Memories...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
ON THE LONG LONG 9 YEAR WAIT9 years is a long time. I was 15 then. After watching so many so many semi-final n quarter-final knockouts in the past 9 years...to Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Bayer Levekusen, Real, Porto, Milan....I have suffered so much so much heartbreaks. The empty feeling after watching each of that game..That fucking sense of helplessness and despair...And thinking that the next season ll be better. And then the next, and the next, and the next, and the next...And exactly 1 year ago, i remember the indescribable heartbreak after getting thrashed by Milan 3-0 in this 2nd leg...It was 1 of the most fucked-up and painful feelings in life. But the 9 year wait IS FUCKING FINALLY OVER!!!!!!!!!!!BECOZ WE ARE GOING TO THE EUROPEAN CUP FINAL AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Tonight, and until 23 May, let us United fans savour the moment again!!!
Words cannot describe my joy and overwhelming emotions now really. Feeling really emo now. Well done lads!!!!!!! Let us do it for the heroes of 1968 and 1998-99 again!!!!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
ON BYE-BYE ANIMALS, AND HELLO TO POLITICS AGAINWell, my 1st paper Animal Behaviour is over. It didnt go too well, coz it was a tricky and tough paper. But I m trying to be optimistic coz a tough paper means the bell curve ll come into effect more. In fact, experience from the past 4 years has taught me to be more worried instead about easy breadth/ GEM exam papers.In the worst-case scenario, there is always the SU option. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the process of my last ever non-Arts module in NUS. It has really taught me a lot more about understanding animals and their interactions, and I really appreciate that. =) Notice I say the process but not the revision/ exams. Haha.I always love animals. But i guess to be a better lover, be it in any relationship, u need to understand the people or animals involved even better. And I m glad that taking this module has helped to reduce my interpretative anthropomorphism, and better appreciate why animals sniff each other's arse & poo. Anyway, its back to revision for my 1st love again: Politics. =) I m a little worried coz I havent started both IPC & SEA at all. Phew. But at least I have 4 days for each, which hopefully would be enough.To anyone reading this right now, all the best for your exams as well. n_n
Saturday, April 26, 2008
ON ANGSTI am bloody inconsolable after the game. Only Sooze and I understand how each other feel.WHY WHY WHY DID WE NOT ATTACK CHELSEA RIGHT FROM THE START!!!!!!!?????? AND FOR BARCELONA AS WELL!!!!??History has repeatedly shown that we play the best when we are attacking teams!!!! Going for their throat right from the start!!! Why did we adopt such meek defensive formations for the past 2 games!!! United has never been a defensive team, and will never be! I pray that the past 2 games ll not come back and haunt us at the end. Years ago, we drew nil-nil at Bayer Leverkusen. And Bayer came back to draw 2-2 at Old Trafford, knocking us out even tho we didnt lose a single Champions League game for that entire campaign! Then, we again drew nil-nil at the Bernabeau, only to lose to Real at home at OT. No away goals can be a real danger.Sigh. Back to revision for Mon's 1st paper. Inconsolable.
Friday, April 25, 2008
ON WAKING UP3 days left to my 1st paper.Been quite pissed with myself for being so chilled so far. A bit too chilled i think. I guess it has to do with the feeling of being so sick and tired of studying after 4 years & 7 semesters of exams.But good. Now that time is running out, it ll force me into the zone again.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
ON TERMINAL 3- HERE I COMEI just got another call from HR. Delighted to noe that I ll confirmed be posted to Airport Management Group, Airport Operations Division. Most exciting of all, to Terminal 3. =)
Something I was really looking forward to.
