Memories...
Sunday, April 29, 2007
2 highlights of the dae for me.
1st- I went for a football game with old Chinese High friends again, 11-a-side somemore todae damn shiok. Everybody shocked that hocky can still come tak giu even tho he still has 2 papers. Haha! "No worries dudes!"I told them, considering that exams are indifferent to me this sem liao. You noe u have reached enlightenment when exams absolutely dun worry u at all. And i mean it man.
Anyway back to the point. Was glad to see a lot of old faces again, esp pple like Shangyuan, Da Niao, Mao etc. Gosh, i havent seen Shangyuan for i think 2 years liao haha! Well, he graduated from overseas uni liao, and serving in the Navy now.
Ya, and back to the highlight. Eng Kiat brought 3 German friends who were on exchange to join us. Haha! From the land of Beckenbauer, Lothar Matheus, Mattias Sammer, and Jurgen Kohler! It was fun to mix around with them man. And of coz, 2 of them played in central defence, being the biggest guys around while i stick to my usual full-back position, while the last guy roamed around in central midfield. Well, apparently they told us that they dun really play very often back in Germany, but i must say they most certainly got a lot of ball sense and very stable. Haha! Was a good experience..its not everydae that u can play ball with folks from Europe.
2nd highlight of the dae- As i was riding back home near my house there, i suddenly saw a man with a rifle by the side of the road. At first i thought i was hallucinating, that i m in America haha, but upon closer inspection, i realize that it was one of those crow culling specialist. Hwah, he shoot down the crows sibei zun4 man.
And then i started thinking. Maybe he shud join the National Rifle team and go and take part in the SEA Games and Olympics man. So zun4. Then i thought again, maybe he WAS from the national shooting team, and then after retiring come and join the Crow Culling squad. And then my mind wandered and i start to think rather ridiculously regarding his pay. Hmm, i was like wondering whether for every crow they shot got extra $5 commission or not? You noe mah, sell successful insurance/ investment policy also got commission wan what.
And then i began to look at the larger picture. Singapore ought to do well in shooting competitions man. We put our entire nation's males through NS where every man is trained to use and shoot a rifle, so accordingly, there should be a good pool of zai shooters identified and then maybe groomed for the national team. (They probably are doing this oredi i hope) Somemore reservist still need to shoot range leh. Somemore army train snipers also.
So yeah, we really shudnt go for Goal 2010. We shud go for SHOOT 2020, and strive to produce the world's top marksman haha! (after which when he retire, he can go around shooting down crows for the Singaporean population again)
MISS CAMEL UNIVERSE 2007
By Andrew Hammond Fri Apr 27, 9:23 AM ET
GUWEI'IYYA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -
The legs are long, the eyes are big, the bodies curvaceous.
Contestants in this Saudi-style beauty pageant have all the features you might expect anywhere else in the world, but with one crucial difference -- the competitors are camels.
This week, the Qahtani tribe of western Saudi Arabia has been welcoming entrants to its Mazayen al-Ibl competition, a parade of the "most beautiful camels" in the desolate desert region of Guwei'iyya, 120 km (75 miles) west of Riyadh.
"In Lebanon they have Miss Lebanon," jokes Walid, moderator of the competition's Web site. "Here we have Miss Camel."
While tremendous oil wealth has brought rapid modernization to the desert state of Saudi Arabia, the camel remains celebrated as a symbol of the traditional nomadic lifestyle of Bedouin Arabs. Throughout history camels have served multiple purposes as food, friend, transport and war machine. They were key to the Arab conquests of the Middle East and North Africa nearly 1,400 years ago that brought Islam to the world.
Camels are also big business in a country where strict Islamic laws and tribal customs would make it impossible for women to take part in their own beauty contest.
Delicate females or strapping males who attract the right attention during this week's show could sell for a million or more riyals. Sponsors have provided 10 million riyals ($2.7 million) for the contest, cash that also covers the 72 sports utility vehicles to be will be awarded as prizes.
"Bedouin Arabs are intimately connected to camels and they want to preserve this heritage. The importance of this competition is that it helps preserve the pure-breds," said Sheikh Omair, one of the tribe's leaders,
"We have more than 250 owners taking part and more than 1,500 camels," he said inside a huge tent where the final awards ceremony takes place.
