Memories...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
ON THE GLASS EGO (EXTRACTED FROM THE OPRAH MAGAZINE)
Here's a closely guarded secret: Women have more influence over men than they think. Psychologist Jay Carter talks to Michelle Burford about male self-esteem, the criticism that could demolish a man and what male intimacy is really about.
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Twenty-six years of counseling men and couples have given Jay Carter an unusually clear window into men's hearts and minds. Carter's observations are so eye-opening that we asked him about everything from finding the key to a man's inner life to the best way keep from making him a home-improvement project:
Q: You've written that most women have no idea of their power to wound men. Where does this power originate?
A: During a boy's most important developmental period—his first five years—he usually gets his self-esteem from his mother. I think some of Freud's theories are hogwash, but I believe he was right about at least one: Whereas a girl might choose to grow up to become like her mother in certain ways, a boy tries to be becoming to his mother—to make her proud. Years later, when he meets someone he wants to spend his life with, he unconsciously gives her what I call his "jujube doll"—a kind of voodoo-like name I have for the part of a man's self-esteem that's vulnerable to a woman's opinion of him. If she sticks a pin in his doll, he recoils. Most women I talk with don't realize what kind of influence they have over men.
Q: You've said that when a woman begins to care deeply for a man, he becomes her home-improvement project. Why?
A: A woman often marries a man for his potential. If women married men for who they actually were, there would be far fewer marriages. When a woman loves a man, she says to herself, 'I could improve him. Once we're together, things will be different.' Since I began my practice in 1977, I've heard this refrain hundreds of times. I try to get it across to the woman that what she sees is what she gets. This is him. If he's drinking every Friday and Saturday night, look forward to a lifetime of weekend alcoholism. He may cut out Friday, but he'll still be a drinker.
Q: Once a man has snatched away his "jujube doll," can a woman ever get it back?
A: Yes. She can sit down with him and say something like 'It wasn't my intention to hurt you, but I have. I really do think you're a wonderful man.' He may never admit that there are heel marks all over his doll, but if she approaches him this way, he'll slowly open up again.
Q: After nearly three decades of counseling men, do you think most really want to please women?
A: Oh, yes! And I believe that a man will feel even more motivated to please a woman he loves if he knows that, in general, she already thinks the world of him. Once a woman tells a man how responsible and caring he is, he'll usually do all he can to live up to that image. Just to make her proud, he'll rise up and move mountains.
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I think the last paragraph is damn true for guys man wahhaha. 'Rise up and move mountains' heh heh. Very true!
ON WHETHER U SHUD TAKE LEVEL4000 MODULES IN YEAR 3/ AMERICAN JOURNALISTS VISIT
Today during Chinese Foreign Policy seminar class (a level4000 mod), a year 3 girl (1 of the very few year3 students in the class) presented and she was... well, let's just say she was lambasted.
She didnt prepare properly, and most importantly, she wasn't aware of the expectations at all for an Honours level module. She didnt even have basic powerpoint slides, a topic focus, looking at too broad issues, & severely lacked deep analysis. Was just narrating and ranting bout China's worldview, which really irked everyone, coz all of what she said were very shallow stuff which everyone oredi knew.
Even our Professor was very surprised at her level of unpreparedness, and repeatedly urged the newer students to approach him for advice and consultation if they need to.
I guess looking back, it is a fair choice to leave your level4000 module requirements until your Honours year. I noe some people, and some seniors do advise others to try and take at least 1 level4000 mod during year3, so that your workload during Honours year ll be lighter. Most majors ll require at least 32 MC (or 8 modules) of level4000 for Hons year requirement.
That being said, most students do stick to 8 level4000 modules during final year. Besides understanding the requirements better, easier to bid during CORS, one can also build up the necessary network of classmates which makes it easier for group work, discussions, & dynamics etc. Easier to cope also.
Of coz a few of my friends also tried taking 1 or 2 level4000 mods when they were year 3, but u really have to be prepared to work very hard and face fierce competition from the year4s (who may not necessary be very friendly & warm to the year3s I must add haha). And they didnt score very well for the mods they were taking.
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The session with the American journalists was wonderful. =) It was so refreshing to share n hear from them various insights on both Singapore and the US.
I spent a lot of time talking to Michelle Burford of The Oprah Magazine & William Dobson of Foreign Policy magazine. I asked tons of questions regarding the current primary elections in US and their views on it haha.
Gosh, the embarassing part for me was that after I received their namecards towards the end when they were leaving, then did I realize how significant their portfolios were. Miss Burford is currently the Contributing Features Editor for The Oprah Magazine, and Mr Dobson is actually the Managing Editor for Foreign Policy. And thats when it hit me that I have come across Mr Dobson's articles before on Foreign Policy, which is like 1 of the most respected & established online journals for Political Science & International Relations.
I did a quick search on google for their names just now, together with Mr David Crumm (Founding Editor for ReadTheSpirit.com), and Mr Andy Jordan (Technology Reporter for Wall Street Journal Online).. And found tons of stuff that each of them have written on, as well as interviews/ features they have done with world-famous statesmen, businessmen, celebrities etc.
Wow, I feel really lucky and privileged man. Its really not everyday that u can meet up with such a select group of established American journalists. And I m really grateful that the Deanery gave students like us a chance to mingle and interact with them.
