Don't you just love how they call Milo Dinosaur here in a Hong Kong Restaurant in Singapore?

My friends, remember this?

I need to buy a new Cube already. My current one keeps falling apart. Imagine my frustration when I try to finish it asap and then...

... continued from PART ONE!

#4: Meeting and beating the group party

(I know it kinda seems I am overusing this diagram but once again, I stress, it's REALLY all encompassing!)

People discussed: Dev, Tay & Dave
Seat in question: G

Groups. I hate them and love them. When I am not part of their group, they occupy such massive space and talk so loudy. I really rather not hear about your plans and strategies for work or how last night's match was. REALLY. But when I'm part of a group, ah, the possibilities just make me shiver in delight!

It's debatable who gets Seat G. It depends, once again, on which way person in Seat G gets up (see #2) and whether someone from the group expressedly says to his friend, "Hey sit." Either way, I hate it. Simple because, either way Dev gets sidelined.

a) Dev can't possibly (remember this is written by a very diplomatic person) just charge ahead and sit down if say Tay gestures the seat to Dave can he? Of course, he can! It's just me. -.-

Well, the good news is, groups usually don't sit because they rather stand and chat (well, since chatting is quite awkward if one person is seated and the other standing).

#5: Showing idiots who's boss

People discussed: Raj & Karl
Seat in question: F

Sometimes, some people get desperate. It's normal and it's frequent. In this situation, Raj was here first and didn't do a very good job in marking his territory and that attracts predators. Karl is one such predator.

There isn't enough space for Karl to put 2 feet in the space he needs to be in to content on equal ground with Raj so he does a sideways stance. This can WORK as well if Raj is not careful. First I must say that the chances of Karl getting the seat is only 20% but it's still something to be wary about.

The reasoning behind this possibility is fairly simple. See #2. The way the person in Seat F stands up can create an opportunity for Karl to grab the seat.

To overcome this, Raj must bank on this 80% and be quick to make body gestures (however small will make a difference) and advance to the seat at every opportunity. That includes being overly considerate to make way for person in seat H by moving in front of Karl. Using half his body or a well-positioned feet will do as well. All about marking territories and being firm about it.

#6: Beating the odds



People discussed: Karl & Buba
Seat in question: E

Now that we have made Karl seem like a complete ass in #5, let's see how Karl can get the seat from Buba. Who does seat E belong to?

It looks like it rightfully belongs to Buba but one significant factor will determine it all - who's nearer to Seat E. The all important rule in #2 about the way the person gets up from the seat? Yup, that will be, once again, another major deciding factor in this situation. Assuming Seat E is the corner seat, the person seated in E will definitely get up and head for the exit.

Let's find out who gets Seat E in the below situations!

a) If he/she gets up and exits to the left of Karl, then my friends, Karl can deploy the overly considerate tactic by moving in front of Buba (thus blocking and) to send her a "FYI, This is MINE" message.

b) If he/she gets up and exits to the right of Buba, then as you can see, depending on how Karl positions himself. He determines his own fate. Much like situation A.

c) If he/she gets up and exits between Karl and Buba, Karl may get the seat if he pretends not to see him/her needing space to leave and let Buba do the moving. In essence, the further you move to an unfavourable position, the lesser the chance of you getting the seat.

Buba can move slightly and look like this is the best she can do and then let person in Seat E stare Karl till he moves as much as you did. Then the seat is up for free-grabs! Faster butt first!

And that concludes my posts on this topic. I hope it was enlightening! Or well, at the very least entertaining. I know this won't eliminate meeting idiots on MRTs but at least I got this off my chest! HAH.

- THE END (for now) -

Omg I am so tired now.

Just remember, you plot only against those as able-bodied as you.

Like it or not, whether my seat was hard won or not, one of the 3 above come by, I start all over. :/ Ah well, such is life. They need the seats more than me.

I have seen young people sitting in the PRIORITY SEATS and just plain ignoring people who needs the seat more than them. So inconsiderate. TSK. Another story, for another time.

Ok as promised, here goes!

I am sick of PEOPLE who obviously knows the "unspoken" rules of taking the MRT in Singapore but purposely ignore it. And because I take a lot of the trains in the North-East Line which passes by Little India and Farrer Park where a larger proportion of the foreign indian workers populate, I get even more people who act like they don't know they are "snatching" my seat!

Not only indians ok! All races!! Chinese aunties especially!! BTH! Ok let's begin already!

