Hard love

Someone asked how come I am writing a lot of emo stuff now.

But if you look properly, it was only the last two posts!

I was going through some of the blogs on my links and found two which have a common theme - gay relationships and how it is different from straight ones and how they more often than not fail.

First of all, I understand where they are coming from. Either from their own experiences or observation of their gay friends, gay couples seems to be breaking quite often.

Or maybe, when one is unsure or insecure about their current relationships, they start to wonder. It is a very normal reaction and even I have it sometimes.

Questions like, will this last? Would he continue to love me ten years from now? Would his heart and mind start to wander?

What I personally disagree is the emphasis on differences of gay and straight relationships.

I don't see how the both are different, besides the obvious fact of the sexes. Just like a straight guy and a gay guy is only different in what turns them on sexually, the former being breasts and pussies and the latter penises.

A romantic relationship is a romantic relationship - a foundation and connection between two people to build and nurture. No two people are alike - two guys or one guy and one girl. Thus, no two relationships are alike.

In fact, a guy and a girl are waaaay more different in thinking. So logically, if a relationship were to work it should be two guys since well ... both of them are guys and should theoretically think more alike.

Okay-lar, unless you want to argue about how opposites attract, one soft and one hard, yin and yang, etc.

Or how two gays but very straight and Neantherdal-thinking guys who can't express their emotions properly and tend to pent up type cannot possibly together ....

Admittedly there are differences.

The breeders tend have a common goal - to propagate the human race by having children. If they don't have such a goal, rest assured that they will when they reach age thirty, thanks to busybody relatives or gossiping colleagues or friends.

We don't have a common goal, at least not one defined by marriage or children. We want someone for companionship, to be there when we are in need, to bitch and whine to, etc.

Of course, the society's support is important too. Notice how even people that the couple don't know, like their aunt's brother's son's cousin's friend, would suddenly turn up at their weddings and wish them congratulations.

It's like some people who are too free and only goal in life society's only role is to get every single men and women attached to someone and to attend weddings.

If one were to look at statistics, more than half of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. And the divorce rate is increasing in Asian countries too.

So yeah, the straights don't have it better. They just break up much later.

I am sure you have heard of cheating husbands who walked out on their wives after twenty years of marriage and two children.

Which goes to show that straight relationships are just as bad. And children doesn't necessarily can make a marriage last.

The things that will make a relationship work are deeper and harder to work at. Like a common goal, shared dreams and similar interests.

I can't remember where I have read this, but an article says that for guys, doing things together (not just sex!) is important. They are better off and able keep the relationship alive longer. Guys bond by doing things, not just by communication and talking about emotional or personal stuff.

Which is very true. It doesn't matter if one likes to paint while the other likes to go clubbing, as long as there are a few things which both like to do and spend quality time together, like cooking or watching movies.

It's undeniable that gay relationships are harder to work at, simply because there is not much societal support and when many gay men and women are still in the closet.

It's very rare that one can bring the boyfriend home and say, "Mom and Dad, meet my boyfriend/husband/significant other, Channing Tatum."

No one to give you advice, no one to turn to, no one to ask how things should be done besides your other gay friends or close girl friends.

So basically, it is simply harder because the relationship has to be made stronger from within and from the both of them, rather than from the outside or from parents / friends / relatives / society.

It takes more work also harder simply because both are guys.

I am not saying men cannot be monogamous; it's a matter of willpower and discipline.

Furthermore, as there is a lack of external forces to bind a gay relationship together and usually it is only the internal parties that do most of the work, the ropes that bind two people together may break more easily.

Which goes back to the point of making the rope stronger and this needs lots of commitment and discipline from both parties.

This is not helped by the phenomenon of so-called popular gay culture - clubbing, youth-worshipping, easy sex, etc.

Not many supportive people + Temptations of instant gratification = Easier break-ups

Okay, I think I have veered off my point.

But essentially, a gay relationship needs more work. A gay relationship is not doomed just because it's a gay relationship.

Or maybe I am just an idealistic fool and refuse to face the truth. ;P

From my speaking with other people, they say that one cannot party and club and have dark-room sex forever. The time would come when they would want to settle down and desire the stability of a relationship.

So the question is, when is that time?

Also, long-lasting relationships tend to form when one is closer to thirties. Perhaps at that stage, one is more stable financially and emotionally and has a clearer idea of his needs and wants.

Obviously, there are exceptions. There are people who want to settle down and not fool around when they are only twenty.

In fact, I think many of us grew up with fairy tales of happily ever after and movies and serials on TV that we might prefer to find someone for a long term and stable relationship and forgo the sleeping around and easy sex.

There are many people who think like that. You just have to find them.

When they are found, it doesn't mean the search is over. You haven't arrive at the destination yet.

It's only the beginning. The journey to happiness and contentment is a long and hard one.

The beginning of the end

Thank you for the words of encouragement and support. It’s amazing how barely less than 24 hours of my posting that you guys have responded with your comments.

In fact, this eventuality was not unexpected. With his less than enthusiastic response to my calls and him never calling me save once, the end was in sight.

I suppose it was never meant to be and I was too in love with him to see that. Funny how one looks at things differently went one is in love. Nothing seems impossible.

The signs were all there.

Thus, when I called him a few days before my Phuket trip next month, we cleared things up. He made his feelings, or lack of, be known after some prompting from me.

He said, “Did you find someone new?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s better to clarify things than to leave them unclear.”

“Are we still a couple then?” I asked.

“Yeah. We’ll see how when I come back next year. We’ll talk about it then.”

It didn’t really make much sense, because we didn’t do anything that resembles a couple anymore.

I have no idea why, but I acquiesced.

Initially, I was hopeful that things would improve. But after some serious thought and a clearer perspective on things, I realised things would be better this way.

It wasn’t that difficult letting go, even though I loved him a lot. I still do.

No, I am not pining for him or clutching at straws.

When feelings are not reciprocated or when one’s efforts are not appreciated sufficiently, it does make things easier.

I am human after all. I do need love and care in return. It gets tiresome and frustrating if it only goes one way.

Not that I am blaming him, of course. This sort of things happen. I was his first crush, which turned into a relationship. And as we know, crushes very seldom last unless both parties work at it.

Anyway, when we started, we said that we were supposed to see how things go. To gauge our compatibility and our feelings for each other.

Somehow, somewhere, it turned into something serious.

We had frequently joked about how incompatible we are. About how things could be different if he had graduated from university. About how different we are, like the sky and the earth.

Perhaps we are too different.

It was great while it lasted. I hoped I had made him happy and felt loved, even though there were moments of anger and hurt.

