Yea, yeah. Countdown begins for many who are gladly welcoming the year 2007. For me, I'm praying to land safely at the James-Hartfield Airport in Atlanta on 30th Dec 7.30pm (that wld be 8.30am 31st Dec for all S'pore readers out there!) with all my luggages intact!!
Even as you are reading this, I'm should be more than a few thousand miles up in the air now! "Lucky b>$£&*@d!" Haha, I know some of ya'all are cussing at me now right? I'll forgive you!! And an advanced Happy & blessed New Year to all of you!!!
*NOTE* Dear faithful & diligent readers of www.psycho-faraday.blogspot.com, please be informed that Rayzor will not be able to post on his blog for about a week or so w.e.f. today. This is not due to the disruption of telco services, or that Rayzor has quit blogging. However, it is due to his physical transition into US and the impending administrative and accomodation matters that may result in the foreseeable inadequate access to internet services. All disappointment and incoveniences are deeply regretted. Your wonderful patience will be kindly rewarded!
In the meantime, the countdown begins for me from now (30th Dec 2006, 1.30am): 4.5 hours to takeoff. (Not my clothes u creepy thing!) 11.5 hours to Tokyo. More than 24 hours to Minneapolis; then Atlanta! About 3600 hours till I'm back in Singapore!!! (Ki siao liao...)
The Foo Fighters are one of my favourite bands since I heard rock music, but why did VJ Titanium leave them out time and time again? Well, bcos this is the perfect opportunity to play one of my faves and it's my message to all of u too!
Foo Fighters - Next Year
Goodbye Singapore, hello U.S.A.!! (actually only willing to part away fr NTU)
Laid to Rest at 5:08 PM;
The adjective is still an understatement from my point of view. Thanks to the works of God creating havoc all around the world, from floods to earthquakes, I was entrenched in a mini tornado of sorts. The whirlwind of preparation even caught my family members as they were also involved in my hectic packing schedule. It came so fast, happened so swiftly and ended in a flash!
Three entire days of setting out to buy stuff, pack them when I return home in the late afternoon and checking at night left me all but ready for the flight! Phew! To think that this is only the pre-quel to my trip simply sends chills (literal and physical) down my spine! Nevertheless, as enthusiasm and apprehension await my arrival, I'll take a breather first before embarking on this once-in-a-lifetime trip!!
My sincere apologies to my friends whom I did not manage to meet up and catch up before I catch my plane! I seek your understanding that I did not manage my time well enough. I did not and will not forget you all, and promise to make an effort to do so once I return! My deepest gratitude once again to my cell/church friends/leaders/pastor for all the concerns and prayers (which I kindly request more!), my IA mates for great lunch & my NTU Materials Eng kakis for the most impromptu and successful outing ever! Finally, as time beckons, I shall enjoy my last dinner (not supper mind u!) of 2006 with my beloved family tonight!
Here's another pop-punk tune that truly caught my ears this 2006!! Rockin' and inspiring!!
All-American Rejects - Move Along
Last few million breaths of Singapore air...
Laid to Rest at 4:23 PM;
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Nu-skin!! Credits to my much tech-savvy sista, Pauline, I've revamped my blog with a new template. Haha... New year coming, must have new design mah. Anyway, with encouragement and assistance from Pauline (cos she renovated hers, pls give face & visit hers also hor! thx!), I chose a rockin' blogskin imho to suit both my own style and personality.
Countdown to my US trip finally has its effects as I begin to come to terms with the reality that I'm leaving my comfort zone to a foreign land where I'm considered an alien/minority/watever u call. Anyway, I'm casting all my worries and anxieties to God and is preparing to seize the exciting and cool adventure ahead! Still tying up many loose ends for my packing esp. buying the necessities and making sure things at home are taken care of when I'm away.
It's been raining the whole day but VJ Titanium will lift up the mood with a System Of A Down song. These eccentric artists has conjure up some heavy yet rhythmic and super catchy choruses, "Choy Suey" anyone? Here's another incredibly up-tempo, politically-fuelled frantic offering from them.
System of a Down - B.Y.O.B.
R.I.P. old blog skin!