RESTLESS BEAUTY QUEENS
Over at the camel pen, the contestants are getting restless as the desert wind howls and whips up swirls of sand in the hot afternoon sun.
Amid a large crowd of Bedouin who have gathered to watch, the head of the judging committee emerges to venture into an enclosure with some two dozen angry braying camels.
Camel-drivers sing songs of praise to their prized possessions as they try to calm the animals down.
"Beautiful, beautiful!" the judge mutters quietly to himself, inspecting the group. Finalists have been decorated with silver bands and body covers.
"The nose should be long and droop down, that's more beautiful," explains Sultan al-Qahtani, one of the organizers. "The ears should stand back, and the neck should be long. The hump should be high, but slightly to the back."
The camels are divided into four categories according to breed -- the black majaheem, white maghateer, dark brown shi'l and the sufur, which are beige with black shoulders. Arabic famously has over 40 terms for different types of camel.
Some females have harnesses strapped around their genitalia to thwart any efforts by the males to mount them. One repeat offender called Marjaa has been moved away.
"This one would fetch a million!" says Hamad al-Sudani, a camel-driver, admiring the heavy stud, or fahl.
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Eh i think hor, the organizers shud invite the Black Eyed Peas to perform on this event lor. Then they can sing "My Hump, My Hump My Hump My Hump". AHAHAHAHHAA
8:15 pm - 1st sms from Soozie: "Fuck. Man U down 1-0. Chelsea leading 2-1."
8:53 pm - "Man U down 2 nil. Gone."
9:28 pm - "Man U leading 3-2!!! Woohooo!!"
9:37 pm - I finally reached home just in time to see Chris Eagles bang the 4th goal past the Everton keeper. And as i anxiously flicked to Channel 24, full-time came at Stamford Bridge where the Trotters held Chelski 2-2. Swapped back to Goodison Park in time to see United celebrate full-time as well.
9:48 pm - Soozie: "The sight of Fergie and the subs celebrating wildly...made me tear. Glory glory man united!!"
What can I say man??!!! Unbelievable turn of events!! Reminded me of the time when United came from 3-0 down at White Hart Lane to eventually win 5-3!!
15 years being a United fan since 1993. This has got to be 1 of the most memorable campaigns alongside the 1995 and 1999 treble year. It will feel really really great to wrestle the title back to Old Trafford.
And me and Soozie oredi made plans liao to watch the FA Cup final and hopefully the Champions League final together.
To say i m spiritually elated is an understatement.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A SPECIAL DAY.
Todae is a special dae, becoz it is the 3 year anniversary of me getting my bike licence and my bike.
A 3 year anniversary of fulfilling a childhood dream.
I rem very clearly how 3 years ago, after i finally got my bike licence from BBDC, i immediately went to the bike shops at Queensway, fix my sight on this bike, and within 3 days, it was rolled out for me.
I rem how excited i felt, heart-pumping, as I received the bike key, started the engine for the 1st time ever, and crossed my legs over the seat.
I rem requesting for a big ah peh red-coloured box to be installed at the rear of my bike for convenience purposes. (which i subsequently removed a few months later for seh3 purposes)
I rem the 1st petrol station Mobil which i stopped to pump fuel. How blur and unsure i was of how to do it, and how i had to get the attendant to teach me. Haha.
I rem riding my bike that very night into Kranji Camp where i was about to ORD. All along for those 2 and a half years in the army, i have watched enviously many of my scout platoon mates riding their respective R1s/ scramblers/ Phantoms/ Shadows/ Super4s/ Vespas in and out of camp.
I rem as i was riding out of camp on my ORD dae, on my very last dae of NS, riding down that long road to the exit gate, that exhilarating sense of freedom and joy i had, and as i zoomed past the poor RPs at the gate, i raised up my left arm as high as i could, and screamed as loud as i could: "ORD LOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Knowing that...i ll never ever come back inside this camp and this long road ever again. (I hope i wont be proved wrong on this during reservist hah!)
I rem riding into NUS for the 1st time in my life. It was for PA Camp. And the realization that another of my childhood dream- to be able to ride into school everydae- was going to be fufilled..that filled me with so much pride and happiness.
