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Tuesday, December 30, 2008 ; tirade on a neverending debate

oh well.christmas is a time to be jolly.but somehow i found myself in the throes of blaming myself.musing about the year 2008.and hoping for what's to come next year.hmm.indeed it was an otherwordly experience.

normally i would go attend the church's caroling.which i have been for the past 4 years.or 3.i do not remember.24th dec.a day to spread the word and joy of God.singing the all familiar Joy to the World,Hark The Herald Angels Sing.Feliz Navidad and more.seeing those smiles being drawn on the faces of the singers and those being sung to.having a time of goodhearted fellowship over dinner.and remembering the day Christ was born.but somehow.i decided to forgo all that.

seems like no amount of coercion could make me change my mind.seems like i would just have given anything to be my taciturn self.a night of meditation and serious thought.

yes.it was just like that.i gave many things hard thought.what i've done through the year.im the firsthand witness to testify that i've never actually took anything seriously in terms of academics in 2008.coupled with my usually ambivalent take towards life,its turning my life in the wrong way.

have i changed much? i ask myself.well okay.so what if you are just that BIT more sociable? it still doesn't help.i think my reluctance to even greet ''strangers'' in school makes them irk.he's so loner.is he mute? so unapproachable.but it is heartening to see change.change for the better.

the mention of some pivotal characters makes me regret that i don't love the people around me enough.i simply have to help out at home more.with the chores.so my mom won't be so exhausted.yes.time to test if my resolve is as strong as the rock.

band.an interesting activity.it has transformed from insanely boring to fun.exciting and a place to challenge my musical edge.the singapore youth festival is fast approaching.dismissing any ideas of a reprieve as it is my duty to perform well.somebody has pinned high hopes on me.

caroling...shall meet you again next year.

what gives others their sense of urgency and resposibility to do what they should? i wonder if its some mystical force of motivation.or discipline as strong as the corded muscles of a belgian blue bull.i have to set foot on this odyssey soon.find that source esoteric to me.whence i shall bid tearful goodbyes to unnecessary evils lurking in my abode.

go forth.assume stoic personality.
believe in the powers almighty.
as days past,you shall hold fast.
and discover whether your resolute purpose shall wither.
against the sands of time.

jixian was bored at 2:03 PM

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 ; the annual spelling bee

1. Explain your relationship status :
single and available from singapore.as always been since 17 years ago.

2. Name a lyric from the last song you listened to :
'this coldness kills the flame inside' how apt.

3. What did you wear today?
vs dragonboat singlet and shorts.

4. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
glasses.mom's paranoid about me getting infections from wearing contacts.

5. How many windows are open on your computer?
5.
weng's blog where im taking this quiz from.
disk defrag in progress.
doing this quiz.
msn conversation with weng.
itunes.

6. What are you doing after this?
probably have lunch and start on revision and holiday homework.

7. Where did you get the shirt you are wearing?
from the place where you make shirts. ^^

8. Do you like to cuddle?
yes (: if i have the chance.

9. Which one of your cousins is closest to you in age?
i have 3 cousins which are of the same age as me haha.months don't make a difference.

10. Do you like someone? does his/her name start with A, B, D, K, M, C, or J?
yes and no.too.

11. Do you like hugs?
doesn't cuddles almost equals hugs?

12. Are you a loud person?
no i don't think so.my loudest voice cant even reach half the assembly plaza.

13. Look to your left, what do you see?
a backyard and windows.

14. What is one thing you would love to happen tomorrow?
MJCSB practice!

15. Would your parents be mad if you came home smashed?
smashed has alot of meanings X) i think they would.

16. Have you ever had a crush on your sibling's friend?
i don't know any of my sibling's friends....

17. Does it matter to you if your bf/gf is a smoker?
DUH.i abhor smoke.

18. Do you think you've made a difference in anyone's life?
i don't know.you tell me.

19. Is there a guy/girl who knows everything about you ormostly everything about you?
nope.i don't think anyone knows everything about someone.we all have skeletons in our closets.

20. Who was the last person you had a phone call with for longer than 7 minutes?
should've been my secondary school buddy and fellow musician houston heng.

21. How often do you hold back from saying what you are thinking?
as often as it will hurt others or embarrass me.

22. Last serious hug?
don't remember it.who would wanna hug me?

23. Would you ever dye your hair blonde?
ew.never to such a disgusting colour.

24. Is something bothering you?
many things.stressing me out.

25. Has anyone told you you have pretty eyes?
please.most people won't even take a second look at me.maybe i tell myself.

