The Girl from Tomorrow

Funny how that TV series popped into my head. I was wishing I had the power to levitate things with telepathy  - 'cos if I did, I would be enjoying a bag of chips right now (Grrrr). I spent a good deal of time back in the 90's pretending to be Alana (the main character) while I was following the series, wearing a head band (that had no powers whatsoever) and branding myself with three black dots on the side of my forehead.

I woke up early this morning to go on a hike to Bukit Timah Hill with Sarah, my outdoors-loving-buddy. We hiked to the summit of the tallest hill in Singapore in less than an hour and agreed that it felt rather anti-climatic. After resting at the shelter until a mild shower of rain passed us, we hiked back down and started all over again. The second trip proved to be more interesting than the first. We tried an alternative route that was not too popular with the other hikers to discover it led to a dead end. However, beyond the boundary markers was a steep drop into an abandoned quarry which was now a deep bluish mini-lake. We also spotted a good number of ants, butterflies, birds, squirrels and monkeys on the way back.

I spotted a freakishly huge specimen of a Giant Forest Ant (Camponotus gigas) with killer pinchers (my giant feet have been captured here for a size comparison)

We compensated for the massive loss of calories earlier in the day by stuffing ourselves with naan and two paneer dishes, until all we could think of was falling horizontal and falling asleep. The serving staff came to serve us with four plates, judging by how much we ordered. Even the two of us being somewhat big eaters could not finish all the food. An interesting concept I discovered in Singapore (considered faux pas back home, when I left the place) was that in restaurants, people can opt to pack their leftovers. It follows logic that ones pays for the food and is therefore entitled to all of it regardless of it being a dine-in or a take-away. So that's what we did, and I didn't have to worry about dinner that day!

~ ~ ~

Not many years ago, I had a rather ill-informed view on gaming and gamers in general. I associated them with words like "addictive", "childish", "anti-social", "violent", "unstable", "irresponsible" and "unproductive". But with exposure to a few different types of games, getting to know a few gamers personally, countless debates (most of which I lost!) and under the patient mentorship of Ryuu, I've had to tweak my previously held opinions on the topic. 

While I maintain that most violent games out there are unfitting for impressionable young minds, I have discovered that to generalise all games is terribly unfair. Games come in various forms; they can bring much enjoyment to the senses and most require a considerable amount of brainwork and skill. Game graphics keep improving with time and the X-box Kinect has taken entertainment to a whole new level with its motion-sensing features (very exciting indeed). I don't see myself turning out to be a hardcore gamer, however, I can see myself picking up and enjoying the occasional game (not something I would have envisioned for myself five years ago).

Flower is a delightful game I am trying out these days. So far, it's basically running wild in a huge green grassy field picking colourful (musical) flowers that add on to a growing tail of petals that trail along - and I'm the Wind! It's so Zen-like, I love it.

My boss is back after five weeks on holiday and I am much more productive at work (with him sitting behind me, facing my computer screen). The office is also more fun these days listening to his wise sayings, funny stories and the creative swear words flying about within the "all-male-except-one" team. It really does take all kinds of people to make the world more interesting. 

Four months later, it vaguely feels like the team has grown to accept my ways just as I have gotten more comfortable around them.

Shake, Shake, Shake Señora

Singapore celebrated her 47th National Day on 9th August. Normally, I would have stayed indoors to avoid masses of people outdoors on a public holiday, but I had a guest in town. I agreed to meet up with her for some shopping, dining and watching the fireworks display. It was a bonus to spot a party photo booth next to Ion Orchard, where we stood in line with many other tourists to get free photos after given a selection of funky props to pose with! It was the perfect souvenir for her to take back.

