First-time things, stupid things

Evening brothers and sisters, today I bring you the word of how stupid and gullible I can become.

You see brothers and sisters, sometimes we go into moments of stupidity, where we do not notice what we have done and then we pay for the consequences later. Just like what happened today, and another incident I recall that happened last year in New York.

So today Dr Hecht, my dad and I went shopping for cooking utensils - you name, we shopped it. We went to look for pots and pans, ovens, toasters, and steam cookers. And well you know sometimes guys do get bored when guys aren't given anything to play with or look at, and I am a guy. The uncles were looking at prices and looking at the equipments, while I sat down at a nearby counter. And then I saw the knife section.

I walked away immediately, thinking of how dangerous knives could be.

No, knives were dangerous, if one of them dropped somewhere you didn't want them to drop, you would be doomed. Just like how I was cutting stuff with a penknife two years ago when it suddenly decided to aim for a terrible direction. Didn't know I had a sentient penknife...

But then I thought, look, I've never known the sharpness of a knife and so I decided to walk over and...

I awoke two hours later. Just kidding. Then there was a slight cut on my thumb, and I could see the flesh underneath my skin. Alright, so this is how a cut feels like - a sharp stinging pain and a withdrawal, and then a triumphant immature smile to the entire world that one has actually survived a cut from a knife!

Unfortunately they didn't stock up much on the champagne, so I didn't get to celebrate.

And in-case you're wondering what happened in New York, I was gullible enough to fall for the words of a Secondary 1. I'm too trusting man...but since then I've become more realistic. I've moved on to knives for the moment. Next time I'll get to experience how a grenade feels like, but that will be in two years time. And four years later I'll go for a car. And...oh wait will I survive from the grenade?

Let us remember the words that there are things that should never have a first-time, like drugs, smoking, and cutting oneself with a knife out of pure curiosity.

But today, there was another first time - exploring.

On my way to tuition at 5, I decided to tell my dad to stop at a meadow around Thompson Road. The place was about 600m big, enough for me to explore around. So this large meadow had trees, holes, hills, statues, birds, insects, and old gates. And it was around 4.15pm, and the grass was damp and fresh-smelling.

And of course, this place is accesible to ALL Rafflesians coming in front Lornie Road passing Mt. Alvernia Hospital and over the bridge, before turning right in the morning to Moulmein road and the fire station and finally reaching Raffles Institution. If you're at the traffic light before turning right, simply look to your left and you'll see a meadow with a couple of stumps and trees and rocks.

I started my journey with hesitation, particularly because I didn't want my shoes to get all wet. And then I started to trudge uphill, when I chanced upon rocky ground, and proceeded to kick some rocks around. Suddenly I saw a small person about 12:1 in size. And then...he just disappeared. We'll forget about that part.

So anyway I marched uphill, and I came upon a small hole! There wasn't anything in the hole, but I believed it went some distance because it looked pretty deep to me from above ground.

I wanted to put my camera phone in front of the hole and take a flash photo, but sometimes its not worth going for the first time because you never know what you'll see in the brightness. So I took a photo from afar and placed a Kopitiam card beside the hole for scale purposes.

The only reason you can't see the photos now is because I'm lazy enough not to take out the cable. But RI guys who want to see the photos can come forward and beg me for the photos.

So I passed the hole and lo and behole, I mean behold, I saw a rare bird that was blue in colour, had a long beak, and produced the chirp of the most beautiful quality. I took a photo of it, and it immediately proved that Fiona was right about the macro shots - the bird was stunning. Unfortunately I just looked at it again and it looked pretty grainy. Sometimes Nokia pisses the nicest guys off. And girls too.

Uphill I went until I came to the edge of the outer forest that surrounds MacRitchie Reservoir. To the left was a huge slope that led to the green soft-metal barriers
below to a row of terrace houses belonging to ang-mohs. There was a huge 'crater' between these green gate-barriers (those common ones found everywhere lah) and the houses.

And in the middle of the grassy 'crater' was a tree, a huge tree that had its crown to my waist. I definitely couldn't reach the tree, since it was beyond the green barriers, but it looked like a good spot to lie under and take a short nap.

To my right was an apartment that was roughly 20 stories high, and it was protected by the green barriers (not the same one, but the same type). Of course, with rain and metal reacting, you'll never fail to see a few collaspes of these barriers. And coincedentally there was a gap! I went over this small hill and on this small hill was the barrier, and I crossed over it into this new piece of protected land.

I was hoping there weren't any dogs around to sniff my honey fragrance, because if there were, I wouldn't be here typing. I would probably be gloating over how I beat up those dogs and sent them back to their houses whimpering. No! I don't beat up dogs, because I'm a nice guy, In fact, I love (both) dogs (and cats :) yes Dr Hecht).

So I walked around, but it was so boring because there were no trees, just a huge looming building that was old with age. Nearly 30 years old. I hope they knock it down soon, because this building's really too old. We just need someone to accidently fall down at the void deck and the whole place would probably cave in or something.

I made my way back, and accidently fell into a concrete empty space for vehicles that were delivering things. What an ulu place - if you were wondering how was this possible, it's because I had been going uphill, so much so that they could build a small space for trucks to reverse into at the side of the hill. One more step forward and I would have fell into this cavity and get locked in.

Anyway my shoes were getting wet enough, because I was walking in damp grass that was deep and long. On my way back, I looked at some of the trees, and spotted some statues that were of Buddhist origins. Of course, Buddhists believe that some people who pass on take into forms of trees and bushes, so next time before you decide you need to pee at a tree root, think twice! You may just wake up the next morning to find that you've got an extra limb that has gone MIA!

I made my way back to the car, and the exploring was over. My first time exploring in Singapore all alone!

Just remember, don't do anything stupid, my brothers and sisters! If you're planning to do something for the first time, always ask someone who's experienced, let's say if you're wondering how a grenade feels like, then you can ask the....