The last entry

The Lioncourts may very well be called "The Vanity Fair". I've alwaes known it for wat it really was--the pride of life. Finally, I've the obedience and courage to surrender tis area of my life to God. Goodbye and see u around. -Lionel waves wifout looking back and walks off on a long, dusty road in the sunset.-

-THE END-

Blast fr the past! III

Lionel walked slowly through the path. Tis is his favourite part of the Lioncourts garden; tis is where the ancient and great oaks shelter the path wif their embracing canopy, allowing only the distilled rays of a curious sun to peer through the leaves. The sky was a clear turquoise, an evening colour, even though it was still premature for dusk to set in.

Lionel walked wif his head bowed, he had much to comtemplate tis day. He thought about the changes going on around him, both in his life and in the lives of his friends. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied wif some new event, some turning point, knowing someone new or renewing knowledge of someone known.

"A season of change, indeed." As Lionel brooded, he watched the fallen leaves gathered near his feet, whirled in eratic circles, n then launched suddenly in one direction. "Who's to say where the wind will take u? Who's to say if life will break u? I dunno which way the wind will go.."

..But i do know tis old song, n it is to the broken-hearted n the fearful tt i sing it again tonite.


Untitled

When you’re drown in misery recall,
Recall that I will never let you fall.
Close your eyes and I will take you far behind,
Behind of your mind where your troubles lie.
Cos the world is wide but we stay inside,
Inside of our clan where everyone else too reside.

Have you ever heard the song of waves,
Waves singing melodies within coastal caves?
Have you ever laid upon endless plains,
Plains lined with hills and rolling trains?
Have you ever soared above the stormy clouds,
Clouds which hide silver linings to every doubt?

Have you ever imagined me in your dreams?
Like you were in mine,
Through life’s greatest themes.

Memory

After my midnight jog, I got myself a cup of noodles from a 7-Eleven store n settled down at the foot of an overhead bridge to eat. Apart from the last lingering couples sitting ard speaking in hushed voices, the pavements were void. In the homes around me, the remaining lights were going out one by one as the nite advanced. Once again, Sengkang was mine alone. It was mine to roam n to sing freely in. The nite seemed timeless, n the duties of the day, far away. A wind was rising n it moaned down the eternal streets, beckoning to me to make a trip. Yet my path tonite was one less travelled, i took a walk down Memory Lane.

__________

She was not a dazzling beauty; v few men passing her in the streets would linger their gaze on her; v few women would regard her wif tt attentive, flaw-finding scrutiny which a beauty often receives. To her acquaintances, her blitheness n unrestrained, rowdy laughter often cause them to decide tt she lacked a certain feminine charm, n render her incapable of sweetness or emotional weakness. Indeed, her strong sense of self-possession n her reservation towards casual revealing of her innermost thoughts and feelings added to tis impression. However, to those of us who r dearest to her, those of us who r blessed wif deeper understanding of her: she is the gentlest of girls—not in manner or appearance, but rather, in thoughts n acts of kindness for others. When u really knew her, when she spoke freely to u—then, her thoughtfulness, her caring heart n her sensitivity impressed u indescribably. Such were the qualities which inspired many of her guy friends to confide in her when they would confide in no one else.

Those days, when she was by my side, were beautiful days. But on a few days, there were the occasional dark clouds which passed by the sunshone plains upon which we laid in unreflecting happiness. She, in her sensitivity, was often hurt in her dealings wif the world. I was unable to be a source of a comfort at those miserable moments; giving her practical solutions which she can invent herself, rather than the empathy n consolation she sought. The result was tt i ended up feeling helpless while she, deprived of my understanding, felt more miserable than before.

There were still other times when i infected the pure heart tt loved me wif anguish. At tis moment, i deliberately steer my remembrances from those regretful times, being more willing to dwell on those better n purer memories of her. The first little presents—innocent girlish letters—which she passed to me at school; the sweet days of our dating whenever the Army restored to me my freedom; the endless messages of longing which passed between us whenever tt freedom was withheld, were tugging fast n fondly at my thoughts tonight…

__________

The wind had not decrease in strength as I tottered back home. How drearily it was moaning! It seemed, at tt moment, to be wailing over me; to be wailing over the couples; to be wailing over all mortal things! As i, absorbed in my thoughts, passed by a group of loitering teenagers, one of them turned around n taunted me. I did not look back but walked on.

Not tonight, not while my world is filled wif tender thoughts of her. In fact, not ever, as surely as God lives.

Elimidate

Wait! Dun go, dun-- hey come back.. come bacckkkkk!

Ok, ok, enuff of the Magic: the Gathering crap, im losing social circles fast. Tis week let's hav a gameshow, sounds great? Wifout further ado.. -drums rolling- let's welcome the host, SIR LIONCOURT! -claps n cheers-

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank u! Thank u! GRRREAT to see u guys back again after one week, welcome back to ELIMIDATE! -more claps n cheers- Well, the exam period aint much fun wifout my handsome mug, aint it? -flashes a glittering smile. a couple of ladies in the audience faint- Anyway, we're back n tt's wat counts. Tis week on Elimidate, we have 4 VERY interesting contestants. They r none other than the 3 brothers fr the notorious SKOF n their church fren! -the contestants walk onto the stage. the crowd roars- Ok, ok, calm down, we all know how cool these guys r rite, but hey aren't u a bit over-reacting? -a lady flings her panties at the SKOF member wif the shaved head- ...Right.

AND THE CONTESTANTS R:
(NOTE: the contestants do not wish for their off-screen lives to be disrupted n thus we hav to protect their identities.)


The Lamester: Pxxshx
The Idiot: Lioxxl
The Poet: Jxxgyu
The Stoner: Alxx
(Top left to bottom right)

Ahem, ahem.. looks like we slipped wif Jxxgyu's photo but hey, the guy looks better wif thick eyebrows, rite? Hahaha...ha..

