tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61564152011-11-04T07:44:20.585+08:00benp<br> institution of torture: NUS (Undefined Faculty)<br> years of existence: 23<br> occupation: part time student and full time stoner<br> ideal ambition: STILL shepherd's assistant<br> realistic ambition: mad scientist (who saves the world)<br><br>ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.comBlogger2831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-15942951359420300872011-10-26T05:09:00.006+08:002011-11-04T07:44:20.710+08:00

This Journal is Under Construction. It will be up soon! Read USA 2011 for now.Ames in GeneralPart OnePart TwoTripsChicago, RevisitedMount RushmoreThanksgivingEventsIowa State FairISU AfterdarkFactory Outlet

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WallaceISU Journals continues to Wallace. I stop short of giving my exact room address here; purely out of common sense. Wallace, for those giving that blank face, is my dorm. Wallace Tower itself probably can be ranked among the tallest 3 buildings in all of Ames - and even from the 4th floor I can see for miles on end. Such is the flatness and expansivness of Ames town. From the 10th floor, you

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Ames in GeneralI have to clear off the cobwebs and unclog the drains and let this blog flow once more. Its been long. Way too long.But the general gist of life is that by the time I have settled down enough to write this account, summer has officially ended and Autumn - no, Fall - has set in. "Officially" is just a term - the weather was the best indicator that Fall had indeed fallen; its been

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PrologueFrankfurtPart 1: New York CityChapter 1 - First Sights of New YorkChapter 2 - There's Nothing in BrooklynChapter 3 - Downtown ManhattanChapter 4 - BroadwayChapter 5 - The Great NYC HikePart 2: Buffalo-NiagaraChapter 6 - A Tale of Two CountriesChapter 7 - The Greater Niagara HikeChapter 8 - Rest on the 8th DayChapter 9 - The Buffalo WingsPart 3: Return to the Big AppleChapter 10 -

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Isaac Asimov, science fiction author extraordinaire, created Trantor. The Capital Planet of the Galactic Empire, and seat of the Imperial Throne.That above sentence might be [white noise] to most people reading this account, and I shall ignore it.What is significant is that New York City so reminded me of the Trantor described in Prelude to the Foundation, where psychohistorian Hari Seldon

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I was only in Buffalo for one night, but my trip out of Buffalo back to NYC was only at 11.45pm in the evening. Just a quick update; originally I had planned to go to Philadelphia from Buffalo, and then on to DC. But there was no hostels in Philadelphia, so I decided to just go back to NYC. After all, it is the greatest city in the world. And strangely enough I managed to get a hostel there for

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I didn't wake up early today, but still in time for breakfast. Wanderfalls isn't really run like a typical hostel, more so like a guest house. So there wasn't any official check out time I had to adhere to. Besides, the weekend being over, I think there wasn't anyone checking into the hostel, so Amanda wasn't very stressed out either. I took my time with breakfast slowly, trying to figure out

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For someone who is supposedly travelling alone, I hadn't, prior to today, actually spent that much time alone. Niagara was supposed to be alone and relaxing, but a quick glance at yesterday tells you so far, not so good. At least, if I wanted quiet and alone time. But today, it was going to finally be own time own target; setting my own pace for the day. But it turned out that I'm not very good

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And so there I was in Niagara Falls. Alone.I had made use of the WiFi on the bus, in the later part of the journey from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, to track the bus's route using google maps, so as to know where I was relative to the Wanderfalls Hostel. Turned out it was quite a wise move because it was quite a long walk to the hostel.Behind me there was a Chinese girl walking, also having alighted

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Yesterday was a tiring day, no doubt, and today Pammie would be leaving to go home from JFK. But we had till 11.30 to check out so we took our own sweet time. After all, Pammie only had to leave for the airport around 12. And I was still unsure of how to survive the day with my huge luggage.The tentative plan, for me, was to store away the big backpack at a luggage storing facility, and then go

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Finally I had completely adapted to NYC time. Perhaps that's just because yesterday's walk took too much out of me. Or perhaps it's simply because it'd already been 3 days. Anyway, we had to be in Times Square by 12nn today, because I was going to meet Lai there.He's on a work and travel program to New York, Long Island to be precise, and he was on off today, so we arranged to meet up. And

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Again, I woke up early today, albeit not as early as yesterday. Slowly and steadily adjusting to NYC time. Pammie was out cold for quite some time; so I just spent the earlier part of the morning relaxing and waiting for 8am when she promised to wake up. Breakfast would end at 9am, and breakfast at this hostel was quite something to look forward to, as I mentioned yesterday. Today, I actually

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Sunday, as we all know, is church day. Also, this Sunday was also my first full day in New York. It also was the day Pammie would finally arrive at the hostel. She had actually been in New York before me, but she was staying with her friend across the river in New Jersey.I awoke early, even before the sun, so I hesitate to say 'bright and early'. But I remained in bed as long as I could, i.e.

