Yesterday's eastie's taxi ride home, together with Joce, Ruth and James was rather interesting, cos when Joce started talking to the uncle in mandarin, and he was telling us some stuff about his life, James n i turned to one another, observed each other's blank looks, and realised that we were both in the same boat: we could both barely understand what was going on the entire time! farny sia... I spent the tail end of my taxi ride trying to describe to the uncle how to get to my house in mandarin - oh well i leave it to you to guess how badly that turned out =p (Actually i dunno why i have the tendency to attempt to talk in mandarin in such situations even though the other person's command of english is probably better than my equivalent command in mandarin) But thankfully i was the first one to be dropped off, which means that the rest were still around to help translate for me when necessary. James was then last one out so i suppose he had a harder time lah =) ...
And this morning i got the email from UNC about successful application for SEP =) Yay... Of course now there's the loads of paperwork and bureaucracy to handle... Starting to get really excited about next sem...
Just now at cg was the first time i ever played guitar for worship (and repeating G Em C D over and over again for the Ade song at arts comm meeting doesn't count...) after an unexpected turn of events on tuesday. Am thankful for exponential improvement from last november, though still far from ok, but still far from where i started off lah... Also thankfully Eunice chose songs whose chords i've heard of and have at least a rough idea on how to play, and also Sida to give instructions and help where necessary =) Do hope to improve some more...
dormir
Friday, March 31, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
only two deadlines left and i'm annoyed with self
The past few days have been rather interesting ones for me, much of this centered around the latest deadline that has only just been cleared.
Well, to cut a short story even shorter, i more or less wasted my weekend again, methinks by now for the third successive time, a lot of this stemming from my self-imposed confinement at home, which has had disastrous effects on my desired work schedule...
Then it was only on late late Sunday afternoon that i took a look at my deadlines, only to make the very delayed realization that my then upcoming deadline, which up to that point i had done little about, was the following tuesday (i.e. today). Jialat! (© CMS =p *what*)
So basically much of my time since then has featured me in various stages of desperation trying to finish what i had to do. Enroute to handing it up at 1650 hrs, a mere 10 minutes before the deadline, from two days before when i realised that the deadline was so close, i: 1) managed a relatively successful almost-all-nighter (cos i still did fall asleep) at home, 2) managed a relatively successful almost-all-nighter (cos i still did fall asleep) at school (and no lah, am not one of those who camp overnight in the forum or something like that - i bunked over at friend's hall- i'm hardly that die-hard), 3)managed to waste loads of time in between, which, if instead channeled to proper usage, might have resulted in a less sleepy me today due to me finishing my part earlier.
Needless to say, i didn't let my project mates know about my little secret of only realizing the deadline two days ago (until now, at least, since i know some of you are reading this right now), cos didn't want to complicate matters... Something like my intro to computing project group last sem, from whom i withheld the info that i actually s/u-ed the module, cos didn't want them to get any wrong impressions... Apologies if caused any offence in any way...
Furthermore, my last-minute preoccupation with the project meant that i didn't have time to prepare for my tutorial, which meant that this was the first time this sem that i kept my mouth shut during the whole hour, cos really had nothing intelligent to talk about... Felt pretty bad not only cos my class participation points would be lower, but also cos this is always my favourite tutorial, and the tutor deserves far more than that... Sorry!
Oh well, this is a lesson to me to be more prepared and aware of what is due when from now on... Especially so if this affects persons other than myself... Thankfully, we managed to finish the thingy on time =)
Tried out the ear plugs that Sida got me after i had casually remarked that i needed something to block off my ears from the pointless drivel that is most of the programming on tv mobile while on the bus 10 home. Not bad, cut down on 29 decibels (so the box says) worth of noise, but still could hear the background... Good enough for less distracted quiet times =)
Well, to cut a short story even shorter, i more or less wasted my weekend again, methinks by now for the third successive time, a lot of this stemming from my self-imposed confinement at home, which has had disastrous effects on my desired work schedule...
Then it was only on late late Sunday afternoon that i took a look at my deadlines, only to make the very delayed realization that my then upcoming deadline, which up to that point i had done little about, was the following tuesday (i.e. today). Jialat! (© CMS =p *what*)
So basically much of my time since then has featured me in various stages of desperation trying to finish what i had to do. Enroute to handing it up at 1650 hrs, a mere 10 minutes before the deadline, from two days before when i realised that the deadline was so close, i: 1) managed a relatively successful almost-all-nighter (cos i still did fall asleep) at home, 2) managed a relatively successful almost-all-nighter (cos i still did fall asleep) at school (and no lah, am not one of those who camp overnight in the forum or something like that - i bunked over at friend's hall- i'm hardly that die-hard), 3)managed to waste loads of time in between, which, if instead channeled to proper usage, might have resulted in a less sleepy me today due to me finishing my part earlier.
Needless to say, i didn't let my project mates know about my little secret of only realizing the deadline two days ago (until now, at least, since i know some of you are reading this right now), cos didn't want to complicate matters... Something like my intro to computing project group last sem, from whom i withheld the info that i actually s/u-ed the module, cos didn't want them to get any wrong impressions... Apologies if caused any offence in any way...
Furthermore, my last-minute preoccupation with the project meant that i didn't have time to prepare for my tutorial, which meant that this was the first time this sem that i kept my mouth shut during the whole hour, cos really had nothing intelligent to talk about... Felt pretty bad not only cos my class participation points would be lower, but also cos this is always my favourite tutorial, and the tutor deserves far more than that... Sorry!
