Wednesday, December 28, 2005
The subject registration exercise or rather, the operation is finally over. Compared to the nerve-wrecking experience of last semester, it was pretty smooth-sailing. I managed to register for all my choice-timings.
Perhaps, it is due to the fact that I was under the first registration timings. This timing is reserved for the"priviledged" few who have managed to fail one or more subjects the last time round. Come to think of it, I have been the first to register for all my subjects every semester.
I used to think it was bad, especially since I would practically fail something every semester. But, after my uncle told me a story, my perception changed. Here's the story:
There once lived an emperor and a highly regarded adviser. Both of them have been childhood friends since young and their relationship was like that of brothers. Even when he ascended the throne, the emperor would still go out hunting with his adviser.
Once, whilst they were out hunting, the emperor borrowed the adviser's bow for hunting. The adviser failed to warn him that the bow line was pretty sharp and the emperor's finger was torn off by it.
The emperor asked the adviser why he didn't warn him. The adviser, thinking that since it was a small matter, laugh it off and told him that whatever has happened, take it in a positive manner, the torn-off finger might be a blessing instead. In a fit of rage, the emperor nearly executed the adviser. But due to the fact that he was a long-time friend, he threw him into the jail.
Sometime after that incident, the emperor wnet hunting again. But this time round, he was captured by the barbarians. The emperor was made as a sacrifice to their gods. But upon closer inspection, the barbarians found that he was "incomplete", that is he had a missing finger and could not be sacrificed.
Hence, they released him and the emperor made his way back to his kingdom. Upon reaching his palace, the emperor thought about what his adviser has said and released him. The emperor asked his adviser whether he was angry for locking him up.
The adviser laughed it off and said that he took it in a positive manner. If he had gone hunting with the emperor, he would had been the one who would be the sacrificial product.
To surmise; Always take things in a positive manner no matter what has happened. It could be a blessing in disguise.
I think it is such positive manner that will make the difference in how we lead our lives. If we can take things in a positive manner and believe in ourselves, many issues can be solved.
That's why I admired Sharon alot, even after so many years have passed.She went through so much and is now holding down 2 jobs just to pay off her father's debts. She is a very capable gal and I have always believed she can go far. And such gals are pretty lacking in our sunny island. Robin knows she is still in my heart and have encouraged me to go after her again..but bro, I am wondering, whether it is to fulfill my secondary school dream or whether I really love her?
School's starting soon and I don't want to be bogged down by matters of the heart. This will be the most crucial semester and I don't want to be affected by it. If it works out, it will work out, if not, then life goes on..
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Tuesday, December 27, 2005
2005 has come and passed so fast...once again we are heading towards a new year..with it comes new aspirations and the starting of another chapter of my life.
Was this a good year for me? As I reflect back on the happenings in my life, I can say that it has been a mixture of good and bad. It was good in the sense that I managed to do well in my studies, albeit with a letdown by maths.But it is good that I passed one of them, AFTER TRYING FOR 4 TIMES!! I managed to do some of the things I had been planning to do for a while..which was:
1)Got my Advanced Diving Certification.
2)G0t basic diving gear, lest BCD and Regulator.
3)Got a more portable lappy (I just ordered it today!!)
4)Started learning roller-blading, with some help from my friends.
All these equate to hell lot of money spent..which has strained the finances abit.So, what WERE the bad things that happened this year? THEY are;
1)My fave grandma passed away. Considering the fact I was close to her, it was the number 1 thing that upset me the most.She won't be able to see me wear my convocation gown when I graduate, see me in my ceremonial whites when I get married and many many other things..I still miss her now and then, but I have already moved on with it, knowing that she will forever live in my heart
2)I witnessed the bad face of human nature of which morals and honor were at stake.I don't want to say much but those of you in the loop will know what I meant. I do take morality and trust seriously and definitely CANNOT tolerate such betrayal of these principles. To me, sad to say, I am someone who takes friendships and relationships seriously. I can trust people with my fears and secrets, but once they break my trust, they will be dropped from the "Friends" category to that of "Accquaintance".
