It's Vesak Day, a public holicay in Singapore, today. I arranged to meet Alex and friends in his place for a mahjong session on Wednesday night. As I was running late, I took a cab which cost me slightly more than $10. I won about $5 in the mahjong session, and I spent another $10 for taxi back home.

And if that wasn't enough, I went to the book fair and spent $80 for subscribing to a comic I read regularly. Then I went upstair to the PC Show where I wanted to buy some SD card. I have a SD card reader, and my mobile phone uses micro SD. And I saw that they sell DVDRW pretty cheap, so I spent about $200 there on a 2gb micro SD, a 8gb SD card, and a DVDRW drive with a USB case.

And that's not the end. I am supposed to meet Alex for dinner at about 10om. As it was early, I went to JS pub, and ordered 1 jug of beer. At about 10pm, he sms me and tell me he still nua in bed and won't join me for dinner. At least, when I flew/attempt to fly him plane, it was not with a frivolous reason like being too nua. So I ordered another jug of beer. Cost me $55 total...

And I havn't bought Sacrifice, book 7 of the Legacy of The Force series which I am following. I planned to buy it today but forgot.

Continued from Arrival

18th May 2007

[IMAGE: Chom View Beach Resort]

We touched down in Bangkok the previous day and had taken a chartered van to Chom View Beach Resort here in Hua Hin. By the time we settled down, it's already midnight. We tried to explore the area, but there's nothing at all.


The next morning, we make our way to the beach. I am thinking of doing some tanning and maybe swim a bit. Does the beach look beautiful? But do you see anything wrong with the picture? There's nobody there.

[IMAGE: Giant Golden Buddha Statue]

Somewhere in the distance, we see a giant golden buddha statue. And along the way there are some nice houses by the beach. That's about all we found. And 1 thai lady giving massage service. Business must be bad.

[IMAGE: Resort pool]

We make our way back to the hotel, and Alex say that he'll swim some laps in the pool. The rest of us is not really keen on this, so we take a walk around the area again. It's as boring as the walk the previous night.

[IMAGE: Constructions]

There are a number of constructions there. However, they look more like they are abandoned than they under development.

[IMAGE: Condo]

Behind this board is stilts on swarm.

After Alex finished his swim, we checked out and went to Hua Hin City. An reaching there, we walked around looking for a place to have our lunch. I would prefer local food to fast food restaurants. After walking around, we find a number of restuarants that we have in Singapore, and no local restaurants. So we settled on this

Unfortunately, after lunch, we had a walk around and found the local restaurants that we were looking for.

[IMAGE: Sightseeing]

We see s amemorial statue and a picture of the King holding a camera.

[IMAGE: Fire engine]

We passed by the fire station. There are a number of fire engines in there, but this particular fire engine parked outside caught my eye.

[IMAGE: Railway station]

This is the historical railway station that is still in operation.

[IMAGE: Railway track]

This is the track obviously.

[IMAGE: Rent-a-autobike]

We then rent 2 autobike to travel around the place. Bel can't ride even if her life depends on it.

[IMAGE: Cloud]

Cloud is not keen as well. But he did tried it once. And buang. Got 2 big souvenirs on the left elbow and 3 small 1s on the left knee. After that, he add a no seafood clause to this trip. And that's on top of the no hot stuff and no roadside stall clauses.

[IMAGE: No gasoline]

I had barely got used to riding the bike when it runs out of gasoline.

[IMAGE: Map]

The green dot at the bottom is the place where I ran out of gasoline. It's right in front of the lunch place. I asked around on where can I get the gasoline. I was instructed to turn right and travel for a bit and I'll see it. Alex took me as pillion and went to look for the gasoline. We went until Dechanuchit Road and still did not find the gasoline shop. I asked another guy for instructions. This time, he told me to Naebkeharst Road and then turn make a left turn to Petch Kasem Road and make a right turn and I'll see the petrol kiosk on my right. Again, we overshot. Luckily we were able to find the road to turn to when we turn back.

[IMAGE: Refill Gasoline]

We got the gasoline and make our way back via the same way.

