Freedom, emancipation(although i no girl)

The One Ring, originally uploaded by Minas Morgul.

Dear TomHa
Seh bo.. the photo I took one leh, with the help of a handy table lamp and an all dark house. Wenyang, how's my photographing skills, although I must admit that that the wordings are upside down, no matter, can distinguish better from the original right? haha..

Feeling so high now, today's the day, I supposed, D-Day+10, H-Hour+240, less than 27h of sleep in between and I guess that really wore me out towards me last paper which is maths and I supposed require a lot of brain flexibility, at least I managed to survive without tea or coffee as my mum keep refusing to buy and my occupied memory refusing to register this in my to-do list. Shall not comment much on the papers although I do want to comment that I should have done so much better for maths, such a disappointment, just hope that I can get a decent grade can already. Sigh.. regrets.. I can do those sums one loh. Kao..

Oh yah, should I mention what I did for the day, after refusing some of my juniors' proposal of a tanning trip to some godforsaken island at the southern tip of Singapore with an exorbitant cost of living? Other than spending some talking trash sessions with the canoeists who came down for law interview, basically, I just slep my rest of the day. On the bus, in the toilet, on my bed of course. When you sleep an average of less than 3 hours a day, I supposed that would be top of your to-do list.. I think.. Anyway, am feeling just so happy at this liberation. Come to think of it, I was significantly happier than after finishing my A's! Alright that is an overstatement, but it is somewhere there lah.. Haha, feeling so high now!

Depressing outlook of Earth

Depressing outlook of Earth, originally uploaded by Minas Morgul.

Dear TomHa,
Felt rather depressed looking at this photo as it shows what had happened in this planet in the short span of 1X my lifetime?? Sigh.. although I think it is true that we are in the era of a global climate shift but I supposed that human activities had compunded the effects of the shift in climate to a larger extent.. Conservation and more empathy to our planet everyone.. use your energy wisely!

Maybe...maybe... the DoDo is still out there!
Dear TomHa,
Did you read the news, the ivory-billed woodpecker is found alive and well in the North American Woods after about 80years of purported extinction and sightings. Wow, what a wonderful achievement for Mother Nature in its battle with urbanisation and globalistion. Felt so happy, and I am not sure why, afterall, I only heard of the ivory-billed woodpecker after reading the news!? It just sort of felt like Mother nature is giving us humans a second chance to be able to live symbiotically with the nature that we had destroyed through our rapid urbanisation and globalisation which brought about unlimited needs for energy and space, things which only Nature can provide. Really, maybe one day, the Dodo might be sighted in Sungei Buloh?! Not possible, Dodos can't fly.. Haha, but there is still some hope in seeing those extinct animals making their way back to this ugly yet beautiful Planet after recuperating their strength in some deepplaces of the world which we had not yet found ourselves. Good Luck Mother Nature!

Brushed my teeth and saw a strand of nostril hair poking out of my nostril and was rather disgusted by it. Hence, I proceeded to attempt to destroy it, trying to prevent it from interfering with my passage of oxygen. Went around looking for those kind of small scissors but to no avail, but I was not prepared to let my lack of tools be an obstacle to my grandiose scheme. Thus, I started looking into my mum's cosmetic bag and found those kind of tweezers mum always used to pluck her eyebrows. Yes, you guessed it right, after right amounts of pschying and determination, I finally found the right amount of bravery to pluck that particular strand of nostril hair from my nose. ARGHHHHH!!! I shouted and I thought the neighbouring blocks could actually hear me. Boy, was I in pain that I had never felt before. It hurt so much that I collapsed to the floor contorting like a deer just shot by a hunter. I was cruying like a baby and I thought that I would never be happy again. All the injuries I had were nothing in comparison. Boy, that was really a lesson learnt. Always use the right tools for the right things and apparently, a tweezer is not going to be a right tool for nostril hair plucking.. Arghh..

You'll Never Walk Alone!!
Dear TomHa,
Liverpool drew Chelsea to a goaless draw today, and somehow, despite Benitez's optimism, I find that the they had got a rather dangerous result to defend at home. Yes, they always play very well at home but Chelsea only needs an away goal to win! Sigh.. Hoppe that Pool wins the champions League this season.

Anyway, this is a bad bad week. Other than my Electrical Engineering, all my other subjects are so badly screwed. Econs and Maths, aren't supposed to be that hard but I just cannot find the mojo to work them out properly. Keep getting weird equations in maths and none of my answers that I worked out fits those mcq choices. And this experience really confirmed that I really hate mcqs. I seriously wonder how those examiners can manage to think so controversially..

