Ciao For Now. We're Off To The Alps.
Heya folks. Only got like 10 minutes to type this out, so I better make this quick. I've just left Italy with the guys. At Hopfgarden right now, a quaint little village in the Austrian Tyrol.
Italy was amazing. Florence, Rome and Venice. We missed Verona (you know the venue for Romeo and Juliet) due to some traffic jam, but not much to see there except the statue of Juliet. Apparently it's good luck if you rub the statue's umm... chest. So says our tour guide. Whatever!
Rome was really quite a sight. So much history concentrated in one city. Visted the Colloseum, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basillica (Amazing! I'll never look at Cathedral's the same way again), and even went to the prison cell where Paul and Peter were kept before they were executed. The guys at Changi Prison have it way better.
Rome was the main highlight for me, will tell you guys more abt Florence and Venice another time, which were fabulous in their own right.
Watched the Chelsea- Liverpool match at a pub in Venice. Hope Pool win the next leg.
Ciao guys. Will see you guys soon. I've got some amazing pictures. Yowza. Different wallpaper for everyday of the year.
Bonjour!
Just sent out an e-mail to the PUNJers...
" Hey folks!
I'm typing this from some internet cafe in Florence, Italy. Just thought I'd write back! Thanks for your prayers guys. Yeah some of you know that I was kinda down with the flu before flying off for London last Friday. It got quite bad when I got here, cos the weather in London is pretty cold and all. 10 degrees with the wind and the rain! Garr! But I got better by the 2nd day! Thank God!
In the past week, I've been by coach from London all the way down to Paris.We've seen the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc' de Triumphe and strolled down Champ d' Elysee, the major shopping district, which makes Orchard Road look bad man! Stayed in a Chateau (Mansion) in the wine region of Beajolais. We had this awesome picnic, where we strolled along the country side to this hill nicknamed the 'top of the world'. It was amazing man. Unobstructed view for miles, with all the vineyards in sight. Sitting on the hill top with friends and a nice glass of Beaujolais wine in hand is really bliss.
Also visited Monaco yesterday night. I've never seen so many Ferraris, Lamboghinis and Porsches crammed into such a small area before! I think Monaco is like the size of Ang Mo Kio + Bishan.Serious! Haha.
Just saw the leaning tower of Pisa today, and yes took some corny shots where you pretend you're holding up the tower. You just have to do it when you're there! I'll be in Florence for 2 days before heading off to Rome.
Sarah, I'll try to get your Birkenstocks from Munich, but at the rate I'm going, I could run out of cash before then. HAHA! Wah lau, I'm paying through my nose here! A bottle of Coke from your average convienience store for 2 Euro (or 4 Sing dollars)?
!@#$!@$!$!!!!!
Ellie, the "Stand up speak up" wristbands are really short in demand here, and they only allow 2 per person! Will try to look out for them. I want one too. heh.
Take care guys. It's only been a week, but I could use a bowl of Bak Kut Teh from Balestier right now. Haha. Thinking of everyone, and looking forward to coming home, though not that soon. =)
God bless, and Au Revoir!
Gabe "
Just got word that they're gonna build 2 casinos eh? Well, guess we all saw it coming. I won 7 Euros playing slots in Monte Carlo while at Monaco by the way! Haha. Cheap thrill, yeah and uh, ya shouldn't gamble. But I just had to put in some coins into the machines and say I've played slots in Monaco! No intention of winning! Really!
Bon Voyage
Leaving early tomorrow morning folks. So in the meantime take care!
To those having exams, all the best and perservere.
To those who have finished their exams or those just waiting for uni, slack on! or hope you find a fulfilling job for now. heh.
Anyway, for the build up to this trip, I just feel especially blessed by God. When I had to pay for the car damages, I was seriously short on cash for this trip. I also had to pay for the church camp and Kinabalu trip, which amounted to another 600 bucks. Financial aid came in from my Ah Ma, and aunties when I least expected. I'm really thankful to them and thankful to God for providing.
