Bonds

The wedding caused me to lose some sleep. I didn't realise how much I missed the time when we still had our gang Big5. Xiaohui in her cubicle, fuming over her missing mouse ball every morning. Doramon disturbing her from behind and me hiding in their cubicles. Bert and the girls in their corner. Muichin to Yuinping's right. The ladies chat in Lienoi's, Lizhen's and Meishan's cubicle. The nonsense as usual with the two brothers. Pangpipi, Cheehui, Zhishen and Adrian with their illegal LAN games beside a very quiet Yiahui. Annie warning me off from loading her Adrian with more accounting questions. As well as the two ladies from our sister company: Anne and Sheryl who stayed with us for a year. Not forgetting the Pacific Ocean. Whether Big5 or not, we been through the same difficulties for 4 years, gossiping every month in an event thinly veiled as a meeting. Our secretaries, through the years: Alice, Joan, Doreen, Janice, Elena.

If I go on to list my users, this would be another sleepless night. The names above transcend time and some of them never met each other. Yet, they all mesh together in one long dream. To say I don't wish to return is a lie. But I also know better that I couldn't relive what was no longer there. That too and the money.

-3H2U

Xiaohui's wedding - 29 Oct

[backdated to 29 Oct]

I had been looking forward to this date. At 6pm, I was lucky to get an early dismissal from RT. I took a cab ride and rushed home. Took a quick shower and waited for Xiaofen's cab. Together, we arrived at York Hotel.
"Hey, there's Bert!"
"Why you call him Bert?"
"Cos there was a time when his hair looked like the Sesame Street character"

"Hi... Is she your girlfriend?"
"Ya, isn't she pretty?"
[Alarmed look from Xiaofen]
"You are?..."
"Xiaofen la"
Forgot they never met -.-
Disclaimer: She's not my gf. It's a JOKE.

We looked at the photos. If we didn't know better, we would have thought we came to the wrong wedding.
"I rather liked her when she was cute cute"
"Aiyah, a girl can only be the prettiest person, once in her life"

[enter Loo Ping]
[enter Dylan]
[enter Pangpipi]

"JW (not his real name), where are you?"
"Lobby, turn left"
"Turn left? Oh..."
[Escorts Blossom in]
"Gina, don't walk so fast! No one’s forcing you!"
[Blossom grins]

JW, Xiaofen and Gina looked at the photos again.
"Hi everyone, please be seated"

[enter Angela]
[gasp] "She's thinner than before..."
"You got fat!"
"You got thin!"
"Where's your sister?"
"Oh she's not feeling well"
Hmm...

[enter Zhishen]
Waves
[enter Annie]
"Adrian not coming"
"Ah... we can switch over"

With 20 tables, it was a rather cosy feeling. We actually had time to tease the bride. Elegant as she was, once she laughed, she was our Xiaohui once again.
Looking at our table, it would also be the last time this group would ever form. Though we were all once colleagues, the link was standing there, in her radiance.

-6H3U

Running

[backdated]

Last lap.
I'm terribly short of breath. I can't breathe through my nose anymore. So be it.

The last bend comes.
Fly! No one raced me. I passed perhaps 20 people?

Last 50m.
I walked, spent. I heard the PTI call out. 12 minutes? I'm in good time.

12.18!
What great timing! Air, air! I need air! The guys in front of me started giving high fives. "Good run!", they said.

Wait!
Why is he running another lap? He should have completed it together with me. Could I have ran a lap less? The guys didn't overtake me, I'm sure.

Air, Air! I need air!
Floor, floor! How nice to touch you again.

-2.4km run on Sunday

Lots of lots of legs

No matter how I set my heart, the act of no answering really annoys me. Anyway, for the main story.

I was on leave on Wednesday and I went to the bank. The queue was a single line, which feeds 5 customer service officers. Despite the full turn out, the queue moved slowly. As people are wont to do, they would shuffle a step forward whenever they feel impatient. This act would cascade down the line and repeat again at another random point. When a new customer gets served, the queue would move again. We would probably look like a millipede with rippling segments, except that we aren't moving. I always thought that this constant adjustment in the ranks is a silly act. As before, I stayed put.