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Day 1 passed by without event, by design. 20hours on board an aircraft does things to you. Strange things. I wonder how people survive the direct flight between Singapore and New York. Perhaps that's why they make that flight a purely Business Class flight.SQ 026 touched down in New York about 20min ahead of schedule, but the apprehension regarding actually entering the country as a student (for

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Time: 0700 local timePlace: Frankfurt International AirportIts a long story. Or rather, a long beginning to the relatively long epic that is going to follow over the next few weeks.It (the pre-SEP wandering trip) started off in predictable fashion - a bittersweet goodbye at Terminal 3 of Changi Airport. Its a matter of 5 months of not seeing everyone; so finally I can truly empathise with my

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This trip took place between the dates of 16th to 28th May 2011; Spring-time in China, and really hot in Singapore. The main purpose of the visit was to visit Eugene and the Great Wall, and I only went with one travel buddy - Wee Long, from Pawai (Army). Its a much shorter trip than the Eurotrip. As usual, the order in the blog, being a blog, is chronological starting with the latest entry, so it

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Day 13EpilogueTime: 12.30pmPlace: Somewhere above mainland China.And so this account ends on the same note as it had begun; both in the sense that we're in the same place, and the degree of unexpected excitement involved in what should have been a straightforward day.Actually - I only just looked at the map - by now we're already flying above the South China sea. Apparently I was sleeping longer

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Day 11TIme: 12.05pmPlace: On the express train to Shanghai, waiting to depart from Suzhou.There isn't much to report as yet today, mainly because I woke up quite late. Was damn tired from all the walking and traveling done yesterday. Wee Long woke up earlier in the morning, even if he had slept later than me yesterday. He had wanted to go to Au Chan to buy his office-bag; as well as change money.

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Day 10Time: 9.40amPlace: On a high speed train somewhere between Suzhou and Nanjing.And so we are finally going to Nanjing. Nanjing was a famous site of World War II, made famous in the non-fiction book "The Rape of Nanking". I wiki-ed that event and it really is quite gruesome, probably exceeding, amazingly, the brutality demonstrated by the NAZIs on the Jews in concentration camps. Even if,

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Day 7Time: 10.50amPlace: On a high-speed train between Hangzhou and Suzhou.We woke up relatively early - for once, I had to be artificially woken up (by Eugene) because the sun did not permeate through the curtains of our almost-underground room.As you might have guessed, there really isn't much to talk about as yet, because this day hasn't matured much as yet. But hey, 'there's never nothing

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Day 5Time: 4.30pmPlace: Flying over Mainland China, Southward this time...So we're on our way to Hangzhou, flying Air China again. The flight was delayed by about 30min for goodness knows what reason, but all in all we're glad to actually be in the air.Today we woke up bright and early. Had a lot of packing to do. I was still sneezing with the polluted air and rapidly fluctuating temperature -

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Day 1 Prologue Time: 1pmPlace: Somewhere above mainland China. Why this should not be considered an actual chapter in this account of the China-trip: simply put, we aren't going to be doing anything today. As I write this part of the account, I am about 13km above mainland China, flying in an Air China flight to Beijing. I cannot promise that subsequent parts of this account will be written in

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Act 1: London IAct 2: London IIAct 3: ParisAct 4: GenevaAct 5: RomeAct 6: VeniceAct 7: MunichAct 8: PragueAct 9: DresdenAct 10: Mannheim (N.B. replaces Amsterdam)Act 11: BerlinAct 12: CopenhagenAct 13: The Sweden Roadtrip IAct 14: The Sweden Roadtrip IIEpilogue

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For this final chapter, I shall revert to the more natural tense - the Past.For the first few chapters, I wrote the account shortly after the day itself, with the memory of the events freshly burnt into my head. Indeed, the whole Scene of London Parts I and II, and Paris as well, were written in their namesake cities. However, as you might have suspected, writing the entries soon caught up with

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Scene 34 - 23rd July Linkoping has become comfortable for us. No surprise there; we are living in a bachelor pad (at least we think so). And of course, being Asian, you can't leave out the "for free!" part. So, yes, we have become comfortable sitting quietly in Linkoping. Before I started this account, I would reckon that not many of you would actually have known where Linkoping is, and even for

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More for the sake of easy and convenient reading than anything else, the Sweden Roadtrip, the finale of this great adventure, is split into two Acts (13 and 14). Act 13 focusses on the parts of this adventure concentrated at the south of Sweden, where we stayed with Lase and his family. Act 14, focusses on parts of Sweden that are relatively foreign to the Larssons, where they do not visit that

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Scene 29 - 18th JulyIn my account, I call today "the Crazy Day". Why? Because in one day, we will travel from Berlin, to Hamburg, to Copenhagen, spend an afternoon in Copenhagen, and then finally to Lund, Sweden, which is a short distance from Copenhagen. Probably today is the day where we will travel the greatest distance. Plus; we wake up insanely early...I have to admit that having a hostel

