on the first night of the halloween weekend, my roommate Piglet (she picked this pseudonym on her own!!), one of our suitemates Monkey, and i all got into a big fight. i had honestly wanted to just stay in with some soup and catch up on Grey’s Anatomy and post-midterms sleep, but the big buttery blocks of tension in the air thwarted that plan. so i half-heartedly dressed up in my costume and met some friends at the same bar we were at for halloween last year, basically The Bar of our university. it’s where we all had our first freshman year party, used our fake I.D for the first time, had / will have our 21st birthday celebration, spend every Halloween … i guess one could say it’s an institution. just remember not to eat there during the day, when it sunlights as an Italian restaurant.

it was a good, long night filled with many laughs. i didnt drink as much as i did last year, but everything else was exactly the same, except we were all a year older. it felt just like yesterday that i was prancing around The Bar in my very short sailor costume and Martian was being quite grumpy about it. i remember seeing all the same faces a year ago, and what they were wearing at the time. it’s amusing to know that even after a year later, their drunken greetings dont change as they wrap their arms around me to say hi. they say all the same things, in the same fashion and lazy lull.

this time last year, it was colder, and i loved school so much more than i love it now. i was so bright-eyed and excited about the novelty and the abundance of everything. now everything has the sanitized bleakness of industrial-sized something. it’s been a long story, which perhaps warrants a whole new post of it’s own. dont worry, i’m happy — it’s just that i constantly struggle to reconcile two polar parts of myself that seem to grow apart in distance more and more each day. apparently, it happens to all of us.

as i was leaving The Bar, i dropped by a 24-hour pizza place to get some food for myself and Piglet. i knew she’d be hungry, and that she was ready to kiss and makeup after our big stupid fight, so i got us some soup and three slices of pizza that we could have while watching a korean drama (Autumn Tale, or Autumn in my Heart, to be exact). i was having some trouble balancing all that food in my hands as i was walking back to the suite, so i sat down. i chose to sit down on that stone bench in front of Furnald, right at that very moment, to arrange the paper plates of food, and on a whim, i chose to take a bite out of one particular slice of pizza — the ziti one, that was basically pasta-on-pizza.

that was how he stopped to say hi. “this is a really funny sight, a yellow duck sitting on a bench eating pizza.” that smile. that stunning smile. “it looks good, by the way. where’d you get it?” and that’s how i offered him some pizza, and we started talking — about pizza, about restaurants near campus, about hong kong, about how singapore and malaysia split in 1963 and the different versions of that story (he knew the real version, which was impressive), about universities built on lakes, about the selfishness of people from our school (or at least just the undergraduate student body, which i am in, and which he is not in), about selling out (which he did, which i am on my way to, it seems), about politics, about religion, and life. before i knew it, we’d finished all the pizza and an hour had gone by. it was really cold that night, and i wasnt dressed in very much, but i wanted to keep talking. i jokingly said to him that men are so simple: you offer them some free food and they sit with you to talk about nothing at all (or plenty) for an hour. he laughed, but walked me back home.

pictures from halloween weekend!:

#1 i walked into The Bar and saw this guy, and i thought he was dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan (it was dark; i couldnt see the yellow of his outfit!!). i thought he was trying to be ironic, so i found it really funny and laughed. he didnt understand why, and finally he explained to me that he was really dressed as a Brown Mustard bottle. hmph. that’s just so in your face -_- the irony would’ve been funnier.

#2 yes, i was dressed as a duck! i thought i may as well, since everyone thinks i remind them of a duck (?!) and i love ducks anyway. this is me with julie.

#3 julian and david, who both dressed as CEOs, haha. they came in with a bevy of office ho’s too!

#5 stephanie and julie. so pretty <3

#6 these girls were next to our table, being completely rowdy. we started talking, and i complimented one of them and said she was really hot. she replied with, “well yes but no one’s been hitting on me tonight!”

#7 Posh Spice. i asked her if that was her little gucci dress, and she said – “huh?” clearly not a true Spice Girls fan…

#8 it’s ALI G!!!!

#9 and then people started wearing my hat. this is alex

#10 and bikram. yes, like the yoga

#11 A, who is so boobilicious <3 sorry, the more unique names are gonna be truncated as always... i'm being googled way more than usual lately by people from school, so i'm getting a little nervous. locked my twitter as well, but feel free to request permission. i add everyone.

#12 isnt she totally adorable

#13 us with BRUNO!!!

#14 with the pi delta psi guys + singaporean girls

#15 he was a condom -_- i didnt understand, even when he started charging at my groin headfirst. i thought he was a trash bag…

#16 and this is the bartender from The Bar!!! he came dressed as a barmaid :D :D

#17 and he posed for this picture so willingly. it was his idea, even. GLEE!