Apparently, they ll each be writing on their trip here to Sg & Taiwan when they return back to the US. And they ll be fowarding us the links so that we can read them. Cant wait for that man.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
ON JOURNALISTIC RESPONSIBILITY
I m feeling quite excited as I speak now, for I m invited for this event hosted by the Deanery tom morning.
Basically, 8 US journalists from the Honolulu Advertiser, Oprah Magazine, ReadTheSpirit/Detroit Free Press, Foreign Policy Magazine, WXIA-TV/WATL-TV in Georgia, Wall Street Journal Online, Boston Globe, and USA Today will be visiting FASS and having an informal discussion with us Arts students on a range of issues, ranging from culture to history, politics to environment issues etc.
And coincidentally, during today's International Politics of Communication seminar, the Honours class had a very thorough & absorbing debate regarding journalistic responsibility in reporting foreign news. 1 of the things I love most about Dr Chong's conduct of classes is that he doesnt give us answers, but encourage us to seek our own meanings and interpretations from the debates & discussions we have.
Oh, and this module is really a hybrid of Political Science & CNM, doused with a sociological approach. (Ahh..the wonders of post-modernism) Its a pity no CNM Honours students are taking it though. Would have been most interesting to hear from the perspective of a disciple trained in the CNM school of thought.
Anyway, so much has been said today about journalistic responsibility, the nexus between politics & international communication, as well as content 'objectivity' of information flows. Tom ll be a good chance to really ask these respected professional journalists on their own opinions.
I am esp excited to probe them with regards to how they cover the current US primary elections.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
ON RESPECT & STRENGTH OF CHARACTER
Senator John Kerry, during his endorsement of Barack Obama for President of the United States, had this to say:
"My friends, when we choose a President and a leader, we are electing judgment and character, not years on this earth."
I believe that respect is very much linked to strength of character.
When one has strength of character, like Beng Chong, Jeremy Irons, or Cherie for instance, one does not need to ask for respect. People around, friends, & subordinates ll respect that person naturally, even though they may not say it outright to him or her.
On the other hand, when one asks for respect from others, but yet does not have the strength of character to back himself up, he or she immediately loses respect. I have seen many of these kinds of people, and I am less than impressed with them.
Respect is earned, not entitled. Not given.
ON A NEW PHONE =)
Well, I finally got a new hp, and no its not a flick phone haha. I felt the available ones on offer weren't really what I like, and the Motorola V9 was a bit too ex, plus it didnt have radio. (Sidenote: the colour of the phone didnt look too enticing to me either)
And so I went for the Nokia 6500 Slider hee. There was a great offer at the Starhub roadshow at Suntec and I decided to go for it.
This new phone is v important to me, coz it ll be accompanying me for prob the 1st few years of my working career. Thus I felt I needed one which looks a bit more sleek & professional.
Really happy with my new phone! =)
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Supper and catching up with Don yest night at Bugis. Was great to see him again, and we had to spend a lot of time filling up details of the past 3 years hahaha.
And guess what, halfway thru we saw Bobsie (who was returning from his steamboat adventure) ahaha! Who joined us all e way till 3 am.
I really enjoy nights like this. :p Sometimes with old friends, u dun have to physically do a lot of activities like movies or what not. Just sitting at a coffeeshop, catching up over kopi, sharing dreams, gossip (hehe) and debating over the intricacies of life...Ahh, wonderful...
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Attended another ministerial dialogue today. Guest panellist was MP Mr Christopher De Souza from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Prof Ho Chong Kong from Soci Dept of NUS FASS. Topic was on "From a 4.5 to 6.5 million Singapore- Social corrosion or social cohesion?".
Well, I have attended countless dialogues, and I came expecting quite a dry session. But I was pleasantly surprised. The questions from the audience today were really interesting, engaging, sharp, & raised a lot of refreshing points. And Mr De Souza most certainly impressed me with his train of thought and candid answers. He's also 1 of the youngest MPs, only 31 this year.
Friday, January 25, 2008
ON MASTER KHOR
As it was raining yesterdae and I couldnt ride home, I decided to drop by Master Khor along as6 to have my fortunes read. Together with Ah Bing Ge. I also wanted to see whether what Master Khor said about me ll match with what he said 2 years ago.
Anyway, I took everything of what he said with a huge pinch of salt. Because I felt that he says a lot of very generic things about a person (which are too broad and can apply to most people), and there are a lot a lot of similarities of what he says to people. In fact, I did a quick google search about Master Khor, & realized that he said very similiar stuff to a whole lot of other bloggers out there.
Some of the more common themes I discovered online & from listening to other friends who have consulted him, in what he tells customers are:
1) You are horny. (for guys)
2) You love exotic women. (for guys)
3) This year ll be a make or break year for you.
4) You might migrate overseas and may not come back.
5) You are a perfectionist.
6) You are good with small details.
7) You have a split personality.
8) You might meet a lot of gui ren later on in your life.
9) You ll earn lots of money next time.
10) You like attention and fame.
If u look at all the 10 aspects, they can be pretty generic and can apply to a wide range of people. Which act leads me to speculate that Master Khor might possibly possess a Strike Package A, B, C etc to fit among different customers and even rotate his predictions..ya noe, just like how the military planners ll always have different strategic plans for different scenarios.
In any case, this is what Master Khor said about me with regards to love & career (unedited):
1) I am a control freak, esp in relationships. (Not true)
2) I have a strong need to know whats going on around me in my work. (True)
3) I have a rich man's sign, and will be extremely wealthy in future. (He was extremely pleased when he said this and spoke with a gleam in his eyes at this point, after he seemed to have found a particular indicative trait in my palms)
4) Because I ll be very rich in future, I will not have a problem attracting girls.
