The Field Marshal

New Ringtones Was going through my bills last night when I decided to read the leaflet, which I consider spam, in my M1 bill. Basically, it contained nothing but useless information and plans to earn more money from unwary subscribers. The only good thing to come out from my 2 minutes of attention was my realisation that I can download free ringtones from M1. Call me slow or suaku, but this is new to me. Being the cheapo that I am, I immediately logged onto MiWorld via my trusty K700i, hoping to find some gems. Couldn't relate to most of the ringtones in the 'webstie'. Think they are too hip for 'uncles' like me. But I manged to download 2 ringtones yesterday. Here's the full list since last night. Did some downloading earlier in office. Tong Hua - Guang Liang (Very nice!!! Personalised for calls from Mydaemon) Dan Ni Gu Dan - Zhang Dong Liang (Not too bad. Replaced Pachabel's Cannon as my general ringtone) DaDaDa - Cyndi Wang (so-so. Won't use it since I don't really like her as a person) Don't Phunk with My Heart - Black Eyed Peas (ok lah. Don't know how to appreciate this genre of music) Sweety - Qin Yi Xia (whatever. Don't even know who she, or he, is!!!)

Omigosh! Owen is signing for the Magpies!!! Was hoping for the 'prodigal son' ending for the Michael Own saga. Am still pretty peeved that he upped and left Liverpool last season when we were building a squad for the future. that showed us where his loyalties lie. But I am willing to see him back in the famous red shirt again after he fell out of favour in Real Madrid. This willingness has much to do with the misfiring duo of Fernando Morientes and Djibril Cisse. All signs were pointing to a comeback for 'St. Michael' up till I caught this news in Soccernet. Does Owen know that he's taking a huge risk by going to Newcastle? Sure, they will offer him regular football. But can they offer him the European competitions that Liverpool can? Granted that Newcastle did a great job against ManYoo last Sunday, if not for the abject defending of Boumsong. But the team sure has the look of an underperformer this year. And no one is going to bet against it from dropping down into Division 1. If things don't turn out well, we might see Owen going down the route of another Liverpool great - Robbie Fowler. Guess all Liverpool fans will have to resign themselves to an 'Owenless' Liverpool. Ok, Cisse and Nandoo better buck up and put on their scoring shoes.

New Addition to Side-bar I have just added another category to my ever-expanding sidebar. Called the 'Important D-Days', the section basically counts down to several important dates to me. Especially useful is the number of days to the next public holiday, something which every Singaporean looks forward to. Then there is the countdown to the completed of our (Mydaemon and I) dreamhome sometime in Nov this year. So, lots of stuff to look forward to. Lastly, I had a blast by creating a counter for counting down to my retirement sometime in 2036. According to the timer, I have to slog another 11,446 more days before I can kick off my shoes and relax at home. The good thing is that the 11,000 plus days include weekends, holidays and of course the very precious annual leave. Hopefully, I can cut short on this and update my targeted retirement day as and when I think I can afford it. Stay tuned!

The 1968 NDP Downpour I knew that something was on when PM Lee choked back his emotions and tears during the National Day Rally last weekend. Being the cynical person that I am, my sensors were at full power trying to pick up any stray nationalistic educational waves that are to be emitted from PM Lee's speech. And as sure as the sun will rise in the East I was 'rewarded' with the reasons why the 1968 NDP Parade held supposedly strong emotions for him. Well, according to the man himself, he was part of a band that was to perform at the parade. That makes him one of those heroes that braved the torrential rains on 8 Aug 1968. Frankly speaking I cannot understand what's the big hoo-ha over this incident. For me, it is just plain bad luck that heavens decided to dump rain on the performers on that fateful day. If you ask me what I will remember that day for, although I wasn't there, I would say that it is a day when most Singaporeans got wet at the same time. Seriously, does a show of few hundred wet performers show the resolve and tenacity of a fledging nation? Nay, I say. The resolve of our forefathers were not shown in one single event, like getting drenched at the parade, nor standing by the road to cheer the drenched performers as they march past the old streets of Singapore. What really showed the resolve of this nation is the fact that the people wanted to make Singapore, the 'new kid on the block', work. It is every drop of sweat and blood that went into ensuring the our ports ran 24 hours, that our docks were cleared of goods, that factories produced the goods, which make each and every Singapore of the 1960s-70s the pioneers that we should all look up to, not a bunch of fellas who think that are heroes just because they got wet. Fast forward to the 1990s - 2000s. Chances are, National Day Parades will still go on even in rain or shine in this day and age. The fact is, without the command of the parade commander to fall out, nobody in their right mind would run at the faintest of a torrential downpour. Ask any NS boy and they would answer that facing the wrath of nature would be preferable to facing the wrath of the company regimental sergeant major back in camp after running to take cover from raindrops. I can imagine the RSM shouting, "KNNCCB! You call yourselves men? My grandmother can stand in the rain for TWO, yes TWO f*cking hours without flinching. You TELL ME THAT YOU ARE AFRAID OF SOME BLOODY RAINDROPS!!!! ALL OF YOU SIGN FOR DEFAULTERS PARADE THIS WEEKEND. And all will get one week confinement. FALLOUT YOU SISSIES!!!

