Memories...
Saturday, March 29, 2008
ON A ROCKING & ROMANTIC BIRTHDAY PARTY
Wah, I m absolutely knackered from last night man (from all the singing & dancing & jumping around heh). It was a rocking & yet extremely sweet 21st birthday party for Kaiwei last night at the Botanic Gardens. Hope that she really enjoyed herself haha. 21st birthdays are always so memorable. Kudos to Zhimin and all the organizers! Manz, and seriously, the food prepared by everyone absolutely thrashed most of the professional caterers around!
What a marvellous & sweet bunch of people. Putting in so much effort to organize each other's birthday, just to make each other's lives a little bit better & sweeter admist all the academic stress. =)
How many more nights like this can I enjoy before graduation....? Sigh.
Yeah, and I went for my routine 1-hr jog straight after i reached home last night, which made me even more exhausted. Yest night sorta marked the 1st month anniversary of my training regime. I jog about 4 times a week, continuous 1 hr each time, with static exercises on alternate days.
And i m really glad to have lost 2 kg oredi. Hoping to do a "Bobby" haha. Though the Lord himself did advise me that results ll take quite a while to show.
I rem 1 of my new year resolutions is to shed at least 5kg, and considering that now is March, I guess i m on track. Feeling healthier & more refreshed nowadays as well. And like what Men's Health magazine mentioned, once u discipline yourself to start training and enjoy the process, it can be really hard to stop.
As for this weekend, it ll be spent entirely on wrapping up my ISM, and preparing for IPC Presentation on Mon. Phew~. Been relaxing too much the past few daes.
Friday, March 28, 2008
ON WOMEN AND THE APPRECIATION OF DEPRECIATION?
Most ladies I noe appear to be wary of growing old. That explains why women seem to be so sensitive with regards to revealing their age, esp in the workplace (A painful lesson I learnt during my internship heh).
(Then again, not revealing age could be a ploy to act more mysterious & enigmatic to us guys, but thats another story for another blog entry for next time heh heh.)
Of coz, it doesnt help with the provincial thinking of family/relatives/friends/colleagues that places pressure on a woman to get attached or married esp when she approaches the 30s. And the fact that scientific studies of evolutionary behaviour have proven that a woman's fertility and figure do depreciate with time. (Unless u are some tai tai or Madonna who can afford and keep going for MarieFrance Bodyline)
Last but not least, i m pretty sure no girl ever wants to be labelled as a "Lao3 cu4 nu3".
And I have read somewhere before that quite a substantial percentage of girls measure their self-worth according to the value of their relationships in life. Which is why having a boyfriend, a husband, a family, and of coz, kids, are so integral to a woman's sense of balance and stability in life. (Note that obviously, not all girls are like this, and I am sure feminists like Lydia would very much disagree with the previous notion.)
Anyway, I am digressing.
The point I want to make is that actually, women shouldnt feel too worried as they grow older. I believe that there are many men out there, wonderful men, who appreciate the maturity, confidence, stability, intelligence, & sophistication of older women. Yes, younger women may sometimes look better, sexier, etc. But their mindset and immaturity can really be a turnoff for many older guys.
This can explain why many year4 guys dun or choose not to date year1 girls.
And I think many guys look for a different set of qualities in a lady as they grow older themselves. As we grow older, most of us are more confident & sure of what kind of qualities we look for in a partner. Maturity, stability, & intelligence- traits often associated with older women, become more attractive to men. (Again, this may not apply to all guys, esp those who have never gone through a relationship before.)
The key is that women should embrace themselves getting older with a tinge of gracefulness. That in itself can be very attractive to men.
So you see, we men aren't necessarily so shallow after all. (Note: necessarily)
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P.S.: (This entry was inspired by the weekly talk-cock session between the DD boys of the author, Daniel, Sean, Terence and Kelvin Fu. The author most certainly does not speak for all men.)
ON AN IMPENDING ARMAGGEDON?
NEA confirms it was raining hailstones in Singapore
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 March 2008 1927 hrs
SINGAPORE: The sudden downpour on Thursday afternoon brought more than just heavy rain.
Hailstones were raining down in some parts of Singapore, according to callers to Channel NewsAsia’s hotline.
The National Environment Agency later confirmed that hailstones were reported in central Singapore between 3.15pm and 3.45pm.
Callers said the hailstones were the size of 5 cent coins.
They were seen mainly in Bishan, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio.
Rosie Hoe, a witness to the hailstones in Bishan, said: "We tried to take photographs but it doesn't show on our cameras. So, they were calling their friends and all to come and see. So, there were actually quite a lot of people here."
It's believed the hailstones fell for about 20 minutes before subsiding.
The last hailstone incident was reported in July 2007.
Hailstones form in intense thunderstorm clouds. Such clouds develop when there is strong convection, which occur all year round in the tropics.
Generally, the hailstones would have been melted before they reach the ground.
However, in the presence of a strong downdraft in an intense thunderstorm, the hailstones can be brought to the ground rapidly without melting.
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Gosh, I knew something was wrong from riding in the rain these past few daes. Normally when the raindrops hit u when ya riding, well, it's only a niggling feeling. But recent raindrops have been hitting pretty hard, and it comes down like in splatters.
Oh manz. El Nina is damn bitchy can.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ON TROY, ARTS CLUB ALUMNI & A TAXI DREAM
I had a lot of random thoughts to say. So here goes.
A few nights ago, i had this ultimate weird dream. I dreamt that my China FP prof Prof Lee Lai To told me that he didnt have enough money. So everyday after finish teaching his seminar classes in school, he ll go and work part time as a taxi driver.
And then he ll bring some of his essays, ISMs, and Honours Theses to mark in his cab when he's like waiting along those long queues at the taxi stands....
