recovery

the dreaded flu; that insidious bug which provokes annoyingly leaky noses and violent sneezes. it got me.

so instead of sniffling around, i decided to be useful and undertake a project of some sort to distract myself. i unearthed my little sony vaio from beneath a tangle of wires and papers, and proceeded to try out different linux distros on it. before i knew it, a full day had gone by and i had enjoyed using linux mint so much that i’ve installed it next to windows xp.

that turned out so fun that i was inspired to do a reinstall on the thinkpad as well (just for more fun, you know?) and to my surprise, i ended up with 40g of extra diskspace when i was done! not only did the previous owner not restore the unit to factory settings like he claimed he did, but he also loaded it with so much hidden crud that even after i deleted all unwanted applications and turned off all fancy graphical tricks the laptop still stuttered and choked. i had previously blamed vista, microsoft’s much maligned o/s, for the laggy performance but it’s running at quite a sprightly pace now that it’s been given a good and thorough cleansing.

the flip & the bounce

so the big news from a rather quiet week gone by would have to be the annoying affair of my shoe’s sole coming off mid-run yesterday. i tried pulling the detached portion off but it was adamant about hanging on partially so i walked home self-consciously with a flipping rubber flap on my left foot. i don’t think it was harsh to send it sprinting down the trash chute, do you?

i used another pair of shoes to complete the run but ended up with blisters. so i allowed myself to be sardined at tamp 1 earlier and quickly purchased a new pair that was on sale before claustrophobia could set in.

and now, i’m about to head out for its maiden voyage!

~ sent from my e63

gift

lunch on sunday, a late one i should add, was my 2nd treat of the week. after fidgeting for too long outside the restaurant where i’m sure i officially crossed the threshold from waiting to loitering, my friends finally arrived. with less than an hour left on the buffet clock we began scanning the menu and ordering with rabid urgency. when at last we could eat no more, nor could we see the surface of the table from the stacks of plates and food remnants, we settled smoothly into the post-pigout glow of warm conversation and catchup. thanks l, j, e and sp for an afternoon of mirth, songs and tall-tales.

blessed day

i was involved in a youth project at cos today, having been roped in to sing (oh, my rusty pipes!)  and also share a bit about full-time ministry. it was a really fun day for me, especially to be at my first band rehearsal ever. throughout the event, listening to the testimonies of others and knowing that God is hard at work in each of our lives brings such a deep assurance to me that i can’t help but feel grateful awe.  the evening ended late but with an unexpected and heart-warming birthday song for me by everyone there.

thanks to all who kept up a free-flow of kind and thoughtful wishes via sms today. 38 years on and this is by far the best birthday i’ve ever spent.

district 9

when i first saw the trailer for this, i wasn’t sure what to make of it; but this documentary-movie hybrid proved fascinating and compelling from the very first frame. the innovative and multi-layered story works brilliantly and is brought to life effectively through top-notch cgi and naturalistic performances despite a few unanswered questions. as a film with a bold statement to make about humanity, its success enables it to soar high above mere entertainment. peter jackson‘s involvement in this original film should surely cement his status as the most accessible visionary of modern cinema.

long ago

it isn’t often that one thinks about the hazy, almost-forgotten jurassic era known as the past. even for someone as introspective as i am, my ruminations tend to stay fairly current. but when developing a resume and excavating old documents, it’s inevitable that dusty corners of the mind will be stirred.

it seems like so much has happened to me, yet so little, too. my psyche is battle-worn with countless ugly scars but i’ve nothing in my hands to call my own. how did i end up here?

however, one thing which i have learnt, the momentary shade of blue regret notwithstanding, is that comfort, hope and meaning are never far away.

fullness

lunch was a lovely treat at ellenborough market cafe from j in view of my looming birthday. needless to say, overeating was a non-negotiable requirement at such an establishment. nice ambience, good spread and great company; what more can one ask for where dining is concerned?

of course the price one pays for consuming 2 days worth of meals at one sitting is a costly one. a long, long, long run is in order tonight. and tomorrow. and possibly the day after.

guilt – thou must be appeased.

~ sent from my e63

up

pixar studio‘s long-awaited summer offering finally floats into town with a surprisingly nuanced and deeply-affecting tale of love, loss and second chances. with superb characterization and a whimsical flair, this is the most allegorical offering from pixar to date. many subtly moving moments dot the storytelling of cantankerous mr. fredrickson and his belated adventure lending it a core of stolid maturity. add flawless animation, a vibrant color palette, a beautiful musical motif and you have a near-masterpiece that both young and old can delight in. warning: tissues might be required.

sentosa

it feels like the hottest day ever; and here i am at siloso beach. on the burning sand. running after frisbees and arcing volleyballs amidst throngs of sun-lovers. despite being at the precipice of a heat stroke, it’s undeniably fun and i have a good feeling i’ll be able to sleep really, really soundly tonight.

~ sent from my e63

zombied

good morning, world. on bus to church and feeling kinda flat because all of last night was spent staring at the spinning ceiling fan and counting every fluffy sheep in the world. twice.

i usually become surly after a night like that, but i’ve decided to simply let my lethargy be; for annoyance begets annoyance and i don’t need toxic emotions ganging up with physical exhaustion to beastify me.

the good people from my cell group are spending the pm at sentosa today so i’m looking forward to mingling. i’ll probably be wrestling with sleep sometime after lunch so hopefully activities involving meditation or sitting still won’t crop up.

regardless of what my errant body clock feels, i’m glad it’s the Lord’s day.

~ sent from my e63