On the darker side

Felt like doing more of those lame quizzes. Quite cool, rather accurate. Enough said, just see. Oh, if you're looking for that piece of ficiton that I just wrote, it's the one below this entry.

Your connection with darkness is through your murderous ways/thoughts. You want to kill, get away with it and do it again and again etc. To be in charge of peoples lives, to decide if someone should live or die makes you feel powerful. And power is addicting. But chances are you haven't commited murder(torture/rape) yet. So far theese thoughts stay inside and haven't come to life. Most people wouldn't expect you to want to do this(maybe close friends/familymembers) since you look just like an ordinary Joe (but sometimes theese types stand out). In school you were likely the quiet one who seemed harmless. Isn't is fun to prove people wrong?


What is your connection with darkness? [pics]

Your soul is broken.

You are living through a lot of pain everyday that you have to deal with, which is making you sorrowful. No one ever stays by our side when you truly need them and no one ever will. Everything is hopeless and tragic and you keep yearning for the day you will be free from pain. Love is unlikely to happen to you because you isolate yourself and are suspicious of peoples motives. You stand in the shadows of the world, watching what you can never have. The bruises you carry never seems to heal, your mind is dark and no one seems to understand or wants to help. As always, you will be alone in the world, fighting your dark thoughts by yourself.


How is your soul? [pics]

Your element is Fire: Strong, hot tempered, powerful, and passionate. Well now lets see, being fire you are quite strong and powerful, people look up to you greatly and often seek your protection. You have the ability to gain many friends and you are always one people can count on to do what you say you will do. You are extremely loyal be it friends or family you'll stick up for them and you are never willing to put them in a position that could hurt them. You know what roll you play in life, leader, and you intend to let people know it. Not everyone is capable of leadership but you certainly have the willpower and flare to do it. You have quite a temper if it shows itself, one that can often lead you into trouble. Once your mind is made up there is no changing it but no one said that was a bad thing.

What is your element? [with pics + detailed answeres]

You are an assassin.

That means you are a proffessional and do your job without mixing any emotions in it. In your life you have probably been hurt many times and have gotten some mental scars. This results in you being distant from people. Though many think that you are evil, you are not. What you really are is a person, trying to forget your pain and past. You are the person who never seems to care and that is why being an assassin fits you good. Atleast, that's what people think. Even if you don't care that much for your victims, you still have the ability tocare and to generally feel. It is not lost, just a little forgotten. In crowds you tend to not get to noticed, and dress in black or other discrete colours. You don't being in the spotlight and wish people would just leave you alone. But once you do get close to someone you have a hard time letting go and get real down if you loose him/her.

Main weapon: Sniper

Quote: "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy" - Jim Rohn

Facial expression: Narrowed eyes


What Type of Killer Are You? [cool pictures]

Your power is: Time Control

Explanation: You have the ability to freeze, push forward or go back in time. In good purposes it is used to prevent bad deeds, and the opposite for evil purposes. As a person your emotional level has been on hold. For one reason or another emotions has reduced and now you aren't so full of life. And of course, this does not sadden you since you could care less. Sometimes though you can be hit by emotioal waves inside but you block it all out. You don't search for something that could make you happy since you have no hope in that area any longer. People probably see you as annoying because you're not involved and just stand there. You probably don't have that many friends either, and you feel like you are with them because that's what you normally do. You stick to your habits and don't appreciate changes.

Negative aspects: One day all emotions are gonna surface again, and that
day will be very painful. Instead it is more wise to start up the emotional
level bit by bit, so it won't come as a big chock.

What Power is Compatible With You? [beautiful anime pictures + 12 detailed results]

Your word is: Brooding. You are a true thinker and often try to figure out the meaning of life, why we are all here etc. You may not be so social, and often think twice before acting but those thoughts you have in your mind never stop flowing in. Sometimes you can be so concentrated you forget about other things that you have to do. Don't change, this world needs deep people.


