Friday, March 17, 2017

How do you spend a good part of your day trying to help people with their work-related problems when you're a wreck?

28 calls for change but I don't know if I have the courage to do it.

Mumbled @ {9:44 AM}
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Sunday, January 17, 2016

When it rains, it pours.

That's how this weekend felt like.

Mumbled @ {6:19 PM}
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Monday, March 04, 2013

College basketball was an interesting affair.

There were elements that echo Hollywood movies closely. There's the cheesy band that plays bite size tunes every time there is a time-out or a break in play. There's the cheerleading squad who wear the tightest dresses and do crazy somersaults every time the home team scores. Then, there's the bunch of jocks who are hurling the most hilarious insults at the visiting team.

Sitting right at the back and watching the game, I realised that amongst the spectators, 40% of them were college students and the others were adults. At first, I assumed that most of them are parents of the students and the remaining adults are probably relatives of the staff. I was happily munching through my free hot dog when the old man beside me started talking to me. Asking me the usual questions of where was I from, what was my major, how long would I be in the US, how I found Tulsa, etc.

When I asked him if he was there to watch his son/grandson, he laughed and turned to his row of buddies next to him and repeated my question to them. They also joined in the laughing before answering my question. The whole bunch of them attended this university close to 40 years ago. And ever since then, they make it a point to attend basketball or football matches every once in a while to keep in touch with each other and visit their alma mater. Then he started pointing out groups of people in the crowd, telling me which groups are likely to be family members of current students and which groups are just former students coming back to support the university. At that moment, the woman in front of me turned behind and introduced herself, her husband and her son. She went on to tell me how her husband and her met here while studying a few years ago and got married right after graduation. Now, they bring their 4 year old son along to such games on Saturday afternoons as a family picnic and  enjoy themselves.

I was really stunned. As much as I miss and love VS, I don't really go back and watch their games. But here I am, surrounded by so many people who come to watch games played by their university, and every bring their children along with them. I can't think of many Singaporeans who would do that. To take time off, and watch games played by their juniors. It's a culture, I was told. Everyone enjoys it. From the adults reminiscing about their university days, to their kids enjoying a day with their parents, everyone's happy.

Exchange is all about experiences and learning. And that even applies to a simple game of college basketball. While learning new things, I did not let go of my Singapore culture, I went for 3 rounds of free hot dogs.

Mumbled @ {5:08 AM}
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

*Cobwebs*

On a more recent note, this wasn't the exchange life that I was expecting.

Time to test water. If I succeed, I get a Pass for last minute work. Otherwise, I have to really study for the final paper.

Mumbled @ {12:12 PM}
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

And so ends another summer.

A different summer, one with more academic exploits than anything else. If you had asked me years ago on whether I would even consider burning my holidays to take classes, I would have given you a downright "No" for an answer. In VS, I probably would have just scoffed at the suggestion and not even answer! But here I am, looking back at a summer where I spent 10 weeks going to school every single day. It was tiring, and it was really draining. The last time I had lessons every day was in JC, and after being spoilt by my first 2 years in SMU, every day school kinda felt like a chore. I've no idea how I put up with it from nursery all the way to JC!

That said, results wise, summer was a runaway success. By some odd chance of class droppings/class cancellations/ failed bids, I managed to end up with the perfect combination that maximised my result for each individual module. Guess it worked out in the end, uh?

Away from academics, I guess I'll remember this summer for 'Friends'. I finally got down to watching all 10 seasons chronologically instead of randomly catching random episodes on tv. And now that I've watched it in its entirety, I have to say that it beats HIMYM hands down. Unlike HIMYM, Friends not only made me laugh, but it also made me grow along with the individual characters. The final episode was so gut wrenching, despite the fact that it was filmed years ago, the days after felt pretty lonely without the company of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey. I'll definitely watch and re-watch the series over and over again when I have pockets of time to spare.