Oh well, this is a lesson to me to be more prepared and aware of what is due when from now on... Especially so if this affects persons other than myself... Thankfully, we managed to finish the thingy on time =)
Tried out the ear plugs that Sida got me after i had casually remarked that i needed something to block off my ears from the pointless drivel that is most of the programming on tv mobile while on the bus 10 home. Not bad, cut down on 29 decibels (so the box says) worth of noise, but still could hear the background... Good enough for less distracted quiet times =)
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Norah Jones playing on my com making me sleepy...
i really ought to find whatever that strange force it is that somehow makes me totally unmotivated to do anything academic in nature whenever i stay at home, particularly so when it's a whole day that i somehow waste away in nothingness...
But well, today me went for my first complete cell-u-lights in a very long time, and it was a good time, Carol shared from John 21:15-23, about Jesus' reinstatement of Peter following his three denials, and how it relates to our love for others in the Lord and how we wrongly tend to see ourselves in comparison to others instead of focusing upon the things that the Lord has in store for us, and how he can really work through us for His glory... Was a good reminder for me =)
After that went for another ecp run, which hopefully will turn into a weekly, if not bi- or even tri-weekly affair (probably wishful thinking on my part though...). Came to the conclusion that i'll sign up for ippt before MEET anyway, and see how it goes, and if cannot make it, then i'll take it again after MEET, as long as before i (hopefully) fly off... Just hope got chance to exercise when i am in Thailand if that is the case... But anyway, i am proud to say that i cut my timing from last week by almost five minutes to 35min 57 sec (the disclaimer being that i started timing from a point about a couple of hundred metres and two traffic lights further from where i did last week...)
Felt really good at first, but towards the end was all but spent, but thankfully managed to get through it... In the process i had to swerve through bands of oblivious pedestrians, who seem to have an affinity to walking in large hoards, even if they are all from seperate groups initially; dodge scores of annoying children darting across the footpath or manouvering their tricycles and ringing their bells with no intention other than to make noise; and got hit in the chest by a wayward frisbee... Somehow throughout the run these two unlikely songs were going through my head: Bucky Covington's so-so rendition of Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy" from last week's American Idol and freakily, some CNY song too, whose beat was just perfect for my strides, and whose title and tune i now thankfully have forgotten...
On the way back, i passed by the latest bargaining chip that i can use to lure the non-easties over here for stuff: the newest branch of Settler's Cafe which is just 5 minute's walk from my house =) To adapt another line that i remember from somewhere (Shakespeare?): Oh east how do we love thee? Let me count the ways... The general serenity and peacefulness, the many good food outlets, the myriad leisure opportunities, the bracing sea breeze (ok maybe not that one =p) etc... Hehe so many that cannot count (and not just because my maths stinks...)
Watched a bit of The Hours which was showing on tv just now... Watched it before but the second time the thing that still really irks me is not the morally deficient storyline but rather the fact that the characters threw away a perfectly good chocolate cake and several yummy-looking trays of hors d'oeurve into the trash... Don't waste food leh...
bonsoir
But well, today me went for my first complete cell-u-lights in a very long time, and it was a good time, Carol shared from John 21:15-23, about Jesus' reinstatement of Peter following his three denials, and how it relates to our love for others in the Lord and how we wrongly tend to see ourselves in comparison to others instead of focusing upon the things that the Lord has in store for us, and how he can really work through us for His glory... Was a good reminder for me =)
After that went for another ecp run, which hopefully will turn into a weekly, if not bi- or even tri-weekly affair (probably wishful thinking on my part though...). Came to the conclusion that i'll sign up for ippt before MEET anyway, and see how it goes, and if cannot make it, then i'll take it again after MEET, as long as before i (hopefully) fly off... Just hope got chance to exercise when i am in Thailand if that is the case... But anyway, i am proud to say that i cut my timing from last week by almost five minutes to 35min 57 sec (the disclaimer being that i started timing from a point about a couple of hundred metres and two traffic lights further from where i did last week...)
Felt really good at first, but towards the end was all but spent, but thankfully managed to get through it... In the process i had to swerve through bands of oblivious pedestrians, who seem to have an affinity to walking in large hoards, even if they are all from seperate groups initially; dodge scores of annoying children darting across the footpath or manouvering their tricycles and ringing their bells with no intention other than to make noise; and got hit in the chest by a wayward frisbee... Somehow throughout the run these two unlikely songs were going through my head: Bucky Covington's so-so rendition of Buddy Holly's "Oh Boy" from last week's American Idol and freakily, some CNY song too, whose beat was just perfect for my strides, and whose title and tune i now thankfully have forgotten...
On the way back, i passed by the latest bargaining chip that i can use to lure the non-easties over here for stuff: the newest branch of Settler's Cafe which is just 5 minute's walk from my house =) To adapt another line that i remember from somewhere (Shakespeare?): Oh east how do we love thee? Let me count the ways... The general serenity and peacefulness, the many good food outlets, the myriad leisure opportunities, the bracing sea breeze (ok maybe not that one =p) etc... Hehe so many that cannot count (and not just because my maths stinks...)