Do not cry that it is over, but smile that it happened. ;P

Cliché, but very true in my situation.

No longer am I

I was asked recently, why I haven't mention a particular someone for a very long time in my blog.

In fact, I have been asked occasionally about it by friends who know us.

My reply was "Drawing a picture does not need one to draw the intestines too". It's a Chinese proverb, meaning that some things are just obvious and doesn't need an explanation.

Come to think of it, that sounded a bit sarcastic. I am sure he meant well when he asked.

Sorry.

Anyway, the reason he has not been mentioned is because no longer am I in his thoughts in the way I should be.

No longer am I being seen with eyes that long for me.

Hearing my voice no longer makes the heart beat faster. Or bring a smile to his face.

No longer am I an important part of his life.

It is no longer.

It's all about me

I know what I should be doing, yet I am not doing it. I should be studying but I am doing everything else besides studying.

Balance is key; moderation is the solution.

Somehow, there seem to be lots of things to be done. More fun stuff. Movies, clubbing, karaoke, shopping, swimming ....

Why do people get attracted to those that seem impossible to be with or that they have very little in common?

Perhaps it's what people call physical attraction. That wink, that cheeky smile, that infectious laugh, that nonchalant attitude, etc.

The things that matter fade into the background.

Perhaps I don't know what I want yet. I thought I do.

I have always thought of myself as confident and secure. But when I am with the person that I am fond of, it's hard to be like that.

Especially if the other person is more confident and more self-assured. More spontaneous, funnier. All the mores that I am not.

On the other hand, when I am with someone a little unsure, I tend to feel taller. Bigger. Not in the sense of showing off or swelling with pride, but more like brotherly kind of attention would be showered on him.

Like I have been there and done that. And now it is your turn and this is how it is going to be like.

I can simply be myself.

When I am in the presence of someone smarter, more experienced and more self-assured, I seem to be not able to hold my own.

As someone I know would describe it, in gay and somewhat stereotypical terms, I become somewhat "bottommy" when I am with so-called "toppish" personality type people and vice versa.

If that even makes sense to you.

Another thing is I am not one trained in the art of subtlety. People would know if I am happy or unhappy by just looking at me.

Or if I like someone.

I am just like an open book.

I realise it's something I have to work on.

Because sometimes, subtlety is called for. That restraint is essential. That people change and feelings are unpredictable.

That in the end, I am me and everything comes back to me.

Work in progress.

Adios ... for now

Lest you guys think that I am a regular clubber, I am actually not. Probably I haven't been to one for a long time, which was why I really let my hair down.

Anyway, pluboy bade his farewell to the Lion City earlier in the afternoon. Even though I had met him all of three times since I knew him for the past one and half years, it was still a pleasure for to have been able to spend his final weekend here in his company.

Even though, as you said, "I saw the shit out of me", it doesn't really matter to me.

In fact, I would rather see the worst of a person, than to never see the real person at all; someone who is always at his best or who never lets his guard down or who carefully plans his words and controls his actions and where superficiality and masks are the order of the day; I would rather have the former.

You will definitely be missed. It's too bad that I didn't get a chance to hang out with him more often.

Yesterday, all of his closest friends came to Marina Square, to be with him on his final night in Singapore. I was there too and got to meet his four other wonderful friends; all of them Malaysians.

Apparently, that Hong Kong char chan teng is one of his favourite places here. I agree that the food was quite good.

I was pretty tired, so I didn't talk much at the beginning. But later I perked up and joined in the ribbing and joking and teasing.

I really hope to get to know this group of people better. For this, I have pluboy to thank.

Wishing you all the best and a fresh start in KL. You are now back in a familiar place, with the person you love. That is something more precious, that money can never buy.

Happy times at Happy

As William said - Sakit, sakit, die, die, also nak clubbing, kan?

Yeah, even though I was sick (still am) and damn tired and sleepy last night, I still went out clubbing with pluboy and his friend, JN.

The plan was to meet them for dinner at 9 p.m. And we did have dinner at nine. We chatted over dinner, chatted after dinner, had our drinks, and it was still bloody early.

Like a quarter past ten.

So we went to JN's place to drink some more chill out. He lives very near to Tanjong Pagar Road, which is where the clubs are.

We watched Discovery Channel and Adventure and the Asian Amazing Race. The participants that caught my attention was one slightly feminine Indian guy with a Caucasian.

Their relationship category, as shown on TV? Best friends.

Pluboy said that the host, Allen Wu, is quite cute. Think he's a Singaporean.

Ooops, Google search states that he's American, but currently works with MediaCorp.

A little more than an hour later, we walked towards the clubs area. The choices for us queers were either Happy or Why Not.

Pluboy: Why Not lor.
JN: Why not Happy?

I had been to Happy last year. I wasn't too impressed then.

But last night, the crowds seemed to flock and gather at Happy. So Happy it was.

Cover charge was $15, with one free drink.

JN wanted to open a bottle of vodka. I was fine with it, so vodka it was.

Oh, forgot to mention that a friend of JN was with us now, JP.

The dance floor was not filled yet, as it was still early. There were quite a number of girls, more than one usually would find in a gay club. They looked like college age kids and a few of them were dancing with their guy friends.

To me, that seemed a bit odd. Just five or six of them on the dance floor.

Second thought was, did they go to the right club?

###############################

Not long later, three guys appeared on stage. In their underwear only.

Then another three came on stage, dressed in orange overalls ala construction workers.

The guys in undies stripped the guys in overalls.


This was followed by some strutting around, going backstage to change underwear and more strutting around.

The whole thing was basically about safe sex and HIV.

At the entrance earlier, we were given free condoms by AfA, under a new campaign called Think Again.

I don't think the message got through, as the eye candies got in the way ;P

The concept was good, but implementation was not as good.

Anyway, I liked the guy on the left; not too bulky and with a nice look.


Pluboy liked the one on the right.


After that, the dance floor began filling up and we joined in.

Pluboy took off his shirt, so did JN. Against my will, mine was off too.

The last time I did this was last year in Liquid, during the foam party.

Not sure whether it was because of the alcohol or simply the music was better, but the tunes seemed to be more danceable.

I might have spoken too soon, because soon after, the music deteriorated again. The music was mostly unknown (to me, at least. I might be wrong as they may be popular to the clubbing crowd).

Still, we danced the night away. The music picked up again and I danced liked I have never done before, gyrating, hip-shaking, bootying and just letting my hair down.

I had enough booze to get that buzz, so I was pretty uninhibited. And with the shirt out of the way, it felt like another level of inhibition was removed too.