I started watching Grey's Anatomy towards the end of summer, but for now, I'm at the end of season 2 and I don't think that's gonna change till December. Grey's is good, but there are times where I get Friends withdrawal symptoms halfway through a Grey's episode. =X

So with the clock past midnight, I find myself in Year 3. My god, where did the last 2 years go? Honestly, I am not very excited about returning to school. School has been my life for all my life. Unlike my peers, I've not had proper experiences in the working world and despite all their complaints about working life, I am itching to try it out so badly... just that school's 'standing in the way'. It also doesn't help that the girls from my '89 batch have all finally graduated. The dreading started last year when all those on 3 year courses graduated, and this year, the full brunt of it was clearly visible all over Facebook. Crap.

All that said, here goes. One semester in SMU, before my 'break year'. CAT, Ethics, Personnel Selection, Tech Solutions to OBHR... it's another semester away from the School of Social Sciences. Sometimes I really wonder if I'm a SS student at all...

Greetings, junior (with a horribly painful pimple on the nose).

Mumbled @ {1:16 AM}
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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

I have clicked on the 'Send' button physically.

But deep inside, the message hasn't sunk yet.

It's oddly quiet around me. My mind is oddly blank. I have no words to describe my emotions, if there are any at all at present.

I never wanted things to go this way, but this is the only way I can accede to having no expectations.

Mumbled @ {9:49 PM}
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Looking at my progress report, it's arguable that my results might have been a little better if I was in Business school instead of the Social Sciences.

Yet, looking at the bigger picture, I do appreciate my Social Science education.

I went to SMU with the intention of majoring in Political Science and Corporate Communications. It seemed like a good fit and the 2 majors do play to my strengths as well. Intro Political Science totally made me change my mind and I ended up being a Psychology major instead. And as for Corp Comms, I guess practical reasons dictated that OBHR was a better fit for a Psych major as compared to Corp Comms. The switch between CC and OBHR wasn't that great, either way, I feel that the career options that both present suit my personality and traits.

As a Psychology major, I learn a lot about how the human mind biologically works, why does it work this way and what are the thought processes that influence our decisions and thoughts. And it's with that very knowledge that I can manipulate my thought processes. I know how to work in different ways to convince or discourage myself. For some strange reason, it gives me the feel of a greater sense of control. For better or worse...

Here goes.

Mumbled @ {6:30 PM}
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

I AM FINALLY DONE WITH SOPHOMORE YEAR!

You have no idea how much I've been wanting to say that since the start of my summer term.

It has been a very long academic year, and rightfully so. The start of year 2 seems so far away now that I look back. Time to shake off some rust and try to recall some thoughts that I would like to put down.

Social Psychology. Human Capital Management. Management of People at Work. Biotechnology and Bioentrepreneurship.

Social psychology is by far the most interesting and relevant psychology module that I have taken. My grades weren't the best, but every class was an experience. To read the textbook and be pleasantly surprised is one thing, but Evelyn Au had that amazing way of replicating the experiments in class on a smaller scale to show us firsthand. It was also the first class that I bided for with my SS Freshmen Camp OG mates. Fun class, fun group, a TA who was my friend and a very good professor. I'll remember this course for a very long time.

Human Capital Management. Loved the relevance of this course and it was my first plunge into the world of HR. It was also the first time that I was being taught a full (and proper) module by someone who is from the industry. Sebastian's classes were a mad rush that never ended on time. His simulations and role playing activities were tiring, but I always left class learning something new. I'll always remember the activity where I was part of the HR department, and the rest of the class were employees who were trying to haggle for better health benefits and coverage. Sebastian stirred both sides, and barely 2 minutes into the role play, things got so heated up, I was practically shooting down everyone sarcastically. His parting words to me after the lesson were pretty funny, "I still maintain that you would make a very good consultant, but when it comes to labour relations, right now, you're just gonna end up with a badly scratched car". Simply amazing life lesson. My group mates for that module were a fun bunch as well. Doing the final presentation slides was quite a breeze as everyone was punctual with their parts. That said, it's also the module that presented me with the biggest disappointment in my SMU life. It was the one module that I really wanted to get an A grade, and I fell short. Disappointing is a mere understatement.

