Friends

     Hey all, I know its been a long time since I last blogged, but as you all know, I had my PMR exams to deal with (not that I was studying or anything).

     Today's post will be about my friends. Not all of them, just the ones I hang out with at school.

     Lets start with Arthur 'Terrapin' Tan, the weird and whacky one in our group. Being a master at origami, no paper is safe from Arthur! Seriously, he can fold anything from a gargoyle to a three-headed dragon to a 'Trycerafrog' (its a frog with three horns that makes it look like a Tryceratops). Quiet in nature (until he met us, that is!) Arthur is funny in his own way, his jokes usually needing good English, and wide general knowledge, to understand. His name Terrapin comes from the tortoise-like look that he gives us from time to time. All in all, a great guy. 

     Then we have Amandeep 'Topdog' Singh, the coolest nerd in our group. He's usually up to date with all his homework, and all the teachers like him. But don't be fooled, there are two horns hidden somewhere on his head! A natural stand up comedian with a great sense of humor. One can never be bored around him. Great music taste too. I was always a music listener, but he got me hooked. When it comes to my music exposure, I owe it all to him. Not only music. He got me hooked on ventriloquists and stand up comedians too. Gotta love him.  

     Now lets go to Aidan 'Underdog' Yeoh. He is the most, no wait, the second most annoying person (the Chongs beat him here) I have ever known. Enthusiastic in nature, Aidan has been a real asset to our group. He is the type of person who would make a decision and stand on it no matter what anyone else thinks. His words have a way of making people think. He's also an aspiring musician. 

     I have been saving the best for last. This is none other than Julian 'Chotta Don' Sebastian. He's the main humor generator of our group. You may have had the worst day in your life, but a few minutes with Jules and you'll be on the floor laughing. Trust me, I know. If there ever was a Humor Central, the host would most definitely be Julian. But beneath this comedian front is a loyal and caring person, with only the best in mind for his friends. He truly is one of a kind. 

     Now, to the person who gave me the idea for this blog post, and has been the inspiration for a lot of my previous posts: Sonia!  It is said that everyone needs a shove once in a while to get them moving. My shove came in the form of this person. By far, Sonia is my favourite chat buddy, and my youtube 'reference book'. Sensible at best, she's exactly what the world needs t0 combat my craziness. She's a fun lover with an amazing personality. She is one in a billion. 

Operation S.T.E.A.L.

It was on the 21st of August 2009 (Friday). The attendance was 11 out of 39 students. Arthur had asked me to bring my guitar, so I brought it to school (its not like we were going to study anyway). So Arthur and I played a few songs and sang to it. The others in the class joined along, and we were a bit too loud.

We were so loud, we woke the Goblin of Saint Paul's. Her very presence instilled fear in the bravest of hearts, and she could make the strongest men grovel at her feet in terror. It was this very being that arrived at our classroom. Those singing stopped abruptly, and those who were doing other things stood rooted in fear. She licked her sharp goblin teeth, scanning the class. Her little piggy eyes darted to my guitar, then to me. There seemed to be a hellish light in her eyes, as she stared at me. I stared right back. It was a stare-off that seemed to last an eternity. I gripped my guitar, knuckles turning white with effort. The power behind the eyes of the Goblin was enormous. I put up a good fight, I stared at her with such intensity that she started sweating under the strain, but it was no good. She had had too much practise, she was too powerful. I averted my eyes and slumped on my chair, all the energy leaving me.

The Goblin smiled and wiped her sweat away. She then pointed a hooked claw at me and screeched "Hand the guitar over to me! I am confiscating it!"

The class was silent as I walked up to the Goblin and handed my guitar over to her. Cackling like the goblin she was, she left. I dropped into my seat, and exhaled slowly.

"That was a custom made jumbo guitar, probably worth more than 500 bucks," said Arthur.
I raised my hand, silencing him "I need to think."

A minute or so later, I looked at Arthur and grinned. Arthur, knowing me well enough said
"You're not going to let her get away with this are you?"
"Nope. I can't out muscle her, I'm just going to have to out smart her."
"You do realize that the rest of the team is absent right?"
"We'll manage."
Arthur grinned "Whats the plan?"


I needed a third agent, so I recruited Nicholas. We all sat around a table, and I told them the plan:

Operation S.T.E.A.L.
Steal
The
Eequipment
And
Leave

Agents:
Codename Watchman (Arthur)
Codename Infiltrator (Nick)
Codename Shadow (Azriel)

The Mission:
Retrieve stolen good from the Goblin's Den  

Time:
After school, 1225 hours.

