Cut While Having A Haircut

I had a haircut a while ago.

As usual, I sat on the chair and waited for the barber to cut my hair. All went well, the pair of scissors was skillfully used as I see strands of hair falling down.

It reminded me of my days in Tekong. For those who do not know what Tekong is, it's a place where all 18 year-old Singaporean males enlist into the army to become recruits. There I had chunks of hair (yes, chunks and not strands) removed. Not a very nice experience.

Suddenly, a sharp pain could be felt behind my ear! I jerked to the side. The barber had accidentally shaved my skin behind my ear! Oh man, the pain. It was burning. I touched behind my ear to feel if there's a wound or anything like that. Nothing. It was painful as I moved my finger around the cut. I told the barber that she had cut me. She said something like, "No lah, you imagining only."

I touched again. This time, there was blood on my finger. I froze. I told the barber that this time I saw blood. Then she said, "Oh yah, it's a little cut." Okay...

I sat throughout the whole haircut wondering if the site maybe infected. Will the ear drop off? Will she cut more than just hair? Shucks, sometimes, I just scare myself. After the haircut was over, I didn't pay her and just walked off. I touched behind my ear. This time the blood had clot. The pain however is still there. It has always been a childhood nightmare that the barber would cut more than my hair, I guess now that I am 20, it sort of happened.

By the way, did I mentioned that the barber was my mother? I don't blame her for making this small error, it's a good thing that my ear is still intact. Just joking mom. Anyway my mother sort of accidentally cut her finger while cutting my hair. Despite that, she still continued cutting my hair. I guess that's mother's love for you.

My advice? Don't think of walking out of a haircut without paying unless the barber is your mother.

Thanks mom.

Tags: Barber, Haircut, Mother's Love, Singapore, Thoughts

Week's Wick: English Subtitles?

English Subtitles?

Subtitles taken from a movie shown in Hong Kong:

"I threat you! I challenge you meet me on the roof tonight for a duet!" ~ The Iceman Cometh

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, English Subtitles, Hong Kong Movies, Memes, The Iceman Cometh, Weeks Wick

Featured In Digital Life!

It was Tuesday. I woke up early in the morning checking my email and blog. Nothing new, nothing special happened. My blog still looked the same and my email address is still long. After all these, I flipped through Digital Life from The Straits Times. I turned and I saw this!


Oh man! My blog was featured! Haha...it's like another Nobel Prize for me! I tried to go to the site for a picture of it for blogging material. Sadly, you need to pay to view their contents! This is one reason why I hate such stuff. It used to be free but I guess fuel price hikes, increase in price of your Kopi-O and bus fares have caused this changed. Fear not though, there are some free contents on their site, so it's not totally pay-to-see.

Anyway, this was taken from Digital Life issued on Tuesday (24 October 2006). If you are wondering which post it is, you can go here and see the post that was featured.

Winn noticed my blog and tagged on my chatbox. That's very nice of her. I never expected people to visit the blogs featured in Digital Life, but Winn changed my mind. I guess people do read the blogs featured in Digital Life.

So why post about it only now? Well, I received the softcopy (picture) only recently from a good friend of mine. If you want to know who he/she is, take a look at the chatbox and see if you can find who it is. It's quite obvious.

Why is it black and white? Isn't it supposed to be coloured? At first, that came to my mind too. But hey, I am asking for a favour, so it isn't nice to bargain right? The mail was sent at Thursday, October 26, 2006 12:46 am. So you can imagine how tired he/she is.

(Lol, anyway, I know you are reading this, so thanks for the help there. You may want to upgrade to a coloured scanner though :D)

Well, I would like to thank Leung Wai-Leng from Digital Life for choosing my article. Haha, I guess I am still dizzy over this One Minute Of Fame thing. Who says the haze is completely bad?

Tags: Blogging, Digital Life, Haze, Leung Wai-Leng, The Straits Times

Life Without Limbs - Nick Vujicic

I went for a Church function just now. There, I saw a DVD on this man - Nick Vujicic. Who is he? He was born without limbs. Yes, no hands and legs, just the torso and head - he's Nick Vujicic.



