Love lost

As I recovered from an awful flu in the early morning, I went to get my cheque. Finally.

Somehow, my pay is pro rata and I miss out the dates in my contract that I should work until the following tuesday but I ended it earlier on a Friday. Damn myself for not reading between the lines.

Hence, my pay is obscenely obscene to look at.

After that fiasco, I went to school to attend a DMC event.

To meet with lecturers and just see old faces, laughing at the yr 2 & 3s and waving a diploma in their faces.

But to some irony, I manage to chat with someone casually and um, I kinda like her.

It's been a long time since I felt some chemistry in a conversation with a complete stranger.

And yes, my heart fluttered a bit. My cold heart is unfreezing itself !

I know that if I don't approach her to probe further, I would never stand a chance anymore.

I then decide to do some background check to check her availability. Initially, news of her being an unattachee made me squirm in excitment.

With further confirmation with one of her project mates, I discovered she just recently got hitched to somebody.

Shattered and forlorn, I was visibly upset.

I don't do 3rd parties. Too complicated.

I truly enjoyed her company for 15 minutes or so and could feel some form of "connection".

Maybe the "connection" only applied to me : (

She is a nice and affable gal though. I wish I could spend more time knowing her.

Maybe if she weren't attached, maybe if I was still studying in SP, maybe...

Sigh,
Benjamin

P.S. Although in one of the earliest post I mentioned the perks of being single, being attached and being in love overrules all of it.

I sound as though as I'm desperate but I'm really not, it's not everyday you meet somebody and you feel that there is some possibility of you walking down the aisle & starting a family with her, right?

P.S.S. I don't think she'll ever read my blog and hence, I poured out the emotions that I went through today which has been a whirlwind of late. If only she knew...

Down with Flu

Why am I sick? I seriously question myself.

For the past 3 years in poly, I've only have 1 Medical Certificate to take from the doctor but 2004 is like the year of the damned sick benjamin with a wheezing nose.

Cough virus, throat inflammation and flu bug are frequent visitors to my apparent weak frail immune system.

Why me ?

I'm down with flu, a record of being sick for 4 times already by July.

I hate being sick.

Usually, I brush it off or just pop a panadol and I'm miracle-ly cured.

Now, I have a membership card for Raffles Medical Centre and the receptionist knows me by my first name & what I would like to eat for dinner.

That is not a good thing. At all.

Wrapped under blankets of sinus-filled tissues,
Benjamin

P.S. Listening to Ordinary by Train from Spiderman 2 soundtrack repeatedly. The harsh acoustics are kinda soothing for my trouble sunburned leaking sinus-dripping faucet.

Discoveries & Declarations

Random discoveries and declarations for the past few days:

~ I ate a pint of Cookies & Cream ice-cream without any guilt

~ Starhub is AMAZING, hence I got a new line (plus phone)[for army] so that my pop can join the Hub Club (I'm paying the bill btw, I'm NOT a spoiled brat)

~ My company is taking a long time to issue my cheque. Starting to get irritated as my wallet is bursting with a to-buy list

~ My to-buy list consist of a Discman, an Xbox controller, a Xbox memory card, Sudeki Xbox game, Ninja Gaiden Xbox game, The Simpsons Hit n Run Xbox game, A Frutti Di Mare treat to my parents, brother & sis-in-law at Carlton Hotel and a 20 GB HDD portable drive. Total estimated cost of $1,200.

~ I'm transmorgifying to an Xbox geek. Already. And it's only a week.

~ I should remind myself to teach tuition. Wednesday morning and I shall not procrastinate.

~ Some girl is pestering me for help. Not that I'm not willing to help just that me and her has a bit of weird romantic history.

~ I'm in the process of arranging my room and packing documents. I feel so neat.

~ I need to get back to exercise mode. I've been complacent.

~ I love xbox games. Somebody should slap me before I get addicted.

~ I borrowed some library books and it has to do with me being a stockbroker, a copy writer and why advertising is dead. Somebody shoot me.

~ I should start returning books on time. I just paid a S$9.90 library fine.

~ I shall put moisturizer or aloe vera cream on my face after a swim. Reason being, only my face will peel and the rest of my body is just boiling red. And for every 5 seconds, you'll be thinking how people are staring at your dead skin infested face.

~ I went to City Harvest church on a bloody Sunday morning. It cemented the fact on why I shall remain an atheist and why I love to sleep in on a Sunday morning. Why waste it ? = )

~ I've been thinking that I want to be a banker or a finanical manager. Somebody torch me.

~ My lovelife is like nil on the love-o-meter and it seems it'll stay that way for the next 2 years n 2 months. Sigh~~~

Xbox fanatic awaiting cheque or love,
Benjamin

Whatta Day

I just took one step closer to Geek Nirvana. This is the story of my day.

Slacking around the computer for the early afternoon or so, I decided to go "army shopping" and be a typical kiasu Singaporean to prepare early.

So, I went to Beach Road market with Jun Mian (an officer aka my best friend) to go get all that nitty gritty army barmy stuff. JM was there as my consultant.

Technically, I was bored out of my wits and had no idea, no where and no notion of going anywhere after I got my stuff.

However, after browsing through the newspaper in the early morning, I wanted to go peek at the Starhub roadshow to go check out downgrading my Starhub cable 1500 plan to a daily plan. (I worked out the costs I'll only save 8 bucks, so I'm not gonna change) 

So there I was snooping around, as I wanted to go get a phone that has long battery life & no camera because of army (Told ya I was a ks singaporean).

Another reason was that I like the fact that Starhub charges you by the second and I can join the Hub Club with my Father's account to get all the freebies and discount (Once again, I emphasize, I AM A KIASU SINGAPOREAN).

In addition to that, Starhub has an excellent rewards system unlike M1 and Singtel and I can't believe why I have yet to switch to Starhub. It's time for me to hub over to be a hubber.

Upon reaching there, the crowd wasn't much for the early evening but I popped in to snoop around for information (Stage 2 of Decision Making Process from Consumer Behaviour Module).
Anyway, up on the stage at Ngee Ann City Atrium, there were contests being held. The first contest was something to do with Jeopardy with regards to Starhub's amazing cable/mobile/internet plans.

The second contest involved contestants playing Xbox live. The crowd was listless although volunteers were plenty from the lollipop age group.

The host pointed me and JM out from the crowd. I pushed JM forward to go for the try, as I honestly wasn't interested in winning the Xbox.

The emcee instead asked both of us to go up on stage. Without hesitation, I climb up on stage with JM.

I thought I was done for. The game should be some fighting game with bloodshed filled with punches & kicks.

It turned out to be a racing game. I was pitted against JM in round 1 and won by a comfortable margin. I was in the finals now facing a family man with 3 of his kids urging him on.

I wasn't thinking clearly though. My mind was on the racetrack and I'm super competitive.

Off in the finals, I came off with a good start. I was leading by 6 seconds after the first lap before my car head banged headfirst on a U-turn which caused me to spin crazily.

Shit. I panic ! I tried to reverse and it did a 360 degree on me. That was no good. I'm still headed to the frigging wrong direction.

Seeing the competitor within metres of me on the mini lap, I swerve to the proper direction and sped off. To some miracle, the guy's car was stuck in a rut or was in a wrong direction that he couldn't manoeuver his car.

I won. And I couldn't believe my frigging luck. I got a Xbox console. FREE.

((( Kiasu Singaporean sniggers )))
 
When I was asked to go to centre stage, a pang of guilt hit me and I had a thought to share the prize in some manner possible. But it was impossible.

I think the kids of that guy are cursing me to death at the moment but who cares, I've got an Xbox.

Back to the headline. Yes, with the Xbox, I'm a step closer to Geek Nirvana.

I should be buying monthly magazines with cheat codes and DVD trials. I should be buying accessories. I should be naming my Xbox "Sheila". I shall spend hours and hours of hogging the TV console playing Gotham Racing & not allow my parents to watch a decent 30 mins of news.

Gladly, I'm not THAT evil. But I don't think I can make it as a geek. I'll get bored easily of the games unless they are RPGs.

But then again, I'm a lucky bastard. That's what JM says.

Some random photos of my lucky day. = )

 

Cheesy meets Kooky

 

 

The cows goes moo-ing

 

This picture might not speak a thousand words but it has 2 words & $349 on it.

Xbox geek,
Benjamin

Fattening Up

Lately, I've been binging on unneccesary food items that add to my waist.

Yup.

It's not that I want to beefen up for the army but just a natural inclination to reach out for chips off the rack.

I seriously should stop myself. Just this afternoon for Friday Movie Mania at Clara's house with June, I grap 2 pints of Ice-cream, 1 potatoe chips and some carbonated drinks.

I'm guilty as my conscience forced me to pen my thoughts here.

FYI, 1.5 pints are now in my freezer and it takes every inch of my aching body to not reach out and grab a spoon, a remote and a cushion to start scooping away.

Speaking of which, I went to the swimming complex at Chinese Garden with a couple of Aaron's friends from church and I got myself a tan.

Essentially, I was just there to kill time but who am I kidding. I want to look tanned = )

Reason being, comments from people who seen me like a fried goreng pisang were positive as it seems I look better being brownish. Maybe these people just want me to die of skin cancer.