Pluboy overloaded a little on the alcohol and was dancing to the tunes like someone possessed (I don't mean this in a bad way). He was really into it.

We grooved and moved to the music. I haven't done this since I came to Singapore and I was really enjoying myself.

We were drawing a little attention to ourselves because we were slightly inebriated and a little uneven in our foot steps. As a result, we took up more dance floor space than we usually would.

I could feel a few pairs of eyes on us.

Hmmm, I hope we didn't embarrass ourselves ;P

Oh well, it doesn't really matter.

We danced. And we danced some more.

After more than two hours of dancing, we left Happy and wanted to go to Why Not. But we didn't because we changed our mind and decided to head home instead.

I finally arrived home at five. Not sure why, but most probably the alcohol as my mind was in active mode and couldn't sleep much, if at all. So I decided to get out of bed at half past nine.

I had a little headache earlier, but I am OK now as I typed this.

Heh. I am so gonna pay for this lack-of-sleep at work tomorrow.

Edited: OMG! I just remembered something from last night. Someone took a picture of pluboy, JN and myself. We even posed for it. Wonder whether it would be published and where, or worse still, someone's private collection ...

Christmas came early

Went out for dinner with a friend at Orchard Road on Wednesday.

And saw that the decorations are already up.




Maybe it's just me, but isn't a little too early for Christmas? It's the year end and I think for a lot of companies, this period is packed with year end closing of accounts, audits and organising year-end promotions and events ... so where got time to feel all Christmasy?

I was definitely not in the mood.

From what I see in the papers, I believe the major shopping malls have already put up their Christmas decorations.

One credit card company has been advertising Christmas promos and sales since last month, saying that Christmas comes early this year.

Honestly, it was kind of a surprise that it is almost end of 2006. Where did all the time go? It has been more than six months since I came here but it only seem like yesterday that I was still in KL.

The day before, my manager who is leaving for Taiwan gave us a box of chocolates. He's not only a good manager who is willing to explain things to me, but really generous as well.


On one hand, I am happy for him as it is a better job opportunity for him. On the other, I would definitely miss him as he was the most happening person in my department!

The bad news is that I am down with the flu since yesterday *sniffle* And I have so many things planned this weekend!

Hope you guys have a better start to the weekend than I do.

Office pornitics 2

During lunch, my colleagues and I were teasing a female manager about her partying, even though she is married.

She denied that she parties, just going out with friends.

I chipped in by saying that I will be going out this weekend clubbing, but do not know where my friend is bringing me to. (Actually, I do know, but it is a gay club, right Takeshi?)

Female Manager: You should go on Fridays, when the crowd is more of the working group of people.
Me: I don't really mind, just go out and to have fun only mar.
Straight Boss: What kind of crowd you like? Older (women), younger, or men?

I was like "Huh? WTF?" and then wanted to say "Men" but of course I didn't.

Me: All three.

There was like, half a second silence at the table.

Me: Of course lar. I want to keep my options open.

And they all laughed. A little uncomfortably, I think.

I know I am quite reckless. Just hope this doesn't come back one day and bite me in the ass. ;P

For some context, please read here.

Phuket Day 4

Sunday, 29 October 2006

On the last day, I signed up for the Phi Phi island trip, which was made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie The Beach.

We were told that the pickup to the pier would arrive at half past eight. Breakfast is usually served at eight, so the timing was just nice.

But unfortunately, the driver arrived at eight. We wanted to have a quick one for breakfast, but he was impatient and insisted that we leave immediately.

So we didn’t have any breakfast.

That wasn’t the worst part. When we arrived at the pier, we had to wait an hour for the Singaporeans and Hong Kongers to arrive, which presumably their pickup was as scheduled at 8.30 a.m.

Anyway, we left the pier at about half past nine. The speedboat ride to Phi Phi was an hour. It wasn’t a smooth ride and we were bouncing on hour seats most of the time. Whenever we hit a wave, someone in the boat would scream.

That was fun.

As one of them said, “A bunch of screaming queens.” It was not meant as an insult.

Phi Phi island consists of two islands, one bigger than the other. The first stop was smaller one. We didn’t step foot on the beach, as we had to pay an additional 200 baht to do so. Thus we snorkeled about 500 meters from beach.

Green hills on the first beach we went to

The water was crystal clear, with fishes so colourful they looked as though they were hand-painted with striking colours. We spent about half an hour here.

Next, we went to another beach, which was just as beautiful but there were less fishes. Probably there is not enough food, thus less fishes, which explained why some of us including myself were bitten by the fishes! It wasn’t very painful, but still, we are not fish food!

Scenic and idyllic

The subsequent stop was Monkey Island, where we had the opportunity to feed the monkeys with bananas. We didn’t need to peel the bananas for them and some of them astutely grabbed the bananas right from our hands!

I had a picture taken standing very close to one. I was a bit jittery doing so, as we were told by the guide that they could turn aggressive, especially if our backs are turned to them.

This was followed by lunch. We had international cuisine buffet. Seriously, I don’t think I had any authentic Thai food since I came here. A lot of things are catered for the Western tourists.

After lunch, we hanged around a bit, with most of the Singaporeans and HK people playing beach volleyball.

Our last stop for the day was the bigger island. I snorkeled while most of the others played beach volleyball.

The water is clear and clean, with the fishes clearly seen. The brain corals and

Random cute guy whom I noticed, with his girlfriend

Two of the HK guys actually swam around the island and had the opportunity to see more amazing fishes and corals. Apparently, the marine life on the other side of the island was even more interesting and mesmerizing.

Oh well. At least I know what to do the next time I come to Phi Phi again. Which I think I most probably will.

When we arrived back in Phuket, it was supposed to be time for the tele-matches. I was pretty tired from the island trip and decided to give it a miss.

Back at the Phuket pier

Based on a recommendation from the owner of the hotel, I headed for a massage. This time an authentic one, without the hanky-panky.

The masseuses were all sitting in front of the shop. When I said that I wanted a traditional Thai massage, they immediately pointed to one person. I asked is she good and they replied, “Number one.”

With that, I was convinced.

I was pestered into signing up for a two hour massage, as she kept insisting that an hour was not enough. I actually preferred one and a half hour, but the price was ridiculously unreasonable.

She said an hour was 250 baht, one and a half was 450 baht and two hours was 500 baht.

Finally, I agreed to a two hour massage.

It was a two hour well spent, with all the creaks and stiffness massaged away. There was some aches and pains when she pressed at some points, but I think those were the good pain. She was good; she knew I had walked a lot that day from massaging my lower legs and that I face a computer screen at work from massaging my shoulders.

