Flag day - if I am going to be very honest here - is an event which shatters a lot of candy-coated illusions I have about Singaporeans.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. I just think that Singaporeans don't know how to properly reject others. Perhaps it's the embarrassment of having to say 'no' to you. They don't look you in the eye, some mumble incoherently, yadayada. But the worst would have to be those who walk past you without even so much as acknowledging your presence, and this is in the context of me having walked up to them and asking them very audibly if they would like to donate.

No issues if you don't want to donate. It's your money, you decide what you want to do with it. I respect that. But at least treat people like people! Don't just walk ahead, without even the slightest hint of eye contact.

Is this what our society is coming to? People fixated with their own interests, walking briskly along, not caring what the heck is going on around them. Can't even muster the energy to reject properly/courteously. Some did it with kids in tow. So this is what they teach their children nowadays. No wonder a large majority of people who actually brushed past me without so much as blinking an eye were students. This is the generation I'm growing up with. Socially adept, only when it's necessary to fulfill self centred motivations.

I'm appalled.

But for every rude person, there was a kind one. Some said "God Bless", some asked me not to stand in the sun, some smiled. It gives me at least, some visage of there being an optimistic future yet for this generation. We'll see.

A wistful sigh; a nostalgic smile.

Merely fine rain, which looked a lot like light snow, billowing across the busy street outside my house.

It suddenly occured to me then - fine rain is just as beautiful, in its own way.

:)

You see, our marketing seminar, or actually, a lot of some of our biz modules require that we speak up in class. I have nothing against that, and in fact I like it that way because it keeps our lessons interesting, and I tend to be more alert in such classes. But I genuinely am confused about some things:

This semester looks like its shaping up to be much fun! I'm not being sarcarstic, I'm serious! It's dead funny!

About school, yes, I feel the pace picking up. But you know what? For the first time in 3 years of school, I actually find myself being interested in what I study. Let's hope it continues till the very end of the semester. (The only boring module is managerial accounting, and it doesn't help that half the time I cannot understand the lecturer's thick accent -I am not made of this stuff, man.)

I think it's a blessing that I 'accidentally' landed up with 2 sociology modules. Psychology can go and fly kite for now, haha! I'm not being sour, I promise - I still intend to take Psychology just to see what it is really like, but my point is that Sociology seems really promising. Relevant, applicable, and interesting.

Zhu my friend has flown off to London now, and I think in a few weeks time she will find herself in Gothenberg :) I am so happy and excited for her!

Alas the time has come to bring myself down to earth. School has commenced in Singapore!!!

Back in Sweden it was very chill. Drag myself to school, have discussions in class, then go back to my hostel (and fly off the following day!) Here, it's completely different.

Friends make it better of course. I had supper @ Bedok 85 with Aman (finally pollo!), Elks, Ivan, Pam, and Sister (finally! Sister!). Stuffed myself full with Bak Chor Mee, Stingray, Orh Luak and BBQ chicken wings, then we headed to my place (minus aman and sister :( ) to play Bridge, Poker, Bluff, and Mahjong. I totally sucked at Bluff because my body language gave me away all the time, and the tiles just didnt' like me in Mahjong. My tiles kept facing the wrong way and they slipped out of my hands all the time, hmmph! (and neither did they like a certain pam teo) haha.

And then of course there was mel's 21st party, which was awesome good fun where people came dressed in retro dresses and suits, and it was just a very comfortable party in general! That was also when I discovered the magic of helium (and what it does to your voice, hahahahah). I'll posts the photos/videos soon :)

Till then, i'm going to have to haul my ass to school tomorrow.

Shan't bother you guys further about the technical details. I'll cut to the chase. This semester, I'm taking a soci exposure mod and another mod called the Sociology of Family.

Like Alanis Morrisette would sing, "Isn't it ironic"? Considering what I was talking to Pam T about the other day. An hour an a half long conversation about family (mine, not about family in general.) I don't know what is the state of family now in Singapore. It's a social construct - that much I know - but what is its function? I don't know for now, and I want to know. For my own good.

.

My spiritual life right now, as well, is going haywire. I don't understand, it's like my mind is undergoing a tumultuous revolution. Like civil war or something. And I don't believe it's because I'm coming of age or whatever. 21 is just a number (really.) - when you mature doesn't depend on when society decides you shall (or will) mature. I don't really know where it stems from. Perhaps it was just waiting to erupt, but the time wasn't ripe then.

Well, that's just the half of it. The other half - hanging out with my dear friends! Been lugging around my brother's camera trying to capture some of these moments, so those who want to download them at a better resolution than the one FB provides, just click on the slideshow. By the way, some of these photos can't be found on FB :)

Which reminds me, I just came back from Simpang Bedok 2 hours ago, had lots of cheese-onion-egg prata which IMO is tasty tasty! And had my first milo dinosaur (I know right, what a yokel), together with Elks Ivan and Pam, the usual supper gang.

Elks Pam and I then retired to play mono-poker, a cross breed between Monopoly and Poker. It's really fun actually; you kinda see the point behind combining these 2 games. And as the Japanese would say, omoshiroii!

Bahhhh it's back to school soon, help!