Welcome to BIB - Biao is Back!

BIB Anniversary

2007-01-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Yep, BIB is 1 years old now! *pops champagne* :)

On the side note, I did this personality test and found it strangely interesting:

***You Are An ENTJ***
The Executive
You are a natural leader - with confidence and strength that inspires others.Driven to succeed, you are always looking for ways to gain, power, knowledge, and expertise.Sometimes you aren't the most considerate person, especially to those who are a bit slow.You are not easily intimidated - and you have a commanding, awe-inspiring presence.
You would make a great CEO, entrepreneur, or consultant.
What's Your Personality Type?http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/

Why did I find it interesting? Cuz 4 years back, I was an INTJ, even though I seldom saw myself as introverted. Nevertheless, despite the violent protests from my fans, I still have to declare, I'm actually a very shy person... xD

This is so stupid...

2007-01-11T20:36:00.001-08:00

http://break.com/index/reno911_wow_nerd_arrested.html

You've got to watch it till the end!

This is so stupid...

2007-01-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

http://break.com/index/reno911_wow_nerd_arrested.html

You've got to watch it till the end!

2006-12-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

Big Bird
You scored 79% Organization, 60% abstract, and 83% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

You are very organized, both concrete and abstract, and more extroverted.

Here is why are you Big Bird.

You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.

You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Big Bird can be quite dreamy at times and has no problem using his imagination. At the same time he is also practical and can be methodical in his search for answers to questions. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.

You are both extroverts. Big Bird gets along with everyone. He makes friends easily and always has a positive attitude. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

The other possible characters are
Oscar the Grouch
Bert
Snuffleupagus
Ernie
Elmo
Kermit the Frog
Grover
Cookie Monster
Guy Smiley
The Count

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also if you want to tell me your favorite Sesame Street character, I can total them up and post them here. Perhaps your choice will win!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on Organization

You scored higher than 99% on concrete-abstra

You scored higher than 99% on intro-extrovert

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Chronicles of the rabbit feast

2006-12-18T02:31:00.000-08:00

I was given a rabbit head to savor. At first, I thought I was gung-ho enough to gasticulate it... since I've always championed myself over those fear factors wussies who can't seem to digest mere foul smelling protein, spectator wise at least. :P

Now I've been honored a rare chance to prove if I'm truly a fear factor gasticulation champion. The result is that I'm no more chicken than those squealy huge chested girls you see on fear factor. I know, I'm ashamed, but at least I'm kind hearted..... somewhat kind I think.

So.. the following outlines my 10min journey of devouring a rabbit head... To frens who love rabbits, hamsters, mices or children with braces, please read no further.

The beginnning:

Yummy... It looked docile and ready to be eaten...

Pryed the jaws open, and peered nervously into the insides.... Goose pimples begin to manifest.

After eating every possible muscle fibre, what remains of the anatomy are the tongue, eyes and brains.

I was instructed to devour every single part till nothing's left but bones. Firstly, the gag factor kicked in and I couldn't bear to think of myself munching on rabbit cranial matter. Secondly, rabbit tongue? : haa, Its probably a good way to develop a taste for vegetables and carrots. Lastly, argh, I can't stand thinking that Im probably eating bugs bunny!!! who will say "Wad's up doc?" any more? :'(

2006-12-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

You will be what you will to be.

Let failure find its false content,

In that poor word environment.

But spirit scorns it and is free.

It masters time, it conquers space.

It cows that boastful trickster chance,

And it bids the tyrant circumstances,

Uncrown, and fill a servant's place.

The human will... that force unseen.

The offspring of a deathless soul,

Can hew a way to any goal,

Though walls of granite intervene.

Be not impatient in delay,

But wait as one who understands,

when spirit rises and commands,

the Gods are ready to obey.

This is interesting.. ;)

2006-12-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Oh my my...

2006-11-26T02:55:00.000-08:00

http://break.com/index/balls_of_steel_the_annoying_devi.html

Ouch...

2006-11-15T04:06:00.000-08:00

The Ouch - http://break.com/index/huge_weight_dropped_on_head.html

The Non ouch - http://break.com/index/amazing_dice_stacking_skills.html

And

The Brilliant - http://break.com/index/david_armand_torn_with_natalie.html

:)

Woo~

2006-10-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

I happen to think that this guy is impressive, and he somewhat summarizes my outlook of life.

http://www.break.com/index/how_not_get_a_job.html

yes yes, I'm a romantic sucker

2006-10-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

It was lunch time, and wad better way is it to have lunch with a tickle test. this is what they say about me:

Debiao, your relationship destiny is to Find a Fairy Tale Ending

Cinderella, Snow White — those ladies knew what they were doing. And like these fairy tale heroines, you're a sensitive prince/princess at heart who believes that love really does make the world go round. Of course, you're not waiting to be swept off on someone's white horse — you're a modern guy/gal who's not afraid to do a little rescuing yourself.

Independent and confident, you're not about to rely on fate to give you what you want. You've got the drive and spirit to pursue your dreams and find your own destiny. And you're sure to bump into Prince Charming/Princess charisma along the way. That's a happy ending!

Honestly, I'm starting to feel really weird about my masculinity... :

Suave Test

2006-10-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

I was having dinner and decided to take a suave test, just for fun. I was quite surprised by the results... but I guess, the truth sets us free doesn't it?

More pretty than Handsome part II

2006-10-02T03:45:00.000-07:00

I tried a fit with a more macho looking picture.. Alas, I am still more pretty than handsome. This speaks volumes over why I attract more of the similar sex than the opposite. Maybe I can launch a career in Desker Road of Singapore... *ponders*

More pretty than handsome?!

2006-09-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

IQ test

2006-09-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

I took an IQ test of 11 pages!! And this is what they say about me:

Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns. And that's just some of what we know about you from your IQ results.

It turns out that I've got to pay USD 12.95 to obtain my full analysis. While I wouldn't part with 13 x 1.6 SGD to find that out, I think the test is pretty accurate. :P My fans will know my lengthy nagging, analysis of situations and the intense fun I get from verbal sparring. You can approach me personally to find out my actual IQ score. Its something I won't forget for a long time... and.. I think I'll never be employed in Microsoft Sobz.

I love my fans!

2006-09-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I love you guys, therefore, I'm putting another hilarious link for you all to view. It uses some languages who are unsuitable for the impeccably innocent. Therefore, please watch at your own discretion. And if you don't know if you should watch because you might not be allowed to, exercise parental guidance and reward your parents with some funnies.

http://www.break.com/index/daily_show_news_question_mark.html

Ali G

2006-09-16T00:49:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I posted anything. I know I've disappointed many fans, but school's really drivin me up the wall with work. Yea, feel sorry, pray and think about me :)

Anyways, I found this pretty funny and I just want to share it with all who STILL visit my blog. Its my reward for you guys for being faithful, or just utterly bored.

http://www.break.com/index/ali_g_interviews_expert_on_women.html

Fantastic way to relieve stress

2006-08-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

school's started, at least for the college students of Singapore. I felt compelled to share with everyone a revolutionary way to eliminate stress, reach your target heart rate, tone those muscles and get on television.

Here's how 6 unique individuals do it:
http://www.break.com/index/japanese_demolition_crew.html

Remember... don't try this at home, or without parental consent.

I love this sooo much!

2006-07-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.break.com/index/worlds_best_ukulele_player.html

Massage

2006-07-08T01:09:00.000-07:00

She gently placed her fingers nudgly into the cavity of his shoulder... His muscles have been over strained and were defectively aligned. As a chinese physician, she knew the conundrum by the look of his posture, and by the way his muscles arched as she ran her hand down his back.

With firmness and strength, she tightened her fingers into his armpits and pulled the misaligned tendon which runs from the shoulder to the upper back. In that instant, the ground beneath trembled a tat... as a series of screams blended with laughter bounced off the confined space of the clinic as he went into a nuclear explosion laughing fit.

Patients outside the room exchanged bewildered and amused smiles. The resounding fits of giggles and pleading had brought a sparkle in their eyes, as they playfully imagined what was going on in the room.

Meanwhile, his involuntary fidgitation has thrown himself off the massage bed several times... and crumpled the meticulously spreaded bedsheet. With tears in his eyes and in between laughters, he begged for a recess. She looked at his helplessness, and insist that he should return for another session. He agreed as he hastily bid her goodbye. He made his way out of the clinic, with smiles from the beaming patients trailing after him.

He was thoroughly traumatized... He continued to burst into sporadic fits of giggles, hours after the session, as his over activated nerves sought equilibrium. It was quite an experience, he thought; quietly promising himself to visit the physician again, should he ever suffer depression.

Brazil vs France

2006-07-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Why wasn't anyone marking France's top striker Mr. Henry?!!!

So... hot..

2006-06-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Singapore needs:

1) Less sun, less humidity and less heat

2) More wind, more wind and even more wind...