Since the first generation of RSMs, circa 1968, were trained by the professionals, Israel, I doubt anyone in their right minds would want to check if their RSMs or parade commander is nice enough to excuse them from the parade. Come to think about it, if just weathering through a torrential downpour qualifies a person as full of resolve and strength, then all who had ROD (before 1995) from NS are heroes to me. I say this since all who had ever gone through NS would have taken more shit and nonsense in the two and a half years in the shitholes we call army camps. Not all shitholes are alike since things do change when a pristine white horse trots into camp. I say post '95 NSFs are sissies because I have seen how soft these losers are. Remember all the softies who looked capable of peeing their fatigues when some robbers were loose on Tekong? Yeah, they are big time LOSERS! Afraid of robbers holding a pistol when you are holding a bloody M16 rifle. Need I say more.

Coming back to the issue proper, what I want to say is that the tears that failed to flow during the Rally was an impressively chereographed piece that kickstarted a host of national educational media programmes. We are now in the middle of it. Look around and you will find at people coming forward to share their experience of the '68 spirit. Prior to the mention of the rain that befell PM Lee in 1968, no one gave a hoot, or half for that, to know whether the sun was shining then. The fact is, no one bloody cared. So, after one mention, the whole nation has caught on this 1968 bug. To be linked to that fateful day is seen as patriotic and worst of all, cool. Performers, spectators, former MPs and loads of other unimportant people suddenly remembered what they did on 9 Aug 1968, tripping all over each other now to give their accounts. If you ask them what happened on another NDP parade, I bet their eyes would glaze over and answered with a 'duh'.

If you are still not convinced that this is a concerted effort to pump some nationalistic sentiments into brains, then ask yourself this. How did Mediacorp and SPH managed to pump our all the info in articles and documentaries within such a short period of time? Journalists are hardworking folks, but I doubt that they, or the filming crew + supporting cast, would be able to field documentaries and a whole range of other media onslaught within such a short period of time. Everything was already ready. They were just waiting for our PM to hold back his tears.

Welcome to Singapore's very own brand of national education. One has to live here for an extended period to not even feel that something is not right. Well, there are always the cynics like me. Always looking for something sinister, even when it is just as simple as rain.

I have always been a fan of Japanese drama and TV series. It has something to do with Oshin, the drama of a little girl who overcame everything to become a successful businesswoman with heart. Since then I enjoyed other drama series like Under One Roof , Hero, Long Vacation, and many others. What's kicked off this Japanese drama fanatism was no less driven by my support for Matsu Takako. Having said so much about what I liked, now I will talk about what I really like now.

大长今 (Jewel in the Palace or Da Chang Jin) is the latest Korean drama hitting our shores. I am not sure when cable started screening the series, but I was sure it was already running when the MRT trains were plastered with the advertisements. At that time, I just thought that it must be another one of those fads which will pass. Never did I know that I would become an avid follower of the series myself.

Actually, I have Mydaemon to thank for introducing me to this series. Prior to that my impression of all Korean series is that they are pretty crappy. Yes, it kind of a strong sentiment, but that's what I felt all along. I happen to be at Mydaemon's place , when Mydaemon tested the 大长今 dvds which she bought for her mum. I have to admit that I was hooked after watching the first few episodes. Since that fateful day, I have been watching 大长今 every Sunday. Now I am at the part where 长今 lost her ability to taste. Not sure what's going to happen next, but I am already looking forward to the next few episodes.

Going to sign off and pop the disc into the player now. Sundays have never been so good on the goggle box.