Management of People at Work was simply Introductory Psychology in a business suit. My prof was new to SMU and he was a nice guy with a good sense of humour. It was quite a relief to go into class every week and know almost 3/4 of what the prof was talking about without having to do much readings. It also helped that I had Jing the genius as my class buddy and my group mate. My group for this module was pretty good as well. It was the first time that I fell asleep during a group meeting, and they were nice enough to let me sleep the entire thing through. A presentation on the SMU soccer team, and a mad rush to do all the questions in the MCQ bank to tackle the dreaded final exams that accounted for 60% of my grade... those were crazy nights. But at the end of the day, it was particularly satisfying to get my first full distinction in SMU.

Biotechnology and bioentrepreneurship. The module which is named after a word that apparently doesn't exist at all. It was beyond slack. John Kong was a nice guy who made it clear that he didn't expect SMU students to be one bit interested in the biotechnology part and just wanted us to appreciate it. It was a morning class, and my routine usually involved sleeping from 9am to 11am, before I wake up for the break and listen to the presentation of the week. It was also a mod where I somewhat (not purposely!) scammed the prof. For 3h of studying before my final paper, this mod definitely presented the best studying to grade ratio ever.

And that marked the end of my first semester in Sophomore year. I was incredibly lucky to have great groups in almost every module, save for Biotech where there wasn't any group work involved. My first foray into HR, and my first elective Psyc mod. It was a new experience, and thankfully, an experience that I enjoyed.

Special Topics in OBHR. Finishing Touch. Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Facilitation and Counseling. Training and Development. Introductory Statistics.

Special Topics in OBHR. It was LTB all over again, albeit a more in-depth version of it. It's quite amazing to know that there are so many leadership styles and how one variation actually differs from another in the results produced. I'll never forget German class part girl. She had something to say for every single comment made by someone else. Her hands were perennially up in the air and there were times where the prof even avoided looking in her direction so that she 'wouldn't' spot her outstretched arms. Not particularly satisfying or enriching, but it was alright I guess?

Finishing touch. I have to give it to Ronald Tay, his PR skills are simply mind blowing. His eloquence, his mannerism, and the way he puts himself out there... he simply makes it known to the class that he's on a pedestal without even having to bluntly say it. And admittedly, I dare say that he has earned that bit to put himself up there. Throughly enjoyed his class, though it would have been better without the incessant sucking up. It was a good learning experience and as lame as dining etiquette was, it turned out to be a breath of fresh air in an academic environment.

Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Didn't captivate me as much as Social Psychology did, but the direct relevance to OBHR did make this mod very applicable. Grace Park is indeed a prof to behold. Young, energetic and very VERY lively. Her lessons were usually conducted as though she was high. Her vulgar jokes, her crude life stories and all just add up to a colourful class. It also did help having Xueting and Jonathan around. Having to interview an undertaker for my final project on my birthday is definitely one thing to remember. And to end off with my best psychology grade ever, ah, the relief.

Facilitation and Counseling. Slack. Gosh, this module was fun and slack. There was no pressure at all. No pressure to class part, no pressure to read the handouts, no pressure to even be present actually. The weekly role plays were a joke, and Wellness Center duties might as well be renamed 'the 1 hour I spend in school sleeping on a massage chair'. A few interesting skills here and there, but I guess the highlight would be me trying to psycho my group to air a 10 minute video for a 15 minute presentation. Worked all the way till the day before the presentation where the enthu guy got cold feet and decided to air a 2 minute version instead. Tsk tsk.

Training and Development. Chow Wai Fong really makes this module interesting for a 8.30am class. It's amazing how she can be so down to earth and friendly, and yet, the class still knows that when it's time to work, it's serious business. I've thought about it time and time again, but I've no idea how she managed to put that idea into all our heads. Class was fun, enriching and enlightening. Hearing her share her experience as a trainer and a consultant, and subsequently hear her point out all our mistakes while we conducted our training sessions... it was really good. It's what school should be about, learning about relevant things from the people who know what really goes on out there! I loved my group for this module. My minor project with Lijia and Sheryan was really fun. Brainstorming and coming up with a plan that included Twitter and the Lemon game was really brilliant. And to pull it off the way we did with so many external factors that could have ruined everything, I was very proud of that one. The major project that saw us combining with Farzana, Hoa and Liang Yu was torturous. Not my group mates though, I honestly couldn't have asked for better group mates. But the process of deciding on what to do, what to cover, how to cover, when to cover... it was arduous. Easily the most taxing project (talking about relevant projects by the way, the nonsense for LTB doesn't count as relevant). Planning the 'shipwreck', coming up with the motivational part, linking it all back with stuff learnt from class, planning standing positions, timing, watching our posture, tone, projection... it was crazy. It's the mod that told me that consulting is not something that I would want to pursue as a fresh graduate. But looking back, definitely one of the highlight modules of my SMU life.