3) Just enough rain to keep farmers and our green capped woody friends happy and alive

Brazil vs. Ghana

2006-06-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Here are my personal rantings regarding the match:

1) Dear Mr. Roberto Carlos, I would appreciate if you weren't such an eager beaver to go for the ball only to kick it with such stupendous force; a force enough to launch a rocket to the moon and back. Your muscular thigs are great assets. You're still the only Brazilian player that is able to traverse the field faster than the speed of sound. However, your ball delivery leaves your fans speechless, wondering if you were aiming for the man in the moon; a bird in the sky; or a hot female spectator. In anycase, thats no way to hit on a girl, I'd say.

2) Oh Ronaldo... your chickidish waving distraction was absolutely hilarious. You sent the poor Ghanian goal keeper into temporarily heart arrest, making him fall onto the ground, wondering if he should have avoided the angry giant flapping turkey in yellow or save the ball. I guessed his survival instinct got the better of him, and you scored your 15th world cup goal. It was brillant strategy.

3) Ghanians.. oh Ghanians, you played nice, and did your best. Your ball finishings were horrible, and disappointing. Still, I enjoyed the vigor and passion you've injected into the game, not giving up, even till the very end... which is 5 mins into the game. Alright, I'm kidding. The Ghanians played well against world class Brazil, taking into consideration that its their virginal world cup experience.

Photo aléatoire

2006-06-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

An update... for the sake of an update

2006-06-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

I must have rewritten this post a couple of times, struggling for something politically correct to babble about. I don't have much to talk about these days.

Life's simple; the weather is warm; the birds and bees are buzzing; and balls are still round.

The most interesting thing I did today is to write a couple of personal jokes... which I will dish out at timely moments to blast your laugh-o-meter to the moon.

The most laborous thing I did was to wash the car. earn a couple of mosquito bites, a free tan and a bath in public.

The most insidious thing I did was to create an optical illusion of a long blog entry by incorporating more spaces in between.

I'm off to catch the worldcup match between Australia and Japan now. I wish for Japan to win, but my left brain buzzes for Australia. Since we've got strong diplomatic ties with both countries, I'll support for whichever team that wins.

Late night supper

2006-06-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love moments when spontaneity happens.

It was this fateful Monday night at 11.45pm when Alvin and I dragged Chang Yien and Ren Min from their comfortable beds in NTU to have supper in Bukit Timah. We had decided to go for supper while chatting online, and seconds later... we coerced the girls to join us.

Since I drove, Alvin gave us a treat of mee goreng, mushroom and cheese prata, egg prata, milo dinosaur and milo GODZILLA. For my friends who have no idea what milo godzilla is, its milo mixed with more milo powder, ice cream, whipped cream and finished with a cherry topping. The food was great, but the company was better.

We finished at 3am, and I returned home at 3.45 after alighting the girls right to where they belonged 3 hrs ago. I wonder how will they survive the next day, since they've got to work. muahaha

Thanks guys, for accommodating with spontaneous biao. :) It'll be my treat the next time.... in a long long time.

Auto vs Manual

2006-05-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

I just inherited my dad's car today. Not that he's unwell or not of this world anymore; he's gone to the far east to kick crouching tigers and uncover hidden dragons. I've never handled manual transmissions that well, since I'm a left hander and its instinctive for me to lift my left leg rather than my right under pressure. Drivers would know what happens when u lift the crutch pedal instead of the accelerator. The car huffs and chokes and goes into temporary comatose.

After my stint in the US, and having 3000 miles of driving experience in an automatic transmission car, I've gotten so comfortable to the american road and vehicle system. In america, we drive on the opposite side of the road contrary to Singapore. The signalling and wiper switch is also reversed from singaporean cars' system.

When I first took my dad's car for a test drive, a recurring mistake I kept making was to flip the wiper switch instead of the signalling switch. This scratches the windscreen... and made my over-excited aunty scream and yelp as if she saw brad pitt. I mean, she might have mistaken me for him; but there was no need for such an energetic outburst. Strangely, I stopped making that mistake once I told her to calm down and let me drive. To all my fans who are passengers of cars, please do not bug the driver unnecessarily, unless you want to be a statistic in the monthly Traffic accident report.

Another thing I couldn't get used to immediately was the speed which I was driving. I was Michael Schumachel of the road in America. The average speed I took my car was 80-100mile per hour! Speed limits were nothing but ugly looking signposts. Driving at 50-60 KM per hour made my eye balls vibrate at the frequency of the car engine. It was excrutiating for the first 20minutes. But being magnificant creatures of adaptation, fearful of car accidents and traffic polices, I quickly adjusted my modality. I'm now part of the ABSD - association of boring and slow drivers. :'(

Having a car is costly... the first payment I made was 80 bucks for monthly parking. It was sad to see 80 beautiful dollars go with the keying of my ATM pin code, but I guess herbie here needs a place of accommodation. I can't wait to go back to Hostel where parking is free and plenty. and I certainly hope I won't be tempted to drive too often...

I'm back in Singapore

2006-05-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm back in Singapore! Like the bull rebound of the stock market, this update is long overdue, and i'm a step to be skinned alive by people who have no means of doing so. But I'm compassionate to my endearing fans, and thus am providing an update of what's going on.

I acclimatized to Singapore's weather pretty well. For fans who are worried that I've liquified and became part of the water cycle, rest assured I'm alive, kicking and perspiring. Singapore's still as warm as ever; the weather seldom vary. I miss the coolness of Berkeley, and the warmest of the people. I miss my intercontinental friends, the horribly sweet and fattening food and the people who've made a difference to my stay there.

Thank you my friends, as cliche as this sounds, for the wonderful memories. I bid you goodbye, and hold the hope of us meeting again.

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you my mom... for enduring through everything for us;
We may have our differences at times, but we always got through it together; Because of the love we bear for one another, and also because you own the house...

Thank you my mom... for taking care of all my physical needs; and
Bearing the pain of delivering me (I heard I was big headed since a baby :P);

Thank you mom... for trying your best to make everything work...; I may not have turned out the way you've intended... but I'm glad we fought a good fight; and we're still winning :)

Lastly, thank you for reading this painfully magnificent pseudo-poem... though I might have caused you to used the dictionary several times, I'm proud to be your son... and to have you as my beloved mother.

Girl-fan... pun intended

2006-05-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

A mysterious fan sent this to me and professed of her undying love... I'm so going to get kicked in my bum for saying these :P

Biao poll

2006-05-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

According to the latest Biao poll taken, 27% of Biao fans felt that I was overexaggerating my emotions in my last update. They felt that I was abusing my blogspace by throwing in uncommonly used vocabularies and phrases; and that I was just a show-off. 83% of Biao fans sympathized with me, and offered consolation.

I guess 3 things must be running through your mind right now.

1) If you're wondering whether the polls are bogus, and that I'm just bored and crazy... you're probably right. I'm alittle tired from all the projects and homeworks. Still, I bet I got you all entertained didn't I? *bleh*

2) If you're wondering how did MWB (math whiz biao) get his numbers wrong... i.e (83 +27 is not 100), I would say you're sharper than most people. If this didn't cross your mind previously, you're like most people, and need to brush up on math.

3) If... oh well, who cares about number 3 :P

A sentimental fool after all...

2006-05-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Its finally come... my last 2 weeks in Berkeley. I've replayed this moment, these last 2 weeks many times before; yearning for it. Still, when it came, the touch of realism reminded me that I'll probably never come back here, or see some of the close friends I've made here again. A tinge of sadness overwhelms my heart, drowning it in an abyss of emotions....

More photographs from Yosemite

2006-05-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I am bored from studying, and was looking for something to do online after exhausting all the news, blogs and comics to read... most online druggies will know what I'm saying - that compulsive action of clicking on the news website a trillion times every 1 min, as if there was going to be new reports... The insatiable feeling of I wish I can drop this studying nonsense and do something thats more important!

Well for now, showing off my weekend trip seems important enough over studying... :P Hence, enjoy!

River....

Water fall..

Meadow, forest and Moutains...

Snowy mountains....

Yosemite Preview...

2006-05-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick preview into where I went to this weekend - Yosemite!

Yea, its so beautiful right?

Drooling yet?

Definitely drooling...

I didn't find the pot of gold at the other side of the rainbow...

There's no gold.. but nothing beats a BIB updated! Stay tuned for more to be posted... not soon, but in time. I shouldn't keep saying soon since its never soon for bz biao and anxious friends who refresh my blogsite every 5 mins.

Academic Break

2006-04-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Updates will be here soon enough! (Once I'm finished with my work) :P

You honestly can't blame me... finals are around in 2 weeks time and I'm inundated with school work, projects, managing my investments, working part-time, and trying to have some fun with whatever scrappy hours I can claw out. Still, I must say this is a happy time to be in - I had better include this statement lest concerned friends and mothers think I'm stressing myself out.

Alrighty, back to studying for me... that's the life of an engineering student.