Tonite, the guys will try to win the heart of a v special girl. Not only is she a pretty face, she has some pretty hot personal history. -reads fr a piece of note- "Won American Idol season 1. Was supermodel for Vogue. Was Ms Jamaica in 1950--" -pauses- ...Ms Jamaica? ...1950?? -looks at the audience, looks at the note again, n calmly crushes the piece of paper- Hahaha.. who cares bout personal history when the lady has got the looks n the body rite? Take a look a the screen!

AND THE HEART TO MELT TONITE IS:
(NOTE: Identity-protection measures enabled.)

The Sweetheart

Ms Caxxie

Haha.. not exactly v photogenic, eh? Well.. we all hav our MINOR flaws so let's not be too critical.. haha.. Wat was tt? She's fat? -sweating profusely- I guess the paperbag does make her seem a TAD larger on the horizontal side haha.. -boos fr the audience r heard- hey, hey, but she's a pretty face ok! Pretty face! -raising a hand in dignity-

Let's get started already. U all know the rules, the guys will try to win The Sweetheart's heart by coming up wif a pick-up line each n she'll award a point to the guy wif the line she likes most. Tis will carry on for 3 rounds n at the end of it, The Sweetheart will go on a hot date wif the guy wif the most points. Once again, ladies n gentlemen, welcome to ELIMIDAAAATE!! -claps n cheers. the Elimidate theme song blasts in the background-

ROUND 1

The setting is a ballroom, it is the company's annual Dinner & Dance. Ms Caxxie goes out to the balcony for a breather. She sips her champagne while admiring the starlit nite-sky. The guys will take turns to approach her wif a pick-up line, hoping to end up wif a date..

Pxxshx:
Hey babe, wanna get LUCKY!?

Lioxxl:
Bond. James Bond.

Jxxgyu:
Babe, ya beauty makes the morning sun look like the dull glimmer of the moon.

Alxx:
So, you're a girl huh?

The results:
Jxxgyu receives 1 point
Alxx receives 1 sheepish stare
Right on target, Jxxgyu scores. Looks like poetry still does the job in melting the hearts of ladies on romantic occasions, eh?

ROUND 2

It is the great outdoors tis time. Ms Caxxie sits outside her tent n reads a romance novel in the dancing glow of the campfire. The music of nature n a light breeze forms the perfect setting for the guys to approach the lady..

Pxxshx:
Was ya father an alien? Becos there's nothing like u on Earth!

Lioxxl:
-Lioxxl goes up to the girl n says- Let me tell you a story: there was a frog on tis side of the mountain -places his finger on her left shoulder- N n there was a frog on tis side of the mountain -places his finger on her right shoulder. then he says- Nvm, tt was a stupid story any way. -While his right finger is still behind the girl on her right side, Lioxxl just put his arm ard her n leaves it there..-

Jxxgyu:
Do u hav a map? I jus keep getting lost in ya eyes.

Alxx:
I'm not trying to pick u up. U're like too heavy. Huh huh huh huh. Get it?

The results:
Lioxxl receives 1 point
Jxxgyu receives 1 yawn
Alxx receives 1 tight slap
Damn, tt was cunning! Lioxxl really lived up to the title of "SKOF leader". Oops, looks like The Poet needs a change of strategy, she's getting bored! Haha, gd joke there Alxx, jus not sure wat u're trying to achieve.

ROUND 3

The final scenario. Ms Caxxie is sitting alone at the counter of a jazz pub. One of her hand supports her face while the other stirs the straw of her Aussie Kate in a bored fashion. Its now or never for the guys..

Pxxshx:
U know the more i drink, the prettier u get!

Lioxxl:
Hey babe, how bout a pizza n a kiss? -slap- HEY! Wat's wrong, dun u like pizza?

Jxxgyu:
My love for you is like diaharrea, I just can't hold it in.

Alxx:
Ok, so I came over here to ask you to dance, but I'm kind of concerned. I mean, we could hit it off really well, end up having a few drinks, next thing you know u're giving me ya number becos I'm too shy to ask for it, I finally get up the nerve to call n we take in a movie, hav some dinner, I relax, you relax, we go out a few more times, get to know each other's friends, spend a lot of time tog, then a few months later get married. N finally we hav get past tis sexual tension n really develop tis intense sex life that is truly incredible, decide our relationship is solid n stable, so we move in tog for a while, I get a promotion, u get a promotion, we buy a bigger house. U really want kids, but I really want freedom, but we hav a kid anyway, only to find that I m resentful, the sparks start to fade n to rekindle them we hav two more lovely kids, but now I work too much to keep up with the bills, hav no time 4 u, u're stressed n stop taking really good care of yaself, so to get past our slow sex life n my declining self-confidence I blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...................

The results:
Everyone receives a tight slap
Ms Sweetheart storms off the stage
Hey come back! Come baccckkkkk! -Sir Lioncourt glances at the seething audience n forces a smile- Hahaha.. well tt's all for today n-- WOAH! Stop throwing-- no dun hit me, OUCH! Not on my handsome face!! HEEEELP!!

-The curtain falls n the credits start to roll-

THE END

Welcome to the Jungle, Part III

Even the goblins shun tis haunted place,
where the tree limbs twist in agony
n the ground seems to scuttle under my feet...

There is no turning back, I swallowed hard n placed one trembling foot into the dark heart of the wood...

Round 4: Enchanted garden VS Widow-maker

N my first opponent is.. Widow-maker, the deck which was put thru the trials of the Jungle jus 2 weeks ago. It did well, a survivor wif a 12-6 record. Widow-maker is a black-blue combo deck built ard the nightmare card, living death. PS' enchantment deck has faced it 6 times in the past n lost the match on 4 of the encounters. Not v gd news for Enchanted Garden.

