Mount Faber

Collyer Quay

Pickomino

Random mode. This is difficult. I managed to pipped Zenn by a bit earlier. However, she has not used her powerups. She has explained her one simple strategy to me but what is left unsaid is that she is consistently good across all modes and thus, has good consistent decision-making skills and has done her risk-benefit analysis unconsciously.

Classic mode. After spending all my powerups, I was only able to get 99. I played a last throwaway game without much hope or deliberation and was surprised when I got 103. Siu Hean is still unbeatable at 123.

Lost Cities

The Facebook implementation of Reiner Knizia's classic card game, Lost Cities. I'm behind Colin, June Hwang and Alistair in scores here. Heh. I have been playing the Classic Mode for this.

Pickomino!

Progressive mode. Zann has managed yet another incredible score, surpassing mine. 870! Zann has started on this and Lao Hobo is still at 360.

Random mode. I managed to match Brian with a 79 score, pipping the Lao Hobo (Teck Loong) by one point. Siu Hean has started on this. Meanwhile, Zenn had effortlessly sailed to 86 points and she did all this without the aid of powerups whereas, I used them when I can.

Classic mode. I am still stuck at 75 points. I had managed to beat my previous 69. Zenn, Siu Hean and Lao Hobo are over 100. Zenn had explained that she is not a risk taker and had one simple method. Still... Brian. Bah. I can't surpass his score. One or two tiles away in points!

The Esplanade

Pickomino progressive mode

Whee! Still going on and doing well in Pickomino's Progressive Mode!

More Pickomino

I'm doing well in the Progressive Mode game. I have spent my powerups though.

Siu Hean is at level 20, Zann at level 14, Teck Loong (Lao Hobo) at level 8, Zenn (Zennkey) at level 7 and Brian at level 5. Levels are not indicative of much except that one has played more.

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Financial Centre

Singlish is the ultimate turn-off

Singlish is the ultimate turn-off. When I hear or read people spewing Singlish, I shudder.

Mandarin, Hokkien, Malay or English? I have no problems with those.

This is not a sales call

'This is not a sales call.' This was how a call started. The caller proceeded to invite me to a launch of a new property, saying that they will be giving me some free gifts and that there is no obligation to purchase. I told the caller that he is lying. This was a sales call. He protested that there is no obligation of buying. Doh. In any case, I didn't bother, I put my mobile in my drawer and left him to talk. He didn't get the message. He hung up and called back.

Pickomino

I started playing Reiner Knizia's 'Pickomino' after Siu Hean mentioned it on Facebook last night. This is a Facebook adaptation of the dice game released in 2005. Great fun. Additive too.

Siu Hean at level 19, Zann at level 13, Zenn at level 5! Wow!

Saturday

I wanted to finish some drawings and was at Spinelli's at the Heeren in the afternoon, foregoing a Portrait Day session. I managed to finish three pieces and the linework for a small one which I would paint later. Mitchell came and joined me and he drew parts of a tree. Last week, I had managed to finish two. Later, we bought 220 gsm Daler-Rowney paper from Art Friend at Ngee Ann City. I also bought a medium tip Derwent water brush.

I joined my father and sisters at Ku De Ta at the Marina Bay Sands at 9:00 pm. We visited the Skypark and saw fireworks at Sentosa in the distance and fireworks at the River Hong Bao and Chingay procession over the Singapore Flyer. Wonderful view from the 57th storey.

Friday night

Friday evening. I met Zennkey* and Lao Hobo** at Borders. We browsed and had drinks at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at the Forum shopping mall (formerly the Forum Galleria). Expensive drink. Heh.

* Zenn
** Teck Loong

Fireworks over the Singapore Flyer

Watching DVDs

I have been watching DVDs. I have watched 'The Green Zone', 'From Paris with Love', 'Shutter Island', 'The Losers', 'The Ghost Writer' and 'The Expendables' since the beginning of the year. My backlog of DVDs is piling. Now, the more serious films awaits.

Saturday

Saturday. A few hours of sketching and finishing two pieces at Spinelli's in the afternoon. Zenn came and we went to look for her manga comic at Borders and Kinokuniya. We ended up at the art and philosophy sections for most of the afternoon. Zenn left after filling her tummy at the basement of Ngee Ann City.

After dinner, I was at Borders and I bumped into Jeremy the artist who had just bought an art book. He said he knew Paul Lu and his friend Andy. I had not seen Paul in ages until last year or the year before when I had bumped into him. I recalled that his white was white now.

26 degrees today.