I guess i was so shocked by the dream that i immediately woke up.
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I watched parts of the movie Troy on vcd just now. Bought it for only $6.90 (clearance sale) last week heh.
Act, i watched it before oredi la, but basket, I cried when i watched it just now la.
How embarrassing.
No, act I didnt like exactly cry. I teared la, at the part when the honourable Hector (Eric Bana) was killed by Achilles (Brad Pitt) in front of his wife, baby, brother, dad (the king), soldiers etc. And then his whole body was dragged away on a chariot by a very pissed off Achilles.
Wah lan, esp the part when his wife broke down as Achilles plunged his sword into Hector. I see oredi heart pain man.
Earlier on, he also said this life code which he lives by:
"Honour the gods, love your woman, and defend your country".
Very interesting.
And then I teared again when Hector's dad- the king, went to beg Achilles to return Hector's corpse so that he can give him a proper and honourable burial.
Gee.
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Finally, while I was showering just now, I was thinking about setting up an official Arts Club Alumni now that i m graduating soon.
I thought about how the various seniors including those from 22nd MC donated almost $600 during our 26th MC term in office for Rag & Flag. That amount of money really helped us a lot then.
And the reason why Bizad keeps winning Rag & Flag in the past was because they had such strong support, funding, & network from their alumni. I ll never forget what Steve (the Bizad President during my term) told me then. He said that his Bizad raggers were eating Bengawan Solo pastries sponsored by their alumni for the entire Rag period, so much that they eat until xian oredi.
The point is that I think its time Arts Club set up a strong official alumni, so that we can help future batches of office bearers. Help doesnt have to be physically participating in Arts Club events or activities. It can be in the form of money, sponsorship, venue booking, network contacts, logistical booking, welfare, Rag resources, or even things like career guidance.
And alumni support will definitely come in handy during high-cost events such as ISIS Charity Gala Dinner, FOP, Thank-You Dinner, and even ROP Camp.
The Deanery is very much concentrating on building up the Arts Faculty Alumni, so really, things are in our own hands.
Make no mistake about it. The Alumni does not, and SHOULD not interfere in the workings of whichever current MC in office. But it can be there to support the Club should there be a need. In fact, I think the Arts Club Alumni Committee or Board, should it be formed, doesnt even have to meet up much for official meetings. Perhaps once every 3 months for OMs. Coz everybody ll be busy working then oredi.
1st OM could be held after a new MC steps up into office and come up with the list of events/ projects that they want to hold for their term ahead. The Alumni Board can then review the list together and decide which projects they can support specifically. That ll probably be around September.
2nd OM could be held during the December period, during the 1st term holidaes for the MC. Board ll again review how they can support the traditionally busy 2nd semester for Arts Club events. Would also be good for the Alumni Board to get to noe some of the new MC members during the traditional MC chalet bbq.
3rd OM could be held in early April period, after most of the current MC's FOP coms are settled and directions are set. By then, planning for projects like Rag and Flag should have been functional, and the Alumni Board can again set aside the financial support needed for the entire FOP, or think of how to help the Club for FOP.
4th OM, which is the last one for the year, can perhaps be set in July, before O Week, n Flag, Rag Day.
Each official board term could be 2 years. Following which, the Board members have to stand for simple elections. During each Alumni OM, hopefully the current term Arts Club President and FOP Chairperson can be there to voice their concerns, and be the integral link between the MC in office and the Alumni.
The President's role as the middle-man is thus extremely crucial. Becoz if he/she bochup the Alumni or refuses to work for better relations, it is likely that he/she cannot in turn request for substantial support from the Alumni. Jianghao made this point very clear to me when I talked to him a few years ago about this.
An official Arts Club Alumni can also help in maintaining ties between the various graduated batches, and in maintaining some form of roots to Arts Club. It can also be a good networking opportunity just like that of NUSS, as most of the graduates ll prob be working in various industries.
Again, it has to be emphasized that the Alumni should very much work behind the scenes and should not overtly interfere with the workings of the MC in office. In fact, there is really not much actual "physical" work to be done. From what I know, many alumni associations do things like steamboat dinner, golfing, cycling, and Karaoke heh heh. The key thing is to be there for Arts Club when the Club needs or approaches us for help.
And most importantly, the Alumni should strive to be an inclusive instead of an exclusive association. Non-MC members who care for Arts Club would be most welcome!!!!
Instutionalizing this Alumni ll be very important. I think i ll go and find friends like Song Kwang, Aaron, for advice, as well as support from older seniors like Jianghao, Jane, Ridhwan etc. Song Kwang has extensive experience in setting up alumnis, Aaron has great experience in drafting Constitutions, (which the Alumni ll need 1) and Jianghao was the last President to have expressed an interest in this. We were talking about it when I was still year2, and hopefully, once I graduate, something can be worked out.
I would also love to consult Prof Chng and Prof Straughan for their opinions on this issue, and hopefully get their support for forming the alumni.
We need to do something concrete really. Year after year, many Arts Club seniors graduate and the links with the Club are lost, esp if a new President neglects Alumni ties.
And if we really want to win Rag & Flag for Arts Faculty, or make substantial improvements (eg. push from Bronze Award to Gold Award for Flag), then I think we need to be humble and really learn from what Bizad and Science have been doing in the past in engaging their Alumnis.
I have absolutely no doubt that the support from potential Alumni (Esp financially!!!) will help future batches of Arts Club members. But first, the mindset and background needs to be set up 1st.
Graduated seniors need to understand that joining the Alumni will not take up much of their time, while juniors in office need to understand that the Alumni ll not interfere in their running of the Club, and that they cannot solely rely on the Alumni for support or sponsorship. In the sense that they also need to do their part to prove their management mettle and seek better ties with the Alumni Board.