What Dark Word Represents You? [anime pics]

Gilded Grimoire #05 - Down the Barrel - Obligation

It's been a lovely weekend for me. In between the bustling of revision, I managed to slip a little petal that's blooming me open. So, yeah, you can say I'm a bit on the emo side right now.

Before going back from West Coast, I went around the park for a whiff of fresh air, with "The Loneliness - Babyface" ringing in my ears while messaging a new cordial acquaintance. It was a momentary bliss, but a memorable snapshot in time.

"You've hardly ever been kissed, but the kisses you've given are very missed."

With such inspiration and emotions running high, I've decided to release another one of my short stories. And boy, was I surprised to realise that the last fiction was in MAY!!! This time I've made 'obligation' the theme, so enjoy!

WARNING: The following fiction contains themes involving war, alcohol and death. NOT for the faint hearted.

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Gilded Grimoire #05 - Down the Barrel - Obligation
A fiction by Seraphim

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Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin! (nipperkin: mug of beer)

- The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy


I gave a cold stare at the man before me. There really was no reason not to. I was the one directing that morbid scene, an intense scene of the powerful over the helpless. It was not mercy that I showed, but something else.

I could have done it quickly, but for some reason a diabolical will within hissed me to do it slowly. As the despair of my prey surged through me, I could not help but shiver as my finger caressed the trigger.

Whatever sanity that I had was wondering at what I was doing in such a situation. Here I was, in the midst of this hellish battlefield, at the edge of victory, savouring a moment with my very own pet enemy. Maybe the bloodlust from the ongoing war was not enough; maybe a little indulgence in sadism was what I was really craving for. Whatever it was, I had my share of the fun now. I was short of reasons to keep him alive any longer.

A snigger slipped by my lips. I prominently cocked the sidearm, making sure that the cocking sound was audible to the both of us. At point blank, I squeezed an eye shut and took aim. My hand wavered around a bit to browse for a satisfying target. Out of ideas, I just decided to go for the head.

I cocked, I aimed, I shot.


But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

- The Man He Killed


I was no fool. The battle might be lost, but no chance in hell was I going to skip down to hell without company. There was a fool in front of me though. Bloody Americans, always thought that they would win it all. Tough luck mate, not for you at least.

There was no point in living then, it’s either valour on the battlefield or torture in the hands of those bloody Americans. I watched that bastard prepare my ticket to hell, inside me screaming at my allowance for this humility. All was not lost, I reassured myself. I had his ticket to hell down my back. It was my blessing that he did not notice the loaded revolver tucking out of my back pocket. One way trip to hell coming right up.

Expected as it was, there was nothing to prepare me for staring down the barrel of that loaded gun. It was fear in its purest form, as the carnal instinct to survive kicked in. Accepting death was never part of nature’s plan. If I were not on my knees, they would have been nothing better than jelly. There was that damning sound from the gun, and a violent tremble shook through my body. This was it, I thought.

He cocked. He aimed. I aimed. He shot. I shot.


I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

- The Man He Killed


Not my day I guess. And that would be the last day I would ever have. But I have to admit, that was a nice trick. Making me think that I had won the day, then pulling out the fast one back on me. It was not that bad at least. I died in pleasure from the sadism he granted me in my final moments.

Time really did seem to slow down, as I became part of the final act in that theatre of tragedy. They say your whole life flashes before you when you die. Well, not really. I only got to see the night before. It was a happy memory. My comrades and I spent the eve of the battle like we always did, bar hopping at the nearest town.

It was especially crowded that night. Not just with our men, but there seemed to be others out merry-making as well. There were the usual dose of drinks, cigars, and girls of course. Exhaustion prevented any bedroom activities that night, so we just settled for drinks with the locals.

There was this particular cheery man I happened to be of acquaintance of. Seemed like a local. We talked about life, family, war. What else do people in the middle of a war talk about these days? We never did talk about why we were there, but it was apparent that he was on the same boat as I was. Trying to find a bit of cheer in a graveyard.