Fine, I'm vain. Like vanity killed anyone before. Maybe Michael Jackson's nose but that's a long story to get into.

I'm now suffering from the afterburn of the red hot torture. I have yet to peel myself like a sundried orange but I think it's going to be hours soon that I'll disintegrate into sheets of dead skin.

In addition, I'm half-decided to post up my half-naked burnt overweight body to display to my blog readers how crisp I am. But hey, I'm not going to start blinding my blog readers right? = P

Sun baked Human,
Benjamin

P.S. I discovered a new flavour on my ice-cream dictionary that consisted previously of only two flavours of "vanilla" and "cookies & cream". The newest addition is "Blueberry shortcake". Yum.

An ode to my poly lecturers

This entry used to express my fondness of my lecturers whom I spend my 3 faithful years, inculcating me with loads of knowledge and care.

 

I'm deleting this entry due to personal reasons and also that I adore them too much to lose them.

Adieu DMC Lecturers,
Benjamin

Bored-er

I was showering and I was thinking when the week would be over.

Strangely enough or not, this one month break is strangling me.

I've always recognize myself as somebody with a purpose, somewhere to go, something to do and somehow busy.

The lull period of me slacking around has been rather moody for me. Mundanity.

For the past 3 days, I went to a visitation (will blog about it more next entry) to see how the lecturers are still breathing, met up with a couple of Aaron's friends to increase my social network and read 3 novels, courtesy of Wen Jun.

The novels are excellent. I've read them back to back about a shopperholic.

If you really must know, the author is Sophie Kinsella and I think she should be richer than J.K. Rowling.

Then again, my next book would be one of the Harry Potter classics.

I love to read novels, be it fictional or non, about anthropology of the metropolitian life be it in Shanghai, London or New York.

I think the specific area that I'm REALLY interested in is consumerism.

I've thought about branching off to study psychology or become a marketer because I so wanna know what delves deep in the minds of what people are thinking about silly bubble tea or that Hermes scarf.

I've also develop this crazy notion of writing a novel while stuck behind bars at Tekong.

I digress. One of my crazy interest is consumer behaviour, and that's why shows like Survivor & Big Brother has such an appeal to me.

How people think. How people make decisions. How people stab a dagger in your back without a whim.

Pseudo-psychologist,
Benjamin

Boring Days Ahoy!
 
The past 3 days are what you call decadence.
 
Sleep, binge on junk food, sleep and playing online games, that's pretty much how I wasted myself.
 
I was supposedly to go out and see the world but somebody was all so tired and irritated the bloody patience out of me.
 
Well, I amused myself to play gin just to kill time.
 
It never occured to me how time passes so slowly.
 
At work, time always seem so inadequate when deadlines are like "chop chop chop your head off".
 
At home, time trickles so slowly that every afternoon nap last for 15 minutes but you feel so refreshed.
 
Ah, how I beget not extending my contract.
 
Then again, it is a well deserved rest after all the shit working in the lower rungs of the advertising industry.
 
I now busy myself of "compacting" myself. I try to arrange, organize and sort out the junk that I have accumulated during my poly years.
 
In other words, I have just spring cleaned my wardrobe and got rid of clothes which I will never see myself wearing. They go into a "clothes I'll keep but I'll never wear again" big container. I should consider selling it to karang guni or give it to charity.
 
I'm moving onto the miscellaneous stuff like pizza boxes and mucus filled tissue paper found in weird corners of my room. I should get rid of some books that just accumulates dust. Like the "How to succeed in finding Love" & "How to find Love in the right places" books that I've bought in secondary school & polytechnic respectively.
 
I'm also gathering all my army stuff as a humane bid to find something useful or meaningful of my mundane home existence. I have compiled a list.
  
One of the expensive purchases is getting a cheap handphone which has a long battery life and is able to let me yak for hours to random people/ voice answering machines on 1900 chatlines when I'm bored and lonely in my bunk.
 
Another item I'm getting is a Discman. It can be a bore at camp after you've destroyed and abused all the gym equipment and shower for like 8 times in the last hour or so. Hence, music is like the only entertainment you can get besides the faithful newspapers, so I heard.
 
Anybody got lobang or advice with regards to handphone or discman? Would be decent for yall to post a comment or at least I know you exist or you all can at least help.
 
At least I know I won't be talking to a granite wall. I'll do that when I get enlisted.
 
Boredom's best friend,
Benjamin

Mahjong Mania!
 
Mahjong was next on the itineary after the last day of work.
 
A sex gathering at the mahjong table.
 
Sex god (eric), Sex guru (ivan) and Sex goon (moi).
 
Gathering at Sex guru's friend's (Tab) house, which I have affectionally named her Sex Chi Chi Chi because she "coos" whenever she needs the Chicken animal tile to come to her.
 
By the way, the shrill of her Chi-Chi-Chi-ing away is piercing to the damn ears.
 
Anyway, it was damn great with the 3 musketeers all huddle together.
 
Huddle we did as deep in the owl hours of 3 am, the thuderstorm clouds brewed a mix of torrid wind and rainwater. Although we were playing at the porch, the brew toppled our senses.
 
Especially when the storm starting churning thunderbolts and lightning.
 
It was absolutely shocking.
 
You know how the old saying goes that the time difference between a lightning and a thunder, for every second it lapses, it means the number of miles (1.6km) it is away from you.
 
There was this flash and then an immediate lightning bolt. Right in front of us.
 
We were all scared SHIT.
 
We discovered minutes later that the bolt hit the roof of the terrace house we were playing under as the lightning tripped the main circuit.
 
If I hadn't phrased it as how scared shitless in the situation we all were.
 
IF NOT FOR THE FREAKING PORCH, WE WOULD BE FRIED SENSELESS.
 
I was sitting in the direction of the open porch and I swear I saw the streaks of blue whitish lightning.
 
We braved on with our mahjong frenzy as the night slowly calm down to a stir.
 
But what a night. Human chicken sounds and near death experiences.
 
All for the game of 144 tiles.
 
Mahjong siao,
Benjamin

Farewell
 
I'm going to miss this family of mine.
 
5 entire months which I've shared my waking weekday hours in Dentsu. I'm sure gonna miss the cadamadrie and bitchy humour that I shared with them.
 
It was a pretty eventful day for me as I was kept busy by the Client on my very last pay day from morning to late noon.
 
It being the last day here, I bought sushi and frozen strawberries for my entire company as a form of thank you for their kind treatment to a green thumb like me. 
 
A pang of regret that I have to leave the company so soon hit me really hard as I packed my belongings at 7pm. I wasn't really about to leave as I did enjoy myself there as much as there was dozens of work to execute.
 
I gave a speech at 5pm in front of my colleagues, where we were celebrating the July birthday peeps. I stood in the spotlight and gave my "Oscar thank-yous".
 
I thanked the different departments and the boo boos came from when I mentioned the receptionist as the secetary and that the Traffic manager was mean to me sometimes.
 
Ah! I was so unprepared. Total humiliation. (I'm having fun over the colours :P)
 
My collageues bade me their best wishes and encouragment was endearing and reassuring.
 
Up till now, for the last 5 months, I've never revealed here in my blog where I've worked but now that I'm no more an employee, I'm just gonna show photos of my final day with some of the close colleagues I work with and where I work at.
 
I will miss my colleagues loads. Hope to work with them in future.
 
Me at the client side of course "grinz" 

 

5 months of slogging off at this company

 

 

Amelia & Me - Account servicing colleague - We cry, tear and scream when we receive a fax

 
 
Boss (Michael), Me & Amelia - 1 of Dentsu's A/S team - Lunch at Toast at OUB (damn xxx!!!)

 
 
Michelle (receptionist) whom I clicked very well as we quarrelled like kids everytime we meet

By the way, don't we look like an endearing couple?

 

My lunch khakis - We chat, ate and bitch. (I'm the unanimous company update radio)

 

   
 
The view that comes along with the job hazards

 

Luckily, I have these photos to keep memories of my first advertising job at bay. Moving on to the next phase of army training and followed by my university studies, I wonder how my second advertising job will open my eyes.

 

I can't wait to find out.

 

I love Dentsu,

Benjamin

China Jump
 
Had drinks with Cameron, Lisa and their pals over at Chijmes.
 
They had just returned from their cruise and I tried to gather the rest of the mdd8 people along. 

Only Farharri, Sara and June could make it.
 
We went to China Jump and ordered a few drinks.
 
The Australians were damn funny as they poured out their moments on the cruise. It was hilarious as they relate their time on the cruise where they danced in front of a lifeless Japanese tourist crowd that took photos of them and how they sang till their throats got hoarse at the karaoke lounge.
 
I left the place early with June tommorrow as we had to face the big W at 9am the next day so we trudge a cab home. And I didn't know June darling lived so near moi.
 
By the way, June is my sugar mommy. I need to snap a photo with mommy dearest. (FYI, I'm her toy boy and we just tease one another with these made-up pet names and I'M NOT paid all hor!)
 
I promised to go to her gallery and seems like I have a whole week free ahead :) I'll go down one of this weekdays now that week is concluding soon enough.
 