Laid to Rest at 11:31 PM;
Monday, December 25, 2006
No, no... I'm not drunk while typing the blog post title. Nor am I bitter at missing out some really cool parties and prezzies; or wanting to rob Jesus of this rightful day of His!
Many thanks to those (u noe who u r!) who wrote me cards that are really reflective, encouraging and edifying. Thanks to my beloved TPY99A carecell NTU peeps for their farewell gift! (A Billabong T-shirt, thx Jon 4 the good taste in design & right size) Thanks esp. to Nigel & Cat for a very appropriate gift!! (An Adidas perfume, erm, or am I that smelly??)
After the typical Christmas celebration service in church (which is in fact my last service b4 I fly off to US), the NTU folks settled for Sizzler @ Toa Payoh to have our lunch. We also had an exciting and enjoyable time at the Entertainment centre as we played at the arcade and ended the day by watching Ben Stiller'sA Night At The Museum. A definite must-watch for those who like fantasy, comedy and adventure all rolled into one - like Jumanji kinda movie. For me, it's worth every cent of my ticket stub.
For such a joyous occassion, VJ Titanium will skip the usual slab of metal tracks by introducing a great emo pop-punk band, Weezer! They've been ard for more than a decade and has created some cool songs. Here is one of them and the video is pure genius - courtesy of Jim Henson!!
Weezer and the Muppets - Keep Fishin'
Tired... ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz
Laid to Rest at 10:32 PM;
Saturday, December 23, 2006
I experienced quite a weird thing a few days ago. I dreamt that I was meeting up my primary school friend; whom in reality have not met up since a reunion that was held when I was in JC (thus lost contact, but I still know where she lives). In that dream, I never got to see her cos I apparently got lost in the HDB estate; which in reality is just across a road from where I stay (but have never managed to bump into each other in more than 5 years!). The dream ended abruptly, like most dreams, and I soon shrugged off this matter. Lo and behold, on my way to the Christmas party on Friday night, I saw her!!! It was raining, I was entering the train station and she was getting her umbrella, thus it was only a fleeting glance... Uncanny dream it was!
Praise God for a rather successful Christmas party! Last night was a tat more stressful than past events that I was involved in as I was asked to be the co-emcee for the party!! Despite all the early jitters (esp. getting the attention of the crowd), i personally reckon it was a job well done. Thank God for the weather, logistics, food, helpers, the people who turned up, my co-host (Aileen) & the committee of course!!! May more lives be touched and transformed over the weekend! Amen!!!
VJ Titanium will do the honours now by introducing one of the most under-rated bands in the metal arena, Children of Bodom! Don't expect them to croon like lovely little angels, but be ready to hear and witness their heavenly guitar riffs. Btw, their band name is derived from one of the most gruesome murder cases in Finland where they reside. Three teenagers were brutally murdered during a camping trip & the fourth was missing - only to be found after a search. That teen was in a rattled state, dazed and confused, with no recollection of what happened and was warded in their mental hospital. Decades passed and the appalling truth came to light as the teen was perfectly sane and confessed to the murders! Creepy... not the vid tho'
Children of Bodom - Trashed Lost and Strungout
Hanged my boots for TCC soccer team today (6 months hiatus only)
Laid to Rest at 4:25 PM;
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Actually I deserve a stoning from ppl living in real flood-prone areas for my title! Guess I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. My mood isn't fully dried yet from that wishy-washy 3some affair with Ms Drizzle, Mrs Thunderstorm & Mdm Rain (Oops. Oh, she's not the transexual version of Korean superstar, Rain okay?!)
These couple of days have been shopping, packing, checking and shopping again! Tired from the exhausting trips whilst battling the literal storms (S'pore experienced its heaviest downfall in decades fyi if u were abducted by sexy blonde aliens like i experienced b4) and constantly being paranoid of leaving out important stuff. Preparation is almost done, except the actual physical packing of all the things accumulated in my luggage. UGH...
Anyway, I also got the Christmas prezzies for families and friends liao! I want to bless others cause I've been thoroughly blessed this season!! Besides the sponsorship from my parents and elder sis for the US trip, I got CDs from my younger sis, a Braun Buffel wallet & a new Nokia 6233 (which I commited the folly of follies to trade in my old and faithful Nokia 7270 w/o copying whatever is stored in my phone memory!!! Arrgghhh!!!! $%@#!!!!!) from my mum & monetary blessing fr my brother!
