philo

When we don't know what we don't know, we will never know what is to know and can be known. Unfortunately most of us dont even realise what we dunno and perceive our own views as correct and get unsatisfied/disgruntled/impatient with others' behaviour and method of doing things, even minor ones. They irritate us so.. why? All these stem from judgemental mindset of ours, and I must admit that I am judgmental. We tend to perceive our own ways of doing things and talking as far better and superior than others, that is when pride (to some extent =.=) comes in. Maybe that is why God told us not to judge people and be in humility even at all times.

To judge is to evaluate something subjectively, but it isnt something that everyone can master. In fact, most (i said most) of us are prone to judging others before putting oneself into purely subjective evaluation.

Speaking of evaluation. In an imperfect market, the value of something sometimes doesnt match the price of something. In fact, it is almost impossible to do so as even chartered and certified professional evaluators themselves are prone to judging something subjectively with little or no influence from their subjective mindsets that are supposed to be ingrained in them throughout years of vigorous tertiary education in preparation for their job today.

In a perfect market though, both buyers and sellers are unaffected by personal sentiments, aesthetics that appeal to a myriad of tastes, rumours. That is why in the real estate market, a piece of property is rarely traded for exatly what it is worth. This is especially true in places that are surrently experiencing a property boom like Singapore. I hope that one day the evaluation process will be done perfectly as it would save my wallet from dieting too much involuntarily if ever i decide to stay back in Singapore for good. There is just too little land and too much people here.

Saturday is MSL Day, and logistics have been settled. Water containers, balls, garbage bags, trophies, booking of badminton and basketball courts, souveneirs (man how exactly do they spell that???), chairs and tables for captain's ball are more or less prepared. I hope everything goes really well and that I will be blessed with a clear mind to handle problems that may arise on that day itself.

These few weeks I have learned quite a few things. Some small, many might seem insignificant and a lot of things that cant be read from a book. First time in my life I was a part of a group interview, 4 on 2 interview, 2 on 2 interviews.

Tomorrow got lab...and it will be rather tedious. Therefore, I shall go to sleep now. Adios amigos, hope you all have a great weekend ahead before the dreaded tutorials start to creep in with their hairy, spidly furry legs. =)

phew..

...finally got my laptop back. The comp centre dude told me it could be a case of one or two weeks. thank God that I got my lappy back so soon. Just a few days only~ XD

just came back from Techno Edge. For my non-NUS friends, thats what they name the Engineering Faculty's canteen. Got new stalls, saw one that sells soup-in-a-pot.

actually this blog is just to test whether this laptop still can post blogs onot. Hopefully it can.....

...tadah! here it is on blogger! XD

p/s: Lame Joke of the day, courtesy of Mister James: the portion st Megabites (a cafe at Science Faculty) damn small. Those at Gigabyte are bigger.

damn swt la. looks like he will be the Lame King of MSL sooner or later. LOLz

sien..

..dad's Proton broke down today on my way to Singapore. wth..zzzzzz

precisely, it broke down at KM 49.6 of the North South Expressway.

I was the one behind the wheel. As I was driving along, i smelled something foul, thought it was just something wrong with the old air filter, a minor problem; so i kept on going. Realised the air-con didnt really work; thought it was just a minor problem; so i kept on going..

UNTIL I SAW BLOODY SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE BONNET!! ZZ..

stopped by the highway; damn dangerous, no cones or the red triangles (what is the real name for that actually? =.=) to mark the spot. Called PLUS. Waited for 15 minutes before the tow pickup finally arrived. They towed us to the nearest toll station and dropped us there. We had to pay for the toll without the engines on. Kereta dah rosak la bang, kasilah mercy sikit, masih nak caj aku duit toll ke? zzz....

what i realised was foremen and mechanics were everywhere along this stretch of highway near the toll gates, to find business, of course! My dad had called my hometown mechanic (Lets cal him M) to come and inspect the car for us. We waited at the toll gate for him to come.

the thing is...M didnt knew how to read ABCs! he overshot the toll gate, called my dad for directions. so we waited like about an hour plus just for him to come. when he came, he brought no spare parts with him; my dad had to go to the nearest kampung to search for a small rubber pipe that had burst under high temperature. Apparently the mechanics didnt add enough distilled water into the radiators during the last service just a few weeks ago. High temperature = burst water pipes. The engine became so hot that the oil gasket was broken, that explains the foul smell, it was the smell of sweet, fragrant hot engine oil..

after the new rubber pipe was fixed, the car was ready to go...........for a few miles before we had to stop to refill water into its radiator. we had to stop every few kilometres (maybe about 5) so that the engine doesnt become too hot. a broken oil gasket involves major repairs that had to be done in the workshop, we had no choice but to do so. from the toll gate to Kluang (my hometown) was a full 50km..so we stopped like 10 times at the side of the road before I finally reach home. so sien..only had lunch at about 3:30pm. That wa just as well as we needed a break so that the engine could have a chance to cool down. At that moment I reckon that the engine needed a break more than us.