In fact, I met up with my future supervisors on Mondae to have an informal chat. I really liked them oredi haha. Cheng Nam was the Terminal 3 Head & Division Deputy Director. He was really candid and gave me a much clearer and balanced picture of what to expect from the organization and the AM Division. I m impressed as well, that he took just 5 years to rise to Deputy Director and again, not being a scholar. Cheng Nam also showed me my job scope and expected duties to fulfill once I start work with them. Su Lim, most likely my immediate mentor next time, was very welcoming as well. He brought me around the entire T3 again to highlight some of the operational aspects of handling T3. I have until Mondae to give a final verbal agreement to the offer, after which what's left ll be the security check. Medical check and contract signing ll be straight after my exams. Offer's conditional on getting 2nd Upper Hons though, so i just found more incentive to work hard haha.I guess the most happy thing upon hearing the call just now is that I m confirmed appointed to T3. I have read and seen so much about the new Terminal, so the thought of being able to help manage it fills me up with tremendous excitement.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
ON SHOWING RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER'S CAREER CHOICES & JOBSI wanted to blog about this for quite some time oredi, but kept forgetting. Basically, my point is that I dun really think that there's such a thing as a perfect job. I believe that every occupation, in whichever sector or industry, ll always have its own pros & cons. The key thing then, is to align this assessment of a company's pros and cons towards your own goals and passion. Meaning to say, you need to noe what you want 1st in life. What is the type of career u are looking at, and then zoom in into the industry, and then zoom in even further into the exact companies that u would possibly like to join.I think many people around, myself included at times, are often too quick to judge the jobs of others. And i have read before that many human beings just enjoy putting others down, or what we say in Chinese: "poar1 len2 shui3 aka pour cold water". Some authors have argued that this is human nature in its most Machiavellian form, relishing the sight of others falling or being less successful than you are.The most funny thing I feel is that, more often than not, those who criticize the jobs of others, may not even be qualified to enter the same job him/herself. Lets say u need this qualification AA to enter this job. Your friend has it. Decides to apply. Successful. You dun even have this AA qualification, meaning u dun even have a chance to attain that job which your friend gotten. But yet u make snide remarks..eg. saying that particular company got no prospects, poor pay, bad reputation blah blah blah. I just think its ironic sometimes. Whatever give u the position to criticize that job in the 1st place when u dun even qualify for it? Why talk so much and demean your friend's efforts when that company may not even want u in the 1st place? While its possible that you are simply concerned for your friend, but that too can most certainly be displayed in a more tactful & understanding manner/ tone.At the end of the dae, different people have different talents, different strengths, different aspirations, different self-actualization visions of themselves, different dreams, and different paths they want to pursue in life. The biggest mistake one can make is to assume that others shud take the same exact route down like u.And I believe that it is up to each individual as a mature adult to decide for him/herself what is the best course of career path or job to take up. Yes, advice from friends can help. But sometimes, even our own friends and family members do not noe what we truly want deep down ourselves. So the bottom line is, think hard with your mind and listen to your heart. At the same time, be tactful towards others who are still finding jobs, or who have found a job that may not be to your own liking. A little mutual respect towards each other can go a long way. Esp when job-hunting is such a sensitive issue to many people and graduating students.Moreover, at the end of the dae, most people's first job would not be their last. Even if u have made a mistake in joining a "mis-matched" company so to speak, learn from it and move on. And it ll also give a much clearer picture of your own future.
Monday, April 21, 2008
ON A QUIZ ABOUT MYSELFDid this quiz from Zhixiang's blog hehe:----------Your view on yourself:
You are intelligent, honest and sweet. You are friendly to everybody and don't like conflict. Because you're so cheerful and fun people are naturally attracted to you and like to talk to you. The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior. Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person. The seriousness of your love:
You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love. Your views on education
Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can. The right job for you:
You have many goals and want to achieve as much as you can. The jobs you enjoy are those that let you burn off your considerable excess energy. How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying. What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you. Who is your true self:
You are full of energy and confidence. You are unpredictable, with moods changing as quickly as an ocean. You might occasionally be calm and still, but never for long.
