Saturday, September 11, 2004

100th Posting

My computer was down over the last few days. My brother had to reinstall Windows and hence, I lost my Microsoft Words in the process! I just realised how hard it is to type without a word processor, without any red lines to remind me of spelling errors and green to remind me of sentence structuring disagreement and so on. I want my MS Words back!

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Today is 11 Sept 2004. Let us all take a moment to remember all those fallen in the terrorists attack 3 years ago. May terrorism be snubbed out soon!

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I once look back at all my entries and thought: "Hey! I wrote that?" It's somehow so different to me when I writing and reading my own entries. It was perhaps in a way refreshing to relive the past few months of my life albeit the angrier moments that happened recently.

Through this blog, I had made new friends. I have people who read this blog every or every other day. I had met someone whom I think is special to me. I have people who tell me reading this blog is a refreshing experience for them although I'm not sure how true it is. I have had arguments which I wished didn't happen with people whom I hardly know.

Blogging. Why do we blog? Some people blog to update their friends on every single thing they do every single day. Some blog to share their thoughts. Some blog for fun. Some blog to bitch. Some blog to complain. What about me? I think I blog for a bit of every reason which I've listed out.

I wrote about things in my daily life. I wrote about what I think and feel about certain people, good and bad. I've condemned people while praising others. I've had a wide range of topic. I wrote about the highest building to the lowest form of organism in the world. I wrote about politics. I wrote to complain about a general group of people. There are just so many things I can write about in this world but some are taboo like when it gets too personal. A mere speck in the entire universe, not considering other even larger universe. It sometimes makes me feel so insignificant. The size of a human in ratio to everything that exists is just so small. Tiny. Unnoticed.

Perhaps in a way, I write to please whoever is reading this blog although not all entries are exactly very eye-pleasing. Perhaps I write to remind my friend of my existence? Perhaps I write to share my life with others?

I enjoy reading my friends' thoughts when I do visit their blog. Some messages sometimes just can't seem to be able to be passed across vocally. Instead, you need to do it in writing. Is it easier to understand this way?

Through my friends' blog, I've got to know some of them better. A person's blog and writing style can just reveal so much about a person. I hope by reading this, my Readers would feel the same. =)

To end off, allow me to copy an idea from my friend Sue Anne, who helped me set up this place.

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Hi, my name is Liang You. Some people pronoun my name is Liang the 2nd sound. It's actually the 4th sound but I'm ok with it. The letter Liang which means strength or unit can be pronounced both ways. To those who don?t understand Chinese, I'm sorry but I don't how to put this across in English. Some people know me as fjozn, which is my nick.

Many people had asked me this: "What does fjozn mean?" The word "fjozn" doesn't belong to any language. It doesn't mean anything. In fact, it was created from nothing and pure accident. I just accidentally brushed my hand across the keyboard a long time ago which formed this word f-j-o-z-n on the screen. Hence, the word "fjozn".

Fjozn is pronounced as FEE-YONG-Z. You pronoun "jo" as "yo" which is the European way of pronouncing. I prefer to spell it in lowercase for everything including the "f" as I think it looks nicer this way. The word "fjozn" is unique. Try doing an internet search on it, you will probably get linked to me. NO ONE else in the world has the name or nick "fjozn".

Fjozn is me.

I am fjozn.

I was born on 25 Oct 1982 which makes me a month shy of my 22nd birthday as I write this. I was born in KK Hospital which is the birthplace for most of us who live in Singapore. I have a brother who is 5 years younger than me which completes my family of 4. I spent my early years in a kampung in Chua Chu Kang. I don't really have much memories of living there as I shifted to a HDB flat when I was 1 1/2 years old. I only remember visiting my late grandfather there when I was still 4-5 years old. I remember how my aunt will pluck rambutans from the tree for me to eat.

When I was 5, I went to Kindergarten for 2 years, followed by Primary 1 in Bukit View Primary. Sadly, I don't have much memories of those days. I can't remember much about what I did in Primary School. I do remember playing Zero-point and rubber wrestling which was the trend in my school. I remember sneaking over the Bukit View Secondary which just next door to catch spiders. I ended up being caned by the Principal for that. I remember that the Principal was called Mrs Wong and everyone was terrified of her as her weapon of choice was the cane. These are all distant memories to me now. Perhaps my most distinct memory from primary school was my form teacher, Mrs Elaine Chin, in Primary 6.

I was still a blur kid when I got into Tanglin Secondary at the age of 13. I was so blur that I wore my badge on the wrong place on my first day of school. I joined the school as I had already wanted to join since Primary 5. By a stroke of luck, I was placed in the Saxophone and hence began my journey of 4 years in secondary school and 10 years in music. The people from Tanglin Secondary Military Band are still among my good friends these days.

I had a memorable class in Secondary 3 and 4. It was an all-boys class. Yes, we were all naughty but we were also united as a class. We had fun as a class cracking dumb jokes with teachers who were sporting enough. Secondary school was filled with great teachers who taught and inspired me.

Soon after, I graduated and went into Architectural Technology in Singapore Polytechnic. It was a fun-filled 3 years course of study for me although I lost my interest in it at the final semester. I was so depressed that I actually though of quitting school with 3 months to go.

Today the Diploma in Architectural Technology certificate sits in my cupboard doing nothing but collecting dust. Nevertheless, my poly days were great. I went reluctantly with the Band to Sydney only to end up enjoying myself and had a great time. I have friends from my class whom we meet up regularly for a game of mahjong. Ditto those whom I see a few times a years for a class gathering.

In the year 2000, I got bored of playing the saxophone. I realised everything I learnt was wrong. I decided to start all over again on a new instrument and chose the oboe. I started off with an old Hans Kreul open hole oboe which I got in late 2000. It wasn't until Jan 2002 when I started having my first lesson with my teacher, Elaine Yeo. It was a totally new experience as I had to totally relearn everything in my playing.

Time flies and the day came when I had to enlist for Basic Military Training. It was a totally new experience for me. They say a boy only becomes a man after going through National Service. Perhaps this is true for me? I've come to be more appreciative of my family during the 3 months in BMT. I was never so happy in my life before to see my mother coming to visit me on Visiting Day. It was just so different.

Towards the end of BMT, I decided to sign on for the SAF Band to make my career as a musician. Why? I decided at that time that sitting in front of a computer drawing my life away was not the way I wanted to live my life. I will do something I like.

I'm very lucky to have parents who are very supportive of my decision to take a path in music. They paid for my second oboe which I got second-hand in 2002. And now, they gave me a loan to pay for my third and finally first-hand oboe which I got 2 months ago. It's an inspiration to play well to repay their faith in me.

This is the longest thing I've ever written about my life up to now. Hopefully, it offers Reader a deeper insight on me. =)
fjozn at 11:12 AM