That was it then. The ending chapter to my sad story of life. Nothing else to it. I had a final glance at that bastard before my eyes finally closed. Might want to thank him down in hell. Kind to think of it, the face was…


He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.

- The Man He Killed


The look on his face was definitely worthy of the final moments of my life. It sure made all that tension worthwhile. As I was falling down to my final resting place, I felt no regrets. Life was that, a sad excuse to die. Getting a bit of excitement before the end was the most I could get out of it.

I knew that this battlefield would be my deathbed. The cockroaches in the pantry were outnumbering our troops. The atmosphere back at the bunkers was a cold whisper from death itself. I escaped the murder into the heart of the town, to do what any troubled man would do around there: drink.

At least people were more at ease there. Despite all the worries that burdened any soul around there, everybody acted carefree. Had a bit of a chat with the people there. The girls did not seem too willing that night. Even had a real conversation with a foreigner. The drinks were sure not strong enough that night.

As I was falling, I finally looked beyond the barrel of the gun into that bastard’s face. It was a memory happy enough to ease my stay in hell. Kind to think of it, the face was…


Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.

- The Man He Killed


…his. …his.

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Alright, maybe this one is a bit on the morbid side. But what the hell. I felt like it. So what do you think? Comment!

An advice to whoever wishes to hear:

If the love is true, then you would be willing to part from her.
For only if you return, and there is still love, then the love was true.
If you are never willing to part, obsessed with what you thought was love,
Then there was never love in the first place.
Just an obsession.

Council Outing - Senior's Account

Last Saturday, on the 3rd of September 2005, the 6th Student Council had their first outing together (with some additions from the 5th council) and lately, some of them have been popping up with accounts of the outing on their blogs. So today, I'm here to offer a senior's account of the outing from the under-represented seniors' point of view.

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So it started off with a rainy day, early in the morning. Rise and shine! The meeting time for the seniors were delayed to 11 am. And there I was, at JE MRT station at 11, only to find out that everybody else was still at home doing their hair. Fast forward 45 mins later, got everyone down at the MRT platform. Everyone consisted of me, Omar, Alvin and Hafizah. Talk about under-represented.

We went to Harbourfront to grab some snacks, since the council was left with a measly amount in their funds. It rained, again, when we arrived there. Lazed around at cold storage, where we spent what was like half an hour choosing drinks, before finally setting off.


The seniors arrived to a funeral-silent scene. We found out later that they've already tired themselves out. That was at 1.30 pm, and some of them have already gone out like six hours before that. They sure don't sleep much.



The first thing that we did there after changing was... dump people!!! Nobody was safe from the water. Except Ms Ridz of course, who had the Aura of Detention to protect her.




Once we got bored of dumping, we went digging! Did a sand makeover of Arif, with extra large assets with the complete genital features and all. Thus the product of adolescent hormones running amok.





Boredom never lasted long on that day. There were always games to play. The kids were playing soccer, frisbee and other assortments of amusing activities to fill the time.

But best of all was the game of Dog and Bone, where everyone played. Simple, but highly amusing when played in the sand with all the cheery atmosphere. It was a battle between the seniors and juniors as we separated ourselves into two groups, one being the sec 2s and the other being the sec 3s and 4s. There were lots of accidents, violent wrestling, slipping, kicking, sand throwing and other nasty play, but it was fun nonetheless. Had a two rounds of that and obviously the supreme seniors won both. As punishment, the juniors had to do a forfeit.


For losing the first round, they had to do some butt spelling. Guess what the phrase was? 'Commonwealth Secondary School Student Council 2005'. Their butts deserved a spelling-B prize after all that.

For losing the second round, they won themselves a Funky Chicken display, including an all-original Ms Ridz version. That was a definite laugh for the seniors.