Biao in LA - HollyWood!

2006-04-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

I was at Hollywood on the first day of arriving in LA. Hollywood wasn't that interesting actually. Its just one of those places that is supersizedly hyped by tourism information. Nonetheless, I'm sure your restless souls wouldn't be put to peace without me going to Hollywood whilst I was in LA. Also, I wanted to see if I would be lucky enough to catch Pastor there. Yep.. I was unlucky. Lucky for you peeps, I've got great photos served on silver platter really to satiate your visual appetite - enjoy!

There's me and the very small famous Hollywood sign at the background. The traffic was horrible along the highways of LA; we thus didn't go any further to get a better view. Still, I know you guys trust me enough to know that its the Hollywood sign...... right? :P

There was a guiness world of records museum along the streets of Hollywood. Here lies the tallest man in the world, and his handsome friend - Mr. narcissistic.

Look who I found taking a break from crime fighting... yea yea, I know I shouldn't, but who couldn't resist taking a photo of Batman using his bat-mobile!

Lucky for us, the movie premiere of ATL was on that night which we were there. For those who don't know what ATL means, neither do I; though I'm sure Google will have something to say about it.

I think this is a shot of downtown LA. Nothing much, it looks alittle like the rest of the American cities at some areas, and alittle like Shenton way of Singapore at others (we're really not that bad!)

Superman doesn't look too happy that soméone's stronger than him...

The Hollywood Walk of Fame!

There're people wearing costumes parading the streets of Hollywood. You can take photos with them; they do ask for tips later though. This guy's just not too happy about my cooler looking headgear. *shrugs*

Spring Break Photos - San Diego!

2006-04-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

San Diego is all about its zoo, the Seaworld and its beaches. These are the first, and probably, the only 3 things you'll hear said about San Diego. While we didn't go to Seaworld, cuz from the photos I saw, it didn't look very much nicer than Sentosa's, we went to the zoo and... some beaches, haha.

I take it upon myself to hereby declare that Singapore's Mandai Zoological Garden or in short - Zoo, is of comparable standards to the internationally acclaimed San Diego Zoo. My US friends, don't beat me up for this; its the truth... and my Singaporean friends, don't go all patriotic and start singing the national anthem.

Alright, all talk and no photos make BIB a dull blogsite... enjoy! :)

the Zoo~~

It usually cost 6-7 bucks to get a decorated photo taken with the picture behind. We got creative and improvised.

My palm vs Mr. Gorilla

Thats Mr. Gorilla.. sulking in a corner and chewing on pepperminted leaves after realising I look better than him.

Thats Jessie who chased an innocent duck to the corner of the souvenir shop... I'm kidding. The duck wouldn't leave that corner because it was memerised by its reflection (I'm serious!) It stayed there for a few hours quacking over its friend in the 'mirror'. Humans aren't the only ones who can get narcissitic... if there's such a word. :P

We were now at BalBoa park.. Its an extremely beautiful museum/garden area. This girl here wouldn't stop smiling at me... maybe she can see through my cap.. -_-

These put Golden Gate Park to shame!

The arhitectural structure of the museums and buildings are very spanish-like because they were left behind by mexico's spanish colonials. FYI: San Diego is the city separting US from Mexico. Its a very dangerous place to drive around; the drivers randomly pounce into a lane with no regard of the impending vehicle coming from the back.

I am at Point Loma, a lighthouse at the tip of San Diego. It is also called the Cabrillo National Monument. You will find the memorial tombstone of war veterans here.

We're kinda like 4000ft above sea level. The photo oversees San Diego... Aint it a beauty?

As a man thinketh, so is he...

Sunset at point loma... :)

Spring Break Photos - Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam

2006-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

My legs wobbled when I peered down the great Hoover Dam.. but I didn't know what was 'high' till I peered over Grand Canyon - That was nerve wreaking, pee-inducing and it turns the most muscular legs into squishy fat-like jelly.

Hoover Dam was named after the 31st President of America, President Hoover. Its the same guy who had a tower in Stanford (the Hoover Tower); if you remembered my Stanford post. I recall there's a hoover washing machine too.. is this guy just everywhere or what?

This is Lake Mead which runs from Hoover Dam.

This is I, the Hoover Dam tourist, at the part of the dam where water is being hoard to be used for hydroelectric energy.

I braved through the strong winds (my cap almost flew off!) and the fear of extreme height to give my fans a view down the dam...

We saw this picturesque snowy mountain range on the way to the Grand Canyon. Along the way to GC, you can see snow on one side of the road, and desert on the other... Its pretty interesting.

The bunch of us.... and GC behind us!

Rohan and myself having our brokeback moment...

GC.... look at its splendor...

Spring break photos - Las Vegas!

2006-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the first installment... They will come in the following series - Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam; San Diego; LA - Disneyland; LA - Universal Studios/Hollywood!

**disclaimer: The sequence mentioned above may be subjected to changes depending on the author's time availability and memory capacity**

Here's the honda civic that took us 2800 miles... it was brown when we returned it :P

Las vegas! Where palm trees, big hotels and scandily clad girls (pretty and non pretty alike) abound!!

Me.. posing as a gambler

We were having some fun outside a strip club... didn't go in though, cuz it wasn't open. Ha-ha

A PORTION of las vegas at night... its really pretty with all the lights.

Mei-chee, Wuyan and I sharing a Margarita...in the photo as least. The 5 of us shared it; it made Meichee and Jessie extremely active and unnaturally happy soon after...

More city shots of Las Vegas!

Yes!! We saw a real wedding in Las Vegas! They seemed pretty drunk; and protested in their defence that it was a well conceived decision. *roll eyes*

No.. i didn't get married hawaiian style. There was a hawaiian fest in one of the hotels, and we saw really good muawiian dancing and fire-dancing.

Spring break details!

2006-04-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi peeps,

I've finally cleared some work, and can finally choke up some time to update everyone on where I've disappeared to for the last 10 days. I've taken alot of photos... and I'll be uploading some of them in the days to come; I doubt Blogspot's ability to handle so many extraordinarily beautiful photos at once.

In summary, I went to Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, San Diego and Los Angeles during the last 10 days. The entire road trip was travelled using my beautiful Honda Civic which I rented. Honda Civic is pretty fuel economic... given its engine power. I now hereby declare myself a competent and experienced driver with 2800 miles of experience; I still suck at parking nonetheless.

I initially wanted to fill everyone in with the details of my trip, but I realised that would imply I have got to write a 10 page essay on 'Where did Biao GO?' I know some of my readers are extremely interested in my life, or have nothing better to do, but knowing the short attention span of 21st century people, I will just upload pictures and satisfy your need for instant gratification and excitement.

The first wave of professional photography by Biao will be up soon. Stay tuned!

I'm back

2006-04-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hi all...

I am finally back in Berkeley from my 10-11 days spring break vacation. I know you guys have been patiently waiting for my fabulous updates, and I assure you it will come soon. However, the following week will be homework catching up week for me; I have done zero work since the vacation... so it's time for an academic sprint.

Come back by the end of the week, or earlier if you run out of blog sites to read... I'll whip something out, hopefully, by then. :P

Ah-di-yos.

The majority won...

2006-03-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Due to popular demand, I have taken a photo of me and my new haircut... If you think it's not ugly enough and are dissatisfied, I would suggest you enroll into therapy. Still, I adjusted the angle of my shot and waxed my hair alittle, just so that my family and not-quite-sadistic friends wouldn't lose sleep and cry.

Here you go:

I hope you guys are now happy... that you know I've got good teeth and a funny hairdo.

Haircut in berkeley

2006-03-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

My hair was getting unmanageable and I was sick of waxing it so that it appears presentable. The painful decision to get a haircut was made. One of the reasons I didn't want a haircut was that it cost an average of 15bucks for a haircut. It's even more expensive than Singapore if you do not factor in exchange rates. Furthermore, 15bucks ain't getting you a professional... it's getting you a normal haircut from a normal shop. That was why I got excited when I chanced upon a salon that offers 9 bucks for Berkeley students. If you haven't figured from the tone that I had a bad haircut experience, I'm saying it literally. I look like I've been stalked and multilated by a rogue grass cutter.

Now that I've been through this life changing experience, I decided that it is only responsible to share it, so that people will learn from my mistake. I thus present to you Biao's 7 tell-signs that you're in for a bad haircut.

Sign 1:
Your ear twitches uncontrollably as you step into the salon...

Sign 2:
The price is cheaper than the average... NEVER save on haircuts especially if you're in a foreign place.

Sign 3:
Your hair stylist chops hair instead of snipping them. I define Chopping as the crude execution of a direct cut on hair and snipping as the artful execution of skilful and small cuts on the hair. I was gasping as she enthusiastically chopped in pure jubilee...

Sign 4:
Your hair stylist uses the shaver more often than the scissors. There's nothing more to say about this... I'm not a marine or a monk... she shouldn't have to guess on that.

Sign 5:
There's nobody in the salon...

