JL

The road not taken

2010-11-19T16:37:00.002+08:00

Two roads diverged in a wood and I...

I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference.

These meaningful lines were taken from a poem written by Robert Frost, and how well it reflects life! Everyone's life is always sealed with 2 choices. A great life, or a mediocre one - which by definition, is the more commonly travelled path.

But life is such a big topic some might say... so for those who are not sure where to start, consider starting by just choosing to have a great week, day, or even just a great hour.

So...

Do you see the two roads in your life?

What went right?

2010-11-15T09:56:00.000+08:00

Good question.

There is enough time?

2010-11-07T18:46:00.004+08:00

Whenever an illusion of such thinking creeps up!

Stop thyself...

For when one thinks there's time to spare,

That time can easily be spared away.

Do we really have time to spare... for facebook for example.

When we are 1 hour away from an important examination?

How about if we're 1.1 hours away?

5 hours?

10?

100?

Conversely. How much preparation is enough for an important exam?

100?

10?

1.1?

There is no such thing as too much time. One will only know whether our preparations should have been longer or shorter after the actual exam itself.

At least, if one fails an examination, sometimes there's the opportunity to retake it.

But what if the important task is life itself?

How much time does one need in life, to succeed in life? (Effectively how long does one need to live?)

Do we really have enough time in life? To achieve the really important things? Our life's work?

How much time will we need?

30 years? 20 years? 10 years? 1 year?

a month?

a day?

There may not be enough time...

The proof for disbelief

2010-05-15T19:36:00.001+08:00

Is
Very
Long

Singapore Rain

2010-03-25T00:59:00.002+08:00

The Asian rain
Sweeps down meadows
Of mountains green
And Singaporean
Windows

Forte
the wind cries
the clouds do follow
and the only thing resisting
windows...

Life the chess game

2010-03-07T23:50:00.001+08:00

I noticed that the only time I'm ever serious is when I'm in a chess game.

Child of Mugging distraction

2010-03-03T00:35:00.003+08:00

In the simpson's there is one episode (Last Exit to Springfield) where Homer was faced with 2 ideas in his brain.

1. Lisa needs bracers.
2. Keg of beer or free employee dental plan.

While it would have been obvious for us to see that any person of reasonable intelligence should see the relation between these 2 ideas namely, that Homer should choose the free employee dental plan because Lisa needs bracers; In the episode Homer in that instant did not realize this and it was quite amusing to watch such stupidity.

Until of course, I realized that I myself am often guilty of such idiocy as well.

Many ideas exist in our mind. Unfortunately unless we consciously try to see connections between them, compare them, or combine them, these precious ideas remain unactivated; floating, and destined to the mind's recycle bin.

With that in mind. Consider, the collector of knowledge. How smart can knowledge make a person who does not see connections between them and utilizes them? At best that person can become a walking encyclopedia. Even if homer had all the ideas conveyed in the Britannica Encyclopedia, with his level of brain activity. It is plain to see that it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Therefore dear friends. If these symptoms fit your heart too, consider changing professions... from a know it all - to a connect it all.

The end of a curse?

2010-02-27T11:44:00.001+08:00

In retrospect, I should have just resigned earlier...

When I felt it was a dead end job.

Seriously.

It's in the genes

2010-02-23T00:35:00.004+08:00

All gazillion of them.

Prancing about my room the banana brown beetles knock themselves out. Light is nice to the beetle... though lethal. Yeah, what to do... it's in their genes right.

Yes, and it's in my genes too or rather an interplay between my genes and environment.
Something inspired a thought in me today... what is the clearest personification of my identity? What am I now that I have always had since I was born and will continue on till the day I die?

Manifested by every cell in my body. If ever I have a soul or essence, it must be made of deoxyribonucleic acids.

What I am today is the result of a 21 year waltz between genes and reality. Yes, if I had poor nutrition for example, I would have never been able to grow up to 173 cm even though my genes would have been the same. I would also never have learnt how to swim if I hadn't had access to a swimming pool. Genes give us capacity. But having the capacity to do or be things doesn't necessarily mean that it is innate. A glass that has the capacity to contain orange juice doesn't mean that it contains orange juice. But it will have OJ though if one pours OJ into it.

so...
do you know your genes and what you're truly capable of?

