25 Random Things - I lag.

Typed this out eons ago, but never posted it on FB though it was started there. So at least now its semi-private in a sense. Sort of have a 2-factor authentication since you have to login to FB, actively look at my profile, and actually click on the weblink to see this.

1) Tried to walk on water when I was 2. Ended up walking into the family koi pond.

3) Have an interest in creating things; pottery, cooking, craft, etc. I mean, before you learn to destroy, you have to learn to create isn’t it? The former is pretty simple.

4) Have been called the following names : Handsome Rob, don dextario corleone. Will soon be known to those in the faith as Mikhail. Alright, actually more commonly known amongst buddies as dex, dexxie, dexterior, dexta, dextard, sex, sexter. Last 2 are more a reflection of their cognitive processes than my character and/or habits.

5) Gave my older brother a couple of stitches on the head with a golf putter when I was about 5. Have to quickly establish who’s boss. Young and dangerous and a whole lot of dumb. Actually it was an accident. We were digging a hole in the rain.

6) Jack of all trades and master of none. A master jack at that. Have my hands in a lot of things, but never adept in them. Life’s too short to focus on anything without economic/social value.

7) Money can’t buy you happiness. But it sure pays the medical bills and sends the kids overseas if they want to. I suppose it buys you choice and hey! Choice makes people happy. Therefore I do not apologise for a certain degree of materialism, as long as there is integrity in pursuit.

8) Have been a young man in a hurry the past couple years but decided to enjoy the days of my youth before they run out. Actually maybe now’s a pretty wrong time to be slowing down.

9) Used to campaign for the PAP when I was 19 at the only opposition ward left. Felt that my efforts weren’t for the social good of the people, so I stopped. Just like why Wu Ming let Qin Shi Huang the tyrant live to unify China in the epic movie “Hero” -- for the greater good.

10) I indulge in people watching once in awhile and imagine their lives from a first person point of view. Have let friends walked past without saying hello, and they’ll never ever know we were at a similar reference point in the universe across all 4 dimensions. I know I’m not alone in this because people will say “oh I saw you just now”, only because I saw them later.

11) Place utmost importance in loyalty loyalty loyalty. And if you can’t keep the Omerta, à “It is better to have no friends, than to have stupid friends” –will quote as anonymous for the time being.

12) Have only recently dared to catch lizards with my hands. First time after I had some whiskey courtesy of Crazy James. Flying roaches are still damn disgusting.

13) Got dragged out of class (by the tie) for the first time in my life in secondary 3 and was awarded what, 24 hours of detention? But it never happened. I made him an offer he don’t refuse…

14) Am not a big fan of procrastination but doing work consistently is like throwing 1 piece of tissue down the toilet and flushing. Its better to throw more in first. Don’t jam the bowl or you’ll get shit everywhere, not good. I suppose there are fine lines separating hard work, smart work and sloth. Balance my friends, balance!

15) Thought I had the calling to Priesthood when I was 11. I remember very clearly. My mom thought the time had come for her to sacrifice a son. The birds sang their lullabies; the winds blew their tune, all the earth rejoiced. But alas, all the girls cried: “why? Why? This can’t be happening!!”

16) There are only 3 great celebrations; birth, marriage, and going home. The world rejoiced the first, will celebrate with me the second, and will weep the third. At least that’s the life I imagine. How would you be remembered? “Man gets knocked down by bus and dies” or “nation mourns the tragic passing of ……” There has to be more to it than just doing your own thing…

17) I used to be a kind of advice junkie. I’d talk to a lot of adults and receive a heap of advice. In the end I suppose its all about applied knowledge, and taking the path less travelled. Ah, “two roads diverged in a yellow wood….”

18) I remember a couple of years ago the person whom I considered my mentor once told me: whatever you do in school, don’t be like everyone else. They don’t know what the f**k their doing right up to graduation. Well then I thought I knew what I was doing, but as it turns out I got it all wrong. It’s okay though. I believe it’s not how you start, but the end game that matters.

