As my close-knit of friends would know, and the same goes for all of you reading this through my Facebook notes, I never did reduce the time I spend on Facebook like I said I would. Sometime last year, I had said that Facebook was about having too much information. At the time, I had said that not only do some of us over-share, but in return we tend to know more than what we would want to know about people we are not necessarily close with.
But I’ve since found a happy middle ground with the things that I share and I’m enjoying the reaction and comments that I get. Some people may view that a friendship that exists purely on Facebook may not be as substantial as one outside of it, but I find that the social interactions can be just as fulfilling.
I think that if you use Facebook to augment your “real life” relationships and not to supplant it, that’s where it’s true value as a tool lies. As its tag line says, you can use it to connect with people whom, because of the tyranny of time and distance, you don’t connect enough with. And it can enrich an already good relationship. That is why I think that the interactions are as real as those conducted face-to-face or over the phone, even though some are quite frivolous (does anyone still “poke”?).
As an example of the good that it can bring, today is my birthday and I didn’t really expect much from the day because I’ve already had celebrations earlier with family and friends. As I was commuting to work, the birthday wishes started trickling in and it didn’t stop for the whole day. As I am writing this now, they continue to come in.
Friends, new and old, near and far, and relatives in other states and countries have all said happy birthday to me. I’m quite sure that the only reason that I’m getting more birthday wishes than normal is because Facebook has made it easier for people to leave a few words, and as a result, it has allowed me to feel more popular than I normally would.
Yes, I feel very popular right about now. So thanks Facebook! Feeling good didn’t cost me a thing today.
Was confined at home today due to the stifling heat which led to too much idle time and too many idle thoughts. Result: big time melancholia. This suitably melancholic song by deadmau5 and Kaskade came into my head and was stuck on replay the whole day.
Feeling the past moving in
letting a new day begin
hold to the time that you know
you don’t have to move on to let go
Remember turning on the night
and moving through the morning light
remember how it was with you
remember how you pulled me through
I remember [x8]
Add to the memory you keep
remember when you fall asleep
hold to the love that you know
you don’t have to give up to let go
Remember turning on the night
and moving through the morning light
remember how it was with you
remember how you pulled me through
I remember [x2]
Feeling the past moving in
letting a new day begin
hold to the time that you know
you don’t have to move on to let go
add to the memory you keep
remember when you fall asleep
hold to the love that you know
you don’t have to give up to let go
A few weeks ago, I was at the bottle shop stocking up for the increasingly frequent house sessions at my place. I saw “Vodka O” being offered 2 for $60. At $30 a bottle, it worked out to be around $5 less than a bottle of Smirnoff Red so I decided to give it a go.
Serendipitously I had read recently about how the quality of cheap vodka can be improved by using a simple charcoal filter.
So, what made the sale for me was the fact that it said charcoal-filtered on the label.
From the Vodka O site, the product description is this:
Using Australia’s purest water, our unique evaporative and charcoal filtering process creates a super smooth taste.
Vodka O is free from chemical additives and contains no residual herbicides, pesticides or fungicides, which means more natural goodness and fewer hangovers.
I don’t know about vodka being “natural goodness” but it turns out, the product description was otherwise not exaggerating too much. I did a side-by-side test of shots of Vodka O and Smirnoff Red, and the Vodka O went down smoother and was scarily easy to drink. I say scary because my friends and I did shots of this last night a little too enthusiastically.
And it was clean enough that I did not have a bad hangover. I declare this my new favourite vodka. Any Vodka O sales rep reading this out there? *hint hint wink wink*
Tham and I have been seeing two married women on their own for dinner and drinks lately. Tham is a long time friend of the first woman, and the other woman is this woman’s old friend too. Their husbands know about us and don’t seem to mind.
I wonder if the situation was reversed, where Tham and I were two married men who go out on these outings with two single women, how would society view us? Would our wives even let us go to these things? Would they even accept the explanation that we’ve been long time friends? I mean, why would two married men want to hang around two single women, if not for the obvious?
Tham and I were talking about women (chicks, man!) and we made up these imaginary conversations between a boyfriend and a girlfriend.
Version 1
Girl: I just don’t feel like it. Guy: But you were fine with it 10 minutes ago! Girl: Well, I don’t anymore, ok?! Guy: Why? Girl: I just don’t. Stop asking me!
Version 2
Girl: I just don’t feel like it. Guy: But you were fine with it 10 minutes ago! Girl: Well, I don’t anymore, ok?! Guy: Why? Girl: You should know! I hate you!
Me: Hey mom, can I borrow the Camry? Mom: Take the Lexus. Me: Why? Mom: It’s nicer than the Camry. Me: Wait, you think I’m picking up a girl? Mom: … Me: Because it’s so hot today, everyone will be heading to the beach and parking might be really bad. I’m borrowing your car because it’s not as low as mine and it’d be easier to park up a kerb. Besides, I’m only picking up Tham. Mom: Ok, in that case, take the Camry.