http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx
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ON BUSINESS AS USUALI was damn happy todae la. Coz our weekly Sundae football team resume business liao hahahaha.In fact, we havent played for like 1 month plus oredi, coz of all the deadly deadlines recently. Another perk of graduation is that we are much more likely to be able to keep up to the weekly commitment, esp coz no more studying to do.The lack of match practice made all of us damn shagged la after the game. My legs felt quite sore as well, esp coz i just went for a long run the previous night. But it was real shiok to see all the old familiar faces again haha. With age, our passing & tactical play are becoming much better than when we were 18 year olds, but our pace, stamina, fitness, & recovery are becoming more cui man heh.And basket my boots getting too small again. Looks like i ll have to hunt for another new pair soon.Was really tired when i reached home. But dragged myself to the little picnic gathering we had in Honours room hehe. Reminds me of my Arts Club daes, when i always stay over in school and hang out around. =p
Felt very sleepy thru out, and unfortunately, my mind just wasnt on having havoc fun unlike the Wala session. I really needed some rest. Going Airport again later to meet the Terminal 3 Head and Airport Operations Deputy Director. Hope I leave a good impression and hopefully I ll be deployed straight to T3.
Haha, so there goes another wonderful weekend, which has all been about recuperating from essay fatigue. Will start piaing for exams from todae onwards. Chiong ah Hock!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
ON THE LAST DAE OF SCHOOLMy god, what a way to end off 4 years of university school with a bloody big bang last night.The music.The atmosphere.The booze. MAssive amounts of booze i must add heh heh.Most importantly, the Honours friends. =) For the past few months, a large group of us has been growing closer and closer. And I think last night was like the culminating climax so to speak ahhahaha. Some of us felt quite emo as well, coz it was the last day of school yest. Myself included. But i always believe that the end of a journey is the beginning of another one. :p As the saying goes, better late than never. Esp when it comes to new bonds of friendship.Graduation is a start to a new phase of life. And I think this is only the beginning of a long journey of friendship for all of us. And the beginning of more parties, clubbing, pubbing, sentosas, ktvs, mahjongs, movies, Mind's Cafes, travelling, bitching, working etc etc together!Cheers to our massive blast of a time last night!! Wooohooo!!-------On another note, I m elated as well that I have survived and cleared all my NUS assignments and essays! The feeling I got this morning when I woke up, noeing that there's no more assignment due, was a fantastic one. Really. And even on the last dae of school, there are still many 1st times for me.The 1st time I got an A+ for my essay. For Dr Chong's IPC paper. I m really really very glad deep down inside. Its not just about the grades. Its about the fact that I finally broke this personal barrier and challenge I set for myself. In fact, its similiar to the feeling I got when I scored my 1st ever try in a competitive rugby match when I was playing for Armour formation. The feeling that its prob going to be your 1st and last ever try. Same here for the essay result. The 1st time I won Kinokuniya vouchers in a lucky draw. Hehe.The 1st time I took a bus for like 6 months? And the 1st time I took a night-rider home from Holland V in like 3, 4 years!The 1st time I shouted so much gibberish at Walas hahaha! Normally when i m there, i sing along with the crowd but dun really kao bei so much. Yest was a special occasion though. And like what I told Hans, our corner at the back of the pub is always and traditionally the loudest and most kao bei corner! Glad we lived up to the reputation man wahhaha!Goes to show how much life at NUS has been so enjoyable for me. Even on the last official dae of school, I have still been learning. Joshua asked me yest in clubroom whether one shud really do Honours. I guess it really depends on what each individual wants in life, and how he or she wanna make out of Honours year.But if u ask every single one of us last night, none of us will have regretted. =)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
