I am so loving Book Depository!

For these few days, I have been wanting to get my hands on Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol. I have read so much raving reviews about it that I am seriously tempted to read it and see if the book lives up to the hype.

So, I went to Popular, and the book price was SHOCKINGLY expensive for $48.15. So, I thought, why not use online bookstores for help?

I chanced upon Book Depository while reading a forum, and I tell you, you can never get this book for S$31 in Singapore bookstores.

Seriously. You see ar. If the book goes into the bestseller list by next week and receives a 20% discount, we will still end up paying around $40 for it. Even when using Amazon, the book costs S37, inclusive of shipping.

Book Depository offers free shipping to Singapore. Oh yes. Free shipping. And with the choice to choose the currency which they can bill me at, I am able to get some more discount (at the time of ordering, according to DBS exchange rates (cause i am using DBS debit card, you see), British pound offers the most savings compared to Euro or USD)! =D

I am so pleased that I can get the book at a S$18 discount from the original price in Singapore. This just goes to show how much profits Singapore bookstores are earning from every book they sell us.

And this also goes to show how auntie I am, getting so excited about getting a discount! =p

I can't wait to read my book, which will be arriving about 1-2 weeks later! =D Today, I survived a full seating of chilli crab.

In the past, when my mother cooks chilli crab, I couldn't tahan the spiciness and bowed out after eating 1 or 2 pincers. But today, I managed to sit at the table and eat until the whole family is done! Even though I have inflamed lips now, the shiok-ness is all worth it. =D

This week also marks the start of the new season of the US drama serials! =D Starting tomorrow, I will be able to watch my Grey's Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer and Desperate Housewives! =D

ZOMG I AM SO EXCITED! GREY'S ANATOMY!!!!! =D By luck, chance and fate (and some suspected behind-my-back bitchery), I am working alone for my AB214 negotiation project.

It was supposedly to be pair-work, and I was to work with this girl. However, with more time that we spend together on small in-class writing assignments, the more I feel that there will be clashes between the two of us.

Why do I say so? Well, we happen to have very different thinking and mindsets. She is very traditional, very 石板. Like that means like that, rules mean rules, and she refuses to look at newer perceptions. A stickler for rules and formality. Also, she is less empathic than me. It is clearly shown in her responses to some case scenarios. It's quite funny that me being a guy is more empathic than a woman. Actually, I get very annoyed with people like that. I can't stand stubborn people who cannot understand how people feel.

Moreover, we have different writing styles. She is very stubborn when it comes to her writing. She insists on writing HER WAY, and when we gave suggestions, she try to tweak our suggestions to fit her ideas. She also tends to dismiss and criticize ideas that seem ridiculous to her. The other two girls in my group don't mind that much, but I see it as very 固执 and unbending. I honestly believe that writing should be fluid, and writers should accept new ideas and look at writing at another angle. While I don't necessary agree on the way she writes, at least I don't criticize and be stubborn about it.

The straw that broke the camel's back came when she told me, after I tried to suggest that the paragraph can just exist with one sentence, "Paragraphs SHOULD never consist of one sentence". I was shell shocked with disbelief. For years, writing one-sentence paragraphs has always been part of my writing style, and my teachers have NEVER told me that it was wrong. Why can't paragraphs consist of one-sentence, if they make stylistic, grammatical and logical sense?

After hearing that, I got so personally offended. My beliefs that her being an unbending stubborn mule are reaffirmed, and from then on, I withdrew from group discussion. I do join in every now and then, but whenever she attacks my ideas, I just give a black face and withdraw from the conversation.

I think by now, after 2 weeks of giving her black faces, she got the hint that working with me isn't gonna result in anything substantial. That's why I highly suspect that her moving to another group was her own way of saving herself, and that's why I was given a cock-and-bull story about how come the three of the girls are doing the project together (I am too lazy to type out everything; just ask me if you are interested in what they came up with).