Watched a bit of The Hours which was showing on tv just now... Watched it before but the second time the thing that still really irks me is not the morally deficient storyline but rather the fact that the characters threw away a perfectly good chocolate cake and several yummy-looking trays of hors d'oeurve into the trash... Don't waste food leh...
bonsoir
Saturday, March 25, 2006
drowsy
realise the irony of complaining about not getting enough sleep cos of deadlines and publicizing this fact to all and sundry, when here i am now with no desire to do any work, and yet also instead of sleeping , sitting here now typing this, for no real good reason whatsoever...
there was stuff that i wanted to talk about, but of course by the time i remember that i wanted to talk about this stuff i forgot what it was
so i shall just indulge in random typing...
past week for me equals to little time, lots of distraction, but the job still getting done eventually, really only as the Lord granted His grace upon me...
three more deadlines to go, all more or less still in the all-crucial research and development (i.e. haven't stared typing) phase, which certainly leaves much room for improvement...
anyways, have been watching a little of the Commonwealth Games highlights recently, and after catching a glimpse of the women's table tennis competition, i have concluded that after observing the line up of the Aussie, Kiwi, Canadian and Singapore teams, the competition should be renamed as the Chinese Diaspora Women's Table Tennis Championships instead, since almost all the players of any consequence fall into that category...
when silly Bingo jumps on my bed he always leaves his urine stains behind *gross*
sleep getting the best of me so i shall sleep...
tata...
there was stuff that i wanted to talk about, but of course by the time i remember that i wanted to talk about this stuff i forgot what it was
so i shall just indulge in random typing...
past week for me equals to little time, lots of distraction, but the job still getting done eventually, really only as the Lord granted His grace upon me...
three more deadlines to go, all more or less still in the all-crucial research and development (i.e. haven't stared typing) phase, which certainly leaves much room for improvement...
anyways, have been watching a little of the Commonwealth Games highlights recently, and after catching a glimpse of the women's table tennis competition, i have concluded that after observing the line up of the Aussie, Kiwi, Canadian and Singapore teams, the competition should be renamed as the Chinese Diaspora Women's Table Tennis Championships instead, since almost all the players of any consequence fall into that category...
when silly Bingo jumps on my bed he always leaves his urine stains behind *gross*
sleep getting the best of me so i shall sleep...
tata...
Sunday, March 19, 2006
aiyah can't think of a title again *bleah*
stayed at home today, partly out of laziness and partly cos of my talked-about-till-death decision not to buy bus pass since a sizeable number of charitable rides to and from school offset any potential $ savings that could otherwise be spent by taking the bus everyday using the pass.
well, needless to say, as i have also always talked about to death, that meant that i didn't get any work done at home today.
am i annoyed? you bet i am, but at the same time i have this strange feeling of resignation that this will happen, and hence i don't seem to really agonize over the hours lost. Which is bad i suppose, cos while rushing work last minute due to matters of prime importance such as service etc taking up the time is ok, rushing work cos you procrastinated and just lay like a lazy pig at home doing nothing isn't... That's being a bad steward of time in my books. And just as well, since this therefore makes me living proof of the saying "it takes one to know one..."
anyway, after wasting the whole day away at home i decided to make something productive of my day, by going for a run from roxy to costa sands and back [of course this is linked to my quest to burn the 50x (where x = grossly huge and uncountable number of conveyor belt plates that i helped myself to at Aiwo yesterday) calories/get in some sort of shape before ippt (which incidentally i also have talked about till death)].
somehow a good portion of the lights at ecp were off, so there were portions of my run when i literally was running in the dark, half expecting that guy robed and hooded in black with the freaky mask and brandishing a kitchen knife to pop out and eviscerate me and string me from a tree upside down (yup what a warped mind i have eh...)
and maybe the darkness had something to do with me missing my usual halfway point (the pond opposite the ecp from vj) which Mark n i ran around before turning back last time, and instead carrying all the way to the end of costa sands before turning. But anyway, thankfully got through with the whole thing in 40min 30 sec, the distance covered being unknown to me though...
was also able to have a good time of prayer while running, somehow running with a certain sense of direction subconsciously translated into my prayers having much more apparent direction too. yupyup was good, i haven't been praying enough and when i have been praying often it has become an exercise in regularity, so always good for a change like i had today =)
all in all a good start lah, if sweat is a testament to the intensity and success of a workout, then just now must have been enough to get me a gold hehe., cos shirt so soaked probably had enough sweat wrung out of it to fill an entire nalgene (not that i tried of course), now for the discipline to keep this up on a regular basis... Here's another shout out for running kakis...
So i have stuff due on wed and thu which i haven't started on yet. My aim is to not finish them one hour before the deadline as was the case with my last assignment handed in...
bonne nuit
well, needless to say, as i have also always talked about to death, that meant that i didn't get any work done at home today.
am i annoyed? you bet i am, but at the same time i have this strange feeling of resignation that this will happen, and hence i don't seem to really agonize over the hours lost. Which is bad i suppose, cos while rushing work last minute due to matters of prime importance such as service etc taking up the time is ok, rushing work cos you procrastinated and just lay like a lazy pig at home doing nothing isn't... That's being a bad steward of time in my books. And just as well, since this therefore makes me living proof of the saying "it takes one to know one..."
anyway, after wasting the whole day away at home i decided to make something productive of my day, by going for a run from roxy to costa sands and back [of course this is linked to my quest to burn the 50x (where x = grossly huge and uncountable number of conveyor belt plates that i helped myself to at Aiwo yesterday) calories/get in some sort of shape before ippt (which incidentally i also have talked about till death)].
somehow a good portion of the lights at ecp were off, so there were portions of my run when i literally was running in the dark, half expecting that guy robed and hooded in black with the freaky mask and brandishing a kitchen knife to pop out and eviscerate me and string me from a tree upside down (yup what a warped mind i have eh...)
and maybe the darkness had something to do with me missing my usual halfway point (the pond opposite the ecp from vj) which Mark n i ran around before turning back last time, and instead carrying all the way to the end of costa sands before turning. But anyway, thankfully got through with the whole thing in 40min 30 sec, the distance covered being unknown to me though...
was also able to have a good time of prayer while running, somehow running with a certain sense of direction subconsciously translated into my prayers having much more apparent direction too. yupyup was good, i haven't been praying enough and when i have been praying often it has become an exercise in regularity, so always good for a change like i had today =)
all in all a good start lah, if sweat is a testament to the intensity and success of a workout, then just now must have been enough to get me a gold hehe., cos shirt so soaked probably had enough sweat wrung out of it to fill an entire nalgene (not that i tried of course), now for the discipline to keep this up on a regular basis... Here's another shout out for running kakis...