I hope to be able to get the photos from Lisa & Cameron so that I can post them up.
 
I had a belly good time though.
 
Drinks are on me,
Benjamin
 
P.S. I didn't know I had to be 25 years old and above to go to China Jump. I was wearing my casual clothes and I just breeze in without an Identity Card check. My wrinkles from work must be showing.

Quiz about moi

Just came back from a great lunch. I have loads of PHOTOS !!!

Will be posting it up in the next couple days or so.

Found this link from June, and decided to make my own quiz!

So test how well you THINK you know me and get shocked =)

Take my Quiz!

After you are done sparing a thought of how "well" you think ya know me, go check out the Scoreboard! and see how well you fare.

I'll be at Chijmes later for a drink. And have a fully loaded camera to snap shots of the drunkard fool. Me.

Singing the hours away,
Benjamin

Manifique

The food tasting session was simply manifique.

After work, I lugged my dreary working class arse to the place where my brother will be having his wedding.

Hence, the food tasting session.

It started off with what you normally see during Chinese New Year, where families will stand up and "Lo Hei" but the ingredients were different. In fact it was like a dish of Chinese hors d'oeurves.

Mini sausage with stuffed carrot stick, some squishy jellyfish, Pig skin (my fav!) and some other miscelleaneous stuff you normally find a cook who can't cook stuff and just dump whatever miscelleaneous stuff to make you think he can cook all this weird stuff that are barely edible.

Okay, I admit, I'm not a food connossieur but I'm a food critic who is fussy, picky and "will only eat when I want to eat".

Quote from my very queen Momma.

But the slew of dishes to follow was manifique.

(((Does an Italian chef kiss with his fingers plucking my lips)))

Shark fin soup (Environmentalists, bite me!), steamed garoupa (nice and tender, unlike how my momma cooks it...), herbal chicken (lovely), Peking duck pancake (I'm getting fat just mentioning this....) and Tiger prawns (Not drunk enough).

We sampled the wine too and I totally act like a poseur to "stir" the wine and "sniff" the aroma. I simply cannot comprehend what you can measure by that but those who "stir" and "sniff" to figure out which vineyard and which year, my hats and undies off to you.

Okay, the reason why I mentioned all the ABOVE is not to make anyone green eyed but simply because....

I NEED A DATE !

DAMMIT !

Although I'm gonna sit on the VIP table, I have to bring someone in as a date even though I will have the classic army bald head look looking out of place in a tuxedo/suit so the gal might need to shave her head to complement my look.

Just kidding.

As I was trying to push the point of this dinner description, it is a call out to ANYBODY, my friends, blog readers, single ladies or even the auntie with the nice fat pouch screaming KOPI-O ZI TAI.

I NEED A DATE ! DAMMIT !

Fill in your application form now at the comments link.

Terms and conditions apply. The wedding date will be held in the later quarter of the year at Marina Mandarin Hotel. Corsage and transport will not be provided although when requested, I can go "hmmmm..." and then decline you with the echoing evil laugh of "muahahahaha". This is a contract for a FREE escort service where you get a FREE banquet meal as payment. Applicants will be chosen based on waistline, stilleto height and cup size. The final decision is up to my discretion. That is if I have any to make lol.

Offer ends 14th of August,
Benjamin

P.S. I really don't have a date to bring to, if there are really no applicants, I will call my gal friends lor.... but if anyone is interested in a feast. No harm applying in for a free meal, right? ;P

Lo and be Bowled

I'm blogging too much today lol.

Although I'm bogged with work that appears like moles out of nowhere, I take a breather by blogging.

I acknowledge the fact that I'm weird.

Lunch with the creative team was amazing. We went to this Thai restaurant that served really good stuff except Tom Yam soup because I don't like the taste of it. Yelch!

The atmosphere was good as light banter kept me laughing. They were so hilarious!

The reason I become a copywriter/art director is because of their influence. I want to emulate them!!!

The bill of 300 bucks is like so jaw dropping. Good food at exorbitant prices. Oh well. I paid my share okay....

Anyway, in about a few hours time, I'm gonna go BOWLING.

Yes, my favourite sport as I excel in it. Gutter being my best friend of course. And the company is SPONSORING. Cheap thrill. Somehow, the additional thrill of pins being striked down seems calming to the senses.

Once again, I acknowledge that I'm super weird.

Sigh, the last week of work, oh how I wish it never ends.

Moronic,
Benjamin

Feeling so nice

A quick blog entry.

Feeling so nice because it is my last few days at work and people are offering my lunch appointments.

I'll be going with my creative team today and it should be a blast of fun.

My week is fully book with drinks at Chijmes with the Aussies when they return from the cruise, Marina Mandarin food tasting buffet for my brother's wedding, bowling with my colleagues and Toast (nice eatery) with my boss for lunch.

One of the best news is that the Finance department is trying to ensure I get my cheque this Friday. Wahahaha.

I feel so nice. It's so gratifying to leave and yet the fruition of my depature is upsetting.

Okay, back to earn my grub.

Mdd8 gathering

Hasty pictures taken after a meetup of with Lisa, Junaidi and Cameron.

Irfan, Jack & John turned out and we bitched, gossiped and lament about SingTel and Optus, on how the competition brought us much angst, suffering and fun!

Gotta get back to work, will blog much much later.



The local guys trying to sneak in a photo with teethy expressions.



Cameron & Junaidi sneaked in and all of us looking nonchalant.

Note 1: Irfan looks really photogenic in all the above photos.

Note 2: Never buy Olympus cameras because they suck the life out of your batteries & wallet.

Note 3: Never buy the cheapest camera because you will end up with Olympus.

Note 4: You can see how Cameron towered over everyone, he's 1.92m I think.

7,777

Had a great but tiring weekend bringing Cam n Liz around.

They are a hoot I tell you. K, I gotta be brief, I'm gotta go teach tuition soon.

I don't earn any $ from it anyway if you wanna know.

A countdown of 5 more days, it's vacation week for me as I slowly pass all my stuff over to my colleague so I'm relatively work free.

However, I was busy flying around the office the entire afternoon producing FAs & mockups for client.

Ah, the simple life. 1 month of slothing around before Army arrives.

I can't wait to talk about ghost stories, see my shaved scalp, run around in the mud and stepping on landmines.

Woo hoo!

War veteran wannabe,
Benjamin

P.S. The first person that does a screenshot of the counter reaching 7,777 will win a secret prize from me. A landmine perhaps.

Arrival from Oz

I'm just back from the welcome wagon of Cameron & Lisa's virgin trip into Asia.

I was worried that I miss their flight and when I saw them upfront in real life, it was like Wow! Undescribeable. (Wrong spelling I know)

A bit of nervousness, excitement, anxiety, exasperation and joy, finally talking to them in person was nerve wrecking because meeting up strangers in real life and reading about them online is a little surreal.

My pop is such a GREAT FATHER. He drove the car willingly. I love my DAD !

After depositing their stuff at the horid hotel, we went for supper at Lau Pa Sat (again, i know, because Maxwell was closed) and we chit-chat till like 12.30 before we scoot off.

Tommorrow seems like a long day and they have an itineary of palces to go, then it's up to systematic ol' me to plan out where to go and how to go.

Leave it to the reliable tour guide, Ben.

Gold star nominee tour guide,
Benjamin

P.S. Cam n Lisa had so much to share, it was great listening to them ! More stuff tommorrow ! With pictures ! I promise !

Fucking Cold

My office cooler system is damn weird.

It's practically cold and freezing out there and it is totally unbelivable.

However, inside this encolsed office is still freezing cold like shit.

And I thought the air-con was like set at 20 degrees but NO !

I took the remote control and aimed, realizing that the freaking aircon is NOT even ON !

Terrible weather I tell you. It feels like Melbourne cold weather here.

I'm wearing a singlet, a shirt and a sweater. And I'm still burring.

Grrr.....

Side quirk: I'm meeting the mdd8 peeps of Cam and Lisa later so if you're interested to meet them at the airport, give me a holler on my line.

Cursing the cold weather,
Benjamin

Nuj n Jun

I got picturesssssss. From Junaidi's newest camera.

Canon Powershot A75. It's damn good, although design wise, it needs more tweaking.

Where was I? Oops Canon promotional blurb for free =)

Yes, outing with Junaidi.

Bringing him around my hood. The CBD area of Singapore lol, me and Nujjy brought him to the Merlion & the 2 Durians.

I created the story that some poor Lion end up fucking a fish or mermaid and ended up here. And the direction it's facing is suppose to bring the Singapore harbour, then a trading port, lots of wealth and prosperity.

Hey, I'm such a great tour guide =) I should consider switching.

Anyway, there was a slight panic as Junaidi had to go to the mosque for his prayers and I brought him over back to where my company nearby where there was an underground mosque, after which me and Nuj went for a cuppa at Starbucks.

After which, went for a seafood mini feast at Lau Pa Sat (translated old market) where I pulled my usual crap of us Singaporeans eating the weirdest food.

Oh, and Nuj is a CHATTERBOX and she has this British cum American cum Aussie slang which is shrieking and she should be a character on Shrek 2. Sorry, but the position of a irritating sidekick has already been taken.