Not that I minded the underhandedness though, because the result is mutually beneficial to all the parties involved. I am no longer stuck with her, and she can feel free to dominate the other two girls with her writing style without looking at my black faces. Anyway, I was ready to suggest that we work alone, and was ready to tell my tutor that we cannot work together due to "irreconcilable differences". Luckily I didn't have to air any dirty laundry in public, and that my tutor is very easy-going about such things. She just gave her blessings to us. =)

So, yay! I can finally write my one-sentence paragraphs without feeling stifled! Thank goodness for behind-the-back bitchery (well, it takes a master of bitchery to appreciate the high level of bitchery that was done to me =p)! =D After watching so many episodes of 超级星光大道 and 百万大歌星, I am beginning to appreciate Hokkien songs more and more.

I mean, once you watched a lot of such Taiwan shows, and when almost half of the program consists of the singers singing Hokkien songs, 多多少少 will get influenced.

I think that Hokkien songs have their charm and beauty. Even though I don't understand much and uses the subtitles to get by, I can still appreciate the melody and the singers' emotions in the songs.

Moreover, I have been exposed to the original Taiwan albums, where the singers actually included Hokkien songs into their albums. A lot of those songs are nice you know.

I am especially mesmerized by 萧煌奇's 阿妈的话. I heard this song when he performed this song during one of the episodes on 超级星光大道, and the lyrics and the emotions had me drawn in. A very very nice song, and you should actually go listen (link provided; click the song title). =D

Not that I am abandoning my Canto roots (not that I listen to Canto songs *shifty eyes*). But I think it's nice to broaden my music world to other nice genres of music. =D

Edited to Add: How could I have missed out 徐佳莹's 身骑白马?? I first heard this song on 星光, when she performed with 徐詠琳. I think this is one of the nicest modern Hokkien-mix-Mandarin songs out there in the market. And yes, I am a 徐佳莹-fan now! =D Enjoy the video clip below! =D

On this day, 9th September 2009 (09/09/09), my brother POP-ed from his BMT in Kranji Camp II.

For this special day, I did something terribly wrong, which of course, I shalln't repeat in this blog. But, this could possibly be the first, and last time, that I get to witness a POP ceremony, having not been in one myself due to my PES status. So, yes, getting to watch my brother throw his jockey cap in the air is worth the "wrong". =p

The Passing Out Parade is quite interesting. There were pyrotechnics, which BMT so far hasn't done any. This is called differentiation ok. There were shows on how they defeat terrorists. Again, differentiation. HaHa! If you cannot compete with the "big guns", then be different. (This, my friends, is a good marketing/compensation strategy. Take note. =p)

Enough of my nonsense. HaHa! I'll just the photos "say" all the words from now on. =D











Congratulations, PTE Yip! =D Seriously, I think I have become a 兰赌鬼.

Seriously. Ever since the first week of August till today, I have been playing mahjong every Sunday (except for one week) with Joyce, PY and SL (except today instead of SL, we have CQ and Eldine gracing the event).

My god. I don't mind la, because I finished all my work for the week already anyway. I am just shocked that this Sunday mahjong session has sorta become a regular thing already. I don't even remember playing so much regular MJ last year. =p

And it all started with OPY saying in the first two weeks, "Must play now, otherwise later in the semester already no more time to play liao". And looked what happened. =p

I think I found the more 兰赌鬼. =p Once again, the 7th lunar month has befell upon us mere mortals, where we were all fearful of swimming at night and staying out too late (at least for the more superstitious).

And once again, I missed out on my family's 7th lunar month tradition, where we go down on the 14th of the month to burn paper offerings and offer food to the 好兄弟s, because I had to attend my elective.

Sigh. It's not that I really believe in all these, but, you know, it's family tradition. It's an activity I quite look forward to. Really. Burning paper and throwing food around can be quite fun you know.

At least I helped to fold the gold ingots. =p

Wonder if I can make it next year. I really hope I can. =S