Basket.

My weekend was cut in half this week... by Sunday Ops TA duty. What does that TA stand for, anyway? Never did know. In any case, the Ops Room is my playground because, well, no one's around on weekends (all hail 5-day week, best thing ever next to reduction of service liability). It's the pity the television set is still screwed.

Chinese New Year is less than a week away, and garish decorations are out in full force throughout the unit. I feel compelled, then, to here make a statement about the artistic world's equivalent of the common house cockroach: that vile substance known as glitter.

Well, see, because exactly like the common house cockroach, glitter is:

1) Resented by me
2) Gets everywhere
3) Is fucking IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of

Did I ever tell the tale of how, early in J1, some glitter ink or something got on my uniform and stayed there for the next two years defying countless washings and various myriad attempts to remove it? That stuff is indestructible, I swear. And it turns up in the oddest places. I can't understand why so many people fancy it. Must be that old "Ooo, SHINY!" syndrome that seems to be some primedial characteristic.

But anyway. I do like Chinese New Year and I look forward to every single one, because it always means two very enjoyable things: good food and holidays. The money's a distant third. And hanging in the background is the unspoken fact that this Chinese New Year will be my last as an NSF. Happiness.

Silly comment of the week: an Indian comrade was overheard commenting, looking upon the great number of decorations, that Chinese New Year was bigger than "even" Christmas. Well, no offence pal, but Chinese New Year IS bigger here than Christmas. Take a walk through town on Christmas and one on Chu Yi. Tell me on which day is literally everything closed. That ought to be enough.

But if it isn't... let's just say 75% of this island is Chinese. So what the heck do you think?

This post made with all due respect to ethnic minorities. Racist overtones and undertones, if any, are purely the imagination of the reader/potential complainant. This author is a firm believer in universal equality and brotherhood of man, and actively advocates the construction of an egalitarian paradise of plenty untainted by the avarice of base man. So don't wave that big stick of sedition in my face. But if you must, please don't abuse 999. It's not for reporting shit like this.