Other than that, I think it has been a pretty smooth-sailing year..a new year lies ahead and with that new resolutions which are;
1)To be able to convocate with my friends and pop the bottle Moet Champagne in front of the auditorium.
2)To do some belt-tightening after a spending spree this year. Hopefully I can save enough for my graduating trip to Australia.
3)To attempt the Army half-marathon in September and Standard Chartered Marathon in December.
Well, that is something to look forward to in the year ahead and things will go well if I want them to..Happy New Year!!!
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Monday, December 26, 2005
Finally, I am home!!!Did any of you miss me?? Hahaha..come on, I was, like out of town for few days only..hahaha...
Anyways, for once I am back early,considering I reached home at 1 in the morning the last time round. Roads were pretty clear all the way back..got a chance to test out the maximum speed of the big boy while mom was sleeping..hehe..managed a respectable speed of 160 km/hr before I loosened off.
Driving on the NS highway sure takes alot of both mental and physical endurance. You cannot afford the mistake of falling asleep while driving and the bladder control must be good till the the next rest-stop.
Observed some interesting stuff when I was driving up;
1)Never drive next to a coach..the turbulence formed by it as it drove past me can caused you to swerve out of control if you are not careful enough...even for a car of my size, it can be pretty nerve-wrecking.
2)Coaches plying NS Highway can go as fast as you. I got tail-gated by a coach and I was driving at 130 km/hr!!! I changed lanes and let him overtake me and followed at a safe distance behind him. If there are any speedtraps, he will get it first..hahaha
3)Malaysian drivers sure are much more road-friendly than our average Singaporeans. When they see you coming towards them at a high speed, they will change lanes and let you pass. Compare that with our drivers, who will not give a hoot about you when you are driving at high speeds and high-lighting them with the headlights. Even when I was in KL, in a traffic jam, which happens all the time, if you signal your intention and move into the lane, they will not speed up and cut you off.Our locals don't..they will however do the latter.
Other than that, I can surmise our locals have more to learn about proper road manners when they are driving. Besides getting lost alone while trying to find the hotel, the rest of my time there was uneventful. Now that I am quite familiar with KL, I should be able to make my way around without much difficulty.Went over to the malls and it sure was packed with people doing Xmas shopping.
But Xmas is not as happening as that of home..There wasn't any mass celebrations that we see here. It was all confined to the pubs which I didn't have a chance to visit..oh well...next time then.
Now that I am back, its time to meet up with jac and gx for a cuppa which I promised them. And now something interesting; I will be meeting my secondary school sweetheart..the surprising thing is she was the one who wanted to meet me..oh well, been half a year since I last met up with her..time to do some catching up with her...seems like she's holding down 2 jobs at one go..how can I not be worried about her?
She deserves something better than this..poor gal..haiz..
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Friday, December 23, 2005
Yes yes, the results are finally out and how did I fare? Out of a total 8 modules I took, I passed 7 of them. I have finally passed one of my maths module after 4 attempts..Thank God!!...but in the process, I failed another maths module..nothing to gloat about since this is the second time I failed it.
Haiz, seems like out of the 3 of us who took this maths paper, Sab and me failed again..oh well, at least there's someone to accompany me to take the maths again..haiz..why did we fail it? I thought we did pretty well for the quiz..haiz..
But I am satisfied with my overall grades, it was my best showing ever..seems like staying back after school hours have paid off..without any distractions,I scored 4 B's and 3 D's..even though I had hoped of scoring at least an A for my Quality Assurance module..oh well..what to do..you can have the best of everything can we?
Next semester will be my last in the hell hole (hopefully) and as usual, it will be frocked with long hours in the school, constantly revising and doing tutorials. At least my timetable will be lighter which makes my revision easier. Hopefully I can go out with a bang and get at least an A for 1 module.
Oh a lighter note, these few days have been a pretty slack affair for me..spent the time watching a local play titled," Oi, Sleeping Beauty"..been a while since I last caught a play..had a good laugh over it..haha..the next one will be "Broadway Beng" in February..time to save up for it.