5) I ll master a particular trade well, and once I did that, a lot of people ll come up to me for advice. (Again, very generic)
6) Precisely because I am a control freak, my relationships will only be successful if I get together with submissive women.
7) I am horny. (Geeze, i wonder how many guys he had said this to)
8) I am attracted to powerful & exotic women, but I can never marry them. (Exactly what he meant by 'exotic' women he didnt elaborate)
9) I ll either be very controlling in my relationship or be very controlled by my wife. Its a case of 2 extremes. Which is why if I marry the wrong person, the latter scenario ll be the most probable.
10) Intelligence in a girl has to matter a lot to me. (Wah lau eh, intelligence also a very broad category leh, as I have blogged before. There's EQ & IQ, and anyway I dun think i ever based intelligence as a factor)
11) I have a long and turbulent history of relationships. (quite true)
12) But my current love life is boring. (ya got that right Master Khor wahahah)
13) Conclusion for love: Ideally, I should marry a girl who is sexy, intelligent, & submissive.
14) I am good with small details. (Depends)
15) I ll did do well in a job which involves interacting with many & different types of people. An example would be the travel industry.
16) I need to wear blue to attract the right kind of people.
17) Wearing red for me sends out wrong signals. Not encouraged to wear red.
18) I like being at the center of attention and will do well in jobs where I am receiving a lot of attention and recognition.
Well, thats pretty much what I can recall. Like I said, a lot of generic stuff. And I was quite disappointed coz he spent much more time talking about love to me rather than my career prospects.
Somebody ought to do a sociological ISM or Honours Thesis on astro palmistry & Master Khor man. haha.
ON A RANDOM ZOUK ADVENTURE AFTER DUNNO HOW MANY YEARS
Went down to Zouk on Wed night with fellow PS Honours lads- Shaun, Daniel, Damien, as well as Adeline & her friends.
Frankly, I cant even recall when's the last time I went clubbing (exclude all the Arts Camp & Arts Bashes), let alone the last time I went Zouk haha!
Well, I guess some things change n some things dun.
The place is apparently still quite happening n packed. Also still filled with lotsa army boys n 18-21 girls. So much so that the few of us really felt quite out of place as the age group there wasnt exactly compatible.
The music's still good, esp the mambo part heh heh. Filled us with pleasant memories of the past again!
The highlight of the night for us was the bitching session over beer n long island tea hehe.
I m glad I went in the end though. Initially was a bit reluctant to go coz I felt quite tired during the day, having gone for the recruitment talks by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Singapore Tourism Board Management Trainee Scheme. Plus I had 10 am Honours seminar class the next morning and clubbing aint my top kind of fun anymore. But I really had fun in the end, esp in getting to noe the rest of them better, and even tho we didnt dance much.
In fact, I m really glad that our Honours cohort spirit is getting better =) More of us are having lunches, little gatherings tog, and talking more cock with people we dun even speak to at the start of last sem. And next outing coming up is prob at Damien's place or at Arab Street. By the way, Damien's from Mauritius and he's a really really fun lad wahhah. We intend to visit his home town in Africa hopefully when we graduate. n_n
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On a separate note, we finally got our ISMs approved by the PS Dept! Now I can really start work n get down & dirty. But it ll also mean that from next week onwards, life's gonna get a lot more hectic than the 1st 2 weeks.
And I seriously need to cut down on my sleep hours man. The more sleep I have, the more I seem to be inefficient n restless.
Another happy weekend coming up. =)
Oh yah, btw, my new toilet bowl is up, and its absolutely gleaming n shiny man. heh heh.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
ON 5 GROUND-BREAKING EVENTS ON THIS DAE OF 22nd JAN 2008
No 1: I started my 1st full reading for the year 2008.
No 2: I filed for graduation. (Gasp!!!) Seeing my matric number on the list of graduating students felt weird & alien to me. Never thought that this day would come so soon wahahah!
No 3: I made up my mind to hold a birthday party later this year when I hit 25, to commenerate a quarter century of my existence haha. Ahh, and I intend to do it like my 21st birthday celebration, where I invited all my various groups of friends from past to present to future.
No 4: I ll be getting a new toilet bowl in my house. (serious) As part of the renovations heh. The previous one has oredi been "uprooted" liao. Bet most of u never see before or cant imagine how your toilet looks like with the toilet bowl being removed.
No 5: I forgot what my 5th groundbreaking event was. Ughh.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
ON CLOVERFIELD
Came back not long ago after watching Cloverfield. Wow, I must say that it was a really powerful and disturbing movie.
The entire film was shot by a first person angle, which makes u really engaged thru out, coz u dun wanna miss anything. It took a while for me to get used to the way the film was directed. But once the action took off, it was really a scintillating ride.
The movie also doesnt explain where the monster came from, or why it was wrecking everything in its stride, but that was part of what makes it so intriguing and mysterious.
I dun wanna spoil the movie for those of u who havent watched it yet, coz the real thrill of watching the film is not knowing what to expect. But when u watch it and see the scene (towards the end of the movie) as illustrated in the blog picture here, be sure to be extra alert n scrutinize carefully!! I didnt catch it myself when I watched it, but according to Internet sources and other movie viewers online, this scene hints of where the monster came from!