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Scene 27 - 16th JulyTragedy strikes today on our Eurotrip, as we lose one of our members! Fortunately, of course, its not any of us - Lase, Gobi, Eugene and I. Its my laptop. Before we go on with this account, I have to share this sad story...Breakfast at the Meininger Hotel, and my laptop is down having breakfast with me. Of course, the purpose of this, I must admit, was to be chatting with

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Scene 24 - 13th July (Rheinland-Pfalz)We leave behind the relatively derelict East Germany to make our way towards the west - the same path travelled in generations past by thousands of people seeking a better life in the West. And like them, we are going to meet waiting friends on the other side of the iron curtain.Only, of course, this time there's a high speed train taking us across the

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Scene 22 - 11 JulyToday is an important day - its the day of the Final of the World Cup! It's also Henrik Larsson's birthday. We agree to forget it until the night when we'll buy him a cake or something he'd like more like beer and then surprise him. Of course, here, by 'we' I mean Gobi, Eugene and I. Today is also a Sunday, which means that I'm going to church in German for the first time to see

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Scene 20 - 9th JulyI have, in a previous act, brought reference to the stereotype of Eastern Europe - backward and generally depressing. So now, on our way into this region, albeit perhaps the most successfull Eastern European country, these stereotypes keep playing on.As we pass the German Czech border, Larsson proclaims that we're now into Czech republic. Gobi agrees. Lase was looking at his

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Scene 18 - 7th JulyIts very obvious we're in Germany. Firstly, if you recall, the train from Salzburg left late. It arrives on the dot in Munich. This impresses Gobi.The primacy effect suggests that the first impression one gets tends to stick. So Munich, and Germany, has a very positive first impression.Here I should point out that during the whole train ride, I was busy worrying about whether I

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Scene 16 - 5th JulyAs per usual during the Tour-Europe-by-Train trip account, the story of Venice doesn't start in Venice. It starts in Rome. The train from Rome to Venezia runs through the Italian countryside, cutting through perhaps what could be considered hills in Central Italy. On one hand, they're hills and perhaps could offer an equivalent view as to that from Tivoli.On the other hand,

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Scene 12 - 1st July Although the setting of this scene is the Eternal City, Rome, we actually will be spending very little time in Rome, per se. Simple reason. Rome is far away from Geneva. Just to get to Rome, we have to take a train early in the morning from Geneva, travel through the Alps to Milan, where we will change train to complete the next leg of our journey to Rome.So much for "All

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Prelude (29th June)We have just arrived in Geneva.Already, there has been an incident. At the train station there was this guy who was caught red handed pickpocketing someone. Not clear exactly what happened; but there were policemen running towards him. Though I think he wasn't putting up much of a struggle.Geneva is a small city. Ok. Really tiny compared to Paris. We walk about 10 mins and we

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Scene 7 - 26th JuneWe reach Paris early in the Morning on Saturday, 26th June 2010. I'm very very groggy now. Thankfully the other members of my party - Eugene, Gobi and Lase - are morning owls. Somehow they manage to drag me along to the hostel.I have never stayed in a backpackers' hostel before - I have no idea what to expect. But the place is nice. They have free wifi; which is awesome; and

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Scene 4 - 23rd JuneThe day that vanished into thin air. I say it vanished because exhaustion has finally caught up with us.All of us oversleep and stay in the room till after noon. Then lethargy is replaced with laziness. Sloth. Its a part of life. So on the second longest day of summer, we kill half the day by sleeping.The good news is that this scene would thus be short.I have mentioned, in an

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The opening act takes us to London, the capital of England - The Motherland.Scene 1 -20th JuneThe flight was long and boring; with no one to bug and no one to be bugged by. One of the perks as well as problems of flying solo. Also there weren't many movies on the aircraft - or rather, not many nice movies. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was probably be prompted by a higher

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Its been declared that emo posts are, here on end, outlawed.

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I think I'm in a strange place. Once again. But I think everybody goes through a similar strange place. The place of not knowing who he/she is.I know that some people are reasonably assured - confident, in fact - of where they want to be in 5 years. I mean, I don't mean that they KNOW where they'll be in 5 years. Just that they KNOW, NOW, where they want to be in 5 years time. Perhaps they'd like

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My head has been over my heels for too long. And, unsurprisingly, I have not been completely aware of it till now. Love is such a complicated emotion. I suppose even the quantum nature of everything is marginally simpler to comprehend.The complexity of it is demonstrated in two very different cases - both involving people who coincidentally share the same name. But where one is Charn, the other

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Strange. It seems that you wear a different set of glasses - that you see the world so differently from everyone else - free of complications, it seems. Thats how YOU see it. Me? I know WHAT i feel - I just don't know HOW I feel. Its like a beautiful flower growing by the roadside. You know that it warms your heart when you see it; you know that it brightens your day. You even envy its beauty

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i'm lost. i'm drowning and i have no idea which way is up. and i actually wish its all because of schoolwork.but its not.i wish its because of external circumstances.but its not.i wish its because of someone else.but its not.its harder to swim when you are the chains that pull you down.fortunately, in this metaphor i have gills; so i have time and am not really drowning. but i AM searching for

