Aaron's Favourite Moments 3

On my first day off work, I had the luxury of working out in the day. That was followed by some lazy chill time by the pool. After a while of dipping in the pool, I decided to get up onto the deck chair for come colouring in the sun.

It was really nice to just have time to laze around like that. All this time on the chair, my eyes were closed from the blazing sun. Strangely, I could feel from under my eyelids that the blaze was not as strong after a while - this was the time I saw something so beautiful....

I opened my eyes and saw the sun being blocked my some clouds (not that). And around the sun was... a whole circle of rainbow! You know how rainbows are usually vertically halved? The one I was blessed to see was one full circumference. The sight was just so awesome I kept staring into the sun.

That was the time I thought, ok maybe technology was meant to help capture special moments like this. But as usual, because of my long-standing feud with technology, I didn't own any that was capable of capturing that moment for me.

Later that night though, my super-techy bro was in full control at my convocation. With his SLR, long lens and tripod, he was all ready to help me capture some of the finest moments.

I think nostalgia kills me the most. I hate being ruined by nostalgia time and again. That night was beautiful with everyone coming together for a ceremonial presentation of our degree certificates.

It just affirmed the fact that I'm done with school. No more rushing to lectures, working late through the nights in hall, having friends to complete really enjoyable projects, eating anytime... no more CS.

Walking away from NTU that night was kinda bad. Time's just passing too fast now. It's true - beautiful years are from school, from university life.

But I graduated. That's a beautiful moment too.

The simple life

Such is the simplicity in life.

I am so proud that I was part of Blangah Rise Primary School, I just had to take a picture outside the school. It's not where it used to be now but I still remember every good (and bad) thing that happened in my six years there. Simple good innocence.

And you know how every profit making company is spending huge sums on A&P? Well, today I experienced something really down-to-earth and even warm to a certain extent. I was at a durian buffet organised by some fruit sellers at Redhill Market.

Yeap, if you spot the guy in green, that's me in the crowd of either very old or very young. My mum's friend got her the tickets and my brother and I went along. Durians, YUM! But the point really, is how simple marketing can be. Or life for that matter. Fruit sellers wanted to thank customers, get together for something fun + the community that is happy to pay a mere $5 for a buffet of durians, watermelons, starfruits, pineapples, grapes... I think it actually made a lot of old folks happy.

Are we just always pushing for something more than what we need? And everything else just fades away to obscurity?

Question

What's your satisfaction?

Bodily knowledge

This was a scary week.

Besides learning the truth about crazy work hours, I kinda got a shock from realising at least two other things this week.

When this colleague of mine (let's call her GPFG - Gamer Pencil Flower Gal) went on about putting on weight after joining the company, I kinda brushed it aside as a gal thing. She also had this body fat measurement scale thingy in the office that I bravely stepped on. It showed 67.kg with 16% body fats for me. What audacity! For the record, I've been 65kg for the longest time. Crap. It's probably a weird machine.

So anyway, I had the chance to shop a little last weekend and for crying out loud, a pair of 28" board shots was hugging and riding up my waist! ALARMS!!! And we're not even talking about jeans or some well-cut pants! I started to think what GPFG said is true after all - join the company and get fat! Reality was creeping in on me slowly man. Damn. That night I looked at this Redang photo on my table of me in trunks and I went, "Jia lat. This is gonna be gone soon man."

Crap.

Ok apart from that anatomical revelation, today I had another you-mean-I-didn't-know-that-all-this-time moment about another anatomical truth. Well, at least the truth performs the functions of cleaning a specific part of the anatomy.

Seriously, you would think that girls already have a lot of extra stuff with conditioners, toners, creams, scrubs... No. Today, I found out that there has always been a special cleansing liquid made for the ladies' parts. Yes. SERIOUSLY? And I was duly informed (again by someone from work) that this is called The Feminine Wash. I mean, seriously. If you're a guy, please tell me you haven't heard about such an inconceivable product. Why don't we have The Masculine Wash? Apparently, normal soap bites but The Feminine Wash is so delicate that it doesn't. What the... I mean bite lah! We had prickly heat powder going down our undies during NS and that sure bit like anything.

Seriously, biting doesn't mean that anything will fall off you know.

And I thought I knew enough about women's stuff.

Or my weight.

Darren Lim

It's really sweet.

From ST yesterday, 07 July, I read that a fresh grad like myself is pledging $4000 a year to start a scholarship named after his parents. That's roughly equivalent to two months of his salary (at least for now based on his entry level position at HSBC). The money goes to a deserving accountancy undergrad who has completed at least a year of the course.

Wow... No doubt this guy's from a well-to-do family but taking $4000 to further a stranger's dream/ ease the financial burden of a stranger is just amazing for a 24-year-old who just stepped into the working class. And to name the scholarship after his parents, that's just sweet.

If you know Darren Lim, tell him how inspiring he has been, and will be to those who benefit from his funds.

Set me thinking again (I'm capable of that) why money is such a driver for so many people. Its power is really huge but in return for more moolah, the opportunity cost is ten-folds.

Boils down to greed? Think I'm greedy then. I'm a pretty determined guy if I set myself on an achievement. But very often, and sometimes willingly, I allow things that should weigh more whizz pass me.

It's the yoyo between practicality and goodness. Jun'an said I would will myself to complete a task and do it well even if I didn't feel motivated to do it. Maybe it's true. But I know for sure that if it's a process/journey/task I like, the results are usually awesome.

Sometimes we just need to take a step back and evaluate if the fulfillment we're getting is for ourselves or others. In the words of Lightning McQueen, "It's kinda nice to take it slow every once in a while".

Maybe Darren Lim saw the joy and sweetness in providing rewards rather than killing himself to earn them. Totally respect that dude.

Direct off print

From regular daily posts, my entries here seem like they're drying up. That pretty much sums up my energy level these days...

Anyway, just thought I should jot down a couple of things I saw from the papers.

Somewhere in the middle of the week, I came across this small blurp of news in one of the chinese tabloids. It was about a girl who died in an accident. Just before she passed on, her dad texted her to ask her whereabouts.

In her final reply to her dad, she told him not to worry about her and that... she loved her family.

I took a moment after reading that. Instead of telling you the cliche of treasure your blah blah blah... think I'll share a quote from Lightning McQueen - "It's kinda nice to take it slow every once in a while."



On a lighter note, take a look at this photo from The Sunday Times. PM Lee is at the opening ceremony of the Singapore Youth Festival.

As much as the photographer, Bryan Van Der Beek, caught a special moment between the PM and the cadet, I think it was a bad choice to publish it. If you have the print version, it might be clearer. It just doesn't work for me.

Oh well.