More SM3 pics...

SM3 photos

The past two days were the SM3 camp co-ordinated by the VCF International Friendship Group. Basically to get to know the PRC students coming to Singapore, get to know them better and understand their culture.

Pics are here, as promised... Please email me if you want the full size high resolution version :)

Results.

I got back my results as follows. Again i had a couple of modules
redeeming me. But i screwed both the 4MC modules...

And as of now, all my grades all have + or - behind them. i have
never gotten a plain vanilla A or B yet..

Pretty disappointed, but at least SAP-wise I did better than last sem.

Now to restrategise again....

HOBTC 2006

I went to HTA yesterday to witness the investiture of the 30th batch Honorary Officers. Mainly to support my 2 friends but also to catch up with old ones whom I have not seen for a very long time, due to having 'disappeared' from the HO's scene for quite some time.

I did not regret it. I was pleasantly surprised to meet one of my long lost JC classmates there who was there for the course. He's in ME too, but in NTU.

Good to know that quite a few of the new HOs are keen on joining Projects... welcome aboard! Congratulations to all newly appointed HOs! (Now, Jeremy, I'm waiting for you...)

Merry Christmas everybody!

It's been a couple of weeks since the last post and boy, a lot of things have happened since then and now.

Raffles Hall Night Cycling
--------------------------
Been planning for the event for the past couple of months starting from shortly after mid-sem break. Even during reading week, we were still trying our best to tie down some last minute details. In the end, barring some minor hiccups, it was good and personally I'm pleased with the outcome.

Varsity Christian Fellowship Annual Teach-in Camp (ANNTIC)
---------------------------------------------------------
This event merits one post by itself, but my mind is still so full of it that i shall just blog away and see whether it becomes one whole post...

Day 1 - met at Kranji MRT in the morning where after some time of looking-lost i got together with my group members and we got to know each other. i already knew a couple of them (lester who was already there, and lynn). we were one of the last groups to set off to JB abord 170 (where we would subsequently board the bus to Port Dickson).
The 4-5 hour bus ride there was quite uneventful (i did have a pretty interesting discussion with a law student) and we reached our campsite. It was indeed more like a chalet (according to those who attended previous camps, much better conditions!) Food was also plentiful, though the condition of the toilet next to our dining area really left much to be desired. Anyway..

Day 2 - this was the first of 4 IBS (Inductive Bible Study) sessions. Overall it was an interesting time of learning how to study the Bible using the inductive method of Bible Study. It can even be applied to other forms of literature! We also had the first of two workshops - Introduction to Buddhism where we learnt basically about their beliefs etc. We gained a better understanding of Buddhism where some of our misconceptions were cleared up.

Day 3 - the highlight was the social action game where each of us had to role-play members of society across all spectra and visit certain stations to earn (or spend) money. Anyway, the object of the whole game was to give us an understanding of the plight of the underprivileged and what as Christians we can do to help them. Later I realised that VCF is also expanding a social action arm to help this segment of society. Brings to mind the verses in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus said, in a nutshell, that what we do for the most unfortunates, we do for Him.

Day 4 - Another workshop, this time on canonicity of the Bible. We were supposed to have a debate on whether the canon should be closed or not, and my group was the opposing team. we won (by a walkover), but had a lively discussion nonetheless.

Day 5 - We were all in eager anticipation what the 'Special Item' was, and we were not disappointed. The committee originally intended for a scavenger-hunt, but changed it to some kind of sandcastle building competition. Only that this time, we were supposed to depict a scene in the Bible using whatever we could find on the beach. Stuff like stones, pebbles, seashells, seaweed and even garbage were used creatively by all the groups. My group came out with a depiction of the 66 books of the Bible, which bagged the 'most creative' award. In the end, every group won a prize and were treated to a special supper - Ramly's burgers.

Speaking of Ramly's burgers, Justin, Jacqueline and I did a rather interesting recording... :) Wonder if i can get it and post on youtube. i'm rather amused at myself on the video..

We ended off the day (or night, rather) by playing a rather corny 'polar bear' game... and after that a serious talk with justin and peishan about serving. Epistole..

Day 6 - the last day of the camp. Nothing much except packing up, checking out and of course the photo sessions together... I'm particularly amused by the AC photo that we took (many AC VCF'ers were there!)
And of course, the ride back was amusing in itself (those in same bus as me (Bus B) will know why)... and the dinner with Kwok and some friends at JB City Square, after which we headed back to Singapore. There were quite a few homeless ppl begging outside the immigration stop. felt real sorry for them but i only had SGD 10 on me (finished all my RM during dinner, and i owe a friend RM7..)

After the big squeeze during the immigration out of Johor (hope the new immigration complex is ready soon), we were on our way home and within half an hour, i turned the key in my apartment and.. it's so good to be home!

And of course, how could i not talk about the theme talks? Was based on the book of Hosea and I would write on how it has blessed me yada yada.. but that's for another time.

Pics taken during Anntic are found on my other blog:
Click here

SJAB Zone Presentation
----------------------
When I flipped on my computer, I was bombarded by 22 unread mails. Well, I have been tasked as Asst Secretary for the SJAB Zone 9 presentation on 30 Dec. As of this writing, i have done most of what is required of me. Hope everything goes well from now on.

SJAB wise, now the big headache is to clear the submission of BF1 and Corps Achievement Awards..... and workplan for Secretariat dept for next year.

NPCC
----
In my first involvement after my long absence due to exams and Anntic (and my 1st as a full Insp - i've cleared my probation) I had quite a long discussion with OC about plans for next year. First Aid course (we settled on Community First Aid) was a main item on the agenda. The next is my involvement in the unit. She wants me to help more on administration, getting documentation in order. Guess i'll have to work with the NCOs on this. A large part of this is dependent on whether my schedule allows me to do so.

Guess my exit strategy has to wait.

NUS fee hike again?

First off, exams are over! But I know I could have done better. Anyway, what's done is done. Now to have a good rest, enjoy the holidays, before getting back in full steam for the next semster.

Well, we all know that after the recent elections, all kinds of prices have gone up. Electricity, transport, and now, GST is increasing to 7%.

Someone out there (lost the URL but go check it out) did some sums and came up with this conclusion: the ones who would be hit hardest are the ones who earn the least!

But I couldn't help but wonder if an NUS fee hike is next. We had two fee hikes in as many years. If another one is around the corner, I will not be affected as I have a 2 years' lag due to NS, and hence, when it kicks in, i'll be out of here.

But my juniors will be affected. And the fact of the matter is, early Nov 2006, there was a closed door forum between the admin and some student leaders with regards to 'undergraduate tuition fees and financial aid'.

is another fee hike on the way? I really hope not.

Anyway, something to chew on. Is meritocracy REALLY the best policy for singapore?

".. it dawned on me that though the starting point was meritocracy, the end result was dictatorship and elitism. In the end, that was how Sparta crumbled. Yet, Athens, a city of philosophers known for its different schools of thought, survived. What does this tell us about out-of-bounds markers?" - Ngiam Tong Dow interview with Susan Long

I wouldn't claim to have the best, one-size-fits-all solution. That is why we have so many different systems and policies all over the world. Different policies work for different countries. Does meritocracy work for us? Perhaps it did, in the early days of the founding fathers.

I've been following keenly the Wee Shu Min affair ever since it broke, and for the record, that was indeed the inspiriation for my previous post on Father Mother Scholars vs PSC scholars.

meritocracy: - 'governing or the holding of power by people selected by the basis of their ability'. And what is the selection criteria here? In our local context, that's a rhetorical question...

elitism: - 'the advocacy or existence of an elite as a dominating element in a system or society' Is that the case in our local context?

We, FM scholars have missed our chance. Will there be another, better one? I do not know. But definitely not in the public service, not in the public sector. I long for the day when a FM scholar rises head and shoulders above the rest and takes up a high post in public office. But given the current practice, it may not be possible.

Happy holidays everyone!

LAST PAPER

Fluid mechanics paper tomorrow! One of the most feared papers by ME2 students... but, i guess with sufficient preparation, it is okay...

