ender

friends/enemies/frenemies,i've moved here.

minerva

so i sit here with so many things on my mind but without the ability to put it all down in words.
a tonne of thoughts go through my mind.

the summer draws to an end and its been a life-changing one.
i may not realize it now, but in the long run, i'll look back and say "yes,2008 was one hell of a summer."

not just because of the great times i've had and the amazing people i've met.
no.
its because my horizons have been broadened and my perspectives have been changed.

my thought process is a very different one now then it was before i came to germany.
i've figured out how different kinds of people think and react to situations,and this will hold me in good stead in the future for sure.

escaping from the comfort zone of singapore and being thrown into a new independent lifestyle where i have to do everything for myself has ensured that i've learnt more in these past few weeks than i would have in a few years in singapore.

see the thing is,in singapore, we do our thing and we're happy with it.
we think in the short term, fretting over our grades and what job we'll end up in and what car we want in the future and etc etc.

but we fail to appreciate the little things.

the other day we cycled along the rhine river and sat down just to view the beauty that is nature.

who has the time to even do that in singapore nowadays?
the never ending rat race is so constant that we dont reflect on our lives and the world we live in enough.
we're all swept up and away in the rush that is our lives.

i may be ranting away but the gist of what i have to say is that every once in a while,
a change of environment is fundamental so one can take a step back and see where he is headed and whether or not the environment that he has taken a break from, really is where he belongs.
and thats what i've really figured out by being here in germany.
whether or not im in the right place.

minerva is the goddess of knowledge. (and a kickass deftones song)
may she grant me a sufficient amount of it so i can make good decisions in the months to come.

some of the highlights of my trip:

euro 2008! viva espana
rage against the machine concert!
death cab for cutie concert!
the never-ending chillout sessions in the kitchen with the ebs people
copenhagen and its madness
basel and its insanity
the vineyards of the rheingau
the football and floorball sessions
unexpected phone calls from friends in singapore
the pizza shop next to the apartment
so many more that ill have to continue it some other time.

much love to all those who matter.
im out.

the sound of settling

Guten tag from germany

The boy wonder is currently biding his time in what can be termed an ‘idyllic german village’.
Or hell.
Seriously, there is nothing to do here!
Shops close at 6, food is mostly pork, and the general population is mainly made up of 75 year old geriatrics.
Maybe I should learn to sew or play bingo

Speaking of which, I have been pickng up domestic skills here and there
Ive learnt how to do my own laundry, how to cook a mean pasta, how to iron (not my forte), how to put clothes out for drying
These will all come in handy when I start work as domestic help I presume.

On a more serious note, the world is so so so much bigger than the tiny dot that is Singapore. One can only realize this when they spend a proper amount of time outside of Singapore. So many people to meet, so many sights to see! The rat-race in Singapore tends to make us concentrate simply on the smaller picture, making our outlook very myopic.

German is such a harsh language. The other day, an old lady was saying excuse me, and it sounded to me like she was saying “I want to eat you.” In a peculiarly deep voice as well. Very worrying these germans.
Ich liebe dich.
Does that sound remotely romantic?
That means I love you btw.
It sounds like a food dish at a restaurant owned by Vikings.
i also find it amusing how the word for 'bye' is 'tschus'.
well the word is not really funny, compared to the way it is said.
its pronounced 'tchooooooooooooos' in a sing-song manner
its just funny to see all these huge german men at the bars, after eating their huge bratwursts and drinking gargantuan mugs of beer, go 'tchooooooooooooos' to each other in a slightly high pitch girly singsong manner.
very odd.

The summer has been amazing, I’ve met some extraordinary people. And watching three matches at Euro 2008, including the final, was something I never dreamt would happen.
Honestly, being in the stadium and watching the team I support win in the final of such a major tournament was simply a breath-taking experience.

Of course, bing away from friends and family is not cool, and those who matter know I miss them loads, via my random emails and smses.
Ah well, im back in august so it really isn’t that long.