And like all outings, there's lots of pictures involved. I spotted the Bollywood trend of taking pictures behind trees in the photos, so let me present to you the Bollywood series:






Life is never empty of irony. Look at the following pic:

Then we found this:

Signboards lie...


And how can we forget the darling seniors... Yes people, zoom into Omar's head. It's not gelled!!! Wow! The whole world will make such a big deal about it and publish it in every tabloid on Earth! Sheesh, like anyone cares about that Omar...


We somehow got ourselves up there to take this wonderful picture. And unfortunately, no, Alvin's not dead. Damn.

So there you have it, our outing at the beach. One heck of a time. Had to cut it short since 'mummy' Ms Ridz couldn't stay long. Went back to Harbourfront where we rendezvous with Kel Vin (a fifth senior, yeah!!!) for dinner.

Went back home before nine! Gasp!!! That's early. The last time the council had an outing, most of us came back on the stroke of midnight! Hope to have the next one that long too, hehe, don't tell mummy that. That's all there is.

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Sure is a fresh change to have a day account on this blog. Nah, I'm not gonna do it all the time, too troublesome. Btw, tweaked the layout a bit to make it less irritating. Comment if you still find anything troublesome.

Woah, just realised that almost to the bottom, there hasn't been an intelligent entry in sight! I might lose my reputation as a good blogger. Gotta come up with something good soon...

And thanks to Cheryl and Geraldine for the pics! (and yes, they're hosting them, hehe)Go visit their blogs for more pictures from the outing, link's on the side. Phyo has a minute-by-minute account on his blog too. Check them out!



Another hint of boredom and stupidity. Lol.

Boredom

I was bored, and found this, so there you have it.

Your Kissing Purity Score: 77% Pure

You've hardly ever been kissed But the kisses you've given are very missed

Kissing Purity Test

Awe... That's so sweet...

Part Romantic Kisser

For you, kissing is all about feeling the romance You love to kiss under the stars or by the sea The perfect kiss involves the perfect mood It's pretty common for kisses to sweep you off your feet

Part Passionate Kisser

For you, kissing is about all about following your urges If someone's hot, you'll go in for the kiss - end of story You can keep any relationship hot with your steamy kisses A total spark plug - your kisses are bound to get you in trouble

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

Not bad...

Your Birthdate: February 4

Being born on the 4th day of the month should help make you a better manager and organizer. You may be more responsible and self-disciplined than you realize. Sincere and honest, you are a serious and hard working individual. Your feelings are likely to seem somewhat repressed at times. The number 4 has something of an inhibiting effect on your ability to show and express affections, as feeling are very closely regulated and controlled. You are apt to be much more practical, rational, and conscious of details. There is a good deal of rigidity and stubbornness associated with the number 4.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Wow, that's too freakishly accurate...


Alright, alright... Gotta get back to work...

Seraphim Anthology #06 - Of books and deeds

It's teachers' day again, and as usual, I made cards for all the teachers. Just to fill in a blog entry, I've decided to post the contents of the cards in here. So here you go.

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Seraphim Anthology #06 - Of Books and Deeds
A poem by Seraphim

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[on front of card, it came with a white rose]

For a pure love
The deepest sorrow
Or joyful times
That may come tomorrow

The white rose

[inside the card]

Want all that you could offer
To become one that really matters
Tree of life, bound to its roots
For one life we live, from flesh to soot
Five days a week, knowledge we seek
Sick of routine, yet everyday we meet
Seven days straight, we loaded our brains
Ate no rewards, yet sorrow and pain
Nine tails of wisdom, persistent to achieve
Tan have our skins, now reward we reap

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Familiar? Yeah, it follows the style of my previous poem. Yeah yeah, not original I know. I fell asleep before I got to prepare the cards, so I did them the morning before I went to school.

Also, each card for each teacher had some additional fun text in them. I guess you might enjoy this one more, so read on.