And finally, the nemesis, Introductory Statistics. Kwong's a funny guy, but his constant fiddling with the statistics program on his computer made me rely on my GC too much. In the end, as much as I could find the answers to all the big problems, I crashed and burned at the theory section. GC usage involves mindless entering of the correct numbers to churn out the correct answer, the process and understanding is lost. I didn't get the grade that I desired, but looking back, I guess all the time spent googling to get instructions on how to put everything into a GC would be something I'll remember and be amused with. Go Google!

The story should end there, but NO. I forgot to attend my Internship briefing, and thus, even if I did a summer internship, it would not be counted as part of my graduation requirements. It was one of those times in life where a curveball just hits you in the face and smashes all the plans that have been made! Thus came that suicidal reshuffle. I decided to clear 4 mods in summer, which otherwise would have been cleared during year 4, semester 1. The planning of modules kept on changing, and I finally settled with 3 GE modules and 1 GRS module.

Knowledge Governance in South East Asia. Introduction to Physical Science. Intercultural Communication. Introduction to Environmental Science.

Knowledge Governance was an interesting mod. Though I had a easier time during the module as I could tap on my general knowledge and class part very comfortably with it. Thomas Menkhoff is quite a funny guy. His German accent is unmistakable, though you'll always do a double take when he naturally inserts a 'la' in between his sentences. He's a passionate guy and makes an effort to really show it during every single lesson. I'll always remember him for his zany eyebrow action. My group mates were my friends from SS. And it was quite easy working with them as we all knew each other previously. It was a mod with a good pace and I quite enjoyed it, though it did become a bit repetitive as all the hubs seemed the same!

Introduction to Physical Science was beyond boring. My class part was simply me interjecting during the lesson with remarks that were more of jokes than anything else. Meeting a tuition mate from ages ago, having a group that strategised well and thus making the projects seem bearable, and a final exam that reminded me why I screwed up my A level H2 papers. This module was a waste of my time.

Intercultural communication was a joy. Love the prof, love my group mates, love my classmates as well. Okay, minus the annoying act cool guy and this indian foreign student. They got the best man to teach this class, and his laid back, candid approach did make it easier to discuss sensitive topics. Honestly, this course should be made compulsory for all Singaporeans, an eye opener for all the one-track minded people out there.

Introduction to Environmental Science was a waste of my time as well. Learnt almost nothing, but had tons of fun with my group mates, who are equally annoyed with having to do such a ridiculous module. Scamming the prof with an 'organic' apple, the same annoying indian foreign student from ICC who tried to scam the prof into giving him 8 bonus marks that he wouldn't even earn in a fictitious Bollywood movie, playing FM, having a pregnant class mate, having a 'cow' during my presentation... the list of how this class is ridiculous just goes on and on. Thankfully, it's over!

And that... was how my Sophomore year went. It was a good year academically. Not fantastic, but something that I can build upon. After 3 terms, the start of year 3 is daunting. I do feel tired after all these, and the only bright side now is exchange and hopefully, a good internship.  Oklahoma and mystery company, 2013 would bring you along. But now, I'm just going to unwind and say goodbye to my Sophomore year.

Junior year will come, but for now, it can wait.

Mumbled @ {12:28 AM}
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Wednesday, July 04, 2012

I am almost halfway through term 3B. At the present rate, I'm sure I'll be very tired when Year 3 begins in August. Doing 13 modules in one calendar year sounds crazy, and December seems too far away to provide any immediate respite.

