2nd Anniversary

Time flies. No, I think it zooms. Without notice, this blog is already two years old. I debuted as a blogger in September 2008 and have written nearly 500 posts (the 500th one is coming really soon). I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who played a part in this little success of mine.

Qing Xiong
I suppose I have to say thank you to him first. I knew nothing about blogskins and tagboards back then. Yes, I picked the blogskin but if he didn't tell me where to find them, I would have been lost.

Not only the part on where to choose a template, I also had no idea how to use it for this blog. If I'm not wrong, he was the one who pasted it in Blogger for me. I trusted him so I gave him my password.

Unfortunately, there was some problem with it after three months so I switched to the current one you are seeing now. It looks too cool that I can't be bothered to change it again. P.S. changing blogskins takes up a lot of time too.

Oh yes, the tagboard. It's been the same old one ever since the first post appeared on this blog. However, I shamelessly declare that until now, I still don't know how to create one. Yeah, it's Qing Xiong who did it for me again.

Wai Yuen
I contemplated whether Nick or Wai Yuen deserved second spot and decided on the latter. Wai Yuen was the first person to tag in the tagboard and he did it even before I wrote my opening post.

He's been a great supporter of this blog with his frequent tags although they have significantly decreased. If you ask Wai Yuen to say one question that Raymond always asks him, it's gotta be "When will you start a blog?"

I can see that he has the potential to be a competent blogger. If he ever starts blogging one day, his blog would definitely be a direct challenger to mine in terms of readership.

Nick
Ever since I started blogging and he came tagging here, I started calling him Nick as if it is his real name. I just can't seem to call him Nicholas like how SNSD Sunny's fans won't call her Soonkyu. I think Nick is easier for lazy people like me who are too lazy to move their mouths.

Honestly, I cannot remember how Nick came to know of my blog (maybe you can tell me?). I only remembered "advertising" it to Wai Yuen and a few others from Tanglin. Nick is also a wonderful fan of this blog although his tags have also lessen lately.

Melvin
He debuted earlier than me in June 2008 and his blog has always been a reference area and inspiration corner whenever I need ideas. I did not copy his work of course (because I am a staunch devotee of Creativity) but there are some elements in it which makes it attractive.

He ever thanked me in his blog for being a loyal supporter or something like that so I shall reciprocate and thank him back here.

Teck Cheong
Well, I don't know what to say for you but thanks for subscribing this blog on your Google Feeds. And if you don't mind, tag more often

To everyone else out there reading
Come on, don't be a coward. Be brave and make your presence felt here but leaving a nice tag. You don't even need to pay for reading all the sweat and effort I forked out.

***

I do not believe in publicly advertising one's blog, that is, people who post their blog address on their MSN or make a Twitter update whenever they have a new post. That's too blunt. It shows the desperado side of you trying hard to sell your product.

In my perspective, blogs should be advertised through one's mouth. Like how your friend tells you this certain shop which sells cosmetics for a cheaper price. I need no publicity and never will.

I just need quality (and also quantity so that the blog doesn't look outdated). I will try my best and continue writing quality posts for you the reader. Thank you very much!

By the way, no gifts or tokens for those whom I thanked. Aiyah, you know lah, because this blog still got no sponsor mah!

Google Instant

Introducing.....*drums rolling*...Google Instant!

Google, the website everybody uses for shortcuts, is now instant like your Maggi, Myojo, Koka or Samyang Ramyeon.

Ok, I know I'm not very instant in sharing this news with you but it's still informative. Users can save up about three seconds for every search they make using this new enhancement.

I heard that Yahoo claims that it owns several patents of Google Instant as it launched a similar service back in 2005 called Instant Search.

However, words (or names) like Paris Hilton are blacklisted by Google Instant. Maybe because she's already attracted far too much limelight so they decided to leave her out.

I was wondering if Youtube would have a similar feature in the future.

2 plates of dumplings please!

The land of the rising sun and the land of Pests, Rascals, Cheats (P.R.C.) are having some disputes lately. Apparently, it's got to do with the sea. I shall not talk about the background story, you can go ascertain things on your own.

Anyway, I would like to give my two cents' worth about that guy in the picture above. He was the captain and also the last to be freed among all those captured.

He was eventually freed three days ago and received a warm welcome from fellow P.R.Cs when he returned to his country.

My first impression of this guy is that he looks qian bian (Chinese translation of calling for a punch). I believe the Nippons had planned to release all of them including the captain but held the latter back in the end.

This is not because he's captain but also due to the fact that he has a 100% genuine and authentic c_ _na face. Take a walk on the streets in Lion City and you will find many similar types of faces and nearly all speak with a certain irritating accent.


