FINALLY! I've managed to made it to this small little speed freak heaven in our neighbour country - the Johor Circuit in Pasir Gudang. It wasn't a first for me (see my previous trip) but it's definitely a first for me on a bike, hitting the tracks.

A little more about this session. For most of you, you'll be mildly surprised that in this 21st century, there's actually a MINDEF forum in our military internet. And it is in this 'work-related' open forum, that I got to know some fellow bikers in MINDEF, some of them being track fanatic. And after like 9 months of expressing interest in going, I finally manage to tag along. I was planning to just be a photographer, but the sexy track and also my fellow Super 4 rider persuaded me to pay up 50RM for an hour of track use.

No need to talk so much! Look at the pics! Photos at http://www.pbase.com/snowparang/pasirgudang

Well, I'll be back for sure! Just look at my hilarious corner stance. There's so much I wanna do now to hone my skills...late braking, getting into optimum gear, hanging off, getting the best line...can't wait!

And after I've had my fun with the Super 4, it'll be a terrific consumate session with my mistress - my Aprilia RS250!

it is a strange coincidence, that one day before I take my Class 2 riding test (which would allow me to ride motorcycles of any engine displacement), I recieved an SMS about the death of a fellow motorcyclist.

I only knew him as Mr Bean or rather misterbean to be precise, his nickname in some bike forums. Met him only twice, once during a supper session at Adam Road hawker centre (where I discovered the wonderful prawn noodles), and the other time at Racewerks, where he sent his bike to replace some electrical parts while I was collecting my newly repaired RS250 after that crash. He was a very friendly but softspoken man. He love his new bike, the Honda CBRXX1100 (aka Blackbird) so much that he actually bought the bike before he pass his Class 2!

Riders that had went with him on overseas trip all agree he was a safe rider, one that do not exceed his limits. He was also a patient rider (an uncommon trait, since he's riding Honda's fastest production motorcycle) and is willing to trudge at a 'slow' pace to be the last bike, shadowing class 2B riders and ensuring their safety.

No one was near him when he crashed. Witness (when they got there) said he died on the spot, bikes aflame, limbs torn. What's worst, is that his parents do not know he is riding. Yes, he manage to keep it from them for few years (he's married with 1 kid already).

Still, death is something the Undo function does not have effect on. The fellow riders of that fateful trip had kneeled down in front of his parents, asking for forgiveness. They may not be at fault, but I guess it's something to close the pain.

RIP.

On a different note, the next day I passed my Class 2 test on the first try.

Lastly, met up with some CACS guitar chaps to do some DVD duplication and was pleasantly surprised to find out that this year's NDP singer was from CACS guitar! In fact, Gong Shi Jia or Kaira Gong, had performed Lady Marmalade with me playing the bass a few years back!

This is us, I think in 2003. "Hey sista go sista soul sista!"

And this is Shi Jia now, taken from NDP website

 

Wonder what whitening cream she use...oops! Just joking, all the best to her singing career!

Yup, thanks to my new posting in LPB, I've got the chance to go to USA again! My function was mainly as a diplomatic courier, hand carrying some 'stuff'. Anyway, becasue of this I got to go to Peace Vanguard and Peace Carvin II, the 2 RSAF overseas detachment that operates the AH-64 and F-16 respectively.

Right now I'm using the free wireless lan in Taco Bell in South Tuscon, Arizona. Arizona is a desert, and this time of the year is one of the hottest.... ok for those of you who thought no place can be hotter than our sunny Singapore, and that Chatuchak market in Bangkok is the ultimate in heat related torture...you are wrong! According to papers the temp range here is 26 - 38 degrees celcius, and I think they are right! Walking in the unsheltered street, I feel like I'm in an oven. Literally. It's the same feeling when you're standing like 2 feet away from a bonfire, in the hot afternoon sun in Singapore while throwing paper offerings to the bonfire to get Mercedes, bungalows and maids delivered to your recently departed relative. It's hot.

The best (or worst) thing is because it's so dry, you don't sweat! And hence you're dehydrating faster than route marching in tekong while unaware of it. My...excretions are all hard and ball-like, like rabbits poop, thanks to the dry conditions.

Some photos! All at http://www.pbase.com/snowparang/arizona

To be cont'...

But there's nothing much to update.... As with my Alaska trip, the suburbs and cities of USA is pretty much stale (once you overcome the initial swa koo factor...'ooh! A parking meter that accept coins! Ohh! Why are they so fat...). And as usual, work comes first and hence I miss the chance to go to Las Vegas or Grand Canyon, much like how I miss the opportunity to see ice bergs and whales in Alaska.