I rem how sad i was each of the 3 times that i fell. Heartbreaking. Scars, both mental and physical, remain. But u learn from dae 1 as a rider that all riders fall. Its kinda of akin to life. Everybody will fall at one time or another in their life, but what makes u stronger and wiser is how u pick yourself up from the fall, dust yourself up, and go again. Happy to say though, that i have learnt a lot from each of the accident i ve been thru, and have been accident-free for an entire year liao. =)
I rem the night when i zoomed down to Zouk to find Princess Shuang Er in the middle of my work coz i was so worried that she was drunk. We werent together then, and I rem how my bike provided a haven of security and access for me to reach those that i love.
I rem the night at MC chalet, when Chonghan urgently needed to go to NTU to see his girlfriend coz he was afraid she was drunk as well. I rem pilloning him and speeding down the highway from East Coast all e way to Boon Lay. I think that was one of the fastest speeds which i rode at.
I rem the nights when i cried while riding back home at night, with the wind blowing in the cooling night..crying in my full face helmet which hide all the tears, and all the sorrow from others. Tears from relationship probs with Joy back then, tears from arts camp 05 problems, tears from the loneliness and unwarranted criticisms i felt when i decided to re-run alone as president..The wonderful thing always was that whenever i reached home, parked, and came down from my bike, i felt ok again. A good ride really does do wonders for me.
All the memories, both good and bad, sweet and sour. =) But noe what? I never, ever regretted riding. Never. Becoz i see it as a childhood dream of mine since i watched Arnie on a Harley in the terminator when i was a kid. (No Ghost Rider then)
So many people in life are afraid to pursue their dreams. Scared of this, scared of that, worry bout this, worry bout that. Dun dare to do this, dun dare to do that. Think that its rational to drive car, and irrational to ride a bike.
I say this, that sometimes in life, it is good to be irrational, to dare to imagine and dream of what you can do and what you can be, to let your imagination fly, to dare to be unconventional and seek the path less travelled. Only then can u really live your life to the fullest and to the most enjoyment.
Being a rider gave me a lot of confidence in life, in every aspect of my life. Its not just about the accessibility, the ease of transport. Its about the realization that you can reach your dreams with persistence, peverserence, determination and hard work.
So with that, happy 3 year anniversary, to my Daelim Daystar. n_n
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
440 am LAST NIGHT:
YEAH MAN!!!!!!!
MOMENTS LIKE THIS MAKE LIFE WORTH LIVING FOR!!!!
WHAT A ROLLER-COASTER GAME!!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
SO SO PYSCHED UP!!!!
I am SO SO PYSCHED UP!!!
Not over tom's MNO exam of coz but towards tonight's Man U clash with Milan!! Ooohh..i cant wait man! I can still rem the xianness of losing 1-0 2 years ago, how painful and terribly xian i felt the next dae.
Anyway, i watched Barack Obama's famous "One-America" speech at the National Democratic Convention 2004 on Youtube last night, and i must say, he reminds me so much of The Rock. Haha, for his flamboyance, charisma, tough-talking, and ability to connect with the crowd. I m not sure if anyone notice, but he exacts many similiar phrases to Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech. What makes it more impressive was that he wasnt even reading from a script at all. He was just going on and on by himself, and exacted wonderful responses from the crowd. I wont be surprised if he storms the White House and become the next American President if he can use his charisma and brillant oratory abilities to great and widespread effect.
And then i went on to watch many tributary videos of Ronald Reagan. You just got to watch him speak and on video to see how witty, humourous and charismatic he really was.
Not many people, even my closest friends, noe that I watch and dissect a lot a lot of famous speeches made in history, besides quotes of coz. Frankin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, S Rajaratnam, etc..and now maybe i should add Barack Obama to the list. I think there's a lot to be learnt from watching and observing how these legendary people deliver their speeches and how they inspire people in the process.
Monday, April 23, 2007
CHECK THIS OUT:
Friday, 24 February 2006, 16:40 GMT
"SUDAN MAN FORCED TO 'MARRY' GOAT"
A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.
The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.
They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.
"We have given him the goat, and as far as we know they are still together," Mr Alifi said.
Mr Alifi, of Hai Malakal in Upper Nile State, told the Juba Post newspaper that he heard a loud noise around midnight on 13 February and immediately rushed outside to find Mr Tombe with his goat.
"When I asked him: 'What are you doing there?', he fell off the back of the goat, so I captured and tied him up."
Mr Alifi then called elders to decide how to deal with the case.