VJ Titanium picks this latest single from one of the catchiest albums of the year by lostprophets! Tis' is a none more apt moment to clap your hands and stamp your feet to dance ya?
Lostprophets - Can't Catch Tomorrow
God bless the North Section Christmas Party tmr! Amen!
Laid to Rest at 10:36 PM;
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
"Where do all these people come from?!" That's the question that materialised in my mind at VivoCity on Sunday, and today at IKEA & COURTS@Tampines! Hordes of people are constantly streaming into such places as if hell let loose!! I personally have aversion to crowds (sans soccer matches), and these places simply lost their attractiveness due to the multitude of people. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the trips to VivoCity, IKEA & COURTS@Tampines as I won't be seeing them any time sooner.
I did some shopping at IKEA (thx to Pam for organising the outing) and it was rather impressive as it was like the Alexandra branch being maximised (like your Windows display screens). The entire layout is a duplicate too - with a much larger floorplan. No longer was there the products and crowd cramming kinda feeling, and best of all the Swedish meatballs and hotdogs still stays!!!
A couple of pics (not taken by my mum's Sony Cybershot, haha)
VJ Titanium brings on another tune from my best of 2006 hitlist! Wolfmother is from Australia and their music is influenced by AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin!! This is the official song for the new iPod commercial too!
Wolfmother - Love Train
Rainy nights are good to sleep!!
Laid to Rest at 12:17 AM;
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Actually NO, just wanna share my belated elation over the past few days. First I wanna express my biggest and warmest heartfelt "THANK YOU" to my elder sister, Angelia!! Why? She brought me and my mum on shopping trip on thursday, promising me in an sms that it will be a mega shopping trip, how true it turned out to be.
We were not shopping for Christmas, but for my impending US trip. It took the whole day as we navigated from Suntec, to Marina Square, to Funan IT Mall and then ended at Raffles City. Even as I am typing this, I'm still reeling with both shock and euphoria from the magnitude of the blessings Angelia have showered me. Really, really blessed!!!
Here's what she bought me(at a glance): - A winter jacket - A winter sleese - A thermo undershirt - A pair of Gortex socks - A luggage [These items already cost more than a bomb! At current market rates, I suppose a bomb cost around S$400 to S$500] We also got a self-assembled first aid/ medication kit, a water tumbler and SKYPE earphones (Btw, installed SKYPE & the pilot run was a success! Now my mei nu super mum can use either MSN or SKYPE to communicate with me liao, THANK GOD for creating the genius who invented SKYPE!)
Last but not least, the highlight of the day!! A Sony Cybershot Digicam DSC-W70!!!
But mum insist that it was her Christmas present, and she is only loaning it to me for 6 months in the States! -_-"
Also, I would like to thank my mei nu mummy for her sponsorship for the trip, and my dad for covering the allowances for the exhorbitant cost of living! But before u judge and jump to conclusion that I'm a bloody scumbag who siphons $$ from my loved ones, for the record, I am forking out my own moolah for my own expenses and I paid for my own airline tickets too!!
Something more metal than metal will be a bleeding VJ Titanium (smell the iron??), haha. Here's another offering from my playlist of 2006 from goth pop-punkers Aiden (named after the boy in Ringu), err not very original, but their hit song is!!
Aiden - Die Romantic
Might consider being a sandwich boy(the edible kind, pls dun think dirty!!!) in the US to pay off debts...
Laid to Rest at 2:23 PM;
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
My title got meaning ones ok? As IA is wrapped up, my US GIP is drawing ever closer!! Ok, ok, many concerned friends from church, NTU, army/JC/secondary and the occasional pig & dog buddies has been quizzing about when is my departure to the States. Well, it is finally confirmed! I opted not to fly off on Boxing Day to Japan for a short trip (since it is a transit stopover for the flight) (some may say I stoopid not to enjoy first at Japan for a while, but remember that I'm on a shoestring budget), but chose to leave on the 30th Dec in the ungodly hours of the morning to catch a 6am flight. The ardous and hopefully not boring trip will consist of a flight to Tokyo (7 hrs), connecting one to Minneapolis (11hrs!!) and a domestic flight to Atlanta (2.5hrs). Phew! God protect me from the Economy Class syndrome disease (I dun wanna die bcos I dun have enuff leg space bcos I wanna save a few bucks and chose XXX airlines)!!