(Pictures taken from Nick's website.)

Imagine life without the four limbs. Tough? Unbearable? As the firstborn son, his parents were devastated upon his delivery. Not only that, school was tough for him. Here's how he described his growing years:

There were some people who assumed that because of my physical disability that it meant that I'd also be mentally disabled. The law in Australia didn't allow me to be integrated into a main-stream school because of my physical disability. God did miracles and gave my Mom the strength to fight for the law to be changed. I was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a mainstream school.

I liked going to school, and try to live life like everyone else, but it was in my early years of school where I encountered uncomfortable times of feeling rejected, weird and bullied because of my physical difference. It was very hard for me to get used to, but with the support of my parents, I started to develop attitudes and values which helped me overcome these challenging times. I knew that I was different but on the inside I was just like everyone else. There were many times when I felt so low that I wouldn't go to school just so I didn't have to face all the negative attention. I was encouraged by my parents to ignore them and to try start making friends by just talking with some kids. Soon the students realized that I was just like them, and starting there God kept on blessing me with new friends.

(You can read more here.)

Life sure was hard for Nick. Of course he felt angry and very disappointed in life. With a limbless body, who wouldn't? But because of his struggles, God touched him to share his life story with the people around. Now, he's able to answer the phone, comb his hair and yes, even swim! Here's what he has to say about his life now:

I am now twenty-one years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector. For more information on Nick's presentations go to "Nick's Ministry".

In recent years, I have learnt to become independent and can now take care of all my personal needs. I can do everything from brushing my teeth, combing my hair, dressing up, taking care of my personal hygiene and even shaving. I get around the house by jumpin' around and, outside the house, I get around in an electric wheelchair. I love to swim, fish and play soccer. I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow.

I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness I can be of God's Love and Hope, to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the "Oprah Winfrey Show"! Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!"

Inspirational? It sure is for me. As a Christian, sometimes I forget that God is there with me even in the most difficult situations. It's easy to blame and question where is He in tough times, but is that right? This story of Nick Vujicic has truly been inspiring.

Remember that if you feel down and all, there's always someone somewhere far worse than your current condition, and yet that person can be happy. If someone without limbs can be so positive about life, I don't see a reason for you to not see the good things in life.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Tags: Christian, Disability, Inspiration, Life Without Limbs, Nick Vujicic

Week's Wick: Make Up Your Mind

Make Up Your Mind

"Mummy, how do you put make up on your mind?" - A girl, when asked by her mother to make up her mind.

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Children, Cute, Make Up Your Mind, The Things Kids Say, Weeks Wick

NTU Student Survey

I know how teachers like feedback and all, but this is far more than what this teacher expected. Interesting comments from some students from NTU.



This makes me wonder. Will my teacher be like him? I don't know. I am going to NTU next year. Hopefully, it will be an enjoyable experience.

Tags: NTU, Singapore, Students, University, YouTube

Watching What You Eat

Watching What You Eat

I've noticed the customers in health food stores. They are pale, skinny people who usually look half dead. In a steak house, you see robust, ruddy people. They're dying, of course, but they look terrific. ~ Bill Cosby

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Bill Cosby, Food, Eating, Memes, Weeks Wick

Frog My Blog

I got back home, checked my mail and saw that my blog was reviewed in Frog My Blog. With anticipation, I clicked on the link provided to see how my blog fared.

This reminded me of the incident where my blog was reviewed over at Bloggy Award. Over there, I got a 7/10. My "Visual Aesthetics" got the lowest with a score of 5/10 with "Reading Enjoyment" being the highest with a score of 8/10. I know I don't look good (with pimples and all), but hey, I've improved! My template has changed since then from what you see now.

Anyway, I was thinking whether it would be a 3/5 or 4/5 or better still, a 5/5. I guess worries do continue even after work. The page was loading as I waited patiently. I tried to console myself that even if my blog was reviewed badly, at least I still have friends who come over and visit me. And yes you are right, I won't sell my blog on eBay even if I get a 0/5. After these nonsensical thoughts, the page loaded. Lo and behold, the sight that I saw...