ACTUALLY, THERE IS ONLY ONE SIMPLE RULE - DO NOT TAKE A SEAT THAT IS NOT YOURS!

Here comes the catch: Defining what's yours and communicating it CLEARLY to idiots is the problem!

Here's how we solve it.

We first need, a "blackboard". Ok, here's one. I will be referring everything to this all encompassing situational "blackboard". Note: It comes with a good mix of races too. :P



#1: Clearly define your "territory"

People discussed: Simon, Ariel and Arin
Seat in question: A, B and D

With reference to the above diagram (this is a typical crowded MRT scene), theoretically, Simon, Ariel and Arin are the ONLY ONES in this situation who owns the seat A, B and D respectively.

Simple reason! They are standing in front of the seat!

SO, MARK your territory CRYSTAL CLEAR by standing directly in front of the seat you believe will be empty soon - stand your both feet further apart, put on weight to achieve greater physical advantage, fold your arms to take up more space, what have you.

I? I place my feet at an angle such that the other person beside me will find themselves uncomfortable in my ZONE if they come any nearer than I want them to. See below.



All of the three will work very well.

Blue Feet Tactic #1 = Feet wider apart
Pink Feet Tactic #2 = Strategically angled feet (keyword here is STRATEGICALLY)
Green Feet Tactic #3 = Ah, you know a master when you see their feet this way AND you have no way of putting your feet any where strategically near.

Green Feet Tactic can only be successfully communicated by the highly skilled aka the likes of me. You use one feet to book one seat and the other, the other seat and be sure to look like you are already as close to the center of the cabin as possible (well, so you won't attract dirty looks by passengers near the door who don't have enough breathing space to stand!). Be smart, crafty and considerate!

#2: Poorly marked "territories" aka OPPOTUNITIES

Back to the diagram.



People discussed: Pete and June
Seat in question: C

Look at Pete and June. The position they are standing in (by choice or not), will mean they are both contenders to Seat C. In Singapore MRT, everybody is genderless. Don't think just because Pete is a male, he will let June sit. No possible way. In such a situation, there can only be 2 "sub"situations.

a) if it's not very crowded, the person who got there first has rights to the seat. This doesn't always ring true because a LOT of people are very likely to conveniently disregard it.

So, we come to the second "sub"situation.

b) if it's very crowded, the direction to which the person in Seat C stands up will determine whether the seat belongs to Pete or June.

Before I further illustrate this point, note that point a and b above is VERY IMPT and will apply in almost ALL SITUATIONS IN THAT MANNER.

There you go. The red arrow depicts movement of person in seat C.

MOVE TO RIGHT = seat belongs to PETE (BLUE). MOVE TO LEFT = seat belongs to JUNE (PINK).

The reasoning behind this is quite simple. If you imagine yourself to be the person at seat C, standing up and getting out to the left would effectively BLOCK Pete, and then June will have an opening (and opportunity) to sit.

Do you know what kind of an opportunity it poses for the person at seat C? YES! You get to choose who you want to give the seat to! Subtly but surely! :D To be double sure, extend your duration of blockage by pretending to steady yourself or something. SURE TO SUCCEED!

#3: Teaching Noobs



People discussed: Jaya and Dev
Seat in question: H

Jaya is a noob. Either that or she doesn't care whether she gets a seat. Either way, Dev will get Seat H (and possibly Seat G since he deploying the "one feet, one seat" tactic but we touch on that later).

Why is this portion called teaching the noob? Well, even though Jaya is technically occupying most of the "frontal view" of Seat H, the seat belongs to Dev because 1) he is nearer, 2) people standing in the "row" Jaya is standing in generally don't get seats.

So like I said, either a noob or doesn't care. Either way, Dev gets the prize!

... to be continued tomorrow! Stay tuned!

P.s.: Wah blogging this is exhausting wei!

Wah I tell you ah!! I am damn angry with someone named IDIOT in the MRT!!

I got to tell you about it!

Scene #1: I am in the North-East Line MRT on my way to work.



As you can see, there's ME standing by the pole (I chose that spot because I made a calculated guess that Occupied Seat on the bottom 2nd from left will be empty very soon). All the seats are filled at this moment - as usual. BR stands for book reader who was standing there when I got up the train. So everything's fine and well. Just note the IDIOT will appear from where I placed her. YES ITS A HER.

Scene #2: After 1 stop, I expertly managed to guess correctly again - that person got off at the next stop!