26. Do you believe you can change for someone?
yes.if i am compelled enough.

27. What time did you wake up this morning?
around 11.43.after last night's fiasco at the barbecue.

28. Would you go back in time to change something?
i think everything's well as it is.unless im too selfish and maybe get myself reborn in some rich family.

29. Is it hard leaving people behind?
of course.

30. What are you excited for?
what tomorrow has in store for me.more self discovery.

31. Who was the last missed call from?
mr.chee.my civics tutor.

32. What was the last thing you spent your money on?
Koi Cafe's grass jelly milk tea.

33. Is there one song which reminds you of the whole summer?
since we're having summers all year long, The Odyssey-Symphony X

34. What are you doing now?
isn't this so OBVIOUS?

35. Can you handle the truth?
depends on whether the truth is truthful or not..

36. How's your life lately?
been a straight line on the heart rate monitor.

37. When's the last time you did something you knew was wrong?
speaking and listening to slanderous gossip.

38. Do you hate being alone?
not at all.unless im deprived of all forms of entertainment.

39. Where were you last night?
at Costa Sands downtown east having a barbecue.

40. Last non-alcoholic beverage consumed?
Vitagen.

41. Think back to the last person you held hands with, would you kiss them?
oh.the horror of not having any person to hold hands with.

42. When did you first get MySpace?
i don't have it at all.

43. Are you drifting away from any friends?
not really.but drifting away from those i don't consider friends.

44. What are you listening to?
Hours of Wealth-Opeth.a song with much feeling.

45. What are you doing tonight?
caroling practice i guess.

46. Does the last person who put their arm around you mean anything to you?
yes.my respected and super nice percussion senior.

47. Are you wearing socks?
who wears socks at home?

48. Do you have anything in your pockets right now?
nope.but i can put my hand in there if you want.

49. Who's your last text from?
physics tuition teacher.

50. Are you comfortable with answering personal questions?
depends on the asker.

51. Ever kissed someone who smokes?
smoking is prohibited please.

52. Someone on your mind right now?
yea.since i joined mjc.

53. Would you consider yourself to be spoiled?
to some extent.more spoiled than others.

54. Who was the last person to sit on your bed?
myself playing the bass guitar.

55. Where were you at 2.02 this morning?
in my friend's van travelling along PIE back home.

56. Did you go to sleep last night smiling?
i was too tired.but how scary it is to smile when you're sleeping.

57. Anyone told you a secret this week?
yea. (*winks at weng*)

58. When was the last time you bought something?
bought my entrance to costa sands chalet.

59. Do you play an instrument?
yea.as a percussionist.and as a completely newbie bass guitarist.

60.What's your favourite number?list down the people you would like to sabo according to you favourite number.
11.i don't need anyone to do this thing.unless you feel obliged to.

jixian was bored at 11:56 AM

Thursday, December 11, 2008 ; Taiwan : Touch Your Heart

Hey everyone.if you don't know by now,ive been to taiwan from the 22-30 nov.its been a whirlwind ride this year.first taiwan then japan only seperated by 2 days.i don't think ive ever taken so many fights before.one very unfortunate mishap was that the camera was not working.so all pictures are courtesy of wikipedia,but other than that,let's go!

On this trip,we will be taking Singapore Airlines,one of the most prestigious and luxurious commercial flights available in the world today.my mother being always too well prepared,we arrived at Changi Aiport T3 a good 2.5 hours before flight time.the gate's not even open! so i chilled at the Kopitiam at the basement till it was quite late and checked in only 1 hour before flight time.it was a long walk to the boarding gate.seriously.our gate happened to be at the end of the terminal so i think i might have spent at least 20 mins walking there.well.into the cabin of the plane.it was my first time in 5 years taking a plane.but the smell of kerosene never fails to make me woozy.

After sitting down,the air hostesses sashayed down the aisles to pass us hot towels,wow.i didn't know they provided such services.that little piece of cloth saved my life.now i can enjoy my flight.Krisworld,the in-flight entertainment system is simply delightful.i watched Wanted and Beverly Hills Chihuahua and had a scrumptious breakfast of chicken cream pasta and salmon salad.hmm..i must say the food is top notch restaurant standard.