Sequence:
Watchman takes up position, checking for Goblin. If Goblin is present, Watchman makes his move, and lures her away. Infiltrator then moves in, locates the prize, scan the surrounding for traps and obstacles, then moves out and reports to Shadow using hand signals. Shadow then slips in and out of the Den with prize.



The bell rings at 12.25 p.m. The agents are in position. The goblin is not there, so Watchman pretends he is on the pay phone, keeping an eye out for the Goblin. Infiltrator enteres the office, then out again. Through hand signals I gather that the prize is in the Goblin's office, but Aru is a potential threat to the mission. Nodding swiftly, I walk up to Watchman and swiftly whisper my plan.

Both me and Watchman move into the office. Watchman engages a teacher in conversation just outside Aru's office door, so as to block Aru's visual (his door has a 'window' on it). I dip into the Goblin's Den, grab my guitar, and then stroll out casually, so as not to look suspicious.

Operation S.T.E.A.L. was a success!

Happy Birthday Anne

Today's post is special. Today's post goes out all the way to a person who has had a great deal of influence in my life, someone to whom I have (and still!) looked up too, a teacher, a mentor, a friend: Tan Szet Anne.

Out of the eight years I should have known you, I have known you only three, and you have been a blessing to me. And, like someone-i-forgot-his-name said, "A teacher never knows where her influence stops," others have been blessed by you through me. Your life has always been an inspiration when ever I am in need of one. Ever, during a time of prayer, when there is no pressure, and you have all the time in the world, take the time to thank God for all the people he has placed around you, to help you grow, learn from, and love? Guess whose name stood out in my mind? Yours.

In every one's life there are a few special people (family not included) that mold and shape and mold a life, and these few special people will always be remembered. I have had the opportunity and the privilege to to meed one such person in my life: you. You are a mighty leader, a good listener (goodness knows that is true... I still don't know how you hear of news that fast...) a wise counselor, a good friend. I thank God for placing you in my life, and meeting you has been one of the turning points in my life, and it has changed me for the better. Thank you Anne, for being all that you have been to me.

In the mire that is life
There are a those who glow like light
Shaping, molding, touching one,
Blessing one like me, a ton!
-Az-

PS: Happy Birthday Anne

Crazy Hat Day!!

I know, I have not been a very faithful blogger. Anyway, this post is about my school life. Think you know me that well? Read this blog, and see for yourself.


Let us start with the 'Crazy Hat Day!'


I can't remember exactly what day it was, but Arthur and I were feeling really bored. The teacher was droning on and on about something and I'd bet you anything the entire class was not paying attention to her. As usual, Arthur was folding a piece of paper while I was writing a short story on a piece of paper (somehow our friendship, our very lives seem to revolve around pieces of paper).

Then at one point, I looked up and stared at Arthur. He was wrestling with a piece of paper, trying to fold a corner in or something. It looked like an overturned saucer with one flat side.
"Hey Arthie, what is that?" I asked.
"I have no idea. I'm just folding whatever i can find, see what comes out of it."
"Well, if its any help, it does look sort of like an armadillo shell cap, like the one from Dukes of Hazzard," I injected.
"A what?! Hey cool!" with that he jammed it on my head. The both of us burst out laughing.

Then an idea hit me like a pile of bricks. As Arthur reached to pull the hat off, i knocked his hand away, and winked at him. He looked at me, then at the cap, then at me again. Then his eyes widened in realization, and he grinned.
An entire silent conversation seemed to pass between us:
"You're gonna wear that hat around??!!"
"Yup."
"All day??!!"
"Yup"
"In front of the teachers?!"
"Yup"
"You're insane!!"
"Yup"

Then, in actual words:
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," I reply with a smile.
"You do know that everyone is gonna laugh at you, right?" he said.
"They might, but hey, whats life without a few laughs here and there right? Besides, wear a crazy hat long enough, and it'll catch on. Just you wait and see. By the end of today, I won't be the only one wearing a ridiculous paper hat!" I said

So then Arthur made a weird hat for himself and wore it. Julian, looking at the both of us, made a hat of his own, and wore it.

At first people laughed at us, telling us we look like complete fools (to which our typical response was "Hey, we never said we weren't!"). Then they tried to knock out hats off our heads. Then they started snatching our hats, trying them on, then putting it back on our heads. Then, one by one, students started making hats of their own and wearing it. At last, when our History teacher came in, she was greeted by a sea of white paper hats.

