Here's something my Aloha Sis Flo wrote about me...:

Florence, 12/30/2003:

Heya! I told Nick to be patient until I could write a proper testimonial coz’ I’m so fed up with the typical 3 liners that all sound the same and go something like “Hey you’re so cool! And nice! Ooh and you’re pretty as well… and uh, smart!”. Yeh, so here goes. A true heartfelt testimonial from an old friend to another. I guess many people don’t understand Nick the way I do, and neither have they seen the many sides to this great guy. I’ve known Nick for quite a while now, since 1999 I believe, and we’ve been good friends since then. We share the same birth month, separated by 4 days and hence, he’s one of those people whose birthday I automatically remember. I met Nick as a young teenager whose life was not as easy as your average guy’s. It’s easy to be misunderstood at that age and also to be judged, but looking beyond it all, Nick was a really great friend to me, just wanting the friendship back in return. And he got it. We could start talking immediately and had plenty of great conversations. I remember that I spent little time with him personally because I went back to Singapore, yet, we’d correspond through letters although I must admit, Nick is a much better writer than I am and much more reliable. I was looking through all the old letters about a month back, and I laughed as I read them all. Typed out, scrawled, doodled on, I have them all! I have the birthday hang-up he gave me and it was always such a pleasant surprise whenever I received envelopes addressed in that familiar penmanship. I remember that he called me too when he could afford to, and there were times he’d stand outside in the freezing cold after a long long walk and chat with me. I was always so delighted to get his calls, they made my life in Singapore less miserable than it was. We talked about school, family, our achievements and everything that was worth talking about. I called him once, for a really really long time when I was faced with a lot of upsetting business. Nick knows a lot about my teenage years, those times of weird uncertainty and straying away.. he’s seen it all and I’ve told him so much about my life. I know of his too, and I swear utmost secrecy to everything he’s ever confided in me. I clearly remember everything of the past even though it’s all a bit hazy for Nick. In recent years, Nick has grown to a towering height and massive build, making me pretty scared when he comes my way. I’d run if he wasn’t such a good friend. He gives handshakes of steel that leaves people clutching their hands in between their groin and yelping. But after so many years, he’s realised that I’ve got an extremely low threshold for pain and he’s really nice and gentle when shaking my hand to prevent getting a slap across the arm. Hehe.. aren’t I lucky? I remember when I taught Nick how to play CS and he was so funny, not having a clue how to navigate and CAMPING! You bum camper! But he soon got pretty good at it, and maybe one day we should start playing again eh? Those days after mass in the cyber cafe. I still remember which gun you like, which team you liked to be on etc. It’s so funny.. and how you didn’t know how to defuse bombs and got blown up to smithereens! Remember that? After CS, we learnt how to play pool together and again, Nick was totally clueless. I remember his first shots being so far off target .. but now he tells me he’s much better and I’m still waiting for a rematch. Other snippets of my memory include the times he came over to my house.. his rifle drill presentation to my family, his obsession with weaponry and aircraft. Nick’s also really smart, you should here the stories he tells and the way he tells them. Sometimes I worry about him though (I know I’m a nag) and I just hope he takes proper care of himself ~ buddy I still have space to worry about a close friend like you! So don’t disappoint me okie? You need anything, you just call or email. You’ve got a big bright future ahead and I hope you make the most of it because one day I wanna pat you on the back and celebrate our successes together. So you go ahead and show the world what you’re worth! Oooh and don’t let anything ever get you down, coz’ if anyone ever tries to make you upset.. hehe I’ll biff them for you *beastly growl*. As I close this testimonial, I want to say that everything comes from my heart and not off the top of my head. I am so thankful for your friendship all these years and you’ll always remain and true and close friend. Always be true to yourself, and maybe one day you’ll learn to beat me in the game you taught me – MINESWEEPER! Come on, it can’t have been only the sherry eh? You’re taking away my glory! Anyway, take care and all the best. xoxo your friend Flo

Thanks for that Flo...

Hmm...last 23 or so hours of the year 2003...as Kate said to me earlier, it's time to look back on the year and reflect on what we have done, the dreams that we have had, and how it differed to the events that actually happened...well...I'm pretty happy with the year...I got mostly C's for my last report...so there's the chance to improve the grades in the next 9 months...I'm glad I took that anger management course earlier in the year...I'm glad to announce that I didn't hit anyone in anger...I did hit people though...but it was more on the rugby fields and in self defence...ie: When SSC was playing Oakhill, their 5th's XV had some 2nd XV players in it...and they were the most racist bunch of players that I've ever seen...they were slagging me in the scrums and in the mauls...and it got to a stage that they just got over the top, and decided to have a swing at some of our guys...being good Stannies players, the boys moved in to take our brother out of the fight...then one of the Oakhill bastards decided to have a swing at me instead too...and...yup, you guessed it, I got sent off...can't say the same for my sparing partner though...better than being carried off I guess...*shrugs*

Got my new DVD+RW drive installed...beaut little thing...it's a 100 times quieter than the last one, that sounded like a bloody F1 race car everytime it starts reading a CD...put it in contextAlertcan drown out the theme music of Red Alret 2: Yuri's Revenge when all the levels are up FULL...my sister can hear it in the kitchen...and that's 2 doors, a corridor and about 10m away!!! Amazing thing that driver was...the loudest CD-ROM drive I've heard...EVER...

Also revamping my computer table area...I think iappearancey time to just have a change in appearence...so, the CPU's going to a shelf under the table top, and the scanner's coming out of storage and taking it's place next to the printer and monitor...argh...the options!...

"...I see trees of green, red roses too. I see Â’em bloom, for me and for you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white. Bright blessed days, dark sacred nights. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by. I see friends shaking hands sayinÂ’, "How do you do?" TheyÂ’re really sayinÂ’, "I love you."

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow. TheyÂ’ll learn much more, than IÂ’ll never know. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world......"

LYRIC WEBSITE

Happy New Year everyone...