But well, I may be a shrewd seat spotter but I don't come without ETIQUETTE and I obey the "unspoken" rules (I am so going to blog about the rules tomorrow)! So, as the rules goes, the seat technically belongs to BR because, though both of us are standing right in front of the empty seat, she was there first.

LAN-LAN lor. NVM, I wait for about 2 seconds after the seat is vacated before making my move to see if she wants the seat. Haiya, this BR, really into books and she didn't want the seat. In the split second this conclusion occured in my mind, look what happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scene #3: FARKER (as a word to describe someone) is defined.



OMFG?! I saw the IDIOT pushing others in her way to get to the empty seat!!! I never even noticed her presence!! And she came from nowhere!! WTH?! WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

Scene #4: The little farker pretends to sleep.



See? I have become a flame. Even those seated nearby raised an eyebrow and looked at me expectantly - as if waiting for me to say something! But I am a bloody diplomat (something I hate and appreciate everyday) so I keep quiet like a damn bloody hum ji kia (coward), fuming.

I KEPT staring at the IDIOT but she pretended to fall asleep. Like wah, immediately! @&$(@#&$(@# She didn't dare look up at me for the entire journey.

Scene #5: Later on, I got a seat. WHERE? Well, RIGHT NEXT TO HER.



So of course I continued staring at her for awhile. IDIOT didn't dare look at me. So idiotic leh!!! There are rules that are set upfront and there are rules that aren't spoken. Both sets must be obeyed!!!!

How could she!

WAIT FOR MY POST ABOUT THESE RULES TOMORROW. I NEED TO EDUCATE ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Is it because I am a Causewaian** who doesn't drink much Kopi or Teh? I have no idea how to order a simple coffee in Singapore! Here's a guide I found to ordering coffee with GUSTO at your local coffee shop!

BASIC
Kopi-O: Coffee without milk
Kopi: Coffee with condensed milk
Kopi - C: Coffee with evaporated milk

ADD-ONS
Peng: with ice
Po: more water, less coffee
Gao: less water & more coffee
Di Lo: all coffee, no water
Ga Dai: more sugar
Siu Dai: less sugar
Kosong: no sugar

**Well because in my schooling days, I spent half of everyday in a bus on the woodlands causeway stuck in jams! -.-

Thanks to my dear friend, Andrea, we got passes to what would be best described as a "media event".

Key Editions, publisher of magazines like CHILD, TEENAGE, SQUAREROOMS, FOOD&TRAVEL and so on.

Anyhow, they had what they called a Muchas Gracias Fiesta (erm, actually just free-flow of drinks and lots of nachos with cheese (Latino Food)). We were supposed to Salsa from 7 to 10pm the night away but, somehow, even with the free-flow of drinks, I saw nobody dancing!

If they want my suggestion, instead of hiring 2-3 people to sing randomly, they should have just spent the budget on hiring a Salsa instructor and get everybody to dance - I mean if that's their theme, it's really they want to focus the event on right?

It was held at El Toro, an expensive pub/restaurant in Winsland House near Somerset MRT.

The highlight of the whole event (which was otherwise quite boring, since the dancing never materialised) was some good looking men in the crowd, the lucky draw and the goodie bag.

They even had a photographer go round taking photos, printing them on the spot and giving them to us!! Look at ours! So nice!


L to R: Andrea, Me and Kristine

And then the lucky draw (to qualify I need to put in my namecard and I am still kicking myself for not bringing any) prizes were really quite GOOD. Top prize was 1K CASH! CASH!!! How I wish I could take the cash and go to an ATM machine and see it get eaten up greedily and be reflected in my account balance!!!

Kristine won something. I got to ask her what she won. :P

THE GOODIE BAG - purpose of this post. Yes. I received a goodie bag that more than soothed my disappointment at not having my namecard!

Look at it!!



I got like this super expensive looking, super professional looking organiser, a full size eye cream, shampoo, Maybelline full size lipstick, blusher and nail polishes, some other smaller sized Maybelline samples, a pack of condom (packed so nicely somemore!!) and sweets.



Then of course their magazines. Gosh, made the bag so heavy!

Thanks Andrea!!

P.s.: Btw, I really shouldn't drink a shiraz on an empty stomach. Depending on how you define it, I nearly collasped!

Food pictures people!!

I have heard so very much about Botak Jones and a personal review of the food is about way over due!!

Here we go!

