Our former colleagues from iGINE came over to our place for a casual gathering last night, and it was a blast.

Huey Siang and Kai Kit, have just come back from Sydney for a visit, and they were the first to arrive. It was nice catching up with them, and Huey Siang described many interesting facets of life in down under.

The rest arrived shortly after, including Leong Seng and Mun Lai, who brought their children, Xin Yan and Ray Kern along. We ordered pizza, and everybody just sat down to catch up with each other. Biow brought 汤圆 as well, and it was a really nice gesture on her part, as it was 冬至 yesterday.

It was nice to catch up with everybody, and see that everybody is doing well, although a few familiar faces were missing due to other commitments. We really thank everybody for their gifts, and we should really do this more often.

Photos have been uploaded as well, so take a look.

Jas and I had our pre-wedding shoot with our photographer the Friday before last, and it was tiring, but fun.

We did not sign up for any package with the normal bridal salons, because we saw this photographer during a bridal fair, and his photos were really top-notch. He provides only photo taking services, so we had to source for our gowns and suits, as well as the makeup artist ourselves, and we ended up probably paying more compared to the typical bridal packages, but you really have to look at his work. He's really good.

Anyway, we were captivated by one of his creation, a shot of the bride and groom from a low angle, with the blue sky and clouds in the background. It was just ... fantastic. We wanted that as well, but no thanks to the arsonists in Indonesia, we had to settle for something else, although I have trust in the photographer.

So, we arrived at the studio early in the morning, and took some indoor shots in the studio. That was after Jas had finished her makeup session. Man, did that take long. Jas was caught dozing off by the makeup artist, so you should have a good idea of how long that took. But I think the results were pretty good, so I guess it was time well spent. Then again, it doesn't take long for Jas to doze off, so...

We soon had the indoor shots out of the way, and we went to out for a series of shots. All I can say is that the photographer really put in effort to make us smile naturally, including coming up with some of the lamest jokes I have ever heard. They were so bad that they were good after some time, if you know what I mean.

If I remember correctly, the PSI was in the 100s on that day, and I was absolutely perspiring buckets out there. And I had to carry the drinks, Jas' shoes, as well as my jacket as well. In a way, it was worse than my BMT road march, but strangely enough, it was really fun.

I think you have borne with my ramblings long enough, so here is the link to the photos that we took ourselves on that day. They are not the complete set, but just a taster. Heh.

I have never been blessed with riches, mostly by choice. I can hardly step out of a bookstore or CD shop with my wallet intact. The thing is, I have never prescribed to the idea of hoarding money. Money is earned to be spent, and it is just a currency for us to get the things that we want, be it tangible or non-tangible.

I will be the first to admit that I am not an easy person to be around with. I am opinionated, stubborn, contrarian, cynical, and come with a temper to boot. I have never been shy to speak my mind, and I do not sweeten my words. It is a wonder Jas can stand me. Heh.

But I digress.

I have been extremely fortunate in my friends. You can say that I am wealthy beyond comparison, for I have a bunch of fantastic friends. We have known each other for 20 years. Come to think of it, we have known each other longer than we were strangers. 20 years ago, we started our small, hesitant steps towards adulthood. Fate intervened and put us in the same classroom.

I can go on and on about how we forge our friendship in the classroom, helping each other with our schoolwork. I can wax lyrical about how the bonds between us were strengthened beyond breaking point on the basketball court. But strangely enough, when I think back of the time we spent in school together, my memories tell a tale of much laughter, and sometimes pure hysterical fun.

I cannot help but smile to myself when I think of Haiping asking in the middle of a test: "Teacher, can I borrow Haoqun's ruler?" Or when I recall the fights with chalk, paper bullets and water bombs. Or when we cheered our voices hoarse when we supported our school's athletes in any sporting event. Recollections like such form the largest part of my memories of school life.

We had such insane fun. We help each other cheat for our tests; you should have seen the crumpled balls of paper, with answers written on them, being thrown around the classroom when the teachers' backs were turned. And the secret signs, oh man, the secret signs. Sneaky peeks to the side, rubbing the nose with fingers, pretending to scrutinise the test paper by holding it up... We put James Bond to shame with our clandestine operations, I tell you.

I have to emphasize though, that we were not enfants terrible. As with most things, when the situation called for effort, we never shrank from it, but when the opportunity arose to have fun, we never missed that either. When the exams came, we made sure we put in the effort required and tried our best. We had, and still have the utmost respect for our teachers. I would like to think that if they see us today, we would not bring shame to them.

Happy as we were in school, time waits for no one, and we soon graduated. But we still meet up for coffee sessions regularly. Some of us may have been caught up with our careers, with our families, but we always step back into this comfortable circle of friends, and try to meet up regularly, be it for coffee or football sessions.