Note to all concerned:PLEASE respect my wish that I do not need anyone to send me off at the airport as I want to spend the precious time with my family. I sincerely appreciate all well wishes and prayers*. Thanks!!! *Monetary gifts in kind are also very much welcomed :p
I also went for an official sending-off ceremony at the Nanyang Executive Centre (which I did an article on for the Chronicle, remember?? How ironic!), it was machiam like the Doha Asian Games lidat, quite grand as we need to wear formal (except for an idiot who looked like he just woke up and came straight from Hall lidat)! NTU vice president gave a speech that only impressed the dust mites in the auditorium, followed by a student counsellor (not that JC type, a professional that helps u deal with problems one la). Scary how she presented the various psychological/emotional/physical stages we may face there. Finally, a doctor from the NTU clinic who touched on health matters. Her talk on medical check-ups, vaccinations, first aid, insurance were seriously quite redundant. Until her parting shot... "Remember to protect yourself amidst all the fun." was blurted out comically and the powerpoint slide was an obiang safe sex poster (neon lights of a motel flashing), which in my view, was glamourising one night stands!! I was thinking, how do nerds, geeks, country bumpkin virgins know how the hell to protect themselves with what; when that doctor did not, I repeat did NOT even mention contraceptives!! Haha... I dunno what my seniors at GaTech did, but the warning signs are on for sure.
Another great song in my catalogue of radio-rock vids! Superb lyrics from a used-to-be rockin' band!! With compliments from VJ Titanium...
Papa Roach - Scars
Things to do: Shopping and packing Sounds fun, but seriously, No!
Laid to Rest at 11:42 PM;
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Apart from spending my time thronging thru CDs at music record shops, reading magazines about more CDs and blastin' them on my lao ya/lok kok/cannot make it mini HiFi by my bedside; I also have a life and other hobbies too mind you!
I do not call myself a movie buff, but I enjoy watching a handful of genres that interest me! Spent the wee hours of Saturday morning watching a super lame, but thoroughly amusing movie starring Ben Stiller! It's called Zoolander, which is a parody of the celluloid world of supermodels and Hollywood. With numerous cameo appearances by famous celebrities, countless puns, Stephen Chow-esque side gags and a strong-as-paper storyline, it tickled my bones silly and left my belly aching throughout the show!!! If you like the works of Stiller (e.g. Meet the parents/Fockers, Dodgeball, Something about Mary, etc), you will definitely love this!!
I also like reading. Surprise!! A hobby I picked up during NS, yeah my dark ages, read all sorts of literature as well - hence my twisted taste and morbid humour. Managed to finish reading a book I bought during IA which I couldn't complete during IA - Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The author's debut was a riveting insight of a pre-war Afghanistan that was spun around the story between two childhood friends, Amir and Hassan, and was intricately weaved till post 9/11 era. This melancholic tale truly expressed love in many forms, a father's, a brother's , a friend's and also God's love. A chinese phrase aptly summarized this novel - Xi Nu Ai Le. The story manages to manipulate every sinew of whatever emotions you may have and let you feel for every single heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, tear-jerkking moment in the book. This book also educates readers on the actual microcosm of Afghanistan (where it is not only about the Taliban or Jihad), as well as the teachings of Islam for that matter. The writer managed to include a plethora of witty one-liners as well as thought-provoking anecdotes! This might be one of the hardest books I ever stomached, but it is also one of the most enjoyable reads I had!!
Another thing to recommend is of course a song, duh... Thank God for YouTube, VJ Titanium will present this MTV-friendly tune for all to enjoy! Sounds familiar? It's a cover of Micheal Jackson's hit and it propelled this band to superstar status (for a while...) Just another of my faves!!