Customer got served. I moved.
Someone shuffled forward. I looked at the TV.
Another movement. I looked at the TV.

Next customer got served. I moved.
More shuffling. I looked at the TV.
Shuffle... I looked at the TV.
Uncle behind me moved alongside me to the right. I glanced with amusement and... looked at the TV

Third customer. I moved.
Forward march! I stayed.
Shuffle. Another uncle behind me in the queue but now in opposing view gestured angrily. "Move!", he seemed to say.

I couldn't help smirking.

-?H?U

DotA Allstars Endless Story

For those who doesn't know what DotA is all about

Nothing to update, so...

Death Note - nice. go watch it.
The Prestige - a bit confusing but the themes are good.

If you want simple entertainment, go for Death Note.

-3H2U

Winning and losing

I don't like losing but I can take it. I'll just plot for another day.
What annoyed me today was the incessant gloating. During the game, fine... standard taunting. After the game, fine. Acceptable to say, "Yes! I have beaten you!" Say it twice, thrice and a fourth time and it starts to get annoying.

I tried to be a good teacher, haven’t I? I beaten him twice and I didn't gloat about it. I won him because of superior crew and I pointed it out to him.

The night followed with some unhappy rounds of DotA.

If I win hands down, I cheat. If I lose, I get taunted to no end. I rather be a cheat and a bully then. Better yet, I’ll be a puppet. Call me if there’s a game. I won’t do the calling anymore.

-3H4U

Rude Singaporeans

Following Miss Cat's example...

1. Rude Singaporeans Dun get Caught

2. Parking Idoits in Singapore

Gaming Saturday

[DotA]
I'm sick of playing on the Bnet, where players just drop when they are losing. No bb. No gg. Just drop and poof! Leave us in the lurch. Kind of like dropping the line when you dialed a wrong number. That's kind of the drawback of playing with a young crowd.

[Pirates]
Out of stock! =(

[Company of Heroes]
Hmm, nice. Today I brought the fight to the AI, normal strength. I kind of prefer being a tank commander now than microing my squads. Tanks are invincible and I like to back them up with a platoon. With mobility comes control and you don't have to play with troops like snipers and mortar teams. Just overrun their positions!

-3H2U

A quick update

Sorry, between a busy schedule and Jumbo fighting for access of my laptop, it's hard to get an update in.

[Ankle]
Almost there... Muscles still abit weak but I can run now.

[DotA]
Got two new coruptees. Zach and Norman.

[Job]
Swamped...

[Pirates]
10 games so far, with La Resolucion becoming my favourite. I can't wait for my payday.

[RT]
Ouch...

-1H1U

The fat bully

I complained about it for years.
When I'm in my green uniform, no one dared to stand in my way. The only casualty was an old auntie who chose to squeeze her way in. Didn't see her of course.
When I'm not, the crowd would have made a Greek Hoplite proud! If phalanx formations had moved with such vigour and aggression, the east would have had a chapter of history devoted to Alexander.

Today, I had little patience for a 2000 year old military formation and just walked straight. Not turning sideways, not slowing down. I even squared my shoulders. I clipped someone on my left shoulder and checked another on my right. My shoulders won. By social reflexes, we started saying sorry to each other.

I never imagined the day would come when I would be throwing my weight around...

-3H1U

Missing authorisation

** Act 1 **
"Hmm... I need to view the notification"
[tried to display the document]
You are not authorized to view Y6.
"..."
"I'll go by the database then"
[extracts material number from database]

"Heh heh, somebody stop me!"
"Now I need to download the file to check against the template"
[types SE38]
Missing authorization
"grrr..."
[turns to my colleague]
"Help!!"
[was shown backdoor]
"Heh heh"
[runs]
No change allowed
"Bloody!"
[storms out of room in annoyance]


** Act 2 **
"I shall go by the UNIX directory to find the records"
[retrieves data]
"Now I can verify what the user said"
You have no authorization for class objects
"@@%^(%&!@**#!!"

