Lebensraum

Admiralty MacDonalds now has a desert stand! FYI if you don't know yet I am a MacDonalds Fan okay! Better than KFC whose student meals are super cheapskate and BK where you can only have cheap food on weekdays *grumbles*. So I choose MacDonalds! (I am NOT endorsed in any way thank you very much).

So what does a desert stand mean? Hmm... let's see what a desert stand can offer a normal MacDonalds can't.

1) Every single MacDonalds desert is available at a desert stand. This includes the usual Orchard only (or what say the more "hot" Macs) deserts like the new Milkshake and the Flavor Bursts etc. etc.

2) Toppings! You can have colored rice, chocolate rice, almonds, nuts and all sort of toppings on your average ice cream! Did I mention M&M minis?

3) Dedicated access! So you don't have to blend in and queue (longer) with the burger/fries/coke only people! Usually the desert stand is rather empty so you can get your order almost immediately.

I will give my first product review on a MacDonalds desert. I'm sure you all seen this right?




Yup yup! My parents always told me how nice they were. My mom used to work at Macs as a secondary school graduate and told me she ordered this every day she worked. So me, being propaganda-d decided that I will spend an outrageous 2.20 SingDolla on a cup of the inaugural, legendary and nostalgic MacDonald's Milkshake (I ordered BA-NA-NA)

I was quite disappointed upon looking at the lady preparing my order.

1) The cup was just an ordinary coke cup. Not like the nice transparent ones they showed on the ad.

2) The cup was only Medium! So small for 2.20?

3) It was made by a machine dammit! I expected the lady to blend everything with fresh BA-NA-NAs, whipped cream, milk and all and actually SHAKE it! What's a milkshake without a shake?!

4) There is no shit-like swirl on the surface of the cup- just flat froth covered with a cheapo coke cover.

Then I started to drink.

Amazing.

The BA-NA-NA taste was so awesome. The milk was just in the best condition and proportion to just blend in nicely.

And the drink is also very rich. I drank like a quarter and was quite full already. This is not coffee hor! Don't drink it alone, drink while eating or something. The sweetness will sting your tongue.

So ya, the small cup problem is solved. I really didn't expect the shit-like swirl 'cuz ads are a bunch of liar-liar-pants-on-fires. The machine part I'm quite sad but I guess this is what they do to manage queues and keep the place clean.

The packaging is the only problem! It won't kill you to give a plastic cup right? *oh ya global warming*

So by BFS Standards, the MacDonald's Milkshake obtains a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars!

*ting* *ting* *ting* *half-a-ting*

*claps*

See ya for today!

Hi All! Seems like my hiatus only lasted like less than a day. I had a horrifyingly depressing day yesterday. Apparently only some people seemed to understand, but I don't blame those who don't, 'cuz it's not easy to understand someone. So anyway, thanks Linus and Oswin especially for helping me cope with my by product of barbaric actions.

So anyway I am back! And I am here to blog about a better future of Big Fat Smiles. I have came up with a wonderful concept recently- you're not gonna see it too soon but with patience comes something wonderful *winks*. So yea, the day after tomorrow is going to be my 2nd Blogging Anniversary. Yes people! I have assumed the title of a blogger for 2 years! Haha, nothing special gonna happen then though- at most some photos from a 3.2 megapixel camera.

Completely unrelated but here's something I wanna blurt. Was getting a Student Meal at MacDonalds a few hours ago and saw a lady ordering food. She suddenly remembered she brought a coupon and took it out.

The coupon was a KFC one.

She rushed out embarrassed.

Classic moments.

I am going back to Admiralty tomorrow for the bai fang of teachers. Teachers meaning Ye Shu Shu and Ms Wee only 'cuz Ms Ong has left and all the other teachers hardly remember me- or maybe they do, it's just me not remembering them.

So yup, didn't splurge on gifts this year. Just gonna print out some teacher loving cards.

POSTNOTE

Ian gave me some insight. Here's a excerpt from his blog.

So bias, so one-sided, so conservative. All they talk about in comprehensions are the greatness of PAP, how we should never leave the country, how computer games are TOTALLY bad for you, how we should not do anything but study all day long…ai ya I tell you, I’M UTTERLY SICK AND TIRED of these disgusting propaganda passages.