I believe that many current, graduating, and graduated seniors genuinely care for Arts Club. For the memories and friendship that the Club has brought for them during their days in NUS and Arts Fac. The problem is that becoz of a lack of institutionalization and passivity from various sectors, many seniors do not know how to contribute back to the Club. Or they dun see or feel the need to anymore.
I am hopeful that an alumni can be the 1st step towards bridging this gap.
And frankly, I am sick of seeing how year after year, our Arts Raggers put in so much effort and hard work, and end up being heartbroken and crying when the results are announced.
I noe that winning isnt everything, but the fact is that something can be done to improve this situation. And if that hope and channel is there, it means that we shouldnt stop trying.
... I dun want future generations to go thru what some of us have to go thru. That sense of helplessness, dispair, heartbreak and disappointment, noeing that u lost Rag not because of a lack of effort and drive compared to the other faculties, but becoz of a lack of resources.
And frankly, if no one from Arts start thinking about this or doing this, then I think we ll see the same story and similiar scenes again and again, come the end of Rag Day. I noe juniors like Applie, Kenneth, Michelle, Jeremyirons, Evelyn, and many others ll go back to help Rag. I also noe mc members from 28th like Naga, Samuel, Hwee Guang, Xinyu and many others ll give their best to Rag as well.
But do u noe that I am so scared to go back Rag Day in Aug this year, and see the same scenes happen again?
I am hopeful that an alumni can help in this. Granted, it ll take time for the alumni to be established to pool their resources together for the Club, and for results to be seen, as well as for the networks and alumni membership to grow.
But we have to start somewhere for the future. We are oredi lagging behind Bizad, Science Fac, and possibly SDE in this aspect. And let us not forget that while Arts Rag is improving over the years, the other faculties are doing so as well.
1 day, I am hopeful and I believe we will see Arts Fac winning the overall Rag and Flag Challenge Shield at the Padang. But 1st, we need to take the various steps to reach there.
An official Arts Club Alumni is 1 of these first steps.
ON BEING BACK IN BED AGAIN =)
Kao, I just realized that I have been sleeping on the sofa for the past 3 nights. Which means the last time I snooze overnight on my bed was Sat!
Time to put things right tonight. :p
Had a great time talking trash with the DD Boyz todae after presentation meeting again haha! Not many times left in school where we can have such enjoyable trash-talking sessions heh.
Goodnight world.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
ON A ZOMBIFIED HOCKY
I did it.
After toiling through the past 24 hours with no sleep, I finally finished writing my ISM. Chalking up 6,380 words.
Whats left ll be the more relaxing tasks of editing, footnoting, appendix, and bibliography. And hopefully Prof Singh doesnt have much for me to change after looking thru my final draft.
I feel absolutely knackered now.
But hey.
There's still IPC presentation coming up, plus IPC Essay of 5000 words. And Dr Yoshi's SEA Essay of 7,000 words.
The latter one is a big fire burning in the backyard.
But hey hey.
Lets just take things 1 step at a time eh.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Come on Hock. Heads up.
Time to be strong.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
ON GRAND SLAM SUNDAY!!!
I was surprised to read that there are act more Liverpool fans in Singapore today, according to the New Paper's informal poll, as compared to United, Arsenal or Chelsea fans.
Anyway, dialogue this morning went ok haha. It was really an interesting experience sitting beside Mr Tharman and sharing opinions to the audience (which numbered around 100 plus) together. I had a great time talking to Dr Winston, and Mr Tat Hong, MOE Director of Planning, as well, who shared many interesting insights on the education system in Sg. Haha, and I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with a souvenir in the end, as did all the panelists. Its like a plaque, and I m sure I ll hang it nicely in 1 corner. =)
Most importantly, I had a wonderful interaction and debate with the audience, hearing many differing views from various angles on the Sg education system.
Hopefully, this ll be the 1st of many public dialogue panelist experiences to come! =) Waiting for the pictures to be sent to me so I can keep for memory sake haha.
And now.....for the moment I have been waiting for for the whole damn weekend!!! COME ON YA DEVILS!!!
Trooping over to Sooze place now! Everytime we watch together United ll win heh heh!
And when i come back....its back to ISM.... sigh....
Saturday, March 22, 2008
ON A TIGHT WEEKEND
Admist the weekend rush to finish up my ISM and to prepare for IPC presentation, I have been thinking quite a bit for tomorrow's dialogue session..And about what to say and how to say.
I dun like to prepare word-for-word scripts when I do presentations or give speeches. I feel it draws attention away from the audience, esp when u cannot look at the audience members straight in the eye, and vice-versa. Plus reading purely from a script somehow makes the speaker-audience interaction less spontaneous and captivating.
Feeling kinda excited haha. Thats good. I enjoy this kind of feeling.
At the same time, I feel quite xian that I cant go down for Beach Fiesta. Sigh. But I noe the new generation ll do a fantastic job. =)
Grand Slam Sunday coming up. I say United ll beat Liverpool 2-1, and that a draw ll be forthcoming at Stamford Bridge. Let's hope i m right haha.
Btw, I think its absolutely disgusting, revolting, appalling, and repulsive that we have to pay for Singtel's MioTV to watch the Champions League in 2 seasons time!! I m not sure whether consumers can make a case for CASE to step in and investigate. After all, they did launch an inquiry previously when Starhub raised the prices for the package of Football Channel and sports.
WHAT'S NEXT??!!
M1 "Sun-TV" for FA Cup (ONLY) exclusive rights??
Siemens "Realtime-TV" for World Cup (ONLY) broadcasting rights??
Or how about Nokia's "Exotic-TV" for Spanish La Liga (ONLY)??
