// rain rain go away //

held a belated 21st celebration for yv on friday.
Ichiban Sushi did serve nice dishes but i still MISS the food in japan.


Man, i was glad that day was the last lecture by the guest lecturer.
Somehow he manage to grab our attention by saying that he will be setting one compulsory question in the exams.
Everyone else looked so psyched, debating and was referring to the notes here and there, even after the lecturer left.
But not me, i was dying to get out of the LT.

Oh yes, on a random note, single room dorms are niceee.
So spacious!
Of course wx did maintain its cleanliness that's why it's so clean and tidy.
It's more expensive, but for more privacy and space, i think it's worth it.

And Union's day was held on thurs, we were more than happy to obliged the nominees by exchanging the 'goodies' for votes.
It might seem very superficial of us.
But that's how the majority vote.
Who'll spend time at the Rally to listen to the nominees? Very few.
Somehow, this year's MSE elections had more 'politics', due to illegal group campaigning and so on.
Well, that's not surprising to me as elections always had that element of favouring popularity to capability.

// final decision //

Ok, I've dropped that module on 23rd Aug 9.38pm.
And I've only just read all your comments.
Well, I liked the tourism module initially but the lecture was rather boring, coupled with the late timing, i guess i better drop it.
Furthermore, I decided that I can't take on an extra module with project.
Or else I'll have 3 projects and that is like super a lot, with my 5 core modules.
(Meiting! please share with me the tips to survive with 6 core modules as I'll need it for year 4!!)
The only motivation was that I could 'clear' it by S/U ing it so that I won't have to overload next year to complete a minor.

However, since I've made my decision, I shall not have any regrets.
Hence, this sem is designated as " Pull up my GPA " sem, as I will only have 5 papers to sit for, as compared to my previous sem of 7 papers.
Content-wise, it'll actually be heavier than previous sems but I'll do my best!
Also, I'll need better grades to convince my mentor (and the school) to allow me to overload next year so that I can(hopefully) complete a minor.

Whatever you can control, control.
Whatever you can't, don't.

Ok, now I'm actually feeling more motivated =)
Soon, my P6 tutee will be sitting for PSLE.
Then, my sis will have her O levels.
Other than my tutees, I think I must spare some time for sis too.
Her physics is giving her problems.
My advice to her: Back to the basics-textbook. You have to understand everything in the textbook before attempting higher level problems. (Dos anyone have any other advice??)

Yes, Hui Min, help them and help yourself.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!

// Friday Blues //

I can't take it anymore.
I seriously need to rant!

Today's lectures were horrible and tormenting.
As usual, I couldn't catch anything during the 3002 lecture.
Save me from p-n junctions!!
It's bringing back the nightmares of 2008, which i thought was supposed to be OVER.
Now this module 3002 is an extended version of 2008.
Seriously i couldn't care less how electrons move.
It's sooo confusing.

After the 3002 lecture, straightaway we had 3003, which was equally bad, if not even worse.
argh!
Though the guest lecturer (for three freaking weeks!!) is a local, and throughout the lecture, I was fully aware that he spoke English, I still can't understand him, mainly due to those highly technical terms he use.
Please ask him go for effective communication class.
And he must have gotten an A+ in technical communication.
Apparently he graduated from mse some years ago.
Anyway, during the lecture he was either reading the slides (which was choked full of words) or coining 'chimerlogy' terms which most of us have never hear before.
The irritating thing was that he did not give any explanation of those terms.
Hence I was practiclally counting down the seconds for most of the 2 hours.
Kudos to the lecturer for making the seemingly easy topic of corrosion into something so difficult to understand.

Okay, enough of ranting.

Up till now, my experience is that: Engineering is really not an easy course.
Year 1: Condensed the whole 2 year JC education as revision
Year 2: Delve deeper into manufacturing process and material properties.
Year 3: Delve even deeper into the above two aspects + practicality aspect, not to mention that it is like condensing the whole of what we learnt in year 2 into 1 semester (another semester is compulsory industrial attachment)
Year 4: Looks to be specialisation

Year 3 is not gonna be easy.
p-n junctions, design project, chim corrosion stuff, qualitative analysis...etc.
I'm super stressed out.
And I'm going to drop that tourism module.

// can't make up my mind //

Although I said I would drop the tourism (5.30-8.30pm) module, I still can't stop thinking about it.
Stubborn-ness at work?