ON EQ AND TRYING TOO HARDJiajia recently blogged about the salience of EQ. I couldnt agree more. Seriously.Some people think they are damn smart, and got high IQ, but whats the point when they can't even get along with their colleagues, classmates, or the people around them? I m not saying they have to though. But really, the importance of EQ cannot be underestimated, no matter which stage of life you are in.On another note, I think that in life, while it is excellent to try very hard, but sometimes there are occasions when it may be better not to try too hard. By that, I mean trying too hard to impress others, trying too hard to get others to accept you, trying too hard to fit into the social circles of others, trying too hard to fit into the norms and mores of others who may not be compatible with you, and trying too hard to make a girl like u (even though she oredi made it clear that u shud screw off). My 2 arguments here are actually correlated. In the sense that people with low EQ may perhaps try too hard, but do not get the results they desired. And of coz, it goes without saying that those with low EQ often do not even noe that they are trying too hard.So, is the situation here hopeless then, for these people?Thankfully not. But they ll need to learn to accept their own flaws, their own shortcomings, their own limits, while respecting that of others. Trying hard is good, but sometimes, trying too hard really ends up having the reverse effect and turns people off. Some feasible tips:a) Think fast. Talk slow. b) Chill.c) Sharpen the saw.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
ON THE RETURN OF YODA...AND THAT LONG DREARY ROAD TO ACADEMIC FREEDOMGot my laptop fixed and safely back in my hands. =) Decided to name him Yoda. Finally he has a name, after 3 years with me haha.Some pictures i wanted to upload earlier but couldnt. Now i can. Memories of happy times and a wonderful steamboat dinner last weekend, thanks to Lacy. 7000 words more. Final essay before I graduate. I dun normally feel so jaded but this time I really am. It just got to the point when I really have had enough after 16 years, at least for now.Quite enuff of sleeping on the sofa as well. But I need to finish the job, finish what I set off to do since year 1. Finish all the hard work I put in for the past few semesters. In Champions League football u only have 2 legs to determine victory. Here we have 8 legs. Come on now Hock. Stay focused. Let's get it done.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
ON THE HEROES THAT WALK AMONG US
Most of us grew up embracing and idolizing heroes, be it Superman, Ultraman, Batman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, L, Wolverine, VR Man, or even the heroes in the hit series Heroes.
But little do we know that many a times, the real heroes in life are those that walk among us, and breathe the very same air that we do.
My mum is the greatest hero to me, for bringing me & my 2 siblings to where we are today.
Xinyu is a hero, for daring to re-run alone for her love of the club.
Samuel is a hero, for daring to step into the unknown and accept the challenge of presidency as a freshman.
Tienkwan is a hero, for pushing O Week 07 thru the end despite her insecurities.
Jianwu is a hero, for daring to take up Rag 2005 despite the massive uphill battles.
Su Mei is a hero, for devoting much of her time to making the lives of stray animals in Singapore just that little bit better.
Some of my Hons classmates are also heroes, for reaching the brink of graduation despite the many difficulties, obstacles, stress, and heartbreaks along the past 4, no, maybe 16 years of education.
So you see, sometimes when we truly open our eyes and look carefully, we will realize that heroes and giants do exist. They do not fly or walk thru walls. Rather, they are just like u and me.
And that is the greatest beauty of it all, isn't it?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
ON THE TOP 5 ITEMS I THINK ABOUT WHEN I JOG:1) My Arts Club memories.2) How to succeed and achieve my dreams in life.3) Graduation, grad trip, and commencement.4) When can I ever jog with my own dog.5) My love life.
ON THE GIRL THAT BRIGHTENED UP MY GLOOMY DAE =)I was in a real xian mood this morning. Sent my mac to yih for repair, and I was told the earliest i can get it back is Tues. Thankfully, the engineer told me that its prob the video processer thats faulty, and that it wont affect my data.Best part of the dae was undoubtedly walking Trixie with Jon, Alene, and Damien at West Coast! =) Its my 1st time walking a dog, yeah so i gave my virginity to Trixie. But i really really enjoyed it! And it just made me even more determined to share my life with a dog in future.Haha, lotsa interesting things happened along the way when we were walking. Trixie's so fat that she gets tired and sweats a lot haha. Good exercise for u doggie. =)Dinner was real nice as well. We are all very xian and sad that next week ll be the last week of school for all of us, but yet most of us still got essay to rush. Hee nmind, shall look foward to the post celebrations.For the next few daes, I ll have to use my sis' lappie 1st. Thankfully she's so understanding and cool about it. Quite wierd to switch back to windows again though. Oh wellz.I miss my talking Yoda on my mac book. Heh heh.