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I don't even know if the concept of balance is real. Everytime i feel slightly balanced, i just get tipped off the other end; and then i'm imbalanced again. Seems like life is one giant tightrope. or see-saw. I really thought i found a balance. Something to keep me sane. But then, what happens when that very thing that keeps you sane while the world is spinning out of control - your gyroscope, if

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-72902892661917567692010-03-19T21:25:00.004+08:002010-03-19T21:36:04.412+08:00

With regards to the previous post, and considering the bout of epic carelessness, i'm happy to say that it didnt cost me the whole 7% - only about 5%. And that being considered, i'm still above the mean. Which just goes to suggest that i probably did exceedingly well for the other questions. And hence, i'm very glad. Overall, i'm very satisfied with all my results, even if i'm still barely in the

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-32980847218501343562010-03-05T01:54:00.003+08:002010-03-05T01:59:31.963+08:00

I really didnt know that Fate reads my blog. And i definitely didnt mean to tempt Fate when i suggested that I'd probably get a decent grade barring a bout of unforeseen carelessness. But apparently Fate took it as a temptation, and i really didnt mean it that way. Nevertheless, i shall refrain from tempting Fate subsequently to minimize the possibility that i will screw up a midterm (almost

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-53054279237426909562010-03-03T02:24:00.003+08:002010-03-03T02:49:52.528+08:00

This is not the time to blog. Its the time to sleep. But being in hall seems to warp time and space - reminiscent of how the Men In Black survive. But sadly i'm still ever so dependent on sleep so i am compelled to make this post short; neglecting the inherently verbose aspect of myself. Which, mind you, is genetically passed on to me from my dad.I'm blogging because i'm halfway through my 6

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-89032501613066471192010-02-23T00:34:00.003+08:002010-02-23T00:52:38.701+08:00

I think the mere sporadic nature of blog entries here reduces the readership. Which, is not exactly a bad thing. Quick update on the abyss of nothing-ness that is WAS my life. I've kicked aside the depression and self-induced isolation from the world - resolving to be more sociable. And i have the potential to be very sociable. In many ways this line sticks to me - "the night is darkest before

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-7742329434054556492010-01-05T21:41:00.003+08:002010-01-05T22:08:32.641+08:00

First and foremost, Happy New Year to all! I know its pretty late, but we Indians have a saying "better late than never". Ok fine, its not an exclusively Indian saying, but hey, its probably one that we use more than anybody else - refering, of course, to the notorious Standard Indian Timing; which I believe has been described previously.Now, moving on, I must add that New Year's has never, ever

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-36121863875990379682009-12-21T17:34:00.002+08:002009-12-21T18:15:51.288+08:00

The last time I attempted to account for a trip, it was mainly for the purpose of myself and my own recollection at some arbitrary point in the distant future. It failed miserably because in that even, not only didn't I manage to complete the account, I only got through one day. In any case the last trip to Port Dickson (PD) was very short and I doubt I'd get stuck writing it half way. Besides,

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-4805656940236455532009-12-12T19:58:00.004+08:002009-12-20T22:36:10.809+08:00

Looking back at the past few posts i think there's a whole new emo-phase transformation. Its not my fault. I didnt realise it.. Ah well..So good news is that the exams are done with. But i still have waking nightmares where i'm rushing to an exam that i woke up late for. Now i feel like Hermione Granger when confronted with a Dementor and seeing that she failed all her exams. According to my mum

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-21177576602228791112009-11-12T23:55:00.005+08:002009-11-13T00:16:17.922+08:00

What lies beyond the Universe, i used to ask. I used to imagine space as a box (an ever expanding box, granted thanks to the expansion of the Universe, which I knew about even then). But still i would wonder what happens when you get to the end of it.I'm so tired of everything. Tuition has ended - the 'A' level maths exam is over tomorrow. And so that chapter is over. But now i am left with

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-84802119798110956252009-10-13T22:58:00.002+08:002009-10-13T23:37:06.388+08:00

I must learn to take things positively, rather than continuously allow my soul to be eroded by this attritive environment.I've lately discovered a technique that pretty much allows me to place myself above the environment - viewing it from a bird's eye perspective; almost taking the environment as a study into human psychology and behaviour. Well, pretty much actually taking the environment as a

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-85656296292319390522009-10-05T01:29:00.001+08:002009-10-05T01:31:04.672+08:00

I've been looking for this song for a long long time since I heard it on the radio..You're better then the bestI'm lucky just to linger in your lightCooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's rightCompletely unawareNothing can compare to where you send me,Lets me know that it's ok, yeah it's okAnd the moments where my good times start to fadeYou make me smile like the sunFall out of bed, sing

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-60861631865003910602009-09-24T22:09:00.002+08:002009-09-24T22:17:31.567+08:00