Last paper on saturday and I hope I will fare better, but no matter, I had already S/Ued that subject and it would not count towards my final grade score. The most infuriating part is that I had done so well for it during my CAs for it, and it is the subject where my essays got A!! Argh, which also means that I was on course for a good grade and that could help up my grade in this misadventure of sorts.

Sigh.. Officially free 11.15am (well you have to give the invigilators time to collect the papers!) this Saturday! Woohoo! Can't wait for that day to come..

Oh yah, Shaman King is a really funny anime that must not be missed! Every Wed to Fri, 11.30pm, arts central. Shall blog about it next time!

4 more days
Dear TomHa,
Hmm.. I think taking the programming module had resulted in a faster typist in me, haha, maybe can do something like that in the holidays, but nevermind, that is not the point.. Oh yah, before I forget again, Hello Zhijia! Surprised that you would find your way to my blog, how you doing in London (Or is it michigan already...)? Haha, I not surviving very well in NUS though.. Outcasted, lonely and activity-less.. You know, I never was a really good in academic stuff...

Wanted to blog about this few days back but perhaps the drudgery of books and examinations had made me forget, in any case, this is perhaps a really important issue that the Singapore government should take note of in parliament instead of the casino issue ALL the time. If people know me well enough, I am like those sort of person who always go for the seats at the front of the bus. I don't know why, but I never liked sitting at the back. Hence, as a result, I am always the one who had to give up my seats to those who need it more than me, albeit very grudgingly (it was a moral obligation, not willingness on my part.. no matter). However, there was this day when I was like pushed to the back and I, very surprisingly did not fall asleep on my way home.. Hence, I decided to take the chance to observe a little bit about the people in bus. But what I observed was rather depressing. The bus I was taking had lots of undergraduates (Books on hand, looked rather young, boarded the bus in front of Arts, SDE and Engine). Nothing was happening except for the fact that these group of undergraduates were like shouting at the top of their voices.. Undergratuates don't know etiquette ar? Never mind, I never had any etiquette anyway, BUT.. as the bus pass by IMM, the bus-stop whereby many elderly people with big bags of vegetables from GIANT often board this popular bus number. They boarded, stood beside those loud talkking undergraduates, and maintained this status quo. Luckily, there is this ITE guy sitting at the back of those filthy undergraduates who gave up his seat to the pitiful old woman. So, what can you infer from this? Students from the premier institute of Singapore, ranked 18th in the world do not know the simple moral obligation that is expected of every single common folk? I guess Minister Tharman should stop working on how to cut chinese syllabus in school( Funny I never found them heavy during my time studying them) and work on how this phenomenon can be absolved.. @#$%^ The education system in Singapore is nurturing elites who had no sense of moral obligation for the society at large. I think University of Kirgizia(Kenya) should rank at a better position than NUS...@#$%

Alright, enough goofing for the day.. time for more maths... sianzzz...

Dear TomHa,
How's this for a change? Out along the campus of NUS, there is this engineering student who writes 'A' grade history and geography essays and yet is struggling very hard to even pass his programming, maths and physics modules. Yeah, that's me. Perhaps I had really made the wrong choice choosing engineering as my career as from the trend which I am seeing from here, I would have been quite a good arts and social science student. But, just as well. Sometimes in life, you make decisions so wrong that your whole life might just change for the better. Hope this nonsensical statement will come true for a change.

Dear TomHa,
I guess you are going to hear more blabbering (or not) from me this period as as the tension mounts on, I am going to sort of treat you like an outlet to cool off rising pressure. So do bear with me, ok? Ok. Great..

Been discussing with LDM a few hours ago about world class athletes going to Beijing this coming 2008 to not really to compete, but rather to treat their receding hairlines as I am sure Beijing must be the home ground for Beijing 101. So many athletes are having receding hairlines and I do pity them after learning about their age. Many athletes certainly do not look their age. Just look at Zinedine Zidane at the '98 World Cup, who would have thought that he is only 26 at that point of time, not to mention many others, like Eirik Larrssen, who looks like he is 40 more than a 28-year-old. I mean, isn't a men supposed to be looking his best at around the mid 20s, before he reaches 30? That age is the best as you are not too old, and you should have seen the world enough to be rather mature! Thus, there should be some exuberance of youthful masculinity instead antiquity! Anyway, that is just food for thought.

Watched The Pacifier yesterday, or rather the day before. It was alright, just another crap show with little content and story plot, not to mention that every action movie is like modelling the matrix and that Vin Diesel's does not look like a lieutenant but some retired army seargent major (ermm.. that's bad). Watch it if you have some spare cash and am feeling really really depress! You'll learn that there is another movie production company more depress than you as The Pacifier is such a flop .. I don't know, but I could virtually set up a first harmonic standing waves in the cinema with my laughter(i.e echo). It was that bad.