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[to my English/literature teacher]

"For the purpose of this essay, 'happy' will mean 'to be off one's rocker' and 'teacher' will mean 'nutter'. With respect to the above,

Happy Teachers' Day!"

[to my maths teacher]

Girls = Time x Money
Time = Money
Girls = Money x Money = Money²
Money = √Evil
Girls = (√Evil)²
Therefore: Girls = Evil

So you see, boys are bad, but girls are evil!

[to my physics teacher]

"For every deed, there will be an equal and opposite repayment."
- Newton's law of kindness

[to my geography teacher]

"Through erosional processes such as training, determination, perseverance and kindness, the stack has developed into a wonderful teacher!"

[to my social studies teacher]

"I agree to a large extent that you are a wonderful teacher. From cross-reference and my knowledge of the context, I conclude so."

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Well, my teachers' day went well. Though didn't get to see much teachers... Spent the whole day till 3 at school, sorting out the IT club's 'neoprint' service. Not bad for our first publicity stunt, made more than a hundred bucks.

Didn't get to go back to primary school though, left school late. But did manage to go see a teacher at Mac's! To those whom I met there: nice seeing you guys again! Hope we see each other again soon!

ANNOUNCEMENT
P.S. to Yuqun Pri P6 classes of 2001: Me and the teachers are probably planning a reunion after the 'O's at chalet/buffet/etc. Keep the first week of December free!!! See you there!

Daily Schedule

Saturday

0800 - Wake up - Check organiserW
WTF!!! Malay prelim on Monday!!! Haven't taken mother tongue for two months and now I need to improve two grades in two days?!?!

0830 - Malay practise paper
Bloody hell! I don't even recognise these words anymore!!!

1030 - Still doing Malay practise paper
*hysterical* WHAT ARE THESE WORDS?!?!

1045 - Still at it...
Oh! They're upside down!!!

1200 - Lunch
Nasi lemak! Nasi ayam! Mee soto! I can speak Malay now!!!

1230 - Double check organiser
WTF!!! English prelim on Tuesday! Must clear out corrupted vocabulary of obsceneties in three days?!?!

1300 - English practise paper
Summary of the passage: bullshit

1430 - Still doing practise paper
Replace the following words with a suitable word or phrase
practise english: useless

1530 - Still at it...
Do you agree that the elder should be treated as second class citizens?
Hell yeah

1700 - Triple check organiser
AAAAARRRRRGGGHH!!!!! @)*%&*$&%(^(#@^@$!!! French prelim on TUESDAY ALSO!!!

1800 - RIP

Meet the BOBs #01 - Eh-Oh!

Just a little about my life in school. My clique call ourselves the Band of Brothers, ridiculously acronymed BOB. Recently, a friend of mine (one of the BOBs of course), started a fiction series in his blog (http://cursed-blessings.blogspot.com) that garbles about some of our adventures in school, in a farfetched exaggerated way. It was decided that I do a prequel for the series, covering how the clique first formed.

So here I am succumbing to fate and writing this prequel. I know that most of you probably won't understand it since it includes a lot of internal jokes (though I'll try to make it understandable). I'm writing this mainly for the sake of our own laughter, so what the hell. Hope you guys enjoy it!

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Meet the BOBs #01 - Eh-Oh!
The Band of Brothers

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"Holy shit, look up guys!", exclaimed Mobie to his zombie-like companions.

It was early in the morning of 2002 that the three of them met, on a short flight of stairs underneath a stretch of walkway. Above them, a group of senior girls were making their way to class.

Kimmy replied, "---- [EDIT] He drooled.

"Maybe if they don't notice us, we could do this all day...", fantasied Mobie.

That was short-lived however, as moments barely passed before before the silence was broken. "OH MY GOD! IS THAT A G-STRING!!!", enquired Shaibouzie with full intent.

The other two just gave him a cold stare. "WHAT DID I DO??? I know! Let's call this blessed passageway The Perverted Road to Hell!", Shaibouzie remarked, trying to flair some intelligence.