Or maybe it wasn’t that difficult to arrive at those conclusions simply by looking at me. They are after all the most common profile of a tourist.

For such a good job, I tipped her 100 baht.

It was a little past seven when I went left the massage parlour. I had to rush back to the hotel for dinner at half past seven.

Took a quick shower and had a half-glass of red wine and Patrick, one of the Thais took us to a restaurant only the locals know.

It is one of those places with extremely good and cheap food where tourists wouldn’t know, unless you know a local.

We had seafood – crabs, prawns, fish – and they were very fresh. I was too hungry that I forgot to take photos of the dishes. ;P

More pictures here.

Phuket Day 3

I can't believe how hetero my colleagues are.

It's quite difficult to have to pretend to be straight and not able to share my social life with them. Which is why a group of gay friends are essential.

They are the ones who understand what it means to be gay.

Since I came back, I felt quite uncomfortable being around them. When just a couple of days ago, I can be totally open and be myself but in front of them, I can't.

Sometimes, it's feels suffocating.

Saturday, 28 October 2006

The game for the day is badminton. Before it started, there was a friendly volleyball match between Malaysia and Hong Kong.

With none of us being good volleyball players, save one, we had to form a rag-tag team. Even though we lost, they put up a good fight against the Hong Kongers.

The Hong Kongers weren't that much better, but I suppose they have been training or at the least, played the game more often than the Malaysians.

As for badminton, sad to say that even though Malaysia was the defending champion, the performance was far from excellent. I am not sure how many rounds were played, but the ones that I watched or those that I was the linesman, the Malaysia players were beaten.

Thus, Malaysia went home empty-handed this year.

The closing ceremony was to be held at the place on top of the hill called Ratri. Looks damn posh and nice. It's a restaurant and bar with live performance every night.

What all these means is basically expensive prices for drinks. A Chang beer costs 1200 baht, which although cheap in KL, is not so in Phuket.

Dinner was good, buffet-style, but there wasn't enough to go around. There was some Thai food served, one of which was noodles wrapped in leaves. That was quite yummy.

As with previous years, TSG always ends with performances from participating countries. Usually, they are drag performances and this year was not different.

I have the pictures, but I am still undecided whether I should post them up or not.

The HK drag queens performed first. It was not so much as a drag show then a hunk show. Their performance was to get someone from each country to play three games, ala those HK variety shows like Super.

Before the games began, the non-drag HK players themselves demonstrated how the games are to be played. They stripped into their underwear to play. Honestly, it wasn't really necessary but I wouldn't complain of the free eye candy.

For me though, only one of them was appealing to me, out of four.

So yeah, it became more of a hunk than drag show.

Next up was the Malaysian one. Ours was better because of it's simplicity. And I am not being biased here.

The Malaysian performers were dressed only in sarong. They pranced, danced and jiggled their way to classic Malay songs like Burung Kakaktua. Less pretentious but definitely more fun. Imagine those songs you grew up with being torn to pieces and remade into something seductive and totally salah.

I had a few pictures taken, but they aren't very clear. So there won't be any pictures posted on the drag queens.

However, I shall leave you with some pictures taken in the morning while I was strolling along Patong Beach.







Too lazy to post all of them up here, so please check out the rest at Flickr.

End of Phuket Day 2

I think what makes a trip wonderful, besides the place itself and culture, is the people you go with. I had a lot of fun just chatting about everything and nothing with the Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Especially one Singaporean ;P

I miss being openly affectionate in public, where I can lie on my friend's thigh or on his back or letting my inner queen out. I can never do that in front of my straight-laced colleagues.

Everyone felt the same too. Which partly explained why Malaysia and Singapore weren't that keen to organise next year's TSG. The openness and environment factor was one drawback. Hong Kong is out due to the cost factor.

For next year, the TSG organisers said they will try to get Australians and Kiwis to participate too.


Friday, 27 October 2006

And yeah, I did come.

Being the gentleman that I am (ahem!), I offered to return the favour. Earlier, I had asked whether the customer before me made him come or not and he said no.

Anyway, he stopped me from proceeding further and said "Cannot. Must go back to sleep." (They are referring to their cocks. And it was not the first time I heard Thais said it in such a way. Pretty cute way of saying it, I think ;P)

By the way, I paid 400 baht for the massage and I tipped the masseur 100.

For my other two friends, their experience were even better as their masseurs were bolder. One of them had his hand placed on the masseur's crotch and the other guy's masseur stripped naked totally and was hard all the time.

But both of my friends had their underwear on and didn't have a "happy ending", as they rejected for reasons of their own.

After that, we had dinner as we had made bookings to watch Simon's Cabaret at 9.30 p.m. This is quite a famous cabaret show and was recommended by a friend, so we decided to check it out.

It was quite an entertaining show, very flashy and well-coordinated. It was fun, but was quite short at 70 minutes. I paid 600 baht for it.

The sets were quite good and it changed from one to another almost immediately. This caused the whole performance to seem rushed, with not much of a breather between acts. As soon as the curtain fell, it was up again with the next performance all ready.

I didn't bring my camera, as I thought one can't bring it to live performances. Unfortunately, quite a few of the audience did. I made do with my Sony Ericsson K750 camera and snapped these.

Those that seemed over-exposed is because the pictures coincided with the flashes from the other cameras.

Although the she was lip-synching to a Mandarin song, she did it so well that it really looked like she was singing it.

More dancers came on stage later. Very Chinese performance. I was impressed!

Upbeat performance and dance to the song Havana.

They were singing and dancing to a Korean song.

I liked this a lot. It was a Chinese song called Mei Hua (Beautiful Flowers) and they performed in the dark with those fluorescent umbrellas with flower shapes.

For the finale of this performance, the large petals just appeared out of nowhere! Amazing!

A Tina Turner impersonator! But she was extremely good! She's simply the best!

Indian-themed, I think.

I don't know who which singer she trying to imitate.

Egyptian theme also got!

They were singing a song about Cleopatra.

This was supposed to be Brazillian.

End of the show.

The boys weren't that cute, even though they were slightly better looking than those working at the bars.

My friend commented that the cabaret show in Chiangmai was much better. Have to keep that in mind if I go there one day.

After that, we went for a supper and then retired for the night. As it is, I swam quite a bit in the morning and was feeling tired. And I was a bit pissed that I was offered unsolicited advice on how to swim properly.