[turns to colleague]
"What's the table name for viewing classification objects?"
"No you can't, you have to use the functions"
"..."
"You want to use my ID?"
[whispers] "No we can't" - in reference to the Imperial edict that banned us from viewing a particular department's data without key users' supervision -.-
"Oh ok..."

** Act 3 **
"Ok, I verified that the user did change the data on our side and the information was sent over to the 3rd party. Did the other party process it correctly?"
[user called me]
"I'll supply her the information she needs. Meanwhile I need to verify that the sequence of changes on our side is correct"
[looked at the UNIX files again, there were no time stamp for the individual items]
"..."

[gave up]
"XXX, can you help me display this material? I can't work like this"

-4H4U

My first RT

The location sucks but time is of the essence here. It is just across my old "camp". Wow, I'm so trilled.

No pass changing, free lockers were the earlier surprises. The most senior PTI simply couldn't stop talking, as it will be the last RT session he would be taking in a while. Oh, I also discovered a possible conspiracy to kill us off secretly as we were told that the sessions will only be cancelled if the PSI hits 200 points...

The guy briefing us in the gym orientation was pretty nice and not overly built like most gym enthusiasts you know. It was also interesting to note that people realised that body building does not translate into a pass in the IPPT tests. Followed by another warming up orientation, we were dismissed at 6.15pm

-4H3U

RT, PSI and yesterday

[RT]
Due to accumulated sloth, I will be having my Remedial Trainings on Thursdays and Sundays. Oh well. On a hopeful note, does a high PSI value cancel my sessions?

[PSI]
Pressure per square inch? Weird. Anyway, the population index for our country can be found here http://app.nea.gov.sg/psi/

[Yesterday]
Tried Gaga's Parthenon game. We then met up with Zach for a game pf DotA. He picked it up pretty fast. It was then evening time and we had dinner at Victoria Street, followed up by a game of Pirates at Bras Brasah McDonalds. My ships sank =(

-2H2U

Red orbs and pains

[Red orbs]
Noticed that the days are cooler these days? (Only apply for our region)
Noticed that the sun sets with a red tinge?
Noticed that the moon is red tonight?

The price for this is warmer nights and a lot of environmental damage. I hope the fires die down soon.

[Pains]
I can run again!
Got a pain in the neck!

-4H2U

Catching up

1. Called Ah Bee
2. Had lunch with Yuin Ping, Lie Noi and Mui Chin
3. Called Mrs Goh
4. Shopping and tea with Gaga
5. Chat with Impact team
6. Said hi to Pik May
7. Paid a visit to Borders
8. Called Yuna
9. Got called by Miss Wong

-7H2U

Turning tables, new construction and a 3 way fight

[for the events on 01 Oct]

After my near defeat at the hands of Admiral Zach(see last post), I tweaked my fleet to include La Resolucion. This time, Granada, hero of the previous night was sank while La Resolucion saved the day. This marks the first time I sank Admiral Gaga's ships rather than the other way round. It was also my sixth game.

Gaga was to meet his friend at Raffles City and we accidentally bought another 5 packs to complement our current 12 packs(Zach has 12 packs). Nothing impressive but I got a duplicated rare ship and a French captain. That unlocks a lot =)

I left Gaga and met Zach at Bedok. We settled at the void deck. Zach cried foul as I unveiled my fleet of Granada, La Resolucion and HMS Alexander. La Resolucion saved the day again!

We had a quick second game and Gaga joined us after 8pm. We ended at 10+ and went for supper.

-5H1U

First Times

[backdated to 01 Oct, for the events on 30 Sep]

I taught Jialiang DotA in the morning.
We shopped for laptops in the afternoon.
I brought Zach to buy Pirates CCG.
I taught him to play Pirates.

-6H1U