So i have stuff due on wed and thu which i haven't started on yet. My aim is to not finish them one hour before the deadline as was the case with my last assignment handed in...
bonne nuit
Saturday, March 18, 2006
surely there must be something more, than cheap air tickets on Singapore...
was checking the SIA website to take a look at my frequent flyer miles and possible redemption/renewal opportunities
saw with dismay how i needed to accrue 7000 miles before the end of this month to retain my 'elite silver' (i flew quite a bit over the past two years) status, something that is quite impossible since i defenitely will have no opportunity to fly in the next two weeks...
why couldn't it be as easy as playing the Vanessa Carlton song 'A Thousand Miles' seven times over?
so in short come the end of this month i'll be demoted to an ordinary member.
but then i thought of a conversation i had with Greg yesterday when he asked me where in the States i've visited and it turns out that according to him i've been to more of his country then he himself has (of course the reverse is true when it comes to countries in the region that i've visited compared to him) and it got me thinking, here i am complaining about losing 'elite silver' status when i really ought to be very thankful that i've been blessed with opportunities to travel and fly to so many places. That sure was an-eye opener for me...
[anyway as my MEET team can attest to, i'd have few problems with forgoing so-called luxuries like ordering a drink to go with food (or for that matter ordering food to go with my empty stomach), sleeping in (or at least past seven am or so), a mattress to sleep on (the floor suits me fine), warm showers regularly etc, but one luxury i'd be reluctant to give up would be the opportunity to fly to far away (and hopefully English-speaking) countries on a regular basis...]
so now i've decided to forego any primacy of interest on inconsequential stuff such as frequent flyer miles, cos certainly in this world the Lord has made it such that there are so many more things to value in this life and to strive for than getting free or discounted flights. Things of an eternal value, that will not pass away...
Today had a great time at Florence's birthday party at Aiwo: Happy birthday on tuesday =) Stuffed myself silly with 50 calorie-per-plate food... Ironic methinks that i ate so much 'health food' that i need exercise to counter its effects...
On the way back, chanced upon the Queen's motorcade (or at least methinks it is - saw an elderly female figure in one of the vehicles, though curiously enough it was not in a limo or anything but rather in a rover... a decoy i suppose) outside Raffles City. All hail... But anyway not the first time i've come in close proximity to important foreign people: saw Clinton's motorcade in Israel before, security even more ridiculous... Coolness...
My lack of sleep is coming back to haunt me...
saw with dismay how i needed to accrue 7000 miles before the end of this month to retain my 'elite silver' (i flew quite a bit over the past two years) status, something that is quite impossible since i defenitely will have no opportunity to fly in the next two weeks...
why couldn't it be as easy as playing the Vanessa Carlton song 'A Thousand Miles' seven times over?
so in short come the end of this month i'll be demoted to an ordinary member.
but then i thought of a conversation i had with Greg yesterday when he asked me where in the States i've visited and it turns out that according to him i've been to more of his country then he himself has (of course the reverse is true when it comes to countries in the region that i've visited compared to him) and it got me thinking, here i am complaining about losing 'elite silver' status when i really ought to be very thankful that i've been blessed with opportunities to travel and fly to so many places. That sure was an-eye opener for me...
[anyway as my MEET team can attest to, i'd have few problems with forgoing so-called luxuries like ordering a drink to go with food (or for that matter ordering food to go with my empty stomach), sleeping in (or at least past seven am or so), a mattress to sleep on (the floor suits me fine), warm showers regularly etc, but one luxury i'd be reluctant to give up would be the opportunity to fly to far away (and hopefully English-speaking) countries on a regular basis...]
so now i've decided to forego any primacy of interest on inconsequential stuff such as frequent flyer miles, cos certainly in this world the Lord has made it such that there are so many more things to value in this life and to strive for than getting free or discounted flights. Things of an eternal value, that will not pass away...
Today had a great time at Florence's birthday party at Aiwo: Happy birthday on tuesday =) Stuffed myself silly with 50 calorie-per-plate food... Ironic methinks that i ate so much 'health food' that i need exercise to counter its effects...
On the way back, chanced upon the Queen's motorcade (or at least methinks it is - saw an elderly female figure in one of the vehicles, though curiously enough it was not in a limo or anything but rather in a rover... a decoy i suppose) outside Raffles City. All hail... But anyway not the first time i've come in close proximity to important foreign people: saw Clinton's motorcade in Israel before, security even more ridiculous... Coolness...
My lack of sleep is coming back to haunt me...
Friday, March 17, 2006
hooray for history
Yah yah so i never learn my lesson, after my little self-directed pep talk yesterday, what better for me to do than to conveniently disregard my own advice and go to sleep all of one or so hours after that, while still at less than 200 out of 1000 words. I did set my phone alarm this time, and i even placed the phone on my pillow next to my ear so that i'd hear it, but when i finally got up an hour or so after the time i had set my phone alarm i found that the phone was now on the desk next to my bed, which means that in my sleep i somehow managed to turn the alarm off and place it away from me without me even being consciously aware of anything. Dun even remember dreaming about it...