Some personal thoughts:

I hate short people who flick their dandruff onto my face or shoulders.
Thursdays are definently better than Wednesdays because its closer to Fridays. Duh!

Enuff of me nonsense, pictures voila! (there are only 2 but I wanted to make it sound SPECATCULAR). [Drum rolls....]



The trio of me, Junaidi and Nuj. If you stare carefully, Nuj is actually in the Merlion's mouth.



Okay kidding, here she is now, from the orifice of our national mascot, in the centre of attention.

Future Award Winning Tour Guide,
Benjamin

Note: Never drink Starbucks Vanilla Cream Frappuccino Cream if you want a stomach upset, because I ate another vanilla based dessert (Ice bubor cha cha) and the concotion was lethal as I deposited it "fragrantly" in the comforts of my home.

Meet-ups

From the Monday blues, Tuesday suddenly becomes laden with cannon balls to drag around Work feels more like a burden which you just want to shrug off as fast as possible.with.

How ironic it is when some youngsters aspire to make it big in the real world and some adults just wish to return the good ol' times of what school life once was.

We always crave for what we use to have.

On other interesting snippets of my life, I'll be having 2 meet-ups later.

One at lunch with my cozzy who is back in S'pore trying to boost her resume during her vacation, smart lass who is studying in the states.

My uncle will also be joining us, who is 1 year older than me. Don't get me started on my family tree. Maverick (my uncle), is heading to the cheena NTU to study engineering. Stupid lark, I must say.

Okay lar, he not stupid, I'm the stupid once since I don wanna stardi in NTU becoz have to study 4 years lar and I cannot make it lah since my engrish is so louzee.

Anyway, we'll be having lunch around Esplanade, should be a hoot I hope. FYI, my cousins don't meet up unless it's CNY ($) or weddings (free food). So, it's a pretty rare occassion if I may input.

Then the other meet-up after work is with Junaidi & Nuj. Nujjy and moi is gonna bring Junny around the harbour and hopefully catch a glimpse of the said Merlion knocking our bumboats around and maybe see them spit water from their nostrils like the big fat whale statue it is.

Note to random blog readers, Jun is from Perth and he's here on holiday, partially sponsored by the Big Evil Red Telecommunication Organization (BERTO).

By the way, I've totally lost all faith with BERTO (you would be dumb if you don't know who they are if you're a Singaporean), I swear for the rest of my lifetime that I will never support their products unless I have no choice.

I'll make sure my future company, relatives and anybody associated with me will not make them earn a profit in their coffers. In other words, I WILL TOTALLY avoid using BERTO's services at all. Not that I'm childish but if you know what I went through and how depiscable they were in the treatment of me and the contestants, you would understand.

By the way, I met Jun and Nuj because we are thinking of starting an organization called ALBERTO (Anti-Liberal-BERTO), and I shall be the chairman.

Just kidding. We are just out to have fun.

Technically, I don't hate them that much, just that they stoop so low to exploit us. It's totally unbelivable.

I digress, back to Jun n Nuj(I like the implied rhyme, sue me).

It will be a hoot to meet them after seeing them blog for so long.

Side diggression, according to some Oz contestants, after the mdd8 competition, the SG contestants who kept in contact with them avidly has totally lost contact already.

Goes to show how sincere they are with their friendships.

A N Y W A Y, I'm bogged with work but I decide to only shift to gear 2, it's only Tuesday after all and I'm frigging tired with the induced-sex-connated-chat in MSN with Nuj last night.

Your friendly neighbourhood meet-up pal,
Benjamin

((((Update 1.51pm - Ate at Thai Express, I was the usual crappy self. I should stop scaring all my relatives)))

(((Update 10.39pm - Ate at Lau Pat Sat, and met up with Jun n Nuj. Nuj looks like a half-Japanese half-whatever-religion-u-can-think-of and Junaidi looks much better in real life. Nuj is damn talkative and I can imagine us as damn bitchy people. Jun is reserved and sounds mature, why CAN'T I go to Oz to join them, stoopid damn frigging army jail term)))

Countdown

Today, I have an insatiable desire to count down the remaining work days I have left.

10 days.

Cranky Monday you have to say, 10 full working days more before I leave this god-forsaken place.

I have yet to take an official leave for more than 2 days to relax in the comforts of the fast paced working world.

After Ivan's birthday on saturday/sunday, one idea came clear to me.

I need to learn driving. Badly.

That's because you'll feel empowered with the mobility to travel at any time and any pace.

Coupled with the fact that my father still retains his Mazda 323 for my nightly disposal if and when I have to travel. Yay !

In some strange form of irony, my father got a job in his old company with a slightly lower pay but with the ability to upkeep the car.

Just have to get my lazy ass to attend driving lessons. Which are damn costly in my opinion. Note: From my own pocket.

I can just imagine the endless possibilities of where I could go with a car !

Midnight madness wandering around town, Changi, Fisherman's village, Siglap, Downtown East and East Coast Park. The east is super duper cool not forgetting Geylang, Katong and Joo Chiat.

The west only has ummm.... Holland Village ? and Bukit Timah area ?

The Eastern Singaporeans have way much cooler hangouts. Period.

Approx 5 weeks countdown before I head to the army.

A feeling of sian-ness and "looking forward to".

I need the "drive" for the next 2 years. I need to learn how to drive. = )

Mazda RX wannabe racer,
Benjamin

Misc note: Damn the Trojan horse. Flamboyant Portugese soccer rules.

Misc note 2: I've updated some links >>>> Boring strategic Greek soccer sucks.

Wonderer

In this day and age when nobody ever knows what they want, how are we then certain that we lead our life to fulfillment.

As the world advances and knowledge empowers all, choice is an option to those who are free willed and enabled.

Lately, I wondered and pondered over how should I lead the remaining part of my life.

Some people lead their life with blind faith, an obsession to a cause like a pastor or an artist.

Some people lead their life not knowing what they want at all, an oblivion to what is at stake and confusion abound.

For the majority of us, I feel, is that we are all in between the above 2.

We think we know what we want from the choices we have made but we reminiscence to what could have been.

My best friend is in a conundrum. He's liked by 3 gals but he's held back by the very one gal he truly likes. He is in a phase of choice of whether he should compromise or look ahead.

For me, I wonder how my life would drastically change when I'm attached. How I would be "sacrificial" and be "understanding" to my partner.

I wonder if I would be able to do that. Because I would then be easily find myself in a relationship and compromise my own values, which eventually leads to an internal argument with my brain and my heart.

Because as it is, I'm an obnoxious fella who thinks for himself for the moment.

That said, bachelorhood rules. You only need to answer to yourself. Period.

You bum. You laze and you answer to your aching stomach and your lungs desire to inhale deep breaths of oxygen.

If I'm meant to be single, so be it. Maybe one day, I would wake up in cold sweat to find out what the entire reality it is like to be single in an old folks home 40 years down the road.

For the moment, at least this is what I know what I want now.

Being single and carefree with the occassional skirt chasing.

How about you ?

Have you ever spared a thought about yourself lately ?

Selfish swinging bachelor,
Benjamin

P.S. I think it's impossible to achieve my target (refer to last post) as she is totally oblivious to my advances. Then again, I need to improve on how to pick up gals.

Geek's lovelife

I'm currently wearing my geeky specs to work now.

Squarish with thick black plastic frames, I'm officially geek of the office. Coupled with spiky hair and big bowtie, it's no wonder I get stared at during lunch hour.

The specs are for my army and I thought it would be matching with my black shirt & pants coupled with my black laptop bag.

Men in Black ....... Nah ........ not that suave.

Geek in Black ....... Uh huh Uh huh.

The saving grace is that I look like a pseudo-creative bookworm.

Other misc. stuff so far:

2 peeps have moved in with me and I have to be bosom buddies with them so that they can feel right at home. Hence, my freedom on weekends have now been handcuffed to support my overseas studies in future (aka tenants = money = me entertaining guests = future studies).

I've decide to take a stand to be relationship-free (aka emotional burden-free)for the next 4 years or so as:

a. I don't wish to tie down somebody I like to eventually find out a few years later that I don't love her that much (unless I meet her in uni and things evolved from there)

b. Long Distance relationships or Long Weekends relationships hardly work unless both places in loads of effort and commitment and even so (refer to above a.)

c. I love the freedom to dig my nose without anyone slapping my digging finger and the freedom of anoymity of standing starkly in contrast with all the lovey-dovey couples happily sauntering around gleefully with handcuffs wrist

But then again, who knows if I'll meet anyone special.

I've been keeping an eye out though and I have 1 target. Just a matter of me to take action. Argh. I'm scared she'll reject me and I'll feel terrible for life. (btw, I'm afraid she'll reject me for a date; i'm not asking for a r/s).

My lucky bastard best friend, has 3 gals chasing him. And guess what. He wants neither!

Ah, the ironies of life.

Benjamin the geek

Errors

I keep committing more errors at work.

Misplacing stuff all around and not spotting major mistakes. I need to be more observant than I already am.

With errors slipping through the cracks, it all boils down to the executioner (me) to correct it.

We've had a hurricane warning (client's fury) yesterday but the tidal wave (client's rage) is hitting us badly today.

