roughstoneangel

I've been wanting to do this for some time but never had the time or energy, so here's Muar Diaries, part 1 - Arrival.

We leave Singapore in the morning, stopping just across the border for a second breakfast, McDonalds. Realman and I share a Big Breakfast, Hashbrown, Tea and Sausage McMuffin. Now for the very interesting Sugar Incident. It's like the Watergate Scandal or NKF Saga, you know.

"Here's let's put the sugar in the tea."
"No! Real men drink tea without sugar!"
"Come on! Or it'll taste like s***."
"Okay just a little bit."
"Hold still!"
"Enough! Enough! We'll get diabetes!"
"You can't get diabetes from one packet of sugar!"
"Yes you can!"
*Vague struggle followed by yell*

"Ah! You poured the ******* sugar on my ******* pants! @#$%!^%$#!********!"

I get the last say though. Realman's last comment was:
"Erm, it's a bit bitter." Ahah!

So we move into Muar. I peek out of the window while Tweety, Cherub and RM sleep. It's nice. Quiet, small. Then we stand at the bus station, waiting for the arrival of a bus, which turns out to be a tiny rickety cardboard box with wheels. Not that I'm insulting the bus. It's a good one. But if you shake your leg too hard your foot goes through the floor.

Then we reach, have lunch, get introduced, get screamed over, sit through two lessons where we have no idea what is going on. It's fun.

We then take the long long walk to Tanjung Park (only 20 min!) and have a Iced Milo, Horlicks, Ice Kachang etc. Then we walk back, listening to Evanescence and reach. We then go to the computer lab, having fun with blogs and realizing that the Muar techinicians are better than our techies (no game sites allowed).

Then we laugh over the people who are still stuck in Sarimbun, go to our host's place. Have dinner, bathe, learn to play Taitee. Not feeling well, Cherub falls asleep, after brilliantly putting hongyu on his nethereigions and spilling it in his eye (at my suggestion ><). We carry him on the matress onto the floor.

Tweety trips over a pillow and I *accidentally* drop mine on his head. We then stay up till eleven plus playing cards, watching Jing Zong Ren and pillow-fighting. Cherub wakes up and Tweety and I half-fool him into believing it is 5.30 am, thanks to a street light that is bright enough to evaporate water. Bugger. No wonder we sleep at around midnight.

Now I'm really tired and want to go write, so will tell the rest later.

First sight.

Sad to say that you can't be friends with everyone. Someone always has a bone or an entire ribcage to pick with you.

But here's the good thing. I've repaired at least four friendships this year and strengthened many others.

So vaguely here's a rundown of my friends, in code.

Germany's a leader. Choleric-melancholic, extremely workaholic, he's the kind of guy you can count on to put your back against and carry your load. Unfortunately both our choleric-ity puts us at odds sometimes, but it's okay.

Blackstone's a repair friendship. We're half at odds most of the time, but that's fine, because the rest of the time we're okay to each other.

Jigglypuff is one of the weirdest and most brilliant people I know. Logical yet nonsensical, brilliant yet ditzy, insightful yet a little naive, mature and childlike, its like talking to five different people at once, all moving from side to side and going "Yes, David?" But when he makes sense he makes sense, and he IS a good friend.

HMS is one of my friends from the days in HP. Political, smart, often smiling, he seems to be a bit weird if you don't know him (aren't we all), but a very good friend. A moralistic and philosophical guy. One of those people who's really good at heart.

This guy I had trouble coming up with a nickname for, until I thought of his MSN nickname, so here's to you, Tweety. He's well, nice. Really. Another guy who's good at heart, and a guy who I can relate with, quite. He often helps me to point out the flaws in myself.

And so, before he kills me, here's Cherub. This guy is well, supposedly going away. I would dare say he's probably the person I spent the most time with, particularly because we can relate well together. Between pulling each other out of swamps, pouring hongyu in our eyes (him), learning how to play taitee (me) and cracking short people jokes (both), he's a great guy. IT's like indescribable.

A good friend. Encouraging, amicable. But I'm still going to knock him off my Fighter's highscore board. Sorry.

Okay who else. Mr Efficient. Man, this guy would shine our shoes, redo your laces AND design a perfect powerpoint presentation on BOTH of them. It's mental! He's quiet, but diligent and friendly. I had to force him to LET me do work for MRP. And he's a great guy. Generous, unassuming, helpful.

Okay Realman. He's the more sanguine version of Germany, both of them being of similar leadership qualities and height, but with the queerer sense of humour. You know, MOST of Germany's jokes are funny...while Realman's is the kind a two-year old wouldn't find funny. But its so bad, so unfunny we actually make it funny and laugh. Masochists. But he's a great guy, you know? Another guy you can really count on in a scrap.

Let's see, anymore important people. Okay Agent. Though we are like worlds apart we manage to click quite well (Heaven knows why). He's funny, generous, unassuming, talkative and a good actor. Cool. I'm still laughing everytime I hear him do the "Cheok. Agent Cheok." thing.

Jap. Though we were at odds last year, we're really good friends now, and we can relate and joke together. And his blog rocks.

And who else. Crucifix. This guy is well, nice. I know some people maybe don't like him so much, but he's still nice at heart. And many other people.

