everything in
it's right place

woke up really early today, despite sleeping quite late yesterday. was really sleepy in church: i think i practically fell asleep during the rehearsal. and almost during service too. yah, didn't really listen to a word the pastor was talking about.

i happened to be using paul's line6 variax700 acoustic today. it's really too high tech for me! i accidentally pressed one of the buttons and suddenly the tuning all went wonky. apparently it has this auto detuning function, where you press a button and the tuning alters to a preset tuning. you can change it via computer or some really chim programming. VERY COOL. if i actually had one, i'd be playing slide guitar all day long!

anyway i didn't really know that it had this 'feature' then; i practically played the entire first song out of tune! i was like "i'm playing a C, but the note is a Bb?!" initially i thought it was out of tune, but PERFECTLY out of tune? (look at the irony of that phrase, by the way). because the tuning was spot on for Bb. so crappy, right. then in a fit of panic i grabbed the tuner, but luckily i matched 2 and 2 and changed the setting back.

talked to sarah after service. decided to be the nice guy that i am, and complimented her, saying that she lost some weight. but nooooooo, she slapped me like sooo hard! some people ah! hehe ok fine, i was just trying to be nice, but it's the thought that counts, right?? women are so unpredictable. say that they're fat, and the scream. say they're thin, and they call you a liar!

the family communications talk later was a bit weird. uncle weimin (wayne's dad. he's in the pic above) acted as if he was a teenager. it's really weird to see an ah pek old guy acting like a young punk. and he actually pulled it off! haha hilarious.

went for a dumb game of dota later. was pretty crappy (because i lost).

and whiled the rest of the afternoon away playing computer games. i'm becoming so nerdy, the mere thought is horrendous. played rome:total war, which is a strategy game where you control a roman faction and try to conquer the world (actually, more like the entire middle east). last i played, i totalled the spaniards and was proceding to pester the brits with naval embargos and diplomats.

ok, this is bad. enough of computers.

after dinner (which was a fantanbuloussss box of sushi from medi-ya, or something along those lines), watched a local chinese movie called 'home run'. the literal chinese translation is "run! children". but don't put any hope in my chinese, though. i think it's a really great movie. on tv nowadays, local sitcoms tend to be so badly directed and filmed, with the really mediocre quailty acting talents. but in this show the lead characters were siblings, a little boy and a really really little (but insanely cute) girl. and she acted so well. if she was older i'd marry her in an instant.

ok, no that's just gross.

such a random entry. talking about all sorts of crap nowadays. in a dull mood lah. missing a few people :/

ok, the title may be a bit misleading. it's ALWAYS a guys night out. the sonny gang, that is. comprising today of jon chan, kerby kwan, bryan tan, and i. you'd notice that i said 'today'. that's because our sonny gang has a few other members, but they couldn't make it today. namely bryan chan and tan huang ming.

oh wait, is huang ming actually in? (he's our airhead drummer). oh yes, that's right. our band. ended up spending the night playing pool and dota though. it's surprising that after all these years, i haven't really got worse at pool, skill-wise. but you can't really get worse in something that you weren't even good at in the first place, right?

kinda wanted to go jamming initially. anyway, a bit about our dysfunctional 'band' first. when we go jamming, things always deterioate into rather pathetic conditions. i'd start pseudo-soloing, jon would go on with sweet child of mine and bryan would just stone in the corner, fretting that he had to play bass instead of guitar (fretting! get it? har har). while everyone, at the same time, try to tell huang ming to shut up.

fortunately we managed to waste today on dota and pool. it's the the quality social time we're spending together that counts after all, right? hoho.


suddenly felt like being a non-procrastinator after coming back. even though it's 2.30am in the morning. finished up the ucas form, which included typing up lenie cho's (the acsi vice principal) reference letter. here's the list of universities i've applied to (this is for you, debbie):

University of Aberdeen
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
University of Glasgow
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (woah... sounds so medieval)

the practical me says that i won't ever get in to any of them. which is good, because i'll get to go to australia, with my flat just opposite the university (waking up - byebye to sunrise scenes). i'll also get to live with singaporean people, because i think caucasian kids (ang mohs lah) are the most irritating, spoilt, retarded brats to walk the earth.

