Pretentious Self-Indulgence
Sunday, September 19, 2004
The True Meaning Of Terror...
Is when you turn up for your free haircut at a renowned hairdresser's academy naively thinking they'd only let adequately trained students handle it with the instructor's guidance, then realizing that the guy doesn't even know why he wants to do a square layer on your hair AFTER he starts on it.
Now Playing: I wanna be sedated - The Offspring
Sunday, May 09, 2004
I Feel Like A Star In A Bad HK-Sino Comedy
I'm sitting in a leather chair the Raffles Class lounge at the airport and eating premium swiss double choc ice cream while waiting to board my business class flight to E3. The complimentary bottles of Chardonnay and Merlot are behind me and beer flows free in frosted, chilled mugs. Strawberries and cream puffs accompany the slice of Camembert, after a light snack of smoked salmon sandwiches and a small serving of seafood linguini in marinara sauce.
You can imagine how everyone else here thinks I'm in the wrong place.
Now Playing In My Head: Laughter
Friday, April 23, 2004
The Mothership Has Called
I just got the Best. Job. Ever.
I'll get to do what I enjoy doing and got offered good terms + some. Also got some doubts cleared up after the kind of straight-talking session I appreciate. I hate having to beat around the bush.
I start almost immediately after my last paper, which means I won't have time to really take a break after exams but totally raring to start and -
I'm going to E3. With almost all expenses paid.
All is right with the world. Again. Mwee.
Now Playing: The Place to Be - Des Row +1
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Crossroads
So if all goes well I'll be finally done with I think 19 years (dear lord!) of schooling on the 27th of April. I've always imagined that moment as one of pure, unadulterated joy, but now I find myself wishing that I don't have to face the demands of having to find a job, earn money, *really* move out on my own eventually and trying to build up enough funds to ensure my retirement isn't spent on the streets.
The thing right now is that I'm faced with 3 choices: Following my passion for pitiful pay, compromising somewhat and just plain whoring out to whoever can afford to pay a decent salary. I've gotten 2 job offers in the 1st category. Both are related to games and are jobs I would really love doing, but neither company seems to be willing to offer a salary in line with the position and my qualifications, and prospects in them are shaky.
I've consulted with my friends in rl and their collective reaction upon hearing the tentative pay was to choke on their drinks before letting me know that exploitation really fucking sucks no matter how great your job. I mean, upon a projected pay of $1.6k and little chance of bonuses past the 13th month, which I suspect is what they'll be offering based on their hints and the fact that they're SMEs, here's a breakdown of what life's gonna be like:
CPF: $320
20% rainy day savings: $320
Income tax/month (averaged out from annual tax): $63
Student loans: Estimated to cost from anywhere between $350-400/month
Money left for personal expenses after all this is over and done with? $500 miserable buckeroos per month. Barely enough for food and transport.
I've sent out resumes to the major game companies with offices in Singapore, but I'm not crossing my fingers.
Other options are bigger, better funded companies/government bodies like SPH and MDA, which would allow me to do stuff related to tech-writing and industry development while paying me what graduates are really worth, but I'm not sure if I really want to do those.
The final option is to just sell out and apply to any hiring MNC during the NTU recruitment in May, but I don't really want to get caught in the corporate cycle where I stay in the job because of fear. On the other hand being pissed off with money is better than being pissed off and broke.
Considering that I'm already turning 23, I'm not exactly in the best position to waste a few years getting ridiculously low pay, especially since I'm not planning on having kids who might potentially help out in my old age (and having children solely for that purpose is just ick) and my parents aren't exactly well off.
To whore or not to whore, that is the question.
Now Playing: Oedo Kayou - ???M??}?W-SKA
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Hey Dude, Remember Those Lovecraftian Penises Near The End???
Hey dudes and dudettes, caught the new Wolverine movie? The one where he fell into toxic red colouring, regressed about 20 years and overdid the steroids? Except, y'know, they called it Hellboy and I enjoyed it. In a 'Hey, I've got 2 hours to kill and it was better than boredom' sort of way. Take that as you will.
With comic adaptations like X-men (both movies) and Spiderman setting the benchmark for superheroes on the silver screen, Hellboy falls *just* short. Non-mainstream comics rarely make blockbusters for some reason, possibly because the depth of the writing simply can't be represented by just 2 hours of screentime. ( The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a prime victim of this)
Hellboy did have some good action scenes and referential geek jokes, but these days the two add up to 'So what else is new?' It was whimsical, but not quite enough. The badass, wise-cracking loner archetype has been done to death in comics and film. It doesn't help that in Hellboy that aspect is mainly powered by his insecurity about his looks, of all things. Like 90210 for circus freaks.
It was good entertainment though, albeit forgettable. What made the biggest impression on me was probably the final fight scene with the giant floating phalluses. It was like tentacle yaoi without the actual hentai. ARISE CTHULHU, AND GIVE TEH FUCK. *Explosion Death BOOM BOOM* Oops.
I suppose someone didn't like Hell putting out that night.
P.S Rinnie, archives from May '03 are up since you asked. I'd say enjoy, but I fear the opposite.
Now Playing: White Birds - Violent Age
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Frankensteinian Culinary Incest
More ill-advised student recipes. I really do like slamming my ingredients together like drunken virgins at a post-prom orgy.
Tom Yam Drunken Prawns
Prawns (as much you want. In my case? 254 grams)
Hua Tiao wine
Minced garlic ( I think that was slightly over half a tablespoon this time round)
Some Thai-brand quick Tom Yam Soup Mix the NTUC cashier foisted on unsuspecting me for $1.70
Directions:
Clean prawns
Throw into bowl, cover with Hua Tiao Wine. Doesn't matter how much, as long as the liquid level goes over the prawns mwee
Add minced garlic to taste, dump Tom Yam Soup mix in and mix
Leave to marinade for 24 hours, then boil the lot in whatever pot or pan is at hand
Results: It turned out surprisingly well. Spicy drunken prawns yum. The broth was like alcoholic prawn mee soup with a spiced up kick. I had to take a little nap once the meal was over. Kind of a little high.
The Tom Yam was actually an afterthought, since I bought it out of sympathy for the desperate cashier (probably working on commission or something) and was too lazy to actually bother with the lemongrass and assorted seafood required to make the soup work properly. Mainly because when I adhere to recipes on the back of cheapass quick mixes, it usually ends in tears. Btw HELLO, it was a quick fix, why the hell am I supposed to get lemongrass for it?!
At any rate, the broth was really too nice to waste, but too strong to drink on its own, so waste not, want not:
Lamb Loins marinated in Spicy Drunken Prawn Broth
2 Lamb Loins
Bowl of leftover Drunken Prawn Broth
Dump lamb loins into leftover broth. Leave to marinade as long you want, but before decomposition sets in.
Pan fry in butter to taste. I like my red meat RARE AND BLOODY OOOOOOOOH YEAH BABY!!!
I could've sworn I heard it baa in the middle.
Serve with leftover prata from breakfast
Results: Party in my mouth and only orgasms are invited!!!
If I ever start a family (yes, there's laughing in my head too), either my husband cooks or they're eating a lot of takeout.
Now Playing: My Gifts - D-Crew
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Jesus Died For Mel
And with a new blog version comes my thoughts on Passion of the Christ. Staunch Christians and the mentally constipated need not apply.
Passion is Mel Gibson's take on Christ's Passion featuring a guy named Jim as Jesus, sweaty apostles, lots of fake blood and satan as a goth J-rocker on skateboards. Who shits snakes, no less. Let's not get into the ugly midget babies he lugs around. You'd think the Prince of Darkness would have better genetics especially since Hollywood evil persons(tm) ALWAYS has beautiful slave harems. So much for job benefits.
The entire work was a pedestrian, dogmatic rendition masquerading as a wannabe epic. It was quite a waste because it had so much potential. It's greatest failure was the lack of character development and lack of emotional connection. Basically, passion. Kind of ironic, considering the title.
Most the characters have little backstory and while their history is in perhaps the most circulated publication of all time, the director really shouldn't have assumed that by giving us choppy little flashbacks that give those familiar with the bible no new *human* perspectives of historical events whatsoever while confusing those who haven't read it. Talk about striking my chord of Not Caring. If it weren't for the constantly flying bits of skin and blood I'd have nodded off halfway like I do with most third-rate network documentaries. That's what you get when you have a director whose resume consists mostly of starring roles in insipid action movies I suppose.
There are those who say the film has taught them how Jesus suffered dying for their sins blah blah. I suppose watching a 2-hour BDSM gorefest must be good for the soul. If you need to have to see something like that to reinforce your faith, you might want to pray harder.
The excuses Mel gave for making this movie might have been more believable without the US$50 sterling silver nail pendant. As it stands he seems to have given us an ultra-bloody action movie without the y'know, action. Goddamn wank.
Now Playing: Rinsei - Des Row
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Renovation
Yes, I realise the sidebar is a white mess that hurts your brain. That's what I get for assuming installation of 3rd party scripts are c+p affairs at 11pm with urgent assignment deadlines. So much for taking a short break. Will fix next week after FYP report has been passed up and Shan, if you're reading this HELP PRETTY PLZ PLZ THNX. ^_^
Friday, March 26, 2004
[Attention Whore]
*Trying* my darndest to finish my FYP report and am SO BORED.
Entertain me. Sing, dance, Strip to your bare tentacles.
The comments box is below.
I await the silence.
I'll just fucking go kill myself. Then you'll all be sorry.
Hah.
[/Attention Whore]
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Student Cooking 101
First, some background:
My microwave has become nigh unusable since the plastic covering the steel turntable knob melted and exposed the steel, causing the plastic to catch fire and melt further every time I use it. Hugeass sparks from radiation on steel will do that.
I really should have thrown it out by now, but what can I say, I have a 2 month old empty tissue box in my bedroom.
So the other day I bought some microwavable lasagna after I forgot that inconvenient fact. Not wanting Eau de Melted Plastic heralding toxification of my lasagna, I decided to forgo the microwave and went through my limited kitchen appliances for alternate ways to heat it up.
My decision process:
1) The toaster - The first viable alternative, I suppose. But the instructions specified NO GRILLING and that's what toasters essentially do. I once tried baking something small inside and I got a charred ball with mush inside. Much like today's standard stoic drama protagonist with a dark secret(tm).
2) The Windowsill under the sun - Seeing that Singapore isn't India and I'm on the second floor the end result would really be dusty, defrosted mush with dead leaves and bird poop in it. NO.
3) My poor, overworked and overheated PC - Dell technical support would have a field day updating their 'Stupid Customer Stories' newsletter. Plus my PC is far too valuable. It's got most of my unbacked up links to weird fetish hentai on it. NO.
4) The portable stove - I don't know what it says about me that I thought of 2 and 3 before this. Maybe the Internet has made me stupid or maybe I was just trying to stretch this blog post in a forced attempt at humour. The truth is out there, ehs?
Anyway, given that I have a grand total of 1 frying pan and 1 sauce pan...
Yes Virgina, I stir-fried my lasagna. I imagine I must have been an Australian in my past life.
It wasn't the best lasagna I ever had. I had to split the layers apart to prevent the thing from doing an imitation of 10 minutes in my toaster. I enjoyed the crispification of the sauce though, and at least it was hot and edible.
Which makes the below quiz result all the more hilarious. I wonder why I'm still single. =P
What Kind of GF Are You Quiz | Girlfriends and Boyfriends | Personality Test: "