Actually I m feeling quite sad after watching the film. A lot of thoughts swirling thru my head. Thats why I mentioned that it was powerful n disturbing. Maybe becoz it feels believable n makes u wonder what u ll do if u were in the shoes of the lead characters, esp Rob.
Ok, shouldnt add more. Please go watch the film k. Gripping stuff. But be warned, its only 1 h and 15 min long! So better to watch on weekdays. =)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
ON A HOMELESS HOCKY
I m homeless. Sob sob.
Haha no lah. My house is currently facing some renovations, with all the living room tiles being changed and refurbished. And my parents wanna get it quickly done before the Chinese New Year.
Have been busy the past week shifting lotsa stuff and furniture out of the living room, while throwing old stuff away. Its a good time to do some spring cleaning anyway to embrace the new year.
Hai, but due to the noisy drillings and what not, plus all the extra furniture squeezed into our bedrooms, it aint a pretty or peaceful sight at home. Plus the fact that internet connection and tv (esp cable tv!) are down, I m pretty much cut off at home....
Which explains why I m at the NUS library on a Sat on the 1st week of school!!!!! WAhhaahwhahhaha!!
So ke lian right. Sobz. But ok la, I just need to tahan a bit more till Tues lydat, and the renovations ll be done. But factor in all the shifting back of new furniture etc etc, which ll prob mean that my next week ll be relatively preoccupied with "Home Improvement" again.
Celebrated Lao Kay's birthdae last night tog with KTV session at Clarke Quay area. Hmmm, not bad leh, this Apollo Centre. Can recommend to my other KTV groups of friends heh heh. Errr, but the male toilet is erm.. Not recommended to go in alone la hor.
Btw, I attended this focus group discussion at PA HQ last Thurs, where I fought for Singapore democracy at the youth & grassroots level haha. Finally, my Political Science background & knowledge came in useful.
Havent done a single reading this week. Been so pre-occupied with admin stuff, including zapping stuff, ISM, bidding etc. And I only finally got my 4 modules on Fridae, left ISM to be approved. Time to get into the groove man.
My pay cheque's finally in yayz. =) Ll be shopping for a new pair of shoes, and a new FLICK-kind of handphone. Since young, I have always wanted my own flick phone heh heh.
Some good news for us graduates this coming May. The tight labour market is expected to continue for 2008, which means higher chances of securing employment. Wages also expected to increase by 5%. Bad news is that costs of living seem to be setting to go even higher.
Oh, 1 thing which made me quite sad when I woke up this morning. My mum told me she's retrenched from her job at the Food Junction at Lot1. =(
Which means she ll have to look for another job soon. But actually I told her she can stop working oredi coz I ll be out working by May and basically our whole family ll be working liao. But she's still concerned coz me & my bro still have academic fees loans, and I think she doesnt see herself as staying at home 24/7. Knowing my mum, she ll prob get all restless. And of coz, with the retirement age being raised, I can understand as well why she wants to continue working.
Actually, I was thinking while I was riding todae, that I actually inherited quite a no of traits from my mum. Some good some bad. You know, its just 1 of those things that u dun really think about when ya still very young. But it only gradually dawns on u when u grow up.
Thinking about some of these traits really make me smile to myself. Esp 1 of which explains why I always argue with her since young heh heh. I hope she gets really proud & happy during my commencement ceremony later this year.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
ON THE START OF A BRAND NEW LAST SEMESTER & INTERNSHIP PHOTOS!! =p
Let's talk about the internship photos 1st.
Yay! Jennifer has finally sent us the photos taken on the final day of our internship haha. I put up 4 here. The top picture, (which i m really proud of) is the Director-General/ CEO Mr Lim, the former Chief of Air Force, presenting the cert to us after our presentation. The 2nd pic is the 6 of us interns (minus Eric hehe) flanked by the 2 beautiful HR managers Debbie & Jennifer! The 3rd pic is taken with the friendly & lovable HR officer Christine! hee. And the last pic is the 6 of us with the wonderful fountain background.
Manz! In reality its only less than 2 weeks since our internship ended but I really miss them and miss working at CAAS already! Haha, really hope I get the scholarship! Oh, last Fri me and Lionel got the privilege to join the HR orientation tour of Singapore Aviation Academy & the Air Traffic Control Center which was another wonderful experience. =p
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On another note, I have been doing tons of stuff since last weekend. Sat spent with Sooze, Siying & Irys watching classic dvd movies over at Sooze's place, plus watching United play their best match of the season against Newcastle!
Sun attended the dialogue by Health Minister Dr Khaw Boon Wah at Grassroots Club on means testing, followed by usual football session, followed by welcoming session of Shifty back to Sg at night!! Welcome back Shifty! *pat yr head & pinch yr cheeks* =p
And then there was the mahjong session with Peh on Mon night. We played 4 rounds for the whole night, and thankfully all of us play fast. I can get a bit impatient with people who play very slowly. Was very lucky that night n won quite a bit.
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What about the start of school? haha.
Attended Dr Chong's International Politics of Communication class on Mon. Very tough & abstract module again, perhaps even more challenging than Study of War.
Tues n Fridaes are my free daes. Quite interesting to have my 1st ever 3 day week in NUS haha.
Maybe its just the 1st week of school, but I realize that my mindset seems to have changed a lot after my internship at Commercial Division. I m seeing a lot of things & people differently. I see n hear some friends, classmates n juniors talking so much about academic theories n long winded presentations.