Sign 6:
The hair stylist doesn't have a cool looking hairstyle.

Sign 7:
You find out that your hair stylist is middle aged with 4 children and 6 grandchilden. She told me she had 10years of experience... :'( Well, she did give me the most stylish hairstyle actually. OnlyI am 20 years late...

Now that you know these signs, thou must be kind and spread it to others. And if you already know these, shame on me for not exercising better common sense; but at least i'm trying to warn others about it. :P In all, it wasn't that bad.. I don't look like a poodle, just like a toilet brush. I must say that I did get my money's worth in terms of amount of hair cut per dollar paid.

enough said... its time to wear a cap. Laters...

Stanford Photos!

2006-03-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here's an opportunity of a lifetime to journey with me through the photos to Stanford:

This was taken outside Stanley's house. The road leading into his house is like a runway!

Ziyu and me at Denny's. I know Ziyu from NUS and he's here for NOC like Stanley. Ziyu treated us breakfast!

Here I am in Stanford. Stanford has its own golf course. Tiger Woods personally trained in this golf course while he studied at Stanford. It's quite strange though that I dídn't see Tiger's name on the Hall of Fame on Golf Championships. It's either he was playing that crounching dragon hidden tiger game... or he practised so hard in Stanford, he went to PGA after. Somehow I've a feeling I'm wrong on both accounts.

A fraction of the golf course.

Here I am, taking my shot. You can tell what a great golf player I am obviously by my fantastic stance and the wrong club for the swing. Other off points include - wrong wear of shoes, not wearing fancy mojave sunglasses and not wearing stylish nike caps. I think the only thing I got right here is my charming smile and those versatile Levi's jeans.

What you see when you first enter Stanford. Obviously the management policy is that first impression counts. In Berkeley, I believe that the managment's policy is not to judge a book by its cover... :P

Behind me is what you'll see if you turned around from the preceding picture. In brief, you see 2 rows of magnificantly erected palm trees leading into the grand sight of the previous photo as you enter Stanford.

I was just looking pretty... *rolls eyes* Izzy would call me an original girl for that.

This is the Chapel of Stanford. I didn't get to go in, but Mrs Stanford built the chapel for the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen to that!

The famous Hoover tower of Stanford. Similar to the Campallini of Berkeley. It was built in remembrance of one of the presidents of United States - President Hoover *duhz*

There're more photos I've taken... but luck ran out for you since Blogspot messed my attempt to upload anymore once again. Come back again soon, I'll get somemore up when I'm absolutely bored and have nothing else to do. ;)

Weekend at Stanford

2006-03-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend at Stanford and really wanted to upload some photos from the 2nd largest university in the world... alast however, blogspot is currently having some technical difficulties. Unfazed, the courageous I still perservered through the awful emotional rejection to post this 200 worded update.

Alright, my self boasting can wait. I met up with the other NUS students who were doing a work and study program in Stanford, abbreviated as NOC. Its for aspiring entrepreneurs to gain work experience at Silicon Valley start-ups while studying in Stanford. Apparently, any company less than 6-7 years is a start-up definitively. Would anyone call Google a start-up then? It must be the most hugmongous bigamous and expensive start-up.

Anyways, it was great meeting up with old friends... in addition, touring Stanford was breathtaking. It's much bigger (approximately 8-9 times by land area) and nicer than Berkeley. But we're smarter. ahem, apart from that genuinely honest fact, Stanford is a private university, which explains it's ability to make its campus more scenic. Berkeley in comparison is a public university... this means we've got to eck out our fundings... scrimp, save and recycle ferociously. And if you haven't figured out by now, Berkeley and Stanford are arch rivals. I personally feel there isn't much to compete over; Berkeley is obviously better.... at least while I'm here :P Jokes aside.. Stanford is more renowned for its business courses.. while Berkeley, though famous for its business school, really is better at Physics, Math and Engineering. I'm a fair person that gives objective opinions... and those who know me well would surely disagree.

There isn't much for me to articulate over my tour of Stanford - I'm clearly biased and a Berkeley fan. The photos which would be posted soon (soon is defined as when debiao has time) will speak for Stanford's beauty.

Napa Photos!

2006-03-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Hi folksies... as promised, NaPa Photos! Enjoy :)

I was taking the co-driver seat of Stanley's convertible. The wind didn't really affect me, but it seriously messed up the girls' hair behind.

The vineyard we went to! It's a great place which I would recommend wine lovers to pay a visit. PS: Notice my nice near shiny shoes? :P

V Sattui's credentials... I honestly loved their fruit and dessert wine. Delicious!

Wooo~ Look what I stumbled upon...

The four best award winning wines of Sattui... I love the last 2 bottles.

I have no idea what wine this is, but great things come in big packages...

A closeup on a flower I saw among the vineyard... pretty aint it?

Wuyan and me... and the vineyard behind us... Like I said, the wineyards are filled with wild plants aka Weeds now because the season for growing the fruits isn't here yet.

Our Picnic by Clear Lake!!

Napa Valley

2006-03-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hi my renewly acquainted blog readers,

I went to Napa Valley over last weekend. Stanley, my man from Mech Eng NUS who's doing a work cum study exchange in Stanford and Silicon valley, came over to visit. We went with Cindy, Wuyan and Huixin to Napa - The wine country. The entire Napa region is littered with Vineyards, and the vineyards are actually tourist attraction spots. You can sample and buy wine for a discounted fee. Some vineyards however provide free sample. But being Singaporeans, you can be fully assured I did us all proud by selecting to visit only the best vineyards that provided FREE sampling of wine. AS the old singaporean saying goes - it must be good... and free.

Selecting premium vineyards which provided free tours and samples wasn't an easy task, but the kiasu singaporean prevails. My original intention was to visit about 3 vineyards and pay 2 lakes a visit. Things however took an interesting turn....

We went to V Sattui, a distinguished award winning vineyard first. The wines were really classy and delicious. That's all I can say about them, given my excellent wine connosieuring and spelling skills. We headed to have picnic lunch over at Clear Lake, California's largest natural lake. The lake is huge, and the weather was cold. Still, eating there was a pleasurable experience. The scenary was good, there were mandarin ducks swimming around.. and chewing is really made easier with all the shivering and the chattering of my teeth.

We met Jimmy and Billy by the lake. Jimmy has a speed boat, which he brought us around in, within the lake of course. The duo taught us fishing and treated us to beer. Americans are nice, some at least. We went to their houses to see their hunting spoils after. There was a huge bear skin hanging over Billy's bed.

oh well, so much for the plans... we left Jimmy and Billy's place at 6.30pm to Berkeley. I visited Walmart, for the first time, on our way back. It's alittle like CArrefour... only less sophisticated. I've come to appreciate Singapore alot more now. Singapore may have some hiccups politically, economically and socially sometimes, but it's really much nicer, cleaner, warmer and technically more convenient! We complain over bus and MRT fares, but the bus fares here in Berkeley is 1.75USD!!!! for a single trip; the train rides are of similar cost. So therefore, I promise I will not condemn SMRT again... at least till my patience runs dry.

Alritey, I'll post some photos soon... have fun reading!

Oh my my

2006-03-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since I've last updated my blog! I've come to realise the heinous disappointment committed against anxious blog readers who've regularly patronised this site only to see the regular photos which they've glimpsed over the last few hundred days...

I've also realised that a little update is better than no update... even if blogspot messes me up, I promise I will perservere and get an update more regularly.

Just to recap... since the last blog entry, I've been to Lake Tahoe for skiing, San francisco to watch the Chingay procession, Gilroy and California's bay area for factory outlet shopping (extremely cheap apparels from premium brands) and fantastic scenary, and finally... Napa Valley last weekend.

I've now amassed too many photos to upload... I know you guys are just dying to see them; I'll show them to you when I return from US to Singapore. But honestly, the fun has just begun... I'm planning to visit many nicer places in the coming weeks... you haven't missed out much. In any case, you can always rely on Google for pics if you want to see where I've been to. I assure you that those panaromic photos you get from the net will be as nice as mine.

Alright, enough talk... time for some action. Come back soon for more updates!

Golden Gate Park - Part 1 :)

2006-02-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

Hello All... I went to the beautiful Golden Gate Park 2 weeks ago! It's like a big botanic garden which spans for a couple of miles. Blogspot's alittle ditzy again.. so enjoy this update in 2 parts! :)

There we were... looking happy for the camera. We were happy of course.. haha

Rugby players in Golden Gate Park. It's a high school competition going on. The toilet was muddy fuddy, thanks to blistering sweaty teens plunging into each other in the mud.

Do you see 3 heart shaped leaves? Beautiful isn't it? How God created nature.

Speaking of beautiful creations of God...

We were by the duck pond, and I was trying to do a duck cry...

A woman's bulldog who looked like it wore it's brain on the outside. ..

More scenic photos!