Anyway, I can't help but feel that I've been misunderstood in my previous post with regards to a certain contentious issue. to set the record straight:

i have nothing against RJC students, or GEPs, but what I do have against is the high-and-mighty attitude displayed by a few. Such as the one who made the news recently with her now so famous quote, reproduced on my tagboard by some anonymous prankster.

I like to use this analogy to bridge. Not contract bridge, but the watered-down version known as 'floating' bridge since this is played so widely in Raffles Hall. Not everyone is dealt with a good hand of cards. Some have all the aces, some don't and are just 1 point short of 'washing'. But as they say, it's not about having good cards, but about winning with any (even lousy) cards.

And of course, the guess work involved in guessing the partner...

I won't claim that i have had aces, nor kings for the matter. I shall not expound on this. But i am trying to make the most of it now. To study the best I can, do the best I can in my examinations, and hopefully graduate with a 2nd upper degree.

And to quote a friend of mine 'try not to do anything which you might regret later' which really struck a chord in my heart.
Regrets? I have a whole list of them, and I'm sure everyone has, but I will carry them to my grave.

With regard to regrets, people say, move on. Don't live in the past. I say, Yes, hell, i'm trying, but it's not as easy as it seems. But i'm trying.

I would like to thank a few of my peers who came forward with an alternative view towards this issue. :)

I would like to say more, but no time for that. Time to do more practice on fluids before the final showdown tomorrow.

I'll be back...

exams

1st paper (ME2143) today...well it wasn't unreasonably difficult, but
my gripe was NO TIME NO TIME NO TIME and very tricky!! aarrrggghh

but anyway it's over and done with. now full swing on ME2113. i'm
gunning at no less than an a- for this.

Oh... i coined my new quote today...

'Going to exams is like going to the guillotine. Only difference is i
don't know if i'm the executioner or executee'

Yeah. gramatically wrong i guess. the correct term should be
'victim'. but anyway, i like the way it sounds, so it shall stick. haha.

By the way, in case any of you there wonder what a guillotine is,
this <a href="http://www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/">webpage</a> is a
good primer.. Besides its morbid purpose (which has no place in
modern society), it's a pretty interesting piece of engineering if
you ask me...

Till now, I also dunno if i was the executioner or executee for
ME2143...

SEP

alrighty some of you peeps would have known by now that i was
rejected from SEP previously, my CAP score probably doesnt cut it
that's why. but whatever crap, anyway, i reapplied when it opened and
to my chagrin, University of Auckland was still available! Monash was
available too, maybe I can go pay Sam a visit, hahaha.See how it goes
again...

BTW, i am pretty sure my CAP will increase this sem but by how much?
I cannot even afford to have it stay where it is, much less drop. But
i know it will increase. Hence my blog title. Amen.

Can't decide whether to go to Wesley MC or Grace AOG tomorrow.

Ok, one sem's worth of procrastination on sensors and actuators is
really getting to me now. Got to get cracking. out

4 days before the exams and some thoughts to chew on...

I'm here to talk about life. Life in general.

At 22, and an undergraduate, I know full well the fact of life that at the end of the day, every year our universites do nothing more than churn out degree holders. As lamented in my previous post, they are labelled according to 'pedigree' like 1st class, 2-1, 2-2, 3rd class or Pass (in decreasing order of quality, sadly!) And with it, the recent writer to the forum that employers prefer PRs to Singaporeans as Singapore males have ICT (oh how i thank my lucky stars that i'm a clerk, thus spared ICT (probably) and IPPT) and i guess probably Singapore females have their maternity leave (read of many companies terminating female employees before they go on maternity leave, etc etc...)

And who are the leaders of tomorrow? These ppl are the top-notch scholars. They get packed off to overseas universities, and when they come back, they have their ROA (route of advancement) all planned out for them. A returned SAFOS scholar begins his career at the rank of CPT. What does he know about the way things are on the ground? Some years ago, a former Police Commissioner began his career as a Police Constable - a situation which will never be repeated nowadays. Now, as a retired senior police officer told me 'a father mother scholar (FMS) can never become the Commissioner of Police' sad but true!

The national policy is 'meritocracy' but the irony in this is that it is ultimately a question of: who has more money?

The rich can afford to send their kids to the brand name schools which hire quality teachers and thus charge exorbitant rates. They can also afford to hire top-notch tuition teachers to drill their kids in every subject available. Not surprising that these kids, having been tutored all their life, have the edge academically over those whose families can only afford to send them to normal schools, cannot afford tuition etc etc.

Of course, there are some scholars from humble backgrounds too. But the majority it seems, are those with rich parents. Education is said to be the great leveller, but tuition again tips the scales in favour of those who can afford it, and want it.

What about university? Rich parents again can afford to send their kids to prestigious overseas universities (that's if their kid has not already won President's/SAFOS/SPFOS/whatever OS!) Not-so-rich parents have to contend with NUS/NTU/SMU. It's no secret that the mindset of Singaporeans is that an overseas degree is valued more than a local one. Even if it was from some unknown university but in US or UK, i guess it would be perceived as 'overseas degree ... so better than local degree'

No wonder a certain lawyer friend told me impassioned 'don't do your masters in NUS!'

Hell, i should have went to Aust when i had the chance (but then again $$$ was the issue)

And in those overseas universities, what do they know about what is really going on in singapore?

Vicious cycle indeed.

Yet another reason to go to Australia. I've openly admitted that I am one of those whom SM Goh labelled as quitters. But why do I want to stay when it seems we are second class citizens in our own country (the first class being the elite scholars?)

And to think a certain friend of mine told me 'there are no farmers in singapore'. Ha, well, indeed there are... and NUS is nothing more than a 'farmer training school'... cos the 'scholars' are all overseas...

To my juniors reading this, you have your whole life ahead of you. Study hard, suffer now, enjoy later, get that string of As and Distinctions, and get that PSC scholarship... don't be like me - I missed my chance.

To my poly juniors, still got chance also. If i'm not wrong some Poly grad got SAFOS or SAF merit scholarship this yr too.

To those in uni with me on Father Mother Scholarship, well, we missed our chance.

the time of the year again!

It's the time of the year again when undergraduates get really stressed out by this thing known as FINAL EXAMS! yes, the season is here again.... the season of mugging and getting stressed out about the final exams and the impact on this thing called a CAP. It's a form of headdress to some, but in NUS, it's the determinant factor of your worth in the university, as I found out to my chagrin during the recent selection exercise for SEP (Student Exchange Programme) where CAP was the only criterion in the selection exercise. And i thought there would be an interview or something...

I have lamented in a previous post that your worth is all too narrowly defined by this number that rests between 0 and 5. If it's below 2, it will invite the heartfelt commiseration of your friends, concern from others, friendly rebukes of "hey! go study! don't keep playing (insert latest computer game here)." Most of the time the heart ache is when it's between 3.00 to 3.99. possession of a CAP score within this range at the time of graduation would mean a Pass, a 3rd Class or a 2nd Lower. A student with a CAP score of 2 to 3.00 would probably have the same experiences as above. And many seem content with attaining the highest award available within this, the 2nd Lower. But a student with a CAP 3.9-something is not far from the next 'level' which is...

Breach the 4.00 mark, and you have entered into the sacred realm known as the 2nd Upper. You are an elevated form of being, considered more employable than those who only managed to make 2nd lower, and in a certain sense, to have made it.

Surpass 4.50, and you are in the godlike realm of the 1st Class. You have achieved what so many people have said to be impossible. Yet you have defied the odds and done it...

Only the best of the best have a CAP score approaching that of 5.00... yes you said it. Beyond Godlike.

My lament is that at the end of it all, despite how most ppl try to say 'hey studies are not everything, employers dun really look at CAP etc etc' the cold hard truth is that it seems to matter a lot...

A good honours opens the doors to greater opportunities, including graduate studies (which I am hoping to do in future) and an easier time at the job hunt...