Don't know what else to blabber about.. Oh yah, I hope you do watch Animes, TomHa, cause Last Exile that is showing over artscentral is a really good anime. It really stirs up your emotions... "Who is Dio to you?" "Lord Dio is my friend.." Argh.. only those who continually watch it would know what I am talking about. Can really make your hair stand, especially with the last few episodes so sad.. Sigh.. Why does the good die young?

Anyway, it is back to more studies. Hope the next 16days fly!

Dear Tomha,
Decided to blog today after a glorious outing in the School of Computing which saw me overcoming the odds and wrote a compilable and runnable program for four weeks! Man, do I miss this feeling of ecstasy and victory for writing a programme that is able to compile and run... This feeling certainly beats even winning a gold medal. Programming is not hard...

Anyway, before the practical exam today, I decided to go for the very last physics lecture, which sadly saw another ghost member...me... I mean, instead of being attentive and take down notes and to jot down whatever my lousy printer failed to print out, I was like stoning away, contemplating life. I thought that all I had contemplated of life were all very negative, things like Life is like a vaccumm machine..it SUCKS!! So, in order to feel a little hope in my practical exam which follows the lecture, I decided to contemplate life in a positive fashion.. Hence, experiences flew through my mind, and Whoala! I came up with another quote worthy encouragement note again! Life is like surviving a bad haircut.. Everything will get better after a while.. Felt really good about this one, hence, as my brain can only store like 2mb worth of things.. All the other cheesy things that I thought up of were forgotten. Will try to recall them after lecture tommorrow.

Here's all now.. back to more circuits and transformers(not the cartoon..)!!

Dear TomHa,
Argh.. I just cannot seem to concentrate and study. Wonder why and yes, programming practical is coming up! I am like so screwed especially when the lecturer said something like "No matter how good you are, don't be too ambitious and try to finish it, it is impossible..." Which means little people like me is practically dead. Condolences to me..

Yesterday was a rather eventful day, albeit at the expense of my studies. Went to RVCB's rehearsal at Singapore Conference Hall with someone and I must say that they are rather good this year, although really flat in SCH (this is bad cos I am like the most tone-deaf person in the world), but all the things seems to fall pretty well in place. Ms Chan was her usual ambiguous, PMS self "I don wan Wa Wa Wa, I wan Ba Ba Ba!" and a whole lot of things that I guess only she will know. Of course, onlookers find it funny but those getting riled at would only feel frustrating. I know. Haha. Anyway, when the band moves of stage, there were basically two main doors for them to exit themselves, although 1 of them is closed. Typically RV, these secondary school kids go and congest themselves crazy at the only opened door without anyone going to even try opening the other door. In the end, they got shouted again, my the ery endearing Ms Chan "You all don be so square can or not? The other door cannot use ar?" Haha.. I hope I wasn't like that in the past.

Anyway, Yuhua, doesn't sound like top band material anymore. The aura of infallibility had become a thing of the past and I guess they might not make into the top 5! They are not as loud as their historical past, not as clear as the historical past and somehow, their tones are like very thin, those kind you get more out of recruits than regulars. I was not alone in this impression and oh yah, the set piece is like the worst in 6 years! Cut here cut there and end so suddenly, yucks! And the worst thing is that it does not have Chan Mali Chan! Haha, the usual feature of the past few competitions! Must say that Singapura Suite was still the best.. hehe..

Watched Huang Fei Hong in the night.. Yes, it is a very old show, but still it is like my favourite movie, although LOTR should have taken over its place! The deep Chinese nationalistic fervor and the oppression the Red-Hairs, Golden-Hairs and whatever colour hair imposed and with the setting at South China(the most politically unstable Chinese region), you will certainly need an hero to uphold justice and get rid of evil! Yeah, and Huang Fei Hong is the man for the job. Come to think of it, Huang Fei Hong is the reason why I took up Wushu in my younger days, and come to think of it again, I rather miss this sport.. Sigh, with my joints so hard and a heavier upper body due to canoeing, I don't think there is a chance to pick it up again...

Ok back to more circuits and programming...