And then I always pause n wonder to myself: "So what if u noe so much academic theory? But can u apply them practically to the real working world?
So what if u can write 10,000 word long essays? But can u be precise n concise in your presentation & bring your point across to people who have no time to listen to yr long-winded cock-and-bull story in the business world?
So what if u can get A in every single module? But can you pass through a job interview & convince yr potential employer that u are the best man/woman for the job?
So what if u are academically inclined? But socially inept?
So what if u graduate with a perfect cap score or 1st class honours? But have no basic networks or university friends?
So what if u can talk n preach for one hour in class on Rousseau or Clausewitz? But no one wants to listen to u talk, or get bored when u open yr mouth when ya in the workforce?"
Maybe i m just feeling a bit jaded after so many yrs in university, and bracing myself for the transition to the working world. Yet I noe I ll most certainly miss a lot a lot of friends in NUS and a lot of memories here. =) Which is why many of us graduating mates are having lotsa mixed feelings knowing that this ll be our last semester. And we intend to treasure it haha.
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I always felt that Samuel will be a wonderful Arts Club President since ROP last year. I still do. =)
People sometimes forget that he doesnt have the so-called benefit of 1 year's past experience in Arts Club. That is both a bane & a boon though.
People also sometimes forget or fail to see what the President does behind the scenes.
Not many people would have survived being in his position as a first-year President. The sem ahead ll be tough, but I m positive he ll guide the 28th through successfully with his own leadership style.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
ON AN EXCEPTIONALLY BRILLIANT ORATOR - BARACK OBAMAI was supposed to be rushing my ISM research. But I ended up listening and watching Barack Obama's victory speech in Iowa & conceding speech in New Hampshire.
Just reminded me of what a brilliant orator he is. Exceptionally charismatic and able to connect with the people thru his speeches. And not 1 time did he look down at any of his prepared notes or speeches. (Unlike Hillary Clinton, who was just reading from a pre-prepared victory script)
The last American President that can speak so well was Reagan. And if people call Reagan The Great Communicator, looks like they gotta give Obama a new nickname soon, (if he becomes the next President.) Oh, and I m pretty sure that he took lessons from The Rock & Martin Luther King in delivering his speeches.
I intend to follow every speech of his caucus and campaign trail all the way to Nov 2008 from now on. Fascinating orator. And I wish him all the best in his bid to be the next US President.
I think America & the world needs a new leader. A refreshing leader. And Obama can be that spark.
ON THE END OF BIG SAM'S REIGN
I woke up to the news of yet another EPL manager being sacked. Its quite sad. Always thought that Big Sam was a good manager, just that he needed more time.
And time is certainly something which the fans & the club chairmen nowadays are not prepared to give. The Magpies started the season strongly, n only witnessed a dip in form in recent months. Why they sack the manager so fast is really beyond me. After all, every team goes thru its ups n downs curve.
I also read before that Big Sam had actually brought a lot of changes to Newcastle's training environment, diets, exercise regime etc. Poor chap. All these changes he made probably still need more time to take effect. Plus he didnt have Michael Owen for such long periods, while other major signings like Joey Barton visibly failed to impress.
If they appoint Alan Shearer as the new manager, they ll prob have to wait a long time again before he can win them any honours. Strange as it may sound, but I always see Shearer as more suitable for international football management, akin to the likes of Klinnsman, Van Basten, Bilic, Dunga, or Donadoni. At Club management level, u need a lot of experience before u can win anything.
Well, I guess it depends on what the fans want at the end of the dae. U can play attacking football pleasing to the eyes n still get relegated, or close to relegation. Happened to Newcastle in the past before, n of coz their rivals Middlesbrough as well.
Let's see what Shearer (or any new gaffer) can do.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
ON ISM WOES & DELUSIONARY PEOPLE
I just read someone's blog, and obviously that particular someone is taking indirect swipes at me haha. Well, a few things to say on my part:
No 1: I dun give a shit what u think. :p
No 2: I find your response amusing, and it just further validates mine & everyone's sentiments about your level of immaturity. (despite u keep thinking that u have grown a lot liao)
No 3: If you dare to preach in life, then be expected to be challenged back in your views. If you cannot take criticism, then dun preach. Simple as that.
No 4: Stop thinking so highly of yourself n have more humility please. Maybe then, will people listen to you more.
No 5: I can be very frank and straightforward with my friends. Sometimes it ll mean that what I say may come across as a bit insensitive. But it is becoz i care for my friends & dun want them to say or make the same mistakes again. And i feel that being direct in this sense helps.
No 6: I am a firm believer in freedom of speech. Meaning that u can say whatever u want, but if your words are not matched by your deeds, then u are simply being delusional. And when u are delusional, u lose credibility.
No 7: If u dun liked what I said previously, just tell me directly and I ll take note. As i mentioned previously, I have no malicious intent when i criticize u. No need to take indirect swipes at me in your blog.
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Hai, ISM topic deadline is on Friday!! And i m really squeezing my brain juices to find a suitable specific focused topic for it.
I think the coming sem ll be quite xiong for many of my fellow classmates, esp those Honours Thesis folks. Oredi many friends have been going back to sch for the past few daes to start research liao.
And after 4 years in NUS, CORS has once again disappointed everybody. I dun have a single module now, n ll prob have to appeal to all 3 level4000 modules. Its seriously a mystery why the system fails again n again hah. And not just me, soooooo many of us are not allowed to bid, and its oredi round 2B tom. Duh.