Oh.. there is Meichee, competiting with the trees to see who's more scary. Those trees resemble those we read about in fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty. Alright, you win hands down Meichee..

A tree's ass... where else can you find something that obsence naturally.

Blogspot

2006-02-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to continue uploading photos.. but Blogspot's done it again. I tried uploading the files twice, only to have nothing posted up. I'll upload it another time Biao fans, when Blogspot's not pmsing... blimey.

Ocean Beach

2006-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone... I've finally mustered the time to update my blog. Blogspot's still retarded as ever.. I can't rearrange the photos in sequence, so if you're in anyway confused while reading the blog, it's blogspot's fault.. not my technically incorrect gramma.. :P

Ocean beach is at San Francisco, and it brings us directly to the Pacific Ocean. The waves are enormous and powerful, and the water is cold to the bone. I have a hypothesis on why the sand in Ocean Beach is black (ash like) and have glitters. San Francisco lies along a fault line that runs all the way into the Pacific Ocean. The fault lines that run under the Pacific Ocean is a destructive one, where the tectonic plates collide into one another. As such, molten ashened rocks and lava are released in the form of volcanic eruptions. The molten rocks solidify to create rock crystals - glitters. The waves deposit the rock crystals and the granite rich sand (which explains the ash colour) to form a beach.. and 12 million years later, a good looking chap named Biao deciphers all these way after many professional geologists have publicized their work. Alright, enjoy the photos. :)

Birds, baby sized looking seagulls roaming the wide lovely Ocean Beach.

I buried Huixin (right) and Charlene (left) alive...

Ocean Beach

Writing Chinese characters in a long time....

Charlene posing in Baywatch - Berkeley edition...

Meichee and Wuyan fighting the strong waves... in the wrong direction though

I left my foot prints in the sand...

The crashing waves of Ocean Beach.

Crud.. I won the ugliest looking feet contest

Impending danger ignored...... *Yikes!*
dfdfd

2006-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Alright Biao fans, I know you've been checking in and out frequently only to be left disappointed with no updates, I promise a super duper juicy pictorial on the next entry... so prepare your drool-napkins! It's been hectic the last week and I haven't been optimising time; I'll be partially schizo by the end of SEP, constantly interchanging the roles of a student mugger and tourist.

Interesting observation: There are a lot of left handed people in Berkeley. I think 1 out of 8 people I see are left handed. To further my point, I did a detailed observation on the number of left handlers I saw on an average day. I kind of lost count, but I definitely saw more than 20 people who’re left handlers. I wonder if there’re more in Harvard or MIT.

The café next to I house gives away their pastries and bread before they close at 12am. Nick, Samuel and Christine have been helping themselves to free high fat carbohydrates without spreading the good news!

Christine suggested that we should amass a huge pile of bread by the end of the semester and place it in the middle of Bancroft Street, one of the busiest streets of Berkeley. I’m guessing we’ll know who played the piper if Berkeley has an ant infestation problem. Anyway, I resolve to keep a distant from her, much to her disdain I think, lest the CIA suspects I’m part of a bio-terrorism conspiracy to swamp USA by ants.

Photos of Alcatraz and more!

2006-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Thank you for your patient wait; if you have been anyway. Here's a long awaited instalment to the preceding post... Enjoy! :)

Sealions congregating in Pier 39. But really, they were just here to welcome us on board the ferry to the Rock aka Alcatraz.

Mei Chee, Huixin, Ben and I on the ferry to Alcatraz. We're in high spirits considering we marching to the gallows... Okok, to be technically correct, we're cruising to the gallows.

Here's a postcard worthy shot of Alcatraz somewhere 100-200m from it's jetty! I must say that savvy photographic skills runs in my family; somehow, the skill just ran through me till now.

Ah... The picturesque of San Francisco...

Another scene of picturesque in Alcatraz.

Yes my adoring female fans, it's closed...

The visitor's corner of Alcatraz... Meichee is visiting me; they incarcerated me for being dangerously charming and extremely thick skinned.

Tired Alcatraz visitors on our return journey... We headed down to Golden Gate Bridge after to catch sunset!

Well.... technically we WERE there at sunset... we just didn't see the sun setting. Anyways, the answer to the riddle for the preceding blog post is: Golden Gate Bridge. Don't ask me about why it's called Golden Gate Bridge when it's red.... because I'll be telling you anyway, at least what I think is the reason. Alright, it's called Golden Gate Bridge because the state animal of California is the Golden Bear, or Yellow Bear. Therefore, the bridge is...erm, yea. :P

But really, it is called Golden gate bridge because the bridge was built across the Golden Gate Straight — a name that originated around 1846, and the Golden Gate Bridge has always been painted orange.

Just so that you can appreciate the size of this bridge, compare the man juxtaposed against the bridge's component. That man was about 1.73m. I know because his family stood at this structure for a very long time, not taking the hint that other tourists are actually interested in taking photographs of it, without them in it.

Another magnificent shot of the Golden Gate Bridge... Did you know it was freezing in that area?

Here's the japanese restaurant that I mentioned, which Mei Chee brought me. You see that chopstick at the side of the plate? It's actually 2-3cm longer than those which is given in Singapore when you take food away. Therefore, I'll leave you to contemplate about the portion size... and the solution to America's overweight conundrum.

Alrite my adoring biao fans, that's all for now. I'll be updating my blog again over Chinese New Year. Don't forget to drop your auspicious greetings here at BIB. You know I want them :)

Stay tuned for part 2 of sensational photos in the next few days!

2006-01-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

PS: Guess what's big, red and really long? Stayed tuned for the answer in BIB, the only blogging site you'll ever need...

... to know what's going on in my life at least.

Hot sensational photos!

2006-01-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

Here's me and 'Sarah'. She does look like Buffy doesn't she?

Me and Ben; the Cable car is behind us... we're standing on where it U-turns.

Cedric the Cable Car driver and your's truly.

The group saying hi to my blog readers.

The waterfront of Hyde Pier.

I lifted a ship's cargo displayed in Hyde Pier. See, those gym workouts paid off!

San Francisco Protesters... We took some of their banners as souvenirs. Sorry, those were the saddest faces we could pull off for such a sunny and fun filled day.

A chain of police bikes attempting to enforce order... or so they try.

Photos

2006-01-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

I'm a little busy for now, and will probably update the blog with photos of my San Francisco expedition over the next few days. So.. keep coming to check for updates!

Sunday partying

2006-01-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

I studied for the larger part of the day. Lisa, Elaine and Eunice’s friend, invited me for a party. Being naturally sociable and charming, I went, alone, and met her friends. They’re nice, especially the girls… The guys were solemn around me: I was wearing black, but I am confident I was no where near the likes of an undertaker. I really appreciate how Pastor Kong and our church leaders always encouraged us to talk to new comers and befriend them. It really makes a difference! Anyway, I met Tim, who’s a senior in ME Berkeley. They go by the following conventions in America: Yr 1 – freshman, Yr 2 – sophomore, Yr 3 – Junior and Yr 4 – Senior.

Tim lent me 2 textbooks for my courses… this mean I can officially start mugging, and I don’t have to buy a single text book at all! What can I say…? PRAISE GOD! Imagine getting provisions like that…

On the downside, I lost my way twice… while getting there and while returning to I-house. I think I read the map inverted; it’s the weather – it’s too cold… my eyeballs can’t dilate properly… *rolls eyes*

We are going... to San~Fran~Cisco....

2006-01-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

I went to San Francisco with Huixin, Meichee, Ben, John and Luke. We were supposed to rendezvous at 1015am (the bus arrives at 1025) but Ben was late and we missed the bus. However, Cha lee *suffering from a hangover but was on his way to play tennis* informed us that bus waits for 10mins at Telegraph Avenue which is at 3-4 blocks, or 0.8km away. We dashed for it. I inhaled too much cold air and suffered a temporary asthma attack.

Shortly after, this girl that looked like Sarah Michelle Gellar boarded the bus. I was sure it wasn’t Sarah; Sarah had a nicer bod. :p Still, I chatted her up and asked her for a photo together. It turns out that she was from Spain. All good things must come to an end; I left ‘Sarah’ when we reached the terminal. I must have made her day… I missed those times when aunties came up to me and said I looked like Jet Lee, when he was still famous, though I suspected they were just bad at sight…

We bought a day-pass which cost 11USD to grant us access to all modes of land transportations in San Francisco. While we were buying the ticket, the attendant serving us was this very rude black woman; maybe her cat scratched her favorite lingerie that morning. Still, she was shouting and showing disrespect to an old Chinese senior who’s hard of hearing and couldn’t really understand English. She told him that he shouldn’t be in America if he can’t communicate the language. We helped him. Luke called her a bitch. While we were helping the old man, Ben started talking to this well dressed black guy who asked for 6 bucks to get home. He claimed that he was a hip-hop teacher for children and he didn’t have enough money. He was carrying a laptop and he wore a neat leather jacket. We didn’t give him the money; but we’re certainly having strange encounters with Americans.