This picture basically sums up who I am. I am really a child at heart. The big smile you see is the happy-go-lucky me. The lolly and ice cream shows that I am a foodie who is often mistaken by Mydaemon as being greedy. The mud's there since I can be quite lazy and messy at times.

Chao Mugger Award (Senior Survivor) Awarded to the retired mugging veterans, who have successfully proven themselves to be mugworthy for the Singapore society, and still appreciative of their past education. Field Marshal's Acceptance Speech I would like to thank the En & Hou of The Students' Sketchpad in awarding mugging veterans like me with the Chao Mugger Award (Senior Survivor). I would also like to thank my parents, especially my mum for going through countless of hours giving me 听写 (wipes a stray tear). Without them I wouldn't be what I am today, the Chao Mugger with an award to boot! Ok, I have to head back to mugging in the office now. Till the next awards, leeeeeeet's MUG!!! (APPLAUSE pls) Well, that's how I would envision myself during the award ceremony. :P

蔡淳佳 - 有一天我会 Just bought 蔡淳佳 - 有一天我会 album. Have heard her older songs before, and I have to say her voice is pretty good. Just ripped the album into my mediaplayer and letting it play as I write this post. It's a pity that she does not possess the crucial 'X' factor which makes a star a star. The entertainment circle is a pretty unforgiving place. Having talent is one thing, but having the looks cum x-factor is every thing. One can survive with looks or x-factor. But it is always an uphill battle for those artistes with pure talent. They either become extremely popular, for their talents, or they just disappear from the horizon after a short stint. I sincerely hope that 蔡淳佳 is the former class. She does possess a nice clear voice. Perhaps she should have adopted Ocean's marketing style of staying out of the limelight. Conquer the market then show her face. Success rate should be pretty good since she not too bad looking at all.

Tsk Tsk Michelle After hearing so much about Star Run (跑吧！艺人) from Mydaemon, I decided to catch today's episode. The guests for the show were Michelle Chong (庄米雪), Jeff Wang and Ng Hui. I have the admit the show is pretty interesting. I think the Math game is the toughest. Basically, whenever a star kena the 'Math' penalty, a young student will read out a mathematical problem currently taught at Primary 4. Most of the time, I sat in front of the TV flabbergasted at the level of difficulty. Have to hand it to our next generation for being able to solve such tough questions. Another penalty was to get the guest star to call up a friend, and within a stipulated time, get that friend to say a specific word or comment. Anyway, Michelle Chong kena this penalty during the game. Basically, she had to ask her friend to say '你去死'. So, she picked up the phone to call Sharon Au (欧菁仙). This Sharon Au also quite blur one, immediately, she blurted out "ain't you suppose to call me when you are on the show Star Run right?" You should have seen Jack Neo's face - as black as thunderclouds. Well, I don;t blame him lah. The purpose of this show is to sabo the guest stars and not to have someone collude with a friend to stage an act, sabo Jack Neo and gang, and win the prize money. That's a no-no in the entertainment circle. You should have seen Michelle Chong's face then, she was embarrassed big time! It's not often to see one's integrity go down the drain on national TV. For me, I was kinda disappointed that Michelle is this sort of person. I always thought that she's quite a nice girl. Guess I was wrong then.

Here's Michelle protesting her innocence. It's too late Michelle. You should have just played the game fair and square.

I am so sad All the work I put into refining my blog has gone to waste. Basically, I have changed the font on the sidebar to Stencil, which kinda adds a military feel to my blog. However, I came to office today and saw that my blog look kinda weird, the reason being that Stencil is a pretty obscure font and not all MS Office Suite programmes have it. Wonder why my home edition MS Word has such an interesting font. Anyway, I will change the fonts, both the H2 and body text tonight. Sian...

National Rally 2005 The National Day Rally by PM Lee Hsien Loong just ended. I must say that it is one of the most boring ones I ever heard. Was expecting a load of goodies since this is most probably the year for general election. And after the CPF cuts of 2003 and baby bonuses in 2004, I was expecting some biggie, in terms of goodies, this time. But I am sorely disappointed. I am more or less left out of the equation. Anyway, here's a gist of the speech. The rally speech talked about having our older folks working beyond 62 years of age. Here's how we will look like in office in our 70s. Yup, a little pale and frail looking, but what can you expect when all our energies have been poured into your career?

