Inspi(red)

A new year begins
Optimism is that although I have no idea what the new year will bring
It will still involve lots of hope and a better improved version of me
A little more wisdom from experience and hindsight

Be Inspi(red)

Bedtime Story

No one is ever told who they are
Yet we all have a purpose
That's how I saw you
Trust you

Did something to me
My thoughts
and everything became clearer
the fears just went away
I can hear myself

Do you wish to know your future?

These will be the seed
of many great thoughts
The seeds of change

Thank you
for the memories

Ephemeral

It is one day past Christmas, for most the joy and memories would still linger on for awhile.

One last snowflake - one that have been preserved since January 1979. (With superglue no less)

If only some memories were as easy to preserve.

Death by Oreos

While most people are prone to throw caution to the wind and soak in the joys of festive revelry, engaging in over indulgence could lead to rather disasterous consequences.

Interesting series of conceptual photos illusrating the possible dearth of restraint and moderation.

From above

It's now past midnight. Thanks for all the well wishes, may all your days ahead be merry and safe too. Have a few more shots if you're not already in high spirits.

A snow flake from above.

Christmas Eve

I found my first snow flake for this Christmas.
You have yours too, you'll know when you see it.

Collateral damage

More news about the mayhem that the torrential rain brought.

Heavy rain leaves nurseries along Thomson Road chest-deep in water
Posted: 21 December 2006 1235 hrs | By Sheralyn Tay, TODAY

"Business isn't exactly blooming for the nurseries along Thomson Road, after record-high rainfalls and flash flooding washed away hopes for what is usually a profitable period.

Surging waters from MacRitchie Reservoir left the area chest-deep in water on Tuesday...

While Singapore got some respite from the rain yesterday, this was not the case across the Causeway. Rain continued to pelt down on parts of Johor state, forcing KTM to cancel at least 10 train services to and from Singapore and leaving some 4,000 passengers affected...

With Muar and Batu Pahat in north Johor still flooded, vegetable and fish farms have been badly affected. Analysts said this might cause a hike in the prices of imported agricultural produce."


Posted: 21 December 2006 2110 hrs | By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia

"PUB says the recent heavy rain caused excess water from the MacRitchie and Upper Seletar reservoirs to overflow. At Upper Seletar Reservoir, excess water was released into the sea by opening the tide gates.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, says: "You can't design for rainfall of this level... we can only design our canal of a certain size... on the part of PUB and NEA, we'll do our best to alleviate the problem as quickly as possible."

The wet spell is likely to continue and NEA expects more flash floods in low-lying areas with high tides hitting 3.1 metres till Christmas Day. The roads at the affected areas are back to normal and the spillage at MacRitchie Reservoir has ceased."

Dog sees World I

Children of God Part 3

- Children of God Part 1 & Children of God Part 2

Day After

Under a much less chaotic weather, the surrounding areas around MacRitchie Reservoir were a sharp contrast from the 24 hours of rain mayhem of the previous day, though the reservoir still continues it's overflowing.

A much less forceful overflow from the reservoir's outfall system.

The chrome piping across the drain (channel) were submerged the previous day are now visible.

Water levels the previous day had raised up above the fencing, submerging the area in the foreground.

Scorpion budget travel

Where budget flights are concerned, it would seem that one perculiar character from China have found a way to travel in rugged denium style, and getting some leg in the process.

Over in Nago, Okinawa - a Japanese woman trying on a pair of jeans in a shop got a shock when she was stung by a scorpion hidden inside.

The 5cm (2 inch) scorpion, was believed to be a Chinese bark scorpion. It is believed that the scorpion could have travelled inside the jeans from China, where they were made.

The woman, felt a sudden pain in her right knee as she tried the jeans on, and was again stung again on her right index finger when she rubbed the area with her hand.

Though some scorpion's sting can be deadly, the woman ended up in hospital for five days as a result of the sting, which was not life-threatening.

Source Mainichi Daily News

Overflow

With a sense of resolute journalistic spirit, I braved the monsoon rain to investigate the source of flooding that apparently had stopped my public transport from coming through the usual road along Thomson. Which had given me cause for grave traumatic distress and very wet shoes and overall uncomfort.