it's also bad. because i'll have to go to australia, and not study medicine but biomed which is a crappy version of medicine, and not get to watch awesome bands like U2 and the cranberries, and not join mad beer festivals with naked women all over the place. don't forget that it'll cost a billion dollars. plus i'll have no current friends there, but that's ok considering the quantities of beer and irish/scottish (naked) women, plus being able to hang out (or loose) in kilts!

i guess you just can't have your cake and eat it too.

i need to get out of the house tomorrow. so i can escape from my mom asking me to follow her to boon lay for some latchkey program. it's a program where you help out poor little kids who don't have enough money to get tuition. so in effect it's giving tuition to primary school kids.

does resorting to this make me a very bad person? probably.

i'm eating the turkish delight treats emily gan gave me like a zillion years ago. there's this white coating powder on it that i suppose is sugar. but then again it's so old, it could've been mould. gross. ah but i'm eating it as i type this. bah.

OK SO, so i've been asking quite a few people to watch charlie and the chocolate factory. however i do realise that i am a few weeks late, and that practically everyone who would even think of watching it has done so already. crikey.

but but but i have to go down to borders to check out some cds too. right, that's a great excuse? oh well...

sort of stretching now, before i sleep. so i won't wake up in a fit tomorrow, or not be able to move and other assorted ailments. so i was kinda surfing around the 'net, looking at people's blogs, reading the reallly really old entries to look for my name (bhb!), friendster, that sorta yadayada. yeah, you can say that i was bored.

it's funny, realising how people used to call me 'crispy' all the time previously. now they just call me chris. even elaine (the church's music team i/c) now puts my name down as 'chris' in the roster as opposed to 'crispy', which she used to do regularly. not that losing the nickname signifies anything, though. dominic still calls me crispy... :/ at least i can recognise who's messaging me on msn instantly.

reading those blog entries, one'd realise a common trend. everyone's complaining about love, getting love, love lost. it's such a human trait after all, to feel love. and now someone on msn is complaining to me about breakups!

anyway. did some weights today. should start running, reading some of my bible and studying too. i did start studying two weeks ago, but now it's slowly diminishing to three pages a session. which is almost impossible to consider as any form of study. and don't talk about that bible! man, my current level of self-discipline is just totally appaling, if non-existant!


i've yet to figure out 'raison d'etre'. the pronounciation, that is. fiona xie... you're my raison d'etre, compiled with sushi and electric guitars! mmmm yummy.

i think i've gone mad! lately i've been practicing some classical piano stuff, the stuff from piano exam scores. i think it's from the barouque era or whatever it's called, but all the contrary motion stuff is making me dizzy!

and on my guitar, i've retuned in to open g tuning to play bluesy slide guitar. on the other hand, unlike the piano bit i didn't really find it much fun. it's a lot easier than jazz and more of a no-brainer, but jazzy stuff still sounds so sweeeeeeeet (and mentally challenging, which is more of an understandment.)

new word for today (because everyone seems to be using it): raison d'etre

there are some people (friends, perhaps) that i've been having problems with. maybe you can't really call it a problem, but that's the closest i can come up with. i find communication so difficult with these people. i'm held back by a few bad experiences and all i want (or think i do) is for our friendship to be like it was before: happy and contented. but invisible barriers just come between us and the words never ever get to come out of my mouth.

some of these people i really miss. no, i mean really, really miss. but you'll probably never get to know, because i'll probably never get those words out of my mouth. however this is the internet after all, so hopefully you'll stumble upon this dumb blog and realise what my silent words are struggling to say.

something i created this morning, because i felt that it was too early for breakfast (hah, what a lame excuse). ended up not eating breakfast at all. i like the birds though; reminds me of a very nice guitar.

also. i'm trying to redesign this blog, with more of a vector graphics feel to it. recently, i've been more into the patterns kinda thing.

after checking out the coming races, i'm starting to regret slacking off. especially this: the nie biathlon 2005 and the new balance aquathlon 2005. especially the first one, because george (cell group leader and youth ministry leader in my church) is participating in that. to add to that, it's only a 500m swim! in a swimming pool. talk about adding salt to the wound!

on the other hand, i'll be in brunei by then. gotta hate army, sometimes. actually, almost all the time...