Yesterday, I daydreamt of convocation.
It's so stupid. why am i dreaming about that when i still had another 2 more years to go?
Anyway, the scenes in my dream was so touching...everyone was taking pictures, and my clique was recalling about how we met and became friends and brave through all the four years.
my parents were beaming and was proud of me.
i felt as though i will miss studying and all those years in NTU.
But it's ok, i've snapped out of it and it's back to reality.

the scary four aus core modules.
the equally intimidating design project.
the demanding cognitive psych.
the dilemma of whether to drop tourism.
the lectures tomorrow.

// the truth about my short little finger //

WARNING: the entry below is typed by a super bored person, hence it might make no sense.

my mum always said there was something perculiar about my oh-so-short little finger.
my sis finds it cute, like a baby's.
my dad never notice it.
i find it perfectly normal.

all thanks to some evening chinese newspaper that my parents like to read.
i've found out (or rather my mum) the meaning of it. (finally)
recently, i gathered that the editors of that particular blue-bannered newspaper had not much celeb scandals to publish so they decided to devote recent issues to the de-mystifying the meanings of what the length/shape of your fingers mean.
i found out, unfortunately (and predictably) zippo good news about my petite little finger.
A rough extract: Compare the lengths of your ring and little finger.
If your little finger is shorter than the line separating the middle and upper section of your ring finger, it is considered shorter than normal.
This means something about your personality.
Apparently it's all bad news.
Those possessing the above little finger type is too naive, easily conned or made use of by people.
They are stubborn, inflexible, unwilling to accomodate changes.
They will lose out in any form of bargain.
They are bad at expressing themselves, which translates to poor communication with others and poor human relationships.

Man, this is great. Not to mention rather exact.

My sis has fingers that curve outwards (mine, uh, can't curve outwards without suffering a fracture)
And the analysis was the exact opposite of mine.
Those possessing fingers that curve outwards are smart, capable, difficult to deceive by others and armed with a hidden agenda.
They are relatively good at investments.
They are fickle-minded, and are not so stable in decision-making.
They are good at communication, possess charisma and enjoy amicable relationships with others.

Oh wells, whoever said life's fair?

// no more camping at the com! //

MSE day with fellow year threes.

Some things just need to be gotten used to.

Just how much time is needed is a mystery.

Yippie. My appeal for Cognitive Psych is successful =D

Finally something to look forward to!

can anyone tell me if i really should drop the tourism module?

// F5 + ENTER //

how can anyone write a research paper on food culture in Singapore?
this is interesting...

oh wells, i was sitting in the class - Tourism: Image, Trends and Stories, when my attention drifted to this person seated two row in front of me, pressing F5 + enter for nearly 5 mins at every interval of about 15 mins.
No presents for guessing, yes, he's at the STARS planner page, hoping that someone would drop that module at that very moment he pressed the refresh button.
I was rather bored by the history of tourism, even more mentally drained by the fact that it was already nearly 6pm and there was another two and a half hours of lecture to go.
Hence I was hoping for someone to watch some interesting youtube vid or playing some computer games to take me through that boring module, which I've yet to decided if I should drop.
Already, one of my coursemate is ready to take my place if I drop it.
The lesson ends at a miserable 8.30pm, which means I'll reached home just before 10.30.
Terrible, considering that particular day starts at 8.30am.
Someone might be willing to award me a 'hardworking award' but i'll decline it - I've dropped my 8.30am module and am deciding whether to drop that one which ends at 8.30pm.

Other than a terrible thursday, first week in school has been slack.
Owing to the fact that most of the tutorials starts in week 3, I can have two weeks of 'honeymoon'.
That is, to spend the long breaks eating and printing notes and surfing aimlessly...and waiting for someone to drop that only cognitive psych slot that can fit into my timetable.

Having said that, I still haven't adjusted to waking up early.
Feeling like a walking zombie all the time, I have to drag my feet to NTU, catching up sleep on public transport, and struggling to keep awake during lectures.
I've virtually lost my sense of direction, too used to going to LT3 for the past two sems that I would have walked into the wrong LT if not for my classmates.
Some of the 'first' lectures are so boring that I was dozing off before 15 mins was up.
Some of them, well, it was too intimidating to sleep, esp the revision on semicomductors and chemistry.
I totally forgot what is p-n junction and tafel's law, what the heck.
Felt like digging out my ms 2008 and 2003 notes, which I hoped I haven't throw away.
Honeymoon it is, but it looks like I have work to do, if i can master enough willpower to do it.

On a saturday morning, I still feel super lethargic, my head hurts intermittently, i feel i've lost my brain.
In short, I feel disoriented, which is bad cuz there's tuition later.
Hope the nagging feeling goes away!