Intercultural Communication has gotta be one of the best classes that I would take in SMU. Prof Ong is probably the best person to teach the course. He's well-travelled, involved in a mixed marriage and has this uncanny way to getting sensitive topics across with his mix of humour and honesty. Despite it being a morning class that comes along 3 times a week, I haven't really found any class to be a waste of my time!

Environmental Science on the other hand... it's the same nice prof who uses the most 'creative' teaching methods and yet, she somehow ends up with the most boring class. It's not as bad as physical science where all the science terminologies that brought up many sleeping demons from JC past, but it's still a chore on the whole. I can't wait for this course to be over, and thankfully, like physical science, she's ending the term a week early.

I'm really bored of schooling life. zzz

Mumbled @ {9:03 PM}
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Friday, June 15, 2012

In life, there'll always be times where one reaches a fork. And during that time of pondering, one will then decide the next course of his life and the consequences that come along with it.

Mumbled @ {12:40 PM}
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Wednesday, June 06, 2012

"Aiyoh, I cannot hear you at the start. But you did very well after that"

That was the last thing she told me, just after mass slightly more than a month ago. And that was the one memory that jolted the tears at Mandai today.

I wouldn't say that my family is very close to my father's godparents. However, whenever they had a chance to meet or speak on the phone, it was always a noisy affair. Grandma's loud voice and infectious laughter is a far cry from Grandpa's soft-spoken demeanor. It was always the usual scene of Grandma being the stern one, while Grandpa would have his arm around you and crack a joke. Typically Victorian. Her usual questions would revolve around our well being, church, school, church, our well being and church.

Every time I come to Holy Family on a weekday, be it for mass or stations, I would always look out for them. They would sit in the middle aisle, to the left of the Fr., especially since it's Grandpa who is the one who is the lector. I remember the days when both of them used to take turns. Grandma's loud voice would ensure that you catch every word of every reading. As a child I would sit there and just wonder if there would be a day where I would be good enough to go up there and do what they do. Now, older and animating for the choir, they would always wait for me at the end of every mass. A simple hug, some simple catch up and 'sending of regards'. Nothing big, nothing grand, but genuine care and concern nevertheless.

Grandma has always been my mum's spiritual rock. She taught mum so much about the faith, and a lot of my mother's staunch devotion to Mother Mary stems from Grandma's influence on her. When I used to complain about going to church as a kid and all, she'll bring up Grandma's name and warn me on how she'll scold me if she heard all my complaints. As dad's godmother, she was there for everything. Dad's baptism, parent's wedding, my baptism and even my sister's baptism. Chinese New Year at her old place was a joy to behold. I was just a kid, but I remember how awesome her cooking tastes. Traditional Peranakan dishes, at their very best. Even during the funeral today, Fr.Pat recalled what an amazing cook Grandma was.

A few years ago, while in the army, I was following Marc for mass after both of us took half day off.

Chris: What car did you use to have before this?
Marc: It was a champagne gold BM 5.
Chris: OH! I've sat in one of those, my dad's godfather drives one.
Marc: Yeah, my grandfather too. Oh, by the way, he's a VS boy!
Chris: My dad's godfather is a VS boy too!
Marc: Wait... is it..
Chris: Edward Tan!

Yup, seeing Marc today, all distraught about Grandma's passing, it was really a sad sight. Funny how the world is so small, and Grandma used to say, it's funny how we both discovered we were god-cousins on our way to attending mass at Cathedral.

Seeing my dad tear, it really struck me how much of an influence Grandma had on his life as well. He was planning to see her in the hospital on Tuesday, but he never got the chance to do it. Life's too short sometimes.

Grandpa was clearly distraught. 58 years of being together. I've always seen them together, be it in Marc's house, their own house and church (Holy Fam and OLPS). It's gonna be different seeing Grandpa alone in the pew during future masses. But hearing the eulogies by their kids, it was really quite amazing. Everyone knew Grandma as loud, honest, always wanting her way, and they summarised it by calling her the Commander. Grandpa was quite the opposite. But 58 years together, and they clearly loved each other despite these differences. It's a wonderful thing isn't it. In a world where love is sometimes overlooked for superficial reasons, it takes a couple like that to just remind us of the true wonder of loving each other.