Day 8 of a new chapter in my life. And I had a really really horrible dream.Note: NOT a nightmare. A dream.Because I didn't want it to end. I really did not.It started with me going to prison; being turned in by my own mother... But thats just probably explained by a tv-show that i had just watched. And that wasn't the horrible part.The horrible part was coming out of prison. And seeing

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-33127170238572401452009-09-17T22:36:00.002+08:002009-09-17T22:45:03.551+08:00

Ben Anderson dealt with the definition of nations. But somewhere in his notion of a nation being an imagined community, I found myself nodding my head in agreement. Mostly to the idea of how people need to belong, and how they identify themselves with communities. Like go up to a hardcore Victorian (from VJC or VS) and he will definitely profess a fair bit of loyalty and probably even space out

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-8198515597368845862009-09-15T00:38:00.002+08:002009-09-15T01:06:28.375+08:00

Its almost been a month; and this is a suprise, considering how many times I found myself blogging in my head. But then, its those times when you have that I-need-to-blog-in-my-head that two things happen:You're not at a computer terminalYou would have censored that post anywayBecause face it, even given the false assumption that anyone actually bothers to read a blog that's updated very very

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-82111639438547276042009-08-20T22:16:00.002+08:002009-08-20T22:29:24.863+08:00

14 days later and finally the admin is settled. I am (re)settling into uni life; even if for some absurd reason settling into year 1 seemed easier. Maybe because this semester, as mentioned elsewhere, requires so much more variety in thinking; more than my usual capability of two brains - one for biz, one for engin.So many laments about the DDP that i'm taking; yet i ain't quitting any time soon.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-5418549422869914132009-08-14T11:56:00.002+08:002009-08-14T12:14:03.436+08:00

Irritatingly enough, school has started and the complication of taking a unique blend of courses has begun to show its ugly face. Both core Biz Modules decided to have their examinations on the exact date (and time) as the two core Engin Modules that most of Year 2 MSE students are taking. So I ended up salvaging a last hope of the MLE experience by taking another core module. And then I get to

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-88096162320160492782009-08-04T12:34:00.003+08:002009-08-04T13:00:35.992+08:00

When I was in Sydney, I started on a mini project - to find a general "rule" for the vehicle number plates. Very quickly I came up with a hypothesis - that all vehicles had 6 alphanumeric characters on each of their license plates. Then Day 4, and I crashed into my first problem - the taxi. It didnt have 6 characters. And neither did the buses. So I partitioned the set of vehicles into private

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-73770865603994320532009-07-13T23:16:00.004+08:002010-06-15T15:36:35.932+08:00

I'm back from Sydney. Oh yes. I went to Sydney. And now I'm back.I like Australia. I like it better than Europe, mainly because I don't like Europe all too much. I like New Zealand better, of course. But I like Australia too.Anyway, I hadnt been to Sydney in around 15 years, so duh, the city had changed a bit. Not that I can remember much from then. On one hand, I know that Sydney was bigger last

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-62739228615153791712009-07-01T14:45:00.003+08:002009-07-01T14:51:38.625+08:00

Still waters run really deep.Sometimes so deep that you could be swimming in it and unaware of the current deep below.And you happily - well at least not despairingly - play at the surface.Thinking that life's not that bad.And it happens very suddenly.Very very suddenly.And then you drown.Only that you don't die.You definitely drown.And why on earth did you test the deep water?

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-70392985296481844482009-06-11T00:07:00.002+08:002009-06-11T00:21:00.529+08:00

Quick update, since i dont want this blog to die a slow and painful death that happens to so many other blogs. And since i dont want to do the noble thing and kill the blog by either moving it to a different URL so that it seems i was bored with the old one OR by just stopping blogging altogether, i'm jus putting a short post (which wont be that short) in.Now, since my last post;Exams have

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-46152988030801120222009-04-23T22:10:00.003+08:002009-04-23T22:18:24.348+08:00

Blogs that complain about the weather could be considered super dull because "the weather", as we all know, has a stigma attached to it as a conversation topic (and thus blog topic) as being extraordinarily dull. And you only bring it up when you have nthg else to say, like for example to a long lost cousin from England, or India. Or Tekong. Whatever.Anw, so this entry is about evolution. Because

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-2409447563378545872009-04-17T14:02:00.002+08:002009-04-17T14:08:16.351+08:00

I've taken a deep long breath. Because finally.. and i say FINALLY.. all my projects and continual assessments have come to an end. Financial Accting project finally handed up, and the last of the CS Labs (12%) was on wednesday and the last of the EG Labs (5%) was just now. So they're all over. And i feel like taking a breath to enjoy that right now.Of course after releasing that breath i would

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-63503600948546910642009-04-05T20:57:00.002+08:002009-04-05T21:04:00.107+08:00

I am so freaking tired of work.And i so freaking have a vacancy in the middle of my chest.I just want to go to sleep.I can't move my feet.I can't move my mind.I can't move my heart.Its not fun anymore.Not at all.I'm just so freaking tired.Of all this.And all that.Just so tired.Lethargic.Demotivated.That sums it up best.Demotivated.Disheartened.Destroyed.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-77600917976589422932009-03-19T23:39:00.002+08:002009-03-19T23:51:59.855+08:00