#18 A and i. she came as a flapper

#19 his name is actually Gabriel

#20 the mighty morphin’ power rangers!!! when the green ranger was still around. taken during the pi delta psi halloween party, which was so packed i got my foot stepped on twice and burned by a cigarette as many times.

the second night of halloween was spent at the above frat party, where i didnt take anymore pictures, because i was (miraculously — given the sardine can conditions) wrapped in conversation. the third night of the halloween weekend was spent in … Boston! pictures to come soon. for now, i have to study for my huge macroeconomics midterm that’s happening in exactly 24 hours :(

last week i spent some time in Singapore at the invitation of the Nuffnang Singapore team. i’ve missed Singapore quite a bit, so i jumped at the chance to go.

it was really good being back there. not much has changed, but a couple of new malls have sprouted up, most noticeably the gargantuan and futuristic-looking Ion on Orchard Road. it’s almost completed. just a year ago i walked past the construction site practically every weekend cos Martian’s apartment was really close by the Ion. Ming and Huiwen picked me up from the airport, and on the way to the hotel, we drove by the apartment – a huge red sofa sits in the middle of the living room now. not nice :(

they put me up in the Park Hotel, which is a new hotel near Clarke Quay.

#1

#2

#3

i spent my first day in Singapore just catching up on sleep. couldn’t help it – the bed at Park Hotel was so deliciously comfortable, crisp white sheets and all. also was too lazy to go out for dinner at some point, so i ordered in KFC delivery. haha! it is my dream to one day be able to afford a lifestyle of staying in all day to eat KFC on a big fluffy bed.

Kenny arrived at Singapore the next day, upon which we took this photograph of him in my bathroom, which is separated from the bedroom with only a huge glass window:

#4

what to do. taking stupid pictures is all one can do when staying in a kinky-esque bedroom alone :(

a more normal picture of us:

#5 so cute! he looks like a little boy with really long eyelashes

on Friday night, kenny and i were brought to the launch party of the Singapore River Festival, which was the reason we were invited to Singapore. the Singapore River Festival is a weeklong sundown festival along the river, with a medley of events taking place, such as boat parades, circus-themed parties, magic shows and aerial dance performances.

#6

#7

a big handful of singaporean bloggers were taken on a tour of the festival’s events by the ever diligent Nuffies, but kenny, ming and i just attacked hor d’ouevres at the launch party held at the Asian Civilisations Museum. also met up with a few singaporean bloggers:

#8: Underage girl, Nadnut, Iceangel, Kenny Sia, Boss Ming and Xiaxue

#12

#13

#14 they placed three clear floating balls onto the river, and they each had dancers in them!

#15 a closeup

i really like what the organizers are doing with the event and the Singapore River. it’s such a clever and contemporary use of geography. i must say that in all my time in Singapore i never really gave much thought to the river — it was always just this thing separating Boat and Clarke Quay — but now the Singapore River Festival has spurred me to think about all the untapped event venues in KL. Ming told me that he once went for a corporate dinner party hosted on one of the bridges on the river; they threw huge white drapes over the bridge to form a gorgeous tent under which the guests ate and partied! and then there’s St James Powerstation — the coal power plant that a Singaporean real estate firm converted into a humongous party house that holds 10 clubs and bars. so innovative, a power plant ok! but we’re a long way from using the Klang River as a party central …

after the launch we went on a fab river cruise where our hosts told us many tales, the saddest amongst which was that the Merlion was recently struck by lightning and part of his head fell off :( so poor thing!!!

#16

i was really amazed at this side of Singapore that i’ve always taken for granted. it’s so glitzy now. i was taking pictures of the riverbanks from the boat, and couldn’t help asking myself, since when did Singapore look so much like Hong Kong?

#17 outside the Fullerton – photo credits to Kenny.

#18 photo also by Kenny!

#19

#20

the boat dropped us somewhere at Clarke Quay, where we went for a Pyjamas Party at The Arena. the bloggers were all dressed in PJs, and so were the Arena Allstars singing on stage! and so was Kenny:

#21

wtf.

some other pajama party photos:

#22 with the Nuffies!

#23 with the Spartan, who is also my former archenemy. haih one day I will tell y’all our splendid story – stuff of legends, that :P

#24 kenny is suuuuch a Sarong Party Girl!

#25 stickgal!

#26 awww Kenny looks so happy!

i really wish i could have stayed for the circus-themed party, as well as the J C and ‘Magic Babe’ Ning’s record-breaking set of illusionist stunts this Sunday (can someone please go and tell me what the stunts are?! i met them both but they refused to say :( ), but i had to leave Singapore early. oh well :) there’s always next year. organizers of the Singapore River Festival – may i suggest a riverside flea market for next year, with lots of shoes, trinkets, food, art and music?

the Great Singapore Sale (aka Jovann’s best friend) was also on when i was there, and i heartily did some splurging! i’ve taken a huge liking to little leather satchels, so I bought some at Far East Plaza, which i love. i thought Far East had closed down because i miscalculated the distance from Orchard Road, and thus got a bit frightened, but Ming said no lah it’s still there, and — “Far East cannot close lah… otherwise Malaysians will have nowhere to shop!” KNN stupid ming :(

photos of my new bags:

#27

#28

and i forgot to buy tutu cake :(

… is what the temperature will be in two days’ time.