First blood was drawn v quickly. Knowing tt no deck has ever faced a resolved living death n recover to win the game, i attacked wif my tundra wolves every turn, hoping to defeat my oppo b4 he can cast his key spell. In return, he hit me back wif bloodpet each turn as well. I was able to get 2 opal champions onto the table later. The game went on wif us dealing each other 1 damage every turn wif our critters. He didnt dare to cast any spells for fear of awakening my slumbering champions but i couldnt cast any spells successfully either due to his interfering counterspells. As the turns passed one by one wifout any of us gaining the upper edge, i began to worry, for the shadow of living death loomed closer than ever.

Finally, i managed to get another tundra wolves into play n tt sped up the game. The oppo reacted by casting 3 creas of his own in e following turn, one of which is a man-o-war which bounced back to my hand one of my awakened opal champions (damn!). Not long after tt, things went extremely bleak when he casted the dreaded living death. Of cos, he was grinning ear to ear as he surveyed his crowded side of the table n the empty side of mine.

When all hope seemed lost, i drew an argothian enchantress n an enchantress presence. Both cards allowed me to replenish the creas i lost n enabled me to keep alive. Slowly, i even managed to turn the tide of the battle in my favour. Later, the oppo played a fallen angel, which set me on a one turn doomsday clock as he had enuff sacrifices for the angel. I would hav lost if not for a pacifism sitting in my hand. As it is, Enchanted Garden prevailed n is the FIRST deck to survive a resolved living death!

Final life: 15-0
MVP cards: argothian enchantress, enchantress' presence, pacifism
junk cards: opal champion

The champions were trash.. the whole useless lot of the opal cohort in fact.. im damn pissed tt they sat ard n did nothing. If i had 2 other creas instead of the pair of opal champions, i might hav been able to win the match even b4 living death hits.

On the other hand, the enchantress engines proved to be incredible again. Their ability enabled me to draw 16 cards in total n i won wif a full hand. Perhaps i should add in empyrial armor to utilise my large hand in the future.

Round 5: Enchanted garden VS Merfolk

Man, the oppos jus get tougher n tougher. Tis time Enchanted Garden faced off wif ex-elder legend, Merfolk deck! Merfolk deck hoses a kind of spell which enchantment decks r particularly afraid of. Tts rite, bounce spells. As u know, whenever a crea returns to his/her owner's hand, the enc on it goes to the graveyard.

The action was v intense. By the 3rd turn, both me n my oppo had our trump cards in play. I had an argothian enchantress n a river boa while he had a lord of atlantis plus 2 other merfolks.
VS

Almost as quick as the action began, it ended soon enuff. The oppo casted another lord of atlantis n 2 more merfolk, making short work of Enchanted garden. The first defeat! Oh, how I grimaced at the lost of my perfect record.. but then again, wat can u expect when u encounter an ex-elder legend? Merfolk deck was truly efficient n fast.

Final life: 0-20 (yes, i didn't even scratch him)
MVP cards: ... (like i said, i didn't even scratch him)
junk cards: rabid wombat, opal champion

There were a number of 3 n 4 casting cost cards in my hand when i lost, Enchanted Garden is simply not fast enuff to match the speed of weenie decks. Also, the deck needs more spells which deals wif the oppo's creas. I need to go back to the drawing board.

Round 6: Enchanted garden VS Honden-control

Honden-control is a blue-red deck which splashes black n white for their hondens. Tis deck is a control deck as its name suggests , n a combo deck as well. The heart of tis deck's strategy lies in its jokulhaups-honden combo. Jus like when dealing wif Widow-maker, I mustn't let the game drag.

Early in the game, i tried to enchant tundra wolves wif armadillo cloak but was foiled by my oppo who incinerated my wolves n caused the cloak to fizzle. I had a REALLY bad hand tis match, for i had lands n an opal champion n nothing else. It was hopeless, my opal champion would never trigger for honden-ctrl has no creas. In the end, i did nothing for 7 consecutive turns n watched the oppo set up his game. Tis has got to be the WORST match ever..

In the end, the oppo cleared the table, wif a sweeping jokulhaups, of everything except his 3 hondens. Wif them, he was dealing 3 dam, gaining 6 life n drawing 3 additional cards every turn. Enchanted Garden never recovered fr tt jokulhaups.

Final life: 0-35
MVP cards: none
junk cards: opal champion (again..)

Im so definitely removing the opal army for gd.. if i dun, i aint the handsome leader of SKOF.. Replacing them wif more weenies will help me in matches against control decks.

The verdict

Faced wif stronger decks, the 3-0 run became 4-2, which was more realistic for a rookie deck. Lots of adjustments have to be made, but adhering to the rule i set, i will only change 5 cards at any one time. Wifout hesitating:

-2 opal champion
-2 opal caryatid
-1 rabid wombat
+2 pacifism
+1 tragic poet
+1 tundra wolves
+1 empyrial armor

Im taking out the rabid wombat to speed up the deck. Often by the time it comes into play, most of the enc hav been already used on my other creas. 4 casting cost is simply too much for the wombat's abilities. I would hav replaced the wombat wif yavimaya enchantress except tt i hav none. As realised fr the match wif Merfolk, i need more spells which deal wif creas. Pacifism is a natural choice, it's being an enc means tt i can draw a card whenever i cast it. The addition of empyrial armor was becos i wanted to take adv of the many instances when i hav a large hand. The only doubt i hav about tt card is its 2 white mana requiremt.

Wif these drastic changes, im eager to see how Enchanted Garden does. Within the dark heart of the wood, there r only 2 more oppo left. To go any higher will be to challenge the elder legends themselves.. is Enchanted Garden worthy of tt?

Next up: light at the end of the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle, Part II

In the Jungle, welcome to the Jungle
Watch it bring u on ya knees, knees..