To sidetrack to weird happenings.

Out of nowhere, people are asking me to introduce friends to jobs.

It's just so freaky. A new gal I introduced to the Agency is coming in tommorrow (as an accountant) and my new Group Account Director is asking whether I can source for my friends to fill in a research executive position (part-time).

Then, I so happen to talk to my colleague and it seems one of her sis is looking for a position as a research media assitant (full-time) for MediaCorp I think.

And then, she know's of a friend who is the head of a Media purchasing conglomerate and I asked her to enquire if there might be a postion for media executive (not sales...).

I feel like SWDA (Singapore Workforce Development Agency).

Need a Job? Ask me. I have one successful referral so far.

Job Search Assistant,
Benjamin

P.S. The jobs above are for friends that I know of only .... I won't entrust my reputation to refer a stranger to my friend's goodwill.

Oopsie



Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......

A cute picture from Val.

I've been tied down with work for the last 2 days, it's amazing to have some spare time alone.

Spiderman 2 movie premiere is today, will be catching it fervently. Been waiting in anxious anticipation since it's getting rave reviews as the best 5-star comic book movie adaptation.

There's still Superman and Batman install of course but for this year, Spidey will rule. I hope that it lives up to my expectations though.

Been so busy all day that I can't even sit down and blog (until now). I deserve a breather anyway.

I need to start my workout session again after wasting my weekend fighting with ferocious queing tai-tais and my weekdays is wasted running around in the office chasing artwork and flying around catching progressive briefs.

I need to be fit. I'll do an evening run tommorrow. I will not procrastinate.

Back to work,
Benjamin

Weekend Spree

I'll be brief.

Shagged after two whole days of being out. Mahjong & Shopping. Meeting up with friends and a joyful movie.

Had some minor hiccups there that is unresolved (aka a broken 42" TV) and some that is resolved (aka army specs).

I'm seeing my bank account deflating. I hope I have enough to survive till the next pay cheque.

Note to self: Bet in soccer or Toto or horse racing or cock fights in your own limits. Because you might end up lending $$$ from people close to you who will lose all respect from you.

Then again, you might think the people who lend $$$ are your true friends and those who didn't are scoundrels. If you think about it, those who DIDN'T lend you is doing you some goodwill.

It'll teach you a lesson that there is a limit to friendship and your insatiable hunger to gamble your life away.

Shagged out,
Benjamin

The loner & the needy

Emotions and moods.

These are the very spoilers to what destroys a relationship.

Essentially, the mood of just wanting to be alone and the mood of just having someone there to accompany you, pamper you and just lay her head on your shoulder for comfort.

Sometimes, I just want to be by myself. The selfish ol' guy with no concerns in the world but just plain narcissitic and every move I make is for my own benefit. I call it freedom, people call it bachelorhood, mother-in-laws call it inability to initiate a marriage proposal.

Then, theres' times where I just want to be next to somebody. To hug, carress or hold a hand. Affection and warmth. Just to be cuddly.

It's like hot and cold. Sometimes you want to be left alone with your wits and let the wind blow your hair. And times where you just wanna share the love with someone close.

Okay, maybe it is my lack of action in the dating scene which has led me to blow hot and cold.

I don't think I have a personality disorder, more like hormones going awry due to lack of activity.

Too much work all day makes Jack a dull boy blowing hot/cold.

I need an activity besides training for the army. I need shopping. Or a shopping partner. =)

Amen to discounts and marked-down prices,
Benjamin

The loner & the needy

Emotions and moods.

These are the very spoilers to what destroys a relationship.

Essentially, the mood of just want being alone and the mood of just having someone there to accompany you, pamper you and just lay her head on your shoulder for comfort.

Sometimes, I just want to be by myself. The selfish ol' guy with no concerns in the world but just plain narcissitic and every move I make is for my own benefit. I call it freedom, people call it bachelorhood, mother-in-laws call it inability to initiate a marriage proposal.

Then, theres times where I just want to be next to somebody. To hug, carress or hold a hand. Affection and warmth. Just to be cuddly.

It's like hot and cold. Sometimes you want to be left alone with your wits and let the wind blow your hair. And times where you just wanna share the love with someone close.

Okay, maybe it is my lack of action in the dating scene which has led me to blow hot and cold.

I don't think I have a personality disorder, more like hormones going awry due to lack of activity.

Too much work all day makes Jack a dull boy blowing hot/cold. I need an activity besides exercise. I need shopping. Or a shopping partner. =)

Amen to sale,
Benjamin

Discpline

In preparation for army, I've started an exercise regime most of the people would call "siao".

I'm gonna run 4km for 4 days/weekly at either 6pm in the evening or 6am at Dawn.

I hope to at least get in gear for Tekong and I'm pretty much impressed with my own resilience in accomplishing this strenuous schedule.

It's already a week and approximately 8 weeks more to go.

In addition, I got my pay cheque!

Been thinking what should I get first. I have a shopping list but I can't splurge on all now. There are 5 essentials that I wanna get though before I head over to shave my head.

Glasses, Contact lenses, Discman, A good pair of jeans and a soccer jersey.

By the way, I fully expected England to win the freakin' match, as they were tactically stronger but they were AWFUL at set pieces.

Good thing I didn't bet on my hopes.

I digress, my shopping trail will include Zara, Adidas & Flash n Splash. And I'm gonna get a jersy on Sunday.

Have a power packed weekend installed for me. Can't wait.
Meeting the SB folks tommorrow & best friend on Sunday.

I wonder how can I squeeze in mahjong. Hmmm...

Sale Searcher,
Benjamin

Big Whoopsie

I scampered off work early yesterday to catch the premiere of Spiderman. Rushing home and getting back to Bugis.

As I awaited for the 9pm doors to open, I looked at the tickets again. "29th June"

"Doofus"

Wendy mistaked the date for today. And I wondered why the media premiere was so quiet and dandy with nobody lurking around.

"Doofus"

I wasn't pleased of course as I grumbled to Wendy who declared me as the "Worst Whiner she ever met". I take pride in that accolade.

We settled for "Windstruck".

Comments. Don't watch it all if you want to have an excruciating headache during the movie and an excruciating after-headache after the movie.

The plot was so cheesy and they used the rotational camera so much, spinning the viewer around and around that I was tempted to leave early.

1 star. Max. For its initial humour and build-up. For the stars= Zero for plot and Zero for directorship.

Espcecially when she committed suicide and fell on a big fat yellow ballon hand.

I will only watch blockbusters from now on. Period.

Regards,
Benjamin

P.S. If anybody thinks i'm a heartless fool because I have no sentiments to shed my tears for the cliche movie, you are so right.

In Perspective

There are different way looking at things at I'm amazed and tickled by how I.S. magazine, a local free-tabloid-looking magazine adopts theirs.

Especially this particular section of "News from Planet Singapore".

Some excerpts.

May 28th - A group of Secondary 4 students at Dunman High discover that the best way to make shoes odour free is to infuse the insoles with green tea. (Wtf ? how ya do that, wear green tea induced socks?)

June 1st - A matchmaking agency introduces a woman client to five man. She doesn't fancy any. The agency decides the woman has a problem, and stops further introduction. (Nods...)

June 5th - The LTA hires traffic wardens to note the particulars of cars intruding into bus lanes. It says this is cheaper and better than bus cameras (in use since 1997). [I didn't know our bus backs had cameras ?)

June 8th - Three policeman chase a man down Koek Road. According to The Straits Times, Orchard Plaza security guard Mr Mohammad, 29, sticks out a leg, the suspect fals into a bush, and is arrested. (dumb)

You all may not find this funny but it's tongue-in-cheek, slap in the face news is rather brief and contored such that it is just plain funny.

Just needed to share this. I will not look down on free things anymore. I agree with the philosopher or kiasu ah soh who claims that the best things in the world are.

Wacky weirdo wednesday,
Benjamin

The bright light

A quick blogpost before I muddle deep into work.

When you're advertising, you're expected to swim through lots of shit all through the night. That's why advertising executives have no life.

From 9-5pm, I had little or no work on my desk, as Client is busy attending to other stuff.

From 5pm, onwards, they torture the rest of my evening by giving me last minute work.

I absofuckingloutely hate that.

Reason: I work from 9-6pm; not beyond that. Especially not beyond hours that I don't get paid overtime. Correction. I'm not EVEN paid for overtime.

It's one more month to go and I EXPECT to see my cheque today. Cashflow has been tight lately and being in the workforce made me see the light of a few things.

A. I'm better off studying
B. I'm better off unemployed
C. I'm better off in the army

On the bright side.

A. I get experience
B. I get money
C. I like soaking in the exuberance of being in the CBD area with all that hustle and bustle

Everyone needs to head to the workforce one day soon. I jumped into the pool TOO quickly. I still have my youth to celebrate =)

I need a break. BADLY. Enough of the bureaucratic work flow from Client to Agency.
It's a Wednesday and I want it to be OVER. NOW.

Cubicle-d Work-ed Slave,
Benjamin

Have you ever wondered?

Have you ever wondered?

What if you were rich?

What if you were successful?

What if you were disabled?

What if you were blind?

What if you were schizophrenic?

What if you found out strangers reading your blog are stalking you?