"They said I should not take him to the police, but rather let him pay a dowry for my goat because he used it as his wife," Mr Alifi told the newspaper.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_4740000/newsid_4748200/4748292.stm
Labels: CHE
MISS UNIVERSE VS NEWCASTLE UNITED
I must admit, i m no fan of Channel 5's tv programs. I cant even remember what's the last Channel 5 local show that i have watched, not that i watched much tv anyway.
So there i was on a lovely Sundae night, flicking my remote between Miss Universe 2007 and watching Newcastle tear apart Chelsea on Channel 23.
Hah! Sad to say, the standard of the show was really disappointing. I dun have so much issue with the contestants, coz i think its brave of them to dare to take part, though i wondered why Peggy didnt get into the top 3, and why the winner can dunno how to talk properly and still win. (According to my brother who watch Miss Universe every year faithfully, the winner Jessica had talked something about wanting to teach kids in Singapore bout plants giving off carbon dioxide yada yada so that can fight off the effects of global warming.) Duh, excuse me, but i thought primary 5 students oredi learning bout photosynthesis liao lor. Come on man.
On the other hand, we both thought Peggy was very composed during her Question judging, and gave very well-collected and mature answers. How she didnt get into the top 3, we really do not know.
Anyway, I SERIOUSLY thought the hosting of the event could be so much better la. Adrian Pang is normally v funny wan, but i felt he was quite stiff during the entire show, like dunno whether he shud try and act funny or be serious, perhaps caught in 2 minds. Andrea D Cruz, also damn stiff la, and talks v wierdly. No chemistry at all, and both didnt perk up the show as emcees at all. Can tell Jade Seah tried hard, but think she still needs more experience. No offence man, but i think send in Chonghan and Xiao Tian Tian prob can do a better job as emcees man. Better still, put James in, as e 3rd mc, those kind that walk around talking cock to the audience wan. Hah!
I just think its sad that after so many years, this is still the kind of substandard local programme put up on Channel 5. Seems like the industry havent made much improvement since "Masters of the Sea". Haha.
Yeah, and anybody remembers Manhunt Singapore??? Haha, bet you guys dun rem right! Last time Manhunt telecast on tv and is such a big thing right, (anyone rems Benedict Goh the winner?) now u noe where is Manhunt held?
Simei Eastpoint. Become such a small event liao. I know, coz i was there supporting my bartender friend last year. No disrespect to these beauty pageants, but i dun think we ll ever produce a Mr Manhunt International or a Miss Universe International for prob another century. Not with this kind of support and organization.
Thankfully, what made my night was the Magpies drawing with Chelski. WOOOHOOO!! I was super frustrated last night man, when boro come and spoil party. But i always knew that Chelski wont have it easy at St James Park, not when Newcastle raises their game against top teams everytime.
Now for AC Milan.
Time for revenge, after what happened 2 years ago.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
DISCRIMINATION!!!
There are many kinds of discrimination and forms of prejudice in this world. Racial discrimination, age discrimination, sexual discrimination, rural-urban discrimination.........
BUT THERE EXISTS ANOTHER KIND!!! ======> MAC DISCRIMINATION!!!!!
Imagine my horrors just now when i couldnt view my webcast lecture! Hah! (not that i dunno all along la, but..)
And after so many years, Mac users in NUS still cannot print straight from their laptop via the Central Libray!
Now tell me this isnt blatant discrimination!!! Hah!
PS: For those of u who are going to tell me that "See? Mac Sux!!", I only have this to say: "It's not the fault of Mac dude!! In the words of Martin Luther King, judge a lappie not by the colour of his skin but by the content of his character!!"
Friday, April 20, 2007
I had a nice chat with Prof Tan Ern Ser (I always enjoyed chatting with him btw) on Mondae, and he said something which i felt was quite interesting.
He mentioned that it is important for students to mix around, talk to other people, be involved in student affairs, ccas, and organizations, do community work, be engaged in the larger and real world etc. All these contribute to a student's well-rounded development, which helps to make him or her more mature.
And here is the punchline dudes:
"More mature students tend to write much better essays."
There you have it. Maybe he was coming from a sociological point of view, but u noe what, i have been pondering over what he said for the past few daes, debating in my own mind (as i always do) whether there is a causal relationship between sense of maturity and the ability to write better essays.