Just as we move gradually to drinking beer from coffee, just as the gray hairs (countable) turned to gray hair (uncountable), we have nurtured our friendship silently, imperceptibly. Thinking back, I think the best gift that we have given to each other is one of non-judgement. Living in an environment where we are constantly judged by our society, by our parents and our peers, it is an invaluable space which we give to each other. Of course, we do have certain opinions about each other, but we rarely criticise each other in the face. In a way, we are just happy to be in each other's company.

And you cannot ask any more than that from your friends.

Sixteen years ago, 我们离开了华中, 但华中却不曾离开我们. The camaradarie, the sense of belonging that we shared between us, it never left us. At times, I will not be as motivated when participating in sporting events as when I am teamed with my friends. Perhaps it is the team spirit and the understanding that we have with each other, or the extra motivation that comes from the joy of achieving success together.

Regardless of which, I partake in current and future endeavours, confident and safe with the knowledge that no matter how cruel a hand I am dealt with, I have been blessed in life.

For we are the few, the happy few, the band of brothers.

My friend Thomas and Denise's son Julian has entered for a Trendy Baby contest. Julian is one cute dude, and if you are free, hit the link and vote for him. Thomas brought his whole family down during the flea market, and you can see more pictures of Julian in the Photos section, under the flea market album. There are also more pictures of Julian in an earlier update.

About the voting, you should be able to see a picture of Julian after the jump, click on that, and your email client will be automatically setup to send a mail back to the organizers. If it's not working on your machine, just send an email to trendybabes@tangerined.com, with the subject title: TrendyBabe Julian.

Go, Julian, go.

Have you ever felt totally, utterly alone?

Truth to speak, I have never had that feeling. I share the same feeling as Henry David Thoreau: "I've never found a companion as companionable as solitude". Technically, I guess I have never felt loneliness, as I am comfortable with solitude. There may be a little bit of wordplay there, but Paul Tillich said it best: "Our language has widely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone.".

Our generation has been both blessed and cursed with the worship of efficiency. Speed of thought and swiftness of action are treasured; there is scant regard for beauty, for craft, for something that endures. And with the information age upon us, we are constantly bombarded with news and information. We know of happenings around the world almost instantly. We are truly living in a global village. That, in itself, is not bad intrinsically; but it also means that we are hard-pressed at receiving and processing the information overload.

At the same time, quantity of information may not necessary mean clearer vision. Our vision may be expanded but how well do we understand what we take in through our vision? Just take a look at any news website, be it CNN, or Time. The front page displays a kaleidoscope of news headlines, but never the entire content. Few of us have the time, as well as the inclination, to browse through the entire story behind every headline.

All the more we should seek a sanctuary in our minds, a place where everything stops, and amidst the stillness, the world presents itself to us, in all its glory, ready for unmasking. Sometimes, that is the only way; it is only when the blare of our daily existence is silenced that we can hear the truth that life has been whispering into our ears all this while. Solitude is like the water in the pond. It can only give a clear reflection of the skies when its surface is undisturbed.

More importantly, every now and then, we need, to quote the words of my friend Chuan, to take a solitary journey to self-rediscovery. True understanding only come with a shift to a higher, and more inward perspective. When we get less attached to the pragmatic side of things; we see the true meaning behind them. Insights come with clarity of sight, not width of vision. And if there is one thing that we need that for, it has to be ourselves. Enlightenment of what we are, and what me may be, it can only be attained when we look into ourselves. And we can have a clear view, within solitude. It is not noiselessness amidst the stillness; but a form of silence where all we can hear are the echoes of our hearts. Our faults, out panache, out ambitions, they whisper to us, in pure and uncoloured clarity, if we let them.

But there are some who detest solitude. They do not want to meet that somebody in solitude: themselves. They wish to hide from the imperfections they see in themselves, they want to avoid the insecurities, the doubts in their minds, and they do not want to confront the ugliness they find in their thoughts. Little do they realise that those are exactly the things that make us human. Imperfections, insecurities, ugliness in thought, they continue to grow because we allow them to fester unmonitored in the darkest corners of ourselves. Recognizing their existence, and working at reducing their influence on us, with the full realization that they have deep roots and will not be eradicated easily, that, to me, is probably the true meaning of life. To be better today compared to what we were yesterday, to overcome ourselves despite being ourselves, that has to be the quest.

Every now and then, find a space for yourself. Remember happy memories, recuperate from setbacks, challenge yourself, and mould a new definition of yourself. Immerse yourself not in the absence of others, but rather, in the fullness of yourself, and enjoy the solitude that you find yourself in. It is sweet, it is delicious and it is sublime.