Luckily we didnt travel back using the highway; how are we supposed to find sources of water if not because of the small kampungs along the old roads that we chose to travel? Luckily we did so. The radiator drank like a fish. We used up pails and bottles of water for the journey back....

..ahh lazy to blog liao.

bought tickets for 8am bus to JB tomorrow. I estimate I will need about 3.5 hours before I can reach my room in PGP. See you guys then.

Going back..

..to PGP tomorrow.

This will be an all new semester. Dilemma over whether to take 6 modules onot. I will be clearing up to 21MCs in the process. With 5 modules I already have 4 freaking labs but only clearing 17MCs..sien. I might not take any extra modules at all. Other than that, I have to go for CCAs this semester. I feel ambitious and rather pumped up this semester, with a few CCAs in my mind.

I believe this is the time for me not to laze,but to step out of my comfort zone (as dear Edward repeatedly told us to do so) and really involve myself in the real world. I pray that I can cope with my studies (at least 3.5, somehwere near 4 would be delightful) and at the same time do all the CCAs that I want to be a part of, with commitment and strong sense of responsibility. It is my oppurtunity, and its up to me to grasp it.

Also looking forward to fostering new friendships with freshies...white they are still fresh ...lol.

Hmm..I have so much things to do this semester...lol.

p/s: I used the phrase "looking forward" umpteen times in my posts lately. Which is contradictory to my situation; I am short-sighted.. =)

I used that phrase so many times, I "look forward" until my neck gonna be long like giraffe and wanna snap liao.

I can...

..assure you what you are currently feeling now is not true.

MSL and UFO

MSL = Malaysian Students' League, an organisation that befits its name, welcoming every Malaysian that come to NUS.

UFO = University Freshmen Orientation , MSL's flagship annual event, in its second edition this time. Not to be confused with the flying thingy you thought existed somewhere up there.

A year ago, I was like most of the people who joined this UFO: came to NUS with a few friends, but without anyone to guide me along, help me settle my stuffs and doubts. This all changed when I started to get involved in MSL through the forum, and the rest is history. I could still remember, the day when I met Kim Wong for the first time; it was him who went all the way to Tg.Pagar train station to fetch me and my friends from Kluang; we didnt even know how to go to NUS that time! Imagined all the hassle I would have gone through if it was not for him. Until today, I still thank you Kim Wong , for being the first senior to reach out to us in such a personal manner!

And also our beloved Thomas Chua aka Lame King (his throne will soon be descended by a certain someone who shall not be anmed :P). He was and still is someone I look up to, it was his enthusiasm and presence in the forum that made me look forward to meeting him.

In the UFO, I met many people with many different talents and abilities from many places all over Malaysia; my social circle wasnt just confined to my Form 6 and secondary school pals anymore. It expanded exponentially! Soon, I had my very own gang(s) of best pals in NUS: 5B gang and the Mech Eng gang; I wasnt short of friends anymore. In fact, they were the main reason I was relutant to commute back to Johor every weekend even though its so near to NUS. With their companionship, 2 semesters of ups and downs, highs and lows breezed past just like that.

Fast forward to UFO2: I am now a "senior" to many of the freshmen coming to NUS this year. Again, I would be meeting people from all over Malaysia with different talents. They say NUS is a school for Smarties (not those you can hold in your hand and taste like chocolates), I have no doubt that it is now. I looked forward to meeting my juniors, help them settle down in NUS, find their own clique of friends and at the same time widening their social circle too (I am sure this is the first time many of them met so many people from different states far and wide). I wanted to give them the chance to experience what I had did beforehand when I was a freshmen in UFO just like them.

From what I see, I had no doubt that UFO's objectives had been acheived. Many freshmen are mixing together, and from what I see from the BBQ night, this year's freshmen really have great potential; in short, the BBQ night was nothing short of marvellous, and I dare say, better (maybe XD) than the BBQ that me and friends organised for our seniors last year! You guys make a great team!