Humans and Machines

2010-02-22T00:34:00.002+08:00

Humans,
and Machines,
They're different.

Machine capacities, the more one uses them, the more they degrade. That's why we need warranties.
Human capacites, the more one uses them, the better they get. That's why there will never be warranties against change- For that change is called growth.

Also;

Machine capacities, don't use and it will inert at best
Human capacites, use it or lose it

Nothing worth having

2010-02-21T13:42:00.001+08:00

Ever comes easily

Another grateful day

2010-02-18T01:19:00.003+08:00

1. I'm grateful that I managed to complete viewing 5 webcast lectures in half a day.
2. I'm grateful for a renewed zest to be independent.
3. I'm grateful for loving friends.

Butterfly printer

2010-02-15T11:47:00.003+08:00

The butterfly flutters
Lands on Printer A
How are your Printer B
Oops I am
mistaken bye now!

The butterfly pierces
The air in
The happy room
The hymn of chicken pies

Elucidate this sun
demands the butterfly
till I return
for now I'm off
to Mars

1st Day of the Tiger Year

2010-02-14T23:06:00.003+08:00

The atmosphere of new year arrives once more. This time last year I did not come back. This time I did though.

Anyway, coming back to KL has it's good points. Sleeping on my bed aside, I get to do some shopping and tick some items off my shopping list.

random.
I'll be shameless now and record 3 things that I'm currently grateful for:
1. I'm grateful for really good buddies that I have been hanging out with for the past week. Palpably the good times we share in this life are finite and transient, but at least our memories of them will last much longer.
2. I'm grateful for renewed perspectives and self knowledge that I have discovered recently.
3. I'm grateful for the good relationship between CKL and myself and to know that she has been doing fine.

Yep and that much I will record for now.

After a long long time

2010-02-06T23:53:00.002+08:00

Yes folks. After almost 11 months this blog has come alive again. The weeds of thoughts again spring from them fingers of mine. My comma key isn't working on my keyboard. Oh well.

Week 4 has just ended. Time passes really fast in NUS.

I'm not struggling as much as I am anxious. Anxious that my engine is not quite started yet when the race has already begun 4 weeks ago.

Education is to me perhaps... preparation to be of service.
And I shall leave it at that. as the predicate following 'perhaps...'

For it is not wise to overconceptualize things.
It is not wise to point at the moon and focus on the finger.

Whilst missing all that heavenly glory.

jet lag

2009-03-04T07:09:00.003+08:00

jet lag, also known as kapal terbang hancur, aeroplane slow-slow, desynchronosis, is an ailment affecting me now.

Oh how this ailment disturbs my bailiwick as a pacifist would a benevolent junta. Indeed, it is within my sphere of operation to choose the words that would lace my blog posts, as salad dressing dresses cabbage. And I'm glad that my cabbage is still tasty.

Despite the reports of the corner of my eye; sights of mid-term vultures lurking beyond the clouds of the present; I am grateful still. For today eureka has married my bailiwick.

Yet being the unnatty nut that I am. Was it ever a surprise that my bailiwick eluded me, like a dog it's tail? or mother theresa cruella de ville?

Nope. Not a surprise at all. Just that sometimes it does take a plane or 2 to crash.

Boston

2009-02-27T21:56:00.002+08:00

As the azure sky once again veils the portrait of night, so begins day 10 of the Harvard leg of ISAGE.

To describe my experience of Harvard in brief, I have this much to say:

Good Exposure =)

I would be uploading photos soon, either here or on facebook. Stay tuned!

Mid December Updates

2008-12-17T02:39:00.012+08:00

How time flies!

My first caroling experience at Tanglin Club with the NUS choir on the 4th of December. We were caroling for an event that was filled with old ladies. lol.

... and a big christmas tree!

Later that same day, went to a NUS Student Leaders' Networking session on the 4th of December at the Asian Civilizations Musuem.

Took a fancy picture on a fancy chair

People, people everywhere~

here and there...

The turn-out was pretty good! This was my first networking session. Met some old friends and made some new ones. Overall it was great. Though I should try to make sure I have name cards in future... haha.

Went for my first sponsorship meeting on the 5th of December at EmitAsia,

Outside the Emitasia office.

We discussed the collaboration area interest of both parties and the meeting ended with a second meeting to be scheduled shortly thereafter.

