从台北到北京

We lament the loss of Michael Jackson, but it is only after his death that we begin to grieve and hail him as the "King of Pop". We did hail so for a while in the 80's and 90's, until he was scandalized and we started calling him Wacko Jacko instead.

On a separate note, my appraisal of Jacky Wu is "成功的主持，失败的歌手". He started out as a singer but succeeded only in hosting. He is now an accomplished compere, but this comes at the price of forgoing and deviating from his earlier dream to be a successful singer and more significantly, his image as well. He is known by skeptics and anti-fans as a clown and flirt. Few would recognize him as a comedian in his own right (come on, if he is all so polite, serious, or uptight, how can we expect his programmes to be funny?). We tend to forget the amount of fun and entertainment that we have derived from his variety shows. I think we should at least credit him for having spotted and groomed Jay Chou, whose music we all enjoy. Jacky Wu's very last album will be out in July. This sounds like a more fortunate end (a self-induced/terminated one that is) to his lustrous and illustrious career.

Why must we take things for granted? Why not treasure instead of mourn? Fans who don't voice out their support until their idol is gone are not true fans at all. They are just 事后孔明！

One scandal erases all contributions of the artiste. The society suffers from a low tolerance for mistakes, which it makes spectacles of. The society is also deviod of basic civility and humility. Failure of capitalism, education, parental guidance, or religion?

It is so paradoxical that death yields nothing but the remembrance of the had-lived.

Convenience versus Going-the-extra-mile. That's the difference.

I'm leaving all these man. Had enough of such nonsense. Bye!

翻不完的夏天

这个夏天特别长，过得也很惆怅。

阳光、海浪。晒不干泪水，也冲不掉泪痕。

I want to be a cloud. Clouds are born free, and are not anywhere in chains.

Day at the Aquarium

The aquarium at Kending is just as good as the one on Sentosa. Saw many fishes and penguins. It is an inconvenient truth that many of their peers are being wiped out by the thousands elsewhere. It is however better to be a penguin because the penguin eats fish. To the poor fishes: humans are the other penguin.

Counting down. Soon it will be July, August, and gone......

Black Bananas are edible......

although I am not holding on to any here.

Dementia

But some things you just can't forget.

Taiwan is one. Many others as well.

Nonchalance?

I was born in Singapore, but I am reborn in Taiwan.

Love knows no boundaries, and no reason as well. Conscious?

I don't mean to remain on the dark side. I just can't move out of it. I won't drag anyone into it. I will remain here alone. For the rest of my life perhaps.

Vacation at Kending

There is a shop known as "Xiao Du Bao Zi" famous for its delectable steamed buns. The buns are humongous and really delicious, but I have never been a great fan of buns.

Kending is really beautiful. Had seen sunflowers everywhere.

It was coincidental that Peggy happened to be in Kending too for her fieldtrip. We met in the evening to make best use of the coincidence.

I am considering shutting this blog down for good. Lethargy felt.

Kending, aerial view from hotel

Many things are easier said than done. Perhaps I am really better off alone. Only I and I alone am responsible for my own liver. Who cares? Science is a religion! To my heart's content, cheers!

Cosy Morning in Kaohsiung

There are many cafes and eateries to choose from for brunch. I was spoilt for choice. They beat O'Briens and Subway by the trillions, at the expense of mere dollars and pennies.

Happy but sad. Conflicting feelings. So cute but so far. Hope I can swim towards your shore and be on your side. As a friend of course. :-)

新崛江夜市

Xinjuejiang Night Market is a famous night market in Kaohsiung, known for its food and street wear. In short, Taiwan has a buzzling nightlife if one cares to seek it.

Just when I think that Taiwan offers the best to any owl of a human being, Singapore is not faring too bad itself. I reckon there are thousands of bars and pubs in Singapore, considering that the small district of Ann Siang Hill and Neil Road combined already has so much to offer. Tanjong Pagar is a drinking haven. Along with Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, an evening in Singapore may not be as boring as it seems after all.