"Window shopping" and "shopping for fun" with ladies are two of the most unproductive tasks I find hard to deal with. For starters, most of them do not need anything, are not willing to spend much or do not have in mind what it is they want to buy. So they go on touching and feeling clothes, shoes and accessories on display, shop after shop, UNTIL.... an item strikes an emotional connection with their sub-conscious mind. A few are able to rationalise and take into consideration their actual requirements and budget, but others, well, can't, and they keep looking. Another problem I face is being asked for feedback on how they look with the item - this is tricky to differentiate from their need for reassurance. Depending on the intensity of their emotional connection with the item, most shoppers are already decided on whether they will go the lengths to acquire it or not. So at times, external feedback doesn't matter.

Looks are subjective too - what might appeal to them, may not appeal to someone else in the same way and vice versa. Then, I have a tendency to consider many factors - looks, cost, quality, practicality and feelings of the person - before delivering my opinion in the most delicate way possible. Unless something is very obviously over-priced and of bad quality, I don't usually dissuade them from getting to their "means of joy". So more often than not, my friends and family find my sugar-coated feedback absolutely useless in helping them decide anything. This time consuming and emotionally draining experience does not end there. Sometimes, after much time, thought and energy was spent on picking an item (and with no surprises), they decide at the paying counter that they don't need it. With years of experiencing similar situations, I have come to accept that it is a common female nature, which even I am guilty of only very, very, very occasionally. With my guest, there was the added factor of currency conversion rates. Coming from a country where the cost of living and income per person is far less than in Singapore, she (we) struggled to manage her desires and budget. Thankfully for Shuri, it was only a quarter day of shopping.

On the topic of giving feedback, I recall another incident where I sent a friend of mine a photo of hers taken from my camera. I had no strong opinions towards the picture, except that I thought it was a good one capturing a few colourful birds in the background. She replied saying "I look like a fat lump". I could not fathom if she made a final statement or it was one of those tricky ones where she was expecting a reply. I felt part of my brain short-circuit and fry out with a spark, for lack of a good response to hers. A few lines came to mind (with no malice on my part), but nothing felt entirely presentable or sensitive enough.

"Oh, it never occurred to me. But now that you mentioned it, you are right."
"Yes. Cameras take pretty accurate pictures of what IS."
"Well, you are on the heavier side and you wear baggy clothes so that's what you really look like from an external point of view."
"If it bothers you that much, consider doing something to lose a little weight."
"Your appearance does not affect our friendship dynamics in any way, in case you wondered."
"Nah." (this would have been a lie)

In the end, I kept quiet. I am glad she didn't ask "Do I look like a fat lump?", in which case I would have been obliged to reply. Moral of the story is people are far more engrossed about their own looks to bother much about how others look in photos and in real life. So the next time I feel overly obsessed with my looks in a photo, I'll remind myself that's it's just me over-thinking it. [Afternote: this phenomenon where people overestimate how much attention other people are paying to them is called the Spotlight Effect].

Back to the National Day, the fireworks display was absolutely worth the trouble we went through to get to the place. Getting there was no easy feat, we had to fight through hoards of people, find alternative routes after being turned back several times due to road closures and I had surpassed my physical endurance limit for the day.

The fireworks display overlooking Marina Bay lasted about twenty minutes and it was such a treat to the senses (the smell of gunpowder included)!  

With passing time, part of me feels that something exciting every now and then is essential for my continued mental well-being and another part of me feels a little guilty about spending on entertainment during this phase of life. But for this month's endorphin dose, I purchased a Groupon voucher for four Zumba classes with my dance partner, Katy Kat. The class was extremely fun, fast-paced and strenuous. There were so many dance moves from various styles (predominantly Latin-inspired) going on and we were just supposed to keep up. The tracks played were perfect in my mind. It was like hitting a club with good music - only better, without the cigarette smoke, poor lighting, pressure to socialise, having to ward off unwelcome males in heat and the overall drunked-ness. Not knowing the dance moves wasn't a concern. Even social anxiety wasn't a concern (woot!). They also had showering facilities for no additional cost, so we went home feeling like jasmines instead of rafflesias.

Who knew a threesome of dance, music and serious exercise can be this fun! As seen in the video below, there are plenty of lost sheep in any class, but NO ONE CARES.