BOTAK JONES - Damn good food at damn good prices wor!

Let's see, we were a group of four who met at 2.30pm for lunch. That only means 4 VERY HUNGRY PEOPLE!!

They have quite a few outlets but we chose to go to this that was located in what I would call a hole.

970A Toa Payoh North Singapore 318997

Hey it was inside the canteen of an industrial office area leh! I mean, besides those who work there, who even goes there?!



But please, I shall not judge. Well, not anymore from here on at least. Haha! On to the food already!!



1) Fish & Chips - $12.50
Well, I do agree with their description though, crispy on the outside and flaky hot on the inside. 3 out of 4 of us said this was nice!



2) Chilli Dawg - $11.50
Oh this has to be the most value for money. It's damn huge but we've got an appetite to match! 4 out of 4 of us said this is good!!

Let you in on a secret, I ordered this becuase I saw this:
"A giant beef hot dog buried under our Whoopass con carne."

Their chilli con carne (THE SIMS style) is quite nice. I did like it very much!



3) CHICKEN GUMBO - $7
Soup from Louisiana! It is a very nice, warm soup chicken meat tenderly falling off the bone, Cajun spices, veggies, some rice (yea rice!!) and smoked turkey sausage. It was a hot day so this didn't give me much comfort. I did wonder and try to figure out how they cook this because it would be so darn good to have on a rainy day! 2 out of 4 liked this! It's the weather I tell you. Otherwise I would have given it a 10.



4) ROSEMARY LAMB CHOPS - $19 for 300gm
I did like this very much. Served with mint sauce, it gives this a very "lamby" taste. Those who complain about lamb having a "lamby" taste will hate this. But I, I loveeeee lamb!! :D 3 out of 4 of us loved this! The other one said it's a tad too chewy.

They also served Magaritas! Alas, the company I was with weren't too keen on Alcohol. I do like Margaritas - they have this sneaky effect on you. All's calm till you stand up awhile and then you realise you have one too many Margaritas in you! NEXT TIME, I must try the Margarita, steak, hot dogs and burgers.

If you ask me, I think the prices are okay for quality western food. I wouldn't expect anything more than the prices I am currently paying because their outlets are mostly in canteens and places that are not very accessible to people like me who don't drive. People who drive can afford to dine at high class restaurant liao lor.

And wth I just realised that the Fish and Chips is more expensive than the Chilli Dawg! How can! The Chilli Dawg was awesome!

Oh ya the sides. Each meal comes with 2 sides. We tried most of the sides they had and everything was more or less okay (nothing to shout about). Do not bother trying their mexican rice, cold pasta and fries. No kick. No oomph. Nothing. Wasted stomach space.

OVERALL VALUE FOR MONEY: 9 out of 10 ($$ versus quality, quantity, environment, service, etc)
OVERALL TASTE OF FOOD: 8 out of 10
WILL I GO BACK THERE AGAIN? Yes to try their burgers and other items! The only thing I would personally order again would be the Chilli Dawg and only if I am like SUPER hungry.

There's another place which I like going to better, with better prices but slightly lower quality. That would be Astons Specialities @ Katong or The Cathay. Astons have long queues but the food and the prices are worth it. Another post for another time :)

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for another job in an unrelated field and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack and for once you would not mind standing tall for that special someone which otherwise you had never thought of until now. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about insurance, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

When you read this, do you relate to it? Am I the only one feeling this way? I am in the best and worst of times, trying as hard as I can to figure this whole thing out. 

I call it the "Quarter-life Crisis".

Watch watch! I got myself 3 new babies to add on to my hamster family of 8!

Since we're on this, I might as well intro you all my hamsters one by one! :)

In no order of preference, here's...

Hamster no. 1: Snowels (pronounced as snow-wearls)



Age: 5 months old (3 months with me)
Type: Short Haired Pearl White Syrian
Source: House of Chinchillas
Gender: F
About Her: Very strong, master escape artist, very smart (oh the stories I'll tell you of her another time!), extremely greedy, and restless. Great Chewing machine with amazing treasure hoarding capabilities as well! Doesn't bite but is a bit skittish. If you look closely, you'll see where she stashes all her food! This greedy pig can stuff a super big piece of carrot into her cheek pouches and look like an idiot after that! Haha!