I am now tipsy but not drunk. Jacky has just returned from Medan and we met for a short round of drinks. I think word has spread that I have turned alcoholic and many friends are now inviting me to drink with them. I did not know that there is so much sorrow to be drown within my circle of friends, and some of them have been habitual drinkers very much on their own.

I realize that a Long Island Iced Tea is enough to get myself comfortably "high", without the loathsome effects of a hangover.

Another few weeks and it will be hard to meet up. There goes my dream and best friend into the sea of time. Just be happy yeah. :-)

Kaohsiung Subway

I am more than impressed by the Kaohsiung Subway. It is clean, efficient, fast, and reliable.

We should leave friends the right to manage their own time and maintain their own social circles. Should we ever feel neglected by them, at least we should bear the conviction that they do not mean to do so. Thank You. I really mean it. :-)

I am not clinging on. But I really feel happy staying in good touch this way and will do whatever it takes for the person to be happy. So long as he/she is happy, whatever I do or can do is justified. :-) I can be the emcee for your big day!

Drunk again......

Went to Harry's at Chijmes and then to Ann Siang Hill. Haha! Here are some snapshots of the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR). I can't survive without it in my travels on the island.

I don't feel guilty of my drinking bouts. I need to drown my sorrows. My drinking buddies are puzzled to have found such a ready partner these days. God knows why.

Sleepless
Age is catching up on me. Amnesia and insomnia are now my best friends. Says who that counting sheep helps? Riding sheep may just do the trick. Haha.

You are seeing nothing below

I hereby declare my previous post void. Thanks.

Very Drunk now!

But who cares?! I have been drunk for the past 2 nights. I can't be bothered anymore. What sleek clean image do I have? What the heck is that?!

I am very drunk now, and very angry. I recount the times when I have been taken advantage of as a friend by some of my friends! I hate to be so calculative, and I am not asking that my help rendered to you has to be reciprocated in kind. But recall how you have been treating me. Like when I have an appointment with you and you fly my kite intentionally. Or prioritize your other friends over me. Why should I be at your beck and call, filling in your free time and empty slots and crawling away like a dog once you have found some nice activity? Sometimes I wonder if the problem lies with me or it is simply I am so unlucky as to meet friends like these. Are these people friends in the first place? Fair-weather ones who ask for help from you and yet selfish enough to refuse you when you need it, or callous enough to ignore your pleas, or think of you only when they want something from you. They can be earnest in having their ends met with your assistance but when only you and only you are concerned, regress into a reclusive mode or some state of memory loss at their own convenience. The worst thing is that these so-called friends are not even aware of the pain that they may have inflicted upon others. Yes, I feel that I have been taken for granted!

Man is really selfish. I am nothing but pessimistic towards human nature. I am one myself and have always thought that I am not an impeccably good person. Now I realize that many others are worse. 朋友之间熟归熟，最基本的礼貌还是要有的。如果跟你熟你就觉得对不起我是ok的，那我宁可跟你保持距离！熟了还被你欺负，你只欺负自己人，这是什么道理？？I hate myself for having come across as a petty idiot, and it is because of these so-called friends that I am now like this. This is it man. Enough is enough. Don't bother asking me for help in the future. If you are one of the guilty ones of the above charges, you should feel a tinge of guilt if you are still feeling (doubt you would read my blog anyway). If not, I must be wasting my drunkard breath here. To the guilty ones: how many times have you helped me or kept in touch with me? Especially those who are now doing marketing and selling policies!!

I will not delete this post even in my sober state. This entry is a real testament of what I have been feeling all this while. Agony and anger. 我要为自己而活! I thought that as a jovial Buddhist I should have "seen through the red dust" but as a matter-of-fact, I am still human at heart.

Taiwan rocks. It was love at first sight. It is also a place where I have forged great friendships and met friends who would really walk the extra mile just to make my every single stay in Taiwan a fun and rewarding one. I shall have no qualms flying over for my retirement.

To the f**k**g "friends": Bye! Lead your own lives and I will lead mine, without you in sight!

They say that if you want to know a person or his character, just observe his friends. Friends are a mirror image of yourself. I must have been a bad friend. Sorry if I am indeed so. My deepest apologies here.