Then there was this part on our service quality. Tying in with his focus on education (which focused on poly and ITE) grads, 2 short clips were made about service quality in Singapore. Frankly speaking, the clips (made by one of the polys) were rather boring, and they ain't as funny as to exlicite even a twitch on my face. Till now, I am still mystified as to why the people in the audience guffawed. The airconditioning must be pumping in laughing gas the whole time. That probably explains why PM Lee laughed so much, albeit alone, during his speech. Wonder if the PM's aides adviced him that while jokes are good to have in a speech, the jokes must, first and foremost, be FUNNY!!!

Going back to the clips, I think the first one was titled Tao Gay Not Enough'. Set against the backdrop of a char kway teow stall, the clip showed a stall assistant with an atitude to boot. Anyway, I think the clips were poorly done and did a poor job of storytelling. Perhaps that's why PM had to give extra attention to the Polys this year. They should have chosen a Rojak stall setting with peanuts as part of the title. The clip should be titled "Peanuts Not Enough". I would derinitely ask for an extra helping of peanuts on my rojak. Guess the government is out of them this year. So, they only have tou gay. Hmmm if peanuts is $600,000, I wonder how much tou gays are worth? Anyway, too much peanuts is bad for health. High cholestoral, oil, fat blah blah blah. Look at where all the peanuts got T T Durai. A bad case of indigestion and swollen head. Hmmmm, wonder if our doctors know that peanuts cause an allergic reaction - big swollen head syndrome - in people when overconsume. Think Durai would be better off with a plate of nice crispy tou gay. Lots of fibre and nutrition. Definitely won't cause any allergic reaction. Here some nice tou gay for my fellow Singaporeans, courtesy of our government.

Enjoy while it lasts. For all I know, we might get this next year.

Yup. Seasame seeds, or 'zhi ma'. Black or white will make no difference. So, enjoy your tou gay while it lasts!

What have I done for GOD Lately? This question was posed by the my parish priest while sharing the sermon with us during this morning's mass. Yes, I have once again kick-started my 'habit' of going to church again. The last mass I attended was sometime last year. Don't ask me what dragged me out of my bed this morning to catch the bus to church, I just know that going to the church was the right thing to do. Without fail, I feel more peaceful and of light-spirit when I leave the church premises after mass. Perhaps, I have 'deposited' all my anger, sins, problems, and all things that weigh down on the spirit in the church. I doubt the church, in its physical self, is capable of such an action. God must be there listening to me pouring out all my past week's sin and failings, and out of love, took it all from me. God must be such a loving and patient being that he can stand the type of nonsense that comes from me week in, week out. Anyway, it was with a little embarrassment(?) when the priest shared the sermon on how we can all play a role in the church. Today's Gospel and other readings focused on the ministry work of the Apostles as well as the role that each member of the church play - be it being an evangelist, priest, religious etc. Basically, all of us have a role to play. Most interestingly, the priest shared his thoughts on what's happening in some of the ministries in the parish. While he did not give actual names or events, he took to task those who are in-charge of certain ministries for not doing the 'right' thing. From what I can gather from the sermon, the main issue is the play of politics in church. It's hard to believe that office politics is so rife in such sacred a place. Guess that's the sinful nature in us coming forth. That aside, what struck me most was the question 'What have I done for the church (God) recently?' My only answer is 'nothing'. Being the lazy person that I am, I struggle even to stay awake while praying to God every night. But I still do make it a point to stay totally awake while praying, as I believe it is disrespectful to talk to God if our minds are wandering in and out of sleep. Anyway, having ascertained that I have done nothing much for my spiritual life, be it going to church or praying more often, I told myself that this have to change. While I don't think I am 'on' enough to sign up for activities at the church, I will start something small first. Something which I can handle. Something like this blog here. While I do not have a masterplan on what I intend to do here, I will let God guide me. Hmmm, perhaps I should have prayed before doing anything, guess I will have to do that tonight then. If you have noticed, I have inserted a little section title "My Faith" in the sidebar. Currently, I have links to the Holy See (Vatican) and my parish - Our Lady Star of the Sea (OLSS). What I hope to achieve is to introduce the my faith to my friends who reads this blog. I have no other agenda then to share with you my spiritual journey. This list should grow over time. This is a small thing that I can do for now. But everthing starts with a first step. Afterall, one can only finish a marathon by taking that first step. So, the marathon has just begun for me.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) Saw this DVD at a Sembawang Music store. At first glance I thought that the DVD for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has reached our stores. But then I realised that the title ain't right. It was actually the DVD for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Somehow the feel of the DVD cover is very much similar to the current version playing in the theatres now.