Grandma, I might have left you a flower with teary eyes and a heavy heart. Being the staunch Catholic you are, I know this is not goodbye, but instead, we'll meet again. (':

Mumbled @ {1:22 AM}
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Bitch. I'm not your slave.

Mumbled @ {12:11 PM}
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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Maybe P was right after all, even though I disagreed with her when she said it.

"Use it on yourself"

Mumbled @ {1:16 AM}
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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sitting in class and looking at aurora pictures...

And then a friend of mine uploads a link to 40 wonderful places to travel. The beach retreats, are so welcoming. Bora bora and the Maldives are so serene and nice.

Makes class worst. Thankfully I'm on GRS now, it's not that bad. If I read the article while in GE class, it would have been tragic.

Mumbled @ {1:13 PM}
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

I really hate this class.

And my final exam for this module is next week.

Miserable.

Mumbled @ {5:50 PM}
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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Dum tee dum tee dum.

Take your time. I'll wait.

Mumbled @ {6:27 PM}
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Friday, May 11, 2012

It's results day.

It went alright. The highlight being me finally achieving something more than a C grade for a psychology module. Yes, as meagre a B- might seem as compared to a C grade, I do take heart that the grades for psychology modules have steadily risen from a C- to a C to a B-. Heartening, though slightly more satisfying as this was the exam date that I mixed up. Still remember how horrible I was feeling one day before the paper, and the awful stomach ache that I had to endure the night and morning before it.

I didn't end my math journey on a high. I would have really loved an A-, but I ended up one grade lower. To be honest, I've left this Statistics course learning close to nothing. Everything that I excelled in, I learnt in JC, and everything that was new, I learnt by googling on how to solve them on a GC. It was clearly my fault as I refused to use the tables to solve the statistical problems, I'm pretty sure my understanding of the concepts would have increased by leaps and bounds had I done so. But at the end of the day, I don't see why I shouldn't be making the most out of a GC which would be lying on my exam table. My prof always said we should make the most out of what technology has given us, and he always used the excel PhStat program in class. So, despite me conceding that I could have done things differently to achieve what could have been a better result, I still feel that I did follow his instructions and make the most out of the technological wonder, the GC.

My business mods proved to be GPA savers again. Though as with HCM, the mod which presented sky-high component grades once again fell to a B+. Lightning did strike twice. Sigh. Disappointing, but considering that I spotted questions that were totally wrong, I might just be okay with settling for this B+ unlike HCM where the B+ was, and still is considered a blasphemy. Training and Development was a hard earned A-, and despite it telling me that I don't really want to become a Consultant trainer anymore, I felt it was an eye opening module with an amazing lecturer. I'll miss Chow Wai Fong's lectures, despite them being on a Friday morning.

FT. It was alright, I really wanted an A+, but I guess competition was way too intense.

Last night was slightly sleepless. The main worry was me applying to exchange universities that needed a minimum GPA of 3. Any screw up in my semester 2 mods would totally ruin my exchange plans, and considering that I felt this was not a good sem as compared to the previous one, the jitters were there for all to see. But thankfully, my exchange plans are still on track, and my fingers are still crossed that I get my first choice.

One day, I'll look back at my days in SMU, and I'm sure I'll remember the exams/results jitters. By then, I guess the grades wouldn't really matter as much, but the experiences that I went through, the people who stood by me, encouraging me and by just being there for me, these are the things that I'll take away. And for those who did, if you're reading this, thankYOU very much. (:

Hallelujah.

Mumbled @ {10:30 PM}
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Friday, May 04, 2012

Week 1 of term 3A is gone. I still enjoy GRS and I still feel that GE is a waste of time.

It's been a slack week. It doesn't even feel as though I've embarked on a school term. Minus the daily trips to class, I haven't done anything else. My GRS textbook is in pristine condition and I'm still wondering if I need to buy the Physical Science textbook.

It's a quiet and slow week. Exchange applications have taken a huge chunk of my free time, but other than that, I'm just staying alive. Doing nothing much, and just wondering. Free, idle time is not really good when it comes in abundance.