There was an attempt to interview a family of 6 monkeys, with one youngling clinging on to the underbelly of mummy as they migrate to higher grounds, but they were in no interest to provide any comments as they high-tailed for the nearest Bukit exit right.

The following is the delayed reporting (immediately after my hot shower) ~

MacRitchie Reservoir had a overflow outfall system that lets the over-supply of storm water out to drainage channels. But looked like the rain fall over two days was so heavy that the water rise got over the overflow outfall gates and was just flowing over and out causing flash floods over a large area of Thomson Rd.

Worst hit were the nurseries along Thomson road that's directly across the junction (Lorne/Thomson) from the overflow outfall channel of the reservoir. From the look of cars, taxis and lorries submerged in water, everyone in that area were caught by surprise by the flash flood.

(Just on the 9.30pm News - the junction at Joan and Olive Rd were impassable to traffic and is closed)

Northeast monsoon

The lowest minimum temperature ever recorded in the month of December is 20.6 deg C ( on 2 Dec 1964), while the lowest temperature ever recorded (since record began in 1929) is 19.4 deg C (on 31 Jan 1934).

Usually the Northeast Monsoon months of December and January are the cooler months of the year with average highest temperature of 29.9 deg C as compared to 31.5 deg C in the months of April and May, and with average minimum temperature of 23.1 deg C in Dec and Jan as compared to 24.3 deg C in the months of April and May. The early part of the Northeast monsoon (months of December and January) is usually characterised by generally cloudy and windy conditions with rain periods lasting for 2 to 3 days at a stretch.

The cool north-east winds which blow over Singapore during this time of the year originate from the cold winter conditions of the interior of the Asian continent.

~ National Environment Agency (NEA)

The memories of you kept me warm
But the nights are still cold and silent.

Lady Rain
There were times when the sky would bring me nothing
Except the smell of the rain at summertime
So I left my window open just to let you come inside
Saying that you'd never leave me was a lie

Well there were times that my eyes were filled with water
But all the world was desert dry
So I hugged my pillow closer and I tried to close my eyes
But the sound of distant thunder made me cry

Lady Rain, I hear you at my window
Lady Rain, I need you softly falling on my face
Why did the sunshine come and take you away?
I'd wait for you again, my Lady Rain

I hear the sound of her breathing in the darkness
And autumn rain can turn to snow in the night
I'll be sleeping this September, but I'll leave the fire light
Just in case you feel like coming 'round again

And late at night,when you pour down on me
You're just in time to wash all the tears away.

Merry Christmas

Well wishes and good will to all.
May your silent nights be Merry and nice.

Diane Arbus

I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn't photograph them.

~ Diane Arbus (1923-1971)

There's a movie about Diane Arbus that's hopefully coming to the local cinema soon - "Fur - An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus".

I've read up about her, in my course of photographic research and is really anticipating this movie. I was really excited when I saw the trailer on Quicktime.

The movie is based on the book "Diane Arbus: A Biography" written by Patricia Bosworth. Diane was an American photographer, best known for her compelling portraits of the unusual, the fantastic, and the freakish.

One of her more captivating works, is that of a scrawny boy with thin arms by his side. Clenching a toy grenade in his right hand and holding his left hand in a claw-like gesture, with the look of frustration that conveyed a sense of maniacal weariness.

Nicole Kidman takes the role of Diane Arbus in the movie, directed by Steven Shainberg.

Dog sees World I

Children of God Part 2

- Children of God Part 1 & Children of God Part 3

Eragon Movie Premier

Here is the did you know part about the origins of the story.

Eragon is a novel written by Christopher Paolini, he began writing Eragon after he graduated high school at the age of 15. It is the first book of the Inheritance Trilogy.

So back to the Eragon Premier. (This was Monday night, Starhub invited guest only.)
Guess who this JRT met at the premier - Sparky! ... the JRT that in some way inspired it all... LOL Sparky became the mascot for Starhub when he swallowed his owner's mobile and started roaming.
That's already a good start to the night, not to mention the excellent leg room between the rolls and rolls of comfy seat, in the enormously big cinema. Oh, btw this is GV at Vivo.