this is funny. it's a gift that sheryl gave to me a long time ago. i think i must've been really stupid (or perhaps still am). maybe it wasn't a joke after all. just one of the artifacts i rediscovered after randomly browsing through the junk in my room.

it seems that i'm slowly sliding back into my lackadaisical mood again. there's things to do: fill in my ucas application before september, tweak the guitar effects and figure out what to play for sunday, study chemistry, sleep (because people usually sleep at night). but somehow i'm too lazy to do either of those. it's those incredibly unbelievable bouts of laziness where you're just too lazy to do anything other than sit on your ass. maybe i should put a reclining chair here, so if i'm really lazy i'd just press the recline button and sleep.

many people dream of big houses, fast cars. however when i was young i used to dream of living in an incredible small room, where i sleep on a recliner chair cum toilet bowl (gross, i know). in front of me would be my computer, a guitar/keyboard whatever to my right, and a fridge to my left.

clothes would go out the window where some auntie or maid or mother would wash them, and food coming in (or out) the same way. the tv would go on the ceiling, like those flat screen advertisements so you can watch tv and fall asleep if the program's really boring (like many of them always are?!)

anyway, to digress. becky (the supposedly once a year penpal who lives in the states) replied. so this really means that we're not once a year penpals anymore, probably more like a month. but she said pretty much the same thing, so i guess i'd probably reply with pretty much the same thing too. talking to strangers is one thing i could never get around to doing comfortably (i mean, only weirdos go around talking to random people, right?). but it's comforting to know that you can unload your entire life story and all its troubles on to them and know that they'd forget it within 30 minutes. or am i the only one who does that? oops :x

lost 3 balls on level 1 itself just now while talking to someone. some memories are best just left alone, yeah?

anyway, went to play the cursed game called dota with the army gang after booking out. figured out how to use the skeleton guy! jiayi called me a 'tanker', which apparently means that you can stand there hitting people without needing to siam out of the way. that was his definition, anyway. and only died a 3 or 4 times out of the 1hr20min long game, which kinda sucks because if you die at the end you have to wait 90 seconds. so it's 90 seconds of stoning. ok, enough computer talk.

on a week long block off now. which means that i don't have to go back to camp till the 28th! ok that's more than a week, about ten days. but not really intending to go out at all, because i'm trying to save up for that bike. which i've been trying to save up for ages. the target goal would be around S$1500, which is approximately AUS$1200. seems barely enough for an entry level bike, so if things seem pretty crappy there i'd probably get it back here in singapore. but it also means that i'd have to wait till the winter/spring/july/whatever break to come back to singapore. bah! that's a lot lot of time.

and i still owe my dad cash.

i think it sucks to owe your parents money. but on the other hand, it's better than just plainly taking it. obviously some people think otherwise, but i'd like to think that i can take care of myself, by myself.

anyway. ten days out of camp, time's gonna fly really quick. i'll be having the internet, flight simulators, my guitars and chemistry textbooks to keep me company through the way. mayyybe a little mambo night though, anybody interested? haha

can't believe howww clumsy i was today. woke up late, 11.30am even though i wanted to wake up at 7am. sleep is one of those things you'd really want but not really at the same time. it's those extra non essential activities - nobody's ever died because they didn't have 12hrs of sleep everyday. it's like having zillions of dollars in the bank: good, but not necessary (for most).

also dropped my mom's pairs of oakleys somewhere. this is like one of the most super blur drastic mistakes i've ever did, after bringing my ipod for a dip.

then realised that i didn't bring my wallet. i mean, what on earth is wrong with me, right? sheesh so ended up borrowing $15 from my dad and another $10 from my pc (fare card had negative value).

sheesh

sometimes i feel like screaming at ani difranco in the face: shaddap lah! she can play the guitar, good. but she plays these irritating songs that just make you feel like stabbing her repeatedly.

still have yet to fill in my ucas application for universities in the uk, even though i know that i won't get a place in any of them. it's just to show that i've tried, get it? some people need the proof.

also have to reply to becky (the once a year american penpal). but it's starting to feel like a realll chore, plus it's not even a year yet.

ah

From: Becka Gresens
To: CHRIS ONG
Date: Aug 12, 2005 8:45 AM
Subject: DUDE

ARE YOU BREATHING

BECKY

oops. i think i forgot to reply to the last two emails because i didn't really bother much (and therefore quickly forgot about it). note to self - reply later tonight.