The plan for tomorrow morning was to check out the beach, which I haven't done so. It would be so embarrassing to tell people that I haven't been to the beach after two days in Phuket! They would surely be wondering what have I been up to all these while.

Before I forget, Singaporean Team B emerged as champions for the volleyball competition. The Thais got second and third places.

Almost all of the cute participants play volleyball. I would so take up volleyball just to be able to get closer to them ;P

So shameless hor?

Inebriated

I am so drunk now that I can't possibly write a proper sentence, what more a full post, as I just got back from a drinking session with my boss who is going to leave the company at the end of this week.

But I can admit to having a good time at the end of the massage ;P

More details in my next post.

Phuket Day 2

Aaargh! It's so frustrating to be NOT able to share my experiences at Phuket with my colleagues.

I was back at work today and the first thing they noticed was my new haircut. Fine.

Actually, I was hoping that they would comment about the dark tanned sexy nice tan that I have ... but oh well.

The questions asked were like who did you go with, what did you do, what did you see, etc.

And the most annoying part was that I can't answer with - I went with a bunch of gay people and some of them were such divas that it was so much fun to be around them and this was one of the best trips ever with my first visit to a gay massage while being surrounded with so many hunks and cuties from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Sigh ...

My brain was still on holiday mood and I was thinking as I sat in front of my PC, "Just two days ago I was snorkelling with colourful fishes and frolicking on a white sandy beaches with wonderful people and now I am back in the office."

This is my second trip outstation trip and first international one with LPG. It is so much different going with a bunch of queens and like-minded people than with straight friends. We can go crazy, act all gay (which doesn't necessarily mean soft or feminine traits), make crude gay jokes and simply let our hair down without fear.

I miss the warm and friendly Thai people. For your info, TSG 2007 is going to be held in Phuket again, as it is the ONLY place where participants can really be themselves and play with make-up on the volleyball courts and drag openly in clubs and discos!

Friday, 27 October 2006

The day's events were the volleyball matches. Malaysia didn't send a team this time as they couldn't form a team in time.

Volleyball was the sport with the most participants. I think each country sent at least two teams. With the competition format being round robin, it lasted almost an entire day and it ended about 10.30 pm.

The Malaysian delegates were there to watch, but we left at about three.

As the games were held at a country club, those who were not playing were either swimming, gymming or playing table tennis.

I only watched the games for a while and spend most of the time swimming or chatting with the other Malaysian delegates.

We arrived back at the hotel and got ready to do some sightseeing and shopping. There weren't that many stuff to buy that were reasonably priced. This was because we were at the Patong area where most of the ang mohs are inclined to stay. Thus, things are more on the expensive side.

Besides, there weren't that many stuff that was uniquely Thai. Most things were imitation T-shirts, bags, clothes, wallets, etc. There were some handicrafts, but they weren't cheap. It was obvious that they were tourists traps.

After walking around for a bit, a few of us decided to go for a massage. Okay, this is kinda embarrassing, but it was my first massage ever, gay or straight.

Anyway, I opted for the oil massage. I showered and removed all of my clothing and proceeded to the designated room.

In the room, my masseur took off his clothes. I wasn't looking at him as I was lying on my stomach and I actually thought he stripped off completely. In actual fact, Tong (that was his name) was only stripped to his black underwear.

He started massaging with left leg and moved on to my right. We were making small talk like asking him about where is he from (Bangkok), how old was he (twenty) and how long has he been working there (7 months).

When he was doing my lower back, he suddenly asked whether I was hard. I was a bit taken aback but I said no.

He found out about me being Malaysian but working in Singapore, how old I am (he thought I looked younger), about my availability, etc.

In turn, I found out he was still single, boyfriend-less and girlfriend-less.

I was told that in Phuket, it's quite OK to ask them whether they are straight or gay. In this sense, they are way ahead of us in terms of openness and acceptance!

When it was time to do my front, as in lying on my back, I got hard almost immediately! I think it was a mixture of shyness and arousal.

He smiled and continued massaging. I turned flacid again.

As he moved upwards from my legs and massaged very near my groin area, I got turned on again. I supposed that was only natural.

A while later, he was massaging my scrotum. And there were occasional touches on my penis ...

He didn't massaged much of my upper body. Just for like five minutes and then he asked, "You want to cum?"

I was like, "Huh? You are finished with the massage already?"

Phuket Day 1

I just got back from Phuket. I arrived back in Singapore at about 11 this morning. Bought two bottles of icewine at the duty free shop.

Sigh, I am already missing the sun, sea and sand. Gotta go back to work tomorrow.

Thursday, 26 October 2006

As you may know, I was there in Phuket for the Straits Games (I know it's ironic to call a gay inter-country game as Straits Games, but it started off just between Malaysia and Singapore, hence the name).

We arrived at the largest island in Thailand at 1 p.m. I didn't know about this fact, as I thought the island was like, well, maybe the size of Penang island or smaller. Which was why it took us close to an hour to get to the hotel using the trunk roads.

First thing that struck me was that the island looks very much like a kampung. Wooden houses and all. The town has more of the modern shops and eateries that cater for visitors. We stayed at the Patong Beach area, which is a popular ang moh area.

Due to this, quite a lot of prices are on the higher side. The souvenirs and even the road side food stalls. I am sure there are bargains, but they were harder to find.

By the way, Patong was also the most badly hit area during the tsunami two years ago.

Another thing about the island is that is very hilly.

When we arrived at the hotel, one of the staff came out to greet us and he was wearing a tee with these big bold words "Nobody knows that I am gay".

Yup, we stayed at a gay hotel. The reception has gay magazines for reading, paintings of naked men and shelves displaying lubricants.

This was my room.


After freshening up a little, we were taken to the usual tourists spots. As it is, because of the TSG 2006 event, our rooms rates are already cheaper than the usual rate. It costs 1600 baht a night during peak season, but I only paid 1000 baht.

But first, we were taken to meet the Hong Kong contingent and they were really yummy. ;P

We were in separate buses; the Hong Kongers in one and the Malaysians were in another. There were about 30 of the former and two dozens of the latter.

The first stop we were brought to was a gem factory. Yeah, I know it's weird. I don't think any of us bought anything, even though there was a souvenir store selling Thai handicrafts and products.

I was pretty bored looking at the gems. The women might have liked it, or rather, those woman-at-heart among us.

After that, we were brought to visit a temple. I don't remember it's name though; it's in Thai (duh!).

But it looks like this.





View from the top of the temple.



I was told there are seh ling zi stored in this temple. They are the remains of monks after cremation and they look like tiny beads.

After that, we were taken to watch the sun set. Nothing spectacular about this though.