Of coz we can start to think about what we mean by "better" essays, and what does it mean by the notion of "maturity", but in any case, I guess the point he was trying to make is that it is imperative not to neglect the social and all-round development of a student.
Hopefully, i just gave u guys another tip on how to score higher in your essays. Hah!
And another reason not to get too stressed over the exams. Hah Hah!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
My heart goes out to the victims and the families of the victims of Virginia Tech University, where they suffered the greatest shootout in school in American history.
Imagine going to school and getting gunned down.
A few thoughts going through my head.
1st of all, it would be interesting to see how the American government reacts to this latest shootout. I presume for every 10 Americans who are for restricting arms sale or even hoping to ban arms, there are another 3 who are against it. Reason being that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right and freedom for Americans. Then, there is the highly influential and powerful arms industries groups in America, who have lobbied very hard traditionally for the continued sale of arms. Dun forget that America is the no 1 military superpower in the world, and many of these arms industries have significant political backing and financial leverage. Some of the arms industry moguls even donate huge amounts of funds to support the electoral campaigns of certain politicians, knowing that they will get their returns in the long run. So, as you can see, it is not as simple as just "Let's ban the sale of arms once and for all!". There's a lot of political manoeurving going behind the scenes.
2ndly, I m just wondering how NUS would react if such a similiar scenario occured in Singapore. (touch wood) It has been well documented that the Virginia Tech University administration faced difficulties in warning its students as its campus was so large, and it had around 25, 000 students (close to NUS figures). I think this unfortunate episode serves as a timely reminder to educational institutions all over the world to relook their security measures, and evaluate how safe their school is, esp in the event of crises like this. (or bomb threats, terrorist attacks etc).
3rdly, even the Iranian govt, (not the best of friends with America), has come out to offer its own version of condolences for the shootings. Hmmm, very interesting indeed.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Saw something fascinating on National Geographic Channel just now.
There was this leopard, who hunted down an adult monkey and killed it. The sad thing is that, the mummy monkey left behind a baby monkey, no older than a few months. What unfolded next was truly fascinating. The leopard went over to the baby monkey, circled it for a while, and then gently nuzzled it. The baby didn't know how to react, having just witnessed its mummy killed by the leopard.
Night was approaching, and hyenas were on the run as usual in the African plains. The leopard gently bit the baby monkey by its neck and climbed up a tall tree, where it laid down the baby to rest. The baby, still feeling confused, attempted to climb higher up the tree out of the reach of the leopard. The leopard stretched out its paws, again tenderly, to try and bring the baby monkey back. When it couldnt reach the baby's body, the leopard pulled the monkey's tail (haha), and again brought it back to the leopard's side.
The baby monkey, feeling tired and cold, began to nestle in the leopard's hug. The leopard (an adult female) again nuzzled it gently, and tried to provide warmth for the monkey by 'hugging' it closely to its body.
Unfortunately, according to the documentary, the baby monkey still died the next morning due to coldness, and probably lack of food.
Why the leopard didnt kill the baby monkey just as it did to the monkey's mummy is truly puzzling, yet fascinating. We all noe that nature is wild, and since young, we are taught in our science textbooks that out there in the jungles, it is survival of the fittest that counts. Predators hunt and kill those old, weak, young prey. That's the name of the game.
Why then, didnt the adult leopard kill the baby monkey? It sure wasnt just "playing" or toying with it, as the documentary highlighted that it seemed genuine that the leopard was trying to take care of the baby monkey that night.
A deadly killer one minute, and a caring creature the next.
Maybe animals do have conscience after all.
Monday, April 16, 2007
I attended the pre-departure briefing by OSA todae, along with those who are going to the various overseas conferences after the exams.
I must say, it's really an honour to be able to represent the University. =) I had my fair bit of representing the Arts Faculty, but to be offically representing the whole institution come May at the Global Youth Symposium is more or less a 1st time for me. And it really excites me.
Received some useful souvenirs, documents, and information packages which would most certainly come in handy for our overseas trip. Also received a black NUS jacket, which I m really proud to have, even though it's a simple design. =)
I guess my happiness stems from being able to attain another one of my dreams in university and in life.