Geeze.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
ON MORNING SHIFT AT 6AM
YEAH MAN!!! 3 POINTS CLEAR!!!!!
And holy shit, I was flip-flopping the channel and my god what cracking goals between Spurs and Chelsea.
The most impt thing is that we go 3 clear of Arsenal and 5 clear of Chelski!!
Great...now where's my sofa!!??!
ON CRUNCH TIME PART 2
You noe its crunch time when you are like, sleeping on the sofa at night hahahaha. I rem last sem, I spend quite a lot of nights like this also.
Bo bian la, must wake up in time for lessons.
Anyway i m damn happy todae la! Got an A for my US-China-Taiwan relations essay. And its like 40% of the grade for that module. Phew~ Strategically, it gives me more breathing space towards that 2nd Upper.
Was doing some self-reflection when i was riding this morning. And i realize that I feel so much happier this sem as compared to last sem. Haha. Prob a combi of reasons.
And i keep playing the song Apologize by Timbaland these few daes over and over again hahahaha. Whazzup man. I just think it sounds really soothing right in the middle of the cold, quiet night...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
ON SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON LAST NIGHT (Warning: Not for the Faint-Hearted)
This is for my own record haha. Part of the Animal Behaviour Blog assignment I was working on for the whole of last night.
Damn anaconda swallowing a whole alligator. Manz. So much for a Carl's Junior or Whopper meal.
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Green Anaconda Devours The Spectacled Caiman Alligator!!! (Warning: Not for the faint-hearted)
Never thought that an adult Spectacled Caiman alligator (Caiman crocodilus) can be eaten alive by another predator? Well, think again!! Especially when you have this chap around:
Introducing.... The Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) !!!
Well, I have always thought that anacondas' diet consist only of fishes, birds, rodents, mammals, and other small reptiles. But little did I expect to discover that this particular species, the Green Anaconda, actually feeds on full-grown Spectacled Caimans (which can grow up to 2.5m) as well!
Devouring a fellow fearsome predator? Wow.
My interest in inter-species conflict originally led me to stumble upon the incredible videos listed below. And upon closer research, I discovered that the Green Anaconda, located primarily in South America, is actually the largest snake in the world in terms of weight. They can grow up to 30 feet (9 meters) long, weigh 1,200 pounds (550 kilograms), and measure more than 12 inches (30 centimeters) in diameter.
Youtube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVlIJeY9ws&feature=related
As illustrated in the video above, the Green Anaconda kills with power, not poison. By coiling its muscular body around its prey, the Green Anaconda can even crush the armoured Caiman until it can no longer breathe. This constriction tactic allows the Green Anaconda to take down other prey as large as adult capybaras (giant rodents), adult white-tailed deers, adult jaguars, and even humans of approximately 55kg or more.
At the same time, this brutal predator can be really covert and sleek in the water, with its dull colour and black blotches enhancing its camouflaging capabilities in the marshes and swamps. Its eyes and nasal openings are on top of its head, allowing it to wait and ambush its prey while remaining almost completely submerged.
Youtube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc06MVH6W98
Interestingly, while all the videos here highlight the Green Anaconda prevailing over the Spectacled Caiman, my research indicates that this is not always the case. In fact, renowned anaconda specialist Jesus Rivas once documented an intriguing event of the Spectacled Caiman preying on a green anaconda in return:
"On 25 of May 1996 we discovered a large caiman (>90 cm svl) firmly gripping the head of a radio-implanted female anaconda (494 cm TL, 29 kg), who in turn had wrapped herself around the caiman’s head and neck. After approximately 15 min the snake relaxed her coils, apparently losing the struggle with the caiman.
We interrupted the event to recover the transmitter when the snake stopped struggling. One of the teeth of the caiman had gone right through the skull and into the brain region, other tooth mark where present in the first fifth but did not look life threatening. The snake died two months later in captivity due to a generalized infection. As we had found this snake severely wounded from 2 months previous to being preyed on by the caiman, it is likely that she was not in top physical shape and this may have played some role in the attack."
Certainly, there appears to be a history of inter-species conflict between these two large predators. One possible reason could be due to the fact that both share very similar habitats in the seasonally flooded savannahs of South America and the Amazon Basin.
Youtube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMwt_fEe3CY&feature=related
(Warning: Do not watch this if you just had a heavy meal.)
As seen in the fascinating video above, the Green Anaconda possesses jaws attached by pliable ligaments, which enables it to swallow the Caiman as a whole. Such a sizeable and yummy meal can allow it to go for weeks or even months without food.
At the same time, the Green Anaconda's unique adaptation and natural selection allow it to experience an incredible change in body size from birth to adulthood, as compared to other snakes. This explains how it can grow to such a massive bulk despite the occasional meal. Moreover, the role of nature has also dictated that baby Green Anacondas can almost immediately be able to swim and hunt once they are born. A top, ectothermic predator indeed.
Poor Caiman.
Finally, just to make you feel a little better, Green Anacondas are not known for being fond of attacking humans, despite their mythical reputation as man-eaters. Thankfully. =)
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Manz, check out the youtube video links yeah.
Fascinating battles of nature. =) Guess i ve always been intrigued by inter-species conflict.
Monday, March 17, 2008
ON CRUNCH TIME
Todae is March 17th. In exactly 2 weeks time, on 31st March, 5 pm sharp, it ll be D-Day, H-Hour, whatever u wanna call it for most Honours students.
Coz it ll be the deadline for all ISMs/ Honours Thesis.
