First...

I went to the clinic in sch today since I was on way to collect my graduation gown.
Just in time to make it for the morning clinic before it closes for lunch break.
Since tuesday, I've been getting short cough and breathing with tightness in the chest.
Any yesterday, I had headaches on and off (most probably due to heatiness in my body).
The clinic system register me as a graduate.
Wow, NUS system is fast.
Anyway, I still got my free consultation.

The doctor diagnosed that I have a mild asthma and she asked me of any family member with history of asthma.
Only my sister has it but she recovered when she was young.
Then the doctor told me that she will prescribe the inhaler and cough syrup.

hahaha...
It's my first time using the inhaler

The inhaler.

Mouthpiece cap on.

Mouthpiece cap off.

I'm not sure what's the cause of the slight asthma. Inside the inhaler is medication which will tigger the airway to open up and increase the air intake. This will allow me to breathe better. There's a bit of after taste when you "swallow" the medication.

Puff away,
Peiyan

Graduation Gown 101

Hello...
Welcome to Graduation Gown 101.
I'm the host for today.

Hahaha...
this is not a new tv show.
it just collected my graduation gown and commencement card this afternoon.
the payment counter was rather slow cause they have to check your name in their system, make the payment and get the invoice printed.

Then it's off to Station 1.
It's quite confusing cause they did not tell us that we need to pick the gown and the motarboard ourselves.
Luckily, I've already decided my gown and motarboard size so just need to pick the good gown (cause I noticed that some gowns are made from different type cloth) and ensure that the motarboard fits (actually, the M size feels slightly bigger than the one I tried at co-op when I went to check out the gown).

Anyway, I had some fun at home with the gown and took pictures of the hanging gown.

Hood. Gold is for Science fac.

The front of the gown (pardon for the bad take).

Back of the gown.

Finally, the motarboard.

Not to worry, they have provided us with he gown bag with hanger to ease the trouble in carrying the gown around. Placing the gown in the gown bag will also prevent the gown from being creased.

The nice gown bag.

Alternatively, you can get the big NUSS yellow bag and keep the gown and gown bag inside if you find carrying 2 bags troublesome.

Tada, the NUSS bag (I use this to keep the rest of the gifts).

On top of that all graduates are given a AlumNUS card, to signify that we are alumni of NUS. Guess what, the card has discounts at Cathay Cineplex. Movie tickets are priced at $6 instead of $7 from Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays and eves. There are also discounts at other shops.

The AlumNUS card with the case.

The card is customised with your matric number, name and faculty.

The hood doesn't stay in that position all the time. I kept it in place in the shoot using safty pins. Actually there is a button hook to hook the hood onto the button of your shirt to prevent the hood from sliding backwards. The back of the hood is much heavier than the front so if the hood is not secured, it will keep sliding back.
I'm quite blur cause I'm not sure how much of the Gold should be showing on the hood. The thickness in the photo by what I received so I suppose this is the thickeness?
Anyway, the whole gown looks crumpled. Gotta iron it before my commencement.

Graduating soon,
Peiyan

Grinder-Man, Mustang Singapore (15 - 22 June 2008)

So fast...
The 1 week of rehearsals and performance with Grinder-Man went past with a blink.
No more walk, run, stop, pose, fall, getting up.
No more looking straight.
No more acting as audience.
No more box grabbing.
No more Mustang dance.
aw....
I miss the black box.
I miss the people in Grinder-Man.
I miss the fun I had with the Singapore participants.
I miss the times the girls spent at the changing room.
There are so many things I miss.
All these post-performance feelings,
So sad...

On friday and saturday I brought my camera and tripod along.
The original aim on friday was to take a group photo cause the Singapore participants wanted to present something to the Japanese people. (actually the idea of the group photo was mine.)
But the photo wasn't taken until saturday's second pre-show briefing.
Making request doesn't help, my friend and I decided that I should just setup and get the group photo over with once the briefing ended.

With simple editing and design, I managed to get the photos printed in S8R and 4R sizes.
The S8R was for framing with the Singapore participants signing around it.
(unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the final product. so smart of me.)
That was presented to the leader of the Grinder-Man, Hitoshi.
The 4R photos were given to each of the 11 members of Grinder-Man.

Here's the photo.

The Tokyo members consist of:
Hitoshi (leader)
Maki (choreographer)
Yumi
Ekko
Norihiro
Jin
Tomohiko (aka Prince)
Age

and the crew:
Nobuaki (stage manager)
Iori (sound guy)
Mayumi

I'm still waiting for photos from the rest of the participants.

G!
Peiyan

Grinder-Man, Mustang Singpaore (The final 2 shows)

Sunday!!!!
The last day of our performance.
Feeling a bit sad now.
Cause it's the last 2 shows from all the effort we have put in for the past 6 days.