What if?

I wonder....
Benjamin

10 Reasons not to shop

Why should people NOT shop during the Great Singapore Sale?

1. You will empty your wallet and credit card account for 1 month and spend the other 11 months earning it back.

2. A Sale is not a sale when they MARK-UP the prics and then give a discount and it turns out to be an original prices.

3. Who wants last year's fashion which have been worn and tested by many shoppers during trial and taste test in the changing room when you can get it off rack.

4. There is always a queue. And you need to wait. Shudders!

5. You can't have a refund. Even though you did nothing wrong. It's just that you came in the wrong month.

6. There is always a traffic jam and you spend an hour finding a car park space and another hour queuing up to pay your car park ticket.

7. You emit more pollution with unneccessary cheap "sale" plastic bags when you could cut down more Amazon trees and take their branded paper bags.

8. Your credit card gets maxed out by another person.

9. Screaming aunties who are buying the same underpants for their husbands.

10. There is the Great Malaysian Sale during August.

Your helpful shopping assistant,
Benjamin

Immature Monday

With school out and army in, friends fade into oblivion as the transitional stage of me working for my own upkeep has recently turned me into a boring fella.

9am - 9pm, cooped inside the work cage with no life on weekdays and weekends spent recuperating, it's easily summarise-able on how low life my life has suddenly become.

1 more month to suffer through it all = ) glee

Anyway, back to low life me.

My life has turned to a confused hazy crystal ball, stuck in limbo where you don't know what to expect next and you just "hang in there".

It's hard to spend time with friends when most of your friends are already in heaven (Australia studying) or in hell (in Tekong slogging) or in a similar limbo like me.

I'm just waiting for the cash cow to flow, my pay day is due anytime later this week.

A brief incident on what happened on the MRT hours ago.

A Chinese lady in her late 30s was on the train sitting down. As usual it was the office hour and it was packed like lap cheongs on sale on Chinese New Year.

There was this Indian lady who decided to squeeze and step into the boundaries of the seated lady's "space".

A scuffle of words broke out. You know how awkward it is if you made "noise" over such minor things but the quabbling duo went on yakking on "how you step my foot" and the other argued with "it's an accident".

It came to an awkward silence 3 stations later with the seated Chinese lady folding her arms with fireballs in her eyes and fumes emitting out of her nostrils.

The Indian lady then went to "talk" to the lady beside her and standing next to her, all seems not related but they were all Indians.

At City Hall, both of the other 2 Indian ladies alighted except for the two quabbling duo and with more space the Indian lady went to stand at the exit, obviously heading for Raffles Place.

The Chinese lady used her handphone and called whatever and MAKE A BIG FUSS on how her "space" was violated and how she got fucking cornered with people of that "kind".

End of story.

Recalling the immaturish incident of ladies twice my age, it was a little amusement to tide along my monday misery.

Being as a multi-racial country we are, the argument standpoint changed from space violation to racial discrimination.

How sad is that. Such a minor incident after all. "Sorry" or "Excuse Me" is enough.

Fine, you may argue I do not fully understand the crux of the incident but I do understand one thing.

It's a Monday and everybody is on the edge. As accidentally if we scratch someone, be nice and apologize like I will, who knows, I will screw you over next time by slapping you with a free tabloid or slam my laptop bag on your toes.

Mondays. Bah!

Your friendly commuter,
Benjamin

Shoppy Shopper

The entire afternoon was spent splurging on the decadence of shopping.

At the expense of my brother's credit card of course.

Ignore the fact that I DID spare a thought but since I haven't been out in the malls for the like what, 3 MONTHS?, my sis-in-law scour shops after shops.

Pauline (my sis-in-law) almost bought every item she laid her hands on, but for those that escape her grasp, she finds it icky, eew or just plain tacky. She has a refined sense of taste, an odd one may I add.

I'm a more discerning shopper. Discounts don't deter me from my goals, I know what I want and stay eagle-eyed until I swoop down to the rack and grab that hanger and thrush it to the changing room. For those that escape my grasp, I find it expensive, expensive or just plain too expensive (note: no discount).

I'm satisfied with my less than zealous purchases, I have successfully complete a shopping tour without an impulse buy, even though Pauline encouraged me to "take, just take, don't worry".

Not that I have to worry, I worry more for my brother and her, since they have an impending wedding bill to foot with 60 tables and more at some posh 5-star hotel, I would say that would amount to more than $50,000.

Hence, I try not to overload them with any extraneous debts aka my shopping indulgence.

Also, I have a horrible discovery, I am officially a "black hole". My account are left with 3 digits, including a decimal point after the first digit. I'm simply incorrigible.

Anyway, I swam past Adidas, Sportslink, Metro, Isetan, Samuel & Kevin, Royal Sporting House, Timberland, U2, G2000 and Starbucks. Save for a Strawberries n Cream Frapuccino Blended Cream (It tastes heavenly and fattening), I've avoided all the cashiers except one.

I got some good bargains from one new store at Tampines, called Fox Men and it's from Israel. Not that they were priced too cheap but the designs were my cup of tea (Although my best friend begs to differ).

Back home on a Saturday evening, blog about my typical shopaholic day and watching series episodes of Smallville and The OC. What more can a guy want?

A girlfriend? Nah.........

Note the freedom I'll get, I'll have to face less opinions on decision making process, especially during shopping =)

Shopaholic ahoy!
Benjamin

Sleepy workday

Today is Thursday. Also known as sleepy day at work.

My body is aching from sporty exertions, especially my neck from cramps. And no, I don't have a sex or exercise buddy, I just do it alone.

Notice how strong my wrist are =)

Okay bad joke.

After all the negativity (refer to previous posts), it got me thinking awhile on the way home today.

Have I already planned how I'm going to lead my life? After all, the remainder of it left is just get a degree, get a job, get a family, get kids, get the 5 C's, get CPF and get a cemetry place at Kranji.

Can't see how differently I will lead it though. Nobody is different, so why should I be an exception.

Indirectly, I have manage to revert some of the Q&A back to me and got the conclusion.

"In Life, everyone is searching for solace to feel they fit in to somewhere, a purpose to lead their life. Somehow, I, myself have conceptualize the meaning in my life to find a meaning in life. To comprehend in simple terms, it means I have come to fear, fear itself.

Life is what I make out of it. And it seems, I should not put a definition to my existence. Not everything can be place into mere thoughts or words like Love or the Newater distillation process. Some things are just suppose to remain unsolved. unbroken. unanswered.

Nevertheless, life will always be a mystery, and will remain that way, because life is like falling down an abyss and you can never know what will break your fall be it a pillow, a tree branch or an anvil on your crotch."

Okay, end of brainiac thought of the day, time for some blonde boggling records of my life.

I probably will get fired if any of my superiors sees this but HECK! I have been slacking in the office because the Client has been slow in reverting any response on any creatives.

I just feel like a piece of driftwood and my solitude in my cubicle has brought about some sleep disease which inevitably wants me to snooze.

I catch a few winks here and there. Just a diaster waiting to explode. Hence, Sleepy Thursday title came about.

I'm shagged. Worn. Aching. and sick.

Feel like going to the doctor to get a MC, I need a well-deserved rest or just some good ol' company at the mahjong table.

I need my medication fast.

Pong, Chi or Hu
Benjamin

Positivity

After writing that cynical post about myself, I just thought how negative I can be about myself and my life.

I've always been aware that life is always unfair and how you want to lead your life is determined by the choices that you make.

When I decided to head to poly and diverge off to a new diploma that seems exciting, it's a total divergence and I started to be independent and make decisions.

I was an optimist. Bright of all the opportunities that crossed me.

But after 3 years of exposure, it seems I've seen it.

Seen what you might ask? It means I've seen how my life path will end up. Down the advertising industry and die.

It seems to go down with the perennial question "What do you live for?"

It seems rather mundane and boring, not that I want to climb Mt. Everest or live on the Moon but I need to find a niche.

Like getting high over drugs or getting high over my excellence over certain achievements.

Not that I'm not proud of what I'm doing but I just feel there's something more out there waiting for me and I can't wait to pounce on the opportunity to change my life.

A Dream job? A Dream lover? Or a dream change of environment?

I somehow ask that question which I have always failed to answered.

I've become cynical, jaded and rather depressing of late.

I've lost shades of my humour and you only can catch it in bubbles of sacarsm or during rare positive moments.

"Slaps myself"

I've been telling myself to live for the moment but I have failed to accomplish that.

I NEED EXCITEMENT. I NEED EXHILRATION. I NEED SOMETHING MORE. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT.

The trials and tribulations of my youth. No wonder young people are so confused of anything and everything.

Trying to be positive,
Benjamin

Delirious n Cynical

With a tad boring weekend past, the only delirious event was resting at home.

When news broke yesterday that National Service is reduced, I was naturally delirious, with the fact that I don't need to waste my time anymore when inducted onto boring jobs like counting the number of axles on a tank.

Downloading Alias finale, The OC premiere episodes and Smallville series 3 is what makes up most of my life now.

I rather enjoy ALL of them, coupled with the fact there is no irritating Singapore ads in between and my laptop as my sole companion, I can watch it anywhere I want, when I want.