As Guns N Roses' music filled my head, i shuffled my deck n stared my opponent across the table. Tis is it, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Round 1: Enchanted garden vs Arcbound

Due to an excellant starting hand, i had tundra wolves, river boa n enchantress' presence on my side of the table by the 3rd turn. Wat's more, there were 2 enchantments sitting in my hand, which i could use to trigger enchantress' presence's card drawing ability. The opponent had only arcbound worker n arcbound stinger on his side of the table.

However, the opponent managed to draw tinker later on n using tt, bring a gigantic arcbound overseer into play. Even so, it had no trample n was kept at bay by my regenerative boa. The opponent managed to deal me some damage wif his AB stinger but was eventually defeated by my armadillo-cloaked, holy-strengthened, gaea-embraced 8/8 islandwalking boa.

final life: 10-0
MVP cards: river boa, armadillo cloak, enchantress presence
junk cards: holy strength

Tis match gave me insight of a contradiction in my strategy. I shouldnt be using enchantment which boost the toughness of my creas since most of them have either regeneration or first-strike. Instead, i shd focus on boosting their power. Making a mental note, i moved to the next section of the Jungle.

Round 2: Enchanted garden vs Reanimator

It seems tt the oppo had a bad hand for he did not manage to reanimate any crea within the 1st 2 turns. When he finally got a symbiotic wurm out, i had a river boa to deal wif it. He never did anything else for the rest of the match except duress away a pacifism. I probably would not have been able to deal wif his spirit of the night wifout my pacifism, but as it is, he never managed to get the spirit out. I won the match wif 6 creas in play.
VS
final life: 20-0
MVP cards: river boa

The boa is simply amazing! Wif a casting cost of jus 2, it is the one of the most efficient crea. Moreover, its seemingly negligible islandwalking ability is actually v useful considering the abundance of blue decks in the Jungle.

Round 2: Enchanted garden vs Siege

U probably hav not heard of the Siege deck. It's a red-white deck based loosely ard the combo of orcish artillery n circle of protection: red. It is currently under development at the moment. The Siege deck has a foil to Enchanted Garden which the previous 2 opposing decks do not hav: the ability to destroy enchantments. Tis may be an interesting match btw the 2 rookies.

The action really begin when I enchanted my scryb sprites wif an armadillo cloak. However, before i could launch any offensive, true to predictions, the oppo destroyed both the crea n the enc wif a devestating orim's thunder. Later, i paid back in kind by pacifying his serra angel who's still recovering fr summoning sickness. Of cos, i took the liberty of not suppressing my chuckle.

Towards late game, i had mirri's guile in play n wif tt, i got out 2 card-drawing engines which sped up my game. eventually, i defeated the oppo wif a 5/5 opal champion wif protection fr red n a full hand.

final life: 15-0
MVP cards: armadillo cloak, enchantress' presence, mirri's guile

As it turns out, even if my oppo hoses cards which can destroy my enc, i doesnt really matter as i can replace them wif more enc as long as i hav either argothian enchantress or enchantress' presence in play.

The verdict

Wow, judging fr the 3-0 run, Enchanted Garden sure has potential aplenty. In spite of tis, it is entirely possible the record will go downhill fr now as the previous 3 decks r the weakest in the Jungle. Fr the results of the previous matches, i decided to make the following adjustments to my deck:

-2 holy strength
-2 youthful knight
+2 river boa
+2 armadillo cloak

Im taking out youthful knight becos for the same casting cost, river boa is a much better card as it's regenerative ability enables it to be a hard-to-deal wif blocker. Wif these changes, Enchanted Garden is slower than b4 due to the higher casting costs n ability costs. We shall how it does as we journey deeper into the dark heart of the woods..

Next up: more fearsome opponents!

Welcome to the Jungle, Part I

Wahaha, im gonna turn my blog into a deck clinic for "Magic:the Gathering" for tis exam period. Tt means the stuff i put up here is gonna be meaningless for these few weeks. For u guys who dun play Magic, go get a life then come back. Peishu, tis is for u!

So wat is a deck clinic? Well, here's wat im going to do. Im gonna any-o-how build a deck n put it thru multiple hurdles of play-testing n fine-tune it along the way such tt i'll end up wif a powerful deck. Hopefully, i can thru tis experiment, elevate that deck to an "elder legend" status.

The deck which i will be putting thru tis clinic is an Enchantment deck. Sounds familiar aint it, tt's rite PS, part of my motivation is to beat u at ya own game hahaha.. there's nothing quite as delightful or perverse as the overpowering of an equal. Im gonna play the white-green combi as well. Reason is v simple: white n green r the colours which provides the best enchantments n weenie creas. However, there're some distinct differences btw PS' version of the enchantment deck n mine. While he seeks to awake the dormant abilities of Autumn-Tail the Kitsune Sage and harness the regenerative abilities of various trolls, I will focus entirely on the card-drawing engines which are Argothian Enchantress and her doppelganger, Enchantress' Presence. Furthermore, my enchantment deck will use the "opal" creatures of Urza's Saga. I figure tt their being enchantments n creatures at the same time provides the twin benefits of allowing me to draw a card as i play them n then allowing me to enchant them when they become creatures. I do not really know how well they will fit into the deck but hey, tt's wat the deck clinic is for.

Wifout further ado, here is my take of the enchantment deck:

LANDS
9x plains
10x forest
4x grasslands

CREATURES
2x tundra wolves
1x tragic poet
2x youthful knight
1x monk idealist
1x armored griffin
2x river boa
3x argothian enchantress
2x rabid wombat
1x fugitive druid
2x syrub sprites

SPELLS
2x opal caryatid
1x opal titan
2x opal champion
2x flickering ward
2x holy strength
2x pacifism
2x fertile ground
3x enchantress' presence
1x gaea's embrace
1x mirri's guile
2x armadillo cloak

total: 60 cards

In tis deck clinic, I set for myself a few rules:
1. I will not change any cards in the deck until i have played 3 games at least.
2. I will not change more than 5 cards at any one go.