Had a nice chat with Gerard online. haha, u re still the man dude. Respect~.
Ok enough ranting. Back to work.
Btw, Shifty's coming back to Sg on Sat yahoooo!! I miss Shifty n all her noisy nonsense. :p
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
ON A VERY CHILLED DAY
Wow, what can I say man? It feels absolutely wonderful to be able to wake up at noon todae, & not being required to go to work haha. We students have it easy indeed.
Weekend was great. Sat met up with Sooze & Siying, n we further decide to watch some classic dvd movies together for the next week yay. =p
Sun was the usual football, followed by more chilling out with army frenz. Good to see Hao jie jie back. He's smoking like no tomorrow though, after 1 year in Shanghai haha.
As for today, it really felt like a real holiday to me, for the 1st time in a long long while. Took another nap in late afternoon. Went to eat the fabulous bugis junction duck rice & mango si mi lu with Shuang Er at night. And just finished packing my horrendously messy study table to prepare for the new sem ahead.
Haha, i have been thinking also. Realized that even after i stepped down, the 2 subsequent semesters I still have been involved with organizing Arts Club events. There was the FOP & Elections/ ROP last sem & ISIS Charity last last sem. But for this final sem, its really no more events le haha! I can finally study in "peace" after 7 semesters! wahahahah!
Very much looking foward to taking part in Bike Quest, Food Hunt and Futsal though. =) Oooh, and I hope ISIS Charity Drive & Gala Dinner can really be continued this year. ISIS is quite a manageable project, and its really for a good community cause at the end of the day. Plus, its a good chance to invite the previous MC & Charity Directors to come back n help out haha. Finally, its always been something special which Arts Club has done since 22nd or 23rd MC but not other Faculty Clubs. Oh, and the Deanery loves ISIS, heh. Think I would be quite sad if no ISIS this year. Sobz. =p
Ok, I shall round off this very chilled day of 2008 by going for a jog now wahaha. Goodnight boys & girls.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
ON DAE 17 (Fri 4 Jan) - FINAL DAE OF INTERNSHIP
Judgment Day.
Woke up at 6 am coz we had to reach earlier todae for final prep. I felt strangely relaxed as I rode to the airport. Astoundingly calm in fact, given all the stress & franticness the past few daes. I felt positively excited, & couldnt wait to present to the panel.
The mood among all of us as we readied ourselves in the Boardroom was highly jovial at 830 am. We were cracking lots of silly jokes n reminding each other how relaxed we will all be after everything haha.
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9 am - Arrival of members of the senior management, Division Heads and Directors. Our various supervisors were also present to lend a visible support to all of us. The 1 man who is still not here yet was the Director-General/ CEO.
910 am - Arrival of DG/ CEO Mr Lim. He was the former Chief of Air Force and only transferred to be Head of CAAS recently. He had this extremely strong & powerful aura, and was very very charismatic.
915 am - 1st Presenter Janice stepped up. I thought she really really handled the pressure of being the 1st presenter very well. Atmosphere in the room was very tense and formal. These were all very senior Directors who really have no time to listen to you sprout nonsense and waste their time. Which explains why we all worked so hard over the week to deliver a final concise & smooth presentation.
922 am - End of Janice's presentation. Q & A session. Questions arrived thick & fast. DG posed a few questions himself. My Commercial Director was there as well, and I was hoping that she wont ask me stuff later haha.
10 am- My turn.
I went up to the front, highly confident & ready to give my best shot. Spoke a bit fast coz I had to keep strictly to the time limit. I guess it helps in life that I have quite a loud booming voice haha.
Thankfully I only had to tackle 2 questions. And they could be comfortably dealt with. Phew. Finally my presentation was over!
1040 am - End of all our presentations. We were each presented with a Certificate by the DG, which I thought was a really nice gesture. After that, we were ushered into reception, where we had a wonderful time mingling with the DG and all the senior Directors.
It was really great to hear from them, the leaders of the organization at the very top, on their views on the aviation industry, airlines, and even on life itself haha. Realized that DG can be very candid & humorous as well, besides his tough exterior. Most of the Directors were very warm and friendly too.
Years of attending such reception functions during my President days made me very comfortable n at ease during such a setting (esp in making casual conversations), which I m really thankful for.
After they left, all of us together with the HR officers Jennifer & Christine took lotsa pictures heh. The mood was very much lightened n we were all really relieved that everything is over haha.
Handed over all my reports & findings to my supervisors. Wrote a few thank-you cards to them and to some of my colleagues who have been really helpful n warm to me over the past 4 weeks. My supervisors also treated me to lunch as a final farewell haha. I was really really encouraged & heartened by their compliments & congratulations on my presentation.
Said my final goodbyes around the office to my various colleagues and to my Director as well. Azizah was really sweet and gave me a special Changi Airport staff lanyard as a parting gift. I would really miss her. Everydae sitting behind me, we ll talk bout lotsa stuff, and she had helped me on countless stuff.
With that, I took a final step out of my office. I would miss this place. Had such a great & exciting time here. The entire internship programme was really 1 of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. =)
I m glad that I gave everything I got. And I leave with no regrets.
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Went for the Honours class dinner & gathering at Shaun's place at night. I was so tired, with only about 8 hours sleep in the past 3 days, that I wasnt my usual self haha. Nevertheless, I m so glad, as with Alvin, Shaun & most of the organizers, to see that over 40 plus of the Honours students turned up!