So for the next 2 weeks, u ll prob see a lot of frettered and emotionally-charged year4s going around. The next 2 weekends are going to be pretty crucial as well, which is really quite sad for me personally coz I prob have to miss out going to Beach Fiesta and Foodhunt. =/
Well, like I said so many times before, Arts Club and all its memories ll always be there, but the people and seniors will inevitably have to move on 1 day. Just a short note that I was really happy to see that the O Week Com seems to have kicked off with their meeting last week as well. Wah, somemore got powerpoint presentation somemore (1st time in 4 years i ve seen something like this haha!)
I believe that Joan will make a good O Week pd, and i believe that in Remy, Kai Wei, and Ah Bing Ge, she has an awesome line-up of strong DPDs. I also believe that Arts Camp this year ll be fantastic, Rag ll come up with something special, as do the other FOP projects. =)
Ok, i better stop here. Whenever I talk about Arts Club, I get an adrelaine rush, my blood pressure just rises, and I get all excited and passionate haha. And I could go on and on and on.
On a separate note, planning for the infamous Grad Trip has began! Yayz........ =p
Sunday, March 16, 2008
ON MOTIVATING ONESELF
Motivating oneself is an art. It comes naturally to some people but not to everyone.
But we can learn that art, thankfully.
1 way is to look at inspiring and motivational quotes by famous leaders/ authors etc, to try and lift oneself.
Another way is to read self-improvement books, or the autobiographies of successful people.
A 3rd way is to grit your teeth, block out and focus your mind, and like what Nike always says, just do it. Along the way, keep telling yourself that the journey to your dream begins with a single step. And each step, no matter how big or small, still moves u towards that dream.
A final way, which works for me, is to talk to myself. Sometimes I do that via blogging, sometimes I do that verbally, and sometimes I talk to myself in my mind. And there, the conversations can get really heated. My mind can screw me real bad when I procrastinate some stuff, and then I ll shout at him (I assume its a him naturally) back in return. After debating and arguing, we ll come to a conclusion, and move on from there.
During the times when we can't compromise, I will propose that we take a nap. He obviously agrees (despite grumbling that I have oredi slept a lot), and when we wake up, we ll come to a truce. We have to. Time doesn't wait for us.
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Well, Sundae night is here. And its back to reality.
ON A LOVELY WEEKEND
It was kinda heartwarming to see so many of my ex-Hwa Chong 00A13 classmates yesterdae haha...Besides Don, Chermaine, Ade, and Wendy whom i have met more often, I really havent seen others like En Mei, Shuyi, Huiling, Xiaowen, and Janice for quite a while. And its nice to noe that most of them appears to be settled in their lives and jobs. =) Yesh, we have a good time bitching about "G" again heh heh.
Time flies.
The sweet weekend was completed by United topping the table again!! Kudos to Derby for putting up such a courageous performance. We now have the chance to stretch the lead to 3 points if we win against Bolton on Wed.
And it looks like the title ll be decided all the way till the final game of the season, with the top 4 going to clash with each other in the next few weeks. I expect lots more twists & turns ahead.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
ON BEING A PANELIST HAHAI was having fun in lala land this morning when I was woken up on the phone by Kit See, from PA.
Initially i thought she only wanted me to participate in another forum. (I get quite a number of invitations from the PAYM staff now and then) But to my surprise, she was inquiring whether I would be keen to be a panelist myself.
Dialogue's theme ll be on the Education System in Singapore, and whether it has sufficiently trained Singaporeans for the corporate and global world, i think. Outgoing Education and current Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam would be chairing, together with one of the Human Resource Management Professors from NUS Business School, 1 of the MOE Directors, as well as yours truly to complete the panel.
Well, Kit See told me they wanted the viewpoint from a graduating student as well. Haha so I guess i m in. Kinda excited about it actually, coz its the 1st time I m being a public dialogue panelist. And I think it ll be a great experience.
But at the same time, I really need to think a lot about what I m going to say. Frankly, I m quite critical of our Singapore education system, even though i recognize that it does have a lot of merits as well. So I guess the key thing is to try and give a fair appraisal, and perhaps some constructive recommendations.
I would also go around asking some of my friends for their feedback too. =) And bring it up to the Minister during the session. Hope I dun embarrass myself that day haha.
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On a separate note, I just came back from Timber and Cafe Iguana with the PS Honours lads. haha, happy birthday again Daniel!
I think i laughed too much. Now my stomach is aching wahahahahah. All the silly games and trash talking again. Manz, good times like these keep all of us sane in this momentous period of insanity admist the looming ISM/ Thesis deadlines. And yes, it was so enjoyable to make fun of Damien heh.
There's really a lot of wonderful, happening and fun-loving people in our honours cohort. And like what Daniel said last time, if only all of us have known each other much earlier haha.
Well, I guess its better late than never. =)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
ON MY DREAM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW
Here we go!!!!
Quarter-finals:
Fenerbache VS Man Utd
Roma VS Schalke 04
Arsenal VS Barcelona
Liverpool VS Chelsea
Semi-finals:
Man Utd VS Schalke
Barcelona VS Chelsea
Final:
Man Utd VS Barcelona (8-0)
AAHAHHAHAAHAHA!!!! See you in the final Barca!
PS: I came up with this marvelous draw in a moment of sheer inspiration and fantasy during this morning's Honours class. Heh. Lets see how zun i am tom when the actual draw is made.
PS No 2: Pssst. Jiajia almost lost her laptop this morning. Gosh.. it could so nearly have been an Edison Chen episode number 2 heh heh.
ON DUNNO WHAT TO SAY
XXX said to me: "Hock ah Hock ah!!" "Why u still bother with him and waste your time??!! You know he's like that wan just let him be lor. He happy can oredi mah."
Me: "You noe me what, i say things very direct wan. Sometimes end up saying things that people dun like to hear."
XXX: "So many people heel4 lan3 him oredi. Dun waste your breath lah."