Mumbled @ {9:25 PM}
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Thursday, May 03, 2012

Here I am, in another General Education class. After my first GE class which was biology based, I'm not in one that is Physics and Chemistry based. But both have a common denominator, they're both boring. Zzz.

Summer came, and disappeared into oblivion. 5+0+0 days. That was all the summer I've had. Yet, thinking back it went pretty well. Good food, movies, and the best part of it, company. Over the years, I've come to appreciate that last point more and more.

Summer last year was quite a feast, now I'm going to be in school everyday. If it all works out well, summer 2013 looks promising, so here goes.

Mumbled @ {4:36 PM}
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

So freaking screwed.

I have zilch confidence for stats tomorrow. Don't feel confident about even what was tested during the mid terms.

Oh seriously. And IO Psyc is on Saturday and not next Wednesday that I thought it was.

F(that's the letter grade for both Stats and IO Psyc)uck.

Mumbled @ {5:23 PM}
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Sunday, April 15, 2012

That tingling feeling of impending doom is just dreadful.

I really have no faith in this semester.

Mumbled @ {11:33 AM}
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Friday, April 13, 2012

Munich, Prague, Berlin, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Lubbock, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Malacca.

You're quite a well-travelled phone, having leeched wifi from many spots around the world.

You're slow, laggy and the buttons are pretty unresponsive.

Yet, you're the only phone that I've ever kept for more than 1 year. 2 years and 5 months actually...

It's been a good run. And as the sticker on it from Seattle's EMP goes, 'Rock on, live long'.

You'll be missed little black phone. (':

Mumbled @ {1:43 AM}
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Sunday, April 08, 2012

An old friend once told me, "I don't need a friend to listen to me because there are some things that I just don't want to say, but I need a friend who would just be there for me, even though I've nothing to say".

I guess I finally see her point. And with that, I see even more clearly, how miserably I've failed her as a friend.

There are things that cannot be undone, and this would just be another addition to my life's regrets.

Mumbled @ {1:38 PM}
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.

I can't grasp a single thought well enough to pen anything. But keeping it all in is just too much.

Mumbled @ {11:44 AM}
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Monday, April 02, 2012

Worst project group ever. It's annoying that one group mate is just being difficult but doesn't have the guts to come and tell me his viewpoints. For my stats project, we decided to recreate Asch's conformity study in a local context and test it on SMU students. I would totally understand it if the SIS group mate wasn't aware of what the Asch study is and how it was conducted, but it's plain appalling when the SS group mate doesn't know and has to refer to a YouTube video. And the worst part, before I told him to watch the video, he blindly hantam and wrote nonsense in his report. It was such a mistake to include him in the group. Urgh, deadline is today.

On a brighter note, it was a GOOD Sunday. Morning birthday branch with Winnie and the rest. I really wanted to head to Rider's because I thought everyone has been to Hatched, but it's okay, this just means that there'll be another branch at Rider's soon. (Hint hint). I'm still amused by Baby G. She's so much more aware now and I always wonder if what I'm telling her actually gets processed in her brain. Watching her smile, look around in innocent curiosity, coo, throw grumpy fits and getting to play with her... quite destressing! Haha, though I'm pretty sure parenthood is not destressing. =X

Combined choir was a draggy 2h. Made it 'lively' by singing nonsense with Darren and just watching time go by. Easter next week, I guess like every other year, we'll just scream our lungs out and hope for the best.

Birthday dinner with Duane. Chat Masala is quite a nice place, but pricey. Especially since they only serve small portions. The naan was nice, prawn was slightly spicy and the mutton was fiery. Noisy affair that ended off with mini cupcakes and a chocolate cake. It was a sociable weekend, but sadly, not as productive in the schooling terms. ):

Last school week of year 2. Time really flies by. But that'll be a post for another day. Time to play Taize instrumental and do work!

Mumbled @ {11:44 AM}
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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Here's how growing older was celebrated with food.

Angus. Brussel Sprout. Hinoki. Jumbo.

I forgot to take a photo of my Australian Wagyu in Angus and mussels in BS. ):

I had chilli crab at Jumbo. My lips are still burning a little.

Oh, and the photo order is messed up... but I'm too lazy to re-order them.

Mumbled @ {10:28 PM}
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