Later, I learned that the reason that Alex chosed the orange bike is because he sees the fuel level for hte blue bike is quite low so he let me have it. While I am alright with getting stuck with the problematic bike, I felt that his reasoning a bit flawed. If he sees the fuel level too low, he should have tried to get another bike with slightly more fuel. There were a lot of other bikes there. When my bike runs low on gasoline, he still has to bring me around hunting for it. Not much good it did for him to have a bike with sufficient fuel.

[IMAGE: Terrace by the sea]

After the gasoline issue is solved, we continue exploring Hua Hin City. We went to the terrace by the sea on the map and find a temple there.

[IMAGE: Hua Hin City in Paronama View]

Then we went to see Hua Hin City in Paronama View. It's just a jetty.

[IMAGE: Naval ship and marines]

There's even a naval ship docked, complete with marines.

AFter this we got nowhere else to go, so we return the bikes and went back to hotel to wait for our transport to go back Bangkok.

Continue at Tawandeng

17th May 2007


As usual, it's cockups before we even reach Bangkok. Alex told me the flight is at 6pm, and told me to meet at Bouna Vista MRT at 4pm. At 3:45pm, he sms me again to tell me changed to 4:15pm. At 4:05pm, as I was walking along the way, I called him to check how far is he from Bouna Vista MRT. He's still home. The MRT journey alone will take him 15 minutes at least, and he does not live inside the MRT station.

As I was resigning myself to some wait in the MRT station, I decided to call him again and see if he's still at home. If he is, I want to ask him to bring me a DVD to watch on the plane. He was already downstairs. He forgot to bring socks and was contemplating whether to go back to take. So I provided him with a convenient excuse to be even later.

That is not the only cock up. We were supposed to switch train at Tanah Merah MRT station and I forgot about it. When we past Tanah Merah, Alex asked me if we should change train anywhere, I told him yes. And we continue happily sitting on the train until we reach Tampines. Thats when I realize we overshot our station. So we take the opposite train back, and then switch the train, and managed to reach the airport when everyone has boarded. Bel and Cloud were already there for some time when we reached. We hurriedly check in and board the plane.

[IMAGE: Bangkok New Airport]

The Bangkok new airport is very big. And looks much nicer than the old 1. There are also more food stalls. There's only 1 stall in the old airport and the food tastes bad. The new airport have much more restaurants, and they look like their food taste decent. Bel and Cloud bought something, they didn't complain. :P

[IMAGE: Married Statue]

There's this statue greeting us right after we left the plane, on the way to clear our custom. I don't know what the statue is of, but we get to see similar statues everywhere in Bangkok. 1 thing I am quite sure of is that it's married. He's wearing a ring on the wedding ring finger.

[IMAGE: Airport Exit]

Instead of automatic sliding doors or air curtains, they use revolving doors as the exit. However, they have normal glass doors to the side of the revolving doors. And it's opened most of the time. No 1 uses the revolving door, and so much for saving the air-con as well.

[IMAGE: Car park]

They have a gigantic car park. This picture above is just half of it. Ball told me he don't like this car park as the entrance is quite misleading and he missed it most of the time.

[IMAGE: Van to Hua Hin]

We booked 4 seater to take us to Hua Hin, and they sent us a 6 seater. :P The driver is a nice guy and he say he can bring us to a nice and cheap shop for dinner.

[IMAGE: 1st dinner]

This is where he brings us. It's really cheap. Cost us only 270B for 5 of us, including the driver. And it tastes nice too.

We reached Chom View, our resort in Hua Hin, at close to 11am. Took us about 4 hours.

Continue on Hua Hin

This year, we had the dinner 2 days earlier, on a Friday, on 11/5/2007. We had it together with my aunt(Dad's sister)'s family. We went to Jumbo Seafood Restaurant in East Coast Park. The food is quite nice, though my uncle and aunt are concerned about their cholesterol level and did not had much.

Few years ago, my army friend, Andrew, proposed to his girlfriend and she agreed. They went about preparing for the wedding. They got their flat, bought the wedding rings, booked the restaurants, etc.