The joy I felt when I joined in the cheers on that night (although I am not a good exponent of the cheering art lol) was indescribable. You see, I have finally found a family of friends in Singapore; more precisely in MSL, where humanity, giving and friendship prevails above all things else, something hard to find in Singapore! And seeing all of the freshmen crashing in and jumping together together with the seniors, the feeling was really great; our days of preparation and 4 days of everything culminating in this very scene was worth it after all. If I was a bystander, I would surely be touched. Edward had good reason to tear that night, I could truly understand his feelings; Xander was absolutely spot-on in his blog, I feel the same way too. The images of that will always be imprinted in my mind as one of the most enduring images of the UFO, symbolic of MSL's spirit.

However, during the debrief session after the UFO, we realised that this years' UFO could be improved in many aspects, some of it due to negligence and some of it occured because we didnt even think of it. I look forward to the day to impart knowledge and experiences gained from being part of the UFO OGL to our dear freshies, so that they can do an even better job than us. I have a hunch that the next UFO will be the best! :P

p/s: sorry Group Number One (The Ones) I managed to forget our cheers even though I am the leader...zzz. Guess I was too tired that day.

Bidding

Not a conventional title for this post. But yes, the bidding culture is indeed a way and part of Singaporean life. Or, at least for Malaysians studying in NUS.

In Singapore everything also need to bid one. From COE to subjects that we have to take for each semester, bidding is the way to go.

I would say that on the basis of scarcity of places, bidding is a good way to go. But then, with bidding comes a lotta headache.

The problem is, I have to choose which modules/subjects to bid for. And trust me, it gets a little mind boggling at times, especially with so many modules to choose.

A few modules I have in mind,mostly General Education modules:

GEM2000 Foundations of Real Estate Appraisal. Not a module that Engineering students would normally take. However I find the real estate business in Singapore kinda interesting and intriguing, especially with the Singaporean property boom that has already happened in land-scarce Singapore. Because Singapore is just a small red dot on Earth that cant even be seen from outer space, people are paying a premium for real estate here.

GEK1600 Dynamics of Interpersonal Effectiveness. Another oppurtunity for me to learn about how human psychology works.

GEK1016 History & Theory Of Modern Architecture. Architecture stuff obviously. If you guys didnt know, I am someone who loves looking at houses, and I love the minimalist design. It could also explain my interest in the real estate module stated above, I just thought of that. I am just not sure whether I can d well in it though. Sometimes what you like just isnt what you are good at. Anyone with the same problem? :)

GEK1541 Reproductive Health: What One Must Know. Yeah, biys and gals, it sounds interesting. It doesnt hurt to know more sexual knowledge right. On a lighter note, it could also be the module that marks my "coming of age". The classes are held in the National University Hospital. So weird one. Will only put in a bid for this if all else doesnt work.

It all gets a bit confusing sometimes.

And it does get frustrating at times. When you out in a bid with all the points you have only to find out that some big koko or jiejie has outbidded you just because they can throw their bid points into the system like girls throwing oranges into the river during Chap Goh Meh. I experienced that when I wanted to bid for Forensics last semester. Damn sien one OK.

And whats more, at the CORS website, they show me this:


Module selection and module allocation are mission critical exercises for you as well as the university. There must be fairness, equity and responsibility. As the university advances towards a broad-based education, you will be required to enroll in modules across faculties, and a system must be established to facilitate you and at the same time allow the teaching departments to manage their resources optimally.

It is hoped that a bidding system will accomplish these objectives. The bidding system requires you to make careful consideration of your priorities as each decision has an impact on your future choices - a good training ground to prepare you for life after graduation. It is an opportunity to educate you on the need to weigh your options, make decisions and live with the consequences of your actions.




I feel that the whole evil CORS crew is laughing at me now. =.="

closing those doors.

surprisingly my brain works kinda actively, my fingers type kinda nimbly at night. and yes, I am using the proper typing fingers. =)

reasons for me not to go get a girlfriend (some people might laugh at me and see look, this guy hasnt got a girlfriend (insert other negative comments here) blah blah blah) but look,I simply do not give a sh*t about that. i tink the reasons i cite now are perfectly reasonable, so long as they are applicable to my own personal situation at hand:

1. main reason: i am still not emotionally matured enough, i guess many of my closest friends will know about this. i am still plagued with negative emotions that only time can heal, and by the maturity of thought gained simply through the passing of time. any relationship that i am going to get into now will most probably end up in heartache due to my attitude. I need to build a heart of steel-sponge, soft when it should be, hard and strong when the need arises. I choose to adopt a personal principle that is whatever relationship that is ultimately not gonna end up in marriage = wasting time and money only.