Cox and Mackay, in "A psychological model of occupational stress" stated that the human being has an ideal state of stress in which his performance is maximised. Below this state, there would be underperformance due to boredom, and, more obviously, above that level, the person would be too stressed to perform well.Over the past week or so, i've tested this theory, and found it holds very true.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-59157360662729875082009-03-10T21:45:00.003+08:002009-03-10T21:55:06.599+08:00

There comes a time when you should not (not even think of) blog. I've reached that time. And just as human nature would predict, voila. Blog. Not long though.Just need to say... kids, please dont take a double degree if your lifelong ambition is after all to be a stoner and/or a slacker and/or a shepherds assistant.They're taking turns to fire in their punches. Started around the recess week. Biz

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-6089195976396431212009-02-26T12:34:00.003+08:002009-02-26T13:02:25.785+08:00

I finally have started on revision, 3 days too late. I'm excused, at least by myself. I was tired. Very tired. Went to sleep before dinner last night, and woke up this morning only. 14 hrs solid. No food. Well just as well cos yesterday was Ash Wednesday - Fasting and Abstinence. (Yes, i know its cheating...)Actually I did wake up for a little while at 4am, but slept again by 4.01. If only i had

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-82182320491015332642009-02-25T09:19:00.002+08:002009-02-25T09:23:30.035+08:00

I really really need to become rich and successful. Reason being i really really need a secretary. How many people would hv only just checked their mid term exam schedule last night? And realise that in fact, mid terms are next week?I'm pretty unprepared, and yet calm. I dont know why. I've been forced to waste away the past three days with a course. Well, not really a waste, but i'd really hv

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-77174244189014161072009-02-09T23:10:00.004+08:002009-02-09T23:23:27.075+08:00

blurp blurp gurgle gurgle...ahh..help i'm drowning in worrrrkkk-blurpp blurpp gurgle gurglee...*deep breath*feel like going to sleep under the water.blurp blurp gurgle gurgle.../*----------------------------*/actually work == quite fun;i'm having a fair bit of fun;especially with c;too much fun (neglecting other topics) bad;must divide time (wisely) good;end;/*----------------------------*/haha

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-3394735747263969072009-01-21T23:14:00.003+08:002009-01-21T23:23:36.695+08:00

This is general theory, littered with mistakes, but conceptually true.When a star dies, it has this option. To collapse upon itself, and to become a black hole. The black hole is usually associated with emptiness, destruction and darkness.I might have taken that path - imploding upon myself. Mainly because the alternative would be to explode. Supernova style. That's not me.Now i know only

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-55797428616898917192008-12-31T23:59:00.000+08:002009-01-01T00:00:54.750+08:00

2008 was bad. 2009 will be worse.Armed with this, i stride forward confidently into 2009.Because then i analyse 2008 and figure its not as bad as i make it seem. Ups and downs aplenty, people.. ORD was 2007, so 2008 was mainly the year of the varsity. even within the varsity time, there're ups and downs. plenty of them (look at my last post for the downs..).Ultimately 2008 didnt kill me, and as

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-46192489301967523962008-11-19T22:11:00.003+08:002008-11-19T22:15:59.843+08:00

Damn you Amy. Damn you Phyllis. Damn you Emily.You're not as easy as you were before. Why make me work so hard? Why confuse me? Why not let me score??Fine. I will practice for you. I will be better. I will score.I'm lost, you know. Practice papers are supposed to be for revision. Why then am i learning new stuff with each question I do? That's not revision. Thats just.. Learning.The calm

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-56181776875950410492008-11-17T23:07:00.002+08:002008-11-17T23:31:25.078+08:00

Chicken Little says: The sky is falling! The sky is falling!Uni Students say: The exams are coming! The exams are coming!I actually only notice this sense of excitement from first years... I guess 1st years are the only one's who think that exams are something that can give them happiness after the results come out. Or perhaps first years are the ones who believe that studying actually

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-86231322939004037692008-10-27T00:16:00.002+08:002008-10-27T00:23:13.589+08:00

I'll just say this. Man Utd had made Old Trafford a 2-yr fortress some time ago. Along came Team L, and ended that two year streak, thanks to an only goal by then player Danny Murphy.Today, deja vu. This time, Chelsea; and it was an even longer streak undefeated at Stamford Bridge. This time it was Xabi Alonso.How history can repeat itself.Onto school work, and its snowballing. I should jus try

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-18271119404318891202008-10-18T16:39:00.002+08:002008-10-18T16:49:38.450+08:00

In the beginning of the semester, i complained that my maths lecturer was boring. And made mr FooSeeBon of VJC look charismatic. Since then, i've slightly changed my opinion.I could put it in various ways. Isaac Newton was one of the greatest minds of all time. Yet, when he lectured, he often did it to an empty hall (he apparently was a very very bad lecturer.) So probably i'm jus being lectured