Then we were taken to the bowling alley at this shopping center called the Big C. Malaysia only sent one team while the other countries (Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong) made up 14 teams.

We were treated to some performances for the opening ceremony. The Thais even have a theme song called Amazing Thailand, consistent with their tourism marketing tagline. The Thais really know how to market tourism, unlike Malaysia.


The Singaporeans were sporting enough to put up a ragtag team, as they were actually volleyball players and bowling is not their forte. They ended up as the worst team and was given the title of, no surprise, The Worse Team.

But one of them is really cute. Heh. And it's not just me who found him to be cute.

The Malaysian team missed a medal placing by 23 points. The first place went to the Thais, second to a Hong Kong team and the third was another Thai team.

After the bowling competition ended, we were brought to paradise. A place called Paradise actually, where all the gay bars, go-go boys and cabaret shows are. The organisers were amazing, as they had a street party for us.

Everyone was dressed in red and carried placards welcoming partipants from each country. We were dancing on the streets and just mixing around.







This is my first time attending a drag show ala cabaret. There is one type of performance which is particular to the Thais, I think, as I see it performed almost everywhere. It's some guy dressed up as an old lady, with his face painted like a cat, with whiskers and brown nose and lip synching to a song with intermittent tongue sticking out.

It's supposed to be funny, but I find it more annoying than amusing.

Also, the boys are unfortunately, not as pretty as the drag queens. The bar owners should really find cuter boys ;P

Anyway, there is this particular bar which I feel is a bit of hustler type. To be precise, the owner is.

You see, the drag queens and boys would perform on stage and if someone in the audience likes a particular performer, he can give tips of 100 baht.

Towards the end of the show, the owner, who came from the Philippines, came on stage and tried to create rapport with the crowd. It went something like this:

Owner: Where you come from Mister?
Friend: Malaysia.
Owner: You like pussy or cock?
Friend: Cock.
Owner: You like show, the Thai boys?
Friend: Yeah.
Owner: You like show just now? Give 100 baht.

We were like, huh? Just making some lame jokes and crude questions and she wants 100 baht? Unless she can dance or sing or twirl on her fat butt, isn't it more like hustling?

After about five performance, I was bored. After a while, they all seemed the same. So I left Paradise and get my beauty sleep for tomorrow.

Overall, it was a good first day. Didn't get to mix around much with the other delegates yet, but I did the day after.

Two fathers

In this season of festivities and love and being together with family, here is a wonderful video which brought tears to my eyes. *sniff*

It's all about love and the family, in whatever form. In this case, it's one which I hope to have one day.

Catchy tune and more importantly, absolutely wonderful, heartfelt and amazing lyrics!



From one of the comments on YouTube, his name is Terrence Van Cleave and he is one of the over 270,000 Dutch kids with same sex parents. He is on the cast of a Dutch TV show and has sung in the United States.

By the way, I would be back in KL on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then I will be off to Phuket on Thursday for the Straits Games (TSG).

Gay play

I got the following email and thought it would be of interest to visitors of this blog.

Dear friends,

Buy your tickets for "Sam & Jet 2 : The Revenge" from PT Foundation

Controversial, audacious, daring!

Captivating and mesmerising. ... another breakthrough play!

A wonderful adaptation.( from the movie "Bishonen')

A surreal experience and unforgettable memory.

Emotionally absorbing.

These were some of the responses from those who have seen Sam & Jet's premiere play in January 2004.

Now, the producers of "Sam & Jet" is back with the sequel, "Sam & Jet 2 - The Revenge"!

The title says it all. But for those who need some persuasion, can go here for more information. However if you are a banana like me, the website may not be of much use as it is written in mandarin and the play is mostly in Mandarin. This will not stop me from going for the play. Sam & Jet 2 is a drama performance whose central characters are gay, and the plot is apparently based on a true story. For this reason alone, I want to encourage all of you to go watch it. If it is any consolation, there are English subtitles throughout the play, and one of the lead character's lines is in English!

Still if you need a synopsis, the drama evolves around 3 lead characters - Sam and Jet (who are a couple) and Ching (Sam's ex). Apparently based on a true story, it is a melodramatic tale of how a scorned lover seething with vengeance can wreck havoc on the lives of those he most cared for. There will be ample romantic and endearing moments, some sizzling love scenes, plenty of drama, and (dedicated to the drama queens), plenty of bitchy rebuttals!

There are 2 more reasons why you should support this play. Part of the proceeds from this play will go to Pelangi Foundation, a non profit NGO dedicated to helping homeless people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) by providing them with support and care, living skills, and dignity to lead a life free from stigma and discrimination. For more info on Pelangi, please visit www.pelangifoundation.org

And if you purchase the tickets through PT Foundation, 20% of the proceeds will be donated back to PT Foundation to support our HIV prevention, care and support programmes.

Dates: 2 - 5 November 2006

Venue: Panggung Bandaraya, Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur

Ticket Prices:

Ranges from RM25 to RM78 depending on show time:

2 Nov, 2006 (Thur) - 8pm (RM 35/RM 45/ RM 58/ RM 78)

3 Nov, 2006 (Fri) - 8pm (RM 35/RM 45/ RM 58/ RM 78)

4 Nov, 2006 (Sat) - 3pm (RM 25/ RM 48), 8pm (RM 58/ RM 78)

5 Nov, 2006 (Sun) - 3pm (RM 25/ RM 48), 8pm (RM 35/ RM45/ RM 58/ RM 78)

Please buy your tickets through PT Foundation so that PTF gets 20% of the proceeds of your ticket price. Contact Ivan Yap at 016- 2099 620 for more info on where to buy your tickets.

Only limited tickets available on a first come first serve basis.

For a review of Sam & Jet, please go here. As I haven't started blogging yet back in January 2004, I can't provide a link to my own review. ;P

Anyway, I did go for the abovementioned play. What I can remember, I will try to pen down.

As the title suggests, it was based on the movie Bishonen, which has become almost a cult movie, due to the scarcity of gay-themed Hong Kong films.

The play was extremely long, at almost 3 hours. I had a feeling that the director wanted it to be grand, an epic love story but somehow that didn't really materialised on stage. It was like they were trying to make a movie, but on stage.

A lot of scenes I felt was irrelevant. The direction could have been tighter.

On the plus side, the set was grand. The acting was average. The actors were cute. Some of the scenes where they tried to be metaphorical which I didn't quite like. I think there was once where there were a few of the supporting actors were dancing across the stage holding a stretch of cloth.

Maybe I just didn't get the message then, but apparently it was meant to show a barrier between the two leads.