The topics for the conference is out already, and we ll be looking at terrorism, globalization, brain drain, and Western VS Eastern culture. The programme and timetable for the week long conference is also out as well. Also met Timothy and Dinesh, my teammates for the conference, and whom I ll spend lotsa time with after the exams haha! Glad that e 3 of us hit off quite well at the start just now =)
Looking heavily foward to end of exams oredi. n_n
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Well, attended the closed-door dialogue yest, and quite surprised to see that there were so many people present, a few hundred at least, including many other MPs such as Mrs Josephine Teo, Ms Indranee Rajah, Mrs Lee Bee Wah, and Dr Lam among the audience. Coincidentally E Teng and Donald were there as well, so i sat with them. All i will say here is that they talked indeed like seasoned politicians (which they definitely are), and I was particularly impressed with Prof Jayakumar. Very sharp and charismatic.
I also posed the 1st question from the floor, enquiring about the impact of the ASEAN Charter on the lives of Singaporeans, as well as whether recent bickering with our neighbours would affect Singapore's push for ASEAN reforms this year particularly as it is chairing ASEAN this year. Prof Jayakumar replied me stating that Singapore's future is inevitably tied to ASEAN, and thus, there is a need to make ASEAN more relevant (which is what the Charter is setting out to do), which ll improve Singapore's international position as well. I most certainly had a lot more questions to pose, but was unable to due to time and question constraints.
All in all though, a good experience for me. =)
I slept so much again over the weekend. Becoming a recurring theme for me over the past week hah. Not good esp when my 1st paper is less than a week away.
And come to think of it, fri was the last official dae of school for many of my friends who are graduating. Geeze, time really flies man. I sure will miss seeing friends like Jianwu, jia jia, jiesheng, Kwang ge, Mariiee, xiao tian tian, xiao xian xian, ji dan tou, Rayner boi, soozie, David, Clement Black, and many many others, friends who grew up from year1 together with me, not forgetting yr4 chaps like Siew Fan, IK, boo boo, lao paul, beng beng, Aaron, junie, Clement white, Kumar etc.
On the other hand, i am heartened that yr3 friends such as Bobsie, Donny, Chonghan, Alvin, Swi Swi, Min Min, Bian Bian, Alas Ter, Joy, Yan Yan, Weida, Eric, Leonie, Benn Seow, Zhonghan, Peh, Jieming, Benja etc are staying to do honours..I m not sure how to put it, but i think one ll tend to feel most comfortable with friends of the same cohort, or friends that went thru the same orientation camp as freshies together. Somehow there ll always be this special connection which you cant get with friends who are your juniors or seniors. For eg, even though me and Chonghan and Soozie dun spend so much time tog, but its just so much easier for us to talk to one another whenever we need to talk haha..maybe its coz we noe each other's pattern so well over the years liao. Its the same feeling i get when i talk to peers like Bobsie, Kwang ge, jianwu, alvin, Rayner boi, marriee, ji dan tou, jia jia, min min etc.
So even though i may not say it face to face when i see u graduating chaps, (coz i m shy haha!), but i really will miss you guys. =)
Just like how i miss Diana baby, ning ning, riddy, timmy, kevin wee, yaozhong, gracey, peipei, jonny, eunice, ken, patrick, issac poon, frances, kelvin si, rudy, and many others.
And yes, even arvin, for all his nonsense and bullshit. n_n
Friday, April 13, 2007
Quote of the Day:
"A lot of companies tell us they dun wanna hire 1st-class honours nerds! They wanna look at candidates' other achievements in life instead of just academic results."
- A Senior Manager of the NUS Career Centre, whom i had a pleasant and lengthy conversation with todae.
Another reason why you should think hard about why u re studying so hard and slogging it out for that degree?
Another reason why you should think hard about why your CCA records or external achievements matter as much (if not, more than) as your results?
Another reason why even 1st-class honours doesnt necessarily guarantee you a good job or position?
HERE COME THE BIG GUNS
i am absolutely delighted and honoured to have been invited to another dialogue with community leaders on Singapore's External Relations, organized by the PAYM. It ll be on this Sat at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel, where the panel would consist of Cabinet members Professor Jayakumar (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law), Mr George Yeo (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Mr Mah Bow Tan (Minister for National Development), and Dr Ng Eng Hen (Minister for Manpower and 2nd Minister for Defence).
