Beautiful Korea

For our (belated) honeymoon, the missus wanted to go to South Korea. When I asked a few of my friends who had been there, the general consensus was 'Its ok, so so, at least go once in your lifetime.' I wasn't expecting much when I left for Korea last week, but the tour guide said during the beginning of the trip 'Korea has more to offer than you think.' After having spent 1 week there, I agree.

Autumn leaves on Nami Island

First of all, autumn in Korea is really very beautiful. There is a 2 week window in which the leaves turn color to prepare for the coming winter and this is Korea at its best (in my opinion). I've always preferred fall/winter to spring/summer...but hey, to each his own.

Small clay figures found on Nami Island

Perhaps the one thing that has made Korea very unique is its neighbor, North Korea. The North and South are still theoretically at war with each other, held apart by a ceasefire agreement signed in 1953.

A South Korean military outpost at Imjingak

Prayers and wishes for the unification of Korea

Binoculars granting you a view into North Korea

Very enterprising Koreans.. DMZ chocolates!

A destroyer at the Gangneung Unification Park where the North Korean spies infiltrated the South

A typical street in Korea lined with ginkgo trees

You can see many of these structures in Korea, be it temples or palaces

A closeup of the roof

Our time in Korea not only taught us about the history and culture behind Korea's past, but also brought us to experience the modern and urban city life of Seoul.

At the Drawing Show, a combo of painting and performance

T-Express, the hair changing experience which is the worlds steepest 'wooden' rollercoaster

Walker-Hill Casino

Skyscrapers in Seoul

A view from my hotel room in Seoul *heheheh*

BMW police bikes

Will I return to Korea again? Definitely, but maybe after 15 years or so. If anything, this tour has made me want to go to Japan instead, because in almost all of Korea's undertakings in Asia, they are second only to Japan. To anyone who is considering going to Korea for a holiday, I highly recommend it! Or at least go to Korea before you go to Japan... those who have gone to Japan before going to Korea expressed that it was like taking a step backwards...a very small step though. With the way Korea is advancing now, it may catch up to Japan sometime later...maybe, just maybe.

I'm Turning Green

Don't make me angry... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry! I'll feed you with cili padi till your skin melts. Yes I'm really turning green. Or red... Last weekend I decided that I've had enough of looking at weeds/grass only every time I look out of my window.

Honestly I don't know why I got this chili plant. My wife and I aren't chili masochists and we don't eat chilis on a regular basis. I do know that my mom loves them though and she will probably get lots from us in the near future.

We also got ourselves a mini christmas tree... heheh. Small in size but has the potential to be a giant one day. This little fella will provide our garage with shade from the morning sun...oh well, in a few years time.

For those of you who are familiar with where I live, please be informed that there is enough space under that christmas tree for a PS3 or a Wii gaming console should you decide to be generous this coming..oh I don't know, say the night of 24th December? *winks*

And some good news, my two-faced plant is doing very well and even sprouting new flowers! There was a drastic change when we replanted the pot in a more nutrient rich soil and a bigger pot (since it was outgrowing the old one).

Next on the list will be to get a fruit bearing tree... I'm thinking maybe a papaya tree and a durian tree. I was told to look for a hybrid durian tree that doesn't need 10 years to bear fruit and will come with easy plucking abilities... anybody can shed some light on this?

Forsaken Ones

Customer : Do you have any creams that can make me grow a beard or a moustache at least?

I looked upon the customer with the boyish looks devoid of any ruggedness in his face and I instantly empathised with him... Some people are just blessed with such good facial hair and some of us seem to have pissed off the God of Facial Hair at some point in our lives. After my encounter with this particular customer, I told my wife that I'm trying to grow a goatee. She didn't even bat an eyelid and went back to whatever she was doing. Fast forward 2 weeks and the grass in the garden is outgrowing the hair on my chin. There are a few stubbles, but nothing remotely close to what Johnny Depp has on his chin.

Its honestly depressing. There is something about having a well groomed goatee or moustache that kind of adds to your character. You can shave it clean and then you have your boyish looks back. Its an option thats nice to have. Then again there are some people who are pushing the definition of 'well groomed'...like this fella here.

There are some who recommend taking testosterone and many internet searches will tell you to use testosterone cream (which is not available here) but having a higher level of testosterone doesn't guarantee that the hair will grow on your face specifically. It could be an Amazon in some places and still a Sahara in others...if you know what I mean.

Some also mention that facial hair may come later in life, something that I am really hoping for. I may just be a late bloomer after all you know...heheh. Hopefully...

My Two -Faced Plant

I bought a plant some time back in an attempt to make my house look a bit more 'organic.' After a week, I bet the plant was regretting that it ever met me...

Argh... someone please put me out of my misery!

The leaves were drooping, the flowers didn't look like flowers anymore and if you listen closely I think it was trying to commit suicide. A discussion with the Mrs led to us watering it more, changing its soil and moving it to a different location (cause we thought that maybe...just maybe...the conditions were to harsh in that particular spot) but it still looked the same. And no, I was not about to start talking to the plant in a last ditch attempt to show some TLC.

Now normally I don't notice the plant much in the morning as I normally rush to get to work but a while back, I noticed that it seems to be looking better in the morning.

Morning

Night

Hmmmmm....so its just circadian rhythm at work after all. However, the flowers are still non-existent. Any suggestions? Fertilisers?