The Optimist Creed
by Christian D. Larsen

Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

Make all your friends feel there is something in them.

Look at the sunny side of everything.

Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Give everyone a smile.

Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.

Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.

// starting the fifth semester //

how time flew past.
unknowingly, the fifth semester is starting soon.
however, my memory does not seem to be able to recall myself having been through four sems.
oh, anyway i just hate to think.

slacking is my no.1 love ; i had done a lot of it this holiday.
thinking is my no.1 foe; i will need to do it from tomorrow onwards.

even in times of relaxation, i had slackened.
can u imagine? being slack in slacking.
it might not make much sense to most, but it sure describes my situation.

surprisingly after such a long break, i'm not-so-looking forward to school.
much of it owing to the "return of the long-distance travelling", the hectic "study-tuition-study" schedule
and another reason.

argh i hope to get rid of the inertia soon.

// a special second today //

12:34:56 07/08/09
i'm blogging at this special moment.

visited ION on wed with serene and shubin.
the building is at least 8 storeys high!
from basement 4 to level 4 or 5...i forgot
actually, unless u are those rich and influential, u might not want to venture above first floor!
imagine, a small piece of jewellery for an estimated $111,000!
unimaginable.

that being said, i like the basement 4 food hall!
cuz there are small vendors selling japanese street food like tokyo crepes..
takoyaki balls, hokkaido soft ice-cream and even the exact kind of bento sets i ate in Japan.
they even had the fake displays of food which is sooo ubiquitous in Japan.
it's great find, especially for me who missed the food in Japan alot!
wahahaha

in addition, there's this shop, Nippon-ya which self-proclaims it as a food boutique.
They imported those boxes of Japanese snacks/cakes which are found all over Japan.
Even the exact brand of wasabi-flavoured pistachios i bought.
Unfortunately and expectedly, the packet of pistachios which i bought for around $16 in Japan, they sold it for $22!
Also disappointedly, they did not bring in the famous hokkaido shiroi koibito (white/dark chocolate sandwiched in biscuits) but chose to import their poorer tokyo cousins.

On the same level, there's the muji, which shop layout is so similar to the one in Ginza.
I think this level must be dedicated to fans of Japan and expatriates.

On the whole, i do agree that ION brings a new concept of shopping to orchard, having different types of shops, from the middle to upper end.
Each shop has a special design of their shop front and those tv screens plastered on the walls are definitely going to attract shoppers.

// flooded by memories //

my parents always sought the best for their children.
that resulted in their decision to pull out their roots in m'sia and 'emigrated' to s'pore.
in the name of the supposedly superior education system in their adopted homeland.

being at the prime of their youth at that point in time, they had no regrets of their decision.
however, now, twenty-two years later, the same cannot be said so.

though my parents have never spoken about their initial hardship, i imagine that sinking roots in a whole new country couldn't be easy, especially without the help of relatives.
while both of them held jobs, they were relatively new to the system in this country, yet a plethora of questions greeted them.
which housing estate to move into?
which childcare centre to send the kids to?
those decisions which their peers in m'sia would never have to make.

while they had adopted the new mentality of embracing education as the way to alleviate poverty, my family, in general , is a traditional one.
every chinese year in my childhood memory was filled with the loud thumping CNY songs played by my aunt's hi-fi system and the fire crackers that lit up the night skies, making loud noises that reverberated throught the night.
not to mention, the long and boring journey on the coach to m'sia.
i would always asked my parents the same question, "when are we going to reach?" every fifteen minutes or so.
while they were snoozing away, my sis and i would look out the windows, staring at the majestic mountains and the overflooded padi plantations, never for a second thought that this foreign country could have been our home.
even though my cousins and i only met twice or thrice a year, each time not lasting more than 5 days, we were united by the games we played.
i was impressed by their ability to create games out of nothing, improvise 'punishments' and 'rewards'.
as always, being 'punished' was as fun as being 'rewarded', hence losing a game wasn't a big deal but all of us so innocently went all out to win.
in fact, only my aunt's leather sofa and my uncle's prized mahogany table were the ones which suffered in our hands, being our hideout places.
at night, my cousins would reveal their stashes of fire crackers, from those which looked like an egg to those which look like mini umbrellas, the assortment was mind-boggling.
as the adults start to countdown to the new year, we joined the neighbouring kids to lit up those fire crackers, contributing to the noise.

i believe those happy memories, stored away in deep my mind, are also kept in those of my cousins'.

P.S Two of my cousins came to s'pore last weekend and that sort of evoke my memory. even though we are not as close now, the blood ties can never be cut.