Alright, before i head to the battlegrounds (or the Jungle as i call it), i wanna give my deck a name. Calling it "the enchantment deck" is jus plain uncreative. Since white n green magic draw their vitality fr the untouched, open plains n lush forests respectively, i shall call my deck "Enchanted Garden". Well, tts an apt name, considering tt my deck contains animals u find in a garden like snakes, wombats, wolves (maybe not) n sprites. Yeah, n now we're raring to go! Oh, we're the road, the highway, the fury tt can never be caged!

Next up: The Jungle!

Wat is poetry?

Last week, i had two enlightening classes on poetry in my Intro to E.lit course, now i know wat poetry really is! Here r some things tt may help u guys who like to write. :)


Wat is poetry?


"It is where the voice of the writer n the ears of the reader meet."

Ambiguity is present in all poems, sometimes, only the writer knows wat it really means. Poets seldom explain their poems to readers. To the poets, explaining their poems is like deconstructing an exquisite puzzle box after they have pain-stakingly pieced it together.

It is ok if different readers have different interpretations, but the readers must be able to back up their interpretations wif evidence fr the poem. In tis way, both the writer, thru his/her words, n the reader, thru his/her interpretation, determines the meaning of the poem, n thus the above quote. Songs r different in the sense tt the lyrist wants the reader of his/her lyrics to get the meaning straight.


"Poems r combinitions of sound n fresh ideas."

Poets look for ways to say things in a manner in which no one has done so b4. A gd poem is a form of art, a new creation, a clever invention.

Poems differs fr prose in tt it has music. The poet knows the sound of his words as he is penning them down. Tis music usually comes fr rhyming words, alliteration or assonance.

Alliteration is the repetition of consonants, eg. "..after life's fitful fever.."
Assonance is the rhyming of vowels, eg. "..fat black heart.."


"..only by the form, the pattern, can words or music reach the stillness.."

When reading a poem, we should observe the technique, which is the patterns n structure, imagery n metaphors.

We should also observe the oddness in the structure of a poem, for the strangeness of it is it's very mode of originality.

Blast fr the Past! II

Oh no, it's the end of the month! I've been maintaining 4 posts a month steadily since i've created tis realm now, n im one short tis month. Here's my last chance to post before the turn of the calendar n erm.. if u notice the title, it's another "Blast fr the Past!" episode, meaning i've run out of inspiration again ahahaha.. i still cant write naturally like the way Jingyu or Wanhui write, their recurring inspiration for poems n songs never fails to impress me.

Anyway, in tis episode of "Blast fr the Past!", i wanna share wif u guys the first two poems which i wrote when i began at the beginning of JC. Both were inspired by songs by the Hongkong band "Beyond" (nothing beats old-sch rock bands, those were the days..). At the time i was v intrigued by them, Jingyu too, n we often sang their songs in our favourite hideout in sch (we even named our hideout "Beyond Paradise"). My very first poem was written for a red-haired girl in sch named Sherrie, whom i had a crush on at tt time (yes, "crush" not "love". Tis probably has got something to do wif the fact tt i've never had female classmates b4). Why was i fond of her? Hmm.. i guess it was becos she was pretty. And.. erm.. cool. Yeah. Alright, I guess we were all shallow ppl at some point in our youth. Anyway, would it make it easier for u to forgive me if i told u she was the most beautiful girl i ever seen? For the three months she was in TJC, there were four guys after her (and tt's only as far as i know). I dunno how she was inside though, i dun think she was an angel beneath all the gloss. But u know, how our emotions can deceive us. I didn't give Sherrie tis poem in the end, i didnt think she will like me. And i think im digressing.


Railways

I wish these few months will never end,
A journey wifout a destination.
I wish i could hold ya hand,
N u tell me im ya final station.


The 2nd poem is totally unrelated to any real event in my life.


Crossroads

Time and land r flowing,
Diaries our pens r writing,
Passed the boisterous nite,
How will dawn feel like?

Yesterday's dreams n ambitions,
Lost in today's situations,
R we still fearless,
Faced wif reality's cutlass?

There r times i feel redundant.
There r reasons to be despondent.

At the crossroads, who will walk wif me?
Recall times forgotten,
So far i've gone, there's no return.


Both poems were typed out fr my memory, fresh as yesterday :) Though clumsy, im proud of them. Do u remb ya first poems?

Preludes

Preludes

Book I of the Lion Chronicles

____________

Letter I

From Ekemet, a djinn bard, at Emberwilde Inn, in Kaf, the realm of djinns and efreets, to his wife in Femeref.

My Dear Jorael,

I received your letter yesterday, and was glad to know that our darling girl Panya has gotten such a good place in Femeref and likes her new mistress so well. Know that I don’t grumble about the gold that’s spent in sending you with Panya to take care of her. Poor child, she was too young to be trusted to make this journey to the world of humans alone. Naturally, you were the best person, to go with Panya—whose wellbeing is more precious to us than any gold. Besides, when I married you, I had promised you a trip someday to see the splendorous capital of the human kingdom. Finally, that promise has been fulfilled. So, once again, don’t fret about the gold that’s been spent, I shall soon repay it.

When you left, you know how bad the business at The Dancing Scimitar was getting. It was so bad that I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be better if I try my luck singing at Emberwilde Inn?” I flew there straight away, and, thank God, have got on well there. And now, I come to some strange news.