Try expressing an opposing view in comprehensions and be prepared to get a zero. Even if that’s what you honestly think and feel. How ironic is that. You get marked down for your honesty. What is damned MOE trying to imply? Next, Chinese passages say that everything that happens bad in Singapore is due to the western culture: xi fang wen hua. Xi fang your ass lah. Yet, ironically, they acknowledge that Singapore is a diverse society. That means that there will be a mix of cultures right? Then why the hell do you say that all you want is the east and nothing to do with the west? Got to have both right? Balance right? Stupid, imbecile Chinese teachers who can’t think straight.

On hiatus.

The work is simply killing me. I am currently emotionally drained because of different barbarians.

I really need God's love now.

I am back people. To Blogger. I guess Blogger is where home is. *Awww* No la, .Mac is fine, just that it's too limited- doesn't even have a comment function for each entry yet along a tagboard. Oh wells. But I will still be putting up cool stuff on the .Mac site because of the ease of use in positioning stuff and such. Still editing the .Mac version of Viva La Timor Loro Sae. Maybe will come up with podcasts and stuff. We'll see =)

Went back to Admiralty on Friday! Me and Persis are now super jealous and wish we were Primary 5 and can join the Art School in 2008. Government takes way to long to think about stuff. I am so disappointed.

The Presentation was fun anyway, watching the pros present and then comparing to myself- a far cry. I mean they are pros wad right?

It's 10:37 in the night and I wanted to burn midnight oil and finish my homework. Instead, I am blogging. So much for hard work. Heex.

I am back people. To Blogger. I guess Blogger is where home is. *Awww* No la, .Mac is fine, just that it's too limited- doesn't even have a comment function for each entry yet along a tagboard. Oh wells. But I will still be putting up cool stuff on the .Mac site because of the ease of use in positioning stuff and such. Still editing the .Mac version of Viva La Timor Loro Sae. Maybe will come up with podcasts and stuff. We'll see =)

Went back to Admiralty on Friday! Me and Persis are now super jealous and wish we were Primary 5 and can join the Art School in 2008. Government takes way to long to think about stuff. I am so disappointed.

The Presentation was fun anyway, watching the pros present and then comparing to myself- a far cry. I mean they are pros wad right?

It's 10:37 in the night and I wanted to burn midnight oil and finish my homework. Instead, I am blogging. So much for hard work. Heex.

AHH! Just bought home a 6 can pack Mocha from NesCafe. It was only 5.20! That makes *wriggles fingers and calculates* only 86 cents a can! And bloody hell I have been paying about 40 cents more for who knows how many cans already! Grrr, and I could have bought MORE.

Okay, I think I'm already fanatic-ed. Heex.

So yea, I don't think I'll drink the coffee immediately after I get out of bed so I'll just put it in a tumbler so it doesn't get warm (or cold) or actually in both cases lukewarm when I get to school. Yay.

But carrying a tumbler to school... That's weird. Heex.

Finished the Devil Wears Prada in 2 days. Unless you count in the 3rd day when I read the finale right after reaching school (that is, today) and finished it in less than 15 min. So yes Abigail! Anytime now.

I will be going to Starbucks tomorrow! *Heart thumps* My grandma gave me a ten dollar bill! (By which grandparents do and ask you to "get something to eat". It's kinda weird actually cuz it's your parents who gave 'em the money and now it's coming back to you. Cheerios anyway.) I will splurge on... hmm... not worth it for a Frap since I can get chilled coffee everyday with the Nescafe ones. I shall make up my mind tomorrow.

God I'm crazy.

Haha. Very long since I blogged about school. Sit up while I do so... heex

Wong Liang Seng canceled the tests today! The oh so intimidating chemistry formulas and equations. We were to go to the lab for our first Chem lesson!

And guess what? The the whole class some people screamed and shouted and our class was in celebratory mood. Then... Maran came.

Our class was made to squat down! How embarrassing and then while squatting get scolded by Maran. I bet Wong Liang Seng was up there rolling his eyes to nirvana. Hahaha.

Then we were made to put our fingers on our lips and walk to the chem lab! Everyone chickened and put down the fingers after the staircase area but I held it close to my lips- just to invoke reminiscence and deja vu. Haha.

Then Wong was like so funny when we started labs.

Chem rocks! I'm so happy VS made in compulsory cuz if they didn't I won't take it. *science issues*

Bye!