Unfortunately, during this time, Andrew met another girl. Very soon, this girl is giving Andrew 2nd thoughts about his upcoming wedding. In the end, he called it off and broke up with his bride-to-be to be with this new girl.

1 year after being with the girl, he realise he still loves his ex-almost-to-be-wife-girlfriend. He looked her up again. She was hurt badly by his rejection, but she still find it within herself to accept him again. Even her parents are acceptive of him as a son-in-law again. Now he was torn between the 2 girls.

Recently, I received a wedding invitation from Andrew. The 1st question I ask is of course, which girl? He told me it's the original girl. After 1 big round, they are getting married again. I hope he won't fly her aeroplane again. Anyway, I believe that after all that happen, he should be more sure of his feelings to the girl this time. It might really be happily ever after for them...

Liverpool lost 2-0 to AC Milan in the Champs Final this time. This time Ancelotti got it right and Benitez got it wrong this time. Milan really played well, but I thought we played better. It was just to be. I thought the decision to play Kuyt is the wrong move. Though he's good and he works hard for the team, but he's always not likely to score though he did score 1 towards the end. Anyway, it's over for now. Hopefully, we get to play in more finals in the years to come.

This season of EPL has finally ended for Liverpool. We are in 3rd position this time, 21 points less than the champion, 15 points less than the runner up. Hopefully, we next season we can be 1st, or at least within 5 points of the champion... Familiar statement this is.

This is also Robbie Fowler's, aka GOD, last game for Liverpool. This is the 2nd time he has to leave. The last time he leaves really leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Not his fault. It's rather, the way that he has been treated. He is a very good striker. Unfortunately for him, there is a another new striker, Michael Owen, coming through the youth team.

In terms of scoring powers, they are at least on par. But I feel with Owen, he's not able to create opportunities to other players. And his greatest weapon is his acceleration. He is able to reach to speed in a very short time, thus able to surprise his opponents many a time to get into good positions. The problem with that is that as opponents get used to his style of play, they are better able to deal with him. And that as time goes by, his muscles cannot take the strain of his running and injuries starts to happen more frequently. Fowler has a much better brain and is a better player all round. But Owen has another important factor to his favour. He has a boy next door look, while Fowler has a junkie look. So the manager at that time, Gerard Houllier, favours Owen more. This is still ok. But whatever Fowler do, he will not be considered to the 1st team unless Owen is injured. He can score hat-tricks, come on as late substitute to score the winning goals. But if the next game Owen is fit, he'll be on the bench. And to make it worse, when GH became the manager, he makes Fowler the vice-captain. Not because he believes in him, but because by appointing the popular Fowler as the vice-captain, he gains brownie points with the fans. And when he gains popularity himself, he dumps Fowler. Fowler didn't even get to say farewell to the fans.

So this time, he gets to do it properly. The fact that he gets to do it at all shows what a good people manager the current manager, Rafa Benitez, is. Even though Fowler left Liverpool, his heart has always been with Liverpool. Even his goal celebrations while in other team is Liverpool themed. Though he has left Liverpool, his heart has never left. His career and life is really ruined by Gerard Houllier.

1.5 years back, Rafa is in need of a backup striker. He chosed to bring back the lost son. At that time, I was thinking if it's another PR move, GH style. It proves a shrewd moves. If for nothing, having him in the team is already a plus. This guy just bleed Liverpool. There is no one better to set an example for the younger players. Together with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, they really shows what playing for Liverpool is all about.

Now, when Rafa decides not to extend Fowler's contract, I am convinced that Fowler is not a move born out of PR. On his last game in Anfield, though the result is inconsequential, Rafa names Fowler as the captain. And in the 89th minute, he substitute Fowler out so that he can receive a standing ovation from the fans. But Fowler is unlucky that immediately after he came out, Liverpool is awarded a penalty. If Rafa acted 1 minute later, he would have his perfect farewell.

Being able to see Fowler put on a red shirt again is up there as 1 of the best moment of my life as a Liverpool fan. As good as when we won the Champion's League coming from a 3-0 deficit at half time. There are things that will always look out of place. Fowler in anything other than the Red Liverpool jersey is 1 of them. Now that he's leaving again, I hope Rafa will have a change of mind. But if not, I wish all the best to our GOD, Robbie Fowler.