1984 - A book that is ahead of its time I have long heard about the book, 1984. Well, George Orwell and I go way back. Yup, way back to 1989 when I studied Animal Farm for my 'O' Levels. Animal Farm left a pretty good impression on me. It is an extremely simple story that taught me the meaning of satire. I can still remember the characters vividly - Snowball, Napolean, Boxer, the chickens, and the sheep. I feel for Boxer the most as he symbolised the masses that worked so hard for an ideal which never was. As for 1984, the only thing that I knew about it was that the term 'Big Brother' was coined by Orwell in it. I am sure all of us are familiar with the term. Anyway, I picked up a copy of the book (see picture) last week while I was out shopping with Mydaemon. The reason why I picked up the book was that I wanted to read something more 'serious' than the stuff which I usually read. More importantly, I think I lack the depth in character that comes with reading good literary works. So, what's better than to start with an author whom I am already familiar with. Currently, I have only completed the first chapter of the book. I have to admit that I am totally glued to the book. The only reason why I am still at the first chapter is my slow reading speed and the fact that I need to sleep a lot. So, can't stay up to read as much as I'd have liked. Anyway, there are a few lines which struck me when I read the first chapter. These were, "Big Brother is Watching You", and the lines of the party - "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength". They struck a deep chord within me because I can perfectly emphatise with them. This is something which troubles me. I guess the part which I am most uncomfortable with is the fact that I can emphastise with the story. This can only say something about the society which I am brought up in. Anyway, that's something which I don't think I should be sharing here. If you have yet to read 1984, I strongly recommend the book to you. From what I have read so far, the writing has been so absolutely clear and easy to read. George Orwell is indeed a master. As a matter of fact, the story is so meaningful, that Mydaemon and I managed to glean some meaning from the motto "Freedom is Slavery". Guess I will save this for another post.

Take Some Time to Read This Something I read in A Simple Path. The words are found on a sign that is on the wall of the children's home (Shishu Bhavan) in Calcutta run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity Take time to think Take time to pray Take time to laugh It is the source of power It is the greatest power on Earth It is the music of the soul Take time to play Take time to love and be loved Take time to give It is the secret of perpetual youth It is God's given privilege It is too short a day to be selfish Take time to read Take time to be friendly Take time to work It is the fountain of wisdom It is the road to happiness It is the price of success Take time to do charity It is the key to Heaven.

A Walk in Labrador Park Last Sunday, Mydaemon, her parents and I made a trip to Labrador Park. Actually it was Mydaemon's parents idea to take a walk in the park. Well, the weather looked, and felt, really hot then. But we tagged along anyway. Upon reaching the park, we realised that the temperature was more than hot, it was searing! Anyway, this being my first trip to the park, I had no idea what to expect. Frankly, after reading some articles on the place, I was expecting to see an interesting shoreline that supports unique marine/swamp life. However, I was disappointed to see an artificial concrete shoreline with breakwaters, typical of our highly urbanised landscape. The only interesting thing to me was the number of anglers trying their luck there. From what I observed, none of the anglers managed to catch anything while I was there. Perhaps it was too hot a day for the fishes. Had my trusty Cannon G2 along for the trip. So, here's some of the shots I took during the long and hot walk. Here's what you get when the sun is behind you. Didn't I tell you that the sun is hot! Btw, doubt you need to geuess that the shadow with the trunk-like thighs are mine. Hmmm... time to lose some flab. There's lots of greenery, apart from pesky mosquitoes, at Labrador. Not sure what's the name of this plant. But I like the fact that they have huge leaves. Nice green colour too. Interesting motifs of marine life can be found strewn along the footpath in the park. Think this is a squid, which we commonly call the 'sotong'. To visit this park, you can take bus service 408 from the Harbourfront Bus Interchange. The service runs only on the weekends, can't remember if it runs on public holidays. Be forewarned that the frequency is one bus per hour.