The next one would be going over to a friend's condo for bbq..the funny thing was, there was 2 separate cliques as not all of us were familiar with one another..in the end, I chatted up with 2 gals and a guy with whom was in the same lecture theatre as me..haha..and thanks to my good friend, they seems to think I am interested in the organiser..oh well, she is a virtous and nice girl and I don't want to break her heart, given the bastard nature of mine...
Anyway, Xmas is coming and I sure can smell it in the air. Tomorrow I will be driving up north to celebrate it with my family..better than spending it here when my buds are either working or already overseas..oh well, till then, happy holidays!!!
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Monday, December 19, 2005
Another day of sleepness night beckons. The results were to be released today, but alas, after countless checking and rechecking, it has not been released yet!!
The past few days,sans the weekends, have been pretty much sleepness affair. The constant worrying has surely rised the blood pressure,increased the amount of hormones..definitely a sure beckoning for Mr Heart Disease.
Come to think of it, the damage has already been done, there's no use crying over split milk..but then again,everyone is jumpy about whether they have failed or scrape through..especially since it is the 2nd last semester in the hell-hole.
Every other 10 minutes would see me checking for the release of results and every phone-call or SMS just makes me paranoid. I just hope to clear all my modules and start with a clean slate.There's too much at stake..
Meanwhile the waiting continues.....
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Sunday, December 18, 2005
1) Idiotic drivers who change into your lanes abruptly without signalling. They think that once they drive a bigger car, pay more road tax, they are entitled to more piece of the road. Eh, hello, the signalling indicators are there for you to use..not for display purposes hor.If you want to change lanes, signal and if I can accomodate you, I will let you come onto my lane.
2)Road Hoggers. Spastic driver think they are some big shot.. driving at the speed limit at the overtaking lane with a procession of frustrated drivers at their tail cursing. Definitely looks like a funeral procession with the long train of cars at their back..the hogger's funeral that is.
What is overtaking lane?A lane for you to overtake, a lane for you to speed..if you want to be a law-abiding citizen, please stay at the centre-lane. Some people are in a hurry and it is because of you hoggers, that makes our blood boil. And for god's sake, look at the rear view mirror, if you see a car coming fast at you, have the courtesy to filter left and let them clear through..
3)Blind-spotters.These people are the worst of the lot. When they change lane, they don't check their blind-spots.A combi of (1) and this is definitely a safety issue. Is your neck being pinned down by thumb-tacks or what? You are inside a 4 wheeler cage, while your fellow road-users are exposed to the elements in a 2-wheeler.When you fail to check the blind-spots, they can't react and crash into you..they sure are going to fly further than you without the benefits of an airbag..Spare a thought for them will you?
Come on, erradicate all these bad habits that we have and driving is going to be a fun affair..not something stressful..
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Thursday, December 15, 2005
Love?..What and where is it??
Driving back along my favourite stretch of ECP after running, something popped up on mind.
Yes..it is love..I was listening to the radio which was broadcasting about this story between a gal, a guy and their long distance relationship.They were classmates back in secondary school and met again after a hiatus of 9 years.
They got together after a short courtship and sad to say the guy got posted to US for training for 9 mths. Long distance relationship..most of the time it won't work out..yes there will be some exceptional case..but this time round it didn't work out..apparently the gal couldn't take the loneliness incurred and fell for another guy...got married to him too...
When the boyfriend came from the training stint, he was heart-broken and wrote a letter to her...and went on with his life..
From this episode, it really set my mind thinking..is love all about this? Falling for temptation?Perhaps I am naive about the way relationships work..but I always believe love is supposed to be pure and that both parties must believe in it in order to work.. that communication is the key to everything..
Guys tend to misunderstand what a girl wants or vice-versa out of a relationship..which leads to arguments, fights and in the end, breakups. Whose the one suffering in the end?Both parties. I think a balance should be struck in between..that there shouldn't a giver and taker all the time. I rather have a 50/50 give-and-take type in order to foster a better relationship..
Sad to say, nowadays, not many gals can meet those benchmarks.Most of them can be pretty nasty little things...They expect alot and give back little in return,not that I am siding the guys..guys too can be bastards at times..two-timing their way through..especially those married fellas..wonder what's running in their minds..