after extensive browsing and numerous tests and whatever, i have come to a conclusion.

singaporean girls (the younger ones, or at least those who look below 30) consist of approximately 90% ah lians. all hardcore fans of bands like machi, f.i.r. and other taiwanese and chinese celebrities are ah lians. also, 20% of these fans are probably crazy (mentally unstable) too.

also, singaporeans really love freebies. they not only want one or two or three, but as many as possible just because it's free!?! and the lies some of them would go to get their way!

anyway, here's some tips if you want to get in to your next 'festival of praise' or whatever free event coming your way:

1. "my stuff was inside just now i just went out to bring my mom to the toilet!"

2. "my kids are lost inside help me in NOW"

3. (if you're a kid but obviously went there with friends) "i only went to the toilet but my mommy's inside!! *cry*"

4. just chiong past and ignore security while they try to chase you down in futility. and at the same time let in everyone else who's waiting behind you.

5. "can i stand behind you? this place is so dirty *doe eyes* i won't go in i'll just stand behind you cuz it's soooo dirty!!" *then sneak in while no one's looking*

gah. just some of the nonsense people try to tell me while doing security (i'm more of a traffic cone/sign post than a security guard). it's unbelievable, and the most incredible part about all this: i can't do anything about it but let them in, being the nice kind considerate guy i am. one day i'll be mean and just say 'SIAM LAH KNNBCCB@#$@$^$&*(!!!"

arghargh

now, i know why the ushers at the indoor stadium's festival of praise were so exasperated all the time.

i was standing there at the seating stands, which is really a disgustingly crap piece of wood and dunno what for sitting down. some people mistake seats for steps, and steps for seats. the field which was apparently supposed to be covered with a tarpauline sheet was removed so now allllllll the mud in the field is soaking up people's socks, shoes and ankles! gross. i'm just guessing how many letters to the straits times' forum will be arriving in the week to come.

also, whoever drives a tank over a tarpauline sheet anyway and expects it to be scratch-free? ridiculous that the organisers even thought of using one to cover the field! some of them probably envisioned this grand picnic in the park ala fort canning green, but a mudbath would be a better and more apt title. YUCKS.

ushering people initially was quite easy (and maybe one could call it remotely fun!). i'm being a useful person in the community for once after all. but once you start seeing people come in through the gates right in front of you by the thousands, you tend to start going crazy. i mean, really crazy!

some people are really lazy, all of them have brochures for the events in the area at marina south but most don't give a damn to read it. and some are deaf, like those who i tell to sit on the right multiple times but keep going left! there are also the stupid, idiotic, annoying and incredibly stubborn folks that would rather die than to give up their seats. they're territorial creatues: lions and tigers mark their territory with the shit and piss, but these just-pure-pain-in-the-butt breed mark it with their belongings, be it a bag, water bottle, EMPTY watter bottle, tissue paper and what have you. i mean, KNNBCCB LAH!

probably the only good that came out of today was the drumming game at the arcade! you know, it's like ddr (dance dance revolution) and guitar freaks but with a drumset instead! of course, definitely way different from real drums but still! i was damn excited when i actually finished playing through all 4 songs (you get to play a maximum of 4 songs for each play, unless you screw up one of the earlier songs). until i realised that it was also a really fast way to burn your money into thin air. so sad, had to quit :S

just really damn irritated today. also some guy wanted to teach me how to use a SAR21. come on lah i think more like i can teach you every thing about it! perhaps what about a gpmg? did you know that it's 11.2kg and can shoot up to 3700m and that 250 rounds of belt ammo is 9kg and that you can really fire on and on for an insane time like a minute plus nonstop and instead of bursting into flames or a billion pieces, it'll still work? but the catch is that you must use non-SAF machine guns only, otherwise the very last point would prove false. ok whatever.

also just finished washing my clothes (hand wash! a tshirt and levis jeans, even though i have a maid!), so maybe that explains my irritability. then i realised that i dumped my clothes into the washing machine instead of the dryer later. cuz this is dumb i have TWO washing machines at home. house chores for guys! woooooooooooosh, but no way!

just so tired lah need to sleep.