Cleaning out the past
I'm trying to clear my room which has become a dust haven. I think Egyptian tombs had less dust than this place. Part of the stuff I need to get rid of is my New Yorkers and Harpers. I love these magazines but there's just too much of them and there's always new stuff to read. So handing them out wherever I can because I can't bear to recycle them. Time and Newsweek can go in the recycling bin but not those.

So I've still got a whole stack to pass to people, as well as an abs machine. Even tempted to get rid of the broken down furniture in the living room as soon as I find a way how to get rid of them.

To the Causeway
After the soccer game it was rush home, get changed, meet Wee and then for Causeway, a play written by Alfian Sa'at. It was quite unstructured and tackled Singapore-Malaysian issues. The most scathing and funny segment had Singaporean Malays visiting their Malaysian cousins and vice versa, while a scoreboard rang up the score with every one-upism. (You know, putting down your cousin or neighbours) It was all wild satire though it never really went too deep on the issues, and quite a few populist points. But overall it was a great evening despite having to crank my head again to read the supertitles. (Had to crank head at the soccer game because was sitting right in front and to the side) Would reccomend it to anyone.

Oh Korea!
Thanks Eve for bringing me down to watch the game with the Korean community. Quite an incredible feeling though a lacklustre match. It was pretty incredible especially at the end with the penalty shootouts. Actually I care less about the soccer and feeling the vibes of the crowd. Quite amazing.

So we do it again Tuesday? ;)

Not another Telemarketer
Citibank just called my office phone again with yet another request to get a card. Urgh.. told the person to call back Monday when I'm on leave.

Maybe I should go open a fast food restaurant in Japan
A tendency for getting their lips around a Whopper has turned Japanese schoolgirls into Nippon's naughtiest nymphomaniacs, according to Shukan Gendai (6/29).
Kazuo Sakai, head of the Stress Hibiya Clinic in Tokyo, says fast food is to blame for the promiscuous behavior of today's schoolgirls.

Yeah... right. Imagine those old geriatics behind the fast food counters in Singapore. On second thought, better not to imagine.

Done with Nickel and Dimed
Finished the book Nickle and Dimed; pretty interesting but the conclusion is that if you want to get by in America, you'll need at least a salary of $30,000/year for a family of one adult and two children. Not easy. So the poverty cycle turns and the lower class struggles with making the rent (which shouldn't cost more than 30% of income, but that's impossible in most American cities). Quite a good read.

Actually it should be a Degas painting..

Anyway, quiet day at work and my leave is approved. Expect work to be dead tomorrow afternoon due to the England Brazil game. Will still go in anyway since I'm on leave whole of next week. Leaves me with 15 days. That's plenty as I foresee a trip to Australia end of the year and maybe at most a backpacking trip nearby or diving jaunts.

Such a photograph
The World Press Photograph has selected its photos of the year. Some leave particularly deep impressions. The winning photo, this one which looks like a Monet painting, and this.

And on another photo related note, told my publisher NOT to put any photo of me. I don't see the point of it, and I don't want to go into bookstores and be recognised. So she'll probably use a sketch instead... I hope she keeps to her word without me needing to get it in B&W.

My Life as McDull
Saw this Hong Kong animation just now. It's very 'Hongkong-nized', composing of several short contemplative pieces. Quite funny and adorable but not universal in tone, which might just be one of its strengths. Some of the philosophizing is a bit too long and preachy, but it's a honest and sincere effort. Entertaining 70 minutes.

Trade Exhibitions suck
Spent most of my day manning a booth at a trade exhibition. What a bore and waste of time as it's very techie. Not the kind of place where we can sell our programmes to. Have to do the same tomorrow afternoon as well.

Spammed to Death
I'm really sick of the spam I'm getting. I think I might move everything to a Yahoo.com account in future. At least that has spam filters and throws out everything else. Quite pointless to keep on getting spam after spam and waste time deleting it.

The presentation was a disaster. Shows you what happens when you don't rehearse and rely on unstable software. We're pretty much screwed and our projects require a MAJOR rethink.

Sent off the article and need to do major rewrites. Will have to do a rethink. Next few days are very much expo-based. So much to do, so little time.

And down she goes
My ex-company gets wound up. Guess the directors just took the money from the IPO straight into their pockets.

It
Today's the day. Whole of this week will try NOT to stay back. Trying to finish the Seed Magazine article. I don't have the angle right. Probably have to rewrite everything. Did find two other guides Before You Say I Do: A Guide To Marriage Preparation, and to complete the trilogy, Beyond the Vows: A Guide on Marriage Enrichment. In exam-mad Singapore, study aids certainly don't end after you leave university.

Yes I'm still at work, and an article to finish up at home. F___. Hopefully I can zhao after the presentation to finish up and the rest of the week is reasonably sane.