it. Here's your consolation if you can't see it.

Yeah. It was quite an inspiring day.

The kite I thought could never fly, did.

And oh... What a sight it was to behold.

Sabbath

Today I had the most satisfying Sabbath I've ever had, as far back as I can remember.

I usually take it on Saturday, but seeing how much work there is to be done tomorrow I took my Sabbath today instead.

I took a long walk all the way from Vivo City to NACLI, close to NUS.

Saw some fantastic sights along the way. I even thought I saw a unicorn.

It was really just a time to unwind, to enjoy nature, and totally forget the world.

Observing nature can be the greatest way to learn about life. Look at how all these flowers are actually one and the same, just at different stages of blooming.

I tasted flower nectar for the first time today.


Spending the morning with the bible (finally finished reading Job), the day with nature (surrounded and lost in it), the evening watching city lights, and the night in prayer, made today the perfect model Sabbath for me.

I greatly hope to follow in this tradition from here on in.

His name is Norris. Chuck Norris.

I've been heard quoting Chuck Norris Facts a lot.

(They are Facts, not jokes.)


So people ask me, "What's the big deal with Chuck Norris?"

This post will attempt to explain it all.

I'll be as objective as possible and cross reference as much as possible.


Chuck Norris is a cultural phenomenon.

Chuck Norris is a symbol of absolute mind-blowing power.

He was a many time karate world champion who then became an action star.

His claim to fame was through a series called "Walker, Texas Ranger".





Quite awesome huh?

There are many other clips from the series you can go see, like Chuck Norris Vs. Wild Bear (he stared at it till it backed down), or this one where his truck took a rocket hit but he crawled out of the wreckage to return fire:

Anyhow, people started coming up with Vin Diesel jokes, attributing acts of impossible strength to him. But Chuck Norris, being Chuck Norris, was soon given the rightful honor. All the Vin Diesel jokes became Chuck Norris Facts.

And soon he became a huge household name.

We laugh. The Facts sound absurd and funny, and they are ever so often referenced on TV and online (try typing "find Chuck Norris" on Google search and hit the "I'm feeling lucky" button).

But things of late have been unsettling.


At an Iraqi police graduation ceremony in Fallujah, the media interviewed some graduates and trainers:


One police trainer said Norris was a role model for the police in Fallujah, which until 2007 was an Al Qaeda stronghold and the scene of fierce battles with security forces.


"I've seen his videos. He's a hero. He saves the city, he protects women and children and he fights crime wherever it is. We should all be like Chuck Norris," Khaled Hussein said.


Don't just take my word for it. Check it out on Reuters:

Chuck Norris the only WMD in Iraq: US troops

Yeah.

But jokes aside, I think this guy is awesome.

Because Chuck Norris Facts are not a list of impossible feats attributed to a random guy.

They are caricatures of the man.

And caricatures... are merely pictures that over-emphasize things that are already there.

This Hollywood star is down on the ground, putting himself in the line of fire to encourage the troops.

This man, is deserving of all the absurd awesomeness people attribute to him.

(And he's a good Christian too!)

Random

Today I got an sms from someone I don't know.

The person was asking me for a reward for telling me he/she saw a unicorn.

I've never been so happy to receive such a random sms.

Fencing Friends

I've made a few new friends at the fencing tournament. Some sound great.

Others are a little more questionable.

Don't worry, I didn't tell him my name. He'll never guess.

HP7

If liking a movie no one likes makes people dislike me...

Then I'm in trouble.

HP7 was dark. Arthouse. Mature. Disturbing.

And after all I've watched this semester... I quite like it.

It's emotionally deep, unlike any other HP movie thus far.

Oh I love the little lady Gaga.

If you see a guy standing over a drain in the middle of a big garden...

It'll probably be me.

Yes, I tend to notice things others don't.

Water flows in a zig-zag line.

Tradehub 21

Probably one of the strangest buildings I've seen in Singapore.
Been there 2 Tuesdays in a row already.


Last week today I got my 3rd lesson with coach this semester.
Enjoyed such a privilege coz I was the only sabre guy who turned up.


This week today, we had a workshop with Singapore's top sabrer.
Tuesdays are becoming awesome days.


Jasper is fast. None of us in the team stand a chance against him.
He took on David Chan, Singapore's number 1.


My jaw dropped to the floor the moment the bout started.
It remained there till the end of the night.


The match came to a close as dad arrived to pick me up.
The victorious David Chan asked me to suit up and fight him.


Sorry dad to make you wait, sorry Marianne for missing your call.
But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to die an awesome death.


And I did.