Went to Bugis later, tried Ceasar Salad. LoL. A bit sour, and has eggs too, lol

Oh and the Bugis fountain was quite nice too, with water shooting out and colliding. It was the first time I've seen anything like it since the last time I came it was under maintenance.

Then on the 6th of December I went night cycling with the Civil Engineering Club.

Night Cycling had always been one of these things I've wanted to do in Singapore, and so when I saw an advertisement for night cyling as Sim Chuan's personal message I literally jumped at the chance! lol. Spent a total of about 9 hours cycling. Even going through cemetaries and passing by NTU, a great experience overall. =)

NES HNEEP meeting the next day at the NES boardroom. I've been given a new job role as the Academic Executive. lol.

Oh and I went for our second sponsorship meeting with Stacey to Talentpreneur's office on the 8th of December. Unfortunately since the day coincided with Hari Raya Haji it was a public holiday and the person we were supposed to meet had a mix up and wasn't able to show up. The meeting was rescheduled to a later date. Fortunately, all was not for naught as since we were nearby chinatown, Stacey brought me to a restaurant which was famous for porridge. And so I tried some frog porridge. lol. Yep, its the first time I tried frog meat... and its quite tender.. a bit like scallop.. mmm.. eating hot frog porridge on a cold rainy public holiday morning in a traditional chinese restaurant.. quite the experience =)

Anyway, after that I basically attended choir camp for a few days, MC-ed for the Hall 11 and Raffles Hall exchange... haha it was my first time MC-ing too. Most enlightening. hehe. And I discovered that Senior Simon is in Hall 11, lol. Went caroling again with the NUS choir on the 12th and 13th at the Forum and Hilton at Orchard, as well as Marina Bay. Also went caroling with the Raffles Hall choir, which was quite fun, at whitesands. Helped out as a volunteer for RHeady's camp X'posure for underprivileged kids. And tomorrow (today) I'll be going to Heartland mall to perform some christmas music! =) This will be my last carol/unplugged performance of the year.

Yep that's about it. And oh, tmr my parents are coming to Singapore!

They're coming down for a holiday. =)
So, later they're going to fetch me back to KL. LOL no need to buy bus tickets whee~ =P

Harlo December ~

2008-12-02T05:44:00.004+08:00

The exams ended and holidays have begun. whee~

So, semester one draws to a close~ but my work has just begun. too. Mmm.

Currently have a very owl-like biological clock.

Work. Work. Work. Currently uncluttering my laptop.

This blog needs more life...

and pictures.

and frequency!

I guess it's not feasible to make a blog entry everyday after all. Need to renounce my earlier decision then =P... Haha, oh well, we live we learn.

Hehe, wonder how's my little sister doing.

The decisive battle

2008-11-11T02:55:00.001+08:00

Ok. So it has come to this. It's all or nothing now.

Innovation Program concluded today. Passed! 4MCs! =)
Professors gave good feedback for our project. Grateful. =)

Kinda inspired to take a level 4000 module. lol.

Rained the whole day. Car Wash auxillary totally destroyed. =P

Went with CY and Gail to see an OSA officer to negotiate an approval for a deal between RH and MS. OSA people are nice and professional - in the sense that they really do follow the regulations as best possible. Basically the negotiations concluded with the OSA officer planning to discuss the matter with her superiors before getting back to us in a week's time.

NUS Choir. Conducted sectionals with JS. Haha, simply hentam. =P
Rupa-rupa the easiest thing to do is to simply play from the piano and everyone else can normally catch it easily.

Unplugged. Practiced Guitaring accompaniment for CQ.

mmm. all or nothing...

Weekend End

2008-11-02T00:21:00.000+08:00

That's it, I officially proclaim myself owner of the knowledge that I need 6 hours of sleep daily. Missed the networking session. It was a mistake to sleep late (5am) when I have an event the next day.

1. Unless you're very hyper, otherwise it's ineffective to work till late at night. You will have less high performance time and still need to sleep to recover sleep debts.

Finished mastering physics. Yes.

2. Be resolute in your decisions or circumstances will be resolute in imposing one on you.
3. Nothing great was ever achieved without passion. Have energy!

Played badminton today. Performance is proportional to energy level I found. Washing machine found to finish work in less than an hour.