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-8865031189052532302008-10-11T22:49:00.002+08:002008-10-11T23:05:24.734+08:00

Recess is over, and so is mid years. And seemingly not everyone took my advice and stayed away from books over the recess. And pple, u will pay in years to come. Lethargy will soon take over.And then we come to the state pple after the exam. We thought mr bell curve will help us. we thought he will moderate the marks to make our marks seem nicer. But he's giving us hell. pple can get 18/20 for

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-28793261420726177632008-09-22T15:27:00.002+08:002008-09-22T15:37:53.203+08:00

Like a primary school day long ago. It has just begun, and then we suddenly come to a recess. And then we all go out and play for the recess. and then we come back sweaty and smelly and ready to learn again.Now recess is not like that. Why? Cos the sadists say fine, we give you a break, but when you come back you have tests. Tests that contribute to your final grade. Actually i dont blame them.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-32636113194714838422008-08-28T23:27:00.004+08:002008-08-28T23:44:18.730+08:00

Today I hit rock bottom. I heard that God will make himself seen to us when we hit rock bottom. And so when I hit rock bottom, I jus knelt down and prayed. Not normal prayer, which I realise i've been missing. Prayers of desperation. And he answered.Slowly one by one, the obstacles melted. Even while it was happening, I doubted. I felt the bridge shake in my head. I felt implosions almost

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-25558545450589623902008-08-21T11:50:00.002+08:002008-08-21T12:56:00.059+08:00

My first agenda on today's List is Blogging. yup...So, one more week has passed and uni life is beginning to adjust itself upon me. Rather. i'm adjusting my life to it. Still for now doing stuff tt i like and am enjoying it whole-heartedly. Tutorials are starting next week and labs are starting soon. So my life's jus going to get more and more busy, esp with tuition and all. and apparetnly i

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-39564522272677890072008-08-14T18:35:00.005+08:002008-08-14T18:56:22.769+08:00

First I have to thank a few groups of pple for this wonderful occasion. Without them this Free Day couldnt hv taken place.1. My dearest Vibs, who arranged my timetable for me helped me arrange my timetable2. Engin Fac, for giving me my preallocated modules such that there was a possibiltiy of a free day.3. A Biz Fac screw up tt allowed me to bid for my own modules OTOT.4. God who oversaw all of

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-41112648670415069552008-08-13T00:07:00.002+08:002008-08-13T00:21:59.172+08:00

Just two measly days into my new life, and i'm drained. I'm drained to the extend that I feel that my temperature is abnormally high by the end of the day, teetering on the boundaries between normalcy and the flu. I can only hope this is temporary.I'm not complaining. I absolutely adore my subjects. Not in a forced, nerdy, muggerish way i.e. I don't spam lecturers with incessant questions, and

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-69399790448241575722008-07-31T00:43:00.002+08:002008-07-31T01:10:41.982+08:00

Finally. Officially. I've found a new institution of torture.Finally enlisted enrolled / matriculated into NUS today. And now starts the much lamented by VibhaG process of bidding... I think what i'm most excited about is the prospect of eating student meals everywhere. Yay! Watch me bloat up over the next month till i get sick of fast food.I doubt i'd be allowed to bloat up.Anw i think i'll get

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-73950879771497929032008-07-30T00:22:00.003+08:002008-07-30T00:54:12.566+08:00

I dont know why i'm making my life so busy lately. Or AM I? Mb its a conspiracy to make me busy from external factors.Prb due to the fact that uni's starting in 2 weeks. Mostly NTU guys are gg in next week. So seeing as a good deal of my friends are from NTU, they're probably savouring their last week of freedom. Though after NS i think there ain't no comparison of 'lack of freedom'.On the agenda

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-71049828786083648912008-07-24T23:52:00.005+08:002008-12-09T19:08:37.673+08:00

As experienced as I am with certain other Island(s) in the Singapore Straits, I'm not with one of the more common ones. For example, I barely go to Sentosa - with the not-to-inaccurate assumption that its generally built to rake in the Yusof's i.e. dollars. I mean i doubt that there're many other beaches in the world with an entrance fee. But hey, i might be wrong. The next most popular island

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-52137687648038889752008-07-04T22:29:00.002+08:002008-07-04T22:48:30.255+08:00

This is the milestone 200th post @UVLight. Well technically no, if you consider that the first part of the blog's entries was hosted at a different URL. But anyway, its still 200th. Just a random point.On another hand, I feel the incessant dependance on microsoft now. Sans MS Office, life seems to be harder. Its expensive. I must try to download open office. Not to mention learn a whole new (not

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-73385252997921096112008-06-24T23:28:00.004+08:002008-12-09T19:08:38.102+08:00

In the long long absence that this blog has seen from the rest of the world, I feel that perhaps some people would have thought it dead. Rightly so, for that certain period of time, of course. But as with everything that was never alive in the first place, voila, @UVlight springs back to life. About 8 months have passed since my completion of my tenure with the SAF/RSAF, yet still sometimes I'd

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-31688308559171436512008-02-23T21:33:00.002+08:002008-06-25T00:23:14.566+08:00

I don't even want a happily ever after..