Well in the end, to cut short this long story, i finished typing the silly thing (which i honestly have no confidence in whatsoever) at around four pm, all of an hour before the deadline. Amazingly, i was rather calm throughout the whole afternoon spent trying to complete it, i tell you that was the Lord's peace at work without a doubt, and you know what, methinks me won't be too disappointed whatever the result is (though that is partially true cos my test did fairly well so things would even out on average...) =)
As a consequence of the successive late nights and early mornings kept by me as of late i was horribly sleepy today, for the first time ever in my nus career i even had to go out during the lecture break to buy a large cup of kopi o just to stay alert...
The Da Vinci Code thingy just now was very refreshing and informative, especially from this history student's perspective... I do think it amazing that the Lord does work in and through all circumstances and things, be they even things that may appear antagonistic to our faith, for His own great purposes. Hehe also think that history got a great boost in popularity after the talk as well =)
The latest American Idol is really cool in the sense that everyone remaining is really talented, something that i think i would never be able to say truthfully at any stage of the S'pore counterpart... Was very very impressed after catching it that day... My personal favourite: Katharine McPhee (the one in the maternity-ish dress and the sultry vocals) but practically anyone left methinks has a good shot of winning (though some of their choreography leaves a lot to be desired...)
Well in the end, to cut short this long story, i finished typing the silly thing (which i honestly have no confidence in whatsoever) at around four pm, all of an hour before the deadline. Amazingly, i was rather calm throughout the whole afternoon spent trying to complete it, i tell you that was the Lord's peace at work without a doubt, and you know what, methinks me won't be too disappointed whatever the result is (though that is partially true cos my test did fairly well so things would even out on average...) =)
As a consequence of the successive late nights and early mornings kept by me as of late i was horribly sleepy today, for the first time ever in my nus career i even had to go out during the lecture break to buy a large cup of kopi o just to stay alert...
The Da Vinci Code thingy just now was very refreshing and informative, especially from this history student's perspective... I do think it amazing that the Lord does work in and through all circumstances and things, be they even things that may appear antagonistic to our faith, for His own great purposes. Hehe also think that history got a great boost in popularity after the talk as well =)
The latest American Idol is really cool in the sense that everyone remaining is really talented, something that i think i would never be able to say truthfully at any stage of the S'pore counterpart... Was very very impressed after catching it that day... My personal favourite: Katharine McPhee (the one in the maternity-ish dress and the sultry vocals) but practically anyone left methinks has a good shot of winning (though some of their choreography leaves a lot to be desired...)
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
note to self
eh matt ah, please dun be a total toot and decide to take a little 'nap' again like you did two days ago, cos we all know where that will lead you to: waking up way later than planned and then scrambling to complete the darn paper as the minutes to the deadline evaporate bit by bit, and end up handing what will probably be a lacklustre effort that will therefore cause you to be all that more dependent upon God but for the wrong reasons...
so hang in there! just 900 words to go!
didn't today's ft remind you of a parliamentary speech? Even down to the attire, of both the speaker and the bulk of the audience. So fun to wear nice nice now and again...
and the shirt is quite nice actually, though still cannot fully decipher the pseudo-hieroglyphical scribblings on the front...
can only succumb to a nap no earlier than 500 words completed...
so hang in there! just 900 words to go!
didn't today's ft remind you of a parliamentary speech? Even down to the attire, of both the speaker and the bulk of the audience. So fun to wear nice nice now and again...
and the shirt is quite nice actually, though still cannot fully decipher the pseudo-hieroglyphical scribblings on the front...
can only succumb to a nap no earlier than 500 words completed...
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
better wake up my idea
The short of it is that the ss essay which i got all agitated and annoyed and other adjectives that are better off not being typed here was finally completed today at around three something post meridian.
The long of it is that i was all prepared to pull an all-nighter to finish (and start and all that is between the two) typing the silly thing. Here's roughly what happened:
After church i took the long and arduous one minute journey back home to eat and build upon the miniscule research that i had already done. Managed to consolidate all my info by just before five, after which i cycled down to ecp for the UNC/NUS barbeque (once again so nice to stay in the east =). Had quite a bit of fun, got to meet many people, be they from here or from there, had great food (why don't Singaporeans ever barbeque burgers?), and made my maiden (and moderately successful, might i add) attempt at starting (or more accurately, preserving) the fire which was blowing hot and cold throughout (not literally of course - if we managed to obtain a cold fire then think can win a nobel prize already...)
But i digress again. Left early in order to have more time to do the essay. Got home before ten, bathed and then got off to a promising start, finishing 300 plus words by midnight. Then me made the stupid decision to nap, and (ok we all know where i'm headed to now) woke up to see the big red digital clock numbers 5:58 staring me in the face... Almost exactly twelve hours to the deadline...
Somehow, and most undeservedly given my wholly negative attitude towards the whole paper, the Lord blessed me with relatively calm demeanour, such that i was able to take stock of what i had to do, sit down at my com, and gradually churn out most of the remaining 1600 words or so such that i was able to leave for school by 1030, go for class at twelve, and then polish off the rest of the essay before my next class at four and hand it up just before six.
Methinks that this is the closest call that i've had with schoolwork so far, and a clear indication that the Lord still is working in even ways such as these to see me through, even when admittedly now is far from where i'd like to be in my walk with God at the moment. His power indeed is made perfect in our weakness =)
So now the essay-hardened me will now have to tackle another essay, for el, a walk in the park in terms of word count as compared to the other one, but nevertheless hard to conceptualize as well. Due in approximately 40 hours time... My hope and prayer is that i take it much more seriously than i did the ss one, which is yet another humbling learning process for me...