So that's that. The movie though is not as great, given all the excellent predecessor, within the same genre that have already been released. Predictable dialogue and storyline, so so acting, effects were nothing spectacular... but the concept and idea behind the story was interesting.

But I must say, the promotional and marketing materials for the movie looked great, yet to find out that Eragon is actually part one of a trilogy... ~_~"

Ok, this is Sparky that everyone got to bring home - Sparky's got pointy ears.

Disclosure

I want to remind myself that my job's not what makes me happy in life.

Doggie dissertation at a later time.

Dog sees World I

On a recent trip to Batam.
Photographs of children, whose parents were attending Sunday Mass in church - the St. Filipus, Bida Ayu - Batam. Children of God

The pictures should speak for themselves, so there won't be any kind of emo captions or writeup. I'm really hoping to find sponsors to help me out with holding an exhibition for these pictures in a Gallery... still hoping.

- Children of God Part 2

Man drowns

Last night as I was exhausted and in front of the TV I barely heard the news as I was dosing off, but there was mention of a man that had drowned at East Coast earlier in the afternoon.

Apparently it was in today's papers, front page.
But I only managed to find a reference to it here -

Man drowns while saving his son in waters off East Coast
By : Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Date : 10 Dec 2006 2032 hrs (GMT + 8hrs)

SINGAPORE: A man was found dead at the beach at East Coast Park on Sunday afternoon.

The man, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Ayoob, is believed to have gone into the sea to save his son who was struggling in the water. However, while the boy was pulled to safety, the father went missing. Civil Defence officers were called in and managed to find his body at about 4.40pm. He was immediately sent to Changi General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
- CNA/ir

Had heard that today's papers had indicated that the time the accident occurred was round about 2pm...

---

I went windsurfing on Sunday at East Coast -
The winds were great at 2 this afternoon, so it was quite a smooth ride starting out to sea. Then came the choppy waters... could not hold onto the wind in the sail and had to repeatedly rope it back up... like every other minute...

The choppy waters didn't help with my footing as well. Lost balance quite a few times... at one point it seemed like I was stranded on the same spot for more than 20mins... then I'd move forward when I finally got the sail up and moved forward, only to drift back to the same spot by the currents and choppy waves, when I lost my grip...

It was really exhausting after doing this continuously for more than 20mins, and the mind starts to begin to feels that the situation is almost dire... the thought of one person kept popping into my mind at some point, but that's another story all together...

So after all that falling over... having the sail fall over me... I got bruised (I think it was when the mast came down on my right shoulder) and severely blistered (from all that roping in of the sail) - two on each hand, one on the forefinger and the other on the middle finger... including one more below each big toe.

That's like the most blisters I ever had in my entire life, all at one go.
A brusie the size of my fist on my right arm just below the shoulder, and slight redness across the left shin.

In the end, I managed maintain a grip with enough wind in the sail to bring me back to the beach, at about 15mins to 4.

Proof of battled scars, left & right hands... kinda reminded me of the "Saw"movie poster.

In retrospect, Thank God I made it back to the beach... it'll be awhile till my blister heals before I head back to the sea again...

Note to self - I need to go get myself a pair of gloves.

Water to Wine

From water to wine, that's the miracle that Jesus Christ made happen at the wedding at Cana.

Today we have this - College girls develop pink brew, name it after Christ's miracle
"ISHIKARI, Hokkaido -- Cana Story, a pink happoshu brew developed by female college students and an Ishikari microbrewer and named after the place where Jesus Christ turned water into wine, goes on sale Sunday."

"... the brewing team experimented with ingredients like Ishikari's local rice blend, hoshinoyume, and the pink-colored juice from a herb called shiso that is produced in the region."

Wireless Nation

An article on Singapore going wireless nationwide.

I liked how this para sounds -
"... Nearly half use public transport, in part because of restrictions on driving private vehicles in the city. These and other environmental protection measures have resulted in very low levels of pollution."

Yes, it is nice to be reminded why the air feels so refreshing in Singapore, esp. if you're returning from Bangkok.

The Origin of

the Twelve Days of Christmas

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to be a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith.

Alright, so onto the song - (extracted from)
The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

The other symbols mean the following:
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed