Deustchmania!

As a kid I learnt German for about 3 years, but it was discontinued because I began to lose interest. Today however, I wanted to revisit my childhood German, so I started to make fun of Pei Wen. To my surprise, she replied (in equally broken German, albeit). Turns out she also had a flair for German as a kid too. What are the odds?

In any case, we proceeded to have a conversation in quite possibly broken German (the kind which might make REAL Germans reconsider becoming neo-Nazi once more). It went something like this.

***

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
So wie war Ihr Wochenende?

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Ziemlich Ermüden, Reisen hin und her, wie um Sie

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Es war eine surrealistische Woche für mich. Mein Freund ist kürzlich gestorben. Ich scherze nicht

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Warum haben Sie gemusst, zu Ipoh zu reisen?

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Ernst? Was ist zu Ihrem Freund geschehen?

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Mein Vater wollte nur zurück gehen, die Großmutter zu sehen die alle, ist sie Rollstuhl gewesen der ist gebunden worden

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Herzversagen. Sowieso werde ich mehr um dies auf Englisch später erzählen.

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Das sehr traurig. Mein Beileid, das an so einem jungen Alter, einem Erbarmen stirbt, der Wille von Gott, den ich annehme.

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Ach stopft. Ich hoffe, dass Ihre Großmutter schnell wiedererlangt. Ich werde für sie beten.

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Deshalb wie ist jene Abhandlung von ihrem mitkommend?

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Dankt alot übrigens

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Ich zweifle ernsthaft, dass es der Wille von Gott für Ein ist, Junge zu sterben.

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Aber Gott dürfte bessere Dinge haben, die für ihn vorbereitet werden, Sie wissen

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Ich nehme an, dass Sie richtig sind. Dennoch ist es traurig.

His Eminence Archduke Edwin Aegnor I says:
Ich stelle es auf Halt, bis ich Arbeit finde.

sin(p.ÿð)² . says:
Wird foward anschauen, es zu lesen So wie bewältigt die Familie ihres Freundes?

***

Such fun! Yayyy! Now I've found someone whom I can converse with. Wouldn't it be fun. So what exactly did we say in the conversation? That's for you to find out ^_~

Requiem: A Tribute to Cai Zicong

Yesterday afternoon I received a message on MSN saying that one of my seniors from the NYJC choir (class of 2001) had recently passed away. Nothing in the world could have possibly prepared me for the news. I just sat staring at the computer screen, reading the message over and over again, perhaps willing the news to rectify itself. It didn't, and the news still stands: My senior, fellow chorister and friend is gone.

He was merely one year my senior; and for one at such tender age to pass on is a real pity indeed. He wasn't exactly what I'd call a bosom friend, but our friendship was close enough for me to feel that lingering twinge of remorse that will probably smart for a good few days.

Zicong was one with an avid sense of humour. He could hold a conversation well, regardless of what topic was being discussed at any given point. He had a pragmatic view of life, which made him non-fussy and hence a pleasant companion altogether. My fondest memories of him were our sing-along sessions, during choir gatherings or camps, where we free, happy few would gather round and belt out various renditions of song with me at the guitar.

To top it all off, he was a damn bloody good pool player. And while our pool sessions often resulted in me being on the wrong end of a thrashing, I managed to pick up a few good techniques to improve my game.

Life is that unpredictable. We often expect that the people around us to be always there, despite knowing that they won't; and Zicong's passing is a classic example of just that. We often live our lives taking for granted that the last time we see someone wouldn't be the last time. Yea, it all sounds cliche, I know, but only up till a point where it becomes a reality for you as it did for me.

So here are my reflections: Cherish your friends. Don't take them for granted. Don't always assume that they'll be in any condition to pick up the phone when you call them the next morning, because they just might not. And whenever you fongfeikei (stand up) someone, for even something as simple as a quiet lunch together, you might have just given up an opportunity to see that person for one last time.

I know it's morbid, but at least it gets our lives back into perspective.

That is all.


In loving memory of Cai Zicong (1983 - 2007). You will be sorely missed. My deepest, heartfelt condolences to his family and close friends.


n.b. please don't mistake this Zicong for the other one. The one who was in 01A2B in NYJC (also from the choir too) is TAN Zicong. He is alive and well. Thank God for that. Seriously.

Are You Still Bitter?

Okay so you and your significant other have broken up. Have you moved on, or are you still harping over him/her? Are you nursing a small grudge towards him/her or has it grown into a full-scale vendetta? Take this quick quiz to find out.

1) Whenever I think of my ex, I get

a) no reaction whatsoever
b) slightly upset
c) very upset
d) high blood pressure


2) When I see my ex, the first song that comes to mind is

a) Don't Look Back in Anger
b) Why Can't We Be Friends?
c) Under Pressure
d) The Theme from Psycho


3) Our favourite restaurant

a) is just another place for me to dine at now
b) still reminds me of my ex now and again
c) is still being boycotted
d) has been burnt to the ground


4) My ex's phone number

a) is still saved in my phonebook
b) was deleted at one point but was later re-entered
c) is deleted permanently so long as I shall live
d) is scrawled on a toilet wall under the words "For gay sex, call:"


5) For his/her last birthday, I gave my ex

a) an item that I know he/she will like
b) an item that I know he/she will not like
c) nothing. He/she doesn't deserve it.
d) Anthrax


6) Would you like to feel his/her arms wrapped around you again?

a) I don't mind
b) That's no longer possible emotionally
c) That's no longer possible physically
d) That's no longer possible anatomically


7) My only regret from that relationship was

a) I didn't give ourselves a chance to love each other
b) I didn't get laid often enough
c) I didn't get to leech off his/her wealth
d) I didn't slip arsenic into his/her drink when I had the chance


8) Do you miss your ex?

a) No, I've learnt to move on.
b) Yes, he/she is not easy to forget.
c) No, I don't miss pond scum.
d) Yes, my aiming is not good enough


9) A common friend tells you that your ex was involved in a car accident. Upon reaching the hospital, you

a) quickly head to find him/her, but only out of concern
b) quickly head to his/her ward, and then leave an anonymous bouquet of flowers
c) quickly head to pharmacy; you might need a sedative to prevent you from sniggering too much
d) quickly head to the morgue


10) Forgiveness is

a) the key to living a happy life
b) only useful when applied in context
c) overrated
d) just another F-word

Now tally your score.

For each question that you answered a), give yourself 1 point.
For each question that you answered b), give yourself 2 points.
For each question that you answered c), give yourself 3 points.
For each question that you answered d), give yourself 4 points.


10 points You are a person who can let go really easily, or perhaps simply unfazed at whatever the world throws at you.
11 - 20 points You are a person who can let go relatively easy, but not before a generous dose of heartbreak and moping. This of course is natural, and if anything, it makes you more human.
21 - 30 points It's quite obvious that you're still harbouring ill-feelings towards your ex. And while it is possible to eventually let go, it's gonna take awhile, and perhaps a lot of kicking and screaming.
31 - 39 points You are harbouring a lot of anger and bitterness. Best that you let some of it out, even if it means on the people around you. It's better than blowing up at an untimely moment, that is, if it already hasn't happened.
40 points It really is a wonder how you are allowed to be roaming the streets! You have a natural talent for bottling up emotions, and seem to have no qualms about letting the people who have hurt you know about it. Norman Bates would have killed to be just like you. Oh wait, he already has...

Gloria

Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus. Tu solus Dominus.
Tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe.
Cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris.
Dominus vobiscum. Et cum Spiritu tuo.
Amen.

Thank You for always being there; for picking me up when I'm at my lowest. I love You :)

When at Night I Go to Sleep

This was the song written by Engelbert Humperdinck (what a name! Imagine the ridicule he'd have to suffer in school). It's a children's prayer, and it goes...

When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep.
Two my head are guarding:
Two my feet are guiding:
Two are on my right hand;
Two are on my left hand;
Two who warmly cover;
Two who o'er me hover;
Two to whom 'tis given
To guide my steps to Heaven.

I think that's a load of bull. Humperdinck must have been tripping when he wrote this dribble! It also seems to me that he must have been getting into shitloads of trouble all the bloody time for him to need 14 angels to watch over him. The poor buggers are on overtime!

If I had 14 angels, this is how my poem would have turned out:

When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep.
Two are just not in the mood;
Two have gone to ta-pow food;
Two have gone to buy some smokes;
Two are telling dirty jokes;
Two just fold their arms and scoff;
Two of them have nodded off;
Two whom drink hath taken toll;
Yearn for bett'r bladder control.

Whistling in the Dark

A woman came up to me and said
"I'd like to poison your mind
With wrong ideas that appeal to you
Though I am not unkind"
She looked at me, I looked at something
Written across her scalp
And these are the words that it faintly said
As I tried to call for help:

There's only one thing that I know how to do well
And I've often been told that you only can do
What you know how to do well
And that's be you,
Be what you're like,
Be like yourself,
And so I'm having a wonderful time
But I'd rather be whistling in the dark
There's only one thing that I like
And that is whistling in the dark

A man came up to me and said
"I'd like to change your mind
By hitting it with a rock," he said,
"Though I am not unkind."
We laughed at his little joke
And then I happily walked away
And hit my head on the wall of the jail
Where the two of us live today.

There's only one thing that I know how to do well
And I've often been told that you only can do
What you know how to do well
And that's be you,
Be what you're like,
Be like yourself,
And so I'm having a wonderful time
But I'd rather be whistling in the dark
There's only one thing that I like
And that is whistling in the dark

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Daye (a.k.a. Lamentations of the Ecologist)

by William Shakespeare
And then some...

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's daye?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate;
That is if thou mindeth not the mosquitos.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
As the PSI index riseth in the Valley that is Kelang.
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
[Deleteth this line if thou art in the tropics]
Sometyme too hot the eye of heaven shines,
Or maybe 'tis just the global warminge
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
Amidst the layers of smog
And every fair from fair sometyme declines
To cleane up the environment
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade,
Unless thou forgeteth to bring thy umbrella,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, WHAT SHADE?
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
But keepe ye away from the jam that dwelleth in Subange

endorsed by the Tee Mei Yii School of Inscrutable Literature (i.e. her blog)

Footnotes:

This was the original work of William Shakespeare, unabridged. His publishers however decided to shorten it into the Sonnet that we all know and love today... ok maybe just know... because it was way too long. No one really cared about the environment during Shakey's time and hence the 'irrelevant' lines were cropped. In addition, it was specifically cropped into a sonnet because sonnets were popular in those days. Fourteen lines bespoke perfection doubled, which was used as an epitomic benchmark of all poetry during his time. The last line of the poem was later written by a hand unknown and, as it would seem, quite possibly annoyed about the public transport in the region.

Heaven...

...is closer to Earth than I could have possibly imagined.