But I digress. The 2nd leg of the American trip bring us to another part of Arizona - Phoenix. I thought Tuscon was hot but here is even worst. It must be during these times that the 'phoenix rises out of the ashes', ashes being crisp, dried humans. 42 degrees Celcius is the mid noon temperature. And they say August is even hotter!

Being a much larger city/hub of sort, there's more shopping here, including the fantastic Scottsdale Fashion Square with hundreds of branded retailers all located in one place. From Louis Vutton to Victoria Secrets to Guess to Bebe to Burberrys to Tiffany's... Here my counterpart, having promised her wife to get her a Coach bag (and realising later that this place do not have a factory outlet, and hence not much cheaper), forked out a cool US$360 nonchantly. He wasn't very pleased to see the duty free Coach outlet at San Francisco airport though. For those bargain hunters, go to Las Vegas and shop to your hearts content (for American brands, at least).

But first thing first! After a tormentous 3 days of terrible American food, we were dying for something more familiar. On a recommendation by Edwin in Tuscon, we made our way to Great Wall, a well-known chinese restaurant in Phoenix. Kung Pow chicken, fried tofu, kailan with oyster sauce...done in normal Chinese style and not the American perception of Chinese food. It was fabulous.

Unfortunately, there's really not much interesting stuff, and hence not much photos to tell the tale. Won't mind going back there for Grand Canyon (the mule ride/camping seems very interesting. Not going to do that during summer though) or Las Vegas if I have the chance again.

Well trekking may be sort of an exageration, more like stroll in the park. The park in question is Bukit Timah Nature reserve, home of the highest peak in Singapore...

We took the yellow track, followed by the green track. It wasn't hard at all, and highly recommended for old folks, young children and basically the whole family plus the maid and dog.

Well there are more places to visit actually, as seen on those documentaries. And instead of finishing it in 2 hours like us, if you take a more leisurely stroll and open your eyes wide, you would find more interesting flora and fauna. Unfortunately usually not edible or palatable.

Next week.... MacRitchie Trails and Treetop walk!

Loyal fans (who am I kidding?!?) will remember I once (linK) asked whether if there was a good, FREE webhost to upload and share VIDEOS.

1 year later, that prayer was answered. Presenting YouTube and Google Video. Now, there's an avenue for budding film directors/MTV wannabes/actors/terrorist etc to upload their own animated creation and share it to the world. Brilliant. Despite the fact that both website will compress and resize your video and do not allow you to download the full size one.

Here are some of videos I've watched:

Phuket video - of our recent Phuket Bike Trip.

Kang Xi Lai Le (�Nꤗˆ—¹)- because I don't want to schedule my life around the stupid TV program. Tks to Mich for this link!

Chinese interview with a Taiwan/Japanese porn star! She's quite hot! And even has a blog!

Enjoy!

Refer to http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,106858,00.html

I was told his nick in singaporebikes was scooterer and I did notice this person in the forum before, giving good advice and opinions.

So what does this has to do with me? Because I was actually planning a solo ride to Korat (northern Thailand), during the period where I'm jobless while awaiting my 2nd job to start.

edit: The full article here, as I didn't know the website will remove old article

RIP.

Ti Kee - literal translation is 'iron tooth', a Hokkien expression for being obstinate.

Nice?Finally have the courage to fix my perennial problem of fillings dropping off from my badly decayed tooth, and having to endure the pain and fear of visiting the dentist time after time to replace the filling.

I have 4 such VERY badly decayed tooth with very large fillings. However tempted I am to replace all of them with these shiny new ones, there are mainly 2 reasons why I didn't:

1. Cost. $450 per tooth.
2. PAIN.

What they do is, with local anaesthesia, they will ground the teeth until all the hard, outer enamel is gone, leaving the soft, EXTREMELY sensitive dentine. It wasn't painful during the process but I can actually smell the smell of burning metal of the dentist drill. They will then fix a temporary crown which is pretty useless against cold or hot food (and an hour long throbbing sensation will ensue after lunch, dinner..). Meanwhile the crown will be made and one week later (today) they will remove the temp crown and fix the real metallic one. Sound simple? Yes. Painless?

Fucking NO! Once the temp crown is removed, the dentine is exposed. But to cement the crown on, the dentist have to blow air and make sure the surface is dry. He blew for like 15 seconds, and during this 15 seconds I was twitching in the dentist chair and tears involuntarily well up in my eyes! No joke! Then he put the crown on and I have to bite it, which does nothing to relieve the pain. And after the cement had set, the pain still linger for a good 4-5 hours!

But it should last forever. I hope he is right!

Wonder if I will have a problem going through x-ray security devices at airports?

ALOC stands for Air Logistics Officer Course. On 12 May 06 we met, for the first time in 3 years since commissioning parade, in SRC at NUS. The occasion? Not that we really miss one another, as during our work we do occasionally bump into some of us. We felt a gathering is in place because 2006 spells the end of our bond and out MTE (minimum term of engagement) for most of us, and some of us are leaving the comfort of our cushy government jobs very soon.