Day 1

At approximately 5.45 am,we reached Taiwan.the nightscape of taiwan i saw while in the sky was splendid.after touchdown,we boarded the 国光客运 express bus to Taipei from 台湾桃园国际机场.guess where i stayed? right in the middle of 西门町! the epicenter of all youth activity.Shops,food,movies,karaoke.you name it we got it.our hotel was named 长虹饭店,which is featured in the nov edition of Teens/Teenage magazine if im not wrong,behind the Jay Chou portrait (: after a rest.we went to the 台北动物园 and i really really really really haven't been to the zoo for ages.i hope the animals in the zoo won't fall for me when i reach hoho.

The Taipei Metro is an interesting thing.on honest opinions,it gave me a more comfortable ride than the Singapore MRT.just above the doors,it has marquee signs which tells you which station you are currently on now and what is next so everyone will never get lost.also,the taiwanese people really adhere to the markings on the platform to allow busy commuters on the train to get off first.unlike here where some people just rush to get into the train.well well.shouldn't we learn some courtesy now.

okay back to the zoo! we took the train from 西门 to Taipei Zoo.yay! the weather was totally awesome at around 18-19 deg.but truthfully you didn't feel at all cold.it was just snug.the animals were all snoozing around their cages and enclosures.i walked around to look at some eating leaves,some taking pictures with visitors,some rubbing themselves against trees,some making the floor dirty and some monkeying around ^^.after the zoo,we headed for the 大安 station to meet my dad's friend for dinner at the renowned and exceptionally acclaimed 鼎泰丰 dumpling house for which queueing time can reach up to 40 minutes.upon reaching there.i was appalled at the gathering of people outside the store's entrance.it was so crowded that staff had to ask the people to make space for others to walk through the pathway.i saw caucasians,japanese,chinese and other foreigners waiting for their chance at those 小龙包.haha.the most diverse mix of people there.

the restaurant spanned 4 stories,each with approximately 12 staff.with 5 chefs in the kitchen making the dumplings simultaneously,2 attending to the steaming and 2 preparing ingredients.clockwork magnificence (: i met my dad's friend's children there.they were 佩怀 and 则谦.both looked very fashionable in sweater and jeans.so i had an awkward time with strangers again cause i can't really bring myself to talk to them right.dinner was ate with nods to each other.

the true way to eat the dumplings were simple.you take one and put it into the spoon.bite the end off and drink the soup in it.then eat the dumpling in one fell swoop.its to prevent you from scalding your tongue with the hot soup inside if you just ate it all at one go.but nevertheless,being the clumsy me my tongue was numb and irritated after the whole ordeal.or should i say palatable experience.now now.the highlight of the day! its time to visit the Taipei 101.the towering building of (if you hadn't guessed it already slowpoke) 101 levels is around 510 meters high and is currently the world's tallest building.the entrance fee to the top of 101 isnt cheap.around $20 for each person.and after we got the tickets i sat in the fastest elevator in the world going at 1010m/min.my ears were gonna pop from the pressure change.

Taipei 101 : 89th floor Observation Deck

whoa.once we reached the deck we went to grab our free audio tours.clambering to the counter like rambunctious children.okay.i wasn't really doing that.i had my earpieces on and went around to see the view of taipei.breathtaking! buildings around the 101 were lighted with different colours and street grids were orderly and bustling with traffic.but i was so dumb to forget that i could press the pause button to stop the commentary.therefore i was severely overwhelmed by the conflicting messages which were being heard and what was being seen.what a charlatan.picture time! we went to the 92nd floor to take a picture with the super-duper big tuned mass damper and had a stroll around the outdoor deck.after all that racket,we took the metro home and clashed with the youth at 西门.right.channel surfing time.

Day 2

had breakfast at the hotel's little lobby.porridge,ham,eggs and vegetables.simple.nice.we headed to the National Palace Museum at 士林 to scrutinize all the artifacts of the chinese dynasties of pots,calligraphy,paintings and ceramics.whoa.some even dated back to the neolithic period.i particularly loved the curio boxes.they were dexterously designed so only the knowledgeable would know how to open.buy one and keep your deepest darkest secrets obscured.forever.

of course.since we're there.we HAVE to visit the famous 士林夜市 for its 蚝仔煎.Taiwan's version is distinctly different from singapore's.the oysters are really really fresh,devoid of the sea-ish taste we have.after that it is laden with ALOT of corn flour and eggs and a hearty serving of sweet and sour sauce.well.each has its unique flavours.you'll like it or hate it.other than that.we had other native dishes such as 天妇罗,棺材板,臭豆腐 and 鲁肉饭.then the night was spent shopping at the nearby district.where i bought my nicest pair of jeans ever.the light greenish blue one.haha.the one which people said was nice.