Reporting time was later than usual cause the rehearsal studio was only available at 4.30pm.
Though the girls have arranged to come earlier to do what we wanted to do,
time past so quickly to make any good progress.

Warm ups was pair stretching followed by the 5 actions practice:
walk
run
stop
fall
getting up (fast/slow)

Then we practiced the one line formation which we need to do during the show.
At that point a small accident happened.
We had to wait for the music to stop and fall down.
While falling down, someone hit my nose and I felt liquid flowing.
I covered with my left hand.
The left side of my nose was bleeding.
I sat out for the rest of the warm up and decided to give the 6.30pm show a miss to let my nose heal first.

I get to be a real audience for once and watch the whole performance.
Was back in for the final show at 8.15pm.
Last show...
Everyone put in 200% effort for the last show.
Applause and cheering from the Esplanade staff.
We were cheering when we returned to backstage.
Everyone was so high.

Washed up and join the Grinder-Man for supper at Makansutra.
Going around for signatures.
On behalf of all the Singapore participants, I presented the gift which we made to Hitoshi, the leader of Grinder-Man.
Talked, eat and laugh till past midnight and accompanied them back to their hotel in Bugis before heading home.

I'm high,
Peiyan

p.s. I'm still waiting for photos.

Grinder-Man, Mustang Singapore (show 3, 4)

It's saturday.
Today's reporting time was 4pm.
I brought my camera again.
This time, die die must get the group photo.
Otherwise the plan will not happen.

Met up with Yuman, Trudy and Gobi at 2.30pm for lunch.
But before that, I was rushing around to get materials.
First to Ikea tampines to get the frame.
Then to Art Friends to get the paper.
And I made it in time to meet them at Citylink mall at 2.30pm.

We were trying to decide what to have for lunch and Gobi was suggesting the different restuarants to dine in.
Wow... budget leh.
In the end, we settled for foodcourt food at Marina Square.
Trudy already had lunch so that leaves the 3 of us to get our lunch.
3 takeaways from the same stall.

Surprise, surprise...
Yuman and Gobi don't take chilli but the uncle put chilli in their food.
So I had like 3 servings worth of chilli paste in my chicken horfun cause mine had chilli too.
I could felt the chilli heating up my stomach after that.

Today's warm up was special.
We had massage sessions for each other.
Super shiok!
Following that was a few practice sessions of freestyle movements and walking.
Then it was break to prepare for the 6.30pm show.

In the girls' changing room:

Yuman, Trudy

Girls group photo (not all are here) in the changing room with the Japanese members.

The girls always have our own way of fun in the changing room.

Pre-show briefing:

Down stairs

Up stairs

Jin, Norihiro, Yumi

oh... Maki, the choreographer, knows like 4 languages.
Japanese (her main language)
French (her 2nd best)
English (so-so)
Singlish (hahaha)

I've already returned 90% of French I've learnt to the lecturer.
Thus, I could only speak very simple french to Maki. hahaha.

The members of Grinder-Man were dressed up nicely after the show.
We later found out from Yumi that the Esplanade people are bringing them to some restaurant to dine.

Had supper with Yuman and Trudy before heading back home.

Au Revior,
Peiyan

Grinder- Man, Mustang Singapore (show 1, 2)

Here it is...
After nights of rehearsals both in the Rehearsal Studio and on the performing ground, our first 2 shows are finally here.
The first show was a bit disappointing cause there wasn't much crowd around.
It could be that people just knock off from work and are still having dinner.

Reporting time was 3pm.
We watched our full-dress rehearsal video and was laughing away.
Then the warm up begins and break time to prepare and get changed for the primere show.

Self warm up

Roxanne, (I can't rmb her name), Siti

Mirror fun

Anyway, I found the video for our first show on youtube.
Unfortunately, it's only the first part.
Still, kudos to the person who uploaded it on youtube.
Here it is:

The second show had more crowd.
People make mistakes, but who in the audience would know?
hahaha.
After each performance, Hitoshi will come and give comments on what we need to improve on.

So fast, we had our first 2 shows done.

4 more shows to do,
Peiyan

Looking for Car?

Been very bored lately.
Couldn't think of what to do.
So I decided to check out the different new cars on sale at sgcarmart.
After browsing a few of the car brands in mind, these are the few picks that I like.

Chevrolet Optra Magnum Sedan 1.6L
$56,888 (A)
$53,888 (M)
Fuel tank capacity: 60L
Fuel consumption: unknown

Chevrolet Aveo Sedan
$52,188 (A)
$49,188 (M)
Fuel tank capacity: 45L
Fuel consumption: unknown

Mitsubishi Lancer
EX 1.5 Elegance: $58,988 (A)
Fuel tank capacity: 59L
1.6 (A) $49,988
1.6 (M) $48,488
1.6 Sports (A) $53,988
1.6 Sports (M) $50,488
Fuel tank capacity: 50L
Fuel consumption: unknown

I feel that the front is really ugly for Elegance.

