:: singapore's sexual revolution ::

another one from youtube.

as reported by Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley

another chicken & egg debate....and see the NMP whose famous quote that 'anal sex is equivalent to drinking water using a straw through water' or something to that effect...

:: blast from the past ::

as i was cycling from the gym tonight, suddenly a tune kept ringing in my head...it was none other than the theme from 'the young and the restless' - also known as nadia's theme (after the ABC television network lent the music for Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci's performance during the 1976 Summer Olympics)

i remembered vaguely about nadia's feat in the olympics...i was so young then, but my sisters were raving about how good she was, how pretty and how much grace and strength she had as a gymnast. somehow these thoughts remained in my memory all these while, especially the tune.

so tonight, i have decided to review this tune and suddenly memories of the past came flooding back. it was all nice. just like this tune, it was beautiful, but a little sad at the same time.

we are always told never to look back to the past, but for me...the past defined who i am today. having come from a really large family and being the youngest, each of them has definitely influenced me in someway of another. i remembered that i entertained their friends who visited us by dancing on the table - that has definitely set the stage for me to dance on table in my growing up years....

so tonight, relax and watch this clip - and just remember the happy times of the 70s...and keep the gratitude of having that wonderful memory in your mind.



is this why older people like to talk about the past?
X

:: when kids are having more balls ::

as a trained anti-protester police personnel (well, during my national service days anyways) - i know what it is like to break a riot ...just in training, never real - hardly such opportunity in singapore anyways :P so learning how to use the tear gas, whack rioters with big and long batons, and arresting them was all but in theory and some practical lessons.

but...

last weekend, i saw couple of PETA anti-fur campaigners...with their gruesome posters of animal cruelty in front of high-fashion boutiques (although escada seemed to be the main target). i am fully supportive of their cause as i avoided anything that is made of fur - fake or real - and fall/winter 2007 season which is full of fur this time didn't help either.

today, there is another round of many student protesters in front of the 2nd chamber (ie: dutch version of parliament). it's fun to see these kids protesting about the 1040 compulsory hours to be in school ...throwing eggs and stuff with few getting arrested by the way.

they sure learn young, these kids. their voices are crying out to be heard - and i think everybody heard them.

when will my country mates ever get such opportunity in their lifetime, back in the 'tropical paradise' of the lion city...i wonder? too much of comfort factor made many of our balls shrink, perhaps?

never cross any picket line...X

:: sinterklass (and black piet) are in town ::

as a non-parent myself, i can safely say that it must really be nice to be a child in the netherlands. the dutch in general, i think are very good parents - and i have seen many instances where parents really have quality time with the kids. no wonder netherlands is one of the best place to raise a children, from a survey that i read somewhere sometime ago.

last week, accidentally i discovered that sinterklass (the dutch santa claus) is in town! read about the dutch history of this famous man in this article.

and you can click on the picture below to see the brief pictionary of the visit that day.


i like the Christmas festivities here, because it transcends cultural and religious beliefs - it's all about being good for kids from 1 to 92 ;-)

can't wait for year end holidays, x!

:: i'll be lonely another day ::

if i am given a kiss everytime i have forgotten how cold the dutch autumn can be, i guess every inch of my skin will be covered - at least 100 times over!

as i was cycling home from work today, i regretted not wearing enough warm clothing - a prada-like overcoat which i bought in hong kong was indeed fashionable and felt and looked it, but it was not warm enough for this turbulent harsh cold wind in the hague.

feeling a lot of self-pity and cursing myself for not having my gloves with me (my hands were freezing and almost felt numb)....the music in my iPod (the same song that is imbedded here) didn't help in shaking this bleak, dark and hollow feeling inside me.

i suddenly felt.....very, very......lonely.

it was not yet 6 pm but the darkness in the streets was unbearable. the more i think about this loneliness, the more miserable i have become. despite the cold, i deviated the route home to my favourite take-away chinese dinner, and think about suddenness about this lonely-fear-factor.

i decided i must blog about this.

as i was going through my mind about this topic, i remembered that i wrote about 'is one really a lonely number?'

the more about i think about it, i realized i am feeling less and less lonely. i started to think about all those things that i have always wanted to do - like the books that I've bought, going to the gym, errands like re-arranging my wardrobe, etc etc.

it is strange. because when i first started thinking about it, i longed about having a companion tonight, someone who is real and warm.

as i am writing this, i do not see that need of having anyone tonight - when there are many other things that i can and will do - like reading my much overdue magazines which are piling up next to my bed.

i think i will do that, despite being a bit cynical if whether i am avoiding my inner emotion about being lonely.

i guess i'll be lonely another day, and will not turn down any coffee or drinks request from new friends that i am going to make.

ta-da, x!

:: back to the dutch workday ::

the first day of being back to the office is nothing short but non-stop activities - i officially ended my day at almost 5 am in the morning.

i met up with 2 new colleagues finally face-to-face. i have spoken and conducted job interviews with them over the phone before, and its good to finally put the face to the voice.

one of them turned out just as i expected - a big momma laughter, braided hair, english-african accent and full of joy to talk to - i didn't regret my choice and was happy to hand-over my job to her.

i had a 'team appreciate dinner' at a posh hotel in the hague - hotel des indes. the food was a bit pretentious for my liking and so was the dress code, but what can i say - the service crew were gorgeous and their attention to service and details were excellent.

the photo is blurred to protect the innocent, except me of course!

the irony is that i was the only non-team member of that particular team, but some sort of a guest (who used to be part of that team, but has been involved still in their projects - long story!) - so it was kinda odd as my group dynamic was not as 'tight' as compared the rest.

but i guess after much food and drinks, that doubt was all cast aside. as the only one who live in the hague, the rest of my colleagues wanted to party the night away (as they flew in from the UK that morning and hardly know anything fun about what to do in the hague). even though i am not dutch, but i felt as a 'host' to the hague, it was my responsibility to show them how to have a good time (as all my dutch colleagues have since gone home!)


undeterred, i brought them to one of the sleaziest clubs in the hague, but it was the only one that was opened until 4am and it has poles on an elevated dance floor..what more could you asked for?

and i have to say it that we all had a wonderful time, even though i was freezing my ass off cycling home at almost 5 am in the morning - with all my cough and cold still at bay!

and of course, with a perfect excuse to stay at home the next day :-P

i should stop doing late-nights...x!

:: when being on a break really means otherwise ::

i have returned to The Hague - after spending 1.5 months in Asia which included some holidays to Macau and Hong Kong and catching up with families and friends.

the truth of the matter is that, even though it was supposed to be MY break, i didn't have much chance to do so.

with the hari raya festivities back home in singapore, the catching up with some work in Kuala Lumpur, shopping and Halloween in Hong Kong and not enjoying the 'casino country' of Macau. i guess the real reason for my long absence from blogging is that the fact that we have a real family tragedy.

the unfortunate and devastating news that my 19 year old niece is dying and the doctors gave her just 1 month left to live.

it was tough - i wanted to stay positive and provided as much peace and calm to her, making her happy - i wanted to remember the moments of her being alive, not to grief about the passing. after all, we are all dying by the day.

do you think this make sense? am i selfish to be away from home in another continent, another season?

i am still processing my whole emotions towards the whole matter, and returning to my cold and gray apartment in the netherlands didn't help either. i shall not go into the mode of depression, its not fair when someone who is so young and decent has been robbed of an opportunity to live. when those who are alive and well are not grateful of the wonders of life.

after all, miracles do happen. i believe in that, i really do...

god bless, X!