Is time in question?

2008-10-31T23:04:00.000+08:00

Super working night through till afternoon. Managed to reach tutorial 7. Went to a RealAcad interview seminar today. Most insightful.

1. Get it right the first time, don't 'schedule' to get it right later, a proper understanding in time will save 9 questions of don't know how to do.

University life involves many urgent responsibilities and engagements that come in machinegun-like successions. To reactively jump into the fury of fire fighting is to get oneself burnt. Hence the importance of knowing what's important, and to work with a silent commitment towards their completion is perhaps the best route towards balance and peace of mind.

2. Put first things first. Put last things in the afterlife.
3. Begin with the end in mind. At least know where you're headed with the current trends of the environment and self.

I'm headed towards more OMGturnalism.

Effects of jogging

2008-10-31T03:45:00.000+08:00

One normally really feels how tiring yesterday was upon waking today.

Today's sociology lecture was interesting. The concept of family was discussed with succint insight. Cold called 20 Fashion retailers today.

1. A stitch in time saves nine.
2. Don't practice struggling, practice making it easier.

There was a fire drill at the hall today.
USP interview on November 12th. =x
Still marathoning maths.

Halloween Night

2008-10-30T00:33:00.000+08:00

Celebrated Halloween in Hall. RH style. Dance was nice.

1. Effective Preparation prepares one for the Actual Performance.
2. A willing memory is inversely proportional to creative distractions.

Pretty much confirmed going to stay in Singapore for the vacation.
Clocked 30 minutes around NUS today.

The Week 10 Adventure Begins

2008-10-20T03:46:00.002+08:00

I've decided to make it a habit to try to blog every day. University life is simply too exciting and meaningful to let pass without the faintest computation into some sort of record. I am also planning to record new things I've tried everyday as well as the lessons I've learnt.

Anyway, first things first, a record of what has happened in the not so distant past.

I woke up at 4pm today, having slept at 7am earlier thanks to concert cast retirement party. lol.

Week 9 of Semester 1 is now forever inscribed into the annals of history.

Monday saw me spending an afternoon with Jim Rogers at the University Cultural Center. But before that there was the engineering Innovation Program Class where I went and gave everyone an update, together with Chen Hui, regarding our little umbrella project. We were adviced by Professor Martin to acquire our device materials from a particular shop in town. Anyway, back to JR at UCC. Jim shed many interesting insights and personal views regarding globalization and what we could expect in wake of the current scenario of things. The imminent global financial tsunami, the rising of China, etc. Anyway, some interesting things to note of Jim, he has travelled to over a hundred companies in the span of 3 years and has really seen and observed many things. That feat earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. LoL. The things you can do with money. Among the more memorable insights Jim shared: If you were smart in the 1800s you would move to London, if you were smart in the 1900s you would move to New York, and if you were smart in the 2000s you would move to Asia. Directly after that talk was the MTI-NUS economic forum. Saw Jia Yong and Li Ling as part of the Economic Major student volunteers managing the booth. Anyway, the Economics forum was interesting - not in the way that I could understand but rather the panelists composed of economic experts gave many economic input in an extremely economically jargoned fashion. Left early with Li Ling, missed out on a free meal worthed $20. LoL. Because we valued being on time for Cast practice.