The class was so taken up with the hats, that when the teacher ordered the entire class to remove their hats, the hats came back on minutes later. Every time the teacher made us remove it, the hats somehow resurfaced (if you think Arthur and I had anything to do with it... you guessed right!), to the extent that the teacher could do nothing but teach a class full of students embarrassing themselves (on purpose) by wearing dumb paper hats!

When the bell rang, signaling the end of school, Arthur and I walked out of the class in silence. I caught his eye, and the both of us grinned like a pair of jackals.

S.P.I vs Garden International School

Okay, so you all probably want to know what happened at the Fencing tournament on Saturday. Well, bad news, SPI lost (got second place). Good news, the best Fencer was from SPI, and our fledgling fencer actually beat one of their trained fencers! But I was humbled and taught an important lesson too.

So, in the morning (6 a.m.!!) I get a call on my phone. The SPI fencers are eating breakfast in some shop. Marcus and Wei Loong call and want me to come. I tried refusing a couple of times, but they were persistent. Believe it or not, they were willing to drive all the way from SPI right up to Rasah Kemayan to pick me up from my house, just because I am one of SPI's best fencers! How does one refuse in such a situation? So they all came to my house in one van, at 6a.m. in the morning.

Our trip there was uneventful. We arrived there, and split into groups, 3 from SPI and 3 from GI (Garden International). Then we sparred. The game went that the first contestant to score 3 points wins (or the one who scores most points by the time limit). I said a quick prayer, depending on God to see me through the matches with minimal injury.

I was first in line to spar for my group. My first opponent was a girl. I was weary at first, thinking she was good, but, as soon as she made her move, it was evident who was the better fencer (and it was not her!). So I decided to bully her a little. I was really mean. Every time she took a stab at me, I easily parried, and then ether stab back at her arms and legs (so as to prolong the match, and not end it), or whack her with the flat of my blade. One time, she tried a feint, but I saw it coming. I blocked both her feinted stab and her actual stab, and drove the point of my rapier into her mask, knocking her backwards. I finished her off 3-0.

I got big headed. Sirajudding was next after me, and, when he too had a flawless victory (6-0), it added to my overconfidence. Wei Loong The Great (he had only gone for one fencing lesson, yet he was fighting like us seasoned fencers. Hats off to Wei Loong) won his match, taking two hits, placing us at 9-2. Me and Sirajuddin breezed through the next two matches, taking a hit each, leaving us with 15-4. I thought we were invincible. I thought we had this game wrapped up, and at 15-4, victory seemed to be ours. I knowingly pushed God aside, saying I can handle this on my own. And the worst thing was, that I was aware I was pushing God away.

Our luck ran out. We got hammered 16-18. A crushing blow. I was next, and I thought I could handle myself. I was sadly mistaken. Sirajudding after me fared no better. I went in after that, trying to recover, but we took it bad, 24-27.

We were crushed. Having victory snatched from our hands was painful. And, when we saw our next opponents, we had no hope. They were big, huge, collage level students!!

Sirajuddin was up first. He could not score a single point. I went in after him and fared no better. At 0-6, (SPI 0), Wei Loong was devastated. But he fenced like a pro, and managed to score a point.

I knew that something was not right here. We could handle these guys, yet we were loosing. I sat down in the far end of the room, thought for a while, and prayed. I apologized, and asked forgiveness for not putting Him first. I then asked God to take over from here on. I asked Him to let me bring glory to His name in this competition. Then I resumed the game, feeling like the true champion I was.

Sirajuddin was after Wei Loong, but he was not able to score anything. The points stood at 1-12 (SPI 1). Then I went in. God gave me the wisdom to test my other opponent, and not leap straight into battle, as was my style. I found out that he was fast, but his moves were predictable. I knocked his blade to one side, only to have it swing back and knock mine away. I repeated the same move, only this time, when his blade swung back, I disengaged it (so that his counter-parry wont work), and stabbed at the exposed part of his shoulder. I scored a point. My confidence blossomed. I pressed on the attack, slashing, stabbing, feinting, lunging etc. Each time I attacked I scored a point. But time ran out. Still, the scoreboard now read 10-13 (SPI 10).

"$#!t man, 10 points!" shouted Sirajuddin, a stunned grin on his face.
"9" I corrected him.

Wei Loong and Sirajuddin fenced with renewed vigor, scoring a point each. Then Wei Loong and I swapped places, so that he would go before me, and I would play the last match. Wei Loong did not score a single point leaving the points at 12-24. Then it was my turn, and I would be facing off the best, the team captain.