I overslept on the bus on the way back home. By quite a lot. Near the place where I alight, is a canal. Beside the canal is a 2km jogging track. Plus a bit of distance before the start point and after the end point, it's about 2.1km. I decide to be Scrooge, and walk the canal home. I timed. I took 21 minutes to do it. At the end of it, the back of my shirt has become a map.

This is a very highly anticipated film. Unfortunately, most who have seen it thought it's not as great as they hope it to be. I thought it was decent though. Except that the story may be a 'lil bit too congested. They trying to tell too many things in 1 movie.

Spoiler

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The main draw of the Spiderman comic is that despite been a superhero, Spiderman faces the problems of the average student. He faces BGR problems. He struggles to earn enough money to pay for his school fees and rent. And he's just a boy growing up. When he discover he has the powers of a spider, he did not join the superhero profession immediately. Instead, he used it to earn pocket money. It took the death of his uncle Ben, and the famous last line, "With great power comes great responsibilty", to make him see the errors of his ways.

For Spider-man 3 movie, it's similar. After the initial mistrusts of him by the public due to the papers trying to paint him in a bad light, he has now become popular. And that has caused a nerd like him to have a massive boost in ego. His own obsession in his success caused him to be blind to the problems of his girlfriend, Mary Jane. When he told his aunt May that he wants to propose to MJ, she told him that a man has to put his wife above everything, including himself. He said that he can, but he actually didn't.

And when he later came into contact with the alien symbiote, he become worse. He starts getting arrogant and violent. He hurt even more people, including his good friend Harry Osborn.

Harry had hated Spider-man. He believed that he's the one who killed his father, Norman. When he discovers the room where his father kept his equipment for Green Goblin, he took over the mantle of the Green Goblin and seek revenge on Spiderman. Fortunately, he came to know the truth of his father's death and patched up with Peter Parker.

Escape convict, Flint Marco, is the 1 who killed his uncle. He was running away from a burglary and wanted to take uncle Ben's car. He accidentally pressed the trigger of his gun and killed him. He was guilt ridden, but he still need to find enough money to pay for his daughter's operation. While running away from the police, he barges into a science experiment and become the Sandman. With his newfound powers, he resorts to robbery to raise the money and was thwarted by Spiderman numerous times. He finally attain piece of mind when he confesses to Spiderman about his killing uncle Ben and Spiderman forgave him.

And lastly, there's Eddie Brock. He's Peter Parker's rival in photo journalism. When Peter Parker exposes his dishonest deeds to get recognition, he has an axe to grind with Peter Parker. Then, when Peter Parker removes the alien symbiote, it feel to him and he became the venom. He sought to kill Spiderman.

In the 1st Spiderman movie, MJ was Peter Parker's childhood crush, but in the original comic, Peter Parker was with Gwen Stacy. In the 1st movie, MJ was captured by Green Goblin and thrown down from Queensboro Bridge and saved by Spiderman. In the original comic, it's Gwen Stacy who was thrown. But Spiderman did no managed to save her and she died. It was after her death that Peter Parker came to be with MJ. In Spiderman 3, Gwen Stacy become the alternate love interest of Peter Parker, and he uses her to spite MJ.

With so many subplots, it's no wonder most people don't enjoy it. I thought it was ok, though I would wish more focus to be given to Harry Osborn and Venom. I especially like the part where Peter neglects MJ.

1 other thing that I don't like about the movie is that MJ appears frail and seems to be the damsel in distress too many times. Mary Jane is supposed to be a feisty woman and very capable of looking after herself. She is trained in self-defense with teachers including Captain America, and had even saved Spiderman's life a few times.

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Colin asked me to go Zuok last night. I wasn't really keen, but he said he's going with a girl that he likes, and a bunch of guys. And that, he probably would not get to talk much with the girl and ask me to accompany him. So I agree.

It's really a circus. The girl is really pretty, but including me, there are 5 guys. At 1 point, 2 more friends joined in. So this girl was dancing with 5 guys surrounding her with me and my friend outside the circus. I thought this is crazy. And when we move around the different rooms, it's like a queen bringing an entourage to places.