I have been rather intrigued by coffee and it's strong Italian coffee culture recently. Ever since the previous previous week I went with Nigel V and the rest for a cup of Caffe Mocha at Starbucks, I am loving the world's most popular morning drink more and more. Not just for the taste though- caffeine is quite a big part of it. Till now I have tried all types of coffee (tried, not finish a cup- I can't drink a cup of espresso, it's simply too bitter). Mocha being the favorite- obviously. I mean who doesn't like mocha?

I ordered a Mocha Frap at Coffee Bean after the Asian International Art Exhibition at Wheelock last week.. And "we didn't sell mocha frap". After I came home and googled mocha frap, I then realised why. Frap is trademarked my Starbucks! *paiseh*

It's all right- ice blended mocha is just as okay (which is actually the same as Mocha Frap but insane copyrighters just have to do their insane rituals).

Okay, so much for my coffee small talk. After splurging 6 a cup for Starbucks/Coffee Bean, the NesCafe ones don't taste that good anymore. Oh well, due to convenience and wallet's sake- I guess NesCafe is a better choice. 1 at breakfast and 1 in the afternoon- guarantee you surely awake the entire lesson. Unless its Ismail, guarantee forfeit.

Why is it this common misconception in all of our hearts that it is wrong to have too many consecutive public revelations in your spiritual walk? I'm sure most of you- deep in your hearts, tucked away and forced to sleep have some kind of inclination towards that. I admit that sometimes I do too. But why why why? Why do we have this feeling of wrongness or disagreement. Is it because of our personal jealousy? Or is it because we think that this person had a horrible spiritual life and now has to have recurring public revelations and now we feel weird around him/her because we have been hanging out a sinful person (although everyone is sinful).

Just some food for thought. Don't have an answer to that. Perhaps you don't even understand what I'm talking about. Never-mind.

I watched the WWDC hour long video on Quickie today. Amazing. That's one adjective to describe the video *Abi! Haha*

I'm very enthusiastic about Leopard. Very very enthusiastic. I'm sure all the other Mac Enthusiasts are also. Talked to Ernest, Samuel, Nicholas (Ng), Wen Wei about it and they were all enthusiastic about it. Perhaps Ian was right and he was just lying about the still interested in Tiger part. All of us are bored with Tiger. We want something fresh (Time Machine! Webclip! Spaces! New iChat! 64 bit! New Mail! New Dashboard! New Spotlight! New iCal! Better Accessibility! And much More!). And Leopard is here to give us that.

I just pity the Windows users. Have to pick up our hand-me-downs with Vista, no offense though.

Spring 2007! Seems so long.

I have been tagged! By Linus (lee-noose, haha) Ong! And oh ya, I think you don't like tank tops because you don't look good in it. That is beside the point, the point is- the tag! This is the first time I'm doing a tag- most of the time I'm just plain lazy or feeling mean (thus rejecting the tag and breaking poor tagger's heart) but I'm bubbly today! So here's the first tag you'll ever ever ever read on Big Fat Smiles!

Instructions:
1) Mention the gender of your perfect partner
2) Come up with 8 different points of your perfect partner
3) Tag 8 other victims in this game
4) Lastly, most importantly, HAVE FUN DOING IT.
-Instructions from Linus' blog

1) Female

2) i) God loving/fearing. Will never date a un-Christian girl. Sorrie!
ii) Must LOVE Art. I hate people who hate art/think art is meaningless/ think art is useless/ think art is for maniacs. Okay, maybe not hate but, abhor, or disagree.
iii) I won't say good looking cuz I'm not very good looking either so why would a good looking girl date an un-good looking guy? So I'll used- the same look standard as me girl
iv) Is my best girl friend (girl friend as in girl and friend)
v) Is not older than me or not too much younger than me
vi) Ability to have mutual love and respect
vii) does not have super powers (My Super Ex-Girlfriend hahahahaha)
viii) Must like Grey's Anatomy. Okay, that's crap. Erm, must... oh. Feel the same way as I do on the Must Read Book List =)

3) Okay I'll just pick the 8 most recent people who tagged- make sure you do it hor!
Abigail, Miao, Janice, Changhong, Mark, Terence, Rachel and Tavin!

Very very very rarely I read a book and say that everyone on earth must get a chance to read this.

These books are must read books. And I will update them on this page.

Currently there are only 2. Reccomendations can go onto the tagboard.

1) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
2) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom


PS The books are ALL novels and fiction! That's MY criteria

China is making a big fuss again that Koizumi is visiting Japan's war "hero" shrine. I mean, yes, Japan has did horrible things. And you could probably say I'm not that sympathetic towards my ancestors who suffered because I never experienced the horrendouses of the Japan War or even war itself. But that is not the point. No matter how much I understand, I will still not being able to feel the same way as those who suffered. I still will not be able to feel the fear, the grief and the trauma in the way our soldier did.

And I really respect all the soldiers that fought for Singapore- be it the British, Chinese, Malay or Indians.

But the point is. No matter how much we respect these honorary soldiers who died for their country, the war criminals from Japan died for their country too!

I mean, all this talk about patriotism to one's nation, loyalty to one's country- isn't that what the war criminals were doing? It was just because of their bad leadership and over ambitiousness that led their soldiers to such horror.

And now all Koizumi is doing is respecting what they have done FOR THEIR NATION. (FYI Singapore inculcates loyalty to their own country- its called PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE in case you don't pay attention during Total Defense Day, and what more China since it is a communist state).

So why on Earth are you criticizing him? He is also following something that you inculcate too!

Never-mind the sins and cruelty that has been forged deep into the hearts and souls of all the victims- your soldiers did the same thing that their soldiers did- be loyal.

And if you think that only you suffered- Japan suffered too. The children for generations of the surviving victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic blasts faced abnormalities in bodies and health. Toto-chan (Tetsuko Kuroyanagi) and all her fellow friends suffered too.

Have you ever wondered if it were just the soildiers (AKA Men) that were cruel. I mean do their wives and children deserve all that they have suffered?

I'm just reminding you about Nationalism. Since the Communists practice so much of it.

The peoples of China are in the most critical time,
Everybody must roar his defiance.

-Chinese National Anthem

Get real. Every country inculcates loyalty. And if you can do it, why not Japan.

PS. Happy National Day Singapore! You're 41!

Photo courtesy of Muyao!

Today I have come to realise something. Tuesdays with Morrie- with all the hype from everybody that "it is a good book", is not a good book. In fact, it's not even a book at all.

It is this piece of mass-produced in a factory clone. Yet, in every clone, hides a powerful lesson. In every clone, hides the truth that everyone fades away from. In every clone- is something, that no one wants to come to terms with.

I'm only up to Morrie's 5th Tuesday, but now, I can comfirm you, that Tuesdays with Morrie is the best 15 bucks that I had, have and will spent and spend in my entire life.

I went book shopping again yesterday! Kino was having a 20% off and I found a really good buy.

I finished the Five People You Meet in Heaven right the second night after I bought it. Albom is a terrific writer. After reading it- you sink into his book like sitting onto a really comfy couch. I never really examined his writing style and why its so entrancing because it's so entrancing I never bothered to do that and just enjoy it anyway.

So anyway, I bought Tuesdays with Morrie- his debut novel which is equally entrancing (oh forgot to tell you. On the second night when I finished it, I read till about the 60th page, decided it was late and slept and ended up waking up and finishing it cuz the moment I laid down on the bed, my mind was just revolving round the awesome plot) and am currently reading that now.

I also bought Shogun by James Clevell- at 17+ bucks and the book had 1000+ pages. What a good buy. So anyway, it's a mixture of Jap culture, History and Fiction. Should be a long and interesting read.

Book Fair at expo tomorrow! Gonna catch it after school.

My Reading to-do list (only it isn't really a to-do cuz its so enjoyable)

Currently:
Tuesdays with Morrie

Ready to read:
Shogun
The Devil Wears Prada

Re-read:
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Five People you meet in Heaven

To Purchase:
How to Kill a Mockingbird
No Country for Old Men
Fever Pitch
For One More Day

With 2 3GHz Dual Core Intel Xeon Chips, 16GB of RAM, 2TB of HD Space, a NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 512MB SDRAM, a 30" Apple DIsplay, DVD-RW Drive (Superdrive), Wi-Fi (Airport), Bluetooth and a Wireless Apple Keyboard and Mouse for a computer, you can swoon for joy.

Until you realise its $24,445.00.

A Maxed out Mac Pro. What everyone needs =)

I went book shopping today. Bought Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte for Ms Ong's birthday cum farewell gift by which I will give to her in about 40 minutes time. And because of the irresistibility of Borders and their books, I also bought The Devil Wears Prada (yes Abigail, you can borrow it after I finish) so I will go to the movie after reading the book which is usually what movie mags and critics advise you to do.

