a.k.a "The Most ____ Page"

People like to ask:"...what was your most ______ situation /experience, etc." While I enjoy re-living the moment, after a while the memories start to fade. I thought that a pity so here's my way of re-living the past.

Zaniest

Meet Keith (on phone) and David. I roomed with these two for some time. Keith just got David to laugh continuously for 2 hours. Got that? Two hours. He's on the floor now with cramps and stitches, but he's so high on oxygen that he can't stop laughing (even long after we stopped trying to make him laugh).

Pity the a Guiness Book of Records Official wasn't nearby...

Most Brilliant Comeback

Meet Rajesh and Mercedes (center & right). You know how many of us like to do the corny thing of holding up two fingers behind someone's head while our photos are being taken?  Weak, I know.

So, in a flash of brilliance I decided to show Rajesh (who is a homophobe and was sure to play a prank on me) I could grab more than he could pull.

(Okay, quite the boo-hissing for the corniness already!!!)

Biggest Fish Caught

When people find out about my fishing escapades, they would often ask me about the biggest fish I've ever caught. I find this question difficult to answer because on one hand, it's fun to spin a yarn. But on the other, size doesn't matter (it depends on what you're using).

A small but spirited fish can be great fun on tiny tackle. There is no sport in winching in a big fish on colossal tackle (unless you do justice later by ingesting the entire thing by yourself). So, I once caught a fish this big, and I'm proud of it.

This other Shien-sized fish however, was caught by some other macho angler with just a handline. (I just want you all to know that I am shameless about posing with other people's fish.)

Most Brutha

I think just about every guy dreams about being the toughest, baddest boy in town. So, this is my meanest, roughest crew.

(so what if we were all actually nice guys on a short-term mission trip :Þ  )

Climb Craziest

While Chris may not be the most accomplished rockwall climber around, he doesn't pass up ANY chance to climb. Here you see him in his church clothes shortly after the service.

This same guy once offered me some juice while I was driving down the Interstate 30 in a friend's pick-up truck. When he realised that the juice was in his backpack on the flatbed behind us, he just rolled his eyes and shrugged. Before I could tell him:"don't worry about it", he was pulling himself out the window and inching his way to the back...

Returning to his seat with the bottle he noticed my freaked-out self. So he asked earnestly:"Anything wrong?"

After ranting the obvious, he stopped to consider what he just did, then remarked matter-of-factly:"I suppose that was a rather silly thing for me to do wasn't it?"

(I nearly passed out at the wheel from exasperation)

Scariest Looking Room-mate

This is Keith again. But looks can be deceiving--he's probably the most cautious, considerate and earnest guy I know. Heck, he's a computer programmer at a network solutions firm. Maybe that's not enough to pacify your concerns but I can assure you that I've had room-mates who were far more insane.

Kewlest

This was Brad during his freshman year in college. When I got him playing my guitar, he demonstrated to me that it's the player (not my really nice guitar I hoped would make me sound faa-bulous ) that makes fine music.

Then and now he's the most excellent guitar wizard I know ("we're not worthy!!! we're not worthy!!! we're not worthy!!!). Needless to say, he's cleaned off a LOT, but I just couldn't resist dragging these mug-shots out from the 'ol album!

Fastest on Water

This is Mr Stephen Seow, owner and manufacturer of Dynaglass Boats. His boats have taken me faster than anything on water (except a can of rancid beer).

He invited me to participate in one of his sea-trials onboard a recently completed boat (shown below). And despite having my jowls raked back while travelling at 40kts (about 42 mph) he was not pleased. "Not fast enough", he yells to me over the din of the twin Mercury 175hp Outboards.

So I tightened my grip on helm and punched the throttles down--launching the boat to 45kts (about 48mph). "Ah, that's about right", said Stephen cooly.

At that speed, even the Police Coast Guard speedboats were no match for us. Heh.

Scariest Ride

Karl does not seem to understand the definition of impassable. He relishes opportunities to prove others wrong. He once jumped queue in a line of cars waiting to exit a parking lot by popping his Bronco into 4WD to climb curbs and medians!

So here are pictures of Karl, Keith and I teetering up and down "Red Cone", Colorado, USA. The trail is the width of a driveway, cratered, and falls away so steeply that rocks kicked out by our tyres cause little landslides all the way down the ravine. My bicycle helmet (brought along at Karl's suggestion) is keeping my head together while I am slammed around the vehicle.

I was relieved to be alive enough to take this picture on the other side. The sign reads:"Do Not Enter--One Way ONLY". When the terror wore off, I mused:"Wouldn't it be cool to have a picture of the Bronco coming down the hill?"

Karl pursed his lips, hopped into the Bronco and backed it halfway up the slope we just survived. "Hey! How's this?!!", he yells.

But before I could snap out of my stunned silence, he hopped back in to back up a bit more...