Tuesday, at 2pm attended a workshop organized by the NUS CDTL (Center for the development of teaching and learning) titled Glasser's Choice theory. It was a most illuminating workshop. Met an old fellow Malaysian friend, Heather, and a 2nd Year Bioengineering student from KE7. From the workshop, I learnt about theory of the quality world, and how all our behaviors: Acting, Thinking, Feeling, and physiology, correspond to us trying to fulfill basic human needs. And the items or pictures in our quality world is a subset of the perceived world that is a cumulative product of the interplay between our 5 senses and the objective or "real" world. So then, I came to realize that our quality world's pictures really depend on the things we expose ourselves to in the 'real' world. Exposure in this sense would be the setting where we can take in stimulus of the objective world through our 5 senses. I also learnt about knowledge and value filters that determine what information gets processed and what gets omitted. With that, I came up with some of my own theories as well. lol. Firstly, I theorize that in order for us to best know what can satisfy our needs or in other words in order to have the highest quality pictures in our quality world, we need to expose ourselves to many things, and be willing to try many new and different things. Seen in such a light, it suddenly makes sense! Eureka! The reason why different people have different passions and interest, it is because they have different pictures in their quality world. Which in itself, is limited to the elements in the perceived world, which btw, because is perceived, even the degree to which an item will satisfy a need is also a perceived one based on past experiences or other input. Anyway, with that insight in mind, I decided that I will commit to try trying 10 new items or activities everyday. So that I can impact my perceived world, and in turn allowing me to discover truly quality need fulfilling items for my quality world. At that juncture, it also makes sense that the age old adage of following your heart, do what you like, etc, is very much similar to the behavior of a person, acting in such a way as to fulfill his or her needs. And of course, only when these needs are fulfilled do we feel balanced and contented, and consequently happy. What happens when some people insist on being happy despite not fulfilling their needs? Well, truth is, it does happen. And when it does, people wonder why they are lazy and unmotivated. They then become unhappy. Somehow, they may even convince themselves through ego self defence mechanisms that they are fulfilling all their needs or certain in truth unfulfilled needs in them are actually absent in them. ANYWAY, later during cast we made a spoof of our concert production. Haha, it was absolutely hilarious. Will share the video somewhere someday. =) But all in all, Clara was really nice as she allowed us to just go crazy like that rather than forcing us to practice.

Wednesday- First day of UCC runs. Had to wake up before 9pm. Spent the whole day at UCC. Was quite inspired by Nicholas' strict and professional conduct as stage manager. It meant to me that I had to be professional as well. Went home shagged at night.

Thursday - Second Day of UCC runs. Signed my tuition grant agreement at the MPSH 1. Now I have to work in a Singapore Registered Company for 3 years in order for my tuition grant to be valid. We had to put on make up today for a full run. Make up was ugh, just not my thing. Tried hard to not have make up on my face for too long so as to avoid pimples. But then in the end I guess it worked out fine. I guess the method of cleaning face-applying toner-and then applying moisturizer, does work fine at preventing pimples.

Friday - Concert day! Nervous like Hell. Could feel that everyone tried hard. Audience were a sadistic bunch according to Chee Chung, laughing at the most lol 'unlaughable' things. Anyway, I felt that Ryan saved the day with his Sissy portrayal of Wilkins. Immaculate. lol. Anyway, was a bit irked at a certain someone who was kinda AA. Does bring remeniscience of how I normally respond to such people. Mmm. Johnathan was playing with a cat and I sort of picked up 1 or 2 cat playing skills from him.

Saturday - Concert day 2! This time around, I think I gave my best performance. Anyway, long story short. I didn't really study for week 9. Yikes.

New things I've tried today:
1. Read for fun for 10 minutes - I read the World is Flat for 10 mintues, but got so hooked that I couldn't stop, and 10 minutes really isn't enough. Especially when there's distraction from my chatting with my room mate, and then I also realized that the limit of 10 minutes was not enforced because there was no reason for me to confine myself to just 10 minutes. So I found that at times people will only employ limits if there is a need for such limits. Just like the employment of hand rails at high altitude places, a limit of movement, for the sake of safety. I also learnt that distractions kill schedules and that focus is key. In addition, I also learnt that people work best when challenged. As I was reading, I realized that I have a level of comprehension and speed that was satisfactory comparable to that of reading at a bookstore. I came to discover from here that trying to accomplish something or getting it done as soon as possible is a great motivation. But ultimately, the powerful message of the world is flat from my reading today was that you're just one degree away from anyone and anything! Too many young people are just waiting for the corporate recruiters who come on campus to sit down and offer them a job which changes the world, we shouldn't wait for the recruiter from HR, but rather we should go get the necessary money and resources and buy the plane ticket for oneself. I was also inspired to harness the power of the internet to reach other people of similar interest or passion for collaboration. Oh, just thinking about it excites me to no end! hahaha. Next, I was also exposed to the idea that it is important to get feedback from everyone in a process in order to cope well with change. If applied this principle to real life, that would mean getting feedback from everyone in life, studies, etc, to constantly monitor progress. Another interesting thing I learnt: to effect big change, one just needs to get big powers to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. lol. *** This reading habit is great! I should continue it. This thing never even existed in my perceived world before this. Imagine the sheer number of great things in the 'real' objective world that have not even entered my perceived world or consciousness, there is much exploration to be done! much ground to be covered!