You can buy a 1 day pass which allows you access to the buses and cable cars provided by the local transportation company - Muni. It cost around 11.50USD but it is worth it if you were traveling quite a bit. We took the cable car and met Cedric the bus driver. He took a couple of photos for me, and taught me a little about his job. Traveling by the cable car was quite an experience. It’s like you’re on an over-sized trolley with bars for you to hold on to. We went pass Lombard Street – the infamous Crooked Street of SF, Russian town. SF’s quite cute; it has Japanese Town, Russian Town and Chinatown. You see, Chinese aren't the only people who must congregate in a town. :p

We alighted at Hyde Pier which is part of SF’s famous Fishermen’s wharf. Fishermen’s wharf is a collection of piers. You’ve got to walk down Hyde Pier towards Pier 39, which was our target destination. John and Luke came down the day before and got stopped by someone who wanted to fine them for looking at pretty girls. Looks like SF's a 'fine' city as well; America’s a strange place with diverse kinds of people. That being said, we witnessed a protest! The protesters spanned up to 6-8 blocks – approximately 2km and they were rallying against the Bush administration and that abortion should be illegal. I walked passed a pastor preaching nearby about the futility of the protest and how we really ought to instead seek a relationship with God. I felt God’s presence strongly, and I prayed for the speaker silently as I was walked pass.

Pier 39 was really cool. You can see seagulls, pigeons and sea lions; the animals are so accustomed to humans that they allow close spatial distances. Some of the tourists feed the pigeons, which tore the food up like ravenous monsters. Then, a pigeon shat on Ben. He was just plain unlucky; he was a handsome guy and looked nothing like a toilet bowl. We bought tickets to enter into Alcatraz via a ferry ride. Alcatraz was superb. The scenery was great; you can see the entire San Francisco at Alcatraz. There were many seagulls nestling there and after the preceding incident, we became paranoid and started dodging birds… ok-ok, it was just me. :p

Immediately after Alcatraz, we took a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was so cold there; I think polar bears would have needed extra clothing. Nonetheless, the scenery was good and I took a lot of photos.

On our way back to Berkeley, I helped a disabled woman on the bus as she was overloaded with stuff. She’s a painter who peddles her stuff on the street. She later wanted to give me some money in thankfulness, but I declined. I’m just happy to be used by God to make the day of another. J

Dinner was at a Japanese restaurant, recommended by Mei Chee. The food was tasty – tastier than those at I house at least, and the serving size is huge! The waiter gave us a bowl of warm soup and hot tea the instant we sat down: because it was cold outside. Even though I didn’t order anything, they gave me a hot drink when I asked for it; and the boss was polite and generous. Man, Singapore should really learn from the Japanese how to do business. J

It has been a long day… and I reckoned we must have walked more than 10km that day. My legs are sore, and my camera has been put to good use. *heaves a sigh, wishing mom, sis and Elaine could be here too*

Blog update: Thurs 19/01 to Fri 20/01

2006-01-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thursday

No textbooks needed! The Lord has provided people in my life to help me in times of need again. I got lost on Tuesday while looking for an evening class and this girl I sought directions from was attending the same lecture as me. I originally had 4 textbooks to buy for my courses. However, by His mercy, 3 of them can be found in the library, of which I’ve already made reservations for 2. The last one was lent to me by the girl who gave me directions.

Apart from that, my professors have also been extremely kind, offering to lend me textbooks if I do not have; they fully understand the plight of exchange students.

Anyway, I’m starting to get settled in. Things are starting to get busy too. I still miss family and Singapore and I’m thankful that God carried me through with His love and grace at the nadir of my homesickness. Emotional periods are times when people are most susceptible to committing deeds which will upset God. By His grace (the empowering presence of God to choose righteousness over death), I’m happy to have endeavored this testing by the abnegation of my flesh.

Friday:

I studied all afternoon and evening. Cha lee went for a party and was carried back. It turns out that he was drunk, much like Chippy. This guy called Samuel and his friend, we shall call him X since I forgot his name, carried Cha lee back (1 held his hands, while the other his legs). We carried Cha lee’s mattress down from the upper deck (I sleep on the lower deck of a double deck) to the floor for him since he might vomit. He did anyway, and I cleared up the mess. I slept at 2.30am that night… not because of Cha lee though, but I was stuck doing homework. *sobs*

I never saw Cha lee sleep so well since he’s a light sleeper like Mom. Ha-ha.

San Francisco, Chinatown and School

2006-01-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Monday:

I went up to San Fran and Chinatown today. As I was transiting from Berkeley to San Francisco (Cal is short for UCB, Cal Students have free public bus transportation, how cool is that?) I saw Alcatraz closer up. There is a lighthouse on it which lights up when the skies turn dark; I saw it on the way back! Behind Alcatraz is the famous Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco.

From the bus terminal, we trekked to Chinatown and saw many shops along the way... Chinatown wasn't that fantastic, but it’s nice to see some familiar sight again. It reminds me a little like Chinatown of Singapore, just that Singapore's less gaudy. We walked through 8 blocks of the same kind of shops! It’s a fact… that Chinese can’t be creative. Ha-ha. Anyway, the culture of Chinese is similar everywhere, where I can sense the typical selfish, unfriendly mood permeating the place.

According to my friend from Hongkong, most Chinese abroad are canton speakers because Guangzhou is the major port of China in the early 1900s and most of the Chinese who first ventured abroad were cantons. Anyway, we went to eat Chinese food in some restaurant. You can see the portion size they gave for 5USD... it’s really worth the buck! My friend said its one of the best value for money restaurant in Chinatown. They had quite a lot of prawns for 7.50 SGD worth of fried rice. I think it’s quite worth it.

After that, we went out of Chinatown, back into the main streets of San Francisco to shop. We went into the Levi's and Nike boutique. The designs here are outstanding; you won’t see them in Singapore I think. The cheapest Levi’s going on sale for 20USD; but alas, there’re no worthy sales for Nike. We went to the Union Square after that; Union Square is a memorial created in remembrance of World War 2 soldiers or something…

Tuesday and Wednesday:

My first day at school was quite overwhelming; it seems that I took some of the wrong modules... I had to drop this module which was beyond my scope of knowledge and bid for another. It’s still not settled after today (Wed) and the pressure of amounting workload brings revelation to the end of my holidaying spirit.

The lecturing style here is similar to that of NUS; NUS is trying to emulate top universities of the world. It seems that UCB is a research university and they don’t really give 2 hoots about teaching. Yet, I fancy their style of lecturing better as the lecturers explain concepts with more emphasis and clarity, which beats NUS’s lecturers’ jejune style.

My timetable’s still messy but I trust in God to provide the best way for me. I’ve been showered with God’s mercy and grace throughout this exchange. Though the cultures of the Americans are tempting, I’m happy to be hungrier than before for His glorious presence. Check out my testimonies:

1) I was stuck with no modules to take, and I started praying in tongues. I felt a prompting telling me to ask NUS for permission to take other engineering department’s modules as Technical Electives. Well, I ended up with permission to do more relaxing modules.

2) My lessons finished at 6.30pm on Tues. It was pouring and winds were icy and violent. My breath desperately condensed into smoke the moment their out of my nostrils. I later found out that the temperature was 5 DC. Anyway, I commanded my soul to rejoice in the Lord’s love for me. I prayed in tongues to keep my mood uplifted as I walked back… Suddenly the rain stopped. I didn't even ask God for anything; rather, I was simply trying to keep my spirit in His… and guess what? The rain came back after I returned to hostel...

One thing I learnt is: Seek God with your heart and He’ll embrace you with His hand. Seek God’s hand with all your heart and you’ll never know His love in full. Anyway, enjoy the photos I’ve taken from Chinatown and San Francisco! To the cell group: I wished I was in Singapore for cell; just to know how much I think you guys are darn lucky. :P

Part 2 of San F... Thanks to booger blogspot

2006-01-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

Look at the size of the Nike Boutique. It is 5 storeys of Nike stuff!

You can see a huge Disney shop and Borders. Singapore ain't that bad actually. We've got quite a variety of shops.

4 levels of Levi's. But I was bored after I went through the men's section. :p

Union Square. I've put up the photos so that you can read the inscriptions on all 4 sides of the monument.

Alrighty, I think it's alittle hard to read it from booger blogspot. I'll show them to you when I return. My heart's already wishing it's 2 June 2006... I know many of you in Singapore are feeling that way too, only because by then, exams will be over right... *bish bish bish*

Photos in San Francisco

2006-01-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

So.. here're my photos from San Francisco. They're not complete, but blogspot's testing my patience again by refusing to upload more than a certain amount of photos.

We took Bus F to San Francisco. The far left is the handsome Motoki. He said that someone once came up to him for his autograph because he was mistaken to be William Hung. That's why he hates William. Well, I can't think of any reasons to love his performances either.

Just to impress on you people that I'm hot stuff in US.