This goes out to everyone battling the CAP system, be it resisting a downward fall or valiantly pushing up or maintaining the number between 0 and 5. ALL THE BEST FOR THE EXAMINATIONS, and hope all of you out there can raise your CAP score this sem.

disclaimer: The author of this article is a holder of a CAP 3.25, who of course hopes it will increase in the coming examinations.

Also, I need to maintain SAP 4.3 from now on to pull my CAP up to 4.0 by my final semester. Hence my choice of blog title.

Something to chew on...

I remember a story my primary school teacher once shared with us... The gist of the story is this.

There was once this taxi-driver who had a mentally-retarded son who needed to be helped with the most simple of tasks such as eating. Anyway, the father worked tirelessly to bring in the bread for his family while his wife looked after the son.

He passed away at only 50. He was remembered as one of the most hardworking taxi drivers and his photo was displayed in the main office (I can't remember if there was any reference to people praying to it...)

However, the son lived till 90, and in the final days of his life, still needed to be helped (this time by his nephews/nieces) in the most simple of tasks.

Guess it's not the number of years a person lives that matters - it's what he does with it... Something to chew on.

In memory of my late brother in Christ who did more in 20 years what others did in 70.

Concert 06/07 Swingers

Ok, having just returned from concert (actually about an hr ago lah,
the rest of the time was spent checking other stuff and buying
supper...)

And, one thing to say, IT WAS GREAT! Concert ppl reading this (don't
know if there are any... if there are please sound out on my tagboard
hehe).. give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back, you deserve
it 101% as much as I enjoyed myself thoroughly watching it. Wow.

I guess the thing which endeared me to the plot of this Concert for
one thing, besides the love story, is the fact that it is about two
students facing life's challenges akin to what most of us are going
through i'm sure. Competition with our fellow students (no thanks to
the bell curve and CAP system) is one thing...

And another thing which really cracked me up was that this year, they
incorporated the 'parents' of the main characters making their
entrance by the side aisles and one of them even interacted with a
few members of the audience including an 'electrician' and a certain
'plumber', heh heh. Hope he does not take offense or else the actor
is really going to get it, ha ha (joking)

The other thing was that... there was a play within a play which i
must admit is quite an interesting concept...

If i were asked to, from a third party point of view to sum up what i
felt the main theme of this concert was, it's love. In the play, the
two main characters were together in the end, but in the play within
a play, they were not. I was kind of captivated by this theme
especially since it kind of mirrors what i am going through now. :|
But nevertheless, this concert has a happy ending... and I am sure
that one day, at an undetermined time in the future, the love story
of my life will have a happy ending as well, with The Special Someone
who is out there but as yet unidentified..... as for now... I can
only wait and see, and not force open the veil which God has not
opened for me yet.

Will be waking up early tomorrow for an early church service, so i
shall retire to my bed. once again, all Concert members reading this
give yourself another pat on the back. Good Job, Well Done!!!

Exams are drawing near once again

Yes, it's the time of the year again... it's week 10 (going on 11), only 3 WEEKS MORE to reading week...

Random musings

For once, i am finally updating something other than the lame 

Tagboard is down!!! :( It keeps requesting for some funny userid and password when I load the page... anyway for the life of me, i can't remember what's my password, which i guess means the old tagboard is history. I've got a new tagboard from flooble. Hope it doesnt 

My hair has grown.. very soon i will be able to comb it again.. but i'm not really in a hurry to do that

Concert rehearsals are going on as i type this.... looks like a lot of ppl are getting really high strung over it. Anyway i will definitely be going down to show my support. All those ppl are my friends after all, even though we have no time to talk because of concert. Oh well... and that brings me to think of a certain friend of mine whom we have not spoke for a very long time cos she is busy with work. Not too busy to maintain the friendship i hope... 

I've made up my mind to apply for SEP. probably to australia, which i am not confident of getting due to my pathetic CAP score. got to study hard this sem to boost my CAP to at least 3.5, and boost my chances of getting the SEP destination i want.\

$$ though is a real pain in the @$$... on average, everything will cost about $10k for one sem, even by the most modest estimates. And i've already maxed myself out in terms of loans to cover my basic university education in sg

If all else fails, there's always the SU (Singapore Universities) SEP. Which means I go to NTU to experience the life there. Somehow, if i could map those difficult modules like Heat Transfer, etc (and they'll be on S/U).... but the other side of the coin is that it will be harder for me to push up my CAP then.

It's the end of week 9. There's only 4 more weeks left to the dreaded reading week, and then the exams.

It's time to stop playing around, stop slacking and start studying.

-----

Someone out there knows this is directed to her. I know that you have found the one . And I know I am not good enough, but what matters is your happiness – not mine. I will be as happy if you are similarly blessed by the one whom you truly love. God bless you.

Something meaningful.

Something meaningful.......

> > THE CAB RIDE
> > By Author Unknown
> >
> > Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30
> > a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground
> > floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk
>=
> >once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But, I had seen too =
> >many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of =
> >transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to =
> >the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I =
> >reasoned to myself.
> >
> > So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a
> > frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the
> > floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's
> > stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with
> > a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side
> > was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had
> > lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
> > There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the
> > counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and
> > glassware.
> >
> > "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase
> > to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
> >
> > She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept
> > thanking me for my kindness.
> >
> > "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way
> > I would want my mother treated".
> >
> > "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.
> >
> > When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you
> > drive through downtown?"
> >
> > "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
> >
> > "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a =
> >hospice".
> >
> > I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.
> >
> > "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I
> > don't have very long."
> >
> > I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you
> > like me to take?" I asked.
> >
> > For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the
> > building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove
> > through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they
> > were newlyweds. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a
> > particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness,
> > saying nothing.
> >
> > As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,
> > "I'm tired. Let's go now."
> >
> > We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low
> > building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed
> > under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we
> > pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
> > They must have been expecting her.
> >
> > I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman
> > was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she
> > asked, reaching into her purse.
> >
> > "Nothing," I said.
> >
> > "You have to make a living," she answered.
> >
> > "There are other passengers," I responded.
> >
> > Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me
> > tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.
> > "Thank you."
> >
> > I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind
> > me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't
> > pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in
> > thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that
> > woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his
> > shift? What if
> > I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
> >
> > On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more
> > important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives
> > revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us
> > unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
> >
> >
> > PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT =
> >THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

_________________________________________________________________
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FW: It Is Written

Something interesting.

----
Never doubt the Word of God!!!

Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until
the end...

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):
" Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap."

Here are some men and women who mocked God:

JOHN LENNON:
Some years before during his interview with an American Magazine, he
said:

"Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue
about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too
simple, Today we are more famous than Him" (1966)

Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus
Christ, was shot six times.

TANCREDO NEVES:
During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500 votes from
his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got
the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he
died.

CAZUZA:
During a show in Caneco ( Rio de Janeiro ), whilst smoking his
cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God,
that's for you." I can't even explain how he died.

THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC:
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the
Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink
it"

The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.

MARILYN MONROE:
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He
is a preacher and Evangelist and the Spirit of God had sent him to
preach to her.

After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need
your Jesus"

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

BON SCOTT:
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:
"Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell".
On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been
choked by his vomit.

CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005
In Campinas, a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The
mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the
drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her
hand, who was already seated in the car: "MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD
AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU",

She responded: "ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, COZ INSIDE HERE
IT'S ALREADY FULL"

Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal
accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what
type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact.

The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact.
To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none was broken.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name
that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have
died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.
JESUS!!!

Jesus said "If you get embarrassed about me, I will also get
embarrassed about you before my Father"

What benefit does it have, if a man gains the whole world but loses
his soul? What can man give in exchange of his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

NPCC Officers' Day presentation

Well I attended the abovementioned event today, a bit embarrassingly due to my unexpected haircut. But overall it was great. Met up with a lot of old friends.

Most of my co-helpers for SYFOC were all over the place as they were seated with their Areas, or in the case of HOs, with their Open Units. but I did manage to locate some of them for a short chat and photos of course! What I feel was the highlight was that the CIs formed a band to entertain us with some songs, and in between that one of them played the piano for us. She's actually my senior from RV who might be going for this year's OBTC... see how ba.