The third afternoon after you left, a young human came to the inn. He looked very pale and his clothes were wind blasted, and he asked for a bed. Before the landlady could answer, he got faint all of a sudden. He was so faint and ill, that I felt obliged to lend a hand in getting him upstairs. The next morning, I heard he was worse, and it was just the same story the morning after. He pretty much worried the landlady, being so restless a soul and talking to himself with strange mannerism, especially when night falls. He wouldn’t say what the matter was with him, or who he was, we could only find out that he had been stopping among the fishing folk further west and they had not behaved very well to him (shame on them, and fellow humans too!) Well, we djinns can never understand the afflictions of flesh, so in the end I went and fetched a medicine man for him. When we got into his room, we found him all pale and unmoving, and looking at the ceiling blankly, as if his soul was in some faraway plane. The medicine man described his condition with some hard names which I can’t remember, but it seems the illness is one of the mind rather than the physical shell, and that he must have been through some great shock which shattered his reality. The only way to do him good, as the medicine man said, was to have him carefully nursed by people he knew; familiar faces around him will likely draw his mind back to the real world. The medicine man asked where his family lived, but he wouldn’t speak to us. And lately, he’s gotten so much worse that he doesn’t seem to be listening to us anymore when we speak to him.

Yesterday evening, he gave us all a fright. The medicine man, hearing me below, asking after him, told me to come up the stairs to help move him to have his bed made. As soon as I raised him up (though I’m sure I touched him as gently as I could), he fainted dead away. While he was being attended to, a shiny object fell from the chain around his neck. Upon a closer look, it seemed to me that it was a small angel figurine crafted from some sort of crystal. Now, there are no angels in Kaf, or in Femeref, or in any other places in this part of the world. I recalled the alien accent with which he spoke when I first met him in the inn and I am sure that this young man must be from some distant kingdom across the Eternal Seas. I picked the crystal angel up, for I remembered the time, Jorael, when you and I were courting, and how precious the least thing given to me by you was. So I took care of it for him, thinking it might be a keepsake from his sweetheart. And sure enough, when he came to, he put his thin white hand to his neck, and looked at me in silent gratitude when I connected the little thing to his chain again. Just as I had done that, the medicine man beckons me to the other end of the room.

“This won’t do,” he whispered to me. “If he goes on like this, he’ll lose his reason, if not his life. I must search his backpack, to find out what friends he has, and you must help me.”

So the medicine man searched through his belongings, and among them was a crumpled tome. It is certainly arcane, for I sensed the wild electricity of magic sealed within its cluttered pages. The medicine man sensed it too, for he stared at me for a short while before placing the tome carefully on the floor. The young man was looking at us all the while without any trace of emotion on his visage; he didn’t seem to care for we were doing. Next, the medicine man found three letters tied together. Well, the medicine man said there was no reason to open them, for the direction on all the letters was the same and the name corresponded with his initials marked on his vest.

“I’m certain this is where he lived, so this is where I’ll write to,” said the medicine man.

“Shall my wife take the letter, Sir?” I said. “She’s in Femeref with our fledging, Panya.”

“Excellent, Ekemet!” he said; “we’ll do just that. Write to your wife and put my letter inside yours.”

Now, Jorael, dear, go at once and see what you can find out. Let us know directly what luck you have had, for there is no time to be lost.

This has become such a long letter, that I have no room left to write anymore. God bless you, Jorael, and God bless my darling Panya! Give her a kiss for father’s sake, and believe me,

Your loving husband,

Ekemet.

Stardust in the city

Yesterday evening, i went out wif Zhaolin, my buddy fr SYFC. We bought Subway sandwiches n sat by the river beside the Esplanade. In the sunset, the river shimmered wif an orange glow while the city slowly cloaked itself in a lilac nightgown. Children were running about playing, as their young parents strolled behind leisurely. Boatmen waved to the many tourists, n persuaded them to tour the city by a watery path. In the lovely dusk, Zhaolin n me munched on our sandwiches n chat of ministry, sch life n his love life.

Wif respect to the last of the above topics, our conversation went along the lines of:

"Eh Zhaolin?"
"What?"
"So how, u gonna chase her or forever steal peeks of her fr behind the nearest pillar?"
"Actually.. steal peeks of her fr behind the furthest pillar."
"........
Can I see her photo?"
"Nope."
"Why not??"
"So that next time if i change crush u won't know. Then u'll think im single-minded n love the same girl for so long."
"........"

As we talked on, the first stars appeared in the sky. It suddenly struck us how enchanting the city-scape was at night. The high-rise buildings in all its daunting majesty in the day, could not hope to compete wif its own velvety beauty in the night. Ah, the city. The glossy heart of the business world. Who would have tot there's another side to it?

But we were in for another wonder. To our utter amazement, the night exploded in brilliant light n sound. Fireworks! We gaze on in speechless awe as the stardust showered onto the river, onto the city, n onto the hearts of the people watching.

I've made a video clip the fireworks wif my Palmtop. It couldn't capture the splendid scene adequately of cos. Nevertheless, here is the link.

To _______ ( I softly know.. )

Though words are absent,
I know how you idealise,
How you dream of me day and night,
And wish dreams realise.

Though in wistful silence,
I hear your glass heart falter.
And I, of all people,
Am the guilty afflicter.

Let not your affection dwell,
On one such as I.
Daily I selfishly occupy,
Your cares and your time.

Let not you, your tears repress,
It’s fine to cry.
For down Life’s bends, will arrive,
Someday, a loving guy.

A peek into the Lion's den

I read that the things a person has in his/her room, are quite revealing of his/her personality. I wonder what do the stuff in my room say bout me...