I got a 4/5! Can you believe it? Can I believe it? We all should believe it! It's a 10% improvement from 7/10! Hey, at least 10% is still an improvement. The kind lady who reviewed my blog was Frannie. First of all, I would like to thank her for her honest and sincere review. Yes, I would have said the same thing even if I got a 0/5. It's all in the name of "bloggership". New word huh. Think "sportmanship" but only now, it's Blogger, Wordpress and the likes instead of FIFA or Olympics.

So how do I feel? Of course I feel elated! It's kinda like a mini Nobel Prize where the awards are given out in the basement instead of some posh hotel. I showed this to my mum and dad and they were surprised that someone actually "would love to have coffee with" me.

What do you think? How much would you give my blog? Please don't give me answers like 3.142/5. There's a time for math and a time for well, blogging. Come on, be honest :)

Tags: Blogging, Bloggy Award, Blog Review Service, Frog My Blog, Thoughts

Would You Feel Special?

I was having a break with my friends when the topic of relationships surfaced. What else do you expect from a bunch of NSFs? But this is different. There's nothing dirty or whatsoever, everything's wholesome and noteworthy.

I asked them this question: "Would you feel special if your girlfriend tells you that you are her first boyfriend?"

They gave interesting answers. Some of them said that they will feel special. However, there was one who said that he would find it hard to believe. Why? According to him, girls are having boyfriends like no one's business. So if he were to encounter such a situation, he will just smile but refuse to believe it in his heart. He goes on by saying that each girl defines "first" differently. For Jane, it may be the "first" boy she held hands with. For Jill, it may be the "first" boy she brought home to meet her parents. Of course everyone has different definitions of "first". Interesting.

Next question I asked was: "Assuming you are having a break-up with your girlfriend and she said that after you there will be no one else. In short, you will be the last to hold that special place in her heart. Will you believe her?"

All of them were unanimous, saying that they won't believe any word of it. One of them said that he will just smile and nod his head, but in his heart, he won't accept it. Why? Their main reason was that their girlfriend said those words in the midst of the break-up, because they want to salvage the situation. Most of them saw that these girls end up with another guy after a few months . One of them said that he does say these words but not in the midst of a break-up. Instead he said it while they are together to show his girl his love for her. Are those words that he said then to her binding? According to him, no. His reason was that he said that in the midst of a spur of emotions. At that point of time, he does feel that way. However, months later, he may not feel the same again, especially so when the girl becomes unfaithful or something along those lines. Do you agree?

How about the girls? How will you feel if your boyfriends say these things to you? Will you feel special?

Personally, I would feel special if the girl tells me that I am her first. Of course it must be said truthfully and sincerely. As for the second question, I find it hard to believe if she tells me that. Why? Just look at society.

Tags: BGR, Boyfriends, Couples, Girlfriends, Relationships, Singapore, Society

Week's Wick: Funerals

Funerals

People say good things about the deceased, but talks bad about him when he was alive.

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Funerals, Memes, Society, Weeks Wick

Haze

The haze is really bothering me. With an average PSI of 145 as of now, who wouldn't be worried? The worst-hit would be our friends living in the south. This would mean people at Sentosa and Harbour Front. Sentosa definitely didn't plan the haze as part of their tourist attractions. But what to do? It's there and everywhere.

There are some people who rush to wear face masks like those guys in E.R. only without the medical expertise. However, I heard from somewhere that it doesn't help. In fact it worsens the condition. Why? Her explanation was that by wearing a mask, the user would need to breathe in more as the amount of oxygen entering your lungs is less. Sadly, some of these "haze" particles (soot, CO2, SO2...etc) are able to pass through the mask, rendering it useless. Due to the increased breathing rate, more of these particles enter. Sad huh? I know, the truth hurts.


I drew this graph for an overview of the situation. Reminds me of the sin graph. Anyway, I know this graph ain't great for me to win a Nobel Prize, but at least it helps us to see something. Based on the data from NEA (National Environment Agency), we can see that PSI peaks at around close-noon and night. So what does it means? Well, don't run or get into any forms of strenuous exercise during these times. Playing "catching" is not advised due to the haze conditions. You won't want to catch a name-some-respiratory-disease do you.