Me: "He's ok wan lah. Just that sometimes he talks too much. If u dun tell him some things he ll never noe himself."
XXX: "But if u tell him and then he dun listen you are wasting your own time and breath also what."
Me: "Friends should tell each other outright their flaws mah. Last time Gerard also always niao me straight in the face. Always say i bad temper. Keep lecturing me like some old man. Sometimes i also buey tahan, but when i look back and reflect about it, I realized he was right all along. Do u noe that there were a few nights I actually went up to him, thanked him for criticizing me, and apologized for my shitty behaviour? "
XXX: "Yes, but that still doesnt mean that u should impose what you hope to see in another person, and hope that he ll change. At the end of the day, u should also accept a person, especially a friend, for who he is."
Me: "I never say i never accept what, just that i hope that he can be a better man. He has oredi improved quite a lot liao, shud spur him on somemore mah."
XXX: "That is his own decision and prerogative, not yours."
Me: "....Ok, point taken. I shud just keep my big mouth shut now."
XXX: "Good. Aiyah, anyway not say u very perfect also what."
Me: "I never did say i was perfect!! I have lots of flaws too."
XXX: "Ya la. Precisely. So just keep quiet lor."
Me: "Ok ok."
Sunday, March 09, 2008
ON NIGHT OF THE UPSETS
I was feeling like crap after watching United kena knocked out by Portsmouth.....Cursing, swearing, groaning...
Until Chelsea went down by the same scoreline.
Suddenly the weekend doesnt look as bad. Heh.
Thanks Barnsley. And good luck for the FA Cup. (Though I think Pompey's going to win it)
Saturday, March 08, 2008
ON 1,200 WORDS OF UNLEASHED FURY
There are some things in life that I dun take lying down. For instance, baseless accusations, mindless criticism, and senseless comments made just for the sake of commenting.
And so, even in the midst of my busy essaying at 2 am in the night, I replied with a 1,200 word email to my Animal Behaviour TA countering every single baseless comment raised by the student graders. No offence to year 1 students, but some of them really ask stupid, dumb, and immature questions or pose irrelevant comments.
And I dun like it when my fellow group members, who have worked so hard as well, had to listen to such hogwash and rubbish by these so-called graders. Well, maybe i m over-reacting, but i always feel that constructive feedback is welcome, while baseless comments made without any purpose are a waste of time.
If presenters are expected to deliver a professional presentation in a supposedly symposium setting, then I would expect that the audience have been briefed previously to be professional and attentive as well. Some of the student graders were just plain disrespectful, nonchalant, and talking rowdily while other groups were presenting. In fact, 1 of the student graders actually had the audacity to comment that "it is just our job, i m just asking for the sake of asking" during another group s' presentation. Basket, I almost felt like slapping his cheeky face when he said that. Did he even consider the feelings of the presenters to whom he targeted his stupid question at?
Another classic dumb remark by 1 year-one girl to another group after their entire presentation: "Erm, i m not sure about your overall presentation, but I thought it was kinda boring, and I dun really understand what you were driving at."
HALO~ You may think other people's presentation was boring, but that doesnt mean u shouldnt try and be attentive and give credit to the work that the group had put in. Why should the point "Boring" even be brought up in an academic discussion? You think u watching movie ah? Or u watching Middlesbrough VS Shefield United?
Also, Maybe e reason why u didnt understand was because u were (A) Dumb by nature (B) Dumb by nuture (meaning u became more dumb even after growing up) (C) Not paying attention. (D) A, B, & C.
This overall experience is a serious case of democracy gone wrong.
Anyway, I m quite impressed with myself. I can take years to finish a 5,000 word essay but i took just 1 hour to craft out a 1,200 word email.
Such is the power of unleashed fury.
P.S: Some people just dunch noe how to handle power. Thankfully, not all the graders were like this.
Friday, March 07, 2008
ON LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM A CEO & FASS ALUMNUS
As mentioned previously, I had the honour & privilege to attend a roundtable discussion with Mr Lim Cheng Teck, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, on Wed.
The theme was on: "What Makes a Good Leader in Today's Globalised Economy?"
I thought I ll just share some (or rather most) of what he said here, so that we can all benefit from his advice on the road to being a CEO haha. Esp since he was a former Arts student doing a shared major in Econs & Sociology.
The Backdrop:
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Mr Lim Cheng Teck was appointed Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore in March 2006. His key focus is the growth and governance of the Bank’s operations in Singapore. He provides leadership to business and functional heads, working with them to develop strategy, drive performance, build stronger regulatory and government relations and address governance issues.
In 1988, he joined Standard Chartered, Singapore as Account Manager in the Commercial Banking Unit. Rotating through various front-line functions in Wholesale Banking, Cheng Teck rose to become Head of the Large Asian Corporates unit. In April 2000, he was appointed Programme Director responsible for implementing a new global client management process across the Bank’s network of 56 countries.
In February 2001, Cheng Teck relocated to China where he was appointed Head of Global Corporates and was subsequently promoted to Head of Client Relationships in November 2001. In this role, he drove the Wholesale Banking business to new levels, culminating in a three-fold increase in revenue from 2002 to 2005. In April 2005, he assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, China.
Cheng Teck also serves on the Councils of Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), The Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) and the Board of Governors of Singapore International Foundation (SIF).
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The Dialogue Session (Summarized):
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Mr Lim:
1 of the most important requirements for being a good leader is that one must be a talent magnet. In other words, u must be able to attract the best and the brightest people to work with u, for there can never be good leadership without good followers.
In any job one needs to have the basic fundamental and technical skills. Academic grades are simply a base and foundation from which u build on. I had the privilege of attending a focus group discussion, together with many CEOs & leaders from various industries, to share what we want to see in the upcoming 4th University in Singapore. What is the kind of graduate we hope to see in the new university?