Know that it's time to be getting more sleep when even my mother (my parents almost never explicitly show concern for my well-being - but don't read it wrongly, i like it that way and i know they do {awwww...}) asks me if i am getting enough sleep. Well with me arriving home after eleven at night and leaving the house before seven every morning i don't blame her...
The long of it is that i was all prepared to pull an all-nighter to finish (and start and all that is between the two) typing the silly thing. Here's roughly what happened:
After church i took the long and arduous one minute journey back home to eat and build upon the miniscule research that i had already done. Managed to consolidate all my info by just before five, after which i cycled down to ecp for the UNC/NUS barbeque (once again so nice to stay in the east =). Had quite a bit of fun, got to meet many people, be they from here or from there, had great food (why don't Singaporeans ever barbeque burgers?), and made my maiden (and moderately successful, might i add) attempt at starting (or more accurately, preserving) the fire which was blowing hot and cold throughout (not literally of course - if we managed to obtain a cold fire then think can win a nobel prize already...)
But i digress again. Left early in order to have more time to do the essay. Got home before ten, bathed and then got off to a promising start, finishing 300 plus words by midnight. Then me made the stupid decision to nap, and (ok we all know where i'm headed to now) woke up to see the big red digital clock numbers 5:58 staring me in the face... Almost exactly twelve hours to the deadline...
Somehow, and most undeservedly given my wholly negative attitude towards the whole paper, the Lord blessed me with relatively calm demeanour, such that i was able to take stock of what i had to do, sit down at my com, and gradually churn out most of the remaining 1600 words or so such that i was able to leave for school by 1030, go for class at twelve, and then polish off the rest of the essay before my next class at four and hand it up just before six.
Methinks that this is the closest call that i've had with schoolwork so far, and a clear indication that the Lord still is working in even ways such as these to see me through, even when admittedly now is far from where i'd like to be in my walk with God at the moment. His power indeed is made perfect in our weakness =)
So now the essay-hardened me will now have to tackle another essay, for el, a walk in the park in terms of word count as compared to the other one, but nevertheless hard to conceptualize as well. Due in approximately 40 hours time... My hope and prayer is that i take it much more seriously than i did the ss one, which is yet another humbling learning process for me...
Know that it's time to be getting more sleep when even my mother (my parents almost never explicitly show concern for my well-being - but don't read it wrongly, i like it that way and i know they do {awwww...}) asks me if i am getting enough sleep. Well with me arriving home after eleven at night and leaving the house before seven every morning i don't blame her...
Saturday, March 11, 2006
deadlines impending, me delaying, time fading
At home now for a change, unlike most of my previous saturdays this year, more or less specifically because my bus pass just ran out yesterday and i am hesitant to buy another one, especially so since now i can count on the occasional ride to and from school from Sida, making it a financial loss now for me to pay $52 a month to fund an annoyingly inefficient and distracting (read: tv mobile) transport system (yup i know we're pampered and all here compared to other places but ah well, it'll never be perfect so...)
Have been attempting to find some way to get over the initial barrier of starting my irritating ss assignment, haven't found it yet hence this post =)
So anyway, thanks to all the dear people who contributed to my last year's birthday/this year's birthday (since i'll probably be away)/appreciation/charity out of sheer lan-ness of stuff that they replaced present of the jansport bag and the white shirt with weird writings on it (which were not as bad as Mei Si had made it out to be - since most of the words are indecipherable save at close proximity - i wouldn't buy it if i were shopping by myself, but it is nice nevertheless and i promise to wear it on tuesday, at the least to placate she who seems to be more excited about the presents than even me =p) And while we're at it, thanks too to Ade Fam for the guitar strings and the guitar as well. All these presents have/will come in very useful... Am really blessed to have friends like you all (and not just because of the stuff of course, though that undoubtedly played a part =)
Still lamenting my need to exercise in order to prepare for ippt, which taking exchange, attachment and MEET into consideration means that i have to book a date sometime between may and (absolute latest) july, though i am thinking that fitness level may drop drastically at MEET and attachment, such that i'll have to push for may, which means i'll have to train if i want to have a decent shot at the silver which i somehow said is rather achievable. Have people whom i can train with but have not the time to do so, and given the steady string of assignments that i have, perhaps not on a regular basis till April 29 (the last day of exams) which would not bode well for a may date... Jialat! (© CMS)
Ok better scoot off now if i want to have any chance of completing this silly thing by tomorrow, since it's due the following day and have yet another thing due on wednesday which is in the yet-to-be-conceptualized stage.
toodeloo...
Have been attempting to find some way to get over the initial barrier of starting my irritating ss assignment, haven't found it yet hence this post =)
So anyway, thanks to all the dear people who contributed to my last year's birthday/this year's birthday (since i'll probably be away)/appreciation/charity out of sheer lan-ness of stuff that they replaced present of the jansport bag and the white shirt with weird writings on it (which were not as bad as Mei Si had made it out to be - since most of the words are indecipherable save at close proximity - i wouldn't buy it if i were shopping by myself, but it is nice nevertheless and i promise to wear it on tuesday, at the least to placate she who seems to be more excited about the presents than even me =p) And while we're at it, thanks too to Ade Fam for the guitar strings and the guitar as well. All these presents have/will come in very useful... Am really blessed to have friends like you all (and not just because of the stuff of course, though that undoubtedly played a part =)
Still lamenting my need to exercise in order to prepare for ippt, which taking exchange, attachment and MEET into consideration means that i have to book a date sometime between may and (absolute latest) july, though i am thinking that fitness level may drop drastically at MEET and attachment, such that i'll have to push for may, which means i'll have to train if i want to have a decent shot at the silver which i somehow said is rather achievable. Have people whom i can train with but have not the time to do so, and given the steady string of assignments that i have, perhaps not on a regular basis till April 29 (the last day of exams) which would not bode well for a may date... Jialat! (© CMS)
Ok better scoot off now if i want to have any chance of completing this silly thing by tomorrow, since it's due the following day and have yet another thing due on wednesday which is in the yet-to-be-conceptualized stage.
toodeloo...