2. Tried reading an Economic's Text Book - After being piqued by "The World is Flat" I decided to read Jen Sern's Econs Text. Wow! I found it totally really interesting! That's it! The concepts, make great sense, and economics being the science of decision making, which is a skill that I currently need to develop... is so timely! I am seriously considering getting a degree in economics now. :D. This has led me to consider either changing course to FASS or continueing with engineering and doubling with economics. There's also a chance of me having to pay lower tuition fees if my home faculty is Arts. LOL. Anyway, this brings me back to the time when I read Freakonomics to try to inculcate interest of Economics in myself but didn't quite work. I guess inculcation doesn't really work. One needs to be exposed to an element naturally and be allowed to evaluate a subject with candor. Also, this brought me to the thought of thinking. If Economics was such a great subject, why wouldn't my roomie share this with me? If I hadn't ask to have a look at it I would have never had discovered it. I guess it's not that my roomie is hogging resources but rather, there is no reason for a certain action. It doesn't fulfill any of his needs. So there wasn't a need to. Which brings us to the platform thought... that all of us have different needs corresponding to the images in our quality world. Hence it would be grotesquely inaccurate to to think that certain specific needs of one person are present in all others. For example, the need to impress others may be a need in some people, including myself occasionally, but it certainly isn't for everyone. In fact, at the this juncture, corresponding to my earlier insight, it is more important to impress YOURSELF than to impress OTHERS. This insight sort of resonates with a Nietzsche aphorism: The noble soul has reverence for itself? Of course, the soul needs to impress itself before any reverence can happen? Hmm. Perhaps I should try this tomorrow... This should correspond to the need of esteem as part of the need for power.

3. photoshop.com - discovered when JR my project director sent some Harvard CEF photos to me. Wow, amazing web platform for image sharing! Even nicer than facebook! When I viewed the images of Alvin's Bukit Tabur pictures in slide show mode, it really felt like I was in the moment itself because the slideshow featured a nifty back to back showcase of pictures.

4. Blog everyday as a way of recording lessons learnt. - What I'm doing now.

5. Try method of working non stop and pausing on to do other stuff like chores - What I'm going to do soon.

So there! it seems I managed to try 5 new things today. Wow, What an impact it has already made! Can't wait to try more stuff!

Hmms

2008-09-29T22:51:00.000+08:00

It is with great restraint that I apply kinetic energy unto my keyboard. The chimes of tomorrow's 4pm physics test are already within ear shot. Pacing like a beaver at high tide the person in front of my room mate's anime screened desktop works like a bullet train in deciphering the puzzle that was my 1st and final MA1505 exam papers. I nailed only 2! Thickly unappointed at first, I managed to scramble my miasma and regain my composure. I accept it as a challenge. A challenge to dance and be happy regardless of what happened. I don't need to be sad to be productive. That was what I concluded.

My next challenge would be to do something about my grades. Granted I realize that I merely slipped past the most minute of NUS' closing gates when I gained my admission, being the holder of a kancil car wreck equivalent of an STPM result. I have much ground to cover before I can be academically on par with the other statistics. Oh how nutritious is the joy that comes with disillusionments! It falls like rain made of bitter gourds. Succinctly falling only on people's heads. And when it cracks, lo! behold! thou tongue has made foul a taste! Impressing upon it forever, yet too foul only for those who choose to spit it out. They release the hand rails restraining the darkest pits.. oh which, like doves, swiftly, silently, reach out, and gobble them, alive.

A tablespoonful of today

2008-08-29T23:40:00.000+08:00

Ok. Time flies. Beam me up scottie~ and I've now been in Singapore for a little over a month now.

Lots of things happened in the past 7 weeks. From the humble beginning of my journey to Singapore with my cousin Michael, who was one of the most helpful person I've ever encountered, to the first time I entered the NUS campus, to the making of new friends, to the journey of the University Freshmen Orientation, to the rites of the Raffles Hall orientation, to the beginning of the semester, the rag and flag day, the inspirations, the disappointments, the challenges, the people, the traditions, the professors, the modules, the bidding system, the everything. lol

So I'll just skip that for now. One thing I learnt though, is the importance of taking a lot of good pictures. For a while there I was even regretful of not doing so. Fortunately a lot of pictures were taken by the Orientation organizing committees, hence allowing me to easily acquire these valuable memory enriched photos for future reminiscience.