Also, caught the flu bug in the last few days. All started with a really bad sore throat after Mambo night on Wed (one too many flaming zamboukas), which developed into quite an uncomfortable cough. Thank God it's gotten better. Last night I was still hacking away, and while it's still there, it's a lot better. I heard temperatures in London is currently dipping way below 10 degrees celcius right now at night, so that can't do my cough any good.
Do pray for our safety folks. Jon, Jerry, Joel, Jeremy, Jerald, Wenzheng and me. Yeah 5Js, Wenz and me. heh.
Will be keeping you guys back home in prayer too. Till May 10th then.
More wakeboarding pics. Yes, Jason was dressed for the occasion.
Good thing the clouds came after we were done.
Ass-boarding.
So this is how Peter felt.
Sink or Swim
Wakeboarding pics: Wenzheng anticipates
Wenzheng: Look ma! No...err...one hand!
Yeehaw!
Jason: Uh oh. This is gonna hurt.
Apprehensions
You know as I got my biking license last Monday, a few thoughts were going through my head. Firstly, I was quite esctatic that I had passed first time. Of the 90 pple that took the traffic police test, there were only 40 of us who passed left in the holding room. Those who failed streamed out of the room as their names were called out.
Secondly, as I was looking around the room at the ppl who passed, I had this frightening thought. Everybody looked really happy, but thats because everybody assumes accidents will never happen to you. Getting a bike license really exposes you to a whole new world of risk. Some of the driving center instructors tell me it's really sad to see their student pass the test, only to see their faces in the obituaries in the following month.
I just found out another one of my ex-schoolmates from AC passed away last evening.
He was involved in a motocycling accident.
Sea Water Does Wonders For Your Sinus
Still aching after yesterday's wakeboarding session with Wenzheng and Jason. Went down to Punggol Marina in the afternoon. Timing was perfect! The rain clouds came in just as we were wrapping up. I have new found respect for wakeboarders. Standing up alone is quite a challenge! Took me and Jason about 10 minutes to learn how to get up. Even then, I managed to hold on for about 30 secs at most before slamming into the sea. *oof* Jason fared better catching some wake and Wenz was a real pro! Boarding with one hand and all.
My neck is aching like crap but it was worth it man. Definately won't be the last time. To those interested in going wakeboarding, 3 ppl for 2 hrs is just nice. Anymore ppl on the boat and it'll just be a lot of waiting.
Having a really bad sore throat after Mambo night yesterday (last time, really). Music wasn't spectacular. Was there with Jeremy, Wenz and Limin. Talking to Limin during supper was quite interesting. She's a really bubbly and cheerful person. I respect the fact that she's doing what she wants in uni. And once again I'm reminded how small a world this is when she says she's a good friend of Anqi and Ying Ying. Heh.
Europe in 3 days. Better get packing.
Ignore This
I remember this exercise we used to do during English lessons back in AC. It was a creative writing warm up, where we were supposed to write the first thing that came to our minds. The whole composition doesn't have to be coherent. Here goes.
"Legs itchy. Shave leg hair? Sick man. That's really gay.
Soccer last Sunday afternoon at NTU Sports and Recre was great. Back pain. Scored one. Other team failed to clear. Back really pain sia. Ball right outside penalty box. Dashed towards it and gave a nice chip over the keeper and into the top left of the goal. ala Ronaldinho vs David Seaman at the last world cup. Michael Owen can run 100m in 10.7s. Where's the nearest Subway? Need footlong cheese steak sandwich. Satisfying. Although it really was intended to be a cross to Terence. Haha. It's true. Scoring a goal is better than s....umm. supper.
DOTA anyone? I should stop using Lina Inverse. But I suck at everything else! Stop using windwalkers Zhiguang. hum issit.
Tired man. Aching all over. Hungry. No food in fridge. Cleaned it all out. Could use a Whopper. Samurai Champloo is da bomb. Thank you John. In the vein of Cowboy Bebop. Europe coming soon. Must get sleeping bag back from Elliot once he comes back from Aceh. Hope the team is fine. I still owe Isaac 24 bucks and his Elfen Lied cd. Which is preety sick. It beats Hannibal hands down.
To err is Human. Excuses. You won't get away with this.