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-60271804664503732362008-02-21T21:59:00.004+08:002008-02-21T22:11:50.661+08:00

I could think bad things happen to me. But i think i'd rather not thing that way. Definitely bad things happen to me. But so do good things. I guess thats pretty normal. In this first post of 2008, i'll just not bother to make any resolutions for this year, cos i predict that if i make ambitious ones i'll not fulfill them. And i think the least ambitious thing (which even has a certain degree of

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-60799865515961844462007-11-25T12:33:00.000+08:002007-11-25T13:08:01.051+08:00

I thought ORD means freedom.. but i seem to be more busy after ord than before it. ARF... Perhaps its because everybody thinks i'm super free (including myself) so we plan lots and lots of events for me.. And thus i'm busy..Anw i'm done with army! (bit late update.. but yeah..) Surprisingly i don't miss pawai. Not even a bit. And i'm gg off to adelaide, australia today.. be back on 1st dec! so..

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-890623977114896282007-10-28T12:51:00.000+08:002007-10-28T13:05:44.958+08:00

Super pissed. One day notice to spoil my holiday. For a few reasons.1. Hv to cancel my driving lesson. Again.2. Hv to go back to pawai after i was ritually done with it.3. Hv to go back to CAMP after i was done with it.4. Takes away one whole week.5. Hv to burn 7.0 days of off-in-lieu.6. The sms to call me back to office was the first thing i saw in the morning.Plus point is there is still 9 days

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-18225561563515262772007-10-19T23:35:00.000+08:002007-10-20T00:13:46.854+08:00

I'm done with Pawai. No more pawai dogs and their puppies. No more court maintenance. No more pristine island. Had a ritual involving throwing away my pawai toothbrush and paste, in a symbolic representation of the death to this stage of my life. A lot of plus points to look forward to, so i shall ignore the sadness of leaving behind the island. One of the plus points is myORD. Coming soon in 17

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-45218665879578281782007-10-11T23:28:00.000+08:002007-10-11T23:53:02.612+08:00

We are, in general, familiar with the question "Which came first, the Chicken or the Egg?". And perhaps with the exception of a select few who would give a definite answer, the rest of us would refrain from choosing between the two options.The Chicken and the Egg coexist in a spiral (or cycle) that ensures the continued existence of each other; much like other self-perpetuating cycles. Self

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-21793554890330729672007-09-29T13:22:00.000+08:002007-09-29T13:26:30.830+08:00

I've realised that come ORD, I'll be lazing around at home doing absolutely nothing. Its scary to be bored out of your wits. But well.. I guess i'll manage being bored out of my wits.On a much more positive note, i can start doing my ORD clearance. Finally. And in a month's time, i'll be in true relaxing mode.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-58039164120118371732007-09-21T00:23:00.001+08:002007-09-21T00:51:55.884+08:00

A great woman once said, "I'm but a mere hand-maiden of the Lord. Let His will be done unto me."When you're in a boat in a great river, would you hv the courage to let go and let yourself drift in the direction the current takes you? And yet, when you let go, you are not struggling to paddle against the current anymore. You go where the current sends you. You do what the current tells you to do.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-614492221828085792007-09-13T23:03:00.000+08:002007-09-13T23:25:57.228+08:00

Hvn't been here for awhile. I think about a month. Oh well...Just had another of the "tiring stretches" - consecutive weekend shifts followed by 3 consecutive days of coming back to camp. For IPPT. Which i finally managed to clear with silver. Good enough, in my opinion. In any case there's not much point in straining oneself to get a "nearly-gold" when that's still a silver.And just when this "

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-63074650286479015832007-08-12T18:22:00.000+08:002007-08-12T18:39:54.946+08:00

The weirdest of weird feelings just came over me - ORD is too soon. I just hope it clears off soon.Actually its prob due to the fact that i'm beginning to stress out that i may not be able to clear my leave before that date, which would be catastrophically humiliating. Anyway its a great feeling to actually start planning your end-service leave. Though i might be left with a massive feeling of

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-42770754334822473172007-07-30T21:38:00.000+08:002007-07-30T21:54:28.601+08:00

urgh.. my personal record is gg to be broken; i hvn't been back to office (i.e. Tengah) since 6 July (3.5 weeks ago).But then its nicer to consider that i've been to office only twice since June 21. (5.5 weeks ago)And i'm mentioning this now because i'm being forced to go back tmr, even though i have off. And that's an honour above honours, to be forced to come back because u've vanished for so

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156415.post-11049523316073415822007-07-21T10:25:00.001+08:002007-07-21T10:26:36.029+08:00

21st July 2007.Harry Potter is out, finally!! Can't wait for him. But wait. I didn't preorder. Damn.

ben. phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02945044763332428287noreply@blogger.com1