No contest

I have never taken much to competitions; the idea of putting myself out in the field and competing for that trophy like my life depended on it has never been much of a draw to me. Especially competitions that require me to look at my competitors with viscious eyes that say, “I’m gonna pummel you”, or vice versa.

So, whenever a chance to take part in a competition comes up, my answer is always a flat “no”. I’ve never thought much about it, I thought it’s just my mellow personality that dislikes competitions.

I’ve been watching “So you think you can dance”, and it always tears me up when I see the fall of disappointment whenever one talented finalist gets voted out of the competition. But, I’ve been to enough competitions to know that it’s never just about winning or losing; it’s about learning – from your own mistakes and others’. But no, I cant stomach the disappointment of losing, and so, I choose to run away from it whenever I can.

———

On another note, chinese new year is coming up, and I have no idea how to clean my room. I’ve received various comments about it:-

Sis: “i think… the house’s storeroom is neater”

Mummy: “your room is worse than a pig’s sty”

Some friends: “wah, kat! you have a guy’s room!”

A very polite friend, after I apologised for him having to see my messy room: “it’s groovy”

Brother: “tsk tsk”

Dad: -walk in-, -chuckle-, -shake head-, -walk out-

Presenting.. room of the century. hy and I have a reason for this mess – habitual chucking.

As you can see, my cat has the knack of settling himself onto whatever surface he deems comfortable. In this case, it’s a hand lugguage with a floor towel thrown on top of it. See how accepting my cat is of our flaw.

10 years . a decade

It’s been a decade of friendship.

So, it’s a makan (seafood galore) trip to Pengarang in celebration, just an hour away from changi’s coast.

The “couple”; see how lewei lovingly puts his arm around james.

Berji

Taking in the cool, salty morning air

Lazy town of Pengarang

The dishes just kept coming..

.. and we just kept eating..

the carnage

lewei’s the fish man.

liang

happy pengarang shopping

Happy 10 years, you guys. (=

To have and to hold

 It’s my dear cousin’s wedding over the weekend; the most anticipated event of the year.

Double happiness

Wedding bells

The man himself, going to pick his wife up

Even I feared for his taste buds; one wrong answer to the “sisters’” QnA and his taste buds will be history.

Goofing around at bride’s house

At church – the adorables

Wedding vows

Every girl’s dream

Smile, Ernest!

S1 and me – helping out at the reception before dinner

The siblings and their respective partners. Look at our culturally diversed evening wear – S1 in traditional vietnamese Ao Dai; brother-in-law in traditional filipino shirt; and me in our chinese cheongsam.

There’s always time to goof around

Presenting Mr and Mrs Johnson Tay

——-

Here’s my to-have-and-to-hold for the next semester. yay.

School only seemed to have officially started yesterday; the stress is setting in.

Hello readings, deadlines and endless project meetings.

It’s raining out.

It’s raining outside. Heavily. Gives that feeling of melancholy.

– 

“You know what they say about coffee, men and chocolates – some things are better off rich.”
Beats me, but I was highly amused by this statement when I first heard it. It’s the clever use of English, I suppose; and how it must be diminishing for men to be banished to the same level as coffee and chocolates.

–

I feel that I didn’t get good shots during the Sikkim trip, I dont know, they feel kind of shallow and boring. Or maybe I’ve been staring at them way too much. You know, it gives an air of importance to be responsible for 2 photo exhibitions for the OCIP, but honestly, it’s quite stressful.

You’re constantly worried about not being able to cover all grounds for the exhibition, or you look at your photos when you’re back, and you realised you should have gotten more shots of this particular object; or should have leaned closer to the left for a particular shot; or should have focused on the kid’s face more; yada yada. 

All the should-haves come lashing out at you, and what you can do is to suck-thumb, try to cover it up, and hope for the best.

Living out of me

School’s started.

I feel strangely detached; like this daily routine I’m going through isn’t really mine.

This trip to Borong Polok was kind of a life-changing one for me. The immense amount of lessons I’ve learnt is nothing money can ever buy – those of heart-felt sincerity, relationships with people, and independence. The villagers have taught me alot, though they might not know it.

So, I came back to Singapore with a somewhat altered perspective to life, and somehow, idealistically, I expected a part of my life in Singapore to mirror how Sikkim was.

But I came to an awakening – everything is still the same; the two weeks I spent learning intangible lessons were just another two weeks for people in Singapore. There’s still a guarded distance between people; we still take many things for granted.
Nothing’s changed.

Project Argali . The People

The main cast of our project – Borong Polok’s villagers.

What we did:
1. Helped out at the village’s paper making unit
2. Taught English to children
3. Conducted basic computer lessons

Their sincerity shines, and it’s different, talking to them, they seem more.. unguarded. Their concept of hospitality puts a 6-star hotel to shame. Their smiles are more radiant, their laughter sparkles, and they’re hardy, more than any new-age Singaporean will ever be.

At the paper making unit, making paperbags

Kids playing. Girl in blue sweater is Nikita, and the girl in red is Prity.

Some students from my English class!

Shy away

Kids at the Sangam Academy

Cultural exchange. Kids doing Nepali dance

And us teaching them to play Father Abraham

Shanti warming up food in the fire

Shanti’s mum, making tea

Gheeta making tea, at another house visit

An old man pounding millet to make a Sikkimese home-made beer, Chang. Which is mindblowingly delicious.

House visit, all of us warming up by the fire

Shanti and friends and me

After a particularly enjoyable captain’s ball game.
You know, about me saying they’re hardy, it’s quite evident during the game. When the ball rolls down the rocky slope, they bound down the rocks to bring it back. And all’s well, even when the ball whacks them hard in the face. We’re embarrassingly weak in contrast with their strength.

The village’s kids, our guide TB, and us.

At a villager’s place, drinking tea

A cold morning at another villager’s place, drinking salty milk tea.

After a hard day of walking and “working”

Teachers at Sangam Academy

Painting a signboard at the paper making unit

RnR!! Crammed in a jeep.

Us in front of a very huge statue. A saint who brought buddhism out of Tibet, I think.

At the orchid garden

Night times are when we chilled out. With biscuits, and whiskey drank neat.

There we go, the Alcoholics not-so-Anonymous.

Project Argali . Nature Calls

How often do you wake up in awe every morning, and have your first words be, “Oh my goodness, this is so beautiful”?

To start the day with snow-capped mountains bathed red in the morning sun; and to end the day looking at orbs of light slowly lighting up from homes in the opposite mountains – darkness blends and I dont know where the stars end and the mountains begin.

Anticipate anticipate. Minutes before take-off.

Lines of taxis in Kolkata

Up the mountain we go

Walking

Tibetian Prayer Flags

The flower that blossoms so proudly in winter

Heaven’s rays

I thought that the misty mountains in the USA was an exaggeration, but after seeing the rows and rows of mountains, each mistier than the one in front from the condensation in the air, I’m convinced.

Fields of mustard plants

Tibetian Prayer Flag in Sunset

A day trip to the orchid garden

Temi Tea garden

Us!

My darling Xin, in her contemplative moment

Andrew and Joshua – guy talk

Wonders

A passing sight

Glorious sunsets