… is also my score for the weekend. though if i were my own judge it’d probably be -20000. i’ve been very, very bad. some things, like unfinished homework due tomorrow, can be easily fixed with some time and effort. and some other things, like tequila, can be expelled in the morning. some things, like disgusting calculus midterm scores, won’t go away but are ultimately irrelevant in the bigger scheme of things. but some other things however. just stick.

more Halloween pictures!:

#1 sizzling hot firefighter bananatan and i

#2 K who was a kinky schoolgirl. also one half of the blow-up dolls the next day

#3 i have no clue who this girl is… haha but she’s a funny drunk. she was dressed as a sailor that night too, and as i was walking past her she just threw her arms around me and said OMG IT’S YOUUUUU I LOVE YOUUU LET’S TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE COS WE’RE BOTH SAILORRRRS. haha we didnt take an earlier picture, but i obliged and took ‘another’ one with her anyway. only cos she’s cute. that’s the Pope behind her

#4 the sailor, the pirate, the firefighter and the flight attendant! all very smexy

#5 B, who kept getting his suspenders snapped. i think he was a construction worker…?

#6 look! mario, luigi, and even PRINCESS PEACH HAHAHA

#7 this is T, one of the Mile High Club attendants from this night. i think i saw her in like 4-5 different costumes at different parties during Halloween weekend, and even the weekend before Halloween! shit la i osowan multiple costumes now

#8 E, whom i think looks sooooo much like Claudia Schiffer. anyway.. you guys wont believe who she’s facebook friends with….

#9 azn love! E and Y, two of my floormates. they are super cute :D Y has stickers of Disney princesses on her door

#10 number of crossdressers spotted : 8. at least. but my favorite halloween cross-dresser will always be androo <3 pictures here-on are from the actual Halloween day, where a bunch of us went out to the parade!

#11 when i stepped out into the lobby, this guy in the mask just started running at me. hahaha it’s actually quite scary when you’re being faced head-on with such a mask. and the annoying thing about such masks is that the people wearing them NEVER want to take them off and reveal who they are. but this guy started talking and his thick Nigerian accent gave him away. haha. hello alexander. i see you.

#12 THIS was what i wanted my nuffnang wild live party costume to look like!!! but noooooo instead i went as a sissy ladybug :(

#13 batman and wife taking the subway!! Batpod’s in the shop eh

#14 a sloppy obama. i am unimpressed. number of Obamas spotted: 3

#15 BANANAS! though i’m not sure why they have moustaches?

#16 i was quite blown away by this costume. i really was! but then as we walked around the parade, lots of people were wearing the same wind-blown costume. so.. cheh. at least this guy could pose well.

#17 choi sun do!!

#18 hahahaha a hot dog eating a hot dog

#19 not exactly a halloween costume, but this dog was MASSIVE. it’s actually BIGGER than the girl it’s trying to pounce on O_O

#20 girl in the middle? totally hot. and i think the girl on the left has a prettier sailor costume than mine :( i totally saw the costume at Ricky’s (default NYC costume store) weeks before Halloween, but i figured because it’s available at Ricky’s lots of people were going to be wearing it. WRONG! this girl was the only one i saw with that costume. bah.

#21 hahaha batdog and cat face-off!

#22 little batman <3

#23 a homemade robot costume. so awesome!

#24 and a little mummy! i asked him, “hey little man, are you a mummy?” and he went, “nooooo im a monster!” and started scuffing his shoes on the ground. i think my heart kinda melted.

#25 number of jokers spotted : 58390854. but no Joker Nurses, and definitely none as cool as Jolene!

#26 french friesssss~

#27 GUYS THIS IS THE BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME EVER. EVER. EVER. THIS IS A POPE!!!!

#28 WHO CAME WITH THE WHOLE FREAKIN’ CONFESSIONAL BOOTH!!!! hahahahahahahaha he even called himself Pope Fiction. see his real legs on the ground? he made that look like the legs of a nun who was lifting up the whole confessional booth. totally awesome!! he really was attracting so much attention. there was this crowd around him everywhere he went

#29 this is nicole kissing the pope hahaha

#30 nick and i groping the pope, though the photographer cut nick out. okay mom dad Martian if you’re reading this i didnt really grope him okay! that’s a fake pair of legs!

#31 the Beijing Olympics panda haha

#32 girl picture outside bananatan’s room!

#33 and the most adorable duck i have ever seen :)