The first examination I took in NUS was the Qualifying English Test examinations. I managed to pass. Phew~ Got a band 5. Grateful for the seniors who gave tips. I guess they really helped a lot after all.

Started blogging today at the dance studio, I'm now involved with concert casting. As Archie Brown. Need to memorize scripts and act out stuff. Fun stuff.

Joined NUS choir, first time joining a choir that actually wins international competitions. Impressive to say the least. Signed up for a few activities such as Rock Climbing and possibly the university lifeguard corps. Went for 2 interviews for the NUS entrepreneurial Society. Interviews were quite intense to say the least. Was offered a place in the executive committee for the Harvard Entrepreneurial Exchange Program. Absolutely elated. Just came back just now from the NES induction. Going to have Malaysian Night soon. Everyone's all hyped up and rararaing. lol

I actually managed to visit my distantly related aunty in Singapore a few weeks ago. There I spoke to my uncle a chief electrical engineer working with Shell who offered me many nuggets of advice. Turns out that their home is just a bus stop away from my NUS campus hostel. Really convenient.

They say that in NUS if you stay in a hall, out of 3 things, study, sleep and play, you can only choose 2 things. If that's the case, then I would choose sleep and play. By regarding studies as play, all I need to do is really just 2 things. Sleep and play. whee~ :P

So at the moment, my commitments include the following...

Modules that I am taking this semester:
PC1431 Engineering Physics.
MA1505 Mathematics
MLE1101 Introduction to Material Science and Engineering
EG1108 Electrical Engineering
SC1101E Making sense of society

Engineering Enhancement programs I am taking this semester:
Innovation Program
T I P (technopreneurship)

Varsity CCAs that I'm involved in:
NUS Entrepreneurship Society (society)
Rock Climbing (sports)
NUS Choir (arts)

Hall activities that I'm involved in:
Hall Concert Productions: Cast
etc

Varcity CCAs that I'm interested to join soon:
University Lifeguard Corps
Guitar Ensemble of NUS

So if time were a straight line and you could actually see the dots. I will be nothing but all the above at all times. :P

P.S
HAHA FINALLY MANAGED TO SQUEEZE OUT A BLOG POST!!!

Once in a while

2008-07-23T18:03:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since my last blog update: roughly over a month. Looking back at my overambitious June/July resolutions, I cannot help but feel amused at how desperate I was to activate myself.

To little avail of course.

The activation was a disaster. Like the seed of a daffodil engulfed by crashing waves, or a coconut destined to the santan factory... (squints) I must try again.

There are several reasons why I decided to blog today. One of them being that several interesting events have happened in the past few weeks and I feel obliged to upload my memory here so that I can reflect upon them in a more unwithered form in the unforeseeable future. Another simply because I find blogging to be a sort of mental enema. It grants me the illusion of forgetting something, with the promise that the things I express are now explicitly scriptured into a film of cyberspace.

First thing, rock climbing. I think I have finally found an extreme sport that I can really enjoy. Went rock climbing twice at the Summit USJ with Li Ling, Dexter Soong, etc. Rock climbing requires good technique and a strong determination to overcome challenges. It is for me, a process that vividly resembles challenges we face in life. I noticed that we may actually overcome both challenges in a rather similar way. For example, a tough wall to scale may have some tough spots to get through. Sometimes when these hurdles become really impossible, one can try observing how people do it successfully and then succeed in one's own way by copying them.

Second thing, fundraising via newspaper collection. Team Bravo (the team I coordinate) organized an old newspaper collection fundraising activity at the Bangsar neighbourhood to great success. I joined them in the afternoon for a Mcdonald's lunch before contributing transportation power to aid them in the translocation of newspapers. Aggresively, the team members were observed to split up and request newspaper from bewildered residents peering from behind the illusion of security that is their home's iron grills. In the end, the funds raised from approximately 8 hours of newspaper collection culminated to roughly 600 Ringgits. This was above the group's target by a comfortable margin of 100 Ringgits. Needless to say, everyone in the group was jubilant. Though of course, no one has raised a finger yet to claim any money for petrol from this cookie jar of funds. And to think that recently I've pumped close to 200 Ringgits worth of petrol in less than 2 weeks. I guess the guy who wins the most is the newspaper collection company.