Friday, April 11, 2008
ON A NIGHTMARE SCENARIOI m in a terrible mood. My trusted Mac lappie crashed yest. Now it cant start up at all.Really pissed. I have 1 more assignment due today, 1 big essay due next week, and exams are coming up. This is seriously the last thing i need, esp when all my academic documents are in the lappie.Dr Chong is right. Such is our over-dependence on modern technology. I feel damn displaced now lah. And seriously pissed.Hope that the Mac center in school can do something substantial about it instead of just asking me to call the Mac hotline.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
ON BEING BACK "HOME" AGAINIt was a real honour to meet Miss Lim, my Commercial Division Director previously when i was interning, as well as Mr Foo, Airport Management Division Director. Most likely my future boss.Mr Foo was once from NUS Arts as well, a Soci major. It was great to hear from his personal insights on how to succeed in the aviation industry. Thank you, really. I learnt so much from the both of you todae.
And being back at the airport today brought me so much wonderful & nostalgic memories of my internship experience. =)
Indeed, it is a great feeling to work at an environment that you love.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
ON DATING TALLER WOMENI read an interesting Sunday Times article today about whether height matters when it comes to love. It was quite funny actually, esp the part whereby Carla Bruni gotta wear flats so as not to overshadow French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It also reminded me of how the Taiwanese put up an extra block for Frank Hsieh to stand on when he debated with Ma Ying-Jeou, so as to even up the height.Indeed, from a not-very-tall guy' s perspective, I would think that most ladies do prefer dating a taller guy. Nothing wrong with that, esp as this can be traced to evolutionary genes (I am using this term more frequently after taking up the Animal Behaviour module haha). When we were hunter-gatherers, a man's physical attributes mattered. The taller the man, the more likely he was to bring home the bacon.I have dated taller ladies in the past, and I would think that what matters a lot is confidence. And of coz, maintaining your humour, intelligence, and unique personality. I have seen male friends together with taller girls as well, but the problem is that becoz of societal norms and perceptions, people keep poking fun at their so-called 'incompatible' height. Or lament that they look like siblings instead of partners. In this case, either partner, even when confident of their relationship previously, gets undue external stress or pressure to conform. Women want to feel safe and secure nestling in the crook of men's arms. While men want to feel empowered and strong in embracing their loved one. Does height and size matter then? Oh yes they definitely do. But is it everything? No i dun think so. The worst thing to do for short men is to actually feel and display insecurity about their height. Actually, that applies to every other negative physical trait for both tall and short men. I think women in general are superb at sniffing out insecurities in men. God gave them this filter to separate the potential partners from the wussies (Again, an evolutionary gene I must add. Hyenas in particular, literally sniff out each other's arse to determine mating compatibility). So to sum up, i think its important to learn to love and accept yourself, and you ll become much more attractive to others around, regardless of being tall or short, fat or thin, bald or curly-haired. And granted, definitely not all women go for shorter guys, so if u are short, its good to noe whether your potential partner fits into this category. If she's not into you becoz of height or physical attributes, heck man. Just move on. I dun think u ll want to be with her anyway. Real men have the power and confidence to walk away. Wussies stay on and beg for attention and acceptance.(P.S: The author also thinks that it is ridiculous for men to ask women not to wear heels so as to tower over them. Heels, besides the G-string, is probably 1 of the greatest invention of mankind for women. Women look fantastic and classy in heels, so please, dun take it lying down if your boyfriend ask u not to wear heels. Besides, heels offer a potential weapon against molesters or other possible intruders. Manz, have u ever been stepped on by heels?)
Friday, April 04, 2008
Time to get into the 'zone' again.Xianz.