"I sound like an ad already...."

I foresee myself as a lifeless soul with no significant events happening to that spirit for like the next 4 years. Maybe once in a while, there is something interesting like 4 weddings or a funeral to attend.

1 week more before I earned my well-deserved pay. Work sucks when you've stopped learning and started slogging.

I've adopted the policy of leaving at 20 minutes after 6, as I'm not even paid overtime. Who wants to work till 9 anyway?

No wonder Account Executives are rumoured to be slaves and have no life of their own. At least I have a life watching downloaded American teen mini series to reflect how uplifting their lives can be and mine isn't.

Isn't it a wonderful world we live in?

Self-mocker and cynical
Benjamin

Perky

There are some days which you find yourself rather chirpy and looking forward to work.

Rather ironic for a Monday.

I think the matter of the issue lies that by the end of this week, I would have officially finish my 1st month of hard labour lugging around Client's balls and will get a pay check to substiante around all that "support".

I haven't really put much thought into how I should spend it, only just a few shortlisted items like contact lenses, glasses, a universal long-lasting jeans and a CD player.

I'm sure I can do much more. I just do not want to waste the eventful Great Singapore Sale month of June.

Speaking of which, I think I'm going to adopt a new policy like all kiasu Singaporeans. Stock pile all the neccessary items like toiletries and household goodies during this sale period form Watsons, Cold Storage and what-have-you.

It's such a steal with some costs reduction like 40% or even more, I'm so tempted to get it to last till more than next year. (i.e. The Body Shop - Oceanus shower foam, 67% off !!! and I got meself 1)

Then again, I'm looking forward to the paycheck. I just need to survive a relatively slow week since my client has a stack of quotations to approve before we can proceed and he/she will probably bargaining for lesser costs or ask ME to justify why this/that.

Lots of saliva is gonna be wasted again.

This made me realize one issue.

To achieve something, people always lose focus and execute redundant stuff like talking unneccessarily and going around the loop. Life would be so much simpler if people just come straight to the point.

For example, instead of "Why is the colour separation so costly?", just be direct and say "Why is it so bloody fucking expensive?".

My reply instead of "Well, we use a good external third party which we trust which can provide us with quality proofs instead of run-of-the-mill quality" to "Well, it is so bloody fucking expensive because we only use premium external third parties to accomplish your tasks or else you will nag like my mother and say this and that and don't want to pay so we charge high high so that you can bargain a bit and we will still earn some measly amount to verify my worthless existence"

"end of rant for a perfectly slow sweet Monday"

In other words, if you want cheap, expect lower standards. It all boils down to money and time. Just like life.

You only have roughly an average of 70 years to live where you will slogging your ass off like a horse for 35 years just to have enough money to survive your lifetime. Simple as that.

In the meanwhile, I will be conjuring up a simple equation like E=mc(2), but instead for relativity, the equation is for life.

Something like this:

"Quality of life = (Time)^3 x (Average of PSLE, "O", "A" Levels") + (No. of future children) / (Usage of CPF) + (Ugliness of wife/Usefulness of wife) - [(Penis size^no. of sexual partners you have) x pie(income level for the first 5 years of your pathethic working life)] - (Cost of placing parents in foster care/ maid care)"

My life is just so full of crap and numbers.

Your mathematician,
Benjamin

Absolutely shocking

What the hell?

Coming in to work this Friday, I was all bright and dandy. Then, my new colleague came up to me and said:"Hey, do you know about that ?"

Me:"About what? Oh the sudden change of menu text?"
She:"No.... Don't you know?"
Me:"About what?"
She:"J, he ...!"

Barely before she finished her sentence, A, my production manager was bringing this new guy around, who just joined our Traffic department. I was then wondering, now the Traffic department has the manpower of 3.

After A and the new guy was far away from conversational distance, my colleague spoke again. "J has left."

Now, you must be thinking. Who's J?

Well, J is the company's traffic production executive who manages work flow and he and me have an okay working relationship.

The fuckingloutely shocking issue was he left adruptly. Apparently, after digging around(I'm an office slut/biatch/gossip), reason was he was underperforming.

Hmmm... you can understand if you are underperforming if you have been working barely a few months and they sack you but J has been working like close to 6/7 years here.

I'm shocked. Horrified. Terrified. of the management here.

At least he should get 3 months pay in lieu for his adrupt departure.

But still, (slaps myself) at least tell us that you are leaving.

Just as of yesterday, I approached him to send him a progressive brief to brief him on details of the ongoing job but he revert me to A.

I was thinking, he looks sickly. In fact, he had a mortified expression. He left work early so I presume he went to the doctor.

Never did I know he was leaving the company. I could have said something. The working world is real tough.

You never know when you have to go. Much less, you are told that you are underperfoming.

Blogging hard at work so that I won't underperform,
Benjamin

Update (10.47am): Apparently, J was marked down for a rather long time, our finance head has been seen interviewing the new guy for the last 2 weeks. Source: Receptionist. Comment: I'm such a gossip whore.

Self reflection of my blog

I really adore my blog.

Not that I'm narcissitic or downright arrogant or easily satisfied but my blog helps me to reflect.

Before I start sounding like some yoga-practicing zen-affluent guy, I really have to confess that my blog has essentially kept me sane.

It records my daily thoughts (sometimes 2 or 3 days, give and take lah) and helps me to refresh and reflect.

I was bored at work and was reading some past entries and I tried to view my blog from another persepctive.

My consequential analysis is if someone was to describe me with my blog as a basis, it would be that I'm damn self-critical and to a certain extent,a frank person.

Tact and run-of-the-mill guy is what I am. Since I sometimes practice self-censorship to lest insult anybody, I also will go out all the way if I really have to fume at something/someone/some issue.

In retrospect, I'm an average guy with an average life, nothing too exciting but someone who's pretty opinionated. I won't be suprised if I join politics.

JUST KIDDING.

Puh-lz. I look bad in white and I will only ask people to renovate/upgrade MY OWN house, not yours. I also don't like to meet people who will complain to me about stray cats and their rusting window grill.

I digress.

I think this blog is essentially me. With garbled thoughts and loads of complaints about anything under the sun including myself, I guess there is no where you can be true to yourself except your own imagination and your own blog. At least I've made this two my own arena to stamp my say.

Since my life revolves around me, work and me getting fat, I won't go create some bullshit lame story to make me sound better in front of blog readers or whichever unfortunate soul that stumbled to a wrong URL.

I'm just ME. Frank. Honest. Down-to-earth, I guess and somewhat judicious. And maybe that's why people want to read on. Right? Right?

Self-depreciating-underpaid-workaholic-and-soon-to-be-Army-stud,
Benjamin

Listless

I'm listless. Lethargic. Zoned out.

Too many things in my mind to clear. 3 Contact reports, unsigned quotations and media schedules to handle. I wonder if I really foresee myself working like this for the next 20 years.

After almost 4 months here, it's time to instill what you call "ownership" in my cubicle.

Today, I FINALLY got my own hole puncher.

Now, what's the big deal you might ask?

Well, considering I have to file and archive all documents, I ALWAYS have to run to my superior's desk to borrow it. Not anymore.

A more homely office desk. I've cleared the stack of newspapers and althought it doesn't look sparkling clean, it's the taste of "where I belong".

Another equally boring news, both Eric and Ivan are officially bald and being barked at by strangers who are in tacky green outfits.

Will be going through the same trauma as them. The thought of it stinks now. Although it's a underpaid-exercise regime to keep us fit, who would bother after that?

Just go look at all the pubs, bars and HDB flats. Those with lights still on are lying on their sofa or leather armchair with a six-pack & remote control within a finger's grasp away.

What's the point of wasting 2.5 years when we will just weaken ourselves in 2.5 weeks of undulating pure passionate joy of watching soccer mateches 25,000 miles away?

And the government has SO much sense.

Pffft,
Benjamin

Hmmm...

Thoughts I have during work.

1. If bacon is pork, why isn't Turkey bacon pork?

2. When is my boss leaving for India?

3. What should I work as in advertising?

I manage to clarify Q1 with my copywriter. Turkey bacon is use to resemble a slice of bacon (pork) so that Muslims can eat. By the way, my copywriter is a Muslim. Then, I have a question which left both of us stumped. Why isn't there chicken bacon?

With regards to my boss, apparently I sit in a precarious place where 3 big bosses offices are situated in my proximity and hence, I can't do other stuff (eg. non-work related stuff) but it seems by the stroke of luck, one is heading back to the United States, one is heading to Taiwan HQ and the other will battle it out in India.

Waiting for liberation at work. I'm working too hard =P

Last question. This question has been bugging me for a LONG LONG TIME. I can write a 10,000 word thesis argument on what job opportunities in the Advertising arena should I make my name as & of course, where the big moolah lies.

I shall not go into THAT. for now.... but it seems I can be a one agency man. Maybe I shall go open an advertising agency. What an ambition.

Hmmm....
Benjamin

Transmutation

The reconstruction has finally been concluded.

I have redressed to incorporate what I REALLY want unlike the previous ones which had so many constraints.

So welcome back to more OBVIOUS links like my guestbooks and my friend's blogs. Additionally, the Chatbox is now at my blog page which is MORE practical.