"What's the first thing you would do if you woke up as a girl for the day?"

Kudos to my friend who came up with this one:

As for me...

I'll finally ask for directions.

Yeah I'm actually a little lost.

NUS Fencers

Nuff said.

Mondays are Manson Mun Days

RJC Invites

So what are the highlights of my very first fencing competition?

Well I beat some poor kids from Pasir Ris Crest today during the team event.

Then I caused my team to bomb out of the semi-finals, not just losing the huge lead we had over the opponent but also allowing them to pull way ahead.

And at the match for 3rd place I did badly too, handing the score over to our last anchor fencer 10 points behind the opponent who needed only 5 points to win.

The opponent team pulled up to 44 points, one away from winning. We lost hope.

Then Jasper finally scored a point.

And another.

And another.

And another.

And another. 

And another.

And another.

And another. 

And another.

And another.

And another. 

And another.

And another.

And another.

The score was up to 44-43, the cheering PRC student supporters were no longer cheering. Jasper took 13 consecutive points before finally conceding one to the enemy. That, was pure awesomeness.

We lost with dignity.

After that I lost my sabre. As in my sword went missing and I could not find it ever again. Daddy laughs at me saying, "What's a swordsman without a sword?"

A man at least?

Then the NUS women's sabre team took the Silver medal, with Florence the anchor fighting after running 21km at the Standard Charted Half Marathon this morning. That was awesomeness too. I was very happy to support them through the entire competition- cheering, helping them change wires and pray for them before each match and after it was all done.

Gracia and Bernice had to leave early so when it came to the prize presentation I decided to LLIWD.

When they announced the winning team for the women's sabre event, I went up with Florence to collect the prizes and the crowd went wild. The guest of honor giving away the trophy looked at me and asked, "Isn't this the women's event?"

Well that's why I won isn't it?

(I posted this out of context on FB and don't have the heart to tell people I didn't actually win. But ah well the people who really bother are those who read my blog so I'll just be honest here to clear my conscience.)

So thus ends the very first competition I've been to. I waved goodbye to all my new friends from Pasir Ris Cres shouting, "See you at Novices!" as our overloaded lorry pulled out of RJC. 

Novices is a competition in January for new fencers. Training starts on Tuesday.

Piaget

So Yaoqi and I sat down with 2 year old Joy and prepared to conduct a psychological experiment on object permanence in young children. Having immense knowledge in developmental psychology, we knew that children (according to Piaget) do not have object permanence till about age 7. In other words, if an object is out of sight, it is as good as being out of existence to the child.

We began by habituating her to the packet of M&M chocolates. It caught her attention as I dropped it to the floor in front of her, which was crucial to the experiment. Following that, I covered the packet with a pillow, and put another pillow beside it. This was the control situation. I asked her where the chocolate was.

She pointed to the correct pillow and I revealed the chocolate to her delight. She clapped and we clapped along too. All was going as expected. Now for the real experiment.


I put the chocolate packet on the floor again, and covered it with the pillow. Then I reached under the pillow and transferred the packet to the other pillow. She could not see the packet being transferred, but would be able to see my hand was moving something from under the pillow to the other.

Now Piaget predicted that young children cannot do invisible displacements. They need to see an object move in order to know that it has moved. So would little 2 year old joy prove Piaget right?

She pointed to the correct pillow again to my absolute surprise.


Experiment 2 involved an even more difficult task, this time to test ego-centrism. Yaoqi held an Elmo toy up and I showed both Joy and Elmo that I had put the M&M packet under the first pillow. Then Yaoqi moved Elmo away and I showed only Joy that I moved the packet of M&Ms to the other pillow. Now Elmo returns and I asked Joy: "Which pillow does Elmo think the chocolate is under?"

Now children this young, according to Piaget, are ego-centric. As they do not have a theory of the mind, they are unable to imagine that others have different thoughts as they do. So in this case, Joy would most probably think Elmo would know what she knows.

But Joy pointed to the original pillow that I placed the chocolate under in view of Elmo. I was totally stunned.


An older girl talking to me this evening asked me if there was a field of study that allows us to know what people are like just by watching them. Yaoqi said she sounds like she's thinking of psychology.

But I said no, there is no such thing.

The most exciting day in the year

Today was the most exciting day in my entire year (if you don't count the days I was excited about a girl). Not that today did not involve girls per say, but they were not the main focus.

See today I participated in my very first fencing competition ever.

Here's the rundown:

I woke up early this morning and was given a lift by daddy to RJC with my faithful assistant/supporter/esquire Rachel carrying my sabre blades. Few there had such a luxury of a non-fencing friend, and I was thankful for her coming.