It was a much healthier turnout than we expected, and even though it was hard to have any programme involving all 40 plus of us, I m positive that most of us enjoyed ourselves just mingling around n talking cock with each other haha.
I also kept playing with Shaun's dog - Rusty! He's an 8 year old Golden Retriever, my dream dog!! He's really big, but very very guai haha. He ll even roll around on the floor so that i can help scratch his back heh. Cant describe how much I adore him. :p
Need a good good break this weekend, before starting to think bout my ISM on Mon. While most of my friends have been enjoying their holidaes, it feels as though mine just started only haha.
ON DAE 16 (Thu 3rd Jan)
Slept only 3 hours.
Deadline for submission of presentation slides & report was set at 12 noon. Most of us interns couldnt hit it and requested for an extension till 230 pm. It was really a frantic race against time. The intense heat was on.
My Commercial office was also heavily buzzing yesterdae n the whole of todae coz its the final inspection day for Terminal 3, before its official opening next week. My supervisors were very tied down as well.
Finally submitted my slides n report to HR at 3 pm. But I didnt feel good at all about them. There were still a lot of tables, figures, statistics & findings which I wanna churn in but didnt have the time to.
Rehearsal of presentation at the Boardroom at 5 pm- Venue of our Judgment Day tomorrow. I was designated as the 4th presenter. All of us took turns to present and gave inputs for each other to further improve the slides. We only have a max of 7 min each, hence the need to be extremely concise n clear => something which FASS & PS doesnt teach very well.
Thankfully we were still allowed to make changes to our presentation slides overnight before 830 am tom.
Headed home at 8pm. Finetuned & added in a lot of stuff for my presentation. For the 1st time finally, I felt confident about what I was going to say tomorrow. I felt clear about the direction of my presentation, and I have all the necessary answers to any questions in the back of my mind.
It is commonly known that in Arts, u learn to "crap" quite well, be it in presentations, essays or exams. Try that tom & we are screwed. Here, facts & figures are what counts in substantiating our presentation flow.
Finally completed & satisfied at 3 am. Sent a final copy to my supervisors & even Directors, and slept on the sofa. Feeling more relaxed & could finally afford to smile.
The scholarship means very much to both me and Lionel, which explains why we are piaing so hard.
Now for the moment of truth in 6 hours time.
ON DAE 15 (Wed 2nd Jan)
Back from New Year holiday - means that only 3 daes left to the final presentation. Only slept 2 hours from the previous night coz i started working on my presentation.
Spent the entire day coming up with a 1st draft and presented it to my supervisor at 8 pm. Was whacked left right center haha. A bit demoralized though coz I almost had to redo the entire presentation. But it was for my own good. I rather they correct my mistakes now.
Went inside the departure transit areas for both Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 at 10 pm to get a feel of the kind of retail and F & B mix over there. Felt like a little child again wandering thru the terminal transits. Seeing all the happy travelers made me realize again how much I would love to fly away myself.
Left the airport at close to midnight. Need to work thru the night again. Pressure is soaking up. Havent felt this kind of stress for a long long time.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
ON HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR OF 2008 =)
Wow, after such a long post of reviewing 2007, it is time to switch my attention to hopes for 2008!
As always, a brand new year promises new beginnings, new hopes, n new memories. 2008 ll be another unique year becoz:
(i) I ll be graduating in May. And i ll never be seen in the Arts Club room after that anymore (sob) hahaha.
(ii) I ll hit 25 meaning quarter of a century old in October 2008! Haha, but ok la, I actually like the feeling of grow old.
(iii) I ll be embarking on my career (for the rest of my life) n my 1st real job.
With those factors in mind, my hopes for 2008 ll be:
(1) That my family, friends, n loved ones continue to stay safe n healthy.
(2) That I continue to keep in touch with old friends even after I graduate.
(3) That I continue to keep fit, healthy, n slim down by at least 5kg! (must be more specific this time liao heh)
(4) That I can successfully attain the CAAS Honours Year Scholarship, and to enter the dynamic aviation industry.
(5) That I can graduate in peace, throw the mortar hat, n take lotsa grad photos with oldies like Chonghan, Bobsie, Soozie, Joy, Jia jia, Yuimin, Alvin, Jianwu, Alas Ter, Swi Swi, Bian Bian, Leonie, Weida, n many many others!
(6) That I graduate with 2nd Upper Class Honours.
(7) That the 28th MC and Arts Club ll enjoy a successful term, and that FOP 2008 ll be a great success.
(8) That I ll get my class 2A bike licence & class 3 driving licence (passing at the 1st attempt).
(9) That I ll have enough $ to get a brand new bike- the SuperFour.
(10) That Manchester United ll win the Premier League title again, as well as the Champions League!!
(11) Last but not least, that the iron walls & heavy armour clad around my heart will begin to soften again.
I m finally done! n_n Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year once again! And may all your hopes n dreams be fulfilled in 2008!
ON STOCK-TAKING FOR THE YEAR 2007
During ROP Camp 2005, when I was re-running for 26th MC, there was this program when the ROPers had to sit in a circle, n draw out a progress chart of our lives from birth. There were inevitably highs & lows.
When I look back now at 2007, I see again, highs & lows haha.
It was a special year no doubt. 1st time in my uni life when I was totally free of MC responsibilities haha, unlike 2006, when I only stepped down in Sept.