The Nippons might have felt that he looks thoroughly qian bian so they detained him for a longer period. Seems that native citizens of Lion City are not the only ones who detest this bunch of erm, should I call them humans?

But are putting melamine in milk powder or using diseased pigs for luncheon meat considered humane?

Spinning

Some people know that I have a talent of spinning books, files or anything flat with my finger for as long as I like. And I can spin them with any finger of either hand

I always wonder if there was any worthy challenger who could beat me in it. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have yet to meet a tough opponent. I have a glorious unbeaten record like Floyd Mayweather Jr.

So if you or anyone whom you know have a similar talent, please approach me and I'll make sure you lose until you call me master. Just kidding. But you will lose anyway

25 Sep

Went to Queensway Shopping Centre with Wai Yuen yesterday. He also needed to return the book which he borrowed from me which I borrowed from the school library and it is due soon

I wanted to buy a new pair of boots for my soccer competition. In the end, as expected, I didn't buy anything.

I wanted to buy the red-white Adidas Predator but every single shop which I entered were out of stock. Except for one where the salesperson said the stocks haven't arrived

Thought of purchasing the yellow-white one instead but as a very "idealistic and perfectionist" consumer, I decided not to be so easy-going. You can try me but I am quite a difficult person to persuade buying

After nearly one hour of useless shopping where we asked the same question at every shop and got the same reply from them, we decided to head over to Anchorpoint

We rested at a dessert store to relax our legs. Later, we headed down to Singapore Pools because Wai Yuen need to satisfy his weekly gambling needs. He forced me to share with him a $2 SCRATCHIT ticket. I paid 50 cents, he paid $1.50

Each of us scratched one of the two lucky numbers. It was my first time playing (or scratching) this stupid thing and I struck one of the numbers. It was only $2 but better than nothing.

Unlucky Wai Yuen didn't struck anything. So we ended up queuing up again to get back the $2 we paid. I think I got back the same 50 cents coin I used to buy the ticket.

I walked him to the bus stop and after he boarded the bus, we both realized something was wrong. I forgot to take the book from him! It's still in his bag! Stupid us. We really fit the description of great minds think alike

I still managed to get the book back as he alighted at the next stop, wasting 71 cents while I sweat like hell walking all the way there and back.

F1

Tomorrow is September 26. The day Typhoon Kestana invaded Southeast Asia one year ago. For this year, September 26 marks the third F1 night race in history

It is only the third time and I am already starting to get sick of it. Pop stars flock to Singapore for some F1 concert, roads in Marina Bay area being blocked for the umpteen time and a white-haired, 79 year-old man named Bernie Ecclestone is in town again

But since it is an annual event, I might as well join in the fun and these are my predictions

Race Winner-Driver (Event 5103, Bet Type: 61)

1st: Jenson Button (Selection No.: 01, $11)
2nd: Fernando Alonso (Selection No.: 08, $4)
3rd: Mark Webber (Selection No.: 06, $4)

Sebastian Vettel looks like the hot favourite but I think he still lacks some experience. Lewis Hamilton is too cocky so I decided not to pick him even though he's the defending champion of this race. Felipe Massa looks off-form currently.

I chose Button purely by guessing. Webber would prove to be a tough opponent as his car is more suited for Singapore's circuit. Alonso will lose the race to Button by just a fraction

Property Advertisement

I found this brochure outside my house today. Since the advertisement looks quite grand, my hands started to get itchy and I picked up my handphone

I dialled the number of the guy on the left as his face looks more professional and property agent-like. Just when I thought how his voice would sound like, the line was disconnected. He hung me up! Oh, that idiot, potential customer you also don't want

So I called the other guy on the right and he answered my call. I asked what floor was the unit at and he told me nine. Nine? Nine doesn't seem very high (as stated in the brochure) to me for Block 364 in Clementi

I had to continue acting like a real buyer so I enquired if its a corner unit and if its near the lift kind of stuff. The guy said he'll be in overseas tomorrow so I need to call his colleague if I am going to the open house

Yeah, wait for your colleague to return my call first

Planner

I have never lived my life with the help of an organizer. Something like you write down what/where are you going which days of a week. The only schedule which I followed was my school timetable

But for now, I think there should be a change. I need a notebook or at least a piece of paper to pen down what I need to do. I have been experimenting this (actually I have done lots of experiments) during the holidays and life seems to be better off with a planner than without one

Besides having a plan for the day, it also keeps you occupied, making the day productive and fruitful. Provided the things you did were productive. The food which you eat will also taste better somehow