Who is Andrew Kuan? With the Presidential Elections expected in Aug this year, I was expecting another 'no contest' as President S R Nathan looks set for another shoo-in election following the lack of eligible candidates in the last round. Frankly, I am looking forward to having a new president after Mr Nathan's 6-year term. Having him for 1 term is more than enough for me. I have nothing against Mr Nathan, but what I would like to see in a president, is more active interest in performing his role as a 'auditor-in-chief' of our reserves. Afterall, the reserves are all taxed from the hardearned money from you and me. I do not want a president who has an acrimonious relationship with the government, when our energies should focus on how to ensure that Singapore survives well in this highly competitive global economic environment. However, the president should ensure that our government spend the money wisely. Currently, I have not read how Mr Nathan has exercised his power with regards to the above. For all I know, he might have been checking the books on those days he's not meeting students or charitable organisations. So, if you have done something Mr President, now is a good time for all Singaporeans to judge your credibility as the guardian of our reserves. Having said that, I would like to turn my attention on an interesting guy, called Andrew Kuan. I have to admit that Kuan is an anomaly in Singapore's rather staid political environment. I am not sure what possessed him to throw his name into the hat for this election. If what was reported in the papers is true, that he saw this as a service to the nation, then I applaud him for his dedication to serve the country. Kuan has definitely made the upcoming election more lively and interesting. However, I doubt he would make much of an inroad against Mr Nathan, given the simple fact that the incumbent has his face plastered all over the media for the last 6 years. The intensity of Mr Nathan's presence on the media has actually increased with the release of the polling date. Playing catch up with limited resources is almost impossible. For me, this election will be a formality. Kuan will get all the protest votes, from those who do not want to support the government-endorsed candidate. This brings in another interesting perspective. The timing of this election is perfect to judge voters sentiments to the government. As the president is nothing but a figure head with limited executive powers, the results of the upcoming poll could provide a good gauge of the level of 'non-support' for the government. Typically, kiasu Singaporeans are likely to vote in droves against the incumbent to show that they are not all happy with the rapid pace of globalisation and economic hardships suffered in the last 10 or so years. So, the Presidential Elections is a good time to vent their emotions, in a safe way. My gut feel is that we could see Kuan garnering around 30% of the votes, not too bad for a first-timer, but definitely not enough to derailed Mr Nathan's quest for a second term. As the whole of Singapore gears up for the election, negative media reports on Kuan's past is starting to appear on our trusty national paper, The Straits Times. Already disadvantaged by the fact that Singaporeans are seeing him for the first time in so many weeks, such reports are likely to take the wind out of his campaign. Thus, it looks like another shoo-in this year. Anyway, I just want to say 'Mr Kuan, thanks for making life a teeny weeny bit more interesting in Singapore. You are a refreshing change from certain political personalities that I know of. All the best'. Those interested in learning more about Andrew Kuan can visit his website here.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Some spoilers ahead? Not having read the story behind a movie can be such a bliss sometimes. The story I am talking about is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (CATCF) - by Roald Dahl. Having been rather a boring reader of sorts in my youth, the books I read were mostly by Enid Blyton, Caroline Keene(?) - of the Nancy Drew fame, errr... and the author of the Hardy Boys series. It's a pity that I never had the chance to lay my hands on a Roald Dahl book. Well, on hindsight, this oversight ain't that bad afterall. Going into the cinema 'blind', I expected CATCF to be a visual treat. That was the only expectation as I had no inkling on what the story's about, let alone the effects, since Tim Burton is directing it. Frankly speaking, I was kind of worried that CATCF would turn out to be a dark and brooding movie a la Batman style. But I was in for a surprise. Thankfully, Burton seems to have shaken off that dark and brooding style that he's so well known for. CATCF was indeed a refreshing change. Willy Wonka - the eccentric owner of a 'magical' chocolate factory - was well portrayed by Johnny Depp. Burdened by some rather unfortunate events in his youth, Willy grew up with a rather poor opinion of parents. This aversion is evident when he gags on any words to do with father, dad or parents. While Willy Wonka is easily the most recognisable character in the film, the boy Charlie (Freddie Highmore) touched the audience hearts with his simple love for his family. Charlie reminds me of myself when I was younger. While I was never in such abject poverty as Charlie, there was a time when my family had to make do with the simplest things in life. A visit to the fastfood restaurant was a treat for me and my sister. As for toys, playing with those retro green soldier figurines was one of my favourite hobbies. Lining them up on the floor, I would spilt them into opposing camps with simple strategies. I was like a Field Marshal then Come to think of it, some of my 'J' in my temperament was evident in the way I arranged the soldiers neatly on the floor. Those were days when the simple pleasures were everything to me. I sure miss the simple life of the past. Charlie has brought back a flood of bittersweet, mostly sweet, childhood memories for me. I shall not say more of the movie. Except perhaps to say that I laughed a great deal. Mind you, I don't bellow in laughter all that easily. CATCF is indeed a fun show with lots of witty lines. It is definitely worth the money that you pay for the tickets. Do check out the official website for Chalie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a rather creative website. You will also catch snatches of the Oompa-Loompas singing in the background. Quite hilarious, especially if you have seen the show. Lastly, here's the cover the of book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I have to say that Roald Dahl is indeed a very creative writer. I am looking forward to reading it, that is, if Mydaemon manages to uncover her copy in her piles of book.

