Who am I?

I am a salesperson in a shipping line. Nope that's not who I am, that is my profession.

I am the son of KM Chew and HN Tan. Nope, that's my lineage.

I am half Hakka and half Teochew. Nope, that's my dialect group.

I am an accountancy graduate from NTU. Nope, that's my education background.

I am a quick tempered petty young man. Nope, that's my personality.

I am a jazz and blues fan. Nope, that is my musical preference.

I am a whiskey drinker. Nope, that's my taste in alcohol.

I am a 28 year old man. Nope, that's my age.

I am a child of God. Yup, that's who I am. It's amazing how often I forget that. Even as I feel insecure in who I am and my relationship with people, I have to constantly remind myself of my relationship. He gives me my identity. He is the vine and I am the branch. Without Him I am nothing. Lord, help me to remember that each day.

And we thought we would never grow old

Sometimes its just so fun to be reminded of the nonsense we did when we were kids/teenagers. Back when we had nary a care in the world. Especially if the old friends you had then are still around. For me, a lot of my memories revolved around the times when I was in my secondary school and JC band. Back when SYF competition and the concert was our lives. So many memories revolve around all of you guys then. The fun we had, the memories we had and we thought we would never grow old. Listening to Bon Jovi and G'N'R now brought back all the familiar memories. Okay, we all have a past okay, but really those days were the best. No bitching and politics. Just fun. Plain fun.

Living with Mr Koh now, each time we drink (which seems like almost every other day) it seems as though we were still the teens we once were. When we first starting drinking at TGIFridays and BJ's Bar. The time when we drank during the intermission of the concert. And how we got pissed drunk after the Christmas concert. And we thought we would never grow old.

At least we grow old together. Thanks for the memories brothers and my solitary sister from the band days, our dear Ms Yuen. Thanks that we continue to create new memories each day. Thank you for being there and coming through for me through the years. Thank you for being who you are. Mr Woo, Mr Koh, Mr Tan, Mr Soh, Mr Cher, Ms Yuen, Mr Chew (junior) and Mr Teo.

Still remember our first band, we sucked but we had great fun. The second incarnation was better but still we had fun. All the times we spent at Kaki Bukit studio, woah. Those were the days, at least we got to play on stage. Mr Ong, Ms Cheng, Mr Han and of course Mr Koh, thanks for the jam sessions. Really miss those days. And we thought we would never grow old. But I am glad I am growing old with you guys (and gal).

Backlash

I have been criticised, vilified and almost stoned by my dearest friends over my last post. Particularly since many of them thought I was talking about them. Just to set the record straight, it's more of a generic statement, I still love you, sisters and I am not bitching about you. At least on this occasion.

Nonetheless responses for that post include "I think you are going to die alone", "That's why we worry for you" (in the context of finding a life partner) and the like. Well well. I guess honesty does not garner much fans in this part of the world.

Just a side note, I just completed Final Fantasy XII, it's absolutely amazing! Thank you SquareEnix for making such a wonderful game. Please don't ever take such a long time to come up with the next instalment again.

Being a Gentleman

If you are a man, how often have you heard woman say "be a gentleman" in the context of asking you to pay or doing some menial labour for them? Otherwise, you are one of the guys/boys/men/pigs. So I wondered, what is the actual definition of a gentleman as the interpretation that has formed in me is as follows:
gentleman:
1. cai tao (菜头）
2. slave
3. A man who has too much money to burn and has nothing better to do other than to ease the existence of others at one's personal expense
4. A convenient description that women use in order to avoid contributing their fair share, monetary or otherwise

Being an objective man with an insatiable lust for knowledge (don't let the word lust mislead you), I went to dictionary.com to obtain the following definition:
gen·tle·man (jntl-mn) n.
A man of gentle or noble birth or superior social position:
A well-mannered and considerate man with high standards of proper behavior.
A man of independent means who does not need to have a wage-paying job.
A man
gentlemen (-mn) Used as a form of address for a group of men.
A manservant; a valet.

If you are a man asking a woman for a definition of this word, they would be more probably tell you its 2). In reality, they are thinking 3) & 6). Let me explain.

Most woman I know seem to think that the financial world has a separate set of standards for man and woman. A woman's budget must be tightly controlled where as a man seems to have a set of budget that is incongruent with their income. Therein, all gentlemen have incomes other than their main source that is puts them somewhere in the class of a Russian oil baron. That would explain why women think its extravagant to eat at posh fancy restaurants unless the man is paying, in which case, its his obligation. A friend of mine had the gall to suggest, if you enjoy the a girl's company a man should pay for the pleasure. I don't know about that, I felt like suggesting to her "in other words, if I buy you dinner, effectively I am treating you as a social escort". Somehow, woman think that Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Diners give secret discounts to men that make it okay for men to pay those extorbitant prices or all men and heirs to some massive fortune that would make Bill Gates envious.

As for valet or manservant, I think it should be by far the most accurate description of how women view a gentleman. The classic scenario is during a barbeque session. The women folk would be seated in some comfy corner complaining that their food is taking so long to be served or that its under-cooked/over-cooked/whatever while the 'gentlemen' slug it out next to the hot smelly pit. If any service failure surface, the typical response is "can you be a gentleman and fulfil your duties?" and then continue to shake leg and bitch while waiting for their food to be served. What a wonderful existence, no?

It's such a wonderful catch-all word isn't it? Gentleman. On all occasions, women want to be treated as an equal and their opinions heard (read: adhered to), except when it comes to any work to be done or bills to be paid. Then guys should pay their dues as a gentleman.