Courtesy

Courtesy
Originally uploaded by Terz.

So, what is it with courtesy nowadays?

When I was stilll going to school, it used to be, if you saw someone who needed a seat in public transportation more than you, you'd get up and offer. It was the human thing to do.

The decent thing.

Now, we have designated seats for people who need to sit down. And this is the result. The two men to the right of the picture are older men. Much older men. At least 60.

What does the girl in the picture do? Nothing. Granted she wasn't in one of the designated seats, but heck, I got up on Monday to give someone my seat - even though I wasn't in one of those either. That's what legislation does, folks. It gives excuses to idiots who never went beyond Stage 2 of Kohlberg's model of moral development for everything they do in their lives.

It's one thing to be engrossed in your reading, but how much does it take to look up once in a while to see if anyone else really needs to sit down? How engrossed can you be when you realise that your stop's coming up and you can begin putting away your things and get ready to step off at the station? All the while, ignoring the two men standing next to you.

And while we're on the subject of ignoring, notice the bag to her right? That's hers. And notice how it's taking up most of the next seat as well?

"A gracious society..."

What a crock.

Shirlyn
Originally uploaded by Terz.

I could take photos of her all night.

Without using the flash, of course.

"Three years..." Part 2

As it turns out, after we'd left Walas last week, the morons (point no. 3) from the next table were involved in an altercation with another table and they were removed from the premises by the bouncers. Word is, it involved the flash.

Score.

Showered Ink v. 1.2

Showered Ink v. 1.2
Originally uploaded by Terz.

A re-posting of the pic in the manner I prefer.

***


Casting Cat
Originally uploaded by Terz.

In other cat-related news: we did our first round of casting today. Quite fruitful, even though the rain meant that some people couldn't (read: didn't want to) turn up for it.

Didn't quite expect it to be this tiring too. Or emotionally draining as we watch a father scold his children as part of the role for probably the first time in a while, or for the very first time...

Shower Fresh

Showered Ink 1
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Just back from the vet's. Ink's got his shots, we got his shampoo. And we learnt that the dude's already about 7 months, not 3, or 4 as we'd first thought.

Which is good. It just means in about two weeks' time, we'll be doing the snipping.

Ouch. I've already told the missus that she'll be in charge of that - I'm not going anywhere near where a male's privates are going to be cut.


It seemed a major operation when we got home and we're gearing up for his first shower since we got him. After all the horror stories we've heard about cats going crazy when people try to bathe them, we were prepared for anything. Bought rubber gloves from the convenience store downstairs; we got into things that would protect us from scratching (I was even half-tempted to put on my army fatigues...).

Not half as painful though... Ink was just complaining a lot.

At least he's clean.


Showered Ink 2
Originally uploaded by Terz.

"Three years..."

"... and I didn't use the flash that many times," said I.

So, this was just about the worst 24 hours in my life:

1. There was the lunch that took forever to come. Had to go down to Objectifs today so that Emme and I could make our way down to the school where I was going to be teaching photography. Usually these guys are pretty reliable where I went to have lunch: the kick-ass wanton noodles comes within 5 minutes of ordering. Today, though, it was a fifteen-minute wait and even when the waitress came by to ask me if I wanted a drink and then asked if I'd ordered, nothing my way came. 25 minutes.

And I was gonna be late for class.

So I upped and left. Told the guy who took my order about it though... Least I could do; and the noodles are worth going back there for in the future.


2. Then there was the problem with a cat who spent the whole of the previous in the bathroom because both the missus and I were out the whole night.

Antsy much...

And destructive. He's discovered he can get a reaction out of me by jumping at the TV screen.

I'm too old for this.


3. But that which started it: last night at Walas...

No, nothing wrong with the band, they were rockin' as usual.

Nothing wrong with the company I had: couple of first timers and the usual group was there. Spent most of the night talking about WOW, and the cat, and photography. Good shit.

Problem was the idiots at the next table. Whole fuckin' bunch of arty wannabes or some shit like that. They spent the whole night playing with their oh-so-fucking-cool Lomo cameras - this and this - at least the latter didn't irritate the hell out of us with the flash. The colour splash, though, was used indiscriminately, all. Fucking. Night.

They went on despite the missus telling them off about halfway through the night. Apparently these twats are a bit like my puppy who used to eat his shit even though I'd be yelling at him not too.