So if you had been living a freestyle life like me in the past, why not have a change too? Nothing is impossible. Even 4D also ever open 0000

Pineapple Promfet

For today, I am gonna showcase the erm, culinary side of me

I had come up with a recipe from some inspiration which I got somewhere and with some brainstorming. I am no cookery book author so the lingo used here might not be appropriate. Well, as long as you can understand, that is good enough

Steamed fish always looks boring where it is just a fish on a plate with some ginger on it. Here's my version of steamed fish. PP. Pineapple Promfet

Ingredients. You freaking need all of the below

1 white promfet (please don't tell the fishmonger you want a Prophet)
1 small pineapple
Few slices of ginger (about 4 will do)
Salt (Little bit)
Sugar (Little bit also)
Starch (means flour mixed with water)
Coriander (yeah, I think that's its English name)

Steps. You freaking need to follow them accordingly

1. Slice out both sides of meat from the fish

2. Use the remaining fish skeleton to cook the broth for 45 minutes

3. Steam the 2 slices of fish with ginger for 6-7 minutes depending on the broadness of the meat

4. Cut out a rectangular-shaped block from the pineapple. Thickness about 2cm.

5. Pan-fry the pineapple until it turns golden-brown. Add some sugar on it when frying

6. Place the 2 slices of fish with the pineapple to form an equilateral triangle whereby the pineapple is the base

7. Use fish broth to make gravy

7.1 Add salt, sugar to the broth. Boil over large fire.

7.2 Pour in starch bit by bit when it starts to boil

8. Pour gravy over the fish

9. Garnish with coriander

4minute player

You might have heard of the South Korean girl group 4minute. Yes, the one who sings hot it hot it i-i-i-i-i-i issue. Today was my team's first match of the EEE soccer league (opening game) and that was the amount of time I lasted on the pitch

Definitely one of the fastest players ever to step in and out of the field and it's not because of injury or red card. All thanks to my shoe. The outsole peeled off and pissed me off. I was running when all of a sudden, I felt that there was something weird at my left foot

I signalled Melvin to substitute me and just sat at the side until the referee blew the final whistle. Before I forget, you must be wondering what was the score. We won 2:0. I thought we could have won 5:0 if the forwards were more clinical

We missed lots of chances, the opposing team created lots of drama with their feints and the match looked as though it will only end tomorrow morning. I am perfectly satisfied with my team's performance although I only made a cameo appearance

Ok, at least I managed to last longer than 4minute's Hot Issue the song

Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner. So comes to your mind first? If you're narrow-minded, it's definitely that pastry called Mooncake. If not, then maybe its the "very very circle" moon which will be hanging quietly in the sky when nightfall arrives

Actually, this festival is not only celebrated by the Chinese. The Vietnamese also commemorate this occasion

Vietnam-version mooncakes are usually square instead of round. Also, lion dances are a must-have during this period. Something similar to Chinese New Year where the lion visits houses to dance. Oh yes, and they do have lanterns too.

Alright, after some informative general knowledge, it's time to get shallow and senseless! The Mid-Autumn Festival rap by me, or whatever you call it

Yo yo, why is the moon so so round round?
Why? It's Chang'er, can't you hear the sound?
Chang'er simi lang?
Omg, she's a diety lah, ahbang!
Wow, so she make the moon so round round?
No lah, because of Mid-Autumn is around
it's the only time when mooncakes are found

Ya la, so the moon so round
Huh? what you mean so round
Aiyah never mind, it's just so round
Eh, what round or not so round?

Shut up lah and eat your mooncake
Ok lor, eating it keeps me awake
Of course, I bought from Da Zhong Guo
Da Zhong Guo is from China?
No lah, stupid. In Chinatown

Eh let's go play lantern together
ask more people come, more the merrier
don't forget Peter and Eric
make sure we play until like lunatic
but please be careful of fire
don't end up police come to enquire

Tomorrow ah tomorrow
remind me to buy pomelo
although I rather buy durian
but once in a year so I bo pian

Is Michael Jackson on the moon?
Of course no lah why you so goon?
He can go there do moonwalk
Chang'er watch already confirm go stalk
Rabbit see also want to walk
but he end up like doing duckwalk

Eat mooncake plus drink some tea
like that then call duality
make sure you drink Chinese tea
please don't go and drink bubble tea
if you can't decide from all that you've seen
how about some Tie Guan Yin?

Celebrate Zhong Qiu with all your folks
and eat mooncakes with double yolks
carry lanterns in the night
make the streets so clear and bright
remember not to point at the moon
or else your ear will start to bleed soon