Wakeboarding tomorrow. Can't wait."
It clears the mind this exercise. Sometimes what you write can be totally hillarious or somewhat disturbing.
Biking this morning with the guys was really fun, even if we spent about half the time falling due to the terrain. I won't be getting a Harley anytime soon, so I'll have to settle for off-road adventures with my Giant Yukon. I'll leave you with some pictures.
Mountain Biking pics from this morning: Xu Hong gets down and dirty.
Was fun guys! (sorry isaac, thought you were working la!)
Bukit Timah to Upp Pierce Reservoir in dense vegetation. Damn shack can?
Even after the army, you just can't escape bashing.
Jem, Jason, Jerald!
Jason looking cool blurry.
Wenzheng: Incoming!
Tai Xu Hong: Man of mystery.
BB and GB Enrolment Parade. Fall in Men (and ladies)!
Si Ling Sec's acrobatic display. Great job guys!
...
Was gonna blog about something encouraging, but it doesn't seem appropriate right now.
Just found out that an ex- schoolmate from NJ passed away last saturday. Apparently he lost control of his bike, was flung off and was hit by an oncoming bus.
I didn't know Jingwei very well personally. We would just exchange "Hi"s and "Bye"s in school when we saw each other, or make the occassional small talk. He struck me as someone who was really friendly and well liked by his friends, especially those from RV.
It's just damn tragic when things like these happens. He was 20 and had his whole future ahead of him. All that taken away, in a split second. Please pray for his family, that they will be helped through this tough time. God bless his soul.
P.S. I passed my riding TP test today, much to the dismay of many of my friends.
Sinner
Time and time I fall. Yet the Lord's grace is abundant. Do I truly understand the extent of His love? Then why do I keep taking advantage of it? I shouldn't let the guilt cause me to slip away.
I don't want to be a slave to sin.
Jeremy Yap and Gabriel Tan. Partners in crime.
Tennis @ Wenz's: Wenzheng shows us how it's done.
Edward: HIYAAAAAAA!
Watch da birdie!!!
Some pics from sports school.
Ah Long with his Michael Jordan impersonation. Tongue and all.
Bacardi 151s And The Grand Eunuch
Well I hope John got a decent grade for it. It was quite an eye opener sitting in for John's last theatre module class. We got to the Nanyang Auditorium at around noon, and we were 4th in line to give our performance, based on the play "Decendents of the Grand Eunuch". I kept forgetting my lines for the rehearsal, was doing a monologue. Thankfully, managed to get through the performance without forgetting anything! It's amazing what stage pressure can do for you.
The other performances were really good as well! I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. Drama really is a blast. Thanks for the opportunity John!
Was a good thing I managed to get to NTU on time. Got home at 4am the night before. The Thursday night crowd at MS only started warming up after midnight. Had some Barcadi 151s at Coco Latte before heading for the Beng-ster paradise at Madam Wong's, to the bartop dancers of CU, to the Bangra party (well it seemed like it with the music they were playin!) at Cheeky Monkeys. Best thing was there wasn't any cover charge, so spent a lot less than we thought we would. Walked down to Lau Pa Sat for supper before heading home. Was a blast Wenz!
Europe in less than 2 weeks. Moto TP Test in 2 days. BB meeting tomorrow.
Anyway I just wanna let you know I don't think you're a bitch. You can't help what I feel, just like I can't help what you feel. Study hard.
I Wonder
Just a random thought. Do bapoks get in free on ladies' night? Or do they pay half the price?
The Solaris Board when I last went back to NJ. Anyways Blogger's down so I can't seem to update. Will explain the wreck car pictures another day. Just know that I am 1000 bucks poorer. =(
Update On Fei
Visited Kang Fei with Elliot today. He's on his 3rd dose of chemo. 5 more to go. Each time he goes for chemo, it requires him to stay in hospital for about a week. They then discharge him for about 1 to 2 weeks before he has to go back for the next cycle of chemo. It's pretty crappy with the side effects and all (nausea, immune system goes down, vomiting, loss of appetite), but Fei hasn't seemed to have lost his sense of humour. Thank God for that. He was suaning me about paying a 1000 bucks for repairs to the car, saying i should have gone to some other unauthorised mechanic. Haha. Do continue to keep him in your prayers folks. (I'll explain about the car later.)