Thus started the clique, with the three founders. Let's intro them a bit.

Meet Mobie, Owner of Cursed Blessings. 170cm tall, not all that fair, spiky hair and seriously needs to gain some weight. Part time Deep Thinker, Full time Idiot and the Family Playboy.

Meet Shaibouzie, No blog owned. 168 cm tall, not all that fair, wires for hair, needs to go on a diet and needs to stop using a towel to wipe his face. Overtime Idiot and Elephant Man.

Meet Kimmy, Owner of kim productions. 172cm(plus minus) tall, not all that fair, aspires to be a golfer and like shaibouzie, needs to go on a diet. Part time Deep Thinker, Usually never with the rest and failed philosopher.

"Cool, so now we own a Perverted Road to Hell. That would so please God", commented Mobie cooly.

"Mwuahahahaha! Not anymore! I shall claim the Perverted Road to Hell as mine instead! Mwuahahahaargh*cough,cough*haha!". From the bottom of the staircsae, an enemy approached. It was none other than the formidable Buffalo King Herald.

"You!", said Kimmy. "As our enemy, we must... Err... Screw, no. Thank, no. Defeat, no. Smooch, no. Oh yeah, defeat you!"

"Quick! Hit him with a stick and a ball!" instructed Mobie.

Shaibouzie looked around. "I can't find a stick!"

"You're staring at it!" came the reply from Mobie.

"Now, where do I get a ball?" said Shaibouzie.

"You're staring at it!" replied Kimmy this time.

"So where am I aiming at?" asked Shaibouzie.

"Find a weak spot. The neck!" replied Mobie.

"I can't see one!" Shaibouzie shouted back hysterically.

"Just hit me!!!" cried out Kimmy.

"Alright. Here goes nothing", said Shaibouzie. He lifted the ball, found it too heavy, and decided to just hit it from the ground with the stick. He held the stick firmly from the base of the neck and swung hard. With a *swoosh* and a *whack* and a *crack* and an *OW*, Kimmy shot off towards Buffalo King Herald.

"Hahaha! You can't defeat me with that!" sneered the neckless king. Kimmy kept coming towards him. "Holy shit! The smell! The smell!!!"

And with that, the founders of the BOB won their first battle. As they were glaring themselves at the blazing sunset from behind the girls above them, they wandered at what would come next.

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So there goes the first part. Comment people, comment!!!

Rafahn Ranting in Red

Rafahn

Recently was big baby Singapore's 40th birthday. Kind of makes you think, for a person, 40 years is quite old already. Thank god countries don't suffer menopause or impotence, I think.

Some people say life starts at 40. If you ask me, it's more like your paying life starts at 40. Once at that age, you seem to be paying for everything now: your bills, your children's bills, your wife's shopping, your children's shopping, well you get what I mean. Seems like Singapore is no different. We're paying extra for simple things like water and getting your car on the road.

So there I was, in Farhan's head, on the bus after having missed a stop. Again. I was thinking at what makes Singapore, well, Singapore. Looking out the window, it's quite easy to recognise. It's one of the only places with distinct fashion. There's the Chinese in tank-top and shorts, the Malays in tapered pants and the Indians in... What do they wear again?

Then there's the shopping centres. If you think about it, there's a shopping centre at every MRT station. Counting in the other shopping centres, that's a lot of shopping places. Add those two up and you'll have a shopping centre every two kilometres! You can imagine a marathon with shopping centres as pit stops.

"Oh no, that runner looks like he's not gonna make it. Just a little more and you'll be at Causeway Point, where they're having a 50% discount at Metro storewide!"

"SALE!!!", vroooooooom!

Sometimes, when I pass by the more ulu forested areas, I like to imagine myself in another country. You know, to destress from bustling Singapore. But the moment I turn back into the bus, you see the auntie beside you saying, "Wah, Singapore so hot hor!"