With that that's probably the last NPCC related activity I will be attending until HOBTC perhaps. And after that, I probably can't be active anymore due to my academic committments in the 2nd sem of year 2, which all of us ME students know is a real tough sem.

But I will be hanging around.. for the friends which I have made there. :) And I will still help if needed, as a friend in need is a friend indeed. :)

Bad hair day? Try this

before and after.


Lesson No. 1: If your barber is an 'old uncle' (politically correct term: elderly gentleman), DO NOT tell him that you want your hair short. Cos his definition of 'short' and yours is different.

Lesson No. 2: Never tell your barber how often you intend to get your hair cut. My current style will probably take about 4-5 months to grow back.

Lesson No. 3: Do not tell your barber 'no need to cut like army style' ... reverse psychology kicked in in my case

Lesson No. 4: To get funny styles like Armani, the Malay barbers are the best. They seem to know all the styles there are out there...

my school life lately

Now for an update into my school life..

Been very busy with mainly school work itself. I dun understand how the concert people are managing.. or are they preparing themselves to screw up this sem?? I hope not..

Mid term break is more like a mugging break.. haha.. but got good friends to study together with.. that's all that matters :)

A touching video

sure to change our lives...

Touching video

Speaks for itself... that's how our Father God loves us :)

mid-sem crisis?

It's been a long while since I blogged about my hall life... so here
goes.

Orientation was fun, got to meet quite a bit of people and the
juniors this year are a fun and enthusiastic bunch! but whether that
translates into them staying back once the reality of studies and all
sink in remains to be seen...

A new batch of JCRC members have taken over the reins of the hall and
I hope that they will be able to bring the hall to greater heights..

As for my upcoming hall activities, I have chosen more of cultural
activities this time round. Hope it runs well...

Some events have transpired which have kind of scuttled my plans for
this coming year. But it's alright, nothing major, probably Priority
One should be to focus on my studies. Actually, frankly speaking, I
do not know whether I want to continue to stay for the remaining 2
years in hall. I may choose to go on SEP and then it will be a
problem coming back in my final year. But it doesn't really matter
much to me - things will work itself out. I've got to focus more on
the things of more importance to me...

Sep 11. 5 years on.

5 years ago today were the events that shook the world.

They made us realise how fragile the world situation is, and how such a superpower as the US can be so easily compromised.

That day, life was never the same again. I remember that day, I woke up to see an SMS from my friend about it. When I reached school, teachers and students alike were talking about it. The mood was sombre. No one knew what would happen next.

5 years on, Iraq has been invaded, Saddam Hussein has been captured, Osama bin Laden remains at large, and bombings have taken place in Madrid, London, Bali and claimed hundreds of lives...

We do not know what tomorrow brings... and therefore we must treasure our lives, what we have, the people around us whom we love and care for. These are the things that truly matter...

As we read this, let's observe one minute silence for the thousands who lost their lives in 9/11, Bali, Madrid, London...

God rest their souls.

Decisions decision

I owe you my readers another update... :P

I finally cut up the uniform cover I've been using for a very long
time (forgot when i started using it) and used it as a trash bag. A
pity some might think but it has outlived its useful lifespan anyway.
Time to inaugurate another one.

I've come to take up the challenge of EAL MM. Not an easy job,
especially Open House but i've started to form my team and hopefully
it will be a better one than next year. First out will be the RH
website which I will need to work with CompComm on this matter.

Gossips in hall... i never liked gossip, especially since it's never
good to be on the receiving end of it. True that we should take
everything we hear with a pinch of salt. I know of two friends (one
guy one girl) who were separated as a result of false rumors about
them. As in, they were rumored to be together and after that it just
seemed awkward for them, so they drifted apart. Very sad....

But having said that, I must be careful about what I say nowadays.
Walls have ears...
-----
University Dedication Service

That was a great time of worship, sharing and ministry organised by
the 3 Christian groups - VCF, Navigators and Campus Crusade. God
really moved powerfully in the service and many lives, myself
included were changed.

The speaker shared a powerful message about "Stand Out, Speak Up".
The point which really struck home was that while most of us hear a
lot of the Word of God, few of us actually want to ACT on it. So I
decided to ACT on a decision which i have been 'hentak kaki' on for
quite some time. Not an easy decision to make but "I have decided to
follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."
-----
BTC Dedication Service

I went down for BTC Dedication Service. Small crowd as it was mainly
Law students but it was a great time, continuation of what happened
yesterday... God is moving!

Joker on the Road

Today while in a taxi on the way to school, there was this guy in a big blue SUV trying to create trouble for us. What happened was that while turning into a slip road towards the expressway, this car had the CHEEK to cut into our lane and overtake us. Missed us by just a bit. Of course my driver sounded the horn. He sounded his horn too. After that he braked suddenly on the slip road, forcing my driver and all the other poor sods behind us to do likewise. then he came over and started shouting at the driver for a while before i intervened.. told him nicely that i'm in a hurry (of course, otherwise why would i be in a cab?) .. .he got the message and drove off.

Anyway, after that driver called the police... hope they do the necessary follow up on this guy and not let him get off scot free. He doesn't realise that his LICENCE PLATE is in big bold letters for all to see... Irritating...

Yet another day in the life of a student

Ok, update again... i guess i will update this periodically so as to
have a 'running record' of my thoughts etc...

The network connection in NUS has been real crappy. Occasionally, I
am totally unable to access the internet. And I must key in my userid
and password regularly to access sites outside of nus.edu.sg, which
is beginning to get irritating.. but perhaps it's a necessary
security measure.. Who knows, perhaps some outsiders may have brought
their laptops in for a free ride, so they needed to put a stop to
this... The other problem is that when I'm on MSN, the connection is
really intermittent, resulting in me being signed in and out
repeatedly - irritating when I'm carrying out a conversation with a
friend.

16 Aug
----------
Basically had Mechanics of Materials (ME2113) with an enthusiastic
lecturer! The subject seems easy enough - the start seems to be a
revision of EG1109 - but I cannot be complacent. This sem is for
pulling my CAP score...

Been meeting friends for lunch recently and today was no exception.
Yesterday I met one of my former church friends from CHC, today I met
one of my NPCC friends

Today there was no NPCC, as the cadets were having exams and all CCA
was cancelled. So I went home for what must have been the first time
in a long while (not considering the short visit back then). Now I
brought most of the things I need back to hall, hopefully I don't
have to make another trip again...

17 Aug
----------
Lunch turned out to be with another former church friend from CHC,
and thing was I did not arrange it beforehand, he just happened to be
in the canteen! The rest of the day was quite fruitful, I did some
studying in YIH before going on to have a swim with a couple of
friends at the SRC pool. It looks like I need more practice as I'm
not really a good swimmer yet.

.38 revolver shooting competition is this Saturday. Initially I
wanted to go, but I'm not sure what time I'm able to go off... and
anyway, I am not particularly good at it so not much of a point. I'll
probably go for a basic badminton course to learn the proper moves...

as i've regained my interest in badminton. After what happened last
year with hall badminton which caused me to lose interest. But now
I'm raring to go... got to get a new grip for my racket (the previous
one is all worn out)..

Rag Day

Today was Rag Day and as usual I got woken up by the repeated
announcements, hee. Anyway it was quite interesting to see most of
the floats and performances which the respective facs and halls had
put together. A culmination of 3 months' worth of effort. Of course,
my opinion on the necessity of such an event is reserved though.

It's T minus 2 days to school starting, and this time round I am
making it a point to get prepared for what the new sem may throw at
me. I've done up a study plan and my plan for my modules for future
sems. Kind of disappointed that I will not be able to accelerate, but
I guess it will do me good to take things at the pace I'm currently
taking and hopefully attain my 2nd upper.

The word 'Impossible' does not exist in my dictionary.

Some pics from my trip to Malaysia:




We did quite a bit of shopping at Mid Valley Mega Mall. The malls
are a few times the size of malls in Singapore.

Dad trying his hand at pool. By the way, I lost, because I hit in
the 8 ball by mistake.