Anyway, been going to NTU everyday for the past 3 days. Helping out with John's play for his theatre module. He's required to direct a 15 min play. We're doing a play by the late local playwriter Kuo Pao Kun. It's about the Grand Eunuch Zheng He. For those of us that don't know nuts about Chinese History (ahem, like myself), at the height of the...ok I forgot which dynasty, but anyway, the emporor entrusted Zheng He with the largest armada of ships ever known to sail the world at that time, and they sailed all the way from China to Africa, and some say he reached America even before Columbus.
The play's about his life, and it's really a satire on Singaporean society. It's divided into 16 modules, of which we're doing 4. It's not your average play. The only actors are Marcel (John's friend) and me. We play different roles throughout the whole thing. Very minimalist, and surrealist. I got this whole chunk of lines to remember by tomorrow. Garr! My brain!
And now, I shall retell my little misadventure with the car. So on the way home from Nanyang Playhouse, John, Michelle (John's gf), Marcel and I decided to get dinner at a Boon Lay Kopitiam. HDB Car parks are so damn cramp, I always have difficulty parking. So I didn't see this pillar while backing up and...well... you get the rest.
Before heading down to NUH to visit Fei, I sent the car to the Toyota repair workshop. Was quite a sight to see all these wrecked cars (see below). I hope the drivers of them got out safe. Dad's still in Bordeaux right now. Will tell him when he gets back. Don't exactly wanna spoil his trip.
Donations to the "Save-Gabe-From-Starving-In-Europe" fund are now open. =(
I. Want. One.
4D anyone?
Well. At least the headlights are still shiny.
OH F#*!!!
And Then, The Heavens Opened Up
My little morning swim @ CDANS was cancelled due to the rain this morning. Cycled all the way there from home only to have the lifeguards call everyone out of the pool once I parked the bike. Then Isaac and I had to cycle back in the downpour. Anyway thanks for "The Diary Of Anne Frank" Isaac. And the anime. I refuse to let the weather get me down.
Been wondering whether I can start on my Community Service now, since I've already matriculated. Would be nice to go out there and do something in the homes. How many hours do we need again? Any nice SMU people can tell me?
Oh Shit.
Hahahaa....I'll let Jianhong explain this one. Sorry jh, too lazy to type it out. haha .You can catch JH and the east side gang at
http://isleptwithsanta.blogspot.com/ !
"anyways, had a terribly funny day yesterday. after me gabe shaun isaac and gabe's cousin played at egames, we walked to his car, parked at somerset MRT carpark. he was mentioning how weird that lot was, cos everyone drove past that lot but didn't take it. lucky day maybe? so he just parked there. lo and behold when we got back to the car, it was COVERED and i mean SMOULDERED with BIRD SHIT! LOL it was like an artillery bombardment man, 155mm, 120mm, 81mm 60mm all just SMACKED on his windscreen, bonnet, boot, everything.gabe:my dad's gonna kill me.haha we drove to a manual car wash and thought they would faint upon seeing the car. haah but they didn't and 4 guys proceeded to clean the car with jet sprays and soap.when they finished, one of them asked: " you'll went to the BIRD PARK?" "Although the car wash was like 6 bucks, I gave 'em 10 and told them to keep e change. I thought they deserved more though. How would you like scraping off bird shit off someone's car at 2am in the morning?
We really should have taken a picture of the car! Maybe I'll park there again next week just for kicks. =)
Euro Checklist
Some stuff to do before leaving on 17th April.
1. Read "The Diary of Anne Frank" before heading to Amsterdam.
2. Stock up on tea bags.
3. Buy universal adapter.
4. Get extra camera battery and flash card
5. Learn basic Jap. (in case some jap chicks join the tour. haha)
6. Borrow backpack. (Thanks Daniel!)
7. Confirm that no visas are required for Monaco.
Anybody can help me think of anything else?