1. A signboard reading “It might look like I’m sitting here doing nothing, but I work so fast I’m always FINISHED.”
2. A poster of Great Teacher Onisuka (GTO) and another of the leather-clad, gun-slinging vampire babe that’s Kate Beckinsale.
3. A jigsaw puzzle constructed by Mummy, Michelle and me. It shows a field of golden sunflowers and a cerulean sky hanging overhead.
4. A jigsaw puzzle constructed by Michelle for one of our anniversaries. It is a cartoon picture of Mickey and Minnie smooching in a classic train station. This jigsaw puzzle is rather special, as it is made from the same material as wine bottle corks.
5. Artificial vines and leaves which wind around the side of my study table and my windows.
6. Three flags each with one of the words “Sun”, “Sand” and “Sea” and the corresponding drawing on them. These flags hang like banners from the top of my windows.
7. A number of Human Resource related texts.
8. Documents and files related to my work in SYFC which sprawl all over my table.
9. My Zire 72s Palmtop which is being recharged at the moment.
10. A wind chime made of branches and painted seashells. It’s so heavy that it doesn’t sway and make music in Sengkang’s mild winds.
11. A Panasonic CD player and a pouch containing old-school rock CDs like Oasis, Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses.
12. A first-aid box lovingly packed by Michelle for my mission trip to Chang-Rai last year.
13. A Nike shoe box containing eleven “Magic: The Gathering” collectible card-game decks. Good, old Magic cards, they brought me several afternoons of fun throughout my schooling life. Wonder when will Peishu have the time to play with me again, hmmm.
14. Postiks with Bible verses scribbled on them which are attached to my table shelf. I came across each of these verses one point of time or the other, and copied them down because they were very relevant to my situation at those points in time. The latest one reads “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shd go; I will counsel you and watch over you. –Psalm 32:8”

For tis gift of life

Wanting to enjoy the night a little longer, i alighted at a stop which is further away fr my place n strolled home. I like Sengkang at night-time. The reaches of its lamp-lit streets r hushed, save for sound of the occasional car passing by. As i walked on, a wind caressed my face briefly and delighted me wif the nocturnal smells, the familiar fragance of the night. I quested the sky for stars, but found none. Tis night, waves of clouds washed n overwhelmed the heavens. Tis night, God's glory manifested itself in other ways.

Someone once asked me wat do i love to do, n i answered tt i love to walk the lonely streets of Sengkang at night, i love to nap in a hammock in the botanical gardens, i love to peer at the sky thru the leaves of a tree, i love to drive a car wif windows rolled down along the highway, n i love to lie beside my beloved n watch her fall asleep on her bed. All these precious moments n countless others, remind me of how good it is to be alive, n how grateful we shd be to the Giver of Life. Tis night, jus as during many other times in my life, a song will rise fr the depths of my heart:

"For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise."

Lyrics by Folliot S. Pierpoint, 1864

The truth behind NTU R&D

In the light of a super tough semester at the second half of 2004, there’re rumours aplenty as to why the sch wants to slaughter the HR students. I think it’s time for the world to know the truth. And know tis, the truth will rock the world.

There r many cool things about working in NTU’s R&D department. But for Lion, nothing was as fun as finally having an opportunity to get a real “behind-the-scenes” peek. He had spent all his spare hrs during his first month scouring NTU’s extensive database for comments fr the exam paper designers and coursework developers. And the results were quite interesting.

One day while searching through AB201 Accountings II, Lion stumbled across 2004’s exam paper. In the comments field, he found the following:

2.4 Prof TW: on the overall it shd be fine, tho we might want to remove the MCQs.
3.05 Prof JLM: for students’ morale sake, we shd make the first two questions slightly easier.
3.07 Prof CTH: This paper would be horribly easy in tis case, since it has only 4 questions.
3.07 Prof WJR: Not horrible easy, just less “fun” for us.

Lion found tis interchange quite entertaining. He was just about to click to the next paper when he noticed a strange red button sitting on the bottom right of the screen. He had never seen anything like it before in any of the NTU files. The button had no writing, merely an icon of a brain in a jar.

Lion tot about asking about the button, but finally decided to just try it. After all, what could possibly happen?

The screen turned red n the words “Top Secret Mode” appeared at the top of the screen. The comments field completely changed:

Prof RG (15/8/03): Team expressed interest in paper that will fail 50.713% of the students n remain in their nightmares for several years. Here you go.
Prof HS (3/2/04): Dev team ran through examination simulator. Believe students will complain to their parents within acceptable limits.
Prof JM (1/4/04): Consulted with the government about the stress level generated. Prof WJR (4/13/97): Lee Kwan Yew approved
Prof CTH (4/14/97): Guess we won't be needing TM's help. :-)

Lion was puzzled at first. But then he realized tt it must be some practical joke. He had heard all the Lee Kwan Yew jokes (some claimed that R&D was run by LKY’s giant brain in a jar). Someone was obviously having some fun with him. The thing he was most puzzled by was Prof Chan Teck Heng’s (he assumed CTH was Chan Teck Heng) comment about a TM. To the best of Lion's knowledge, no one with the initials TM had ever worked in NTU.

Curiosity finally got the best of Lion. “Hey Ah Chan,” he called across the R&D galley, “Who the hell is TM?”

When Lion turned around to hear his answer, he found Prof Chan already at his desk. “TM?” Prof Chan began, “How did you…” Prof Chan's face went white as he saw Lion’s computer monitor.

“I don't know,” said Lion, “I was looking thru NTU database when I found tis weird red button on the screen for AB201 Accountings II.”

“For the love of god,” Prof Chan said softly to himself, “We can smoke students in lectures n invent mountains of projects for them, but we can't keep a freakin' level one security clearance on NTU.”

Lion was still waiting for the punchline when Prof Chan said, “You better come wif me.”

Lion had a lot of questions, but Prof Chan 's body language made it clear that tis wasn't the time. Prof Chan shuffled Lion into the elevator. “Why don't we jus walk up the stairs?” Lion asked.

“Becos there aren't stairs to where we're going.”

