me: really?
her: no.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
becoming Fergie: my pick to beat Barca
a lot of talk going around on which 18 players Fergie should pick for Barcelona, out of his 22 league champions. some are shoo-ins, while some will be disappointed. this is my best team to face Barca.
van der Sar
Fabio Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Anderson Giggs Park
Valencia
Rooney
Hernandez
- it has to be 4-4-1-1, United's best formation this season, and which was especially effective against top opposition like Chelsea and Arsenal.
- most significant change will be to drop the languid Carrick because his central partnership with Giggs is too lightweight against Barca's engine room. Anderson, Valencia and big-game man Park to provide the muscle and legs, allowing Giggs to focus on a creative role.
- Rooney has to be at his roaming best to help disrupt Barca's possession and support Hernandez. if he gives Busquets enough trouble, United has a chance.
- the more disciplined Fabio to get the nod ahead of brother Rafael. but i won't be surprised if O'Shea is preferred over the twins.
12. Kuszack
13. Evans
14. Scholes
15. Carrick
16. Nani
17. Berbatov
18. Owen
- would play Nani, for his style, which is more effective against continental opponents, but the first eleven simply has no space for him on this night. would also play Scholes, for his ability, but the concern is he might be exploited by top-level opponents.
- most significantly, Owen is in as an impact player. ive a strong hunch he'll make it count. Berbatov's tendency for genius has to be called upon earlier if the forwards aren't effective.
- Evans ahead of the other defenders because he can come in as centre- or leftback.
left out: Rafael, Smalling, O'Shea, Fletcher, Gibson
*Kuszack makes the team automatically as goalkeeper cover, although he did not win a league medal
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
a window of destiny
today is special.
i had asked her just the night before to go out with me, half expecting a failure. despite the spontaneity (rather), she said yes.
to be safe i had to reserve tickets, but i knew it was gonna be tricky. i am, after all, not number one. yet, although she hinted at the genuine possibility we might have to call it off, she promised.
at the end of the night though, what really took me was that to my utter surprise and comfort, when i looked up to her window she was there. hmm. as i was leaving, i checked again to somewhat prove myself wrong, but she was still there. i was happy, but now confused. my gut knows there's significance in that. she bothered, and even waited.
after we separated, she told me the night ended too early, we're too characterised by our long nights together. that, was honest and sweet. you've gained the courage to say it.
and not everyone goes for midnight movies. :)
she could have done a lot of things, reacted in a lot of ways. but all she did was tell me it set her heart racing. :)
i can see how you're more comfortable with me these days. and i treasure you making time for me.
就算只是 陪着你 看着你 也就幸福了.
多希望能够一直这样 看着你睡觉 比你迟睡 比你早起 每次离开 你都在窗口说再见
'再见', 一定会. :)
such a sweet, endearing relationship. 特别温馨.
i came home feeling a fuller person.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
shelter
"you'll be the first i call if it rains."
how i wish, i will be the first you turn to in every moment of adversity, trial, despair, woe, disappointment, worry, fear, and uncertainty.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
sayang
"im peranakan lah. im a little nyonya."
"then if we get married what does that make me?"
"sayang!"
Friday, May 13, 2011
"he asked if you like me and i denied. im sorry but i just told him nothing's going on. omg."
"i guess there's some truth in that.
i think, i haven't managed to put a certain courage in you.
so you really dont have to feel sorry or omg about anything.
i suspect it's time for me to reflect and rethink my life again."
"i still feel quite sorry for denying."
"i dont get you."
"for denying us."
Monday, May 09, 2011
Sunday, May 08, 2011
"i dont really..."
you dont really youtube, you dont really facebook. you dont really run, you dont really take bus. you dont really sleep, you dont really eat. you dont really talk, yet u dont really disappear from sight either.
so awkwardly perfect.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Exposed, like a Pandora's box
Today's the enigmatic Cooling-off Day of what's seemed like a marathon, and I think it's time I consolidate my thoughts.
