Bootleg stays in Toh Guan, things are great here. When the family moved into the flat it was the Asian Financial Crisis year of 1997. Dad balloted the flat, so it was a nice and cheap upgrade from a 3-room flat to a 4-room flat. (Bootleg got his own room! Exciting!!) The crisis was on everyone’s mind, still Dad made by and we didn’t have no problem, at least Dad does not bring the stress home.

Toh Guan was ulu to say the least, practically the other flats were deserted, on our level there were only 4 families. Some were empty. You could take a stroll to IMM and it was so quiet, cars roam the roads freely. Then suddenly Men In White says “We need foreign talents!” and soon everywhere was overflowing with people. Empty flats were filled, roads were filled, factories were filled, MRTs were filled. For a while it was good.

The only thing that was not filled was KK hospital, despite all the trying and even reducing to 5 day work week. Sillyporeans were just not into the business of making babies. Of course, even though Men In White can say all the reasons, but the truth is (and I dare speculate without the fear of the axe), if young couples have no house of their own to live in, chances are they will delay marriange (and all good men and women) won’t would prefer to make babies when they have their own place which typically could be 3-4 years later.

Anyway, back to quality of living. my room needs a shake up. 10 years ago Bootleg only has a bed, 2 desk and 2 cupboards. Now Bootleg has 2 mattresses, 2 more cupboards and tons of boxes and paper. “Keep keep keep! why always keep!!!” >.<

I have the most embarrassing room in Toh Guan Road.

I see you room! Looks like my diapers!

Last tiao hur

Rented this for a few days, lousy engine! but fuel saving

For a moment, it was a good. Time was traded on the mainboard exchange intially with a price of $0.43 a share, the main capitaliser were the governments of the world and they profited from it, for they can control time.

The common folks had to save money in the hope that they will be able to afford a share and enjoy it when they get older. So eventually the price of time got more expensive and pricier.. there was derivatives then futures trade. It got messier and messier and speculative. Who wouldn’t want more time?

And so it is, the price rose to $40 a share and the common folks were so afraid of not being able to own even a little of it and so got angry. How did something free managed to be controlled and taken out of proportion? They were also peeved at their own inability to effect changes, the mice mentality slowly seeps in.

It wasn’t fair, they protested and raised a revolution. But the greed of the few were strong, and it dictates the market movement. Then just as dawn creeps up on the waning darkness, the market implode on itself.

In the land of the revolving lights, there live a tribe of people governed by 10 seasonal changes in a year. There was the season of Joy, season of Learning, season of Realization, season of Compassion, season of Enlightenment, season of Hell, season of Anger, season of Hunger, season of Instincts and the season of Tranquility.

All was just a fleeting moment to the tribe of people and they cannot get enough of each fully before it pass on. The funny thing is, even though each season come and pass every year, no one could recall what is it like in the next season until it was upon them. It’s like being a mouse trap in a maze where you never know what the next turn might bring you even though you have been in the maze all your life.

And then, somebody invented the market where anybody can trade anything at any price with everybody else. “Free market!” they shouted. For a moment it was good, you could get goods from remote places and it spurs the tribe to work hard.

Then somebody listed “time” on the exchange board. You see, the land of the revolving lights turns time by a special hour glass made from running a special liquid through a gigantic water mill. So by controlling the amount of liquid flow, the tribe could actually control the “time” that they land stays within each of the 10 seasons.

It was a crazy idea, but the discovery of this special liquid and the entire concept of time control was mind boggling enough and the tribe didn’t care…. and so the IPO went ahead…

——— to be continued ——–

Dear Mr Bear

Please swipe your paws again, we are in danger of overheating again.

I love the animation

part 2

Why like that… my meeting kenna postponed and meetup also suddenly cannot go… very difficult lah… have started to read “New Dawn” chapter in HR, and it struck a chord with me again how much sensei think for the members. Hence I too must think twice before i chut stunt.

Same same when I drive, I must be twice as careful for I know my skills are not good yet and must be considerate to other road users. I had 2 near miss last month, and almost drift to wrong lane this week ; quite tough to drive. Heng here not China, but I did pull some China style driving to “eat” lane, think I have been badly influenced by their taxi drivers. hahaa..

Eyes not on the road

Yea, eyes on the road, but this is red light lah. We never beat so can pose for photo. Getz is very lousy drive, but that figures for its cheap price the steering sucks, the acceleration for the engine isn’t there and aircon sucks. Heng rent only can test out many cars.

Actually, I just need one ok de, save oil, save money, zippy and nimble 4 seaters can liao. no need 2 seater (muahahah)

Ok I just love this one, its not just the song. But the photography

In Sillypore, this would come closest to a coup. Minus the red shirts, bing bangs and army mobilisation.

How are you going to convince the entire nation that an entire new exc0 with members largely joining within a year and taken such aggressive ways to remove the previous chairman while ignoring all phone calls…. has no hidden agenda?

Ok if you are unAWARE of what I’m talking about, go google about it and you will be AWARE.

