I Need A Breather Terribly

There are apparently various kinds of Bus Service 162
Yesterday I did my computing work till late. On Sundays, Bus service 162 does not run. But 162# (seemingly a looped service) does but until 11.34pm (or is this information all outdated). There is also 162A. It is kinda confusing as we really have too much to remember, from variants of the same bus service number to their operating days and times. Why not run the services a little later till midnight or so and just on a simple alpha-numeric system like 162 and 162A, B or C....

I am held hostage by people younger than moi
Gosh it is like role-reversal. When I teach, my charges are like looking up to me for a host of things. At the LAN shops, I am like dependent on the younger set. Requesting for media players, enabling sound so I can hear MSN music and for internet relay chats.

I have never felt so incapacitated.

Have you figured out the ciggy saga yet?
If the hint didn't sink in, think this. Would an anti-STD lobbyist also run a lubricious, unchecked and unfettered bordello?

Repression And A Tightly-Controlled society - more space for people to breathe easier
It ranges from smoking to urinating to internet relay chats at public institutions, even commercial ones to alternative lifestyles. I can understand that air-conditioned places or food-stalls should be clear of smoke ashes and fumes because of hygiene purposes and the enclosed and thus not too well ventilated spaces.

Maybe the answer lies in designating more smoking areas, far removed from non-smoking ones and particularly in open-air spaces like parks? bus interchanges? al-fresco diners and so on. What about buildings? Can a roof-top open space be designed a haven for smokers?

I remember a moment in time when smokers had to beat a hasty retreat to the loos for their 5 minutes' worth of nicotine-high when the clampdown on smoking peaked. But apparently this can't be had anymore either. Where have they all gone?

The cudgels for aero-model flying hobbyists
But aero-model hobbyists are pissed by restrictions on flying their planes in parks. If it is an aeroplane, I don't see the problem if there is a designated open land for this (like in Punggol). But can helicopters or some other aero-models with plastic rotating blades at perhaps a couple of thousand of revolutions pose a danger, like slicing off someone's fingers? Can this be allowed if it doesn't? Again at wide open spaces, away from whatever it is supposed to harm.

There ain't so many hobbies one can really indulge in here in teeny weeny Singapore. We can try to open up more space to cater to various out of the ordinary but legitimate pastimes.

The newspaper can be used in more ways than one
After I jogged yesterday, I sat at a cafe to read the newspapers. It started to rain and a highly visible retired principal sat right behind moi. He attracted various greetings from people who knows him. I recognise him to be the ex-principal of a top primary school in my old neighborhood.

Usually after I am done reading, I would pass the newspapers to someone who may happen to be in the vicinity. It so happened a woman who was walking her dog sought refuge at this same cafe from the rain. I passed her the papers and she used it as a shelter from the rain.

What happened at the gym today
The gym instructor ticked me off today for not taking along a towel with me. He is just doing his job and because the antiquity of a washer at home had conked out, I bought a towel from them at $1 to keep as a spare. If this isn't cause-effect, I don't know what is.

I think most gymmies are real considerate. We would just work out at a station when it isn't occupied. For me, as I am on circuit training, this is fine. But with "body parts on different days" dudes, it may not be so fine. Anyway I ain't the type to go "shoving others" to share equipment. I will wait my turn and do something else in the meantime. Beats hovering for sure.

It will be even more considerate if gymmies replace the weight plates rather than leave them dangling on bars after use. Some hulky gmmies may be loading on more plates than an ordinary gymmie can manage. I personally can't do more than 10kg each, not to mention attempting to get the weight plates off the bar.

Remember the idiosyncratic tricep push-down machine. Today it kinda gave out a strange feeling when I worked out on it. Kinda noisy and stiff. When I looked up, the cable had been off its groove on the cogwheel. What grave danger this would put anyone in! I am glad I reported it.
I moved most of my stuff today and met Tim's mother
The newly bought big luggage broke its lightweight metallic handle. The other small baggage had its steel one off its hinge. This is in no small part due to the few flights of steps I have to drag them over as the lift doesn't stop at every floor at this estate's elevators . So when I am on 11 , I have to descend to 9 and when I am on 10, I have to ascend to 11.

It is also kinda ridiculous that the baggage has this huge secure and sturdy compartments but the handle can be a puny light flimsy metallic frame. Outta proportion.

I was huffing and puffing all the way and intermittently stop my lugging along the hot blazing tortuous trail from Block 209 to Block 246. It took me 2 hours or more for my two trips and I spoke with a woman too about how low quality stuff are when manufactured in Third World countries these days .

My new room
I was greeted by Tim's mother at the hallway. I made two trips, went for lunch and then remembered that I had left my folder containing my job application stuff and diskette in one of the suitcases. I had to go a third time.

And I kept going into the wrong room (Tim's mother's room to be exact - hers is right next to mine - Oo). I dunno why but I guess it could be because the room doors were wide open or somehow because my room was right next to the main door so I kinda miss it when I walk in through the passageway like that.

Anyway this room was converted from part of a dining area (which explains why there are windows) and a store room. And the main electrical circuit is here in my room (Oo again). But it is roomy and has big windows and some view. That is what I always like about rooms. More so if it opens out to water or greenery and is suffused with breeze and natural light minus the heat and glare.

Singapore's adrenalined motorists
Every morning while waiting to cross over to Bishan Park I at the traffic junction or zebra crossing, I can't help noticing how drivers never really slow down or stop to give way. They just kinda wanna ram you down or zoom ahead. They also never stop before the double white lines at the junction. Some speed along the road, especially the motorcyclists and even some lorries.

You just have to be a bit slow on the wheels as a motorist and the driver behind you will honk you to your death, literally.

Is technology really all boon or just bane at times?
Today I tried the job online application again. The online system still can't detect my CV though this is now in Microsoft Word. I telephoned them and was told I could email them instead.

Yesterday I couldn't log onto the ATM system and so couldn't the person after me but not the person before me. I couldn't log onto the library's multimedia top-up machine operating system at its upper floor but I could at its lower floor one.

All that IT hardware and software must be bugged to its death, I think.