PAP knows by the end of tomorrow night, they'll form the next government, seats still warm and paychecks still fat. But this GE, or for god knows how long it's been brewing, has exposed PAP for its disconnect with the electorate. For the longest time it skirted issues and repeated the same rhetoric it's sold for half a century. I'm not the seasoned political watcher here but i suspect whatever's the result on Saturday, it's already a watershed. PAP has unprecedentedly been slapped with hard truths and unbelievably apologised. They realised it wasn't the issues or their answers to them that irked Singaporeans. At the core of it is a disconnect fuelled by what seems arrogance, elitism and failure to empathise with the ground.
Spiralling costs of living, influx of foreigners, housing woes, population replenishment... heck even YOG, 50-years-once floods and a certain MSK. Are these truly the problems? Or are they more intimately linked to a citizenry's disillusionment with a government that doesn't seem to care yet isn't accountable? I suspect all the pro-Opposition sentiments online aren't exclusive or a minority, although I might be very wrong. I think this way because much of the sentiments isn't youth-centric or whatnots. They seem reflective, extrapolative. A signal of, like I said, a disconnect that cuts across society.
Education and access to information have become PAP's bane. They no longer can lord over subjects unable to think for themselves. They no longer are the best of the best. They no longer (not a matter of if, but when) have the luxury of history and transformation, a country indebted to them who toiled side-by-side. A generation comes, and a generation goes. They no longer control information the way they prefer.
PAP has doggedly built up education here in its drive for economic prosperity. Yet it understood that intellectuals have always been history's 'troublemakers'. And thus a policy of keeping its educated apathetic. My question is, how long will they stay apathetic?
'Watershed' as described by some, in terms of elected Opposition MPs, might be misleading. Yawning Bread's "morning after" of 86:1 and ST's Chua Mui Hoong's fearsome spectre of 87:0 are well within sight. Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have no track record whatsoever in GRCs, while this is probably the Opposition's first concerted foray into GRC ground, it's almost like an experiment.
However, I suspect PAP's greatest fear isn't 87:0 or 86:1 that doesn't reflect ground sentiments or the national average. They have enjoyed sustained success for so long and yet still so jealously guard power. They fight hard for seats and continue to seek a strong mandate. Hell, the whole point of upping instant Opposition representation in Parliament to nine is in itself a proud assertion of confidence.
The PAP of today is not the PAP past. That is an accepted truth. The calibre different, the heart might not be the same, the motives suspect. The circumstances have also changed. We're not a slum-infested, poor, uneducated, racially-tense country anymore. The siege mentality is fast losing its effect. You're pounding away with knuckledusters but Singaporeans have been equipped -- by you, no less -- with bulletproof vests and SAR21s.
I think, as long as PAP maintains its stranglehold on politics, Singapore will be fine. They have capable people who are smart enough about self-renewal. Therefore PAP's greatest fear should be an elected Opposition tearing them apart for their inadequacies and shortcomings. If the Opposition gains considerable ground in Parliament, the current PAP, many of them battle noobs, will have to debate and defend agenda they might have previously taken for granted. In Singaporeans' eyes, they will have to live up to the long shadows cast by the Old Guard. The legacy turns back to bite them. If PAP gets hurt more, a vicious cycle ensues. This, is not just detrimental to PAP, but to Singapore as a whole.
Singapore's unique form of democracy indeed favours the ruling party. Because it is democracy that may hurt them most.
After a hotly-contested election period, two scenarios are possible. All depends on the real sentiments on the ground. Discontentment or satisfaction/fear? That will decide the polls. We know the hardliners exist on both ends of the spectrum. The crucial mass of votes however will come from the swing voters.
One, all of social media and typical election fervour is wrong. The dizzying activism was an illusion. 86:1, with Yaw Shin Leong edging Desmond Choo for the one and only Opposition elected seat (although it could very well be a sweep, if word that Choo has gained much progress is true). The 'majority appeal' of PAP means no GRC falls, while the quieter sectors of Potong Pasir go white, as Lina Chiam fails to retain her husband's loyalty.