Then there was the whole rubbing up against me. You know, I wouldn't have minded if these 'women' were halfway attractive. But looking like they did, it was all I could do not to throw up the beer that's just settled about my stomach already queasy from having too much KFC for dinner.

Even the guys got in on the whole rubbing thing.

Puke-worthy much.

The best thing? They were shooting the Lomos through the viewfinders.

Boggle.

Fucking wannabes.

***

Had a couple of good classes though... so I'm happy about it.

Please be specific

Conversation with the taxi booking operator:

"Hello, you want taxi now?"

"Yes, please."

"Where is the pick-up location?"

"I'll be waiting at the junction of Liang Seah Street and Beach Road."

"Can you be more specific?"

"Huh?"

"Where will you be? I need to pinpoint your location for the driver."

"..."

Pinpoint?

What are you looking for? I'd already said I'm at the junction of Liang Seah Street and Beach Road; how many of those places can there be? I may not like most cab drivers (though, to be honest, I kinda liked tonight's... he was cool the whole way home - good driver too), but even I have to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes down to finding a street corner where the names of both streets are given.

"I'm at about bearing 225, 25 metres, from the nearest corner of Shaw Centre, 45, 10 metres, from the letter 'K' on the signboard from Kim's Place and about 135, 250 metres, from The Gateway, standing at the eastern kerb of Liang Seah Street, about ten metres away from the western kerb, but I'll keep my eyes open for the cab driver when he comes east down Beach Road..."

What?

Too snarky?

***

In other news, Ink is now a fixture in the living room and refusing to sleep in the bathroom anymore. I fear the time to snip off his privates may not come too soon.

On the other hand, we think he may be 4-5 months old instead of the 3 months we were told. So the cut-off date (hyuk!) may come sooner than expected.

More Ink

More Ink
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Shat yesterday morning and sometime last night. Less stressed, more at ease.

And allowed on the couch, apparently.

Meet Ink

Meet Ink
Originally uploaded by Terz.

World... meet Ink. The newest addition to the household at Ko Phangan.

(Just about the only thing that's worth logging out of World of Warcraft for.)

D-E-D Dead

D-E-D Dead
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Like this pigeon I found at the foot of our block recently - I do hope it's one of the neighbourhood cats that did this; better than the scary H5N1 that's going around - my hopes of getting to vote have been dashed. So once again, after 34 years in this democracy - 13 of which I was eligible to vote - I still have only voted once: in a really no-meaning Presidential election back in 199-something.

Sigh.

First when I was still living at home, we were the scrotum of the Aljunied ward, now, with the redrawn lines, we're like the hernia of the Marine Parade ward. Why do I feel like my vote as a citizen of this country will never count.

***

OK, before anyone else thinks I've been spending too much time on WoW, it's not been WoW all the time.

There was a party I went to:


Bar Tape
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Had a blast - was made to drink a toast as part of the Barfly 老鸟 (works better in Hokkien) group, even though I'm not really a member. Started a new D&D group, so my geek! quotient's gone up by a little.

Then there's the weekly trips to the west for the rockingest local band ever. Three Heinekens and I'm happy for the rest of the night (they're one for one - back then - so that's six bottles to keep me company all night). Works even better now that I have classes on Thursdays so I'm always in need of a brewsky at the end of the end of the day and all the classic rock I can handle. Just as well I don't work most Fridays - hard to speak well/properly with a frog in my throat.


Stage Front 1
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Stage Front 2
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Was introduced to the band just four months back, and I've been back almost every week now...

Even have my own favourite requests:


Requests
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Just have to remember that I don't want to ask for Hoobastank or James Blunt. Or to put feet or barang barang on their stage... or face the wrath of Shirlynn.

***

So yeah, been busy.

Classes, rock bands, helping with the printing for the missus's ex-student (hope that's a success, by the way - you know who you are), photography for a very high-class brand (who asked for a discount), working on the script for the new movie... moaning internally about the Elections (right now, I'm just wondering how much it'll cost us to replace all the symbols in our estate with Marine Parade logos). So much for all the money spent on the obiang Christmas and CNY decorations recently.

Double sigh.

But, while I'm at it, can I say that I'm now Level 43? Hyuk!


Final thoughts:


Oral Sex
Originally uploaded by Terz.

Hmmm. Oral ED treatment when the mood is right for intimacy? OK, just as long as it leads to normal, natural sex afterwards, right?

Let's not go there:


Don't Touch
Originally uploaded by Terz.