Wet,wet,wet

What a way to welcome the New Year.This morning as I was leaving for tuition, it poured. As luck would have it, the covered walkway from my house to the bustop and the bus ride from my bus stop to the interchage provided for a seamless transition, ensuring I was kept dry the entire time. Miraculously the rain stopped when I had to walk to my tution student's house. This time I found my way there very much easier .While rain lashed against the windows of my student's room, I found it difficult to tell myself that it was the beginning of a new year. Such wet weather usually happened in the decembers of most years.

I met my friend Ah Fai while I was walking absent-mindedly in Tampines Mall after my lunch. Now, Ah Fai and I were in the band during our Junior College Days and he asked me when TPJC's concert was.

" When is TPJC's concert ah?"

Now, this question really stumped me. I haven't been going back for a while due to the inevitable time crashes with both the SAF and schools moving into five-day weeks. I gave an answer which I thought was correct and asked him what he was doing here. He fished out a purple card which looked like a sort of membership for a gay organization. I almost thought he was going to tell me he was gay( which I had no problems believing if he were).

" Yamaha Music Card. Just apply from Yamaha. Free one."

" Give you on the spot ah?"

He nodded so serenely I would not be surprised if he had levitated. I felt enlightened by the knowledge.

We chatted for a while more and being the cheapskate Singaporean that I am went to take a look see.

Yamaha Music was pretty quiet for the first year of the new year. The lighting seemed to have become rather romantic. I thought it would be rather suitable if there had been some piano sit-back and relax pieces and a upper class restaurant in Yamaha itself . I looked around and realised that the counter's light were all switched off. I looked around and spotted the application form for the card. It was at the Cash Register Counter.( Of course this counter had to have someone.)

The lady was busy talking politics to her superior

(" I think so-and-so should go and fly kite. I could do a better job.If i were president I would implement measures that will in the long run benefit the economy, Singapore and hopefully achieve world peace.")

and so i busied myself with the form. After she ended her political thesis, I passed her the form and in a matter of seconds had the card in my hands, the very same one I thought looked rather gay. I felt a sense of pride accomplishing this mission. And so i went back, a very much happy man.

Many must be wondering what a different blog entry I had yesterday, writing about tsunami and their revelations. Well, I thought it rather apt time for a change for some interesting tibits of news. I feel that if my readers and read my blog and extract some knowledge about the world and from my experiences then my blog has done its job.

To make sure my readers are not too put off by the sudden change in entry( and make sure they come back) , i have decided to relate my experience on new year's eve today.

Well, I was actually rather stressed yesterday. Why? because two of my VIP friends were coming I , as the host, had nothing for them to do, except sit around and talk cock. Grace, being as cool as always, told me through SMS:

" later then we discuss lor."

And so when we met at 5p.m at five p.m that day, they decided to buy some bread (after they got themselves some waffles, which took rather long because "it was special") for my parents as welcoming gift. I chose the bread that I would like for breakfast. I did my best to convince them that my father wanted a digital camera and my mother wanted a mp3 player without much success.

After they got their waffles, they asked me if there were Bubble Tea Stores around. I thought for a moment , answered with a

"I am not very sure" and was met by a

" do you live here for not?" by both of my friends, arms akimbo.

Well, the fact is I spend most of my time in camp and all truth be told, don't really wander around my neighbourhoodd often. But excuses aside, I found it rather apalling that I should not know and tried cracking my head for an answer. Incredibly, I remember one below Eastpoint and told them.

" Ah. I remember liao got one below eastpoint."

They told me they didn't want it already. That was too much and decided to walk them to my home by a longer route.( Ok. It wasn't much longer.really.)

Back at my place, we thumbed through Joyce's photo album scrapbook of her visit to Korea. Brochures, flight tickets, photographs and all. It made me wonder why I didn't kept one for my Australia Trip with my Band. Passion alight, I made a new year resolution to make one of my trip to both Japan, which I went with my family and Australia. The album made for a good conversation piece and Joyce recalled her more interesting encounters with the locals. I thought the experience was not unlike the one we had at *Lips cafe( see previous post) with Grace's Album to Kunming.

We had dinner ( My friends were rather fascinated by the Kueh Pie Tea) and watched The incerdibles. Joyce had wanted to borrow my Sun Yanzi DVD but unfortunately the CD wasn't in the cover which generally meant that it was lost for good and so to make up for it, decided to lend her some of my VCDs( though I am no idea how I am going to get them back after that day.)

We had a great time despite the lack of things to do.( I think we have a knack for that kind of outing.) Joyce had to go taun at her friend's place and Grace wanted to catch Kung Fu Hustle( which my sister insisted wasn't nice) and so after sending Joyce off, caught Hustle with Grace at Shaw ,Centure Square.

Before we left however, we saw the electronic board outside the station reading :

" please take note that the fireworks at the esplanade.."

"Man, they have firworks at the esplanade." I said to both of them, kicking myself for not going there instead.

The electronic board has not quite completed it message.

" is cancelled due to...."

I smiled inwardly as Grace as I walked towards the Cinema, grateful that we have spent the night indoors, away from the crowds, considering the wet weather.

Asking out of curiosity sake more than anything else I inquired if she were taking another language. I was rather interested in languages( other than chinese). I learnt, interestingly that she was learning the sign language which I thought was pretty cool and came in handy later. I was expecting Japanese or French. Now that was really out of the ordinary which made for truly authentic blogging material and so that is the reason why you are reading this part of my new year's eve experience.

During the movie, there was a part where a mute girl was communicating through sign language to Stephen Chow. I gave Grace a " unknowing" look and she told me the gist of what she was saying. Impressed and rather proud of the fact that I was one of the few in the audience who understood what she was saying, I walked out of the cinema feeling rather elated.

We made our way to the Tampines MRT station.We went our separate ways home after that.

No I was not Black hearted. But what did you want a guy who lived in the east to do? She lived in the west and so, after the show, having previously enquired about the last train and knowing that there was still a train service then, went home myself, feeling rather guility about reaching home first.

So thus concludes the escaplades of my new year's eve. It was not really that spectacular. It was not grand. But I hold pride in the knowledge that I spent it with the people I know worth spending with, my family and my friends.