I wonder how she feels. Does she revel in the attention or she's oblivious to it all. Surely she knows at least a couple of those guys are interested in her? Anyway, it's her problem.

There's this lady, Shirley, whom I thought is a interesting girl. But for certain reasons, I am wary, and I did not act on it. We remain as just acquaintances, and I am happy for it to remain so.

I was having beer with Colin on Friday night. As we were leaving, I sent Shirley a message asking her out for supper. That was actually the first time that I asked her out, and she said ok. However, I was talking to Colin and took too long to reply a confirmation to her. By the time I replied, she was on the cab almost reaching home. Oh well, next time I guess.

I've been watching Hong Kong TV serials recently. 2 incidents in 2 different series have set me thinking. A male character were diagnosed with a terminal disease and do not have much time to live. Both of them have a steady girlfriend. Not wanting to burden their girlfriends, they acted mean to their girlfriends and tried to break up with them. Is this a noble act?

I disagree. They are just trying to be a hero. If their girlfriends are truly in love with them, by denying them the opportunity to share their weal and woe, it's doing a disservice to them. It's belittling them. If they are not willing to take the burden, then it should be their choice.

I always bring something with me to the toilet. It can be a book or a game. Just to keep me occupied and distract me from the other elements.

This morning, I brought my PDA in and I was playing Big 2 when, *gasp*, the stylus dropped!! It goes right into the bowl before I can do anything. What's on top of the water is way too gross to attempt anything, so I have to forgo it. It cost me $14.

Then when I flush later, it still there.

It was pretty hard placing the towers very close to each other. Sometimes you thought you place your mouse pointer correctly, and yet when you click, it does not get placed. And sometimes your hand moved a bit just before you click, and the tower is placed on the wrong place. And it will have block the place you want to put and that space is wasted.

Recently then I found out how to place correctly using the button. For the 1st time, I can place the cannons on every single available positions. It's still not enough to kill all the enemies in the last stage though. And I took my eye away for 3 seconds, and too many creeps escaped and I died.

I wanted to go East Coast skating today. I got Alex who's ok with it. We thought we can have black pepper crab for dinner, but it's better to find more people so that easier to order other items.

Bel is supposed to be meeting her friends for dinner. So we suggest she and her friends join us for dinner. She's ok with it, and went to ask her friends. This is where it starts getting stupid. She can't contact her friend who lives in Pasir Ris. Bel say she called her twice and sent her an SMS but she did not reply. I told her to call every 5 minutes, but she say it's not a life and death matter, so shouldn't call so many times. But every minute we waited, means it's getting nearer to sunset, and less time to skate. They are supposed to meet at 6pm. So I probably have to wait till 6pm then will know if they joining us, and there goes my skating.

I thought we can go ahead to skate, and Bel and co come join us later, but they are not willing to make the trip to East Coast if Alex didn't go pick them up. I wanted to forget about them and just go skating, Alex tell me he's busy and ask me to go alone.

So no skating for me. I am so pissed off that I considered not going for the dinner as well. But well, I am a nice person. So I rant here and that's it.

update:
This is getting better. 1 of Bel's friend need to be back by 9+pm. We don't want to go back so early, so her friend will have to make her own way back. I can understand if her friend thinks it's too far and don't want to go. But Bel refused to even ask her friend if she's willing to go home herself. She say that they are supposed to meet at AMK. If she is to ask them to change to East Coast, she has to make sure that we go fetch them at AMK, and the fetch them back after that. What's so bad about ASKING them if they are willing to travel on their own? Anyway, they are not joining us after all. Waste of time waiting for them. And I don't get to skate.

update 2:
End up, I really canceled the whole thing because I forgot that today is the date that I am supposed to go watch Phantom of The Opera...

I went to The Pump Room with Art Beng and friends. Bumped into Daniel and wife there as well. There was a bunch of girls at the table next to us. There's this nice looking girl that I wanted to talk to, but simply can't bring myself to do it. Art Beng and Vic were pushing me on but I still can't. Lousy. In the end, Vic and Andy approached her. And Andy got her number...