And you know your fantasy's over.

Well, being in Singapore isn't all that bad. At least you get to demonstrate your democratic abilities. Probably once in your lifetime, hopefully.

It looks like our Excellency will be running around for another six years. No one else seems to be up to face his 'dark' wrath. We can't say that's a bad thing either, after checking his profile. Turns out that Mr High Pants has done quite a bit. To date, he's been a social worker, director of the security and intel dept, Foreign Affairs permanent secretary, executive chairman of Straits Times Press, commissioner to Malaysia and president of good old Singapore. Phew, that's quite a list. So he really does do more than pop up and smile at events.

Taking a look back, the other presidents don't seem as flashy. Let's see... First we have Yusof Ishak. He literally was a figurehead, just to take the place as Head of State until he died 5 years after taking his post. To date, he has... his face on our money.

Benjamin Shears wasn't such a bad guy. Being Eurasian, makes us wonder if the British set him up to take care of ickle lil Singapore back then. They've got good reasons, the previous president died just to have his face on money. Shears was an obstetrician (a person who enjoys a woman's squeal as she gives birth) and taught at the University of Malaya (teaching.... how to squeal?).

Onto the next race, Devan Nair. The races seem to take turns here. He had his fair share of political achievements, but who in the right mind would be president of Singapore then live in Canada? He would. He did leave us a nice joke. Your know, the one with his wife screaming "Nair! Nair! Fire!" in the kitchen, which led to the '995' telephone hotline.

Singapore was lucky to have a people's person for the next president. Wee Kim Wee was highly popular, with experience as the chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, now called MediaCorp. At least he enjoyed his last days here until his bladder burst him to death.

Finally! Singaporeans used democracy! First elected president was Ong Teng Cheong. Left a legacy of arts that gave birth to the Esplanade and Singapore as an arts hub. The guy kicked the bucket at a suspicious age of 66.


Having seen all that, I guess Mr High Pants isn't so bad after all. Hope he leaves us more than just his face on our money.

Roaring in Red

From right behind me, there came a steadily pitching hissing noise. I turned around just in time to see the projectile give a loud "bang", and turned into a most amazing spectacle of fireworks that close to the ground.

The date: 9th August 2005, place: Jurong East Heartland Celebration. Yes, I was one of the thousands out in the open on the night of the National Day.

"Do not ask of what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

This saying has been proven true through and through, though around us Singaporeans still practise their hobby; complaining. They complain about the government, the weather, the educations system, anything imaginable. Now let us just consider the otherwise for a second. What has the country done for us?

A Singaporean would enjoy a lifetime of democracy, meritocracy, freedom of speech (compared to restricted speech elsewhere, this freedom is more than you think), a thriving economy for an island thought impossible to survive, sufficient welfare services, uncorrupted governance, freedom in religion, a voice for every ethnic group, protection against prejudice, sanctuary from terrorism, among many other benefits. Students further enjoy the edusave reduction, a comprehensive economy-driven education and a merit-based system.

With all of these, who would in the right mind still ask what the country has done for them?

Around me, people of countless differences were gathered. Their eyes told me of one purpose: to celebrate the nation's independance. I could only understand why they would want to commemorate the independance of the nation that has given them so much. Looking back at the crisis that made us instead of break us, I truly acknowledge the existence of the Singapore spirit. A nation can unite.

Racist? Maybe. Patriot? Definitely.

With forty years of wishes,
Happy Birthday Singapore



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The WIlderness Series #02 - Behind These Wandering Eyes

Rafahn: Well, I've been rotting in Farhan's head long enough. Since he's down, I'll be doing a full-length article this time. Can you believe it? An article of my own!!! So, I'll make do without all the crap that Farhan always comes up with and share with you something that's close to your hearts. So.... enjoy!