Hamster no. 2: Brownies



Age: 5 months old (3 months with me)
Type: Long-Haired Satin Fur Golden Syrian
Source: House of Chinchillas
Gender: M
About Him: Restless, friendly, food vacuum cleaner, wheel addict and shy boy (with other hamsters... at least). Very fluffy fur and on good hair days, look like a baby rabbit! Supposed to be snowel's hubby but snowel bit a hole through his ear and they never reconciled. :/

Hamster no. 3: Tiger (on the left)



Age: 2 months old (3 days with me)
Type: Long-Haired Silver Grey Syrian
Source: Online Forum/Siblings with Sphinxy and Sophie
Gender: F
About Her: My new baby! :) I'll be sure to post about her once I get to know her better! Meanwhile, she's really cute. Has these bedroom eyes to die for! :)

Hamster no. 4: Scoops (on the right/wheel)



Age: 2 months old (3 days with me)
Type: Long-Haired Silver Grey Syrian
Source: Online Forum/Siblings with Tiger and Sophie
Gender: M
About Him: My new baby! :) I'll be sure to post about him once I get to know him better!

Hamster no. 5: Sophie



Age: 2 months old (1 day with me)
Type: Long-Haired Silver Grey Syrian
Source: Online Forum/Siblings with Tiger and Sphinxy
Gender: F
About Her: My new baby! :) I'll be sure to post about her once I get to know her better! Meanwhile, she's a wheel addict!!

Hamster no. 6: Yoghurt

Age: 3 months old
Type: Sapphire Dwarf
Source: Late Girl-Girl's offspring/Siblings with Booby and Skitty
Gender: F
About Her: A little bit bitey. She likes chewing sunflower seeds, carrots and my finger. She is the fattest offspring of Girl-Girl. She has the cutest look.

Hamster no. 7: Booby



Age: 3 months old
Type: Sapphire Dwarf
Source: Late Girl-Girl's offspring/Siblings with Yoghurt and Skitty
Gender: M
About Him: A big meal-worms lover. Its amazing how much meal-worms this little fella can squeeze into his cheek pouches! They will swell and make his head heavier than the rest of the body! Though he does not really like to be picked up, he does not bite or nibble on fingers. I got a hunch that he can be trained to be very friendly. Oh yes, this hamster has the most peculiar way of sleeping, 4 legs in the air!

Hamster no. 8: Skitty

Age: 3 months old
Type: Sapphire Dwarf
Source: Late Girl-Girl's offspring/Siblings with Yoghurt and Booby
Gender: F
About Her: As the name implies, extremely skittish. Does not like to be held. When she was young, she fought with her sister and as a result, 1/2 of each ear got chewed off. She looks rather uniquely cute now with small ears. She loves to run the wheel. She does this at almost every waking moment! Amazing! This could be our next Champion in the hamster 1 metre dash race if it ever happens again!

... did you know Campbell's Canned Soup range has a new flavour?



Ah, the well loved clam chowder... and I like their cream of mushroom and chicken as well!

And then one fine weekend at the supermarket, I saw this!!



OMG, CREAM OF GOLDFISH???

Wah damn gross. Talking about it now, I also feel sick. UGH!!!



Gold Fish Paste. Shit. They made a PASTE out of goldfishes?!?!?!?!?!?! Kenny are you reading this?! Your pets! Gosh!!

Sheesh, with vPOST and the ease of Internet Banking, I have gotten myself so much stuff from the US that, I don't even shop locally anymore. 

Currently, I shop at the following US/UK sites:

1) Forever21



This my friend, is one of my favourite shops. Ya I know I am no longer 21 but hell, I saw an auntie at the local F21 shopping can!? If you order on their US site online, ship it to SG, and believe me I've done the maths a million times over, the cost of your loot is still 30-50% cheaper than in-store prices in SG. So what's stopping you!?!?!

2) ASOS

Dresses of their quality, cutting and material, is definitely something I'll never find here at the same cost.

3) Benefit Cosmetics

Oh man, the benefit you buy from US, even after shipping charges, is still WAY cheaper than what you can get in SG and MSIA!!!!

4) Victoria Secrets



Of course! where else do I find sexy, lacy underwear?? *Oops!*

5) La Senza

I get my super cute PJs here for PJ parties!!

6) Target


From time to time they get vvv good discounts!

Hi, I have decided, erm, to post my ugly secondary school photos.

Can you spot me? Luckily the face is damn small, cannot see very clearly. :/



We used to have a formal shot and a informal one. Just look at the guys in my class!! This was when I was in Sec 4, in year 2000.