in my opinion.the youth of taiwan are the most fashionable in asia.even more than japan.but of course they can't compare when the japanese are all decked out in outrageous costumes.everyone has nice hair and clothes.girls have make-up on and hair nicely done.but of course you can't expect people in singapore to look like that.in this hot weather,its absurd to put on such make up unless you want to look ghastly when the powder smears with perspiration.there's a store in taiwan named 阿瘦皮鞋.and outside their stores it says : 冬天穿靴子最性感.obviously the girls of taiwan adhered to this advice most seriously.i bet 80% of them wore those cool leather boots out with black stockings and shorts.kudos to everyone who makes an effort to dress up.so after this soliloquy,back to the hotel and sleep.

Day 3

today's destination requires all to board the taiwan railway.please have your tickets ready as the warden comes.keep to your seats as far as possible to prevent any inconveniences you might cause to any other passsengers.thank you.okay.we're taking the rail at 台北车站 to 瑞芳镇 and taxi to cozy little moutain village of 九份 where miners once broke stones and pebbles to gather gold from them.its a very nice tourist attraction with various stores selling peanut cakes,noodles and other things.i bought my very nice smelling soap bar from there which is entirely made from natural materials.well.nothing really interesting here.i was left discovering how impatient i was with my mom cause she literally had to look at everything which was on display even though she wasn't going to buy it.

lunch was had at this humble diner with an exceptional view of the 基隆 sea port and hillside.in taiwan.the rice is exactly like japanese rice.sometimes nicer.i had a ball eating the rice there.was superb.after (me) ogling at some japanese people we went to the gold mining museum where a veteran miner of 38 years showed us around his abode which was the museum.the mining carts,hats,picks and shovels were all nicely displayed and i got to try picking away against the wall.it was laborious! now i understand the hardship they go through just to get some little amounts of gold.after that various pieces of stone were displayed with little streaks of gold occuring naturally in them.i was treated to a tea ceremony and watched the history of the village and its madcap gold rush on a big TV.the nice uncle lead us to this area where he duplicated the process of processing gold.

1.Mine the stones.
2.Put the stones in a mortar.Grind with pestle.
3.Put grinded stone into weird device and grind somemore with a foot operated wheel and add water.
4.Pour murky mixture into plank and rinse with water.
5.Seperate gold powder from other stone powder as gold is heavier and sinks to the bottom.
6.Heat gold with mercury/silver to get liquid mixture to further remove impurities.
7.Heat to certain temperature to melt the silver/mercury but not gold.
8.Heat and pour liquid gold into mould.
9. GOLD BAR ACHIEVED!

okay i didn't really understand the behind parts cause the uncle was explaining in hokkien and i was a complete idiot in understanding that.but it was really nice that he went through the whole process methodically and gave us a warm welcome.after a day of gold mining and being a mountain dweller.we managed to find our way back to civilisation and i had a dinner of various pastries and breads bought from Yamazaki,much like Breadtalk.need to get to day 4 now.

Day 4

today we will be taking the bullet train or the Taiwan High Speed Rail as they call it.to 台中.the train was cool mannn..when i got in i just reclined and relaxed on the seat as it departed.moving at a top speed of almost 300km/h.after reaching we went to the National Museum Of Fine Arts to appraise some paintings and modern art forms.after mulling about at things which didn't make sense to me.it was time to leave.with nimble footsteps,i sneaked without a sound to the nearest escape hatch to exit the high security building.ahh.fresh smell of freedom.

well.what do you expect? we went to yet another night market! its the 逢甲夜市.filled with the same street wear stores and little push carts selling tantalizing food.i bought a baked potato with cream cheese and german sausage.hahaa.every bite is sanctuary.after walking around in circles,we went to buy little cabbage filled buns which were just really tasty.but super duper oily can...so actually after dinner we lost our way.thanks to us wandering around aimlessly.my dad.who thought he was really good with directions just continued walking and we had no choice but to follow.not even to stop to ask for directions! he just keep droning on.come on.sometimes you gotta sacrifice that ego.so guess what.we walked to about 2km away from the night market to some remote place and utterly lost.finally we got our way back.

WASTE TIME!!

fine fine.there's nothing much to say just that we pretty much sank ourselves into the life of the market.taxi home!high speed rail home!