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
it's been a week since my last post and i can't think of another title
ooh long time since last post (by my standards at least...)
what have i been up to? lots of work to do, that's what.
as of now, i have one mid term on thursday, two essay thingies due next monday and wedensday, two group projects and one more essay due by the end of the month on my mind, especially so since apart from the mid term (slightly less than halfway through readings - upon which questions will be based so cannot siam them), i've hardly started on any of them
but today was a good booster for me, cos got back two pieces of work - one essay and one test - that, by God's grace, scored far better than i could have hoped or imagined - especially so for the essay, which i was still hard at work on mere hours before the deadline cos i started waaaay too late... Yet again (and i do realise i say this all the time, yet it still is always so true) another humbling experience for me =), since i was really desperate then and secured the prayer support of quite a few people just to see me through writing it. For the test too, i initially saw the paper and was like "$&%^@!!!" but again by God's grace the words just came out somehow eventually =)
One more test to be returned though, and the prognosis doesn't look good... But i'll take what i get lah, especially since the project now seems to be headed in a generally positive direction.
in news totally unrelated to this apart from the fact that it also took place in between this post and the last one, i somehow anointed myself in fairprice brand corn oil on sunday when i was trying to grab the bottle in the kitchen from outside through the window to pass to my mother and the stupid low quality bottle cap flew open, making me feel like a turkish oil wrestler or a rotiboy bun...
In honour of Sharon Liu (if you are so led back to this blog again =p), who today reported to me that she was led by 'divine inspiration' to find my mention of her on this blog, here's the link for easier navigation... And btw, i never said you were making monkey faces what... that was obviously your own feel of the situation haha... And also when i said "guess which one" i meant which end of the lunacy scale, not which one of the three was the most looney (btw hands down the winner of that would be obvious - guess which one haha)...
Have to somehow work through many thick readings by thursday morning...
au revoir
what have i been up to? lots of work to do, that's what.
as of now, i have one mid term on thursday, two essay thingies due next monday and wedensday, two group projects and one more essay due by the end of the month on my mind, especially so since apart from the mid term (slightly less than halfway through readings - upon which questions will be based so cannot siam them), i've hardly started on any of them
but today was a good booster for me, cos got back two pieces of work - one essay and one test - that, by God's grace, scored far better than i could have hoped or imagined - especially so for the essay, which i was still hard at work on mere hours before the deadline cos i started waaaay too late... Yet again (and i do realise i say this all the time, yet it still is always so true) another humbling experience for me =), since i was really desperate then and secured the prayer support of quite a few people just to see me through writing it. For the test too, i initially saw the paper and was like "$&%^@!!!" but again by God's grace the words just came out somehow eventually =)
One more test to be returned though, and the prognosis doesn't look good... But i'll take what i get lah, especially since the project now seems to be headed in a generally positive direction.
in news totally unrelated to this apart from the fact that it also took place in between this post and the last one, i somehow anointed myself in fairprice brand corn oil on sunday when i was trying to grab the bottle in the kitchen from outside through the window to pass to my mother and the stupid low quality bottle cap flew open, making me feel like a turkish oil wrestler or a rotiboy bun...
In honour of Sharon Liu (if you are so led back to this blog again =p), who today reported to me that she was led by 'divine inspiration' to find my mention of her on this blog, here's the link for easier navigation... And btw, i never said you were making monkey faces what... that was obviously your own feel of the situation haha... And also when i said "guess which one" i meant which end of the lunacy scale, not which one of the three was the most looney (btw hands down the winner of that would be obvious - guess which one haha)...
Have to somehow work through many thick readings by thursday morning...
au revoir
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
that darn shirt
Had an eight am test this morning, so in preparation i woke up at the obscenely early hour of six am, had a shower to wash off the drowsiness, and eventually found my way onto the usual bus 10 en route to school.
Was about ten minutes away from school when i looked down at my shirt and realised that what i thought i was wearing didn't look like this. Upon closer inspection i realised that i was wearing the tee i normally wear to sleep instead of the other one that i had intended to wear... Obviously that aforementioned shower didn't do a good enough job of washing away the drowsiness, right after it i put on the shirt that i had just slept in...
To make matters worse, this shirt, while perfect for wearing to sleep since it is thin (methinks around one third of an mm thick, and also very old) and therefore cooling to wear at night, is absolutely not meant for wearing out, even more so in school, where thousands of pairs of fashion-conscious eyes abound. Not only is it very drab, but its thinness means that under the right light, you can practically see what's under it... (i realised that when i looked at myself in the nus toilet mirror...) Perfect for wet t-shirt contests yes, but for school, not in a million years... [thankfully it has not reached the holey stage yet]
I had half a mind to go to Eusoff and borrow a proper shirt from my friend, especially since i had arrived at 730am, but i decided against it since i thought that that would make me all distracted by the time the test started... So i thought, hmm i'm sure everybody else is not as conscious of me as i am of myself, so never mind lah... Sort of like a social experiment to see people's response to my scruffiness...