Dear TomHa,
I guess it is pretty strange that I should be drawing up a to-do list for my holidays when exams is like only 2 weeks away? Anyway, the mega 3 month holiday is coming up and I guess I shouldn't while away my time slacking and doing nothing meaningful, going back to school without any experience to brag about to people I know in university. Anyway, on top of my priority list would be to find a job and earn money. Ha, am still saving for my motorbike and hope that I can realise that aim by next year. So, until then, it means more packed lunch from home, more breads and more starvation... Sometimes I think with the kind of life I lead, I will be needing assisstance from the starvation army soon. Back to the topic. So, my top prerogative would be to find a job and next up on top would be to join the tree climbing society. Haha, been wanting to join that last year but sort of forgotten about it in the midst of all the chaos of army, garden work, disruption, and whole lot of projects. Butt, now that I am really free, must really fulfill this long unfulfilled aim. To climb to where the birds nest would be rather cool. Haha. Next up, would be to take up refereeing course and hope that years down the road, I can hit the headlines where some manager lied that I colluded with the opposition manager and make the fans hate me and send me death threats and focing my retirement. No lah, this is Singapore, and the S-league is like the most unwatched program on tv. But, nevertheless, it is good to be able to become a part time referee or linesman such that next time, there will always be a part time job for me whenver weekend comes! Haha.. put out a long line and catch the big fish. With a holiday this jam-packed, I wonder how am I going to row?!
Anyway, my Singapore Studies lecturer really sank some hard facts into us during today's lecture. Was talking about globalisation and all the crappy things about a level playing field for locals and foreigners alike in the globalised city which Singapore, by no mere coincidence, is. Hence, he started ranting about all the lecturers being foreigners and stuff like that to vent his mistreatment at NUS maybe.. I don't know, but he really sank in a fact that we all could have probably missed out all these years. That as a citizen of the Republic of Singapore, you enjoy the privileges of supposed free education till about 18, National Service, compulsory savings(good or bad, depends), and a while lot of foreign workers competing with you for your rice bowl on the same level playing field. That's it. Wow, hard facts strike hard. That really makes me wonder why anyone would want to come to Singapore anyway? Everyone is the same, it doesn't really matter if you are a citizen or not as everyone are on equal footing! I don't know, I am just another oppressed Singaporean still wondering what privileges he is entitled to.

Shivers in the night..
Dear TomHa,
Had the weirdest dream of all time last night. Dreamt that I was holding hands with a girl that I would never ever deam to date in my entire life! Well, I did and anyway, she is a girl from uni, very tomboyish, plays ping pong, not bad looking, but never wears skirts. Ok, that is beside the point, but she had been like only a buddy to me leh.. Die liao die liao, wondering what this dream is trying to drive at liao.
Anyway, watch my wing commissioned just now and I must say that it certainly brings me a sad tinge to see them commission and yet I could only watch from the stands. Saw some of my instructors and had a little talk with them. Not bad, they were rather encouraging and said some politically correct stuff as usual. Not that I blame them, as I only knoew them for too short a time to reach those kind of ca-tok-kok-with-ur-superiors stage. Also, must say that it is rather encouraging to see them still remembering my name while I, on the other hand, sort of forgot their names already. OOPs.. Haha. It is those kind of things that usually happens to you when exams is round the corner!
Well, back to more programming.. Must pass this module! Argh!!

Happy April Fool's!
Dear TomHa,
Tried posting something yesterday but blogger's server went down. Guess it had really got sick of me complaining so much about the world and stuffs like that. Well.. Back to the point, last year this day marked the start of a topsy-turvy world that really enlightened me into many things that I would have thought otherwise outside. However, those kind of things can't really be said out loud, can it? Heard that Military Police have some IT unit that goes scouting around the Internet for people holding the green ic saying something blasphemous about our almighty family of comrades in arms. Hehe, well, I think I can't make it more plain than this..
Earthquake struck again at the Sunda plate again. In case you do not already know, the Sunda plate is like only 50 miles away from the Nias Islands(the area hit hardest this time around) and is a really active subduction zone where one of the adjacent plates thrust itself into the other as they meet head on. Well, basic physical geography. When such a movement happen, friction would result in the plate movement to be unsmooth, and thus build up pressure as they become contorted and buckled. When they finally budge though, the pressure is released in the form of seismic waeves that is more commonly known as earthquake. Well, this is like the most abridged version of the complicated tectonic movements, can't remember the more complicated version anyway, just for appetisers only. So why am I uttering all this facts which can be so easily downloaded from any encyclopedia? Well, I don't know, but it is just that I felt a deep sense of sympathy for the Indonesians making their livlihood near the incubator of nature's wrath, and it really does not feel good to be just another useless engineering undergraduate still worrying aboout his up and coming examinations which he had not started studying. Sigh.. Don't you feel this way too, TomHa? In the ancient past, historical figures had already been out there in the real world fighting out to achieve something great that will leave their names in history and yet, here I am, still studying and not exactly applicable to the real world!? Sometimes I really find this fact really cruel and absurd.
There can be miracles!!! When you believe!
Still trying to believe...