Believe it or not, the talk of leaving RSAF was already a strong topic even during our university days. Although most of us just shrugged it off and reply with the standard "see how lor, whether I like the job or not". Time flashed and 4 years later...well apparently most of us didn't like it that much here. Or felt there's greener grass, bluer skies else where.

Photos of these silly officers found here: http://www.pbase.com/snowparang/aloc

But before that, let walk down memory lane, from the day when Presidency bequeath our golden bars upon our shoulders...

So after we're deemed loyal, courageous and full of integrity, we proceeded to get recognised as nerdy engineers in RSAF. Presenting RCGC and Dining In. Held at AFS, graced by Chief and Comd AFS respectively. Among the new officers were RSAF's first female fighter pilot as well as Hwa Chong JC Prom King!.

3 years later......... (try and match the guys, and see how fat we've grown!) Basketball and soccer were the dish of the day.

Besides the usual ball games, we play other games too...

End of day, happy and shack...

...so we proceeded to Marina South to replenish the lost calories!

Then we adjourned to Labyrinth, a billard cum karaoke place. Played silly games, drank some whisky (I drank ginger ale...no choice ah....).

Some of the more hard core ones proceed to the nearby LAN shop and start to frag one another. This fragging hobby started while we were still officer cadets, getting our sleep inducing dosage of engineering knowhow at AFS. Like typical schoolboys, after school go and play lor!

Though a change in job and work environment will definitely leave a sense of emptiness and lost, I have a feeling it'll be this bunch of goons that I'm gonna miss most when I'm no longer in RSAF. Above all, boys!

Quote from http://weiliankelvin.com

"Project Super Star

Months ago, Kelvin Tan Wei Lian was just an ordinary man leading an ordinary life. But now, he is someone who has made a difference not just to himself but also those around him by daring to live his dream. He is now pursuing a difficult yet enriching career in the entertainment scene. What he is today didn't come forth overnight. It was a journey that the man himself would never have imagined walking in the beginning. Regardless of the outcome, it will be a once in a lifetime experience for him and this experience will stay in his heart and his fans' memories for the rest of their lives.

It all began when the start of a nationwide mandarin singing competition arose in early 2005. Named Project Superstar, organised by Singapore's MediaCorp TV, Channel U, the competition attracted over 4,000 hopefuls with a passion to sing, aged between 15 and 35. The aim of this project was to search for the right soul who would face countless rounds of competitions and eliminations, where only the very best will be crowned the first Superstar in Singapore. Owing to the large Chinese population in Singapore and this competition being the first of its kind in the country (where the viewers' votes accounted for 70% of the contestants’ scores), Project Superstar has become one of the most successful singing competitions in Singapore to date. "

So what's my point? A blind busker gets his shot of fame, and actually hit the bull's eye (side thought - hmm...shot, hit eyes...sounds like porn?). In tasteless, media-led and idol-following SIngapore, that's hardly an indicator of real success. Especially since victory is largely governed by SMSes from fans. But still, besides some very pleased mobile telecom subscription provider, the win will definitely gonna put a huge smile on Kelvin's face irregardless, and a big huge ego boost whether you're blind or impotent. But correlate to your ability to sing, I think not.

In case you're thinking I'm putting him down - I'm not. I admit I didn't watch a single episode of Superstar but prior to this entry I did visit the website and listened to his tales of tribulations and triumph. Also thanks to Mich who...'provided' his album for my peruse (though I'm not very impressed), I think he has certain appeal, and certain potential that remains to be discovered.

I am pointing my 2 skinny middle fingers at his manager/manageress, and Mediacorp producers I guess. Look at this:

Ok list me ten...make it 3 roles in which a blind singer can take:

1. Blind singer.
2. Singing blind man
3. Musical role as blind man

Care to suggest more? Please use your blain use your blain!!! "But hey! Doesn't mean he's blind he cannot act wat! You're just mean and jealous by judging him by his disabilities!" Why not send him to take part in Fear Factor? Or Amazing Race? I'm sure his disabilities won't matter!

My point is why make him goes through the usual and usually ineffective 'media hype' production move? Cut album? Done. Appear in commercials (free, because the commercials are from Mediacorp)? Done. Slot him for concert appearances? Done. Use him in chartiy events (and we wonder why NKF was successful). Done. Act in a drama serial. Done. Although this may work for most people, it will only work if the following gimmicks actually showed us the artiste true strength, and let us become interested in him. Not a simple barrage (or should I use diarrhoea since it resemble uncontrolled, endless crap?) of exposure to public.