He was weary of me. He had seen the way I had handled his friend. We met in the centre, and, in the blink of an eye, stabbed at me. I parried his blow with equal speed, then took at stab at him, but he had already taken two steps back. I took a step forward, and did a full out lunge. He parried it, and lunged, but I, with lightning quick reflexes, recovered from the lunge, and knocked his blade downwards. Then I extended my arm in a semi-stab. His blade raised a welt in my thigh, and I drove the point of my blade into his mask, making him stagger backwards.

I was running out of tricks. I needed a new one fast. My opponent knew all those common moves, and was prepared for it. So I pulled one very very very (very!) dangerous stunt. I stood my ground and waited for him to attack. That means I am allowing him to plan his attack, and advance. It means that I will be relying on speed alone, to react to him. He advanced, testing me with slight jabs. The he lunged. I parried the blow, and stabbed at him, but he was to far. He tried to parry my stab, but I disengaged him, and when he tried to parry again, I counter disengaged him, took a step forward, and did a full out lunge. He was not prepared for that. I nailed him.

Man, my next move really caught him off guard. As soon as the coach said fence, I covered the distance between us in a matter of seconds, and the next instant, was on his side of the line. He was so shocked at my sudden aggressive attack, that he did not know what to do. I stabbed him, he blocked. I stabbed again, he blocked. I stabbed for the third time, only this time, I dropped my blade in a small circular arc under his blade, so that his parry missed, exposing his shoulder. I drove my blade into his shoulder, earning me another point.

We fenced what must have been the greatest fencing match of my life so far. Lunging, parrying, stabbing etc. By the time we were done, the scoreboard read 20-27. recovering 8 points was no small feat. SPI lost, but on an individual scale, I owned the game! I was crowned best fencer.

I dominated the rest of the matches. Enough said.

But this post is to glorify God. Believe it or not, this really did happen, exactly the way I told it. No exaggerations, nothing. I just witnessed a miracle. No way I could have held out so long on my own against those fencers, who, by the way, have been fencing longer than I have.

This was a humbling experience. I was beaten by those of lesser experience than me when I left out God, but I beat more experienced fencers, when I let God take over. All glory to Him.

Arthie Arthie

It was Wednesday I think, when Arthur, Julian and I had to stay back to finish our Living Skills (K.H.) wood work (I couldn't finish mine on time because I attended drama practise). As Julian and I were doing our work, we suddenly herd a yeowl, followed by a curse. Looking up from my work, I saw Arthur jumping about clutching his thumb tightly. Julian shook his head and resumed his work, while I laughed.

After a few moments, I heard another curse.

Arthur: How do you all get the nails to obey you??!! My nails are bent on making my life miserable!

Me: Its called skill Arthie, not something you are familiar with.

Arthur: I am carpenter-illy challenged!

Julian: That you are!


A few minutes later I heard the fall of a hammer followed by a prolonged groan.

Arthur (holding up a bent nail): How do you get the nails to go straight into the wood?!?! How do you keep your nails from bending, when you hammer it?! Hey, maybe I'm the Last Nail Bender!!

Julian dropped his hammer and burst out laughing.

A little while later

Me: Hey Arthie, do me a favor and get the Shellac oil from the K.H. store.

Arthur: Okay.

Arthur came back holding a big container and several brushes.

Arthur: Since I brought you the Shellac, I get to use it first.

Julian and I: Okay

So Arthur poured the liquid into a bowl, dipped a brush into it, and started coating what supposed to be his wood work. It took me a while, but then I noticed something was wrong. Instead of the brown Shellac oil, the bowl was filled with a clear white liquid.

Me: Arthie where did you get that liquid?

Arthur: In the store room, why?

Me: Because that's not Shellac.

Arthur:What?!

Me: That's not Shellac

Julian looked at the liquid, then at Arthur, and burst out laughing.

Julian: Looks like Turpentine.

Arthur: What is that?

Me: I don't know what that is, but I sure as hell know it's not Shellac

Arthur looked mortified. Then he let out a long, anguished wail.

Arthur: Curse you Two-pen-tein!!!!!

Me: Its Ter-penh-tine

Arthur: No, its Two-pen-tein. It has a 'U' in it.

Julian examined Arthur's woodwork, and laughed a whole lot more louder. Arthur had coated half his woodwork in Turpentine. I then went back to the K.H. room and get some proper Shellac oil, and started...er... Shellac-ing my woodwork. Julian did likewise.

Arhtur: Oh bugger the whole thing!! I have an idea!

With that, Arthur emptied half the Shellac bottle into a small container, and then dipped his woodwork into it.

We went to class laughing like a trio of drunkards!