Two, as opposed to general belief, the quiet middle ground is sympathetic to Opposition, and PAP suffers its worst defeat since independence. My prediction: 16 elected seats to Opposition.
5, Aljunied
5, Bishan-Toa Payoh
4, Holland-Bukit Timah
1, Hougang
1, Potong Pasir
The national average was 66.6% for PAP in 2006. In other words, for every two votes for PAP, another one goes to the Opposition. That's quite spectacular in Singapore terms.
I'll take the plunge and say it'll fall to 60% this time, keeping in mind though it doesn't guarantee anything. Strong Opposition sentiment in some places of, say, 55% should be offset by the numerous PAP GRC strongholds.
Rest of my predictions:
TIGHT
East Coast
Mountbatten, Lim Biow Chuan vs Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
Pioneer, Cedric Foo vs Steve Chia
EASY
Ang Mo Kio
Jurong
Sembawang
Pasir Ris-Punggol
Moulmein-Kallang
Tampines
Marine Parade
Nee Soon
Chua Chu Kang
West Coast
Joo Chiat
Bukit Panjang
Hong Kah North
Punggol East
Sengkang West
Radin Mas
Whampoa
Yuhua
Remember, in perspective, how many times do you get to vote in a lifetime? And considering the many walkovers the country has seen, limiting some 40-somethings to have never voted before? Considering how issues change with age, how many votes do you have as a young adult, as a middle aged, and as a senior citizen?
Don't be apathetic. Don't be a wimp. Make it count.
Vote wisely. I am not telling you how to vote. As long as you've given it thought, your vote should be respected. This is democracy. But keep in mind your vote is sacred. It should not just reflect municipal issues, but have national interests at heart. We are not, after all, Aljunied or Tampines, Chinese or Malay.
We are Singaporeans.
PAP knows by the end of tomorrow night, they'll form the next government, seats still warm and paychecks still fat. But this GE, or for god knows how long it's been brewing, has exposed PAP for its disconnect with the electorate. For the longest time it skirted issues and repeated the same rhetoric it's sold for half a century. I'm not the seasoned political watcher here but i suspect whatever's the result on Saturday, it's already a watershed. PAP has unprecedentedly been slapped with hard truths and unbelievably apologised. They realised it wasn't the issues or their answers to them that irked Singaporeans. At the core of it is a disconnect fuelled by what seems arrogance, elitism and failure to empathise with the ground.
Spiralling costs of living, influx of foreigners, housing woes, population replenishment... heck even YOG, 50-years-once floods and a certain MSK. Are these truly the problems? Or are they more intimately linked to a citizenry's disillusionment with a government that doesn't seem to care yet isn't accountable? I suspect all the pro-Opposition sentiments online aren't exclusive or a minority, although I might be very wrong. I think this way because much of the sentiments isn't youth-centric or whatnots. They seem reflective, extrapolative. A signal of, like I said, a disconnect that cuts across society.
Education and access to information have become PAP's bane. They no longer can lord over subjects unable to think for themselves. They no longer are the best of the best. They no longer (not a matter of if, but when) have the luxury of history and transformation, a country indebted to them who toiled side-by-side. A generation comes, and a generation goes. They no longer control information the way they prefer.
PAP has doggedly built up education here in its drive for economic prosperity. Yet it understood that intellectuals have always been history's 'troublemakers'. And thus a policy of keeping its educated apathetic. My question is, how long will they stay apathetic?
'Watershed' as described by some, in terms of elected Opposition MPs, might be misleading. Yawning Bread's "morning after" of 86:1 and ST's Chua Mui Hoong's fearsome spectre of 87:0 are well within sight. Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have no track record whatsoever in GRCs, while this is probably the Opposition's first concerted foray into GRC ground, it's almost like an experiment.