Some of you might think it's too blue. Well, I don't give a fuck. I like blue and nothing is about to change that. I like orange too but I don't want people to go blind.

See how considerate I am ^_^

You can also see at the bottom side of the right bar are loads of pictures. 10 pictures to be exact.

I'm elated. I guess the colour of Teal and Dark Blue suits my current life now.

Subtle. Classy. Concise. and Intellectual.

Like I'm any of that right? I can hear you snort...

Nonetheless, I'm elated.

Life is mundane. I'm beginning to enjoy work as sardonic as I sound. I just loathe the gear shift on Mondays n Tuesdays, but I'm slowly progressing to "habitual mood".

I know I'm sounding gibberish but holding back and not blogging for the past few days while tweedling with satanic html code has been a pleasurable torture.

Full steam ahead.

Blog-aholic,
Benjamin

P.S. Later, I'm going to Tampines. AGAIN (For the last 2 days, I was there...). To rejoice and make merry of Eric and Ivan's early entrance to BMT. No worries, I'll join them soon enuff...

Metamorphosis>

I'm 50% done with the entire blog re-dressing.

Maybe I'm bored of being plain, or it just feels too holistic for me but change is always for the better.

Just don't commit the same mistake twice.

Hence, I'm gonna put up the chatbox back and I'm done with the layout, I just need to tweak the html links and some minor colour changes.

I'm pretty happy. Yes a simple generic word to describe the lethargic me at 12.37 still frantically trying to play with the tags.

A breather would suffice for now and I would be tweaking more of it at work.

Speaking of work, my role is everpresent as I roam everywhere to let them know my client is pressing me for meeting the deadline so I hide a cleaver in my back pocket if is ever a need to use it.

I have successfully completed 2 weeks of torture, and survived a Monday ! I deserve a pat in the back, coupled with endeavours with the bizzare html language.

My next post would most likely be the barbie/ken doll makeover.

So bid farewell to this zen-looking confused-blur-cock face of mine on the left hand side of the blog.

Any comments on my picture warrants my hand shifting to my back pocket.

You know what to comment below.

Parang wielding lunatic,
Benjamin

Layout

Going to change my blog layout.

This layout is just NOT ME. Hence, I'm going to take sometime like 3 days or so before a proper layout is more ME.

Peace out,
Benjamin

P.S. Harry Potter show wasn't as wowsy as I expected but it made me want to read the entire collection of J.K Rowling's books.

A mini-series

Yesterday when the 6 out of went out, an idea struck me. The other 5 found it lame but I found it rather interesting.

The thought was a mini series on our lives, like the show "Friends", with a hint of "Sex and the City" humour and some "Light years" thrown in.

Like "Friends", the show will revolve around the 6 sterotypes of us.

The show premiere will be about us all 6 heading different routes after graduation and what we aspire to do.

Me - Benjamin (Ross). The perpetual anal retentive person who is very particular on details, time chronic and basically, a geek. Tech geek, book geek, blog geek, Loser. Whatever.I would mimic Ross in the show, only thing is I'm not a entomonolgist (anyhow piah one but the occupation studies dinosaurs) but I'm a boring account executive.

Ivan (Chandler). The funny guy who always find it a hard time to get laid. Although he doesn't say alot of lame jokes like his show persona, he is laidback and cool about getting things done and will get easily flustered if things don't go his way.

Eric (Joey). The "blonde" guy, but in real life, Eric isn't that blonde but he is a "looker", somebody who you commonly label as a skirt chaser. The typical good looker who has his way with girls and find understanding girls a challenge.

Then, the girls.

June (Rachel) - the chio gal that has it all. Nice hair and style, wants to strike it out on her own. An independent woman who is confused of how to make it big. Also, looking for love in wrong places.

Clara (Phoebe) - the perpetual blur queen who is deluded. Takes some time to understand jokes and laughs at nothing but she is so likeable by everyone because of her goofiness and the ability to make everyone feel smart.

Wendy (Monica) - Like Monica, Wendy has a certain way of doing things and want people to agree with her no matter what. She will always want to get her way and is also as confused as June where she wants to head.

The first season would revolve around the following topics:

- Clara and Ivan fall in love
- Eric, Benjamin, Wendy and June gets into a confused four-way relationship
- Clara gets a job and gets fired
- June picks up all the wrong guys and is in need of love.
- Ivan and Eric head off to Army and their different views on national service
- Benjamin loses his virginity

Note: All items listed here are purely conicidental and it is NOT TRUE .... If Channel 5 or Channel i wishes to buy the copyright of the show, please feel free to do this at your own risk. Any drop of viewership or increase in drop of television of high storey buildings is entirely not my fault.

Copywriter,
Benjamin

Glee

The consequential pictures of last night rendezvous by the steamboat as we fooled around in Bugis.

Memories....

Happy Birthday June!

A Vesak day stuck in the midst of the working week. What a pleasure.

Needed a break from those strangling deadlines and what better way to spend it with friends.

Tuesday night = Mahjong night where I fanatically played like a mad man as my bad luck drove me insane with the crazy tiles I was drawing. In the end, it came to a stalemate for me as I managed to recuperate =)

Barely 3 hours of sleep later, I woke up to an anxiety attack of missing a GREAT sale at Expo. The Metro sale where I wanted to go get some decents shirts to wear as an a/e.

A bit embarrassing lah but I only have lik 6-8 shirts that I rotate every week and a bit paiseh when you think that people see you no up wearing the same attire everyday.

Anyway, the sale SUCK big time because of the QUEUE to park the frigging car and the sales item were still the SAME items that was at the Marina Square sale.

Pretty much NOTHING to buy but just Metro clearing old stock. After which, I headed off to assist my fren's bro in tuitioning him English.

Yes, Ben is now a part-time tuition teacher. Before you slam my credentials, I think I'm pretty decent to educate the primary four standard for this matter.

I think the best part of this post is the night activity which I just came back from.

Coursemates whom I'm closed to congregrated to celebrate June's birthday. (Photos pending.... please be patient).

Me, Ivan, Clara, Eric, Wendy and June. Feels like a triple date outing. We talked cock, sing song and rock the steamboat at Bugis which was fairly cheap but it isn't like a 5-star chinese gourmet when everytime we had a request to the "Auntie", she would show a scornful face.

We teased, we laughed and we mocked. Gossip and banter. What a great way to spend Vesak day. We also pondered and deliberated abit regarding our futures.

Will we ever stay in contact? How life would be different when the guys head to Army? What would become of myself? What would life be then?

A bit saddening that reality has finally bite us back as we head off to different roads. The gals are still unwary of what they would like to see come ahead. The guys (me) will just suffer in silence under military pressure.

All that said and done, we took neoprints which made us all break into laughter as we "photoshoped" ourselves and it was DAMN amusing.

What a group of us would be if we stayed like this forever.

Me, Ivan, Clara, June, Wendy and Eric.

Sigh....
Benjamin

Whoopee!

Before you thought that was an shout of exhilaration for the death of Monday blues, you were HALF right !

That's because I had the suckiest Monday at work EVER.

Coming in to work on Monday is like igniting an engine to start purring after a long hiatus from burning tar.

The jobs that came in suddenly were outrageous, Client just drop an email and says

"URGENT ADS TO BE OUT!"

A soft and subtle email headline to destroy my entire day.

It was half a day gone and 4 ads were due on Tuesday morning.

Pretty sucky deadlines because the procedure is to write a Creative brief, send it off to Traffic to get a quotation while the Creative starts work on the Ad.

Getting costing for approval from client, they will then revert on the Visual that the Creative has finished and after umpteen changes, they will then only start on FA (Final Artwork) where high resolution images are used.

After which, we get a sign-off and we ET (electronic transmission) over to the media owner. Not forgetting I have to plead the Media department to call for media bookings.

As I'm also involved in the ASEAN campaign of my client, I have to also get translation for Bahasa Melayu before proceeding to FA.

That's the entire ad process above done in 1.5 days and it's practically impossible to breathe since you have to guide this from start to finish.

Not forgetting that there are other preceding jobs like clearing invoice of earlier jobs with Finance and that I have 2 more clients that I'm assisting with.

Okay, it seems that I have loads of balls to juggle and I've just learned that being an account executive means that you have DOZENS of things to know and remember. You have to be on your toes !

With the entire process squeezed into one day, the only way of de-stressing is through blogging. The electric current streaming through my fingertips at the touch of the keyboard has an accupuncturic effect.

The only redeeming thing on Monday was when I reach home.

The comforts of a home that welcome my aching knees and shoulders and I only came face to face with the news that my final poly semester results were OUT !

ARGH ! SO FAST ! - As I opened the envelope, I trembled because I knew I placed lots of effort for my last semester.

And I reap my rewards!!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M DAMN HAPPY !

I had 2 A's (Internship & New Communication Technologies) and a distinction (Professional Preparation).

I smiled like a Chesire cat for the entire night because I'm proud (or you could even say arrogant) of my results.

This good news supersedes 10 hours of bad office work.

What more can I ask? Maybe news that our government has decided to reduce our military sentence from 2.5 years to 1 year.

Hopeful,
Benjamin