I started warming up almost immediately and did so for almost 45 minutes, just to find out that my event had been pushed back by 2 hours. I had warmed up too early... so to remain warm I wrapped myself in 4 layers of clothes and fencing suits. (Nothing out of the ordinary, female sabrers wear 6 layers.)

The NUS men's team was already doing very well in the Epee event and we watched them while awaiting our turn. I also got to read my bible until it was time for the group stage of the sabre event.

My group had 7 people, and we needed to fight everyone else in the group to tabulate rankings. Thus began 6 short rounds of "1st to 5 points".

I lost my maiden bout. In fact, I got trashed.

Spent some time afterward praying and calming myself down. Then I got back up and won the next 4 consecutive bouts to my surprise.

Rachel was cheering for my opponent during one of the bouts. He was a tiny secondary school boy from Pasir Ris Crescent, trying to compete against boys much older and bigger than he. But it was not only her who was cheering- when he finally won a bout against someone, all of us clapped for him in joy.

The my last opponent beat me flat, so I won 4 bouts and lost 2, which actually was not too bad. In fact, it was good enough for me to move on to the top 32.

Here on in it was elimination: 15-point bouts, and since I was ranked 14th (O.o), I had a good chance of advancing to the next round of the top 16 where I would meet the dude seeded 3rd.

I sat down for a McDonalds lunch, and realised soon enough that I would be fighting on a full stomach. Still, I kept walking around to speed up digestion and plugged in Switchfoot to keep me dancing. The hall was cold, and if my body was to cool down, I would not be able to stretch and lunge in attack.

When it came to my match, most of the NUS team came to support me and cheered each time I scored a point. I was up against a guy seeded 19th, but struggled to pull ahead of his score. We stopped at 4-4 for a break.

Florence, my fellow sabrer who came down just to support us, pulled me aside and ran through the opponent's weakness and how I can counter his attacks. Florence's advice allowed me to pull ahead, and the NUS team cheered with each point I scored- right till I pulled through and won the match.

I was then up against the fence ranked number 3. I knew chances were slim.

The whole NUS team came to support me in this top 16 bout, and boy was I losing. The score was like 9-0 and my supporters were all shouting different things for me to try. I asked them to calm down, and finally scored a point, to which we all erupted. "YAY!!! I SCORED A POINT!!!" I shouted in jubilee.

The score was thus 10-1 and eventually became 13-2, with me trailing so far behind this shorter and swifter boy who could advance and retreat at such amazing speed. I knew this battle was almost lost, but I fought on.

He was 2 points away from winning when I pulled a move so magnificent and extraordinary that all the audience members gasped loudly as their jaws fell to the floor and their eyes bulged out of their sockets.

In a desperate attempt to retreat from his relentless advance, I had kicked back my hind leg as far as it could go, but instead of finding traction on the ground as it landed, it slid on the floor... and I slammed to the ground executing a perfect split for the first time in my life.

This of course was of concern for everyone. They were even more surprised that I could get back up and finish the fight. I was surprised too actually, half at the fact that I had actually done a split, and half at the fact that it did not hurt.

So my very first fencing competition had me going much further than I had expected, and I was greatly pleased. Even more than that, I exited with a bang so memorable that it would be remembered long after the scores and rankings of this competition are forgotten.

Oh Lord, thank you!!!

Let's follow up yesterday's video

So testosterone exposure doesn't determine your sexuality.

Then what does it determine?




So I think we finally can come to a proper scientific conclusion regarding this finger ratio thingy. Having a longer or shorter index finger does not make you less or more manly. It does seem to affect your hand eye coordination though.

(Somehow this sounds like something Ryan would say.)

Proverbs 21:31

Tomorrow I fence competitively for the first time in my life.

One major achievement off my list of things to do before I die.

One big step towards the end.


I hurt my right shoulder today fighting a Nerf war.

Sharp pain. Not good.

Thus far, only one saberer in my fencing team has dislocated his shoulder before during fencing.

But that is one out of 5 Sabrers.


Pray for me tomorrow, to fight, to learn, and to live.

Let me see your hands

This is why I've been checking out all my friend's hands.

I needed to know if this was true.





Turns out quite surprisingly accurate.

But it's one thing to conclude that the finger ratio is affected by testosterone exposure in the womb, and another thing to draw bigger conclusions about this.


So what if your index finger is shorter?

So what if you have more testosterone?


Heh. I have a longer index finger.

I've got something to say

But I can't.



Please understand.

It is a long ride from Kim's house to mine

I sat at the back of the bus

And cried all the way home.

Ever felt little? Like that?