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
The holidays are gonna end before I could say "Happy hol-"
Laid to Rest at 10:14 PM;
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Eewww!! I'm one year older!!! Oh, did I sound like a whiny bitch? Haha... Seriously, as u grow older, your last birthday seems like only a few months ago! Time and tide really waits for no man... Will continue to busk in my sweet 18th birthday then! (Self-denial mode: Switched ON)
[left] Me, having some tongue action with Miss Belgian (Chocolate ice-cream) in 2005
(above right) Me, settling for a magic mushroom (with blackberry cake) in 2006!!
Mugshots taken by Yixin @ 6th Avenue on both occasions
Ok, I did extensive research and found 3 interesting facts that may grab your attention or even amuse you. They all happened on the 10th December! #1. A strong woman went through several hours of intensive labour with no family members by her side at the hospital (cos her husband's at work and her mum was taking care of her first two kids), but thank God, gave birth to a healthy baby boy without C-section!
#2. My dad's birth date is the same as mine on our identity cards!! (though his parents registered his birthday 3 days late!)
#3. I did not ask for any presents on my 21st birthday, instead, I gave my mum a couple hundred of dollars for fact #1!!!
In line with my blog entry title, VJ Titanium would dedicate this all-time favourite song of mine, to me of course!!! Blink 182 had a major influence on my music taste and this song never fails to get me grooving!! Bring it on... (Excuse the funny faux nudity tho')
Blink 182 - Whats My Age Again?
Will not suffer from the Peter Pan Syndrome!!
Laid to Rest at 12:12 AM;
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Have you ever gone shoppping for music CDs at your local music records shop (Gramophone or Sembawang), or HMV, or Borders, etc?
Have you come across CDs that look weird/scary/whatever that managed to grab the slightest of your attention?
Have you look at the exorbitant price tags ($40 & above for one CD) stuck on them and say "Which bloody idiot would fork out such $$$ to buy them? Stupid rite?"
I am that idiot. (on countless occasions some more...)
As the year draws to a close, VJ Titanium will be giving a year-end review with the best bands of 2006! First up will be my metal band of the year, Trivium!! This band needs no further introduction as this is not the 1st time they appear on my blog. So sit back as they let their musicianship do the talking...
Trivium - The Anthem (We Are The Fire)
No Zouk-Out for me today, but will be anticipating Clem-Out!!
Laid to Rest at 11:11 AM;
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Industrial Attachment has unofficially ended!
Will be doing my clearance and clearing my leave the next 2 days. (Hmm... feels like NS ORD all over again...Haha) However, to be a good testimony to my colleagues @ Infineon, I will have to tie up all remaining loose ends (read: unfinished projects :P), so thursday will be super frantic! Anyway, will be looking forward to a fun night out @ MOS for my end-of-IA celebration with my IA mates. (Special thanks to D-Na for her exclusive invites!)
Today was also intense as I had to do a presentation to my department section ppl to showcase what I did for the past 22 weeks. By divine intervention, it became a one-to-one presentation with my supervisor as others were not around or busy. Turned out to be a good session and i learnt of my weaknesses and strengths when I directly ask him to point them out after my presentation. (Won't really wanna advertise them here tho')
My supervisor then asked me out for lunch with a few of his colleagues/friends, and he treated me to Suki-Sakura Jap Buffet Lunch (Never been there b4 some more)!! I dun really fancy japanese food, so it wasn't really great. I did not pretend that I like the food cos it's average, and they noticed it. (At least I'm not a hypocrite!) The hearty meal and enjoyable conversation (they kept joking that it will be all booze and babes for me in the US, but seriously, do I really appear to be that kinda person to them?) brought my IA chapter to a good closure I guess.
THANK YOU JESUS, my mei nu mommy, my family, Reza & Qi'En, cell members for all the encouragement, support and prayers all this while!!!
WARNING: REAL HEAVY METAL AHEAD! VJ Titanium hasn't been really delivering balls-to-the-walls real metal for some time now, so today will be a treat for only some metal lovers like me! Mastodon hails from Atlanta (Oh! That's where I'm heading man!!), and they play really fantastic old-skool metal, it's like the great Metallica on ecstasy pills! Headbang all the way!!! (For others, just click your browser's Favourites and surf another website la!)
Mastodon - Iron Tusk
Can't get use to IE7 le...
Laid to Rest at 9:17 PM;
Monday, December 04, 2006
My blood test result is out...