Day 5

today has got to be the most uneventful morning and afternoon as there was nothing lined up on the itinerary.we visited some memorial hall with a park which was showing a beautiful exhibition on flower arrangements and thats that.but the really really nice thing happened at night.we were supposed to meet dad's friend for dinner at the famous 王品牛排.whoa this highlight is the bomb.it wins all other highlighters sold at all bookstores.

okay this restaurant is known for serving their steaks which come from New Zealand and America.each piece is carefully crafted from fresh cattle flown in directly by first class air.each cattle only provides 6 pieces of steak.all other parts are unwanted and used to create other delicacies.the one paged menu might seem to pose a shock to first time customers who might expect something more from this quaint place.but at a closer look it is not what it seems to be.upon examination the visitor is spoilt for choice at the plethora of food available for choosing.

firstly,a hearty serving of bread for you to gear up your appetite.with butter and goose liver paste for the extra creamy flavour.now now the menu.you get to choose one of each anyway :

5 Salads :
Seafood Mixed Vegetable Salad (Octopus tentacles and a fresh prawn)
Salmon Roll with Vinegar Dressing
Shrimp Cocktail with Fruit Salad
Fresh Vegetable Stick Dip (Sticks of cut vegetables with french and oriental sauce dips)
French King Oyster Mushroom

4 Soups :
Soup of Truffle and Foie Gras
Seafood Consomme with Pastry
Oxtail Consomme with Pastry (these consommes have a light and flaky pastry,much like a puff,covering the brim of the soup pot for you to eat with the soup)
Corn Soup in Bread (literally the soup is contained in a spherical bread)

8 Main Courses :
Wang Steak (of course)
Crusty Grilled Tenderloin
French Style Lamb Chop (comes with foil paper for you to hold the ribs with so you don't dirty your fingers)
Braised Veal Shank in Red Wine
Grilled Pork Ribs
Baked Lobster
Lobster with Garlic Sauce
Grilled Lobster and Cod

and a serving of plum juice to everybody for soothing the meaty taste in your mouth.

Seasonal Fruits for everyone,dessert!
Almond Jelly with Sesame Flavoured Ice Cream
French Burnt Cream served in a clam shell container
Chocolate Lava
Chocolate Brownie
Jelly of Port Wine (don't know what this is)

and lastly...drinks.
Ice Fruit Tea
Apple Vinegar
Darjeeling/Floral Tea
Chamomile,Latte and Coffee

wow.what a selection right.i was just really really amazed with the service.on a table for 7,the waiters smartly memorized what we had ordered and dished out to us without the slightest hitch.after we had our bread,the waiter came with a special duster to pick up the crumbs from the table and ensure its cleanliness for the comfort of all.and my dad's friend being some guy who had helped the company in one way or another,we got special gifts and even free photos from the staff of Wang's Steak.they really made my day (:

the food is grilled to perfection.every bite is tender and warm.none ever ever will stick between your teeth.yes.its that good.if you are ever in Taiwan.you simply MUST visit this place.the price of NT1200 per person is worth it.

Day 6

today there's nothing much to talk about.we visited an old town named 三峡 located at 鹰歌.walked around and ate 花生豆腐.tried their 金牛角 which is a buttery confection.hard and crusty on the outside but really smooth and rich with a buttery flavour inside.mmm..enough to make me a fatty.

Day 7

arguably my favourite day of all cause its reserved for SHOPPING! early in the morning we went to the 五分铺 commercial zone to look at clothes.all these nice things on sale.wow.buy here buy there.and that's where i finally ate the 炸鸡排.not too bad.just a little sweet and salty at the same time.how weird and ambivalent.for little girls and boys who wanna look their best like a movie star or just to attract attention from the person you have a crush on.this is the place to go to get your gear and impress others.cheap things abound in this zone and you will never be short of a bargain.

Day 8

Shoppping again.oops did i type 3 p's? must have gotten carried away with shopping.well walked around 西门町 today and bought my airwalk bag (: yay my first nice bag since forever.more walking around to kill time and wait for the departure tomorrow...sigh..

Day 9

time to go home.finally.as you can observe my day's events were getting shorter cause im really bored with this.well.woke up in the morning to have my last taiwanese breakfast of meat floss and glutinous rice with yam buns and soya milk.then off to the airport.all in all it was a nice experience for me as i met all these friendly people in taiwan who are always willing to help you.and by this time i have taken the metro so many times that i must be familiar with it.so next time if you wanna go Taiwan ask me along and i'd be most happy to bring you around ^^

i made history on xjixian.blogspot.com today :D

jixian was bored at 11:01 AM