Aite that’s it for now, tomorrow we’re gonna try and get temporary employment at the vineyards.
I kid you not.
Such is the boredom here.
Ill try and update more often.
Given I have nothing to do!

Love to those who matter.
im out.

right where it belongs

what if everything around you,
isnt quite as it seems?
what if all the world you think you know,
is an elaborate dream?

[trent reznor]
nine inch nails

o valencia!

its been an interesting few weeks
been meeting and catching up with lots of people
parties have happened
clubs have been frequented
drinks have been had
jokes have been made

its good to know what there are some friends who will stick with you through thick and thin.
i know i dont say it enough,
but im honestly thankful for the bunch of friends i have.

its just nice to know that someone always has my back.
someone wants to cheer me up when im in the doldrums.
someone is always there to give me much needed advice.

schools really picked up pace.
honestly,everyday,theres some assignment due,or some presentation to be made.
its awesome in the sense that i can feel the term is going to end soon.
and with it comes the summer.
im going to be in Germany for the summer.
the european business school, to be exact.
lookin forward to it,with the added incentive of catching Euro 2008.

life is pretty okay at the moment.
lets hope it doesnt get worse.

its 5am.
i just finished schoolwork.
how sad is that.
aite gotta sleep.
see all of you around!

much love to all those who matter.
you know exactly who you are.
im out.

p.s. the title of this post is both an ode to my beloved valencia fc (who just beat real madrid 4 days after beating barcelona) and a cool song by the Decemberists.

ponder as you would with only a soul

in the grand scheme of things,
where do we fit in?

in the immensity of creation,
timeless as it is vast,
what are we, if not insignificant?

the endless expanse of the universe,
coupled with the infinite realm of the mind,
leaves us lost.

lost not because we lack a purpose,
but because our purpose is paltry.

obsession over the minuscule plane that we inhabit
leads us to lose perspective

emotions and feelings
cloud our manipulated, molded minds

the pursuit of pleasure
satisfies nothing.
She is a temptress, a mirage
in a desert created for us, by us.

gratification
is a god we shamelessly worship

we bleed our essence
and sell our insides.
for gods who are built of clay.

artificial deities
grip our souls
keep us in line.
while we smile

a smile carved on our faces
by the knife of conformity

solace is sought
in the hearts of others
while we hold ours
beating and bleeding
in our hands

we seek to live out eternity
in the comfort of company
with the approval of our
flawed gods

but what is our eternity
if not a fleeting moment.
a teardrop of rain
that falls on the leaf of existence
and is dried up instantly
by the cruelty that is the sun.

open your eyes

schools in full swing
its a semester where i've had it relatively good.
im liking the courses i take,except for one.
making new friends,catching up with old ones.
weekends have been welcome breaks from the monotony of school.

when im bored,i watch the bevy of shows ive gotten.
some of those on my must-watch list are:

weeds
how i met your mother
californication
and...
the black donnellys

charting the lives of four irish brothers,its a brilliant show thats got me hooked.
combining violence with values,its a more polished and realistic version of the sopranos.
think entourage + sopranos.
or not.
whatever the case,its a brilliant show.
its gotten me inspired as well.
no more backing down from anything.
and no more worrying.
life is far too short to be worrying continuously about everything.

i once asked a really good friend,
"when are you truly happy?like truly truly happy,not just kinda happy or kinda enjoying yourself"
ask yourself that and you'll be surprised by the answers.
forgo the formalities and giving yourself the typical answers that you expect yourself to say.
dig deeper and find out.
when,doing what,with who or alone,do you get the most joy?
find it.
and go do it.

on another note,the above-mentioned friend told me something that struck me as poignant.
"if you're really meant to be with someone,inevitably,you're gonna be with that person."
and that basically answers one of life's toughest questions.
so its all good.
que sera sera,whatever will be,will be.

thats about it for today.
love to all those who matter.
you know who you are.
im out.