Like Sans-internet, Mr Deeds, Nubby, Ness, Oh My!. Hulk, Penspinner, Teeoror, Officer, and all the others. I'll have to talk more about them some other time. Oh-kay.

48 laps, 8 chapters of HBP. Sounds fun.

The Big Debate. Okay here's the part where we get into it. But firstly, just to mention that a codename will be used for each person I mention. So get used to it.

As today we had a MOE observation we were asked to do a debate. So after lots of planning last night, we finally had to face off against our "worthy opponents".

Let's just say that I haven't had to talk so hard since GEB 1. The formidable opponents of Germany, Blackstone and Jigglypuff is like facing three dragons with one lance.

But then again my team wasn't so bad either. I suppose that having HMS is a bonus (him being aggressive and a good orator), and Mr K. kept his cool too, rebutting Jigglypuff's points.

So let's give a rundown of the debate. Yours truly starts, arguing out my case, and trying hard to ignore the fact that the MOE people are walking in. It didn't really get that interesting until the crossfire, though HMS did make several good points and there was quite a fright from Germany's starting. 

The crossfire was interesting to say the least, where HMS and I were like itching to get out of our seats and start defaming anyone in the vicinity of several hundred metres.

Using Troy was definitely not the best of ideas, unless you count the fact that it drew our opponents off on an opposite tangent. Our arguments was punctuated with Germany's "Courage! Hope! Honour!" (and three explicit scenes) and totally irrelevant comments.

At one point it digressed into personal insults, where Germany, HMS, Blackstone and Yours Truly were screaming thinly veiled threats and defamatory comments (though the veil was half off and had several gaps in it) at each other.

To say the least this was the hardest debate I've done. The opposing team was just as good as ours, and their stand was easier. Our case was balanced upon several precarious blocks, and to shoot them out would bring it crashing down. Fortunately with a great amount of aggression and hands-in-your-pockets we could keep them away from those blocks.

I don't really feel that I was the best speaker. If not for HMS' problem he would have been Socrates. And Mr K. was doing great until he burst out laughing. Germany was pretty good too, except he got too worked up (to our greatest delight). I think our strategy was more focused though. Hard fought victory I suppose.

Anyway good one, what's next.

Now down to planning. Muar people are coming soon, and then I'm organizing a trip to Bird Park AND Night Safari. Get some sleep the night before.

So anyway. I plan to take us up to WoD, Penguin Parade, Kings of the Skies, up to Parrot Paradise and Waterfall aviary, visit Jungle Jewels and others on the way down, then go to Night Safari, watch show, take Fishing Cat, Leopard and end off with Forest Giants. Expect to finish at 10 plus.

And Cherub wants to Maple. Blast him.

Good thing Realman's (reference to a certain bustrip) organizing stuff.

To see you again would be to make a hundred days shorter and lessen the fires.

With the brilliant inspiration from reading the blog of a good friend, I'll just start, shall I?

This isn't meant to be a self-deprecating, friend-bashing, world-hating blog. Far from it, it's like a commentary of who I am.

I'd like to tell you that I'm perfectly happy with who I am, and hopelessly in love to boot. But that's not the way things work is it.

We have no idea what happiness is, and we have no idea what love is. Two of the most important things on this mortal earth and we haven't even scraped the surface of it. Sure, Andrew Matthews tries, and Shakespeare.

But if we get a combination of all the joyful and romantic feelings we feel, we take that to the breadth of infinity, the depth of forever, the height of intangibility, multiply it all by zero and we still have no idea what I'm talking about. You know what I mean?

But I'm digressing, aren't I. That isn't about who I am. It's just what I really REALLY want to reach.

Okay let's make a phrase. sanguine-choleric-skater-fencer-reader-writer-artist-violinist-friend-enemy-egoist-philosopher-christian-walkeroftheline. Okay that all worked out. Except the philosopher bit.

But then again, sitting on the roof of a church with only pigeons for company gives you something to think about, doesn't it?

Right.

Trying to hide a scream.

So after that weird bit of rhetoric fantasy, here's the truth.

Roughstone's real. Just, to quote a friend, paraphrased. So this blog, in order for privacy and simplicity's sake, will just be part of Roughstone's World, and part of Kydd's when the need arises. Yeah, call me Kydd.

So without further ado, let's start the blog proper.

Man, I like these hamsters.

Spreading my wings

I'm just a stone angel, outside of a church

In a world not too tangent from ours, where mystical creatures and fantastic beasts roamed, a stone angel lived. On top of a weathered church roof, he stood for centuries upon centuries. Rain and snow and arrows shot had left their mark,

Each blow of cold rain leaving their pain, striking me again and again

chipping and wearing away at the angel. This angel was not made of smooth pure marble or sleek, swirling mother-of-pearl, but rather hard, rough stone. Roughstone, so the angel was called. His sad, eternally hard features lay forever, his chiseled locks not blown by the wind.

My wings hurt from trying too hard to fly

He could not fly. How can feathers of solid rock fly? While other angels of alabaster soared above, and humans of flesh walked below, the angel longed to be normal, not to have to drag his heavy stone body around.

As tears of crystal ran from his blank grey eyes, a star blazed in the distance. Even a cold stone angel has someone meant for them

"When the blue night is over my face, and the dark side of the world is in space, and I'm all alone with the stars above...you are the one I love."

Roughstone closed his eyes