In addition, I felt that there were a few scenes that specifically pander to the largely gay audience. Like the opening sequence of a singing competition with the one contestant dressed in drag, a fat one and one straight acting guy (or band, I can't remember).

The "different" singers elicited quite a few laughs from the audience, with the obvious outcome of the latter being the winner.

That scene did not add anything to the story, but merely to draw laughter.

Personally, I think the script should have just focussed on the story. Secondly, it shouldn't have further enforce stereotypes.

I wouldn't say the play was a bad one, but it could do with being more original. Less shine and gloss, more content and bite.

That play came not long after Angels, which I think was the superior one.

Another thing that I have to be picky about gay plays or movies is the tragic ending. Why can't they portray two people being happy together in the end? Though it could possibly be that the plays have to be screened by the authorities first before the show can be staged and the authorities believe that two same-sex people couldn't be happy together and showing something to that effect is encouraging people to become gay, but still ...

Anyway, give this sequel a chance. If I were in KL at the time, I would probably go and see whether they have learnt from the original.

I might actually be in town on that weekend, as my colleagues are planning a trip to KL and I am supposed to show them around. Though I don't think watching a gay play as part of the itinerary is what my Singaporean colleagues have in mind. ;P

Love conquers all

Malaysian film makers have been making themselves known at various international film fest. A number of them have won awards, with the more prominent being Yasmin Ahmad, James Lee and Amir Muhammad.

The question is, has anyone seen their films? The only notable ones are Sepet and Gubra by Yasmin. The other one, which was banned this year merely because of a sensitive word in Lelaki Komunis Terakhir by Amir.

Even if Yasmin's films were shown and loved by local audiences, other people in higher up places weren't. Or even so-called colleagues in the same industry.

The point I am trying to get is, if no Malaysian is going to support local films, who will? Definitely not the government. The film makers themselves can never dream of relying on the government for funds, unless the movie or script fits nicely into carefully defined and acceptable themes, which are those ubiquitously shown on TV on a Saturday night.

Anyway, I got the news from another blog and the original can be found here.

Malaysian-Chinese director major winner at Busan film festival

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) - A 28-year-old Malaysian-Chinese director was the big winner at the Pusan International Film Festival Friday, bagging an international movie critics' award and sharing the prize for best new Asian filmmaker.

Tan Chui Mui's "Love Conquers All," about a woman confused about her feelings after moving to a city, won the FIPRESCI prize awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics.

She also shared the New Currents award - given to best new Asian filmmaker - with China's Heng Yang, who directed "Betelnut," the story of Chinese youths who spend an aimless summer together.

At a news conference Friday, Oscar-winning Hungarian director Istvan Szabo, chairman of the New Currents jury, praised "Love Conquers All" as "a beautiful film using a known cinematic language but in a very, very nice way."

Szabo said the jury picked "Betelnut" for its "new cinematic value, great acting by all the cast, powerful pictures and beautiful silent moments."

Tan said she will use the US$30,000 cash prize to finance her company, Da Huang Pictures, which also produces movies by other directors.

"This is (a) very important film festival in Asia, and they set up a section for new directors. It's very rare," she said.

Tan said it's difficult to get government funding for Chinese-language films in Malaysia because the authorities there classify only movies that have 70 per cent or more of their script in the ethnic Malay language as Malaysian. Malaysia's population is dominated by ethnic Malays, but Chinese and Indians form significant minorities.

She said her next film will be about two middle-aged women.

"Love Conquers All" was backed by the Hubert Bals Fund of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

In other awards, the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema named South Korean director Roh Gyeong-tae's "The Last Dining Table" as best Korean feature film. The movie portrays the social isolation of lower-class families.

Meanwhile, festival director Kim Dong-ho announced that festival organizers will run a spinoff event in Los Angeles in spring 2007 that will focus on Korean and Asian films.

Kim also said the festival will set up its own TV channel, just as the Sundance film festival has done, which will air 50 films that have been shown in the Busan festival. In addition, South Korea's JoongAng Broadcasting Corp. will establish a 50 million Korean won (US$52,603) fund that will help Asian documentaries get airtime.

I don't think I need to point out which paragraph that is the most absurd thing to do in a logical and progressive society, but which has become acceptable and entrenched in our society.

Marginalised, anyone?

The sypnosis of the movie is here. The good news it that, it would be shown in Malaysia, most probably in GSC Midvalley and 1 Utama, beginning 21 December.

A love story. At first sight maybe a simple love story. About how blind a girl in love can be. Slowly but unavoidable the story will become less simple, will raise more questions without giving too many answers.

Main character - if not main victim - is Ah Peng (Coral Ong Li Whei). A common girl from Penang. She arrives in some outskirt of Kuala Lumpur to find work in the economy rice stall of her aunt. She is taken in by the family like an older daughter and shares a room with little sister Mei (Leong Jiun Jiun). In a way Mei is the main character - and certainly no victim - of her own love story with a mysterious pen pal. The indolent Ah Peng and the bright and lively Mei get along very well. Like real sisters.

Ah Peng has a boy friend in Penang. Regularly she makes her way to the public phones to make her ritual call. Fate has it that just there she attracts the attention of John (Stephen Chua Jyh Shyan). John shamelessly listens in on the conversations between Ah Peng and her boy friend and right there starts a relationship that has to be doomed. John even tells her - in the same shameless way - how to lure a girl into prostitution. But revealing this can not stop this fatal story.

Although certainly not a period film the movie renders homage to two disappearing tools of communication: the handwritten letters by Mei and the fixed to the ground public phone calls by Ah Peng. Soon this kind of phone booths and letter boxes will form a problem for the movie art departments.

Wishing my dear readers a Happy Deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya. Have a great long weekend, while I have to go back to work on Monday.

So what? That's their sexual preference

Taken from here.

So what? That's their sexual preference.

Francis Paul | Oct 16, 06 2:11pm

TWO weeks ago, I went to see a dentist in Kelana Jaya. It was my first visit to the clinic. The interior decor of the place is nice and the dental charges are also reasonable.

But what struck me was a calendar-size wedding poster in the clinic's waiting area of Jessie Chung, the Kuching transsexual who married Ipoh accountant Joshua Beh last November in what is believed to be the country's first marriage involving a transsexual.

Of course, the marriage was immediately frowned upon by the government with a minister declaring that it has no legal standing since the law does not allow marriages between two people of the same sex, even if one of them had undergone a sex change operation.

