Albert, sing us a song!

If anyone has noticed, I have been living my life the past days as if I am on a tether. I have no one to blame but myself .. no fault of others but my own. It is quite depressing but I try not to think about it. But I cant help it sometimes..especially when I have too much spare time. Like now…



The barbecue last night went quite ok. Had a little problem of setting up the fire because at 1630hrs, it was too windy to burn big, thick charcoals. Oh you should have seen the girth of those black things! Didn’t really interact much with the others because..well I didn’t want to. Bite me. So I just busied meself with barbecuing the food and hanging with IT, Dear and Xuewei. By 2030hrs, the party was almost over. Well, it was a weekday night, after all. My gang of 4 took a slow walk to McD, had a chat about our bitter working lives under the regimented eyes of this German concentration camp (the Fuhrer being Lord GL itself..yeah “itself”). We headed home at 2145hrs and at 2255hrs, I had officially missed the 3rd episode of LOST. Dammit.

You Think Michael Jackson Is Guilty

Q: How many times does 12 go into 35? A: Ask Michael Jackson.

The Tasteless Michael Jackson Joke Generator

I cant wait for the next weekend. I don’t know what’s going to happen then but I am sure I will definitely enjoy it more than the impending one. Plus, I think my NDP passes are coming so yeah…I can kaypoh-kaypoh down at the Padang soon. I love that. The mechanics of preparing for the National Day Parade always fascinate me, ever since I was involved indirectly in 1998. Not only because they are many (countless!!) men in uniform, it’s also because the level of focus given by the many NDP personnel involved is AMAZING!

Yes, yes, I’m the NDP whore…and a TV slut, a movie junkie, pop tart..proud of it.

I asked a few of my colleagues if they wanted to attend the NDP because if they wanted to, I could get media passes for them. No one wanted. Pure sadness, I tell you! Pure sadness. I guess no one will understand my fascination, The thing is…I lap up the atmosphere. Being in the stadium or Padang, for that matter with many other Singaporeans…it kinds of renewing your patriotism. Yes yes you need not attend NDP to feel patriotic but you will feel EXTRA love when you are watching it live. Plus, who knows…this may be Nathan’s last NDP as the President.

The “tembak foe-de-joie” (ah fuck the spelling) and the state flag fly-past, the pretend-to-sing-but-actually-it’s-all-recorded choir, the people busting their asses weeks in weeks out perfecting their choreographed performances and the fireworks…man, they are all exceptional. My favourite part? The pre-parade and the parade segments. The display segment…well, comme ci comme ca lah…hah, the irony.

But anyhow, hope I’ll get the passes soon cause I need to cover the event and I have to attend their rehearsals and stuff. Weather’s been kind of bad lately. Wait, Singapore weather has never been great. Urgh..soggy Padang.


Okay it wont be THIS bad.

I don’t know why but suddenly my mind is jolted by memories of the Old Trafford Stadium. Huh, so much for patriotism bullcrap!

Ting and I were among the millions (okay fine..100?) of fans waiting outside the exit for the players. Then when the kit-man came out, everybody cheered. It was so funny because the kit-man was clearly sheepish about it. Then a few started to chant:

Albert! Albert! Sing us a song! Albert, sing us a song!

It was hilarious…a great difference to the usual “Kelong!”, “Referee kayu!”, “Butoh!”, “Balik kampong, lah!” “Nabei chee bye!”, “Chao lam pa!”, “Puki mak kau sial!” kind of stuff we always get in our stadium. I am not even sure if his name was Albert.

Hah.

But seriously, it was by far, the trip of my life and I don’t mind suffering and starving when I came back. Heck, my best friend said it was crazy of me to do it and for that, she said she respected me. Hooray!!! Yeah..that’s what we need. The respect of your best friend…and world peace. No regrets and many memories to boast. So Albert, give me a song, will you?

When you were young
And your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
You know you did
You know you did
You know you did
But if this ever-changing world
In which we live in
Makes you give in and cry

Say live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die

What does it matter to ya?
When you gotta job to do
You gotta do it well
You gotta give the other fellow hell
You used to say live and let live
You know you did
You know you did
You know you did
But if this ever-changing world
In which we live in
Makes you give in and cry

Say live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die - Live And Let Die, Paul McCartney

Not Albert, but Paul. We got to taste a bit of hell to treasure what we have and what we have done.

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