There and Back Again

Ever heard about the book The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolken? As I was flipping through Christopher Paolini's Eldest, I got bored of the rookie's writing, and found myself drifting to the skilled stories of the great J.R.R. Tolken. My mind zeroed in on one book in particular, The Hobbit.

I don't know why, but I regard The Hobbit as a masterpiece, like The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, The Wizard of Oz etc. From the first page, I could 'feel' Bilbo Baggins. I understood exactly how he felt, why he made the decisions he made etc. I felt his terror as he faced the Trolls, I felt his confidence as he hacked at the Spiders, I was biting my fingernails as he traded riddles with gollum (I even memorised all the riddles), etc.

Tolken somehow made Bilbo grow and mature in the book. And I don't just read it, I feel it. I see his way of thinking change as he is exposed to the outside world (Middle Earth). Lets face it, very few authors have the ability to make their fictional characters grow in their stories. Christopher Paolini certainly does not have this ability; Eragon the Dragon Rider still acts and thinks like he used too when he was a farm boy! The authors that have the ability include Tolkien and D.J. McHale. McHale demonstrated his skill in the Pendragon series. I won't say I'm a fan, but I have read books 1-8, and will read book 9 and 10 at any given time. The story is awesome. The entire idea is new, and the pregression of the whole story is just....wow. To write about fate and destiny, and the lives of a ka-zillion people in 10 separate worlds, and weaving them together, is not easy. In fact its downright hard. Hats off to McHale here.

Back to The Hobbit. Though I am a bit disappointed about the fact that Bilbo did not become a mighty warrior or a knight, and play an important role in winning the Battle of the Five Armys, I am content with the way the story ended. Bilbo went home, back to the Shire, the one place he wanted to be throughout his adventure. The one place where he will never again be troubled by Goblins, Trolls or Dragons. The one place where he could finish his book on his adventure: There and Back Again, A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins. Besides, he did become an excellent swordsman (Bilbo's sword Sting was actually a dagger), and Bilbo came back with enough riches to keep himself comfortable for the rest of his life.

Truly a beautiful book.

Fiction

I know you all 'Expect' me to write about the Aspirers Camp (for those of you who attended the camp, you'll get the joke), but I'll write some other time, when the pictures are sent out.
I want you all to read the following story.



Bill opened the front door at the second knock. He came face to face with the new kid in town.

"The party is in the living room," yelled Bill over the music, and jerked his thumb toward the general direction of the noise. As the teenager walked past, Bill shook his head in disgust. The kid was probably only 14. Most everyone in the party was above 21. Bill knew he was to blame. It was his idea to set up a sign that said 'all invited' in big bright letters. Of course all the kids in town knew to stay away from any 'grown up' parties. All except for this one, it seemed. Bill caught up with the new kid, and led the kid away from the party, muttering "Few things you need to know."

"The people in the party are older than you, so I'd like it if you...just let them be. Second, there's a girl there, 15 years of age or so. You are by no means to touch her, dance with her, or hit on her. She is my sister. Not to be rude, but I can be a little paranoid when it comes to my sister and guys," Bill spoke rapidly, so as to mot miss the party. He looked as serious as possible.

The teenager squeaked something in reply, looking nervous. Bill merely grunted and walked back to the party. The teenager, somewhat shaken, followed Bill into the living room.

* * *

Bill was having a great time at the party. He had danced with a few girls, made sly, witty remarks that made him look cool and carefree. Now he was standing at a corner talking to Amy. Bill had a huge crush on Amy since they first started high school. Now that they were both studying in the same University, Bill felt he stood a chance with her.

Amy was a real beauty. She had large, light brown eyes, with shoulder length brown hair. She had a cute button nose, and a pair of luscious red lips. Her smile could dry a boy's mouth, and her dimples could send people over the moon. Her skin was milky white and unblemished. She stood over six feet tall, and moved like a river, swift, graceful.

Bill was mesmerized by the way her hair swayed with every turn of her head. He had just managed to muster enough courage to ask her for a dance, when he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. To his annoyance, he found the teenager staring at him. Bill, not wanting to look bad in front of Amy, asked the kid "Boy, how old are you?"
"15 sir," was the reply he got.
"Okay, what do you want," said Bill as nicely as possible. It did not work. An idiot could tell that the smile on Bill's face was forced, and he barely managed to keep his voice level.
"I want to know why is that lady over there sitting all by herself," squeaked the boy
"Maybe she's tired!" snapped Bill. How was he to know?
"I don't think so. I have not seen her do anything at all," insisted the boy.
"Look-" Bill stopped short. A sudden realization hit him like a brick. "Which lady?" he asked quietly.
"The lady in black, there at the far end," said the boy, gesturing towards a corner.
"Oh..." Bill said, thinking of what to say next, "She is sick, kid."
"Its not just any sickness, is it sir?" said the boy quietly. To Bill, the boy suddenly seemed a lot older.
"No, its not. It is a contagious skin disease. She only has a few more weeks left to live," said Bill, his tone softening. "it could have been cured if she had seen a doctor while the disease was at an early stage, but now..." he did not have to finish.
"So everyone just leaves her alone!?" said the kid, his voice rising. "She has a few more weeks to live, and she is spending it in a corner! The least you could do is talk to her! But I see you avoiding her just like everyone else!" the kid was shouting now, but no one could hear him over the speakers.