2. getting myself involved in some relationship will only serve to distract myself from studies. my CAP now is not exactly high (by my personal standards), NUS ia a highly competitive school. Thus,I simply cannot afford any other forms of distractions to sway myself off the way to a good CAP.

3. a girlfriend only serves as someone that limits my personal freedom. I mean, I would surely have to devote more time in entertaining someone else exclusively, so much so that sometimes I cant even complain that my own personal time is encroached. What if, lets say, I wanna play game of futsal or yam cha with friends also cannot but have to spend time with her? Play game also cannot. I am only in my 20s (in fact only 20), wanna enjoy more of what a 20-something guy should do more. Why should I cage myself just because of someone else? The point is, I wanna do whatever I want whenever I want wherever I want. Attached people just have to compromise on this.

4. my parents are going to retire soon. I come from a well-to-do family, but then I am where I am, leading a comfortable life and enjoying many of the comforts so many other people could not afford to. I am lucky and I am thankful to God for all that, all a result of how hard my parents have worked to acheive this standard of life. Everything I use, eat, every thread on my body comes from their wallets. Indeed no other humans on Earth could offer me the love they did, so selflessly and without complaints. I would think it would be unfair to my parents to use their hard-earned money to pursue a relationship someone that is not guaranteed to last. So in the end = wasting money only. I have a gut feeling that my parents are disease ridden because they have worked theirselves too hard in search of financial scecurity which the whole family, including me enjoys now.

5. I wanna enjoy good friendship with everyone around me, be it male or female, taking my university days to cultivate close friendships that is gonna stand the test of time. Reason: I believe there would not be a better time to do this. In fact, I only have 3 more years to do this as rather unfortunately, true blue friends who listen to me whine and complain, bitch and scold (you guys know who you are :P ) are gonna be hard to find in the workplace where conflicts of interests and office politics will somehow arise. And also due to the fact that I feel comfortable in the presence of my platonic friends, something which I doubt I could feel that strongly with a partner of the different gender.

6. I havent found someone that shares the same visions and outlook of future as I do. It would be foolish to get involved with anyone that does not have the same targets and goals in life. People might say, can work things out, but in reality, the innate desire inside of us on how to lead our lives IS a platform for disaster in the future. Ever notice how many married couples got divorced/live unhappily just because of different principles of living and conflicts in goals etc etc etc?

7. a desire to serve God. I wont elaborate further on this; its rather personal.

the above are not arranged in any order of importance, applies to myself only.

time to sleep , tomorrow gonna go church, and worship Him who has made significant impacts in my life.

Nutcases

Was eating Cadbury chocolates just now .. there was one type which I referred to the cover of the box for description: "delicious Brazil nut covered in dark chocolate..." ..something popped up in my mind...

this is a pic of Brazil nuts, sweety, unprocessed and in their full glory.

Brazil Nut Bertholletia excelsa

there is another type of Brazil nut.

Or rather Brazillian nuts.

These 2 lah.

2 Brazillian nuts kissing the Confederations' Cup trophy. Apparently the trophy is more delicious to them.

2 Brazillian nuts, sweaty, unchanged and in their full glory.

tell me...which one is the nuttier of the both?

GO GO GO! ALE ALE ALE!

Jon Bon Jovi - Have A Nice Day

Absolutely loving this song! Always gets me pumped up whenever I hear it. Especially the chorus part! Suitable when doing push-ups or playing with dumbbells...hee..gives me extra bits of motivation :)

Why, you wanna tell me how to live my life?
Who, are you to tell me if it's black or white?
Mama, can you hear me? try to understand.
Is innocence the difference between a boy and a man.
My daddy lived a lie, it's just the price that he paid.
Sacrificed his life, just slaving away.

Oh,if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge and
show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my FACE,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day-ay-ay

Take a look around you, nothing´s what it seems
We're living in a broken home of hopes and dreams,
Let me be the first to shake a helping hand.
Anybody, brave enough to take a stand,
I've knocked on every door, on every dead-end street,
Looking for forgiveness and what's left to believe

Oh, if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge, and show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day
Have A Nice Day-ay-ay.

(Guitar Solo)

Oh oh , if there is one thing I hang onto,
That gets me through the night.
I ain't gonna do what I don't want to,
I'm gonna live my life.
Shining like a diamond, rolling with the dice,
Standing on the ledge,and show the wind how to fly.
When the world gets in my face,
I say, Have A Nice Day.
Have A Nice Day-ay-ay
(in the background)
(Have A Nice Day)


When The world keeps trying to drag me down,
Gotta raise my hands, gonna stand my ground.
I say, hey, Have A Nice Day-ay-ay.
Have A Nice Day!