Author: Wilfrid

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Book Reviews Fiction

The City and its Uncertain Walls: A Reflection on Murakami’s Labyrinth of Closure

Murakami - The City and its Uncertain Walls

Few authors can weave a narrative tapestry as intricate and evocative as Haruki Murakami. For years, I have been captivated by his works, drawn to the way he blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The City and its Uncertain Walls is no exception. While it may not rank among my personal favourites, it lingers in my mind long after the final page – a testament to its provocative themes and enigmatic storytelling. Yet, this lingering comes with frustration, as the ambiguous ending leaves much to the reader’s imagination, a choice that may not satisfy everyone.

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Diary

I Asked AI to Create a Recipe with What I Had in My Fridge – Here’s What Happened!

AI generated image

Today, AI recommended a Cauliflower and Lentil Veggie Stew for dinner, and I’m here for it!

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Diary

And I Finally Into AI

A gamer girl and her cat
An image generated by DALL·E 3 using a prompt of mine.

Here in Singapore, our government gives us money to up-skill ourselves and to stay relevant to the job market. One day as I was doing my grocery shopping at a mini-mart next to my condo, there was a counter selling AI courses. If I really want to DIY, I could. But I am lazy. So I have decided to spend zero dollar and sign up for a 4-day course over 4 weekends to learn AI.

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My YouTube

Vampire Survivors: How to Beat the Reaper or Death from Stage 1 to 4!

Leda vs White Hand
Defeating the Reaper with Crimson Shroud and/or Infinite Corridor will spawn White Hand. White Hand guarantees to one-shot you!

If you manage to survive till the 30th minute in any of the four stages in Vampire Survivors, the Reaper will appear. More often than not, your character would be one-shot while the stage is considered as completed. To defeat the Reaper in all four stages, there are prerequisites (see bottom of this post). You don’t have to follow a specific build. You just need to follow the strategy and the tips below. An OK build may take longer to down Reaper. But you should be able to get the job done within one minute. This guide also works very well against RNG. You need a bit of luck to get the 2 items you need but there are ways to mitigate this.

PS. This guide assumes that you have the knowledge and experience in surviving till the 30th minute.

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Observing Life

After 8+ Years of Driving a Hybrid Car, I Don’t Think It’s Worth It

Better fuel consumption, reduced impact to environment, these are some of the promises of driving a hybrid car. But after more than 8 years of driving Mazda 3 2.0L model, with 2 failed capacitors after a mileage of 60,000 km – and they are expensive to replace (S$2k or US$1.5k each) – I’d rather drive a regular car. Here is why.

Under the hood of my 8 years old hybrid Mazda car. The capacitor is located at the bottom of the bottom right compartment (hidden).
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Diary

I Enjoy Random Conversations

Friday night, after a long day at work, I headed down to the supermarket opposite my condo to buy some beers. I wanted to cook something simple too. Like instant noodle and sardine.

Since the sardine collection was limited, I scrapped the idea of cooking and only bought a 6-pack.

As I joined the queue, a white man was in front with a basket full of grocery. He offered to let me go first, which I was grateful. I would have done the same.

But I was in no hurry. I thanked him and said just that. While waiting for the cashier to scan the items, I could have waited patiently, played with my phone perhaps. Instead, I asked him, “Are you from the neighbourhood?”

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Diary

I am ENFP

OK. Cliche as it sounds, I have done a personality check. MBTI to be precise. It seems like people these days are so into it. From dating scene to … Korean reality show.

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I See I Write

Stop Saying “On Priority” At Work

Yes, it is annoying.

Have you ever received an email, with a request. And the sender copied Tom, Dick, Henry, and their relatives, and said, “do this on priority.”

That always triggers me. Why?

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Diary

Funny Thing At Work – No, It’s Not the Age

I manage a team at work. Some are in Singapore. Most in India. One of my teammate in India has left for sabbatical leave. Good for her. Holiday in US. She is above 50. Her replacements are two decades younger.

Today I had a call with one of my teammates in Singapore. He commended the younger folks on doing a much better job. I asked what made you think that these younger folks are doing better than someone who is in her 50’s.

He said, “Not to be bias, I think it is all about age and energy.”

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Categories
Observing Life

Constantly On a Timer!

These days, I feel that I am constantly be reminded of time. It gets worse after the start of the pandemic. In the past, when I worked in the office and when there was a meeting, we had to book a physical meeting room. Participants could be from different buildings. Few turned up on time, unless it was a very important meeting. Back then, people needed to walk from one building to another, take a lift from one floor to another, or stopped by the bathroom and/or pantry. Now? People work remotely. Meetings are setup remotely. Once the meeting notification appeared, people join the meeting online. When I had a take a bathroom or water break, even with 1 minute late, people start to get impatient and message me if I am joining the meeting now. Right now!

What happens to the good old days when people chit chat before the meeting started while waiting for the rest to join?

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