The ice skating rink at Sunway Pyramid.

We stopped halfway for a toilet break somewhere in Johor...

Myself at the hotel lobby...


Continuation (part 2)

9 Aug
-----
Singapore's 41st birthday, but this time round I did something different. I skipped town to go to Malaysia (Petaling Jaya) with my dad.

Boarded the bus to PJ at 10am and had an interesting ride there. We watched a movie on the on board TV - Stealth, about some top secret technology with a poor storyline in my opinion - and dad made me solve some sudoku puzzles as well. Well, i lost interest in sudoku after a while but now i think it's a good time to get started on it again.

Will post pictures when i have time :)

The view from our hotel was magnificent. I saw the famous Sunway Lagoon that my KL pen pal (lost contact now) told me about...

Of course, I took the chance to get my hands (or more accurately my jaws) on some chewing gum. I bet that all Singaporeans go for chewing gum when they are overseas.

The malls in Malaysia tend to be much bigger than those in Singapore. I observed that while I was in Ipoh and Malacca before, and the size of the malls in PJ only tend to reconfirm my observations. Probably has to do with the fact that Malaysia has no issues with land scarcity.

I bought a pair of new shoes which I've wanted to buy for a long time. My SAF running shoes have reached the end of their useful lifespan anyway. Also, I bought a couple of nice bermudas for wearing at the hostel, and two nice shirts. Thanks dad for the gifts :)

10 Aug
------
Was basically a day being driven around by dad's friend and being given a running tour of KL. Didn't get to see the Petronas Towers though, to my disappointment. Maybe the next time...

Boarded the bus to Singapore at 6.30pm and arrived back at 12 midnight. Watched a movie, Armagaeddon on the way back.. about astronauts being tasked to blow up a rogue asteroid on a collision course with Earth. Well, I pray to God that such a scenario never befalls Earth.

11 Aug
------
Came back and found to my chagrin that I've been out-bidded for Malay. Oh well, now the bid points for Malay is 300+. I won't be able to afford it.

But, Jiefang told me that genes and society is interesting and going for only 1 bid point. Well, worth a try anyway. So I placed my bid and got it, which confirms my 6th module and thus my nomenclature for this coming sem.

I actually have a 7th module out there, intro to world religions which is still in the advance bidding phase. I may very well use my 2nd S/U on it if I do get it, and treat the module as non existent.

I am gunning for as many As as possible this sem. Difficult but "Nothing is Impossible if we put our trust in God".

Update in a long while

Okay, i owe you, my readers an update of what's been going on in my life

I just saw some blog posts with regards to RVSJAB. Some are not very flattering. But I respect my cadets' rights to freedom of speech. So, go ahead and blog, but stay out of trouble please.

Jul
--
Been busy with FSAE stuff, rushing to school after NP for lectures on race car engineering had been real tiring for me. I have since withdrawn from the programme... too stressful.

Late Jul
------
Been helping out at dad's office as he's busy running a course nearby. but he's invited me to join them for lunch from time to time which I have been doing so. Well, I made some new friends there :)

30 Jul
-----
Woke up real early in the morning to do public duty at West Coast Park. Anyway, it was quite peaceful and ended earlier than expected. No casualties too :)

3 Aug
-----
The whole day today was spent performing CSSP duty at NUS Matriculation Fair, in order to fulfil the CSSP component of my probation in NPCC.

Well, as I was wearing the uniform of an NPCC Inspector (which closely resembled the Police uniform), some of the people in the crowd who knew me thought I was a Police Scholar. Yeah, I wish.. :P

I realised that it is not only me who is fed up at the way NUS NPCC is run...

So, with that, I clear all the requirements for fulfilling my probation. Come 18 Dec 2006, I will become a full H/Insp (NPCC).

And, I made a new friend today.

5 Aug
-----
Went for CPR + AED course. Turned out they are practicing the new method of CPR, which is 30 compressions to 2 ventilations. I learned how to operate a defibrillator, something which was exciting and eye-opening.

Actually, I guess the learning curve was quite steep for some of the other participants present. My partner during the test had problems during the CPR component. I am concerned as to whether they are up to it when faced with a real life case. I am confident about myself but about the others... not so sure.

Went for zone meeting after that. I've been appointed to assist William Sir in the zone secretary department. Whether this will eventually lead to me going up to the Zone officially will remain to be seen.

At least I'm glad that we have gotten rid of the biggest red tape in the zone which is the SGT interview. Please, it's a waste of paper and time when all along I have never heard of any SGT being turned down. The next step would be to get rid of the SSG interview as well, and to get the zone to recognise the apex rank of Cadet Leader.

8 Aug
-----
National Day observance ceremony today. Woke up early again to go for the ceremony as one of the flag raisers from NPCC. The only thing was, instead of wearing our full NPCC uniform, we were wearing white shirt and black pants. Quite disappointed at that...

Anyway, i am at a stage where I am reconsidering my involvement in the NPCC, due to personal reasons. I feel that it is not where my area of interest really lies in anymore. Well, I started off being very enthusiastic about the Corps and all but certain events transpired which made me decide otherwise. I shall reserve my comments on this.

Went for NUS flag day after that. Got 2 tins... I arrived at Bishan MRT at 2pm only to find that my group was preparing to move to Toa Payoh. So, there I went with them to try and fill up my 2 tins.

So, for the next 5 plus hours, I basically stood around:

"Good afternoon Sir/Ma'am, donations for NUS please?" (repeated ad infinitum)

The end result was that I DID manage to fill up both tins.

Oh, might I add in, I managed to reunite a lost boy with his family ..heh. I returned to hall exhausted but happy :)

Exam timetable for Sem 3

Well i will have 5 core modules next sem, and managed to piece together my exam timetable as follows:

ME2143 28/11 evening
ME2113 30/11 evening
ME2121 2/12 PM
ME2134 5/12 evening
ME2103 Non exam

The sixth module can be slotted in... maybe right at the end of the exam period. Then I will have a feel of how I MIGHT have done for SSA2209 if I didn't S/U it.

Ok, basically a less punishing schedule than last sem. Hope it will somehow mean it'll translate to better examination results. The non exam module means however that consistent work is required during the sem.

Actually, i *could* still try to earn another year's stay in hall. OMC is almost over and done with (hopefully), EAL is there as it is (and I will probably just join as ordinary member), and I'll probably join another committee (probably Outdoor and Fitness which is basically manning the gym, or LSM which is basically duty storeman)

The other requirements will work themselves out i'm sure:) Not too concerned about the hall secret as I probably have a few external activities from NUS NPCC to cover the lack. If all else fails, there's always that place in PGP or Kuok. And they are bound to get easier to stay in, considering that by then, Law students will be staying in Old Raffles...

Well, i'm beginning to feel sorry for those involved in Concert.

The other side of the coin is that I have absolutely NO EXCUSE to screw up this sem. And that means that I am gunning for straight A- this sem.

New design and matthew needs to trust God.

I've revamped my blog... after two years of the same design:P

Right now, I am faced with decisions. Whether I should join FSAE. To prioritise my time to focus exclusively on my studies. Reason being that to attain my goal of graduating with a 2nd Upper Honours, I need to maintain a SAP of 4.3 for the rest of my university life. That means at least a B+, preferably A- on average for most of my modules.

It's not going to be easy. And a lot of people say it's hard. But hard is not impossible. And, the new title of my blog says it all. Nothing is impossible if we put our trust in God.

Thanks Jonathan for the testimony of your friend who needed 4.6 to raise CAP to 4.0. And he got into dean's list in the process.

I thank the One who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all whom I can ask or imagine, and I repent from doing things by my own strength, for it is at this point when I acknowledge that I am weak and cannot accomplish anything by my own strength, that He comes in and intervenes, and works miracles far above my expectations.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above all heavenly hosts, Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost. A-men.

FSAE

His(sic) guys

Congratulations! You have been shortlisted for FSAE. No interviews are necessary.

