Hits and misses

Yesterday I went to play Initial D again... I raced with the computer character Takeshi Nakazato, because his way of racing the Akina course is the one I'm used to: Downhill, Day, Dry.

I raced with him 3 times.

First try: I tried playing the game barefooted... and accidentally applied pressure on the brakes while accelerating in the earlier stage of the course... he ended up running ahead of me all the way.

Second try: I forgot to shift to 4th gear so I ran on quite a slow speed on 3rd gear while Nakazato overtook me. I lost again.

Third try: I was myself again... and he couldn't overtake me after I took the lead.

But then... the first 2 dollars were quite wasted huh?

Today I played Rouge Squadron on my PC... I can say I've completed the game, so I yearned for something new other than just completing the missions.

Hmm... dodging guided missiles sounds fun...

Whoa! Incoming!

That was too close!

3 missiles on me!

A hit and a miss

Play too hard and this happens...

Hey... won't you even spare a dying X-wing?

Some thoughts about idol voting competitions.

Yeah, we all know that there are so many idol voting competitons now that they're close to the point of saturation.

Not that I'm complaining.

Anyway, I saw this post on the i-weekly forum made by a reader who is obviously a parent of a heavy supporter of such shows... the parent suggested that such shows be stopped as the voters are mostly teens who are still living on their parents and are wasting their parents' money when they vote via SMS (if they cast multiple votes, of course).

Sigh.

It's not that I'm against that view... it's just that I enjoy watching shows like Campus Superstar and don't wish that these shows will be gone anytime soon.

However, I'm concerned about the issue on voters spending loads on casting multiple votes.

Basically I'm against casting multiple votes... it's wasteful and unfair. From the weekly reports of these competitions, I realized that some of the participants who are kicked out would complain that their fans were not so rich to cast as many SMS votes as they want... people may say that they're making excuses, but who can blame them? Isn't that a very likely reason for their loss?

Some of the participants also state that their families would spend hundreds of dollars on SMS voting to support them...

What I feel is that if there's no control over how many votes a supporter can cast, the competition will be on how rich the supporters of the participants are.

That's one of the reasons I don't participate in voting... I mean, I wouldn't cast 10 votes at one go just to make sure my favourite contestant stays in the game, under the knowledge that a supporter of another contestant would cast 100 votes for his favourite! My 10 votes would then be as useless as no votes at all!

I believe that it's not difficult to impose a one-vote-per-voter scheme... and I believe that such a scheme should be the solution (instead of abolishing the competitions) to the problems faced by both contestants and parents alike.

Journal

Yesterday I went shopping for stuff I may need to bring for NS... and met lots of people... like Sok Shin with some Student Council members, including her "younger sister" (hehe... I'm referring to Sok's SC junior, of no blood relation, who looks almost identical with Sok!). Then I met 4 of the 2C girls (they still go out together!), including Kelly.

Anyway, there's this song called "Journey", sung by Angela Chang.

I came to know about this song when I was watching some entertainment news show n years ago. There was this short part of the music video of this song when she's standing on the beach... and of course I heard that part of the song... it's in B-flat major (I think it's quite a nice key) and from that part, I could tell that it's a nice song.

At that time I was thinking that it's one of the theme songs of an idol drama called "Dolphin Bay Lovers" (which stars Angela Chang)... I don't know if it is actually one of the theme songs even now... anyway, there was a once when I almost got to hear the whole song on the radio (I was on a taxi) but I had to alight before the song was actually played...

Hmm, anyway, I got to hear the song recently, and got to know that it's composed by Corrine May.

My first impression upon hearing the first part was that it didn't sound like a love song. Phrases like "all that I must hide" and "pride fills me up till I can't see my soul" sound like... hmm...

---

It's a long long journey
Till I know where I'm supposed to be
It's a long long journey
And I don't know if I can believe

When shadows fall and block my eyes
I am lost in all that I must hide
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you

Many days I've spent
Drifting on through empty shores
Wondering what's my purpose
Wondering how to make me strong

I know I will falter I know I will cry
I know you'll be standing by my side
It's a long long journey
And I need to be close to you

Sometimes it feels no one understands
I don't even know why I do the things I do
When pride fill me up till I can't see my soul
Will you break down these walls and pull me through

Cause It's a long long journey
Till I feel that I am worth the price
You paid for me on calvary
Beneath those stormy skies

When Satan mocks and friends turn false
It feel like everything is out to make me lose control
It's a long long journey
Till I find my way home to you... to you

---

After hearing the whole song, I realized (from the italized part) that this is actually a song dedicated to God.

New year, new discoveries

First post I'm making in 2006. Heh... I'm doing this at home again. That's just my house computer... it's become fickle these days, sigh...

But I'm not sure whether I'll have the patience to wait for the republishing of my whole blog on this computer...

Anyway, the class barbeque was quite a blast.

After blogging my year-end post at the library, I expected that I would be late... I recieved a message telling me that they'll be at the pit at 5:30 p.m. (after shopping for stuff at Parkway).

I arrived at the pit (after walking for what seemed like a century), only to find that there was no one in sight. And it was about 6:30 p.m..

As it turned out, they're still at Parkway at that time.

One unforgettable thing about that barbeque session was that they managed to heat the charcoal very evenly and almost all of them were glowing orange... there was just something different about the charcoal I saw on that day from those I've seen in my past barbeque sessions... it was magical! There was one point when the charcoal will emit hundreds of sparks when you fan it! Now that's a first time in my entire life!

I was the self-appointed fishball embassador on that day... all I did was to keep cooking the fishballs and bringing it around... haha.

My "new discovery" was that you can make your own starfruit drink (like those bottled ones) without using starfruit.

Boil some soup using wintermelon, carrots and celery... wait for the soup to cool, then add some dry "gou qi zi" (this small red stuff you can buy in chinese medicine halls; known for its benefits for the eyes) into the soup. As for the amount, add until they cover the entire surface of the soup (yes they float).

Wait for at least half an hour. Then try drinking the soup. You'll be surprised... well, at least I was!