With that the kid turned around and ran towards the lady. Cursing vilely under his breath, Bill chased the kid, hoping that the hot blooded teenager would not be stupid enough to touch the lady.
The boy was fast. And he had the size advantage. He managed to dodge the dancing couples, leap over chairs etc. Bill...was not so graceful.



The boy reached the lady first. Without thinking, the boy threw his arms around the lady and hugged her. Bill arrived at the scene several moments too late. He stood rooted on the spot. The hug lasted a good 12 slow counts, then the lady broke the embrace.

"I don't think you know that I have a contagious skin disease, boy," said the lady in a quiet, sad voice.
"You do? Oh well, that makes the both of us now," replied the boy cheerfully.
"No, i don't think you get it. You could fall sick and...and...die," croaked the lady, her voice breaking.
"Well, the only thing left to do is to make the best out of it, then isn't there," said the boy. "May i have the pleasure of dancing with you?"

The woman stared at the teenager for sometime. Then she started sobbing, and the boy hugged her again. "Will you not have this dance with me?" asked the boy quietly.
The lady broke the hug and whispered a single word, "Yes."

A smile lit the boy's face as he and the lady moved to the dance floor. The crowd parted to let them pass. The two of them danced to a slow-ish song, and they were the only ones on the dance floor. As they danced, all those in the living room applauded. There was a huge smile on the lady's face, as she twirled her worries away.

Bill could not take it anymore. He turned around, dropped into the nearest couch, and wept his heart out. For the first time in a very long time, Bill cried.



At the end of the day, there wasn't a single dry eye in the house.


By: Azriel Chelliah

Odd...

It happened while I was coming home from church. I was in Uncle J's car, and we were both talking merrily.

Then, as we were on our way, I saw something on road (not on our side, but the road beside us, where cars go the opposite direction). As we drew nearer, I realized it was a motorcycle helmet. Then, as we drove past the helmet, I saw something beside the helmet. It looked like a round bowl standing upright. The inside was white, but, as the bowl-like-thing tilted a bit, I saw the outside: It was light brown, with streaks of red. But due to the fact that the road was a curve, i quickly lost sight of it.

I looked at Uncle J, and asked "Is that the top half of a skull there beside the helmet?"
The response was priceless: Uncle J hit the brakes, causing the car to jolt, and move a lot slower. I saw his eyes widen.
"Are you serious?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

I must have been deathly pale, because his eyes grew bigger, and he did not repeat the question. Instead, he asked me if we should take a U-turn and check it out. I nodded swiftly. He wheeled the car around in the next U-turn, and shot on.

As we neared the curve, Uncle J slowed down, and the both of us kept our eyes on the road. We went along the curve, but this time, we saw nothing. No helmet, no weird bowl/skull-thing.

Uncle J heaved a sigh of relieve. I laughed. The laugh was hollow, and it sounded fake, even to my ears. Uncle J is usually the type of person who would make a comment at something like this and laugh it off, but he took one look at my face and remained silent. I must have looked pretty bad. I knew I probably looked really pale, plus the frowning (the frowning comes when I'm deep in thought), and the pursed lips. Yeah, I think I looked like the scarier version of Lurch from the Adam's Family. Plus, I think Uncle J saw the helmet too...

I could have sworn (I did not, cause Christians aren't supposed to swear) I saw those two things. But seeing is believing, right? I saw nothing on a more closer examination, so there couldn't have been anything......right?



Or........



.

Intresting

The Batman hesitated. Catwoman was on her face, gripping her side. He had taken her out, but did he have to finish it? She was a woman after all. He hesitated too long.
Her leg lashed out, catching him in the gut. He doubled over, backing away. Catwoman leaped to her feet. "Poor Batman, always the gentleman," she purred. Then she scratched the exposed part of his face, drawing blood. He staggered to the edge of the building. Her lips curved upwards, forming a smug smile, before she punched, sending him over the edge of the building.

