Busy, busy...

Maybe you may wonder why I have been away for so long.

Try juggling work and part-time studies. Sometimes, you just feel so tired *mentally* that when you reach home after a long day's work and pursuit of a degree/diploma course, you just want to drop on your bed and sleep. I am sure that many working adults in Singapore share my sentiments.

Right now, my stories are still stuck in limbo...I guess it will be some time before I can proceed on to finish it. *sigh*

Talk of which, i better be doing some writing soon...I am supposed to be doing an essay on world trade organizations and about the challenges and issues facing the WTO.

Sucks...

By the way, if the quality of my posts drop, can somebody shoot me in the head please?

Oops, what am I saying? I should be saying "...can somebody tell me to buck up and be more creative?"

Haha, till the next blog...

On Chicken Rice Balls - Food Fiesta 2004

It was Food Fiesta 2004 at Suntec City this weekend...

I was helping out my uncle at his booth, selling the Hainanese delicacy - Chicken Rice Balls.

What's that? Well, to put it briefly, this consists of chicken rice rolled up into a round shape, about the size of a tennis ball. According to my uncle, this helps to keep the fragrance of the chicken rice and prevents the smell of the chicken from dissipating.

The making of Chicken Rice Balls is a dying art in Singapore and of the many Hainanese hawkers who used to make Chicken Rice Balls years ago, my uncle's business is the only one left still standing.

Well, many people think selling Chicken Rice is good business in food-mad Singapore. True, it may be good and the fact that we hear TALES of hawkers who drive luxury cars, add to the allure of that business.

But they may not know of the back-breaking hard work and long hours put in by the hawkers and their assistants to give you that prefect mouth-watering and simply delicious plate of food, be it Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata, Wan Ton Noodles or "Tzi Cha", etc. (For my foreign friends, these are some of the more famous local food in Singapore.)

Ok, to be fair, all people in the food industry deserve plaudits for their efforts. (This applies to chefs, cooks, the food manufacturers and many other people as well.)

As I am typing this, I am resting now at home from all the serving, carrying, packing and cashiering work at the food fair. Heavens! You should see the crowd and queues!

More on these tomorrow...

24 hours not enough

Phew! Sometimes I wish that there are 48 hours in a day instead of 24 hours. There are so many things to do that we really wish that there is more time to do everything there is to do.

But then again, having more time may not be a blessing. It's just like if we are mortal and then suddenly given immortality, can we really stand the thought of seeing so many things over so many years, centuries and millenia? The human mind, although mysteriously unique and with many latent secrets yet unlocked, can get tired of this unchanging march of time.

Take "Bruce Almighty" for example, in the end, Jim Carrey's character went out of control and there was one point when he couldn't handle everything.

The moral of the story? I leave it to you, the reader, to decide.

One fear...

One fear...that I have is that I will never live to see myself in a convocation robe and a degree...given the subjects that I am studying, my infamous lack of patience to sit down and really do some work, and my current temperament, which is basically anger and frustration...

Akan Datang...coming up...

Instead of the usual blog and post-your-thoughts, style, I think I might also put up extracts from my writings.

I have already tried to make things different by writing "dark" poems...but I guess a lot work is needed to make this a truly unique blog site...

More on these some other time...

What is the meaning of this?

I hate work whereby there is no reward (intangible in terms of experience gained or tangible in terms of money)...

Just before you, the reader, and any of my friends start labelling me as "materialistic"...let me inform you beforehand that I am a Taurus and the Taurus guy does put material possessions in a high priority. Understand?

So where does this bring us? The progress of one's life.

Ok, maybe you are right, I am materialistic. But to be realistic, face it, you just have to work like hell just to get a simple thing done...

Sure? Why is it sometimes it seems so easy for people to do things and for me in the same position, I find it so difficult?

Why?

What is the meaning of this?

Slog...slog...slog.

I am sure that my life means more than that. Let me argue more on that when my mind is clearer from rest and exhaustion.

Zzzzzz....

Greek legends come true...

They spoke of the Greek gods, mighty deities who overthrew the Titans and became the pantheon of the Greek peoples.

Zeus, king of Olympus and wielder of the all-conquering lightning bolt, Poseidon who rules the oceans, Hades the lord of the underworld, Hera, queen of the gods, Aphrodite, goddess of love, Athena, goddess of wisdom

Then there are the Greek heroes, who performed great deeds of valour and heroism.

Heracles (Hercules) and his 12 Labours, Perseus who killed the Medusa, Theseus who defeated the Minotaur, Jason who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, Achilles who was the greatest of all warriors in the Trojan war, Hector who fought for the Trojans.

The modern-day Greeks may not be able to yoke a fire-breathing bull or slay ferocious dragons, but what they have done is still a feat of greatness.

Stunning Portugal in the opener of Euro 2004 and beating them in the final again, dumping champions France out, edging out the Czech Republic, these Greeks have shown what a force they can be.

Although I won't call their soccer attractive, but it has been brutally efficient. Defend tightly and don't concede space to the opponents. Harass them and break out whenever there's a chance...

Defensive and counter-attacking football, which relies on teamwork and high concentration. Some people may call it negative football. Well, my football vocabulary isn't that great, so perhaps that is what it really is.

I won't fancy Greece to win World Cup 2006, taking into consideration the effects of aging players, retirements and new additions, but they will be a team to watch out for.

Maybe I should change my name to something Greek. Markolos ---> me?

Thunder, thunder

Foul mood today...

When I am angry and frustrated, I post evil poems...

Brood...thunder in the distance
And the sky grows darker
Beware, the time of shadows approaches
And all will face its perils or survive.