I will be gathering you guys for lessons starting next Tue night. Because there are 18 of you, I will confirm the venue later. The first class will be a general introduction to a race car and how this project is conducted as a whole. After that, what topic I cover each week will depend on availability of resources and personnel. I do involve my ME4s to help teach certain topics because by the time they get to ME4 they know more than me in their respective areas. When you get to ME4, I expect you to reach their standard too. For those of you who don't quit the team later, there's really A LOT A LOT A LOT for you to learn in these 3 years. But it will be a very enriching experience you will not find anywhere else in this country.

A/P KH SEAH

------
It's a long journey ahead. Will I be willing to sacrifice NPCC, SJAB and Hall for this, only time will tell.

Other Matthew Chuas out there

A simple google of myself turned up the following...

Me a diver?

Oh and there's also the econs teacher at VJC. He doesn't seem very well liked though...

Check this, and this out.

There are a lot of sites referencing an Olympian called Raphael Matthew Chua.

I wonder whether this guy wanted to use this blog address, and i beat him to it... and this too!

As a trivia, when I went for my medical check up (for enlistment), there were two other guys on the same day also called Matthew Chua.

SYFOC - the actual day

Whew! Back from one whole day of SYFOC - the actual day! It's a really satisfying feeling seeing that months of training which started from that day in March has come to this and I am really proud of the team of Officers, HI and CIs whom I have worked with during these past months.

We shall meet again, at some other HQ event or something. Thanks guys, it's been great working with all of you.

Oh, by the way, my tagboard is up! Do tag away and i'll respond (if i have time.. once term starts.. that is a big ??)

SYFOC

This post is dedicated to the Singapore Youth Festival Opening Ceremony for which training began in late March...

Late in January, Siming sent out an email asking for volunteers to come forward to help as key parade personnel and trainers for NPCC Day Parade and SYFOC. Naturally, I was quite interested. However, NPCC Day Parade (or NPDP as known) fell smack in the middle of exams so I had to rule myself out. (Maybe I can take part in a future NPDP if it falls during my IA, when I won't have exams.. But unlikely as i'll probably take B.Tech modules during IA.)

Initially, I went with the intention of trying out for parade personnel posts. However, at the last moment I was told that the organiser only wanted CIs. So I thought to myself, okay then, I still do not mind helping out in other areas...

Well, to cut a long story short, I do not regret being part of this SYFOC myself. I've made several new friends (other trainers like FIs/CIs, other HOs/HIs, the first aiders, etc) in the process who have helped to some extent smoothen my learning curve towards NPCC, and this experience has surely been a fruitful one for me.

This Saturday will be the actual day and the last time I shall see many of the CIs and trainers - the team of SYFOC 2006 whom I count myself blessed to be a part of. After this, I do not know when will be the next HQ event which I will be involved in - and I think it's mostly over for the rest of the fiscal year of 2006, with the exception of the shooting competitions like ARSC, .22 and .38 (the last of which, I might or might not be taking part). In 2007, there's NPDP (which I can't take part again due to exams), there's no SYFOC, there might be CIBTC chaperon (depends)... and of course during holidays there's
SANA and LMSC...

The thought that this process which I have been through with the rest of the team, is coming to an end.... it leaves a bittersweet feeling. Because, after 1 July, when the marchpast is over, and the dust has settled, we will all go back to our own schools and units.. and life goes on as per normal.

I already miss coming down to HTA for training so often.... and kind of dread that very soon, I will be moving back to Hall and resume the cycle of studying and my books...

The next SYFOC where NPCC will be organising will be in 2010. By then, I will have graduated from NUS and will possibly be working, or in NIE (or whichever prepartory training for other civil service jobs i wish to join.) I do not know who will be the in-charge then. I do not know if I will even choose to continue with NPCC after I graduate. But I will definitely not be medical OIC again, need to give the chance to other new HOs whom I am sure will be up there by then. But I still do not mind helping out on the actual day itself, to support the actual medical OIC...

SYFOC 2006. An experience I will never forget.

Pek chek

As of now I have succeeded in gaining a place in Hall on masters' list. I will have to commit to OMC and EAL as MM. However, i decided that I do not wish to stay in hall from year 3 onwards.

- My CAP suffered as a result of my involvement in Hall activities as, due to DnD and Open House, I barely had time for my studies.
- Just as I thought OMC resources work is more or less settled, Float came along with another set of requests. Reasonable, or not, I shall not go into it here.
- I feel I wish to focus my time more on my core CCAs - NPCC (of which SANA is a subset) and St John, instead of spreading my resources too thin. I continue to have passion for NPCC and St John - and I feel that where some ppl excel in the Sports and others excel in the cultural, I excel in the uniformed groups which unfortunately is not really represented at the tertiary level. Whereas, for Hall activities, it is really doing for the sake of doing and I don't find it enjoyable at all. At worst, it takes away time which I can use on my other activities like NPCC, St John and my studies.

random musings of a 22 year old.

after seeing my dismal results i have this thought to myself:

CHIONG 2ND UPPER FOR F*CK?

seems very sad that our worth in university is characterised by this number between 0 to 5.

do i really need a 2nd upper to do what i want?

i only get a first degree ONCE. a 2nd first degree is possible, but the cost of it is prohibitive.

career choices?

teaching - 2nd upper recommended. Also a strong will and control over the kids
police - 2nd upper required. Also strong physical fitness, etc
hypnotherapist - B.Eng, after that i can go for my training

coming to engin was a mistake. i need to minimise the other mistakes, do damage control, to prevent them from fucking up the rest of my life.

1/4 of my life is done, the foundation is already built. i guess having made it to uni, i am within the top 25%, but not good enough.

i was within the top 10% to make it to special stream and i bombed out. my l1r5 should have been single digit. i failed.

then, dropped even worse. not a single A on my A levels.

now, got a pathetic cap score.

i'm considering just dropping out, destroying everything, work full time for dad and train under him. No point memorising and regurgitating formulae which i am not going to use anyway.

results

Name : CHUA JIE HONG MATTHEW
Matric No :

2005/2006 Sem 2 Examination for ENGINEERING 1

Module Code Module Title Grade
CS1101C PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGY (ENGINEERING ONLY) A-
EG1108 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING C+
MA1506 MATHEMATICS II C+
MNO1001 MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION B-
PC1432 PHYSICS IIE C+
SC1101E MAKING SENSE OF SOCIETY B-

CAP: 3.12

amazing how last sem's results came out before christmas. not a very good christmas present. this sem's results came out ON my birthday. DARN

random musings after a long hiatus

I'm beginning to wonder whether i indeed have any audience for my blog, or whether i am just talking to a wall... but nevermind. After all, i've not been updating my blog on a regular basis so i can't really expect too much...

As of now, i have quite a lot of committments outside NUS. Hall activities are one of them, and the other two major ones are St John and NPCC. St John wise, my involvement is now limited to public duty and advising the TICs and junior officers when advice is needed. It's NPCC for which I have a lot to look after. Currently many of my CIs are not able to make it as often due to their own committments in Poly/ITE. I have agreed to help with the training of the Sec 1s for the time being, but I am not sure as to whether I can commit to it or not, especially after term starts in August.

Currently, I have LMSC and SANA during the June holidays, not to forget my unit camp. I really don't know if I can commit fully to these three activities. Most likely I'll have to pull out of LMSC.

I ask myself, do I still wish to be involved in NPCC past my undergraduate years. There's a strong indication that I might not, unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Even if I do so, I would prefer to be involved at headquarters level. I feel i have passed the time when I still like to train cadets. That's just not my thing anymore.

In August, i'll be a second year. I have to stop those unproductive habits that put me behind in terms of studies. This include thinking falsely that I have nothing to do when in actual fact, I have quite a lot of outstanding work which is out of sight and out of mind.

As a second year, i'll really have to focus my energies once term starts on my studies. Everything else is secondary. I cannot repeat the same mistakes I made during first year. The second year will make or break my class of honours.