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The Wilderness Series #02 - Behind These Wandering Eyes
An article by Seraphim

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We've all gone through life, had a fair share of its hardship and shed a few tears. But the most memorable moments were the ones when we shared with a loved one. Speaking about loved ones, it's interesting to note how a guy can change when they face their counterparts. Today, let's take a look at some of these 'transformations'.

The Playboy
This is an obvious category; the name says it all. This guy is a sucker for relationships. Often we'll find him having more than one relationships at once. Let's not call it two-timing, let's call it multi-tasking. Commitment is a non-existent word for this guy. What pleases this chap are things that usually pleases his eyes. Like a busy fisherman, he'll reel in all the fresh, pretty fishes that comes near his line.

The Obsessed
While the Playboy is a sucker for relationships, this guy's a sucker for a specific girl. There's a slight understanding of commitment to him, at least as long as his obsession lasts. The distinct tell-tale sign of an Obsessed is the way he acts towards his girl. His fingers would twirl around his cellphone, bracing for an SMS from her, he can never keep her out of his conversations, and the ultimate confirmation of an Obsessed: he would die if his girl doesn't wave back. Yeah, I can hear the "ooh"s and the "ah"s already. You know what kind of person I'm talking about here right? A little like the Playboy, an Obsessed gets obsessed with a person who would catch his sore spot. If a girl were to find herself in the grasp of an Obsessed, don't reject him. Clean out his pockets first, he'll gladly do it.

The Desperado
This is an easy one to figure out. This guy's just plain old desperate. He's the type who's either new to relationships, became a host to newly raging hormones or been out of a relationship for too long. It's quite easy to recognise a Desperado; he'll try to catch anyone within his grasp. Either for a friend or a relationship, he'll grab them all. Usually likes to make known the fact that he's a real man and that he's got the girl to prove it. This guy wants to get the type that he wants, but beggars can't be choosers like they say, so he'll just grab them as they come.

The Family Man
This type's been getting more popular over the years. This guy's got a bit of the Playboy in him, but the difference is he won't admit them as relationships. Confused? Try replacing the word "girlfriend" with "sister" or whatever crackpot name they could think of. Does that ring any bells? We have to give them credit for one thing though, for calling their girlfriends 'sisters', they get one huge advantage: they can have as many girlfriends as they want without being accused of two-timing. Smart eh? I mean, it's logical, you can't have many girlfrineds but you can have many sisters. Man, this guy could have enough simultaneous relationships to make Playboy jealous. Like I said, this guy would never confess his love for his counterparts, calling it 'brotherly love' or something. Ugh, lame...

The Elephant Man
They say an elephant never forgets. I say an elephant has one hell of a thick skin. Just like our Elephant Man here. This guy's got a bit of the Desperado in him, with the difference being he doesn't acknowledge his own desperation himself. A master of drama, he'll act as if people actually think he's the hottest thing on legs, but of course the truth is much far off. Realising this is an impossibility for him, as he'll be obliged to keep thinking of his dellusional hot self. I guess there's no need to describe how this guy looks like; everything that's not what he says.

The Prince Charming
Don't get me wrong, the Prince Charming isn't the handsomest of them all. Hey, it's hard to keep beauty in royal blood you know. The Prince Charming is simply a guy who can keep his relationship (that's singular), quite a diversion from the guys above. He's not the sick one like the Obsessed, not dellusional like the Elephant Man and definitely not a Desperado. Just a guy who has a good old clean relationship, the classic type. That's not to say this guy's perfect. His imperfections? Er... I'll have to think about that...

The Lone Wolf
Aha, the final one on the list of misfits. Let's just get to the point here. This guy walks alone and wants to stay that way. Que themse song "Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams", heh. That's not to say he's gay either, since I'm talking about guys here, not people in between. This guy just wants to walk the lonely road on the boulevard of his own dreams. He doesn't mind it. I think.

So there you have it, the different classifications of the male mindset. Go figure out which one you are. Remember, in the real world, they tend to mix and match, so have fun classifying yourselves!