Let me take a look at the lows of 2007 1st, & what are the hopes I didnt realize:
Firstly, I didnt slim down as much as I had hoped for. Haha. Yes I did exercise n jog much much more compared to 2006, but I m not sure why weight loss hasnt been as successful as my younger daes. Could it be that my metabolism rate is slowing down with age? *gasp* WAHAHAHAA.
Secondly, 2007 did not turn out to be a safer place for Singapore in terms of reduced traffic accidents. In fact, I think the accident rate actually increased. And 1 of my friends' sister left becoz of an accident.
Thirdly, the world did not turn out to be a much safer place as well. The gd thing is that more world leaders have recognized the importance of environmental security & climate change. But the sad thing is that terrorism continues to be rife in the world. The year ended sadly with Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Most importantly on a personal note, I lost the person I love the most. I didnt fulfill my hope of celebrating Christmas & New Year with Princess Shuang Er again. The phonecall I received on 18 July during Reservist training, was the most heartbreaking moment of 2007. The final night at Chijimes when both of us couldnt stop our tears flowing down..continues to linger in my heart.
The pain. The agony. I ll never forget, but there was no animosity. The most important thing to me is that she's happy. And that still remains the same today.
A few friends asked me whether I have moved on some time after the break-up. I never did answer their question, but simply shrugged. 1 of them, (I think it was Rabbit) asked me how does one really noe whether one has moved on, painful as it was.
I replied saying that deleting all the past smses & messages in one's hp is a key indicator. The other key indicator is that u stop harbouring hopes of ever getting back with him or her. Finally, you stop having dreams of him or her. Only when one has fulfilled all these 3 aspects do u noe that u truly have moved on.
Its funny I said all these, becoz until today, I still fail all these 3 indicators.
What about the highs of 2007? =)
Firstly, it ll be celebrating our 1 year anniversary with Princess Shuang Er, and all the little times & moments we spent with each other in the 1st half of the year. =p
Secondly, it was the 1st time in my life that I represented my university & my country in the Global Youth Symposium in KL, in May 2007. I made tons of international friends at the conference, and realized that I could lead at the international level as well. That really boosted my confidence of being an international leader 1 day. Also, being given the honour to deliver the closing address with Jah on behalf of all the delegates really filled me with pride. It was really a wonderful wonderful moment of the year for me.
Thirdly, the Singapore Model United Nations in June was a huge success, and I m glad my WHO committee went smoothly. I made even more friends esp from PS Society n fellow PS majors, esp people like Kelvin, Yong Keong, & Shaun, who have gone on to become closer classmates. And of coz, repaying my debt to Alvin haha.
Fourthly, I finally fulfilled my dream of being a House IC before I graduate haha. FOP 2007, my very last FOP in university, was most certainly another high of my life in 2007.
I got to noe the next generation of Arts Club leaders & affiliates much better, n made many many more friends & juniors. Spartan & Saofeng ll always be special to me. =) And i m so thankful to be involved as a house IC, knowing wonderful new friends n fellow House ICs like Julie n Michelle.
The last dae of Arts Camp 2007 was very very emotional for me and Chonghan, for it was Arts Camp where it all began in NUS for us. Doing the circle of friendship for 1 last time was really heartwarming: Something i ll hold deep down in my heart forever, and i hope future generations continue this beautiful tradition of Arts Camp.
The last Rag for me at the Padang was also a sweet memory for 2007. Pushing the float out 1 last time time together with the new generation of Raggers, n with oldies like Jianwu & Alvin..Wow, what a moment man. Memories like this u cannot describe in words really.
Fifthly, Thank-You Dinner 2007 was another high, in the sense that it wrapped up nicely what the 27th MC had done. 1 of my hopes for 2007 earlier was that the 27th & Arts Club ll enjoy a successful term, and I m really glad they did. Every com got its ups n downs, highs n lows, and have their own imperfections. I m just glad they "survived" to tell the tale haha!
Sixthly, I became the Returning Officer for the elections, another honour i take pride in. Seeing the 28th transiting from nominees to elects to ROP to finally AGM also warmed my heart very much =) I also got the chance to work with Bobsie, Guan Guan, Gandhi, JJ, & Little India for possibly the last time in uni haha.
Seventhly, I successfully got the internship for CAAS, something which I really really wanted n which I prepared extensively for. =) Getting a taste of the aviation industry was most certainly a high for me in 2007.
Eighthly, academic wise, I hit my personal best in 2007. Another 4.3 in the 1st half, n 4.7 in the 2nd, n hopefully into Deans List.
Ninthly, I managed to fulfill 1 of my 2007 resolutions by keeping in touch with many of my old friends. Life moves really fast, but what is life without friendship? =)
Last but not least, the final high of 2007 would be that my family, my friends, & all my loved ones remained healthy n safe for the past year. That in itself is a high n a blessing to me. n_n
ON DAE 14 (NEW YEAR EVE)
Well, Dae 14 Mondae was a half day coz its the last dae of 2007! n_n Spent the whole morning doing some sales analysis n finally got it done. I also realize that I am now so much more proficient with Microsoft Excel haha. Its true man, how people always say that Excel is 1 of the most impt programs to learn for work purposes.
After that we, the interns, had a wonderful lunch at 1 of the Thai restaurants at T2 haha. Its quite interesting how the group of us bonded so well within such a short time. Lunch was really loonng..haha..Talking lotsa trash & taking some "last" photos before our last dae on Friday.