From Silence to Peace The fruit of silence is prayer The fruit of prayer is faith The fruit of faith is love The fruit of love is service The fruit of service is peace I read this 'poem' in the book "Mother Teresa - A Simple Path". Can't really share much of what's written in the book since I have just read less than a quarter of it. But I have to admit the simple poem above touched me deeply. Being a person deeply rooted in today's materialism and complexity, I am not a person who's easily touched by words in a book. Mydaemon can attest to this since she's always puzzled why I am such a blockhead when it comes to issues regarding the wisdom to life etc. All my friends know me for the boisterous and happy-go-lucky guy that I am. Silence is seldom equated with any environment that I am in. For many a years, I lived a life of gaiety and 'noise-filled' life. Noise here is not negative in any sense of the word. Instead, the noise in my life included having long chats with friends, cracking jokes with them, music (as in KTV sessions, where I tend to be the listener rather than the singer) and movies (especially those with great special and loud sound effects). For me, this din was a comfortable part of me. In reality, I hated silence. Silence is something which I absolutely abhor. Absolute silence to me is something I sense so strongly that sometimes it's physical. Thus, I always made sure that prolonged silence is punctuated with a comment etc. This is also a reason why Mydaemon feel that I make the most inane of comments and statements. Apart from this, Mydaemon has this knack of understanding the real me. Time and again, she questioned this lack of stillness and stability in my life. For her, this is one part of me that has held me back from developing into the man that I could be. I have always listened to her, but never truly hearing the message she had for me. At the logical level, I understood perfectly what she's trying to tell me. But I have always rebutted that the need for communication is a part of me and that silence just doesn't sit well with me temperament - read my description above. However, at a deeper level, I always felt that there's some truth to it. Perhaps it's a part of growing up. But increasingly, I am starting to be a little more contemplative and reflective in my thoughts. I am sure Mydaemon has been the most influential factor in this change in me. While I have read quite a few inspirational books, I have never been touched so deeply by the few lines that I have written at the start of this post. I sense this simple beauty and truth in the way that the short poem tries to communicate its message to us. At the first reading, I thought it was a nice way of putting down words in showing how prayer, love and peace are all tied together. Not giving it much attention, I moved on to the other pages of the book. But before I know it, I was flipping back the pages to look for this poem. I can't explain why there was this urge to find it, but it 'called' out to me. When I found it, I read it again, and before I knew it, it was etched into my memory. At that point of time, I sensed the truth behind silence and prayer. The truth is that in this day and age, our mind is always preoccupied with the various tasks in our hectic lives. We are always thinking of where we are going, what we are going to do next, etc. In our free time, we are occupied with music, TV or other activities. Thus, having a quiet, or silent, moment is near impossible. It is especially more difficult for people like me, for I like to surround myself with activities or noise. This I believe is that reason why I have not be able to hear God for such a long time. Don't get me wrong, I don't hear God in an audible manner. But I sense, or 'hear', Him in the silence of prayer. I know that He's listening when I pray. Praying is something which I try to do each night. It's a struggle as I often doze off before finish reciting the Hail Mary. Most of the time, I feel a deep sense of peace and a lightening of the spirit after talking to God. It is indeed a wonderful feeling. It is indeed true that prayers offered in the silence of the mind and spirit are the ones that God can hear the most clearly. For these are not distorted by the restless mind and spirit. For those who are interested in reading the book, its call number at the NLB is 271.97 MOT. Got the book at the Choa Chu Kang Community Library. Btw, the cover of the book is different from the one I have posted here. But this is the best I can find on the net. I am sure you will be touched in some way by this book. Happy reading.