So thus commenced my attempts at making my clothing as inconspicuous as possible (somehow that last line doesn't sound quite right - rest assured i am no nudist) [which i suppose worked since no one called me on it - unless they were keeping mum - i didn't want to draw attention to my toot-ness until i was no longer to be seen in the shirt - i.e. now, in retrospect - so as to avoid further embarassment for me], these attempts including crouching low in my seat and holding my blue file close to my chest so as to minimize public view of me and the scruffy shirt.
I realised that with how i appeared just now: scruffy, paper-thin and translucent tee shirt; holey backpack; just-woke-up hair; unshaven; particularly noisy stomach rumblings during the test; i must have appeared as though i was seeking refuge from the streets or something like that...
Oh but enough about the scruffy shirt... Anyways, the test today was not too good, think i more or less screwed up the essay portion, but oh well, can't be changed now... And in any case, now anytime i thonk of a difficult test, i take comfort in knowing that it probably would not sink any lower than my 2/10 score for my first el2101 quiz last sem... That probably added to my sian and dour demeanour today so apologies to all who were subject to it...
Went swimming after lessons, cos figured that it's an excuse to be seen not wearing the stupid shirt without being offensive =p oh and of course to exercise as well... Got burnt again =x
After that, suddenly a bright idea came to mind that since i was not dressed for school, why not go study at a more fitting environment? So guess what? I went to the beach at ecp... Really good idea, methinks, cos the cool breeze was a perfect counter to the kiln-like temperature today, and furthermore it was relatively quiet and relaxing too. You all should try it (Ah the benefits of living in the east =) Of course, i ended up spending more time getting there from school than actually studying there, but still nevertheless a good precedent was set...
Then to round off the day i went to catch Brokeback Mountain at GV (after going home to change first, of course). In just two months, i have watched as many movies this year as i did in the whole of last year (i.e. 3), heavily facilitated by my use of the vouchers that i won in a bowling competition (yes, as impossible as that sounds, i have actually won something in a sports contest before =) Anyways, it was a good movie, save, once again, for its moral message...
Happy AC Founder's Day! The Best is Yet to Be =)
Was about ten minutes away from school when i looked down at my shirt and realised that what i thought i was wearing didn't look like this. Upon closer inspection i realised that i was wearing the tee i normally wear to sleep instead of the other one that i had intended to wear... Obviously that aforementioned shower didn't do a good enough job of washing away the drowsiness, right after it i put on the shirt that i had just slept in...
To make matters worse, this shirt, while perfect for wearing to sleep since it is thin (methinks around one third of an mm thick, and also very old) and therefore cooling to wear at night, is absolutely not meant for wearing out, even more so in school, where thousands of pairs of fashion-conscious eyes abound. Not only is it very drab, but its thinness means that under the right light, you can practically see what's under it... (i realised that when i looked at myself in the nus toilet mirror...) Perfect for wet t-shirt contests yes, but for school, not in a million years... [thankfully it has not reached the holey stage yet]
I had half a mind to go to Eusoff and borrow a proper shirt from my friend, especially since i had arrived at 730am, but i decided against it since i thought that that would make me all distracted by the time the test started... So i thought, hmm i'm sure everybody else is not as conscious of me as i am of myself, so never mind lah... Sort of like a social experiment to see people's response to my scruffiness...
So thus commenced my attempts at making my clothing as inconspicuous as possible (somehow that last line doesn't sound quite right - rest assured i am no nudist) [which i suppose worked since no one called me on it - unless they were keeping mum - i didn't want to draw attention to my toot-ness until i was no longer to be seen in the shirt - i.e. now, in retrospect - so as to avoid further embarassment for me], these attempts including crouching low in my seat and holding my blue file close to my chest so as to minimize public view of me and the scruffy shirt.
I realised that with how i appeared just now: scruffy, paper-thin and translucent tee shirt; holey backpack; just-woke-up hair; unshaven; particularly noisy stomach rumblings during the test; i must have appeared as though i was seeking refuge from the streets or something like that...
Oh but enough about the scruffy shirt... Anyways, the test today was not too good, think i more or less screwed up the essay portion, but oh well, can't be changed now... And in any case, now anytime i thonk of a difficult test, i take comfort in knowing that it probably would not sink any lower than my 2/10 score for my first el2101 quiz last sem... That probably added to my sian and dour demeanour today so apologies to all who were subject to it...
Went swimming after lessons, cos figured that it's an excuse to be seen not wearing the stupid shirt without being offensive =p oh and of course to exercise as well... Got burnt again =x
After that, suddenly a bright idea came to mind that since i was not dressed for school, why not go study at a more fitting environment? So guess what? I went to the beach at ecp... Really good idea, methinks, cos the cool breeze was a perfect counter to the kiln-like temperature today, and furthermore it was relatively quiet and relaxing too. You all should try it (Ah the benefits of living in the east =) Of course, i ended up spending more time getting there from school than actually studying there, but still nevertheless a good precedent was set...
Then to round off the day i went to catch Brokeback Mountain at GV (after going home to change first, of course). In just two months, i have watched as many movies this year as i did in the whole of last year (i.e. 3), heavily facilitated by my use of the vouchers that i won in a bowling competition (yes, as impossible as that sounds, i have actually won something in a sports contest before =) Anyways, it was a good movie, save, once again, for its moral message...
Happy AC Founder's Day! The Best is Yet to Be =)
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