The result turned out to be positive!!! (dun raise any alarm!)
Not HIV-positive though... (Phew!)
My blood showed that I'm immuned to chicken pox. Saved a pricey $120 triple dose injection for my US trip, thank God! --------------------------------------------------------------------
Bet you did not manage to catch this movie amidst your busy work schedule or stressful exam period. It's the latest made-in-S'pore blockbuster that did not make it to the box office. Rumoured to have enlisted a star-studded cast, multi-million dollar budget and breath-taking special effects!! NOT coming to a theatre near you!!!
Courtesy of talkingcock.com
Disclaimer:The satire shared reflect only the corny nature of the blogger, and are never an indication that the blogger is anti-establishment or something. Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental and deeply regretted.
Ever wondered if punk rock stars are manufactured like their pop counterparts? Here's an awesome parody of the music industry, I bet I'll ace the exams if there's a module like the ssong title!! Enjoy the puns targeted at MTV but VJ Titanium guarantees you that Rayzor is not made up like those wannabes in the vid!
Bowling For Soup - Punk Rock 101
Hectic but hopefully fun week kicks off!
Laid to Rest at 11:56 PM;
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Tried the following joke on some of my church friends during supper, there were mixed reactions but I decide to put it on my blog anyway. Disclaimer:The jokes reflect only the corny nature of the blogger, and are never an indication that the blogger is racist/sexist/judgemental. The jokes are done out of entertainment purposes, and are in no way a means of targeting degradatory remarks towards a certain race, gender or physique. Any resemblance to persons living or otherwise is purely coincidental and deeply regretted.
What is the name of the Malay girl who did National Service? Rifles - Siti (Raffles City)
What is the name of the fattest Malay girl in S'pore? Vivo - Siti (Vivocity)
What is the name of the most hirsute(very hairy) Malay girl? Tuft - Siti (Turf City)
Talking about Vivocity, the largest shopping complex in Singapore, it is really huge!! Went there on Friday lunch break (yeah IA lunch break can be super long) and I was both excited and confused. Finding a place for lunch was tough and you can't really stop to browse something that caught your eye as the human traffic was relentless. Left the place quickly and was wondering if there is a better time to shop there.
Later on Friday, I attended the last formal cell of 2006 and my next will probably be in about 6 months time!! It was a great time reflecting and evaluating the cell for the past year, and if you (my fellow cell member) are reading this, enjoy my appraisal (Although God said that "thou shall not judge") :p
Punctuality - disappointing at times, but showing signs of improvement. Enthusiasm - depends on what we are doing. Commitment - exceeded my expectations as the workload at school increases, the members still showed dedication in serving and attending cell/service. Openess - could have been lower if not for the breakthrough granted by the grace of God. Testimonies - Never fail to lift up my Spirit and increase my faith. Prayer - Always purposeful and fruitful. Own growth - Satisfactory (i hope) Fun & laughter - Almost a constant feature. Corny acts and lame jokes - Overload...haha but will probably water down come 2007 :(
Have you always wanted to take back Sunday come every Monday, and wished you could relive your enjoyable weekends over again? For better or for worse, that only happens in your dreams, but VJ Titanium will introduce you one of my bands of 2006, Taking Back Sunday, to welcome another week ahead! This song is my favourite amongst their albums and tho' the lyrics are angsty, they are the perfect soundtrack to my life (at some stage)!
Taking Back Sunday - A Decade Under The Influence
Really enjoyed bowling today... Last week of IA! Hooray!! Thank God!!! Birthday in exactly a week's time! (Ahem...)
Laid to Rest at 9:13 PM;
ABOUT ICH
Psycho faraday.gonzo blogger.fanatic metalhead.gig goer.follower of Jesus.bhb church team striker.wld strip for Arsenal FC.
dean of sch of lameness.materialistic engineer.plays tennis/pool/snooker/bowling for fun.goes gym for vanity.
winning eleven addict.disillusioned guitar/air guitar hero.surfs the web but not savvy.self-proclaimed heterosexual fashionista.
avid reader of best-sellers & heavy metal magazines but no textbks.movie-chrondraic.TV/Youtube couch potato.habitual liar?!
