The Wannabe Economist

After growing up watching channel 5 and channel 8 (and all the cantoons were found in these two channels back then when i was a kid), it’s sad to say that these two are not my favourite channels.

Instead they are National Geographic, Nat Geo Adventure and Discovery Travel and Living. Unlike Mrs Chongky, I do not like E! Entertainment that much. HBO would have made it up my list if i get to see it more often.

On Tuesday Mrs Chongky organized a BBQ for her friends she had since LTB. Not wanting to get quite near the fire for fear of lingering BBQ smell on me even after i shower, i had decided to stay in front of the tv, since i can’t possibility run away into hiding while everyone eats.

I watched all these channels that day. Before everyone came, there was World Beat on Nat Geo Adventure, which featured Ricardo Lemvo and his band Makina Loco. You probably don’t know who is he, but i can tell you he’s the one who sang Mambo Yo Yo. That’s one of my personal favourite, and if you have been to my salsa class, chances are you have heard the song courtless times. LOL.

It’s one thing listening to his song, but it’s totally another feeling altogether seeing him on tv and hearing him talk about the song. And immediately after that, he and his band will perform that song in the studio. Everything was so “live”, if i could put it this way. It’s definitely comparable to being at the live performance.

The latin music probably set me right that day.

http://www.index.hr/images2/Taylorsenasmijesio.jpg

Was he smiling and making a taunting gestures with his fingers and arm?

I was about to come in and blog about Step Up 2 (which trailer was played in the cinema this morning) when i saw this article (caution: graphical pictures) on the wordpress main page. I am not a EPL fan and i have not read the newspaper (at least not the sports pages) over the last few days. But now this incident has caught my attention.

It appears to me that Eduardo is a talented young player and is most certainly going to make an impact on the Arsenal first team in the years to come (i’m sure my inference from reading statistics in Champion Manager is rather accurate). However check out the above website for the pictures of that tackle initiated by Martin Taylor.

It doesn’t take a first-aid trained person to tell you what’s wrong there. I play football on an every-sunday basis, and i understand how dangerous the game is (after all i almost always play as defender). I admit it might of course be tempting to give it a hard tackle sometimes to take out the key player and give your team the unfair advantage. HOWEVER THAT MENTALITY IS JUST FUCKING WRONG. WHERE IS THE SPORTSMANSHIP?

I had my share of lousy tackles, including one that send a opposite playing jumping into the air before being brought down by my tackle that hit the shin a couple of weeks back. However there is a difference between lousy tackles and mean tackles.

Lousy tackle = those misjudged ones but at the last moments there is a good chance of realizing the grave errors and lighten the impact, which was what i did when i went in hard but missed the damn ball.

Mean tackle = those go in damn hard regardless of whether you miss the ball since your intention is not going for the ball in the first place.

And obvious that devastating tackle can’t be a careless one. If it’s a misjudged one, Taylor could of course to a certain extent retract the leg and could have made a contact with his shin instead.

Then again i didn’t caught the video and all these are what i deduced with the accounts and my limited footballer experience as Sunday warrior.

Whatever it is, my well wishes go out to Eduardo.

Fool’s Gold isn’t as bad a movie as i thought. The presence of hunk and babes probably made it million times better than it would have been.

I’m suddenly thankful that i do have a OCBC card that offers more opportunities at discount relative to another bank which almost monopolize the consumer banking here. Movie is only at $8, as compared to the usual $9.50. Who needs to buy the bulk movie voucher or by a member of the cinema in this case?

We haven’t slept yet, and have been through 3 Macdee’s student’s upsized meals between us. I probably ate more than i should, but who cares. Sunday is let’s-all-go-Macs-and-get-fat-day anyway.

Probably had a bit too much to drink. Wine and vodka…

Was watching this HK movie on channel 8. Right after the movie there was this food segment (which has been used as filler in-between programmes nowadays) that features this handmade noodle place in Tanjong Pagar.

Which makes me want to go eat there tomorrow.

Which makes me miss dancing with the team very much again.

Don’t get me wrong. I leave not because i hate the team. I leave because i seek my own challenges. I now find more time to train, and had since completed my first biathlon, with one more coming up next saturday. Following which i am going to rush back to alma mater to play soccer (if time permits) / Waikiki at Sentosa at which i am playing for Econs once again. Sunday would most likely be National Vertical Marathon (Mrs Chongky, what say you?), and following which the practise session for MR500 inter-school dragonboat race. The following sunday will of course be the actual MR500 race.

Frankly, how would i be able to find the time to pursue these challenges if i had continue to dance? I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it’s just that i ought to take a rest to chase after my own dream of doing more multi-sports after dancing for these few years.

While i am at the topic of dance, PLEASE GO SUPPORT TAN NGIAP HENG’S PHOTO EXHIBITION. You know i hardly use this avenue to generate any support for an event. So for me to do that, this event must be worth that penny.

I have known Tan Ngiap Heng the photographer since National Arts Festival 2005, during which June and Jackson got him to photo the performances. In 2006, i found him attending the beginners’ class i teach. Not that he is a beginner in dance, he actually picked up very fast (after all he used to dance professionally for a year).

I have always respected his work, and his passion for dance. He’s a nice guy too. There was this ocassion that i was well, running late for class because i can’t catch a bus, and he was on his way to the studio for my class. On his way, he saw me at the bus stop and just so happened that he was in the left lane. He stopped and gave me a lift, when he could just continue driving and save that hassle.