Later

Alfred: Everyone has their own weakness, master Bruce

Bruce: Yes, but I always thought it was my secret identity

Alfred: It seems you have found another weakness. One in the Catwoman








To Sherlock Holmes, she was always the woman. He hardly referred to her in any other terms. She had called his ingeniously planned bluff, and then donned a disguise of her own, and followed him back to 221 Baker Street. She was Irene Adler. The end results were the same, the documents were destroyed, but the ego of the greatest detective of all time was sorely bruised. She had outsmarted him at what he did best. The case Scandal in Bohemia will never fade from the memory of Sherlock Holmes.

Several months later

Watson: for god's sake, Holmes, forget the woman, like any sane man would! You're case was still
a success!

Holmes: Tell me, my dear Watson, how does one judge a success?

Watson: I would say that the answer depends on the man, wouldn't it?

Holmes: Quite so, Watson. Need I say more?

Watson: You are saying, that I judge a success by the end result, but you judge success on how you beat your opponent, are you not?

Holmes: Excellent, Watson. You catch on fast.

*pause*

Watson: Why did you not tell me the answer, Holmes? Was it really necessary to riddle me so?

Holmes: The fastest way for a man to understand something, is when he is forced to admit it himself. Otherwise, you would have argued with me, and I would have to debate with you, am I right Watson?

Watson: *sigh* Quite so, Holmes, quite

Holmes: Elementary, my dear Watson...





Above are some sentences that caught my eye. Notice how both the antagonists above are female... (I'm not saying anything...)

I like Alfred, because he is observant, wise, and witty. He just stats the facts, and suddenly things are much clearer. No messing around with possibilities, just straight to the point. And I love his off hand witty remarks. Hilarious!

As for Sherlock Holmes, he's the greatest detective of all time, whats not to like about him!
Read the Holmes/Watson dialogue above...now do you all see why I like Sherlock Holmes?
The guy is a genius!!

Forever Free

Of all the things I've ever seen,
Of all the dreams I've ever dreamed,
The finest sight that's come to me,
White horses wild beside the sea

They ran across the trackless sand
In that remote, forgotten land,
And in their running they were free
Beside the boundless, unchained sea.

They raced the first light of the day
And surged across a shallow bay
To feed at ease in grassy plains
With wind alone to groom their manes.

No barn or stable was their home.
No one could govern where they roamed.
They galloped on the fence less tracts
With no ones burden on their backs.

And each swift horse was nature's child
At home on land forever wild,
And each wild horse was meant to be
At home on land forever free.

A Poem

My life was careless,
My life was fun,
When I was a child
Now its done

I used to be young,
So naive
Now that's all gone,
Like a breeze

I wish I could go back,
To my days of youth.
To try and laugh
Like I used to

But I can't do that
The past is gone
Still I will try
To make life fun

For those of you older than me, you'll probably be thinking "He's still young. Only 15. He writes as if he's going through mid-life crisis." Just so you'd know, I wrote this because I miss my primary school life, and there are things I regret not doing.

Its a new Year

Hey everyone. I know its been a long time since I last updated my blog (more than half a year). I am gonna be 15 this year. Woo-hoo? I think not. I am also gonna sit for my PMR examination this year. A major turning point in my life.

2008 was a blast! I will even go so far as to say that 08 was the best year I've had. I knew that it (2008) was my last chance to kick back and have some fun (PMR, new subjects in form4 and SPM), so I made full use of it. I made some great friends (you know who you are), and I got to know my old friends a lot better (again, you know who you are). Here are some of the crazy things I did;

I met this totally whacked guy in my class, called Amandeep. He's from KL, and he's your typical normal kid, loves music, loves stand up comedies, and has a great sense of humor. He does all his homework, and listens to the teacher, and then tells us what to do (cause we wont be listening). There is this other guy, Aidan, the noisy, annoying, bugging one that keeps irritating us. And we all like him for that! Then there is this other guy that I've known for 5 years now. He's the weirdo, the one we all LOVE!! He does the weirdest of things at the oddest of times, and we all fall over laughing. On the outside, he is this shy, quiet kid. But on the inside, he's just as crazy and wild as the rest of us. I am talking about none other than....... Arthur Tan Junior! And then there's me. Together we make up the craziest group in our class.