If that means not coming for NPCC as often as I would like to, so be it. I've got to know where my priorities lie. I'm sure OC will agree with me, and understand, should I not be able to turn up all the time.

for all you cat lovers out there

http://www.catsleep.com

Enjoy!

injured!

today i fell into the drain next to block six after coming back from physics lecture! nothing broken, but i had quite a nasty cut on my right big toe and abrasions on my elbow and legs. Argh! .... still got CIBTC chaperon (read: DOO) duties over the next few days. ... think still have to do it since i already agreed with yong fu that i will be doing it... oh well...

chance to stay.. ?

currently, i have the chance to continue to stay back in Raffles Hall if i take up Float and LSM MM. Killing two birds in one stone. But i am not sure as to whether i wish to do so or not... currently, during the holidays i am quite packed with my committments with NPCC and i feel i will not be able to do a good job if i spread my self too thin over the holidays. cos i still have my work at Staff Club, my Special Term module, Hillgrove NPCC camp, Hillgrove NPCC POP, LMSC, .... it will not be nice if i cannot be too involved in NPCC because of hall and i cannot be too involved in Hall because of NPCC.

At the end of the day, maybe i'd choose just to come back through the waiting list, and join Float 07/08 when the time comes. dunno? if i leave hall now, chances are that i'm never going to come back. unless through NUS NPCC i can somehow get an insane number of points. it's quite impossible considering that clubs and societies, which NUS NPCC falls under, have minimal points...

i am staying in RH next sem - NOT!

the title says it. basically, i have been kicked out of hall, for want of ONE sorry activity. and, with that, no "ad-hoc activities" as the politically correct term is.... else i will have gotten somewhere better. now, i have no hall.

i am a local and it is no issue for me to stay at home. but staying in hall is never about the distance (at least , that is the case after a while.) its about the friends, the hall life. well fellow hostelites will catch my drift. non-hostelits won't.

hope to be able to come back, once roof renovation is over and done with... cos there will probably be more rooms available then...

meanwhile, trying to decide whether to appeal for masters' list or not. or simply concentrate on NPCC.

CCA matters.. yada yada

I realised my discrete points for EAL had been cut to 3.0. Probably because my performance for open house

I decided that I will not run for NUSNPCC EXCO next year. Too much of a political game. Just fulfil the requirements in my unit while also being as active in HQ as i wish. Hopefully HE will become a HO and be posted to my unit, then I can step aside, he is better equipped for the role than I am.

Then again it's good that I didn't join EXCO for that reason. Although it's about leadership posts and yada yada.. but when it comes with having to play politics to stay up there, I am not interested at all.

Got other leadership posts elsewhere where the competition is, for lack of a better word, non-existent?

my results... and i am staying in RH next sem

well, my mid-term results:

CS1101C: 17/21 :)
MA1506: 9/12 :S
EG1108: 32/50 :|
PC1432: 2/15 :`(

well, my points allocation.. i cleared D&D and EAL and, to my surprise, the participation activity also! but i failed badminton... so i have to get in on masters' list ... shall see how.

my laptop has died!

after about 9 months plus, my Apple laptop died on me yesterday. i suspect an ant got into the system and short-circuited the circuitry...

as of now, i've sent the laptop in for repairs. the serviceman told me that chances of getting my data back are slim in fact. Well, shit DOES happen. A lesson learnt to back up my files anyway.

I've requested them to try their best to recover my hard disk, but I am fully prepared if that is unsuccessful.

Thank God that didn't happen before the exams.

Fun-O-Rama XVIII

Well, I started this blog on the previous Fun-O-Rama. So I think it's only fitting that I post something on the 'anniversary' huh?

Today was Fun-O-Rama. Like anyone who has passed through the portals of ACJC, I went down as usual. Actually, I had CS1101C test in the morning, so I sat for that (which was an easy paper - but it's dangerous if everyone finds it an easy paper :P ) and after that, I went for lunch with my group of RH friends at munchie monkey ($$$$ argh). enough of that... went down to AC later and took a look at the stalls, etc. Very much the same! met Alvin, Shu Hui and Tung ni who looked quite surprised to see me.

I helped out at the Parents Action Team stall... preparing tasty bratwurst sausages. was fun! heh... i think many people thought i was a student when i had actually graduated for 4 years.

the torch has passed...

and i can take my rest.

i just had a dream

i just had a dream that i spoke to THE BIG MAN personally yesterday.

what happened was that i attended service again, at a stadium like place. and at the end of it he said that there was this chap who lost his bag at an LRT station.. he wasn't a christian, just a visitor... so it somehow came upon me to help that guy find his bag. to cut a long story short, i befriended that guy (like a normal CHC-ian would) and found his bag.

then, it hit upon me to use this opportunity to get up close and personal with THE BIG MAN. so we went back to church, told him 'let me introduce you to our pastor'. i went down and questioned the security in a very 'dao' tone and he directed me down. (i never liked security to begin with, as if they're so high and mighty, pushing other ministries away for the sake of THE BIG MAN. come on, even police officers don't do that.)

after passing through two more levels of security, i found myself face to face with THE BIG MAN.

surprisingly the meeting room was in the midst of a carpark area which was not even cordoned off... then i introduced him to THE BIG MAN who replied knowingly. Anyway i somehow managed to talk to THE BIG MAN for about 5 minutes after that, and mentioned to him that Dr Casey was my father and he replied knowingly.

TRUTH: i don't think that he knows who Dr Casey is, other than that his emails always get caught in his junk folder... maybe?

OK GOT TO CLEAN UP MY ROOM IF NOT I AM GOING TO HAVE HERDS OF COKROACHES RAMPAGING IT. OUT.

memories of my JC days

having written an exposition of my secondary school days, now let me write on my JC days..

when the PAE posting results were released, I was posted to SAJC. Back then the second-choice JC for those who couldn't make it to NJC or HCJC. Well I appealed for ACJC, and got it.. so I wound up spending three days in SAJC.

It had a good location, but there were far too many RV people there to make my stay there enjoyable. I needed a break from the RV culture and SAJC simply would not give it to me.

So I transferred to ACJC. There were a few RV people there... initially due to some reasons, i doubted if i wanted to stay after the first 3 months. but anyway, i did. For a while i wanted to enter NJC.. glad i did not. i subsequently ran for council and got it..

My term in council really changed my life and my outlook on things. If my 6 months as a class chairperson had an impact, council really transformed my life. I continued returning to support AC related events until very recently. (i dunno if i will be going for Red Blue Gold and Fun-O-Rama this year though....)

memories of my secondary school days

so it seems that i have not updated my blog in quite a while. well, actually, i have, but they are all saved as drafts... my musings about issues close to my heart.. all never to be published, never to see the light of day.

this post is dedicated to my four years in River Valley High School...

back then in primary school, like everyone my calibre (i was among the top students back then), i wanted to go to RI. of course, when reality check stepped in in primary 6... i could have entered chinese high but guess mum was uncomfortable with the idea of me going to an all-boys school. so i chose RV, and got in quite comfortably.

i can still remember my first day in RV. i still remember how unfamiliar i felt, and on hindsight, having known the school building for a whopping 8 years (till it was torn down last year), how much of a greenhorn i must have been then. but well everyone goes through this stage i guess...

i can still remember that on the first day of school in 1997, my school uniform was not ready yet. so i wore my Pei Hwa uniform for the very last time... And i remember how i was very curious about the different levels of insignias worn by the student councillors... and how to put on the buttons for the uniform. (As they still are, the school uses metal buttons which are to be held in place by a small metal ring. Of course, now the school uniform has changed supplier (and hence quality.. which sadly meant that it looks less smart now.)

The school song was in chinese, just like my primary school song... and I had two of my primary school classmates who followed me up to my secondary 1 and 2 class.

Of course, the highlight of my secondary school life was joining St John Ambulance Brigade, a whole post of which shall be dedicated to that.

In sec 1 we were supposed to have swimming lessons at Pandan Swimming Complex (i think it's closed down by now, anyway)... and i couldn't forget the technical lessons in 1st semester and home econs lessons in the 2nd. (apparently now it has changed to technical in sec1 and home econs in sec2... well much better..) the art lessons also.. back then they were conducted by this guy who was rumored to be a certified artist. After school activities were fun too, and it was during that time that I really got into computer stuff, Internet, e-mailing and all that. I ever set up a homepage on Angelfire and another on Geocities... but obviously both are defunct by now...