I also bought Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Originally wanted to get Tuesdays with Morrie but it was 25 bucks and I remembered seeing it somewhere else cheaper.

I'm down to the 40th page now and am already stricken by the content. Most impacting quote so far (typing from memory- how impacting it is)-

This is not your heaven. It's mine.

- Blue Man

Day of his Power at 5 for ushering! And MacRitchie Nocturnal Games at 10! Although 1pm already, not even half the day is gone.

Toodles!

I just watched the various short clips of Grey's Season 2. GA is becoming such a good show- yet with such horrendous happenings. I LOVE Izzie! A LOT! A WHOLE LOT. And she looked so sad. She was crying on the bedside of Denny. And Denny's dead. And Callie saw Meridith and Derek. And Alex is consoling Izzie. And Izzie's quiting. And GA is chaotic. And Burke is operation. And I am crazy. And GA is flaming. And I like GA.

So many questions. No answers. Season 3 where are you?

12th September
DVD Release

21st September
Season 3 Premiere

Izzie better stay on the show. She is just so fab.

IZZIE! IZZIE IZZIE!

I think I'm gonna name my daughter Izzie. She's not going to be so cheap and have sex with Alex every 2 sec lol.

Today's evening was really impacting. I guess it's the old saying of what God plans isn't really what you expect. And sometimes you can't really accept it. And now I just want to shout out to God for an answer. I think I already have it. But I don't like the answer, and I really can't hang on anymore. And I want to confirm. God, be my helper, my deliverer. Looking forward to the Day of His Power where all the God loving people can come together and pray together.

Then MacRitchie *giggles*. So much for spiritual. But I guess brother-and-sister-in-christ bonding is also spiritual.

It's been quite some time before I typed anything inspirational/intellectual. That's not good.

I feel really hyper now. Just came back from dinner with Nigel V, his sister, Ming Wei, Issac Ker, Francel and her sister. I guess that's the cause of hyper. But the insane kind of hyper really came from Danial, Linus and Nich. Haha, standing on the chairs of the East Coast Lagoon food court. Woo!

I hate it when Dan pokes me tho *grumbles*.

Nothing spiritual today. Except the fact I got something somewhat like a prophecy at the Edge today from Pastor Peng Chai- parents long time friend. I guess God's really intellectual and stuff so I didn't really understand. Guess, I'll pray on that and wait for God to explain slowly like he did to his disciples in the bible. Sometimes it's really a wonder that God can be so patient. I mean I such a gundu compared to him and whatever smartypants and wisdom I have comes from him too. And he can still be so patient and explain to me, talk to me and comfort me.

Isn't God good? *don moen song plays here*

So yep, I have found the haversack I am going to get. After sourcing though thousands of pictures online, I guess getting SHOPPING really does the trick. Didn't bring enough cash though, so I will have to go back.

In case you're curious what bag it is it is the OP one and it cost 39.90 which is 10.10 below my budget. Maybe I'll find a better one. Still haven't look through the Deuter collection. Recommend me one if you find one! (Do your maths on the budget).

Yup, so I'm feeling hyper and talking to Ming Fei on msn really increases the hyperness.

Oh, and I'm getting sick of the BB Part of BB.

Few days since I have updated the blog. Perhaps it's the lack of adrenaline running through the brain. Perhaps it's my ever plunging writers' thing. Perhaps that journalist dream was not to be. Is that good? I always thought that choosing God was a struggle. When Abraham left his mansion to live in tents, when Matthew left his tax collecting to become a disciple. I really am confused. But perhaps God sees the big and I see the small.

I learnt many things these few days. I learnt the need to live for God. In everything we do.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Colossians 3:23

. I was revealed this string of verses in AQ this year. Soon Ting via Guofeng read this to us and I was really inspired- and keeping these words in my heart as we were struggling through Pulau Ubin- through plains, dense forests and weird hills.

Perhaps it's only when you are really in a really bad state and driven to the extreme before looking to God for help. "Dependence" and not "Independence". We as Christians should rely on God- his strength.

Back to my point- living for God. I mean sometimes we have the misconception that we can only live for God when doing his work- evangelism and all that. But this is not true! I mean, we can glorify God in our studies and make ourselves a living testimony in that area. Referring to my quoted verses- Paul was writing to the Church in Colossians. They were the slaves and servants. And Paul is asking them to work at it with all their hearts!

Do it all for God- not for yourself, but for God.