Nissan Sunny 1.6L
1.6 EX FL (A) $54,500
1.6 EX FL (M) $52,000
1.6 SS FL (M) $58,500

Mazda 3
This one I tried once and feel that the car is not fuel efficient.
It's like a patrol drinker car.
Another thing is that sometimes, the car refuses to accelerate further at 40km/h.
Other than that, the car is rather smooth to drive.

The cars are expensive and I estimated that with my salary as a teacher, it'll take 4+ years to save that amount of money at $1k per month.
On top of that, there's road tax, radio tax, car plate, patrol, maintenance cost involve.
Sigh...
When will I get my car?

Zoom-zoom,
Peiyan

Cloverfield?!?!?!

Finally, at 10.30pm, I reached Serene's house to join the class gather for about 45min.
They were watching Cloverfield.
Serene looked scared.
By the time I came, they were already half way through the movie.
I just sat down and watch.

This is one boring movie with moster in it.
First of all, it makes no sense to have a normal videocam surviving all that shock, blood, with night mode and the built in light on to have a battery to last throughout the whole movie.
Secondly, it's way to fast for 3 ppl to climb up 57 storeys on stair with that videocam recording.
Thirdly, that auto-fousing scene... rubbish.
Fourth, video is like being retrived after all that rocks falling on it and covering it at the end?!?!?! Like the tape isn't damaged at all from the impacts.

Whatever...
If you tell me it's scary.
I think it's totally not.
It could be because I watched it from the middle on.
But if the last half is so boring, what can the first half spice up to?

yawnz,
peiyan

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Finally, I caught the lastest movie of Indiana Jones in the theatres.
Watched it with Teng Yong and Fifi at AMK Hub after Jx's wedding.
The second newest Cathay cineplex (newest one is at Downtown East).
The cinema was freaking cold.
You can actually feel the cold air blowing at you!!!

I watched the past 3 movies of Indiana Jones on tv and I liked it.
It can be considered as one of my childhood movies I grew up with.
Each movie is filled with new advanture for artifects.
The Radiers March is an unforgettable song piece of the movie.

Many funny moments in the movie.
In the first 2 movies, Indiana Jones is seen working alone.
Then comes the 3rd movie where his father comes into scene.
And now in the 4th movie, his son comes into action.

Knowledge is for you to find, not for you to be fed with.

burrrr cold,
Peiyan

Congrates to Jiexiang and Corine

I was invited to the wedding lunch of Jiexiang and Corine.
Jiexiang was the President of the NUSPS 37th MC.
I was the assistant secretary then.

This is my first wedding invitation.
Also my first lunch wedding banquet.
NUSPS had one table, which seats 7 out of 12 committee members while the rest were taken up by close friends of NUSPS.
Next to our table is the NUSPS alumni table.

The group table shot (photo by patrick).

Some of the photos can been seen at Gerald's work blog.

We felt that Jiexiang was running another montage more than his wedding.
hahahah...
Never seen such an active groom at his wedding banquet before.

Happy wedding to Jiexiang and Corine.
And I wish them eternal happiness.
Remember the 4 Rs we have for you:
Relax, Reproduce, Replenish, Repeat (cycle).

Their wedding bells ring today,
Peiyan

p.s. No more weddings at isolated, difficult to find way to country club for those future wedding couples.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian

After Montage 2008 and dinner and harbourfront's foodcourt.
Eugene, Fifi, Gerald and I were thinking that it was too early to go home.
We decided to walk over to Vivocity to check out what movie was available.
Just nice, the timing for Narnia was starting soon.
We decided that we'll catch it.

I've never watched the first Narnia movie so I don't really know the story behind it.
But kind Gerald summarised the first movie into a short 5min understanding.

Bad news was that the person who sold us the tickets screwed up the movie timing and we ended up getting tickets for the later show.
It was first row seats.
Luckily, the staff at the entrance were quick enough to get us into going-to-start-soon timing, which is what we asked for.
And from the first row, we changed to the last row.
Yipee.

The movie was rather crappy.
It's like a combination of LOTR and Harry Potter (the guys said that there was Shrek too).
The flying bird like creature which lookes like those in Harry Potter and the moving trees in LOTR?!?!?!
3 blind mice in Shrek which are no longer blind here?!?!?
hahah
Of course there were funny moments.

The movie was 145min long and it ended past midnight.
Luckily I rented car that weekend.
Sent Fifi back to his house at CCK and drove myself back home.

Aslan's roar,
Peiyan