When Kids Grow Up Oh-So-Fast

Syarah Adlina.

This 7-year-old cousin of mine actually has set up her own multiply.

Tell me, how scary it is that kids nowadays just grow up at such a rapid rate...

Yes, I'll be linking her Multiply from here from now on. Its on the list at the side there.

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Its Like FINALLY...

I was utterly emotional when I got to know the timing for the clash of the Reds. I had signed up as a participant in the NUS Mitsubishi Challenge by which the event had been confirmed to end after 9pm. Knowing there was no way my team would entirely miss the match since we were all soccer freaks, we hatched up plans to leave the dinner/prize presentation ceremony as earliest as we could. Our race might have ended at 5.30pm earlier, but we still had one last race to run for: to be able to watch even the last dying minutes of the game, for our team of four consisted of die-hard supporters of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal (ABU).

We even stooped to recce-ing Yishun before the dinner for the place to watch at since the ceremony was to be held at Orchidville Mandai Rd and that we were mostly from the East and were not familiar with the area.

That morning, I decided to carry my Liverpool bag from Adidas, probably hoping this would somehow bring in the luck that the team had sorely been missing all this while. It is true that we lost to United for the last 6 games, but I remembered 2 fateful games where United was totally outplayed by Pool throughout the match, only to win 1-0 by a corner kick that happened in the dying minutes of the game. That I knew, my team just didn't have their Lady Luck shining on them then. But with the amounting luck that Liverpool has been riding on this season so far, I somehow knew this season would have a turning point at some point of time.

Throughout the dinner, I was dependent on the updates by my brother who was watching the game at home. When he told me Tevez had hit the net in the 3rd minute, those hopes I had diminished, consoling myself of the "jinx" Liverpool seemed to always have with United. The second update came with me almost screaming my head off in the middle of the dinner and possibly disrupting the event: Liverpool had equalised!! An own goal by Wes Brown! Hope is all but not lost yet!

By the time the runner-ups of the race were announced, we were all edging by our seats, ready to leave. With no due disrespect to the rally's winners, it was not because we were sore losers or anything, but it was just the match that proved too much to be missed. We left right after the winner was announced, with some other teams also eager like us to make their way out, either having the same agenda as us or just trying to avoid the possible bottleneck problem of the cars later on.

It was the 72nd minute when we reached the coffee shop. Gerrard and Babel had just come on and Liverpool were definitely stronger than United in the midfield. The anticipation for something big was probably bigger than that of the GMax Extreme Swing before our teammate released the lever. And true enough, it came as a perfect pass from Kuyt to Babel before the latter fired home in perfect motion!

I was almost in tears. The feeling came almost as surreal as to how I felt for Istanbul. This was Manchester United, our arch-rival, the team that could dethrone us of the most number of league wins in history if they pick up as champions again for this season, the team we had been struggling against for 4 seasons. And we won it. Finally. Really, I can't even describe my delirium at that point of time.

As gracious as he could be (probably forced to be so due to 3 ABU fans against only him), our United fan shook our hands, admitting to the defeat.

Being a Liverpool fanatic, I really do not wish to jinx anything by saying that we would win the league this season and it is still too early in the season to conclude anything. But I do feel something different about my team this season. Maybe they just need to run around for a few matches like headless chickens before deciding on a common direction. And that common direction, I saw it when they won United.

And that is why, being headless chickens as they were, they still would never walk alone. Never.

Britney's Rewards

BRITNEY SPEARS SWEPT THE 2008 VMA WITH 3 AWARDS FOR BEST FEMALE VIDEO, BEST POP VIDEO AND VIDEO OF THE YEAR!

I believe, amidst all the bad press that she has been getting over the years alongside with the bad decisions of hers, good things come to those who wait.

Like her fans.

We truly support her, despite knowing she lip-syncs, she's our beautiful entertainer who achieved that overnight success with Baby One More Time.

Presenting one of the VMA's best moments of all time...