I thought it was very 'brave' and 'thoughtful' gesture of the clinic's management to display the wedding photo (I have not seen it anywhere else in KL). For whatever reason it was put up, I can still conclude that it was a public display of the acceptance of the union. "So what" seems to be the message, "as long as the couple truly love and accept each other".

Three cheers to the clinic!

Well, Jessie Chung's marriage and the union of others with certain sexual preferences (not 'problems', mind you) can make for an interesting discussion on a boring, hazy Kuala Lumpur afternoon.

(For context, click here, here and here.)

Forgotten and ignored

So Sir Elton John finally married his lover! (photo) So what, no big deal. Gays are getting married in countries where such unions are legal.

So Ang Lee’s recent movie Brokeback Mountain, a western with a gay theme,
won four Golden Globes early this year. So what if Hollywood is now fond of all things gay!

So there was a Protestant bishop in the US who openly admitted he was gay and had a partner. So what, no big deal! Even if the case had threatened to split the Anglican Church when it first came to light some years ago.

So...

Some of us would probably remarked with a “so what” and then forget about it. I suppose we would say, “being gay is their choice, they have the right to choose their preferences”.

However, for the majority of our fellow citizens, being gay or having different sexual preferences seem to be a big deal. Such people are not considered ‘normal’ and would be frowned upon. This is sad but true.

It is also true that even as our nation had gone through a period of reformation, a period in which people are demanding for equal rights, homosexuals seem to be forgotten, or in most cases, ignored.

This is a group of people that need guidance. Our society generally does not care about them, as long as "my child is not gay". Come on, let’s be honest. Isn’t this the case?

We blame them for transmitting AIDS, disordering society, being decadent and even for being a public nuisance at times. They are exposed to an essentially heterosexual world that condemns their existence. The laws, the religions, the moral values are made for heterosexuals. Who is going to tell them what to do?

A lot of heterosexuals don't consider homosexuals as ‘upright’ human beings. But we must learn to accept them as just one of us. They have sexual needs, self-esteem and hence deserve equal rights as heterosexuals.

We shouldn't ignore their existence. Instead we should understand and help them the best we can. Certainly, they are entitled to a suitable set of moral values.

Isn’t our society caring?

Maybe we should legislate some laws in order to accord them due rights and equality. Reforms start with people. Accepting homosexuals and stopping discrimination against them would be a perfect start. After all, isn’t our society a caring one? We care about the poor, the sick - why can't we care about homosexuals?

Then there is the other group - transsexuals. Look at that widely-publicised case of the transsexual who was groped and humiliated by policemen in the lock-up at the Ipoh police station some time ago. Even our law enforcers could not help ‘enjoying’ themselves with a person not viewed as ‘normal’.

Isn’t it true how we often used to brag that “when Malaysia speaks, the world at large listens!”. Oh yes, this formerly poor Third World country is now going full steam towards becoming a developed nation. Well and good.

That we have achieved considerable ‘physical’ success has put the country in good stead. Alas, the same cannot be said of our country's sincerity in making Malaysia a home for one and all - how sad again.

A case in point is the statement by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Jalil (right in photo) last year who voiced her assurance that the welfare of the mak nyahs or transsexuals in the country would be looked into.

But soon after, she justified that there were variables that had to be studied before any step was taken. (My thoughts on this here.)

Then came the issue of transsexuals who in spite of having undergone sex reassignment surgery (SRS) were denied the right to state their gender on their identity card. A 33-year-old woman who had undergone such surgery failed in her bid to be declared as a man, as it was thrown out by the Ipoh High Court.

The man filed the application to be declared a man in 2004 after failed attempts to alter ‘her’ birth certificate and identity card at the National Registration Department.

I feel that the state should not intervene, if one wanted to go through the SRS. Perhaps Suhakam could initiate a study on the law to determine what recommendations it could make to help transsexuals, while at the same time conform with the Islamic belief.

Freedom comes at a price

According to the government, a majority of the 10,000 transsexuals in the country are Malay Muslims. The lack of understanding on the issue of sexuality perhaps explains why we still have statements in the newspapers made by religious officials who are of the belief that transsexuals and homosexuals need to be “rehabilitated” or "rescued" and brought back to the "right path".

The need to impose a particular lifestyle on individuals has been a constant affair with Malaysia's keepers of morality. There seems to be a pricking need on their behalf to determine how one leads their life.

Freedom to choose one's lifestyle comes at a price, as some have found out. To acknowledge that Malaysia is home to transsexuals and homosexuals is a great difficulty for the government. That we can all understand and appreciate but it must not be an obstacle towards governmental efforts to help the group lead a ‘normal’ a life as possible.

There will likely be a long debate on this issue and no one party will be happy. Whatever the outcome and decisions made, we need understanding to tackle this issue of sexuality.

Meantime, I will continue to buy Elton John’s albums. That he is gay (so what, no big deal!) will not cloud my support for his talent as a song writer, singer and musician.

And if anyone has a Jessie Chung wedding photo to spare, feel free to send it over. I promise to display it on my desktop.

Joy of schooling

When I was in kindergarden and primary school, I learnt A is for apple, B is for boy, C is for cat, ...

In addition, the classes in school were named after something. For example, primary one classes were 1 Melur (1M), 1 Cempaka (1C) and 1 Teratai (1T). Usually, we would stay in the same class, as there was no streaming.

As I was in 1C, my second year I was in 2C, third year 3C and so on.

By the way, all those words are in Malay and they are names of flowers. Melur is jasmine and Teratai is lotus.

And I was in an all boys' school. Go figure.

When I went to secondary school, the classes names were colours. The classes were streamed according to the colours of the rainbow.

As such, no one from my school would ever forget the colours of the rainbow in order - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Apparently nowadays, kids are smarter. So the classes have to have more erm ... more intelligent and difficult names.

I was at a colleague's house recently and we were talking to his 7-year old niece. She is in Primary 1. Her class is 1A.

You wouldn't believe what A stands for. I would never have guessed either.

I heard something that sounded like "threesome".

Heh ...

Anyway, A actually stands for Altruism.

Heck, I only learnt that word like ... last year or the year before!

It gets better. The classes are until J, so here are the names of the classes.

B = Benevolence

C = Charity

D = Diligence

E is for Empathy.

F is not for friendship, but Faith.

G is not for generosity, but Grace.

H is not honesty, but Hope. (Do I smell a hint of evangelicalism?)

I is not intelligence, but Integrity.

And last but not least, J is for Joy.

Even though she doesn't know the meaning of the words, except for Hope and Joy, still it is amazing that she can pronounce all of them correctly.

Kids these days are smart. Or maybe school these days are just highfaluting.