Needless to say, i am really excited and looking foward to the event, especially as this is the 1st time where i have the opportunity to engage 4 high-profile and Cabinet Ministers all at the same time. Furthermore, i have read, analyzed, and discussed a lot in many PS modules regarding this topic, and would be most keen to hear 1st hand about what Prof Jayakumar and Mr George Yeo have to say with regards to the ASEAN Charter.
Also have a pre-Conference briefing on Monday by OSA with regards to the Global Youth Symposium in KL. I ll prob be leaving for KL 1 week after the exams, which gives me relatively little time to prepare for the conference. But i ll sure make do, and give the best i can in representing NUS. =) It makes me really excited when i think of the chance to rub shoulders and exchange views with students from some of the world's best universities.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My brother successfully got a job as an OCBC stockbroker! And i am so happy for him! =) After the many rounds of interview, he finally got it.
Its 12 daes to my 1st paper, but i feel like i m in a holidae mood haha~ Yes, i think i shall start doing some revision work starting from todae. (but then again, thats what i said yesterdae hah!)
Havin so much time to revise this sem and attending so many lectures (the most i have ever attended in my NUS career) can only mean 1 thing: My cap ll prob drop this sem. HAH.
I think there are many ways to be an active member of civil society.
*Birthdae Alert for 10th April: Cheong Meiyi. Rayner Goh. =)
Monday, April 09, 2007
I added quite a few blogs of my old frenz..easier for me to catch up on their lives by reading from here straight. =) Also posted up some sites which i frequent. Haha, time flies. My blog is like 3 years old liao. Certainly time for me to tweak a few changes.
Btw, the Nasi Pattaya, Nasi Goreng, Maggi Goreng, and Milo/ Horlicks Dinosaur at Al Ahzar along Bukit Timah road absolutely rocks. Thrashed Fong Seng 10 times man. Go try those great stuff if you havent.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
My eye is always on the lookout for talents. Esp those who are year 1s.
And Harris (from S House) and John (previously from Tekka) are 2 really capable guys. Got to know them better from SMUN. If i was still in Arts Club, i ll definitely ask them to be in FOP coms. Its always a waste for young talents like them to be overlooked or not given the chance to shine on a bigger stage in University (with all due respect to PS Soc). At the very least, Harris could be an OGL, and John a House IC. Thats how much faith i have in them. In fact, i see in John a young Bobby waiting to be unleashed if he is given the chance to be T House House IC.
On another note, SMUN pre-conference briefing was..well, mixed feelings for me i guess. I was happy and encouraged to see almost 300 JC students from all institutes present at Lt8. But yet, i was disappointed with the image that some of the committee members presented to the delegates. Glad that these issues were brought out during the debriefing, so that everybody can learn from the not-so-good stuff and dun repeat them again.
Maybe i shudnt say this, but still i want to say it. Which is how appalled i am at a certain presentation during the pre-conference briefing. And again, no offence to anyone, but sometimes i feel people need to talk less and do more. If you can talk a lot and yet still deliver when it comes to the crunch, i m perfectly ok with it. But when people talk so much behind the scenes and yet cannot deliver the goods when its needed, then i think he or she should go back and do some serious self-reflection.
Old saying number 1 =>Talk is cheap.
Old saying number 2 => An army of deer would be more formidable commanded by a lion, than an army of lions commanded by a stag.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Feeling kinda excited now and cant really sleep. For 2 reasons heh.
1stly, i had a lot of fun at e bbq organized by little india. Wah, didnt noe that actually she stay so close to me wan hahahaha! Had a lot of fun talking cock with the 26th and old frenz. Oh, i also had a lot of fun playing with the lights and the fans in little india's house heh heh. Thanks a lot to kelvin and hei hei for being such wonderful supporting actors haha! *snaps fingers and clap hand twice* => *lights off and fans off*
2ndly, tom is SMUN pre-conference briefing, and we are expecting almost 300 JC delegates from all the various JCs to be present. Very exciting indeed. Which is why i prob won't sleep much tonight, coz everytime the night before big event i wont sleep much wan..I feel very happy for alvin also. Must have been his dream to see so many people sign up for SMUN =) And i m sure the efforts of the entire SMUN com would be well worth it at the end of everything in June.
So yeah, i am going for a jog now to pysche myself up for tom haha. And also to cut down my fats. Basket, health screening during Arts Vital told me i need to shed another 4 kg at least to be considered normal weight range. And apparently the nurse told me that me running twice a week not enough. Need to run more.
k lah k lah.