19) I tend to play games with myself..especially during traffic jams. I’d pick a car and try to beat him with multiple lane changes and see who comes in first. As it turns out usually the car that keeps in his lane wins most of the time. I suppose the same goes for going long on the market as opposed to day trading.

20) I get awfully annoyed with people who try to convince me of making my way down to listen to some guy talk. And their pitch always ends with “how often do you get to listen and talk to a millionaire? Very rare chance.” Eh hello, those are millionaires only because you made them one. Besides, 3 out of every 200 people in Singapore are millionaires. And don’t listen too much, they cloud your judgment and stifle creativity.

21) If there was one thing I could change about the past, I’d reduce the amount of time I spent on TV and games. I think I’ve ADD now because of that. Attention span abit too short.

22) I can walk through a supermarket and associate a lot of food I see with people I know/once knew. Selective observation and memory of course.

23) I believe a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.

24) There are plenty of things I wish I could say to people, but some things are best left unsaid though it burns me up inside. I suppose the measure of a man is not what he says, but what he chooses not to.

25) I’ve always wondered what people prayed for. It provides more insight than anything you could ever know.

I find no sin with this man

"There are people in this world who go about demanding to be killed. You must have noticed them. They quarrel in gambling games. They jump out of their automobiles in a rage. They humiliate and bully people whose capabilities they do not know. These are people who wander through the world shouting, kill me. And there's always someone ready to oblige them. "




But I won't do anything, because as long as his business does not interfere with my business, then there is no problem. There are more urgent issues at hand...besides, family will always be there for you to deal with.

Why can't we all just, get along ? -The Joker

I think it is one thing to argue your point, and another to argue just for the sake of arguing. One is constructive, one just causes wars to be fought.

There comes a point in time where the peaceful, unassuming, diplomatic man finds himself face to face with the rude, the impolite, the tactless, the artless. Oh the horrors of it all. I performed a quick calculation in my head, setting values to various actions and outcomes in accordance to game theory, and the Nash equilibrium which i was satisfied with was to simply do nothing.

The obvious drawback of keeping silence is the other party declaring victory at having proven a point. Maybe I am so proud as to not reply because I can't be bothered to form a rebuttal. Maybe it is in my best interest to let the other feel victorious. Maybe, I just don't give a damn. There are many different ways of saying the same thing. You may choose to be condescending or encouraging, polite or rude, tactless or diplomatic, harsh or gentle.

The inherent assumption here is that people make choices only if they realise they have choices. It is natural to assume that all of us make choices in the way we say things. Not so those with a horridly low EQ because how would you make a choice if you don't know how?

I had in my mind to explain diplomacy and basic communicating tactics that everyone should know, but who am I to teach? Such an honour should go to Life, and all the other tough guys out there. Someday, and that day will come, you're gonna get shit on your face.

You think I'm joking?

I've always wanted to write something about this, but I've never gotten down to doing it. This post is also coincidentally the first post of my newly titled web log. I've had 2 of them previously but they're now hidden somewhere. It is often in my most pressing of times that I choose to do the unnecessary. Thus I exercise more, read, hypothesize and converse more with friends when deadlines and examinations draw near.

Anyways. There's always the remote possibility that you've got crap on your face. Remote, but possible. Let me explain.

Let's say one John Tan lives somewhere in the East Coast, and one fine blue Monday morning he's late for school. Now it rained heavily the night before, thus causing an overnight piece of dog poo to permeate into the grassfield between his home and his usual bus stop. There is of course, still remnants of poo on the ground surface. John see's his bus approaching, and he sprints across the field. He is obviously oblivious (hah! obviously oblivious) to the fact that he stepped on the spot of overnight-rain-dissolved shit. So he arrives in the lecture hall and he's late, but he sees his friends on the 2nd row from the back. He doesnt want to step on anyone's shoes by going through the sides, so he steps over an empty seat on the 1st row to get to them.

An hour later of course, you sit on that seat John stepped on. And later the lecture gets boring...and it's getting cold and your hands are clammy. So you squirm and bite your lips and sit on your hands. Then an SMS comes in and you reply. And after class, you take a call from your friend. And that's how you get shit on your face.