By allowing him to appear as guest cameo is ok. By asking him to act is a bit too much to ask. Even without his limited role due to his disabilities, how can we expect him to act, when he has no understanding of visual manipulation - the basis of acting. In fact, I think it's bloody insulting.

Kelvin: "Hey boss, I think I won Superstar because of my vocals, and don't think it's because of my good looks and stage presence. So acting...kinda weird isn't it"

Boss: "C'mon, give it a try. You might love it! Your fans definitely will. And I'm confident in you!"

Kelvin: "well, if you say so..."

Boss, muttering: "KNNCCB! You expect ME to work for YOU and think of something special just because you're bloody blind?! Kelly should have won, so we can just let you go back to being a busker! At least she is good to look at and has a pair of breast and I can easily think of 20 different roles for her just for that!"

(While typing the above para I just realise I was referring to Mediacorp, and it struck me they never expect acting! Just look at the dramas and 'ah jie ah ge' they've produced. No wonder they were impressed by the newcomers' 'amazing' performance!)

This is not the only examples. How many failed albums of SIngapore actors can you recall? Fann Wong giving a concert will always be a benchmark of how deaf those media worshippers are. Zoe Tay singing 'chun lian hong' always manage to bring laughter at my weekly mahjong game.

Worst of all, I feel it is insulting to Kelvin and to his supporters, that he is expected to act. This is not what he is good for, and conveys the message as well as confirming that he has limited 'pop appeal and relevance' in today's world. It's like Simba witnessing he's father jumping through hoops of fire.

Fortunately, I think this is the last time he will appear as not himself. He himself has said that acting is not suitable (duh!) and will not act again (link). Let's see how firm he can hold to that thought.

And frankly, perhaps not all the acting are bad for him....look how happy he is!

(though I really wonder what he imagined her to look like...)

If you ask me, the obvious would be to cultivate him musically, not as a pop icon but as a musical star. There are plenty of ugly, fat and even blind singers out there (Ray Charles and Mariah Carey came to mind...) that we look past their appearance and listen, with our eyes closed and hands on our cheeks, at their songs and became mesmerised by it. I liked Stefanie Sun because she sound like Stefanie Sun, not because she looked like Stefanie SUn.

Or maybe...maybe it's because he's hardly material for that kind of development, and Mediacorp actually realise that? Maybe they're just trying to get as much profit as they can from their 'idols' and 'superstars' campaign, because it's obvious the winners of these ain't gonna profit them in the long run.

Endnote: I wanted to start this entry as an angry scowl to those programes on TV that's hurting my eyes and damaging my brains while insulting my intelligence at the same time. However, somehow I lost the energy to spurn it into an angry one. Perhaps a sign that I've lost a fair amount of life and passion in me somehow? Or I've jst become more jaded than I've thought?

Links:
http://u.mediacorptv.com/dreamchasers/main.htm
http://weiliankelvin.com/home/content/view/19/28/
http://mediacorptv.com/ask_e_star/ask_weilian.asp

Attended a free (orignal cost $10/$12) concert organised by Yamaha Music School today. What was unique about the concert was that it showcases some of the finest students Yamaha has, displaying their talent on their instrument as well as performing their own composition.

The students from JOC (Junior Original Concert) were age 9-16, with most hovering around 12-13 yrs old. I'm not sure of their musical grade in their respective instruments but they had advanced to the stage of learning composition and penning down their musical ideas.

I'm no expert in this but I do have some ideas or rather 'logical deductions' on how popular music are formed. And the music these....children create are truly something else. I was expecting a certain soul less application of "composing SOPs" applied to some motifs/tune to create something nice but predictable, like how I expect a piece of music to form if one was to apply musically theories blindly.

But what was presented was a wide variety of truly original pieces of music! And most of these are based on certain feelings or themes, which does convey them pretty well (most of them...) and will not go to wrong to use them in movie or game OSTs.

And yet, with such an impressive ensemble of young...very young, creative and talented SIngaporeans, why then are musical talent in Singapore so very rare and unknown? Think of a world or Asian known instrumentalist, perhaps it's only down to Vanessa Mae. Well known composers? The Wei Song Xi Song brothers? Composers cum singers? Tanya Chua? Maybe she can take some lessons from these youngsters. Perhaps these children will grow up to be doctors and laywers and businessman or migrants, and end their brief relationship with music in pursuit of something more 'rewarding'.

I can't help but think of the 'original music bands' and Singapore Idols wannabes and budding artists as pathetically weak...and hopeless. Even Owls, who was accompanying the 10 yr old pianist, appear 'less confident and overshadowed' by the brilliance of these blasted kids.

Not to mention those that developed a liking for music late in their age and struggle to learn an instrument i.e. me. Maybe I should stop playig the guitar and learning violin and perhaps do something in which I might has a level playing field, like racing bikes or blogging crap...