The answer is that none of us talked about academic brillance. Rather, we want to see the new graduate possess qualities such as Hunger, Risk-taking, and Leadership.
And in fact, there is so much more to the world that u can learn from outside the classroom, especially on leadership. When I was in NUS myself, I wasnt particularly a hardworking student and like most of you, i would only rush when the deadlines are near. But I most certainly enjoyed my university days in FASS, and I often hang out with a group of friends, and we still do that today. Most of us did quite well in our careers as well.
The important thing is to recognize that a degree is only a basic starting point in your career. And that it only reflects your basic academic competence to an employer.
Moving on, I think that a leader needs to always move out of his or her comfort zone. When things are cruising for you, it is time for a change, a new challenge. A leader should always be adaptative, flexible, and ready to try new things. Most importantly, he must be prepared to learn continuously through his life, and get to know as many people as he can. Because one can learn from anyone, even uneducated employees and entrepreneurs! Do not dismiss people who are less educated than u are easily.
With the world today being globalized and businesses facing so much competition, one must be ready to take risks and face the unknown. After all, ask yourself what could u lose, everytime before u plunge into the unknown and challenge yourself?
In your career, everyone always wants to keep going upwards. But sometimes one needs to go sideways, and learn from being in other Divisions and other experiences before going upwards. The trajectory does not have to be so straightfoward. Mr Lim cited his China experience as an example.
As a leader in the international context and working overseas, u must appreciate the local cultures of others and understand what is important to them, and as well as looking at things from their perspective. Be prepared to learn from scratch again when u are in a foreign land.
A good leader always teaches the people under him or her. Do not hold back, and do not be afraid that 1 day, those under you would be more skilful than you are. People appreciate leaders who are genuine with them, and who are willing to groom them. They will respect u more and follow u more. Remember being a "Talentmagnet" which we talked about earlier.
As a leader, u take risks on people, and in appointing them to various positions, including leadership roles. A subordinate does not have to be 100% ready to take over a new leadership position. Sometimes, as a leader, if u feel that that person is already 80% qualified, give him a chance to start and prove himself. So that his growth can also be maximized. Importantly, after u have made that decision, it is also your role to support him or her if he falls.
A good leader must be willing to take tough and unpopular decisions. For instance, I once had to retrench some of my employees because if I had kept them, it would have negatively influenced the perceptions of my other employees who were working much harder and producing more results. And it is important as a leader that u will want to attract and keep the best. However, u can still be compassionate in making tough decisions, and try to let your employees understand as much as possible your rationale.
If they do not understand and continue to be unhappy despite your explanations, remember that life moves on. And do not dwell too long over your decision which has already been made.
As a leader, ask yourself, what do you want to be remembered in life for? I did not start off in my career thinking that i ll be the CEO of Standard Chartered. Rather, I was simply aiming to be the Head of Corporate Banking, which I managed to achieve thankfully. I guess the key philosophy for me is that I always tell myself that i want to make a difference to the organization which i serve, a positive difference of course. And this philosophy has stayed with me even till today.
Integrity is very important as a leader. You need to be culturally sensitive in today's global context, and u need to be able to let your employees noe that they can trust u.
There are actually 2 dimensions to being a leader. The internal and external aspect. In the external sense, u need to portray visibility and accountability to the many stakeholders and higher authorities, management etc. This is hugely important and should not be underestimated, because u represent your organization.
Many overseas graduates nowadays, esp those from India and China, are extremely hungry and hardworking. In the hunger aspect especially, many Singaporean graduates lose out to them. When there is an opportunity to work overseas for a long period for instance, many of these overseas graduates raise their hand without hesitation, because they hunger for that extra experience which can help develop them. While many Singaporeans tend to be more enclosed in their comfort zone and take a long long time before deciding to plunge into the unknown.
Remember that to succeed in life, u must seize opportunities and be brave enough to step into the unknown.
A leader also needs to inspire and motivate the people. In this aspect, charisma obviously gives one an advantage, but it does not have to be all-encompassing. Let us think about Winston Churchill, who was a hugely charismatic leader during World War 2, but was still voted out of office by the British public after the war. Why so? The reason being that the people recognized that his qualities, esp the charismatic aspect, may be crucial during a particular period but may not be the most needed in the post-war development era.
One also needs to recognize that not everyone can be a good leader, or even wish to be a leader in the 1st place. The important thing is to recognize the strengths of these employees and develop them based on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Do not simply put everyone in the same mould as you are, thinking that success in life is defined and measured by an individual's leadership achievements. If u think that u are being kind by putting someone who is uncomfortable in a leadership position, u may actually contribute to making that person more miserable in the future, and affect his or her passion for the job or company.
Finally, as a leader, you need to believe in your own decisions, and acknowledge that you will never get it right 100% all the time in your life. You will make mistakes, as do all humans, but the important thing is to learn from them and move on in your life and career.
As for whether a 3rd year student should go on and do an Honours degree, I think you need to first ask yourself: What do you want this Honours degree for? Is it necessary for you? For myself personally, I did not pursue an Honours course, because I knew that I wanted to go into banking, and I forsee that I would want to do a MBA in the future. And for MBA qualifications, working experience is crucial.
So, decide for yourself, but again, remember what I said earlier in that there is only so much u can learn in the classroom. A leader needs to have a lot of soft skills and soft skills are not easy to learn, yet they are more important in life. Learning soft skills will take a lot of time, being exposed to different environments, different cultures, and different experiences. It is not so easy and straightfoward.