And lastly, the video that made all her comeback this year, click to watch it (embedding for all of this video has been disabled).

I LOVE YOU, BRITNEY!!!

Why I Love Living in the East

My family have always been easterners in Singapore ever since they settled in this country from Java. My parents grew up in the villages near Geylang Serai and were relocated to the estates in Bedok (father) and Geylang Bahru, aptly known as Kallang Bahru (mother).

They got married and shifted to Tampines, on the very day I was born. The first 8 years of my life, I slept at Bedok North on weekdays as my granny took care of me and my siblings, plus my kindergarten school was a few blocks away, and returned to my Tampines home on weekends. Then we shifted to Bedok South, about 15 min walking distance from the Bedok North house till I was 16, and currently, to my Bedok Reservoir home.

Needless to say, the East is like a bubble for me that I can't just seem to imagine to live out of. My Singapore roots are here, and there are just so many other reasons why I love and am proud of this part of Singapore. These are some of them, in no order of preference:


1) The hip and trendy East Coast Park, the classic Changi Beach and the up and coming home of the Downtown East, Pasir Ris Beach. Highlights of these beaches include at least 5 resorts, 2 bowling alleys at East Coast (undergoing renovations still?) and Pasir Ris, cinema at EHub, many many barbeque pits and campings etc. For the brave hearts, you can even add the Old Changi Hospital a distance away from the beach to check it out at night. Hehehe.

2) Its a food haven for the Muslims plus great 24hr supper chillout places. Ambience of Simpang Bedok with the TVs fixed on soccer on weekends and movies on weekday nights alongside with the best (so far as yet) Spaghetti Aglio Olio at Spize, seafood and authentic halal char kuey teow at Bedok Corner, Geylang Serai Mr Teh Tarik and Zain Cafe, Changi Village nasi lemak, and the list goes on. And on. I cannot list them all here, seriously. Its like I feel that I'm spoilt for choice.

3) Shopping malls like Tampines Mall and Parkway Parade boast of strong Isetan following. Basically you can find brands like Mango and Topshop easily in the heartlands without ever needing to step in town. Oh yes, there was even one year that Tampines came second to Orchard for being the most crowded in Singapore. The draw is there, for sure.

4) The gigantic Ikea, Giant and Courts. All next to each other. How convenient.

5) Expo. An alternative to Suntec City, it is less crowded although it is clearly not so during mega sales by Isetan, the now-defunct Metro, Popular and the numerous exhibitions ranging from cars to weddings.

6) The East-West line of the MRT. Most stations are very close to each other, making it only a 20 min journey from Bedok to City Hall. Plus, fares are definitely cheaper than the NEL. Yes, I care about that.

7) The Changi Airport. World-class, with restaurants like Popeye's and Earl Swensens, and cheap but good food in the canteens, the studying environment there, the viewing gallery, feeling close to flying by being up close with the cabin crews of various airlines...

8) Being connected with 3 major expressways; PIE, ECP and TPE. Despite the neverending traffic jams, the Easterners can save money on ERP with this network of roads. Plus, ECP is probably one of the most beautifully decorated expressways I've ever seen. Really, don't take things for granted, the ones at LA are nowhere near as nice.

9) The people themselves. There is an Eastern lingo in us, that we somehow love to identify ourselves as the East People. Its like, we're brothers and sisters and can connect with each other better because we all live in the same part of Singapore. Its a little hard to explain, but the East people would get it. Somehow.

10) Last but not least...


Its not exactly a good picture, and it was taken yonks ago. But this is the very scenery (well, part of it) that my balcony boasts of. At this time, Bedok Reservoir was clearly quiet. However, over the 8 years, water sports like canoeing, banana boating, dragon-boating, water skiing competitions (we were cheering for the participants from our window) have landed here. Plus, a Dutch theatre crew even staged an act as the closing ceremony of the Singapore Arts Festival here!! :p


I cannot envision living anywhere else. :)