Shortly before I left for Singapore, I was summoned to a 'formal' bye-bye session by some Raleigh friends. We went to Old Town White Coffee for supper. Both Alvins, Li Ling, Kar Lye, Christal, Shih Chung, and BJ were there. Was feeling quite warm and fuzzy I guess. To dine with close friends before I leave the country. hehehe. I also had another 'formal' dinner session with my family at sushi king, Leisure Mall. And so marks the end of my 6 months holiday. hahaha. It was well spent, every moment of it: travelling at 10,000 feet above the ground, traversing jungles, bickering with English people, diving in the south china sea, getting rowdy with friends, hunting, meeting lots of new people, ETC. I feel a note of congratulations is at hand. From myself to myself. Throughout this 6 months, I have experienced disillusionment after disillusionment. Which I suppose is a good thing since I guess that's part of growing up. We discard what doesn't work, and work with what we have that works. That's part of being an engineer. lol.

I will talk about Singapore next time, though I'm at NUS at the moment, I'm feeling kinda hungry.~ 7pm ~

Prestidigitations

2008-05-10T00:24:00.000+08:00

'Why we lie' is such an insightfully good read. I must say I'm quite amazed sometime at my genteel ears at fishing out a good read from a cacophany of whispers at Kinokuniya.

Egalitarians don't create classes. And I'm proud not to be one. I'm going off soon to a society that has a caste system as volatile as muons in space. Yet as long as you're a growing, enthusiastic, tenacious little animal, your direction is only upwards.. in ZH's words, literally - towards success.

And so as it would seem. This xenophobic socialite would continue to surreptitiously deposit corms on the blogosphere.

So where should this corm go today.... hmmmm

Received 'The Letter filled with NUS goodies' today. It had a bland exterior, masterfully masquerading the exigencies of the documents contained within. There wasn't even a stamp or postal signage. It was just bland... with an address... and congratulations.. blablabla.

Discovered or rather... was tendentiously presented by my subconcious mind of the need to grow as a person. It would seem that I have achieved this to some extent. Or perhaps I'm just deceiving myself. ahahhaha. One way or the other. Life has got to be lived to be understood.

Now

2008-05-06T02:43:00.001+08:00

The here and now. How fleetingly eternal...

It has been 3 weeks now since I came back from Sabah. Little have I accomplished. Yet much distance have I traversed. I must be blind. Either that or I must be presumptiously tap dancing on sacred ground... and an overbearing bolt of ions be delivered to my mail box soon.

So let's see... objectively speaking a few things were accomplished after all. Yen yen's house has been exorcised by yong yong. I had a mamak outing with Wilson who has updated me with the new found excitement in his life of becoming one step closer to his dream of working in Pixars. I had a little tea drinking ceremony with SC and SJ. Paid a visit to bea utiful g ates to teach some disabled youth English for SPM. Collected stuff from LY with a little divine help from WCW. Finished affairs with school, almost about to submit applications to AI MST and Mo nash when a durian appeared right beneath my nose hair. An offer to study Bioengineering at Nus. Some part in me found this a calling, while some other part in me felt as if I was choosing a very unprestiguous course. And so I'm caught in ambivalence. Am I so insecure to the extent that I need to take a university course to quell my insecurities? Am I so afraid of falling that I need to buy insurance before beginning a climb? Even if I need to work half my life off to purchase the insurance first? Evidently the problem is in my head. WM my good neighbour offered some good advice... we humans of today know little of what will happen tomorrow. So why not live for today... and take the course because you like it? Things that look good... one does not necessarily need to take. Wm gave the analogy of KT. Although girls adored him for his good looks and grades, somehow because of his perceived SOR girls can't feel secure with him. A man must be secure... KS gave caution to taking bioengineering by opening the crystal ball of experience for my sampling... which heightened my insecurities... I must grow or die.

Coming up this month... Templer park thingy... Marshall work... studying for Japanese scholarship exam... going for trip around the world? application for course changes with NuS? The world is an oyster that at the moment......is a bit too raw to my taste...