If anyone really wants to torture me, they should tie me up in a room, and then keep playing Beyonce's song "Irreplaceable" over and over again.
Yucks! What a yucky song~
Friday, April 06, 2007
Political Science and Law students make such a powerful combination together.
While one critiques and dissects policy, the other frames and presents it compellingly. Kinda like a chef and a restaurant captain. While the chef cuts and cook up a scrumptious dish dexterously, the captain serves it to the guests with slick and style.
No wonder when the hammer falls, chefs and captains are always on the hunt.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
I think i thrive under pressure. I do a lot of self-reflection in solitude, and looking back, ever since i was young, i was never those kind of kid who would do "consistent" work or studying. It bores me.
I like doing last min work, in the sense that you are enclaved with so little time, but yet you are able to deliver spectacular results. When i am able to achieve this, i feel a double sense of fufillment. Sometimes i do feel that i am making things difficult for myself, trying to challenge myself when i could perhaps have taken an easier way out. But that's me.
And i always love to prove people wrong. The more people doubt me, the more i enjoy rising up to the challenge and wiping the smirk off their faces. =) Lost count of the number of times i did it in life.
Which is why, in life, always believe in yourself, no matter what others say about you. People can take away your money, your food, your clothes, your property.
But they can never, never ever take away your honour and your pride, if you do not allow them to.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Attended another PAYM forum on Sat evening, at Tiger Live at St James Power Station. Haha, yeah, i tot it was a really cool idea that PAYM organized the forum at a club, esp with the theme of the forum being "Singapore's Nightlife- Is it Really That Happening?" Long time nightlife mogul Mr Dennis Foo was there, (CEO of Devil's Bar and St James), as well as Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Dr Lam Pin Min, who both provided interesting insights and responses to the questions raised regarding Singapore's nightlife. One from the private sector perspective, and one from the public sector perspective.
I have worked in the night industry before, and the name Dennis Foo undoubtedly rings a lot of attention and respect from others in the business. Therefore it was a real delight and pleasure to meet up with Mr Foo face to face, and fire questions at him haha. It was apparent that he is a really charismatic man. When he talks, everybody perks up and listen. And he possess this really lao3 jiang1 jun1 (old general) face that seems to signify that he has really seen a lot from his decades in the nightlife business. Generous too, as always with club managers. Drinks were on the house for everyone present.
As for Dr Lam, it was the first time i have met him, and really heard of him to be honest. Did a little research on his background, and realized that he is an eye surgeon, and a 1st-time MP. Throughout the forum, he strikes me as a very very warm and polite man, haha, and of coz, gave a lot of views from the govt spectrum. He brought up the point of Formula One coming to Singapore as well, and expressed that it was very likely that the bid would be successful, given the strong backing from the govt. He also talked about how these are "exciting times" for young Singaporeans like us, who would undoubtedly see many more changes in the entertainment and nightlife industries in the upcoming years, esp with the induction of the IRs.
All in all though, both gentlemen expressed confidence in Sg's no 2 ranking in the Country Brand Index of nightlife ranking, and shared the view that nightlife doesn't comprise of just clubbing and pubbing. Instead it engulfs other aspects such as nighttime and overnight shopping, culinary options, good and wide variety of food, safety at night, relative transportation ease, and compact interconnected nightlife outlets. This was also this observation by them that in a lot of other foreign countries, not many possess the facilities and options for nightlife activities.
I also managed to meet up with a lot of PAYM and YEC members, and network with them. It was also the 1st time that Princess Shuang Er and me visit St James, and i must say, its really huge man. Saw Su Weitong as well. Haha! Sure glad to see the dude happily enjoying life man.
Was really tired when i reached home. Had woken v early in the morning to help out for Arts Quiz again, and i m really glad that everything turned out well in the end. 1 and a half years ago in Sept 2005, during ROP Camp for the 26th, seniors such as Big Ben and Steven were skeptical about the feasibility of Arts Quiz and whether it would succeed, coz it was never done before in the history of the club. No doubt that there are still many areas where this event can improve upon, but i m positive the Club is moving in the right direction to enlarging the scale of this project.
And i only have 1 deadline left, which is the MNO project. Haha, happy man.. =)