Lion had always wondered why a two-story building had an elevator. He got his answer when the elevator went down. As the elevator descended the panel wif the buttons rotated to reveal an entire new set of buttons several of which sported PAP symbols. Prof Chan punched in a code (the birth date of LKY). A computer voice then said, “Password pls.”

“They dine really have to take AB103 Statistics,” Mark replied.

“Password accepted,” said the computer.

The doors swung open to reveal a giant underground complex. With flashing lights and whizzing computers, the hall looked like a cross between a secret military base n a mad scientist's lab. Dozens of white coated employees moved thru the room. Lion turned to face Prof Chan. “Welcome to R&D,” Prof Chan said, “The real R&D.”

Lion's mind was spinning. “I hav so many questions,” Lion told Prof Chan.

“Shoot.”

“How can you afford all tis?”

“NTU makes a lot of money, Lionel. A lot of money. Where do you think we funnel most of it? We sure dun waste it on frivolous things like expanding the canteens or getting one more student free-access lab.”

“How come no one knows about tis?”

“Because we've gone to great lengths to keep it hidden. Could you imagine the public's response if all the crazy rumors turned out to be real? Heck, if you're responding poorly to learning this info, your mind would be wiped before we hit the elevator.”

“So wat do you guys do down here?”

“Over there r all the computers. We use them to properly analyze where and how the students will adapt. We've created three AI's – clever student, average student n silly girls – to help us understand how each paper will be received. Next to tt is the behavior modification software. Then the internet bots used to create and spread false info for plagiarising students. The sucky-canteen-food generator. The sch fee overcoster. The bus 179 frequency reducer. That's the OSIM chair for professors. Then we have the vault. We keep several thousand unreleased exam paper templates, jus in case the 2004 May exam question leakage incident repeats itself. And finally, the two sealed rooms, the Correcting Room and the Forbidden Room.”

“The Correcting Room n the Forbidden Room? Wat r those?”

“You'll see the former in a min. And the latter, dun ask again.”

“But…”

Prof Chan 's stare told Lion tt not all his questions were going to be answered.

Prof Chan stopped as he arrived at the closed door. He let a small laser scan his retina. “Password,” asked the computer.

“There r hidden video cams in the hostels.”

“Password accepted,” the computer replied.

The door slid open to reveal a medium-sized room complete with a large silver object. It was clearly a time machine. Lion followed Prof Chan into the room. “What is tis?” Lion asked.

“Tis,” Prof Chan replied, “is TM.”

“R&D has a time machine?!”

“Hey, even we can make mistakes. Anyway, tis is why I was hired in R&D. For my expertise in time travel. I almost blew my cover teaching Strategic HR badly last sem..”

“Do you think you'll ever have to use it?”

“Have to? Tis baby has already saved our butts more times than I can remb.”

“But then why dine you do anything about Quazi’s China question which no one can answer??”

“Lionel, Lionel, Lionel. If you think the biggest problem with difficulty level is Quazi’s China question then we've done our job well. You dun remember the reality where General Electives so difficult when someone actually ran over R&D with a bus. Thank god I was sick tt day.”

“General Electives? How exactly do modules which require only a pass warp the examinations?”

“They didn't require jus tt then.”

“What did they require?”

Prof Chan visibly shivered. “Some things r better left off dead and buried.”

“How did R&D end up with a time machine?”

“LKY built it after NTU collapsed.”

“I dun understand,” Lion said, “NTU never collapsed.”

“Not in tis timeline. But back in 1981, the Additional Common Electives proved more than the students could handle.”

“Additional Common Electives?”

“Yeah, tt n the Extra Universal Electives”

“The Extra Universal Electives?”

A frightened look came to Prof Chan 's face. “Look, I'm still not ready to talk about the Extra Universal Electives. Because of them I lost someone v close to me.”

“But wat could they possibly do…?”

Prof Chan sternly raised his hand. “Dead n buried!”

“How many times hav you guys had to use the time machine?”

Prof Chan didn't know what else to say. In the silence, a tear came to Prof Chan 's eye. “Let's get outta here,” he said.

As Lion n Prof Chan walked back to the elevator, Prof Chan finished the tour. “Now tt you know the truth, it's time for your indoctrination.”

Prof Chan led Lion towards the second closed door. As Prof Chan was about to open it Lion asked, “How come tis door doesn't have any security on it?”

“Because anyone foolish enough to enter deserves their fate.”

“Wait a minute. Where r we going?”

“You'll see.”

“This whole LKY thing's jus a big joke right?”

“………”

Lion looked ard at the R&D Secret Lab. He felt the knot is his stomach double in size. “Come on,” said Prof Chan, “We hav an appointment to keep…”

THE END

Blast fr the past!

Ok, time for some comic relief! Someone commented my blog doesnt sound like myself, which usually is something between a clown n a little kid. So for now, i shall be jus tt (lionel reaches n flips a switch behind his back). Clown-n-little-kid-mode activated.

Recently, i've been digging thru my "Chest Of Love Letters N Sweet Cards Fr Fans Of Mine" (COLLNSCFFOM for short) n i excavated something which was written by me myself (no, the other contents of the box wasnt written by myself as well. why, u think im lonely n lame?). I recognised it instantly as a poem which i had written during my army days, something really amusing which i had forgotten. Take a look :D


Blast from the past

Ale is low but spirit is high,
Knocked my head n went back in time.
That nite ya wand guided the way,
Wif my sword, i entered the flay.
Oh why not jus pyroclasm,
All those weenies in Damned Doom Chasm?
Yeah, troll heads rollin in the dust,
Orcish fingers flying fast.
Even better, we looted their dead,
Raped their wolves n played wif their heads.
Oh wat wonderful, treasured past,
And yes my fren, i do miss ya arse.


Ahahahah! Utter crap right?? I'll dedicate it to anyone who doesnt mind being the target of the dedication!