However, I suspect PAP's greatest fear isn't 87:0 or 86:1 that doesn't reflect ground sentiments or the national average. They have enjoyed sustained success for so long and yet still so jealously guard power. They fight hard for seats and continue to seek a strong mandate. Hell, the whole point of upping instant Opposition representation in Parliament to nine is in itself a proud assertion of confidence.
The PAP of today is not the PAP past. That is an accepted truth. The calibre different, the heart might not be the same, the motives suspect. The circumstances have also changed. We're not a slum-infested, poor, uneducated, racially-tense country anymore. The siege mentality is fast losing its effect. You're pounding away with knuckledusters but Singaporeans have been equipped -- by you, no less -- with bulletproof vests and SAR21s.
I think, as long as PAP maintains its stranglehold on politics, Singapore will be fine. They have capable people who are smart enough about self-renewal. Therefore PAP's greatest fear should be an elected Opposition tearing them apart for their inadequacies and shortcomings. If the Opposition gains considerable ground in Parliament, the current PAP, many of them battle noobs, will have to debate and defend agenda they might have previously taken for granted. In Singaporeans' eyes, they will have to live up to the long shadows cast by the Old Guard. The legacy turns back to bite them. If PAP gets hurt more, a vicious cycle ensues. This, is not just detrimental to PAP, but to Singapore as a whole.
Singapore's unique form of democracy indeed favours the ruling party. Because it is democracy that may hurt them most.
After a hotly-contested election period, two scenarios are possible. All depends on the real sentiments on the ground. Discontentment or satisfaction/fear? That will decide the polls. We know the hardliners exist on both ends of the spectrum. The crucial mass of votes however will come from the swing voters.
One, all of social media and typical election fervour is wrong. The dizzying activism was an illusion. 86:1, with Yaw Shin Leong edging Desmond Choo for the one and only Opposition elected seat (although it could very well be a sweep, if word that Choo has gained much progress is true). The 'majority appeal' of PAP means no GRC falls, while the quieter sectors of Potong Pasir go white, as Lina Chiam fails to retain her husband's loyalty.
Two, as opposed to general belief, the quiet middle ground is sympathetic to Opposition, and PAP suffers its worst defeat since independence. My prediction: 16 elected seats to Opposition.
5, Aljunied
5, Bishan-Toa Payoh
4, Holland-Bukit Timah
1, Hougang
1, Potong Pasir
The national average was 66.6% for PAP in 2006. In other words, for every two votes for PAP, another one goes to the Opposition. That's quite spectacular in Singapore terms.
I'll take the plunge and say it'll fall to 60% this time, keeping in mind though it doesn't guarantee anything. Strong Opposition sentiment in some places of, say, 55% should be offset by the numerous PAP GRC strongholds.
Rest of my predictions:
TIGHT
East Coast
Mountbatten, Lim Biow Chuan vs Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
Pioneer, Cedric Foo vs Steve Chia
EASY
Ang Mo Kio
Jurong
Sembawang
Pasir Ris-Punggol
Moulmein-Kallang
Tampines
Marine Parade
Nee Soon
Chua Chu Kang
West Coast
Joo Chiat
Bukit Panjang
Hong Kah North
Punggol East
Sengkang West
Radin Mas
Whampoa
Yuhua
Remember, in perspective, how many times do you get to vote in a lifetime? And considering the many walkovers the country has seen, limiting some 40-somethings to have never voted before? Considering how issues change with age, how many votes do you have as a young adult, as a middle aged, and as a senior citizen?
Don't be apathetic. Don't be a wimp. Make it count.
Vote wisely. I am not telling you how to vote. As long as you've given it thought, your vote should be respected. This is democracy. But keep in mind your vote is sacred. It should not just reflect municipal issues, but have national interests at heart. We are not, after all, Aljunied or Tampines, Chinese or Malay.
We are Singaporeans.
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