I can’t say i’m publicising this photo exhibition because he’s a friend. We haven’t been in contact for a couple of years. But i’m highlighting this event because i believe in what he is doing.

If you are free, visit this exhibition at The Arts House. It is on-going until 28 Feb, from 10am to 6.30pm. Admission is free. For more information, you can visit the homepage of this exhibition.

I am contemplating purchasing the book, but i can only make the decision after i browse at the copy at the exhibition.

To me, nothing beats having the company of Mrs Chongky. Even though she might be sleeping and i might be doing work at this time of the day, i’m even glad that she’s physically around.

Recently, Newsweek reported that an average courtship of 2.5 years could easily cost $40k. That’s large sum going by my standard. Undeniably, Mrs Chongky and i have both spent quite a fair sum of money in the past 2.5 years. However i do not think that all of this sum is spent on lavish items, save for the 2 D&Gs and Tiff that i bought, and maybe her bicycle. The rest all seems pretty useful to me.

Ok to be fair, i admit that our slightly pricey stays at the former KL Regent are unnecessary. And the Wii she gotten for my last birthday is my most expensive present so far. Maybe we shouldn’t have done the sakae sushi dinner last night as well.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, the expensive gifts and dinners have only that one signaling effect. (Being an wannabe economist, i continue to claim in signaling is observed in everyday life, as long as the choice made has the potential to be made known publicly). I’m glad that Mrs Chongky and i are past that stage of spurging on expensive dates to impress each other. In fact we might be way too past that stage from the start since we know each other for so long.

To cut the entire story short so that i can go catch a short nap before class in the morning, i want to declare that i’m very happy with this relationship and can see the future with us. Hope Mrs Chongky stays this way, calm and peaceful.

Good night.

Strangely, Beck’s does not taste as good as i remembered when i first had it onboard the flight to HK 5 years ago.

The day took a bizzare turn since the evening.

First was the boring (yes, but probably only applicable to myself since i’m not part of the group in the first place) dinner at Peperoni and ice-cream at Ice-creamery. Then was the late night search, then $12 cab ride (yeah so what if i’m broke and taking cab is such a pain now), then fighting, then another $12 cab ride, then shuttle around in friend’s jazz, then cycle 7km home (alright i’m cool with this trip since it doesn’t involve money).

All in all, i’m still very hungry since i didn’t had my fill during dinner, and very sleepy because i have not slept since waking up at 9am yestermorning.

To end off the long day, i swear that if i were to be a minister, i would push for specialized bicycle lanes at parliament meeting. !)(#*%#)@%&)@*%, it’s a miracle i made it back alive. But not that anyone cares in the first place.

Reminder to self: drop Rick a message to thank him for loaning the car. This is the truest friend i ever gotten. He’s so sincere that he actually took time to talk for half an hour outside his gate after i return the car, at the early hours.

Hell man, if it weren’t for the assignment deadlines and piled up work and now, the mess to be sorted out at home and outside, i would pop a bottle of wine (told you i’m broke) and get drunk. Then fall asleep.

Haven’t sleep, and 8 more hours to pre-interview test.

Screw me.

And screw you. I don’t really like you. And you. And you. And you.

I apologize for the lack of updates. I’m obviously facing some difficulties in motivating myself these days. I can’t up my running pace even though i’m merely jogging and not panting yet. I can’t revise often enough to cover more syllabus (and this is going to haunt me next week). And of course, i haven’t finish my assignments due this week.

Disregarding the tasks at hand, let me talk about the tri-challenge and the NUS Bi.

The Tri-Challenge is probably the only school event that i faithfully participate in throughout university. First year, in the open category, and then two years in the school category. And since i have never been good in sports, i appreciate the choice of different categories (and implicitly the choice in the competitive level).

I did the strong man challenge. Holding 40kg weight is not an issue, but holding the weights and running 460metre is not easy.

Of course i acknowledge that strength is sort of proportional to the upper body muscle mass and that the context of difficulty is only applicable in my case - someone who hasn’t ran much this year (save for training run 1 and the run-stop-walk-run run during CNY), and haven’t been to the gym at all this year, %&)@(*#%)T&)@(*#$.

I is weak.

I can’t really run with that weight, but not that i could really run well in the first place.

But it’s all in the name of good fun and the company of the econs people.

After that hand numbing and forearm pumping run (fortunately i wore the ugly knee bandage and the lower body continued to feel “fresh”), i went for NUS Bi on sunday.

Mrs Chongky accompanied me to ECP, though that means we both have to wake up at 6.30am. And while she was there people-watching, she took some photographes as well.

Multi-sports has gain much more popularity compared to the times when i did my first ever aquathlon in 2002 and the OSIM Triathlon official works in 2003 (i guess you could tell by the technical race attire that is becoming increasing common).

Despite the stronger than normal current in Singapore sea, the strings i gotten from god-knows-what while swimming, and all the wracking from the fuckers who would overtake damn closely in the swim leg, i had enjoyed the race. I didn’t run damn hard. I didn’t swim damn hard. I felt quite ok after the entire event, knowing that i can certainly improve with training.

I is contented. And looking forward to spending more time training. After this semester.

This morning, the blisters from the run yesterday became fully formed, completed with liquid.

But all is good now.