Some of the health effects are (taken from NEA):

Mild aggravation of symptoms among susceptible persons ie. those with underlying conditions such as chronic heart or lung ailments; transient symptoms of irritation eg. eye irritation, sneezing or coughing in some of the healthy population.

So if you experience any of these, please try to abstain from heavy exercise (those biceps can wait) and dusty places. Try to stay in an air-conditioned place as the filter in the air-con would help to filter those stuff out.

I am thinking, if we here in Singapore already experienced so much discomfort, what more those in Indonesia - the source of the haze? Worse still, the farmers that burn the trees! The situation would be much worse for them!

I can only imagine...

Son: Pa! *Cough* *Cough* Why is the haze so thick?
Pa: Don't worry son. Some big boss promise us money by burning these trees. After all of this, you will have a big field for catching with your friends.
Son: But Pa, the haze is so thick!
Pa: Son, try to look at the light in the end of the tunnel.
Son: What tunnel?

(Data taken from: http://app.nea.gov.sg/psi/)

Tags: Haze Situation, NEA, PSI Readings, Singapore

Exlinks

I logged into BlogMad and saw this interesting thing. It's called Exlinks.


It's a networking site that enables you to gain hits and get exposure for your website/blog. Interested? I sure am. Hopefully it will be as great as BlogMad. It reminds me of BlogMad where the same thing occured. People signing up for it even before it is released to create that "exclusive" feel. For BlogMad, the result was great. I like using BlogMad because of its 1:1 ratio. Hopefully Exlinks will be as great as what they promised it would be.

Sign up for Exlinks now and join in the fun!

Tags: Blogging, BlogMad, Exlinks, Networking

PDA - Public Display of Affection

It's not some gizmo you play with nor is it some new genetically modified food. It's something you can find in the MRT, buses and even in taxis!

PDAs range from a simple peck to a more complex series of actions that increase the body temperature of the individuals involved.

On a particular day, I was on the MRT going home. I was leaning against the glass pane near the door reading the TODAY newspaper. A few stops later there was this couple. The woman leaned against the glass panel while the man faced her. This meant that his back was facing me. I did not take notice of them at first.

I was reading the article on Thailand's coup when suddenly I heard smooching noises. I thought I was in Hollywood. From a serious political situation to a private moment between couples, I dare say that the world is small and unpredictable. I lifted my head to see what happened. The woman saw me and spoke in some language which I did not understand. The man stopped. Did I interupt them? Too bad.

A while later, there was giggling. The man was tickling the woman. Oh man, adults behaving as kids...no wonder they say that there is a kid in everyone of us. I thought it was applicable to adults watching Kids Central, but I guess I was wrong. The woman was like "Stop it...hehe...it tickles...haha." However, the man did not pay any attention to her. He continued tickling. Was it fun? I don't know. I would be irritated if I was the woman and would give him a tight slap for bothering me.

I continued reading TODAY. There was this article on how more women in Tehran (Iran) are going for nose jobs. I read it with interest as I always thought that countries like Iran do not allow such things where women are allowed to follow their Western counterparts. It was then that I heard something. I won't elaborate what I heard as it's something restricted behind close doors. I was surprised! It was in the public! Oh man...kids these days.

I won't continue on lest my post sounds like some dirty story.

While I am not really in favour of PDAs, (call me an old man if you want) I am for couples who are truly in love with each other. I can see that they love each other at that point of time. There was no sea of fire to cross nor a tower to reach the maiden's hair. The simple act of looking at each other's eyes only to bring a smile (which they showed from time to time) really speaks volumes. Ok, I admit, I was looking at them, but hey, it ain't my fault that they were in public right?

I would give it a 5.5/10. Too mushy for my taste.

Tags: Couples, Love, MRT, Public Display of Affection, Singapore, TODAY Newspaper

Week's Wick: Doctors

Doctors

My doctor gave me six months to live, but when I couldn't pay the bill, he gave me six months more. ~ Walter Matthau

Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Doctors, Memes, Weeks Wick, Walter Matthau