THE MIRROR & THE CUP OF BITTERNESSMartin Luther King once warned us,Not to drink from the cup of hatred,Not to drink from the cup of bitterness.Engulfed by anguish u have,By envy,By jealousy,By wrath,By pride.Sometimes I try to pull you back,But my energy I seem to lack.Other times, he, he, he and he tried to,But you won't listen too.So my point here is simple.Take a mirror,The biggest you can find.Look not for your dimple,But for your mire.Which is certainly not fine.If you cannot explain it,Call a good friend.He who can look you in the eye and tell you you are shit,But that its not the End.If you still refuse to listen,I am afraid,I am afraid.That you will never enter the fray.So take care my friend.I will be here for you.With a mirror to lend.
But really,
Drop the hatred.
Drop the bitterness.
It ll get you nowhere.
And maybe then,
Maybe then.
Will you find peace,
And hope,
And belief,
And love.- Hock
Thursday, April 03, 2008
ON MY MOST HATED SONG (s)Ok, i just have to blog about this before I forget. I seriously seriously dislike Beyonce Knowles' songs. To the point that I almost feel nauseous everytime i hear her sing.No, I think a lot of the time, she's more like bellowing, grunting, & yelling god-knows-what rather than singing. And her only 2 major hits in my opinion, Baby Boy and Crazy In Love, only thrives becoz of the heavy mesh of background hippy, catchy tune. In other words, if u take the karaoke version of these 2 songs minus away her singing, the songs ll still sound good. Which means that it is not her bellowing that contributes.The all time irritating song for me has to be her Irreplaceable. U noe, that stupid song that starts with "To the left, to the left x 2". If u tie me up in a room and play that song over and over again, that ll be the ultimate form of POW treatment.And just the other dae when i was riding caught in the rain, soaked & wet, cold & miserable....1 of her other awful songs played into my radio earpiece.... That almost drove me to delirium.Apparently, she's still doing very well in the music scene, so i suppose there are lotsa people around the world who enjoys her bellowing & grunting. Oh well, to each his own.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
What more can I say??Almost perfect performance by United. Every single player played well, even O Shea in central defence haha! And Rio was flawless tonight. Certainly my man of the match.This really completes my day man hahahaha!!!
Can now sit back and watch Liverpool and Arsenal tear each other apart tom night.
ON A VERY HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY WAHAHAHAHA1st of all, I just want to say that i never thought about closing down this blog. Yest's post was just a April Fool's joke wahahhaa. So bo liao hor heh heh.Anyway it was a rocking dae todae la! To celebrate the end of ISMs/HTs submission, there was the PS Honours Dinner tonight. Before that some of us went to KTV and qiu4 gua1 for a few hours. Too short man! So many songs we wanna sing but didnt have time. Anyway Weizhen, Daniel and Mel sing damn well la haha! And I love singing with Daniel coz both of us sing all the old and 1990s songs heh. We must all go and K again after exams!! heh heh.As for the dinner, well, i guess what's most impt at the end of the day is the company eh. =) Surprised to see quite a no of the Profs coming down. Anyway, the post-dinner beer chilling out session at Balacavana (is it spelt this way?) was great. As some of us were saying just now, it feels like that kind of old-classmates feeling back in the jc days again haha. Yeah! So all in all, a fantastic and enjoyable dae! And to top everything off, United takes on Roma in 40 minutes time!! I m like how excited can! Even tho tonight gotta sleep sofa again, but a United win ll really make the superb day complete!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
ON MY LAST EVER BLOG POST- GOODBYE MY FRIENDS.Yes, i just want to say that with effect from today, I ll be shutting down this blog for good. I realize that i have been blogging too much recently. And that circumstances have dictated that i have to stop. Some things once said, cannot be unsaid......Its a pity, coz i really enjoy blogging and talking to myself haha. But alas, we all have to move on.Won't be starting any new blog. I have decided to quit blogging for good. Take care my friends, and I ll see u fellas around. =)