One day, somewhere in the middle of the year, all four of us were feeling bored. Classes were a drag, and we all wanted to do something fun, dangerous and weird. So we started plotting in class (we all sat and still sit, this year, behind and beside one another). We made about a hundred paper boxes, the size of our palm (the type that cannot be opened, and the only opening is a small hole at the top). Arthur is really good at origami, and he thought us how to make it. The last subject was science, and we had sports earlier that day. It was the perfect time. During science, we changed into our sports attire. In the middle of our science table, there is a sink, complete with a tap and running water. We filled our paper boxes with water, through the small hole at the top, and............. let it fly! It was a water bomb battle. The paper boxes worked perfectly: during the time it takes us to fill the boxes with water, and throw it, the water softens the paper, so that, upon contact with anything, the paper bursts, literally. The water splashes out, and the victim is drenched, with little strips of soggy paper clinging on to him. The perfect harmless-yet-annoying weapon!

Yea, we nearly got caught for that one. Nearly. We also used to stay back in school, up to about five, six p.m. to play basketball. We used to play until we were too exhausted to even toss the ball. I remember once trying to get past Arthur to score (too exhausted to run, I only managed a slight jog), and he made one desperate run to stop me (did I say run? I meant, stagger). He managed to get in front of me, but I was too tired to bypass him. Heck I was too tired to even stop. I crashed into him, and we both went down, hard. Very hard. And then we burst out laughing. I'm serious, no moaning, no groaning. We just looked at each other and burst out laughing. We continued laughing for the better part of five minutes, and only got up about ten minutes later. That's how tired we were. Needless to say, our arms were killing us the next day.

There was this once, when Amandeep, me and Arthur stayed back in school for fun. Amandeep brought his electric guitar and amp, Arthur brought his keyboard, and I brought my guitar (which i plugged to the amp). We increased our volume to the max, and started jamming. The entire school heard us (afternoon session). They sent teachers after us! We played some familiar rifts, and then we just played a string of chords that sounded nice. At least I think it sounded nice.

Then there was the class group oral test! That is a day to remember! I did a little skit. The cast: Andy, Logan, Arthur, Deva, Amandeep, and me. I wrote the script the day before the test, in class (my cast members were pestering me to write it quick and hand it to them, but I told them I could only write when I get a brainwave, or when I'm inspired). I told them what to bring, and the next day I told them what the main story line was. I wrote very brief dialogues, telling them to improvise when on "stage". It was a success. All 4 A's for everyone! The play had so much humor that people actually teared while they laughed, and the teacher was having a hard time controlling herself...and the class. My classroom was chaotic. People/students/the audience (whatever!) roared with laughter (I later found out that the noise was heard throughout the block, and the one beside it!). The play peaked when we let loose the 'yo momma' jokes. If it was humorous before, it was the screaming riot now! Oh, and did I mention that the play was a musical? It was, sort of. I managed to write some short, simple lines, and then got Arthur to put a tune to it. The fact that one of my cast members was tone deaf only added to the amusement of those who could actually hear it.

Last year I also joined the Paulian Fencing Club, after a long, grueling debate with Arthur (he got me into it!). I quickly realized that my thin body and long limbs gave me a considerable advantage. It also helped that I could improvise. We had a competition among ourselves, and I emerged second (I'll beat you yet Nathan!!). Then we also had the competition against KTJ. That game was good. It was a continuous game, so we each add in our own points by scoring. In the end, the team with the most points wins. At first we were loosing...badly. 12-4. Then we managed to rise up, taking a 17-15 lead, thanks to Christopher and Sirajuddin, but then KTJ came back with force, crushing us to a 41-26 drop. But then I came in. I took on their team captain. In 10 minutes, I managed to take him out 13 times. He only got 4. I managed to slam KTJ, wiping off their smug smiles. It was now 39-45. But time ran out, so I could not win any more points. The end result was 50-43. At the end of the day, I was black and blue all over, with some pretty nasty red lines (caused by the swinging of the blade. It acts as some kind of metal cane).

I met the fencing club members at the start of the year. Now it's as if I've known them all my life. I met my other class friends at the start of the year (most of them anyway), but by the end of the year, we were (and are) inseparable. We buy each other drinks, get each other out of trouble in class, cover up for each other, etc. Let's face it, I made friends with a bunch of freaks. Now I'm one of them. 2008 was a blast.

But where does God fit into all this? All the events last year, and I hardly think of Him. Sure, I pray everyday, do my devotion. My faith has gone up several notches etc. He has given me a wonderful year, and I thank Him for that. He has given me wonderful experiences, and taught me much. I have changed, make no mistake, I have. Though I havent changed for the better much. It still is hard to follow all His rules and commandments (the water bomb incident confirms that). I am confident that by the end of this year, 09, I will have changed for the better. That is my hope, my prayer. To God be the Glory!

Oh, one final touch: Flame On!