My first two years were very enjoyable years of learning subjects across a large spectrum of disciplines, ranging from art to literature to maths and sciences. But i regret not spending enough time on my maths and sciences, because...

When the time came to opt for subject combination, i opted for triple science and geography, which i was assigned. Back then, the system in RV meant that it was compulsory for every upper sec pupil to do english, higher chinese, pure physics, pure chemistry, E and A maths, and two other subjects of his or her choice. Choices included English Lit, Chinese Lit, History, Geography and those good in the maths and sciences can take Biology... together with the criteria of average of A2 overall to do 9 subjects. Well i didn't get A2 overall, but I could still do 8 subjects which meant triple science and geography. My maths and science were just a few marks below A2.

I was supposed to be in 3D'99... then the fateful day came that Mdm Teo, the then HOD of Maths called me and said that due to my maths results, i am not qualified to do biology. after some negotiation, i was reassigned to English Lit and Geography (Sec 3K.) Later i was to realise that 3C was a class purely meant for PRC students, and everyone did triple science together with C Lit and something else. Of course, the maximum class size was 36, and that meant that some more had to spill over to 3D. I may have mentioned this in an earlier blog post - they took out some local students, and yours truly was one of them.

Now i regret playing too much during my secondary school days, spending too much time on SJAB and unhelpful activities, but anyway what's done is done... I will never know if i would have went into medicine or life sciences, or perhaps chem or bio engineering, if i had stayed with triple science.

In sec 3 i did the unthinkable, at least in a chinese school context. I volunteered to take on the role of class chairperson. Obviously, that was an unpopular decision as I was soon met with resistance from every quarter of the class. And I need not mention the vulgar references to myself on freevote.com, back then the avenue for venting frustations / opinions / etc. I survived long enough in the post, before i was finally removed halfway through my term... and that earned me a reputation in the whole school.. notwithstanding the fact that i was only one of two boys in SJAB. But I can boldly look back at those 6 months in my life. Uncomfortable and trying a period that was. But I am glad I went through it. It played a part in my personal development. Even my mother commented that before i took up the position, i was quiet, introverted and reserved. But i became more outspoken after i assumed the post.

And back then, I was nominated for the post of a student councillor, which i was really enthusiastic about. But in the end, I did not get it. I was devastated. But life still had to go on... and i went on to sec4.

perhaps i should note something interesting here... except for sec1, each year i ended the year as the class Pupil Service Head. A LOBO post. I wasn't surprised when i returned for relief teaching that it had been scrapped. Much better for one of the reps (IRP rep, Green rep, etc) to concurrently hold the head position. in sec2, i continued with my post of history/geography rep, which i wanted to step down from. and finally i managed to. sec3, i already mentioned that i was chairperson, and became pupil service head after that. well for sec4, i just assumed pupil service head. probably my classmates already felt it was a LOBO post, so they didn't really object to it. but i was aware anyway that i was the prima donna that they disliked. but it was because my outlook and way of doing things was really incompatible with the culture in RV. And i've learnt that people normally do not like others who are different from them. But that's been covered before anyway...

I remember that i was the only one that year to attain the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Silver. To this day I still wear the badge on my SJAB uniform. I've applied for Gold, and am working on it, but I do not know if I will complete it before I reach 25...

Might i add that in sec3, my class was taught by a slew of relief / contract teachers for physics. As a result, our grades were not so good. Then, after the end of year exams, to our horror back then Mrs Lee Lee Mui was deployed to teach us. She pushed us very hard, to our limits even, but I wound up getting an A1 for Physics, and i attribute this to her... So RV students reading this, yes you may hate her like anything but in the end, you will be grateful to her. Just adopt the right attitude...

booth setting at YJC

yesterday was quite a long day for me. in the morning had MA1506 lecture again, and the content is really beginning to pick up. oh man.... guess 2nd upper isn't as easy as it seems... maybe police force is not for me next time.

anyway, today was the highlight of all the planning that my team had been doing so far - a trip to YJC to publicise Raffles Hall to them. Well, the trip went well although the response was very poor as this is not the period of time that JC students would be interested in NUS and Hall life. We did give out a few prospectus, though.

I returned to an empty RH. Why is that so? because the whole hall was out for IHG Opening ceremony. Someone commented that this year's IHG T-shirt looked silly, and I replied that "well the whole point of wearing silly T shirts is that everyone wears it together :P" (I'm quite inclined to say the same thing about the HOBTC batch T-shirt, but doing so would denigrate the efforts that Thomas and Shihui had put in to get the T-shirt out. Anyway it's not too bad, although now I have three black polo T-shirts in my wardrobe, and wearing them with black trousers - which I do for my St John half-U - makes me look like a security guard or a bouncer.)

Well, as per previous years, we didn't do very well, finishing only in front of KE7. (In fact there were a couple of events where we even lost to KE7). Someone commented that 'even in the face of losing.. there is always KE7'..

I feel that the whole IHG thing is a vicious cycle. When KE7 and Raffles perform poorly in IHG, they are unable to attract the talented sportspeople (who get 'imported' by Eusoff, Temasek etc.) Therefore, they

Something must be done to break the cycle. I heard that PGP wanted to join in but couldn't due to some problems. Perhaps the Residences could come in and give the sports halls a run for their money. In fact, I was discussing with some friends over breakfast today that perhaps, those sportspeople who get kicked out of Eusoff, etc may end up playing for PGP and toppling Eusoff... possibilities are endless.

Perhaps the introduction of PGP into IHG could add a different dimension to IHG... Because frankly speaking, no one really gives a damn about how good a hall is in other areas like cultural or academic or whichever. IHG is still the most tanglible yardstick to measure how good (or how lacking) a hall is.

tyco today.. i nearly lost my phone

today i nearly lost my phone. basically i was going down to RV in a taxi, and i was wearing trackpants (the kind that has no zip.) well guess what, it slipped out of my pocket and i didn't notice it until after i came down to RV.

Good thing I asked the driver for a receipt, and I had the taxi number, a very important piece of information when a phone is lost in a taxi. I managed to get the driver's contact, and i got my phone back within half an hour.

I would like to thank Mr Wahab for taking the trouble to return me the phone. I would also like to thank the RV girl at the payphone who lent me her pencil to copy down the details that were being given to me over the phone... haha i didn't bring any pen along that time...

saw the jokers again. no mood to argue with them, but they again started harping on the same old issues. whatever...

and btw i successfully bidded MNO1001! Praise God! i realised that it only went for 50 points whereas i bidded 500. doesn't matter cos the surplus points would be refunded to me. i didn't get GEK1521, but anyway the exam is on the same day as MA1506 which is not good at all. I'll bid a non exam module instead.

Yesterday's training

Yesterday I took cab to NUS for nothing. Was supposed to have a brifing on the upcoming Berkelah trip at 11am, so i rushed down, but as ppl were late here and there the briefing started only at 11.30am. darnit, $8 down the drain when it could have been $2. Mistake number one. And mistake number two, was that i wore my St John half-uniform down for what was essentially an NPCC briefing. Not that bad actually, but quite paiseh.

Anyway that earned me the arrow as the first aider (ok lah, not exactly arrow lah, i kind of like it anyway...got to know a new friend yixian! hehe...)

after the whole thing ended, i went down to hall to do my bidding! turned out it's still round 1b, so couldn't bid for mno1001 and gek yet. but i really have to secure the module this sem, if i am to have any hope of doing the business master's next time.

after that i went back to rvhs to help out in the rehearsal for the 50th anniversary parade. it was good, just that got a few cock ups here and there.. but anyway everything turned out fine in the end. today there's another rehearsal, hope to iron out all the kinks by then...

after the parade, settled some admin stuff with the NCO committee including resolving a problem within the corps that took up quite a bit of time. but in the end it was okay, i had more understanding of the problem.

oh, my mum got a third cat. it's a six week old kitten and she has decided to name it Mog Mog, after her first pet which died many years ago.