Relationships aside, I think since its Xmas, we should spread love around abit. Those who have gotten their big, fat bonus should contribute some of it to the charity, especially to those kids who have nothing to cheer about during Xmas...damn, always breaks my heart to see them kids not smiling..
So do your part, help the disadvantaged while we are enjoying this yuletide season..
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The calm before the storm...
Haven't been sleeping well lately...The cause of it?final year project and the imminent release of exam results...
This is the time when everyone have sleepless nights, or even if they are able to sleep, nightmares about failing the exams...I wonder, why should studying be so stressful? Studying should be a fun-filled,entertaining experience, not something to be stressful about..
Perhaps, this is the "kiasu" mentality of our education system, that we cram as many stuff in our head as possible in the shortest amount of time, go for exams and then get the hell out of the school.Sheer memorisation of formulas..is it necessary?When we join the workforce, do we need to memorise them?..For god's sake, there are things called "formula sheets" lor..
And for most of the stuff that we learn, we won't even apply them unless we are doing R&D..so is it worth it? Might as well test our understanding of concepts through projects, assignments with exams taking a small percentage..
Damn it to hell...I am ranting away again...what a screwed up educational system..world-class university, 3rd class mentality and management..
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Friday, December 09, 2005
Achievements..are they that important??
Few days ago, my friend was lamenting about his lack of achievement, after 25 years on this planet. This got me thinking, what have I achieved? Are achievements really important?
We have been a product of other people's desires, our parents, peers, etc; By entering the elite schools, obtaining the best grades for exams, earning the most amount of money..all these so that our parents can be proud of us and we can say that we have achieved something in our life.
But is this really what we want? To me, all these are material achievements. So what I have entered an elite school, get the best grades, earn alot of money?..In the end will I be happy? In order to achieve all these "material wealth", one would have to sacrifice some things..time with loved ones, time to be yourself, etc..
After all these achievements, we will be lamenting about the fact that we did not spend enough time with our loved ones and regret about it. To me, achievement is being able to spend time with our loved ones and being happy. I would rather be a normal person than to be one with alot achievements.
Perhaps, that's why I am not destined to be someone great after all...haha..I just want to finish my degree course, finish my job in the force and go flying, then get hitched to someone I can spend my life with. That to me, is my achievement..what's yours??
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
FYP is getting suckier every minute..the feelings of helplessness surrounds me in my endeavour to draft up a report. It does not help when the supervising professor is expecting high standards.
Sometimes when this type of feelings strike me, one of the way for me to seek solitude will be through prayers. Only by seeking solitude with God will I be able have some inner peace and have the will to push on.
Besides seeking solitude with God, the other way will be...through "Ben & Jerry's" ice-cream!!!..I am into my 2nd tub within the span of 1 month..how does that sound? The current flavour I am into is Phish Food..its a combi of chocolate ice-cream with caramel and chocolate fudge..I am already 3/4 into the tub..I guess by today I will finish it..haha..
Other than that, it is the thrice weekly sports sessions that makes me stay sane. Gym, street soccer (even though I suck at it), badminton, tennis, running and swimming. The new thing will be the picking up of blading..the blades have already been bought but due to time-constraints, I have not been able to master the technique...haha...maybe I will do so later..
Oh well, time for dinner...till then...
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Sunday, December 04, 2005
Do you believe in horoscope??
Have you ever believed in horoscope? The predictions of your life based on the reading of stars? Why the sudden interest in horoscope you may ask? I like to read about my horoscope and see whether it is that accurate...sometimes it is sometimes it ain't...
Something caught my attention when I was reading my yearly horoscope for next year. This is what it says:" Your personal priority list needs to be reorganized, and by mid-2006 you can expect it to become top-heavy with loving relationships and meaningful experiences. You'll safeguard your personal integrity even more rabidly through your world-famous, up-front honesty....Your second source of personal astonishment in 2006 will be even more striking. You, the most freedom-oriented of all zodiacal creatures, may want to settle down this year. Yes, really -- with one person, romantically."
I do take it with a pinch of salt for it never happens this way...But concidentally, most of friends seem to be worried about me not getting attached nowadays. They are asking me why are you not getting a girlfriend?There are so many good gals in ntu..