Is Usain Bolt cheating?

As Usain Bolt crossed the finishing line at the 2009 IAAF Berlin World Championships and set a stunning 9.58s new world record in the 100m event, he left everyone in awe and disbelief - awed by his fearsome prowess on the track, disbelief that he did it on his own steam.

Yes you heard me right! His stellar performance left a big impression in many of the audience. In fact its almost too good to be true...setting the world record at 9.69s (Aug 16, 2008) last year in Beijing, then shaving off quite a considerable amount from that time the following year. Before the Olympics he had set the record at 9.72s (May 31, 2008) beating Asafa Powell's 9.74s. Some are saying that his antics of celebrating before reaching the finishing line in the Olympics last year are done so deliberately to prevent any suspicions had the margin of victory been too big (9.5+s vs previous record of 9.72s).

Ran so fast that he messed up his hair

So did he really cheat? Can anyone really run that fast? He has never failed any drug tests so far though the same can't be said about his compatriots, who later were cleared. We all have our doubts as to this issue, knowing how Marion Jones had never tested positive though she admitted to using banned substances.

Unfortunately, this doping issue is really taking the thunder away from athletes who deserve the glory of victory.Though many offer congratulations and praise to the victor, there are suspicions lingering in the air.

I suggest to the IAAF then to legalise doping. Its a logical solution. You go on with your normal athletics event, then you hold another one on the side and call it the Specially Enhanced Olympics or something...like the ones the disabled have. There are many benefits to this.

1. Your athletes can be free of suspicions and champions can really declare that they did it all by themselves.
2. On the other hand, dopers can have their own stage...meaning you are drawing more people into the sport.
3. Savannah Sanitoa can finish the 100m in under 10seconds (LINK)

4. You can patent and market the products that dopers use - IAAF approved stimulant pills, Rectal Turbo Booster, etc...
5. 100m dash in under 5 seconds!!!

Personally I will give Bolt the benefit of the doubt. I always used to think that the 9.86s set by Carl Lewis in the 90s was unbeatable but as they say records are meant to be broken. Congratulations to you Mr Bolt...for now.

Previous articles on Usain - Bolt: Breakfast of Champions

Hillary Billary: Lost in translation

On Hillary Clinton's recent trip to Congo, a male student asked her through a translator what President Obama thought of Chinese financial contracts in Congo. The funny thing is the translator asked Hillary what Bill Clinton (her husband and former President of the US) would think.

Clinton looked surprised when she first heard the translation in the headset, and then sharply replied, "You want me to tell you what my husband thinks? My husband is not the secretary of state, I am. You ask my opinion. I will tell you my opinion; I'm not going to channel my husband."

Lots of political commentators have pounced on her remarks and have even questioned her emotional capacity to handle the job as secretary of state. In fact when she decided to run for public office, I'm sure her advisors would have told her that the biggest challenge that she has to face is to step out of Bill's enormous shadow. After all her husband had been the most powerful man in the world for 8 years... so when she the translator accidentally mentioned her husbands name, I guess she snapped.

No, I don't think she should have burst out like that, but I can understand why she did...

Kim Jong-il: Your wife asked me to kidnap you in place of the other two girls

And he returned him... kesian you Hillary.

Can't beat this guy

And some of you cringed when you heard that I put the phrase 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in my wedding vow to my wife...

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July 19, 2009 (LINK)

MARRIED TO LIVERPOOL

Singapore's craziest Reds fan loves the club more than his wife - and she doesn't mind

By Jeanette Wang

FOR the past 21 years, Vikinisvaran Suppiah has kept a passionate relationship burning strong.

His wife, Bawani Arumoh, knows about it, but does not mind.

In fact, their lives revolve around this third party, whose presence dominates the couple's flat and whose name is proudly etched on his gold wedding ring.

'I love Liverpool more than my wife,' Vikinisvaran, 31, declared on Saturday of his romance with the English football club.

Bawani, 29, remains nonchalant about her husband's shared affection, calling it a 'healthy obsession'.

The Sunday Times calls him Singapore's craziest Liverpool fan, after receiving more than 700 contest entries in the past two weeks. Vikinisvaran clinched the grand prize of two training passes and four match tickets for Liverpool's visit here this week with his insanity.

The couple, who met 15 years ago as schoolmates at St Thomas Secondary, had a Liverpool-themed engagement in 2005. Against the backdrop of the club crest, Vikinisvaran recited his wedding vows, ending with an echo of the promise of the 18-time league champions: 'We'll Never Walk Alone.'

Then came their traditional wedding ceremony in 2006, which saw a whole page of the invitation card plastered with Liverpool's crest. White wedding garlands were passed among relatives to be blessed, but not before a bright red stamp of approval from the club's acronym 'LFC'.

Home is in Toh Guan, but you would be forgiven if you thought it was Anfield. Flags, coasters, clocks, posters, placemats, mugs, rugs, pillows, bedsheets, curtains... you name it, and they have got it as official Liverpool merchandise.

Decked out head-to-toe in official Liverpool clothing - a daily ritual, even under his work uniform - Vikinisvaran on Saturday shared his desire to have two sons. 'One called Gerrard,' said the container handling specialist, 'and the other Torres.'

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Mr Suppiah, I'm not worthy...