Yea... who can resist a spikey-haired boy *rolls eyes*

San Francisco!

The streets of San Francisco are long and littered with many shops. Orchard road is... puny compared to San Francisco.

There's someone playing the er-hu in Chinatown. He turned his head when he realised I was taking his photo. He must be thinking: Dumb Chinese Tourist...

Yup, they have Chinese medical shops here too. I think this will be the only place my mom would love about San Francisco. By the way, did anyone know that San F's Chinatown's the best in US?

The trios living in I house!

There you go... Evidence that I am in Chinatown. See the Tang Ren Jie behind? haha

Our first authentic Chinese lunch in US. Still, it wasn't superb. Just good compared to everything else here. Oh, and they've got Singapore Fried Rice and Fried Beehoon on the menu. We're the most famous dot after the fullstop.

Some strange eldery chinese man proclaiming Bush is 666 and evil. Maybe the democrats they offered him immigration status for this.

Photos from Sunday's Hike

2006-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

Check the photos out! :)

This is Berkeley's Botanical Garden... Its halfway up the summit.

The view from the summit. You can see the Golden gate bridge and the island in front of it is Alcatrez!

The entire town of Berkeley! and the bay area of San Fran...

Me! :)

Ooh... I've got an adoring girl-fan :p

We found a way to get alittle higher for a better view. On our way up, we decided to get creative, haha...

I'm pretending to fall... *like you can't tell*

Meet Chippy the drunk squirrel...

Do you see the light passing through the wall of Cal Stadium from the distant? Its a crack that runs through Cal Stadium because of the Hayward Fault. It gets wider annually because the Hayward Fault moves it apart... in no time (1000 years) , UC Berkeley and LA will be neighbours.

I apologise for the formatting... still, the line that runs from the top of the stadium to the bottom, beside the poster and the entrance is the crackline you saw in the preceding photograph.

Crackline close-up!

Beautiful Cheryl posing in the Cal stadium.. at my expense :P Go Bears! *Bears are what they call UCB students*

Sunday Hiking!

2006-01-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

There’s a fault line just 15m behind the hostel where I’m staying. It’s called the Hayward fault. According to David the earthquake engineer (yes, earthquake engineers exist, it’s a branch off civil engineering) from breakfast, most buildings are not build to endure earthquakes more than 6-7 on the Richter scale, except for hospitals which can take no more than an 8. Well, the most ‘comforting’ news I heard from breakfast was that the Hayward fault is expected to be due anytime soon… other than that the Berkeleyians have been expecting it for over 20 years. Nonetheless, after the Asian tsunami in Dec 04, geologists expect it to erupt really soon. Not to worry folks, according to Lisa the geologist we had in our breakfast table (what a morning it was huh?), the Hayward fault is the kind where the tectonic plates rubs parallel against one another. The San Andreas fault is the kind where the plates pushes against one another (I think it’s called a destructive plate) – volcanoes are commonly formed this way, and earthquakes from such plates give tremors. Unfortunately for us, the earthquake which the Hayward fault gives comes like an explosion because unlike the San Andreas, where the plates move into one another and some shockwaves are absorbed by the soil underground, the plates rub against each other and thus the shockwaves are promulgated from the surface of the land with nothing to absorb its full power. Still, we can all hope for the best and pray for me and the other children of God here in Berkeley can we?

Worrying news aside, the NUS students (Cheryl, Mei Chee, Huay-sin, Wuyan and I, yes 4 girls and 1 boy) went to explore this hill behind International house which promises excellent scenery at its summit. Aun-Young, a female Korean exchange student, and Lars, a Switzerland exchange student, joined us. Lars’ doing architecture engineering – he makes and designs buildings which are more green and consume less energy, I think he’s going to be really rich in future. Anyway, the hike up was slightly more than 4 miles and I offered to carry Mei Chee’s bag because she was... tired. :p We stopped by Berkeley Botanical gardens which was halfway the summit and took some photos, promising we’ll return another day. The hike was alright for me, but I think it took the breath of the girls, and surprisingly, Lars. We were greatly rewarded for our endeavor though. We had the view of the entire east bay of Berkeley and San Francisco from the summit. The pictures will speak for themselves… J

Cheryl, Aun-young, Mei chee and I headed down first while the rest stayed to see sunset.

Cheryl, Katrin (Cheryl’s German roommate), Rebecca (a New Zealand exchange student) and I went to Safeway after dinner. Safeway’s a supermarket which required us to take bus 51 a couple of stops to Alcatraz Street. It wasn’t that special, but it was nice to see an American supermarket and do some grocery shopping. I bought only washing detergent, but the girls were shopping for war – I’m kidding; still, they bought a lot of tidbits. I came back after and met Yuri, a Japanese exchange student doing International Relations. She was really shy and had this strange and soft giggle. I think its either I’m scaring her, or she’s afraid of guys holding toothbrush – I was on my way to bathe. Anyway, I’m kidding and she’s really decent. I went back to my room after bathing to worship God again… I really love His glorious presence… J

I went to Lars’ room later and he graciously showed me the photos he took at sunset… I only have 2 words – Wow WOW! Ha-ha... Lars’ camera is really good, it’s a high technology Nikon digital camera and he’s got some skill. Anyway, he showed me some other photos he took in Kenya and back in Switzerland. The nature shots he had were good enough to be used as commercial postcards! According to Lars, hippopotamus are the most feared animals in Africa because they’re really aggressive and can sprint very quickly for short distances. He showed me some other shots which included the best opera house in the world, which is in Switzerland, and those he took in Nepal.

I’m starting to enjoy blogging… I think my creative writing engine is starting to rev up… oh no… ha-ha

Pictures from Walker's Creek

2006-01-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but the photos wouldn't appear when I upload them.. I suspect that my post was too elaborate. :p

Walker's Creek from the top! I took this when we hiked up the hill.

This was the fungus we touched. It felt nice though I was more worried about spores contamination :P

Cheryl, Mei Chee and myself in a gungho attempt to place Singapore's flag on Walker's creek.

Fresh produce, courtesy of Walker's creek's very own garden! All the fresh salads we had for meal times were from here :)

Real sheeps with wool on them... I think they were kinda threatened by the woollen sweater we were wearing.. I mean, wouldn't you if a dinosaur wore human hair or skin and fed you?

Point Reyers! Isn't it beautiful? and its insanely cold.. the winds were blowing so strongly that my waxed hair wasn't spared... :'(

This is taken from the cliff - Point Reyers. You can actually see baby seals on the coast of the beach. We used the nature enthusiats' telescope to see them.

You can see whales in Point Reyers at the correct time of the year. :)

There you go... evidence of strong winds.. :P but really, see the deer behind me? *winks* I was the only guy that saw this deer: cause I strayed from the group to explore by myself.

See the lighthouse where I'm pointing at? yep, that's the lighthouse of Point Reyers!

Weekend at Walker’s Creek Ranch

2006-01-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

I’m back from the 2 days and 1 night orientation program to Walker’s Creek Ranch and it was fantastic! Walker’s creek is located at the country side of Berkeley; and there was amazing scenery throughout the program (to walker’s creek, at walker’s creek and back from walker’s creek). The strange thing about Berkeley which is different from any places I’ve been is that wherever you go, there’re cows grazing the great green plains.

Anyway, I was chatting with Christine (a French-american exchange student) and Mei Chee (NUS exchange student) on the bus trip there. Christine’s 19 and she already has 3 properties in France and making money from real estate. It’s quite easy to dabble in real estate overseas compared to Singapore though… they’re more relaxed about owning properties. Well, real estate is something I must go into sometime, probably when I’ve amassed enough starting capital.

Back to the journey… the temperature at walker’s creek is colder than campus. I think it’s because of the strong winds and the lack of concrete structures… and I regretted not bringing my beanie, but I’m glad I brought my gloves though. We were housed in cabins which were extremely cozy and because there weren’t many of us, we could have a double decked bed each. The program started with us going on a hike. The hike route we took brought us up the hill overshadowing walker’s creek. On the way up the hill, we walked through a forest which looked remotely like the vegetations of Tekong. Our guide introduced us to this very cute fungus that grows on tree trunks. It’s not poisonous and we could even touch it. He also showed us this particular plant that poisonous and would give an awful rash if you touched it. I’m sure glad I was covered from head to toe. At the hilltop, you can see the surroundings miles ahead! The winds were strong, but the scenery was even more breathtaking. Check out the photos I took! Mei Chee, Cheryl and I ventured up a mini hill and took some photographs with a tree that was contorted in a very strange manner. We intended to plant a Singapore flag up here, but we didn’t bring one along… haha

After the hike, we returned to the main cabin where the in-house activities were held. We were arranged into groups and we had to put up a skit to reflect our different cultures – each exchange student had different culture. My group leader was a residential advisor called Brad. Brad’s Jewish and a left hander. He’s incredibly sociable and fun. Anyway, we decided to play a guessing game with the audience where they had to guess the words and phrases that meant the same in but were expressed differently in various countries. There’s this other team which did Little Red Riding Hood in 5 different languages; I thought they were really creative and original. Their acting was hilarious too! Haha… The rest of the evening was just information about I-house and its rules/regulations. We didn’t sleep that night because it started to rain, and it got super cold. I later heard that the temperature went to 0 Degrees Celsius. Anyway, it was warmer in the main cabin than our rooms because we had a fireplace. I spent the night playing Risk, Pictionary and reaction games. Can you believe that I won at Risk in my first attempt? Haha… and my opponents were games savvy Hongkong exchange students. I think it’s because I formed a strategic alliance with one of the players. After we were satiated by board games, the few of us – Singaporean, Hongkong and Korean exchange students played reaction games. It turns out that we play very similar games in our own countries! It must all have originated from mother land China. Haha… still, it was fun and it seems that Koreans like to use whacking as forfeits; they get high from other people’s pain… In their own words: it’s only fun when you get to whack another really hard and see him wince in pain… and the desire of revenge makes the game even more fun. I don’t know… but I guess Koreans are stressed up people. Haha.