If they are from some hidden organisation, they are surely not saying for fear of backlash. But I have always like the group for their feisty stance for womenkind.

Well, an organisation of people has to live and work for the people else it is doom to fail because the spirit would be deterioriated and an exodus of talented concerned individuals would follow.

I love homer simpson, so subtly put.

On a side note, I am collecting photos for a Singapore Record Breaking Collage with Project Vibrant Colours 2, so if you got photos of people whom you like to acknowledge (ie people whom you feel grateful/thankful/shout out), do send it to me at captainbootleg@gmail.com (die lah, please dun spam… I’m just trying to do some charity).

You can check out the facebook group here.

Here’s an update, my poetic stories will come a following.

Bootleg has left Jurong Shipyard and was rather sad to leave, but the feast has gone on long enough and it has finally come down to career advancement and learning new stuff. I realise we have been doing too good in our jobs and will be doing the same thing (repeat x 3 rigs more), and a good 2 years more at that.

So let’s move on.

1088 aka PetroRig 2 and Noble 3

So what’s in store for this April onwards? Of course new job (I have to eat and pay bills ok), and also I’m starting a part time specialist diploma course in Singapore Poly on Shipping Operations and Management (really mouthful).

I really hope its not an all uncle/auntie course else my morale minus half.

Acting Goofy

Yes, I believe in learning new things every year. Last year I learn driving, this year start a course, the following year I might be interested to study for Professional Engineer Board or maybe learn another new skill (I can’t decide between power boating and flying), and in the near future embark on Masters (in something).

It’s all about being restless.

I'm not in the picture

For a brief while, I’m suddenly excited about new work again and the same time cautious and little bit scared, guess that’s all about leaving your comfort zone. I had a lot of time to chant again and consistently praying for the future I vowed to have.

My friends saying Hi

Anyway on the side track, I have thought about getting a car for a long time and cannot figure out why I would want to use up 1300 a month on car related expenses. So to compromise my desire and balance the bank account, I have decided to rent for car usage on the week that has the most Soka meetings. Buy a car? I’ll get a 2nd hand one when I’m 29, drive for 2 years then slay the car then perhaps get a 1st hand one when I’m 31. Then again I might just stick with this rental arrangement.

Artist Impression of PetroRig 1

I bought one red Levis T-shirt.

Why? desparate to show that I did my part in sprucing up the Chinese New Year mood, after all my parents did remind me to get some new clothes ever since 2009 came about. “hey, what’s wrong with my old clothes?”

It was a very hard choice, once again the cheapo/auntie negative tendency in me comes to the fore. It was so difficult to find something I like (which means reasonably priced, cool, unique and can last a few season). I scoured West Mall, but nothing could be found there and I ran over to Jurong Point. KInd of regret not buying a dockers pants in Tampines Mall last week cause I had to rush for a meeting.

Anyway again nothing could catch my eyes, (I wanted to get pants). It seems that all the shoppers have bought whatever they could and the stuff now is best left till end of the year sale. “Ok Julius, give it up, Just get a T shirt and be done, at least you will look fresh”

Yea, the inner voice is right. I must choose the middle path, chin chai buy a t shirt and appease for mum for the time being. I could always take time and find the pants I like much later. (friends who knows me, will understand that will take a few months).

My favourite new song from Mayday

He sat with “professor”, my studious looking friend in sec, from 1A to 2A and then later he would go to 3B and 4B while some of us remain in 3A & 4A. Ngee Ann Sec was a fresh upstart in those days when we were sec 1. Hence there really wasn’t alot of us and we were a closely knit body.

Miss Chua was our form teacher and we do have many chalet outings before there were century square/tampines mall. He was always cheerful and likes to give a burst of laughter that had him tilting his head skywards before uttering a string of chinese 成语 which I often feel was damn smart and beyond my comprehension, but I like hanging out with this friend. He is smart bold and quick. He also taught us the beauty of fun of Magic Cards, his favourite was the red and green deck which gives quick instant damage and creature power, something that I would spend a year of so to devise methodology to break.

Then we went our separate ways through JC, army… I still remember around the first half of 2003 when I was dued to ORD, we thought it be fun to spend use our privilege as NSF to have dinner at Chevron, an army club near my house. Unexpectedly Kaiyan came. He travelled so far to have dinner with us, was damn nice to see him that time because it was a long while and we all need updates from each other before we entered University, get a degree, get a job and live out our lives. But that was the last time I saw him.

Then something miraculous happen this year, I finally switched to facebook after procastinating for so long and found many of my long lost friends. Kaiyan was one of them too.

“Hey Kaiyan, how are you? Do take care.”

Kaiyan is going for chemo again

“… How can I help you bro?”

There was a long pause and the next thing I know, he passed away leaving behind an invite to his funeral. I did not know what to feel, but gradually I felt sad and went to bathe. I feel the bath water and my tears, why did I not have stronger compassion and a sharper awareness.

Soon I stop bathing, and ponder hard again about life.

Kaiyan, this has been a wonderful ride but you have to get off the train a little earlier, I hope we will meet again when my train comes one full round and you will board it again.