uploading photos to facebook needs patience;

A LOT OF PATIENCE.

Hahah.

MERRY XMAS TO EVERYONE!

(assuming there's indeed people out there reading my blog!)

 So anyways, I am now in the tiresome but somewhat fulfilling process (fulfilling ONLY when the photos are up) of uploading my Bali photos onto facebook! I've been trying to upload the photos the whole of yesterday night, and part of the morning today, but my desktop keeps shutting down on me. Its teetering on the brink of a complete breakdown. But desktops are always faster when it comes to uploading stuff! So, I thought maybe, just maybe, after the first few subsequent sudden "shutting down without any warning" thing, the desktop would revert back to its normal working mode. Oh how wrong was I! In the end, I just gave up the whole project. Now, on early xmas morning, I am having this urge once again to upload the photos to facebook. Just get it done and over with, I tell myself. Alas, here am I, waiting as the laptop uploads the first 185 photos at snail's pace. So I've decided to drop by blogger, and blog some random stuff to pass time. And I've just checked! Only 60/185 photos uploaded! Patience Turtle, patienceeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Maybe I should watch 17 again while waiting. My sister was watching it today on her laptop, and I remembered enjoying myself quite a lot while catching that movie in the theatres. I don't fancy Zac Efron. Yeah yeah, he's got this set of beautiful, piercing blue eyes. But other than that, he looks pretty plastic to me. I know he hasn't went under the knife and all that, but his features seemed to me like its all botox and silicon and whatever. But its still a pretty good show to relax and laugh!

And guess what? I've just restarted the whole uploading process again. Exasperated! Something to do with the web page being out of memory or something. Pek chek you know, pek chek!

I want to ride a rollar coaster now. Or go for a bungee jump. Or go scuba diving. Please let me at least achieve the last two before I die. Sometimes I wish I could just walk away, from this life, and travel the world at my most minimal, doing all the things that nobody in Singapore would ever do. But I know I can't. There's so many people I have to account, and there's a community I want to contribute to as well. And there's this huge part of me that starts with the capital S. Sentimental. And I know it would be almost impossible for me to just take off and leave my family and friends behind. Sometimes I wonder what kind of person would I turn out to be if I were raised up in a different culture and environment (think West).

Okay, I could just go on and on randomly, so I think I'll most certainly watch 17 again AGAIN, now. Can they quickly make a movie where Tayler Lautner stars as the protagonist? Thank you very much!

P.S. My study table is crawling with little red ants. Some crawl here, some crawl there. I don't know where they all come from, and they're starting to annoy me, cause every now and then, I would have to stop typing and lift my finger to press down hard on them and kill them. PEST.

turtle,
25dec2010, 3:20am

beautiful bali & what it did not deserve;

So here I am at 1 in the morning blogging away on daddy's laptop and having mosquitoes feast on my already bitten skin (since day one). Bali has been great so far, and I'm feeling a little down at the prospect of departing for home. I would really love to have more time at hand to explore this wonderful island of Indonesia. Oka, our driver, told us that many Australians actually travel and stay here for at least a month. They really dig this place. I mean, Aussie is already this beautiful country with great weather, breath-taking scenery and clean beaches with huge waves. But these people still find themselves coming back over and over again, which goes to show that there is just something so appealing- a pull factor, that makes people fall in love with this place.

Since it is like our last day, we all went shopping. And I must say, all the Seah ladies were more than satisfied with our haul. In the evening, we went to Kuta Beach/Square, and we first visited Ground Zero, where the 12th October 2002 Bali Bombing occur. They built this beautiful memorial for those who lost their lives, and the area of destruction has become a carpark. I didn't know THAT many lost their lives. I did a quick google search, and found out that 202 people were killed, 38 of whom were Indonesian citizens, the rest being foreigners, Western tourists on holidays. And there was a substantial number of whom were seriously injured as well.

I was standing in front of the memorial, trying to make out the names of those killed. And my blood kind of went cold, and I got pretty affected and upset by it. It, being that what gives these terrorists the right to take away innocent lives, and bring about chaos in a place where peaceful people live. Can you imagine the fear and confusion that had taken place that very night?

Happy people were partying, chilling away with their friends. The Indonesians working were working hard for their wages to feed themselves and their families. Tourists walking by, enjoying themselves and feeling at peace with the world. And then, the bombs exploded. I cannot imagine the magnitude of the terror that swept through everybody, and the whole of Bali. Lives were lost, families torn apart, fears heightened, people no longer feel safe. All because of some warped mindset. I could see why the US is fighting hard in the war against terrorism.

I don't understand, don't understand at all. The point of striking fear and terror in people's heart. What good would it serve, except more hatred and misunderstandings. Bali did not deserve it. Nor India. Nor the US. Nor anybody for that matter.

And I realised, it can never be understood. At least from my point of view. Man are sinners. And with the wrong guidance, wrong teachings, wrong beliefs, evilness takes root. And Evil has its way of justifying its acts, which the rest of us are unable to comprehend. But again, that does not mean that it is not wrong. Terrorism, acts of terror; they are wrong. It is an act of evil; just like how Voldemort go about killing and hunting Muggle borns.

A part of me is angry, angry that these terrorists have a chance to wreck the peace of the world, and we know how fragile peace is. A part of me feels that the ground should just open up and swallow these people whole. Its just so scary to think that their random acts of terror could cause wave of fear everywhere. And the unfairness of it all.

But I believe ulitmately, the human spirit lingers on. People will take a deep breath, and rebuilt their lives once more. The history of bloodshed would still haunt them, but they would not let such acts call the shots in their country, for their people. There will be grief and days of mourning, but the human spirit, as one and as a community, will overcome. Man are sinners, yes. But there is a goodness in us all as well. And this goodness and strength will dominate in times of fear and confusion, and eventually, will triumph.

Dumbledore said something like evil can never be totally eradicated, but it can be kept at bay. And it certainly can be.

Kuta is bustling with life now, and if you're an ignorant fool who knows nuts about what had happened, you wouldnt have a clue (by judging the busyness and crowd there) what had happen before. People grit their teeth and move on. That's survival. That's the human spirit.

Visiting Bali has given me a new breath, another perception. And I thank God for this opportunity to come to know this place, even if its only a scoop of it.

turtle,
21dec2010, 2am