The morning was cold to the brim where I had to hop around to get warmer. Even drinking hot water in this weather wasn’t helpful! I washed up with icy cold water because there was no heater… and never before have had I felt so ‘refreshed’ after washing my face. Still, hygiene is imperative when there’re pretty girls around. The food here is much better than what they serve in the International House; the people grow their own vegetables, meat and fruits. They kept serving patties and sausages for meals which led me to the conclusion that they sold the better parts of the cow to make money, and kept the rest to make patties and sausages. Nonetheless, they cooked it really nicely and they’re forgiven on the account of their deliciously home made desserts. Their cookies and pies are so yummy, chewy and wholesome! I used to read about how delicious homemade bread, cakes, cookies and desserts from traditional farmhouses are (Famous Five stories) and I think I now know how fantastic it is.

We went for a blind walk after breakfast. We were split into groups of pairs where one of the pairs will be blindfolded while the other will lead the blindfolded person through a route. It’s similar to what I played in OBS; only here, you get to hold your partner’s arm and grasp her palm tightly. Mei Chee was my partner. The walk wasn’t very interesting to me, but it was Mei Chee’s first and she was… exhilarated. *shrugs*

We went to feed sheep after the walk. It was quite cool to see unshaven sheep… Their diet was alfalfa sprouts. I was only excited momentarily though. After sheep feeding, we returned to the main cabin where they talked to us about International House’s grand heritage. It seems that we’re funded by Rockefeller’s foundation and we’re 75 years old. It started from a philanthropist Harry Edmonds who founded YMCA. He started International Houses for many US universities and there’s even one in Japan. International house is a place where people of diverse nationalities and cultures can share everyday life and interact with one another. Because of these, International house has tremendous influence and we have many exclusive privileges from organizations and travel agencies. How cool is that? Haha…

Anyway, we left for Point Reyers after lunch. Point Reyers is a cliff formed after the great earthquake in 1989 due to the San Andreas fault line. The scenery here is just marvelous. I found myself muttering wow ever so frequently. The winds were really cold and strong, and I regretted not bringing my beanie at this point because I developed a headache soon after. Even so, exploring this place was worth the pain. I saw baby seals at the coastline, using the telescope of a nature enthusiast. There’s a lighthouse here too. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

With Point Reyers, we returned to International House which I dearly miss because of its warmer temperatures. I don’t know why, but I feel tremendously homesick now. I miss Singapore, my beloved mother, sister and Elaine, cell group and church. I miss the warm climate, the lifestyle at PGP and in NUS. It’s so cold in Berkeley that I can’t muster the discipline to exercise… Also, I think I now know how it feels to be away from home, no matter how great a place may be… I know I’ll get used to this within a week; still… *sighs softly*

Well… this is the longest entry I’ve written and I really didn’t had to mood to type all these details, but I thought you guys in Singapore would be happy to read about it.

Cont' of Update of the past 3 days..

2006-01-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Alritey... Apparently I can't post more than a certain number of photos per blog; therefore explaining the discontinuity of my photo galore.. let's continue from the main library of UCB!

This is only a section within a small section of the main library. Can you fathom the size of this place?!

Well.. lessons haven't started, so I guess these people really love books :)

They've got a statue of Enstein near the library entrance.. He seemed really pleased to be taking a photo with me, I think. :P Anyway, did anyone know that Berkeley is good for law and business apart from engineering? I sure didn't.. but yea!

This is the grand UCB gym.. its like a roman fortress on the outside.. and it looks like California Fitness gym on the inside! There're 2 storeys of exercising equipment, and it comes complete with squash courts, basketball courts, a running track encircling a nice green field.. and of course.. a pool which is heated! It cost 65USD for membership per semester; I think I'll give it a go unfortunately... :P

A stolen bike outside the gym... did anyone know that bikes get stolen daily in Berkeley? haha.. yea.. this one is in a sorry state. Apparently, there's an earthquake somewhere in California EVERY SINGLE DAY; it needn't necessarily be a major one, but yea, since we're just behind a fault line :) Don't worry people! I'm safe. *crosses his fingers*

Oh.. I'm reporting to the police concerning a really nice Audi with a broken window with its owner missing in sight! The funny thing is that the car's stereo and equipment were untouched.. so, what was taken? Maybe the owner wasn't very polite to people. Well, the shocking thing is that the police didn't seem to bother: they asked me to call another line instead of responding to the case! Furthermore, I think that line doesn't exist; because I couldn't get through to it.. anyway, my friends and I left the car, but not before taking some pictures. :P Because I touched the car in my curiosity.. and left my fingerprints on it.. the photos were taken to show that I didn't have anything to do with theft. :P

Its a nice car... I was tempted to drive off in it... but I didn't have the keys *laughs*

There were some flowers planted in the pavement along the streets.. aren't they nice?

The campus of berkeley has a botanical garden with nice houses surrounding it! Here's one of them... notice the beautiful tree in the picture!

Here's a mini river running through the garden of UCB.

Update of the past 3 days

2006-01-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Alritey, fans of BIB... a picture speaks a thousand words, and I think I've got more than 10 photos to navigate and walk you guys through my experience thus far... so here's more than 10,000 words for you to absorb.. enjoy! :)

The cell group sending me off before I departed to the airport.. how sweet of them. :)

Mom and sis sending me off at the airport around 330am on Tuesday 10th Jan 06.. I love you both! :)

Clouds... in the skies of Tokyo - Japan

The magnificent clock tower of UC Berkeley

Here's where i'm accommodated.. International House. Its similar to Princes Georges Park Residences of NUS.

A nice view of campus...

The clock tower, the hunk and the clear blue skies... the night comes very quickly in winter; the days turn dark by 5.30pm!

This is the main library of UCB.. it puts the central library of NUS to shame! :P

My first day in Berkeley..

2006-01-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

Brr.. its so cold.. I can see my breath condensing before my eyes! In anycase, I heard its warm for my friends from switz, germany and new zealand..

I can't bathe without shivering and turning into an ice block, haha.

Welcome to BIB - Biao is Back!

BIB Anniversary

This is so stupid...

This is so stupid...

Chronicles of the rabbit feast

This is interesting.. ;)

You are The Sun

Oh my my...

Ouch...

Woo~

yes yes, I'm a romantic sucker

Suave Test

More pretty than Handsome part II

More pretty than handsome?!

IQ test

I love my fans!

Ali G

Fantastic way to relieve stress

I love this sooo much!

Massage

Brazil vs France

So... hot..

Brazil vs. Ghana

Photo aléatoire

An update... for the sake of an update

Late night supper

Auto vs Manual

I'm back in Singapore

Happy Mother's Day

Girl-fan... *pun intended*

Biao poll

A sentimental fool after all...

More photographs from Yosemite

Yosemite Preview...

Academic Break

Biao in LA - HollyWood!

Spring Break Photos - San Diego!

Spring Break Photos - Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam

Spring break photos - Las Vegas!

Spring break details!

I'm back

The majority won...

Haircut in berkeley

Stanford Photos!

Weekend at Stanford

Napa Photos!

Napa Valley

Oh my my

Golden Gate Park - Part 1 :)

Blogspot

Ocean Beach

Photos of Alcatraz and more!

Stay tuned for part 2 of sensational photos in the next few days!

Hot sensational photos!

Photos

Sunday partying

We are going... to San~Fran~Cisco....

Blog update: Thurs 19/01 to Fri 20/01

San Francisco, Chinatown and School

Part 2 of San F... Thanks to booger blogspot

Photos in San Francisco

Photos from Sunday's Hike

Sunday Hiking!

Pictures from Walker's Creek

Weekend at Walker’s Creek Ranch

Cont' of Update of the past 3 days..

Update of the past 3 days

My first day in Berkeley..

Girl-fan... pun intended