I think the most important skill that a FASS degree confers to you is critical thinking. And this will make u stand out from other degrees who are specialized in certain areas. Critical thinking encourages and promotes creativity, flexibility, and to a certain extent communicative skills, which are very attractive to business organizations.
I may have done Economics previously, but what I actually enjoyed studying most was Philosophy.
And yes, I do sleep quite a lot, even though I m a CEO. =)
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Haha, yup, I guessed that was the main gist of the discussion. I included in the extract many answers which he gave to some our questions.
Overall, I m really glad to have attended the session, and I was pretty inspired by what Mr Lim said. =)
Back to work.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
ON MY PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN DREAM TEAM (updated)
As we noe, March 4th is here, with the key presidential races in Texas & Ohio.
Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at my dream campaigning team, made up of all my fellow Political Science Hons chaps whahahaha:
Presidential Candidate: Chua Ching Hock
Chief Campaign Strategist: Kelvin Lee (top PS student)
Chief Campaign Manager & Communications Director: Shaun Woo
Chief Pollster: Woo Yong Keong (need someone good with Political Inquiry)
Finance Director: Parvin (with special guest appearances from Economics & Sociology Specialist and long time political aide Bobby Goh)
National Press Secretary: Farah Cheah
Official Campaign Spokesman: Ler Zhi Wei Sean
Presidential Runner (literally): Lincoln Mah
Relationship Manager: Daniel Lim
Marketing Manager: Ariel Lam
Deputy Marketing Manager: Melissa Tan
Research Director: Alvin Tan
Deputy Research Director: Yap Chee Siong
Political Director: Peng Enwei
Creative Director: Chelsea Wong
Deputy Creative Directors: Grace Lu, Amanda Wong, & Nydia
National Security Advisors: Donny Tan, Kelvin Fu, Wesley Hum, & Keith (all the SAF regulars wahahaha)
Foreign Policy Advisor: Ho Weizan
Animal Rights Advisor: Alene Zheng
Female Rights Advisor: Lydia Lok
Gay Rights Advisor: Tan Meng Chuan
Minority Rights Advisor: Damien Marie
Religious Groups Advisor: Shahril
Morality & Ethics Advisor: Serene Woon
Grassroots Advisor: Tan Yi Shu
Taxation (Liquor & Tobacco) Advisor: Kartini
Welfare Manager: Oooooi Swi Lin
Deputy Welfare Manager: Daphne Wong
Ground Operations & Logistics Manager: Alvin Teo
Stage Manager: Yang Jianwu
Pre-Rally Entertainment Manager: Fahmy
Deputy Pre-Rally Entertainment Manager: Aw Jie Sheng
Rally Master-of-Ceremony: Hans
Official Photographer: Faizal
Official Stylist: Lee Jia Yin
Deputy Official Stylist: Hannah Goh
Chief Bodyguard: Jonathan Chen (national rugby player)
Official Biker Chauffeur: Jamal
Unofficial Chao Po: Kaiiii
Official Campaign Dog: Trixie the Beagle =p
Celebrity Endorsers: Jonathan Leong (Ex-PS major & PS3254 tutorial mate), Hong Junyang (Ex - Arts Club affiliate who always come Arts Clubroom to play guitar & qiu4 gua1 before becoming famous), Eunice Olsen (Ex-PS Society Secretary, Miss Singapore & current NMP), Loo Zihan (Ex-HCJC classmate who acted in the movie Pleasure Factory), VR Man aka James Lye (no that's a joke), Lim Tong Hai (former National footballer who used to be my childhood soccer hero despite scoring 2 own goals that cost Singapore a SEA Games Gold medal)...Wow, what a potent mixture...
Senior Executive Advisors: Dr Alan Chong, Prof Bilveer Singh, Prof Lee Lai To, Prof Jon Kua, Dr Reuben Wong, Dr Yoshi Nishizaki
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Wah lau, what a power-packed line-up!! With this potent team we ll sweep any elections in the world hahahahah!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
ON SIMI MID TERM BREAK???!!!!
Ok, as I speak, it is Sundae night, and the end of the mid term break is here.
Looking back, it has been 1 hell of a week ahahhah. I m glad that i thoroughly tried to enjoy myself in the earlier days. From Tuesday onwards, I have been going to school everyday for project meetings/ research/ zapping.
Finally finished my 2nd ISM deadline. But I still have 1 major essay to submit this week, plus Animal Behaviour presentation on Thurs.
Feeling really jaded from academic work, and in a way, it only makes me want to graduate faster.
I read a Newpaper article today written by this journalist, who sympathizes with his primary school child, who he feels has been caught in the unrelenting academic rat race since young. The journalist then looks back and wonder how he has survived himself. He also raised the point whether students nowadays are facing so much academic overload such that they are missing out on a whole lot of other lessons, interests, passions, & skills to be nurtured in life.
Now that I have nearly come to the end of almost 18 years of studying & being a student, I look back myself and also marveled at how I survived. Now's not the time for me to give up though, being so close to finally graduating with 2nd Upper Hons. The next 9 weeks will be the finishing lap for me, and I really want to end off this final phase of my life with a bang.
I almost felt sorry for many of my juniors who have to go thru what I did, esp those intending to do Honours. Many I m sure will get quite a rude awakening when the realities of Hons year workload hit them. But then again, I wouldnt say it has been any much easier from yr1-3, esp from a comparative perspective. Sometimes it depends on the type of module one takes as well.
Going to map out my entire study schedule for every single day for the next 9 weeks. Oh yes, this was what I did last sem as well.
A painful & excruciating process to the finishing line indeed.
No wonder there is always the common saying that when one graduates, nobody ever remembers the academic stuff u learnt. Rather, it is the friendships, relationships, co-circular achievements & memories that one brings with him close to the heart, as he throws the mortar hat into the air.