Haiz..if it comes it comes, why should I keep giving so much and I am the one who gets hurt in the end? I rather have someone who can love me as much I love her..which from past experiences, haven't been the case. SO, for now, I rather do the things that I want to do...rollerblade, backpacking, trekking and diving..
If what the horoscope says its true, then let it come...
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Saturday, December 03, 2005
Sounds familiar?..These are the people who go from door to door to peddle their wares...which in recently has been ice-cream. I figure most of you fellas must have encountered them and their hard-sell tactics. Below is a typical exchange;
Sales person :"Hello, I am from XXXX ice cream and we are having a promotion. We are selling this ice cream for $$$ and it is cheaper than what the shops are selling.."
Consumer: "No, thanks (acts bored)"
Sales person:"We are down to 3 or 4 already, Help us buy them then we can knock off" OR "You can't expect 2 young gals to go around pushing a cart doing so..can you?"
Above is the typical "tactic", ok ok, abit too harsh, lets say strategy, they use to market their product. They tend to make use of our emotion to pity them, etc..don't they know the consumer has their rights? I understand that it is tough for the sales people, which in many cases, are students earning pocket money during the hols.
I am ok with them earning extra money but is it correct of them to manipulate your emotions in order to market their product? Sometimes I wonder whether the company is teaching them the correct marketing techniques? Did the company teach them that when the consumer say "No" and is disinterested, it is time to go on?
I once read the newspaper detailing the company's spokesman saying that they knew nothing of such techniques being employed, and that they do not condone it..if so, who's calling the shots here? This reminds me of a term which I once read in many novels which is called "plausible deniability", which means, they know about it but they don't want to be associated with it.Perhaps they are doing that. Personally I cannot condone such technique, but I don't take it out on the sales persons, 'cause they are out to earn some extra money.
On the other hand, consumers can be abit too much too. They practically slam the doors in their place when the sales people market their stuff. I mean, come on, give them a chance, listen to them, if you don't like it, say "No" in a firm and polite manner. They are kids, for God's sake. When you have kids next time, and they go about peddling their stuff door-to-door, you slam the door onto their face without them even starting to say anything, how would they feel?
This is a chance for them to build up their confidence through exposure to the real world. Exposure to the world teaches them to be street smart and that money is hard-earned, which most kids nowadays don't understand. They tend to think that money drops down from the skies nowadays..haiz...
Anyway, my message to all is that while we do not condone such sales practice, we also shouldn't take it out on the sales persons, which in this case are just kids. Give them a chance to build up their self-confidence by peddling their stuff. If you don't like it, then reject them in a polite and firm manner, if they still persist, then do it in a much more firm tone, but not to the extent of calling them names or whatsoever and slamming the door in their face.
This don't say much about our upbringing either do we?
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Thursday, December 01, 2005
Bonus still have not been paid out and I have already gone a shopping spree..lets tally the cost here;
1)Bought inline skates and protective gear for $229..and that is at a discount.
2)Bought 4 aircraft models at $244..was almost tempted to get one more to enjoy a free aircraft..but in the end I restrained myself..hehe..my mom will start her opera session if she knows about it..
Total damage: $229 + $ 244 = $473...considering the projected amount of bonus I am going to get, it is roughly 1/3 of it..haiz...
The rest of the bonus will go to savings and giving mom an extra money...
That aside, I went running at ECP, after a hiatus of few weeks. I have to force myself to wake up and go running instead of sleeping in. It was a good run albeit slow one due to the hot weather. I managed to run roughly 5km..my ultimate goal is to run the Standard Chartered Marathon one day..slowly but surely I will be able to do it..which reminds me of a quote I saw when I was running today.
The quote is:"Listen to the heart not the legs, impossible is nothing"..this is something for all of us to note..nothing is impossible if we put our heart and soul to it..train harder, I can do it!!
Now the holiday game plan will be:
1) Finish my Final Year Project.
2)Learn inline skating.
3)Train to run at least 10 km.
4)Go eat chocolate buffet and Sunday brunch at Top of the M.
That's all for now...till then, happy holidays!!!
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