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Sunday, July 09, 2006
No life

8:30 PM

3 weeks into the job, and I'm already taken ill. I have been down with an inflamed throat, high fever (40 degrees), a terrible headache which refuses to go away. Even after going to the doctor, the medication doesn't seem to help. Working 10- 14 hours a day is damn raxing. Working on weekends ain't surprising anymore. I don't even have the time to blog on a frequent basis anymore. So much work, so little time. I don't have a life anymore. Is working really so bad?

Posted @ 8:30 PM | Direct Link |

Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Slogging @ Sony

10:43 PM

I'm employed at Sony. Sony precision to be exact. Located at Tuas ave 9, it takes me 2.5 hours from home to office. Theorectically speaking, I spend almost a quarter of a day travelling. It's tiring for me and I'm still getting used to it. My body takes the toil from the long hours of travelling.

Monday (19 jun 06) was my first day at work. Basically, I'm attached to the Production Engineering Dept where I get to work on the design of Robokids. Robokids is just a fanciful name for industrial robots. Nothing has been eventful at work and I spent the first 3 days practicing Solidworks CAD software by myself. I didn't even get a chance for an orientation tour. No introduction to the colleagues, hence i had to go around chatting up with the people around me. One thing which i realised about Sony is that the environment is dead quiet. Nobody really speaks in office. As far as I can recall, I heard less than 20 sentences from the engineers around me during office hours. I guess the company culture is as such, everyone stares into the 21 inch LCD Sony monitors doing the Computer Aided Drawings for the robokid parts. As expected, the entire department consists mainly of guys. The only ladies I see around are the 40/50 year old aunties. Just "great".

My boss is extremely enthusiastic in his work, a tad too much for the engineers under him it seems. Although he tries to motivate the engineers to go the extra mile in doing things, it seems that everyone seems so sad at work. Everything looks zombified at work. Although the situation seems quite negative, the people and environment, I guess I can work this to my advantage. Since almosteveryone has the dreaded "I don't want to die at work" aura, it's easier for me to excel. Less competition. So much the better. I think the boss treats me well and teaches me whenver he is free. Let's see how the situation progresses. He has promised to put me under a new division that requires frequent oversesas travelling. I want to make somehting out of this Sony experience.

Although the welfare is terrible (horrendous) as compared to Motorola and the Japanese work culture is "Working overtime 7 days a week is oh so very normal" , I think I should still give in more effort despite the surplus of negative feedback. Attitude is what makes a person stand out. Thing's are not boring, it just haven't got exciting yet. Turbocharging should fix the situation. For things around me to change, I must be the first to change. Things will turn out for the better. Working OT 7 days a week isn't that bad at all.

Right?

Posted @ 10:43 PM | Direct Link |

Monday, June 12, 2006
Orange Ole!

2:50 PM

The Orange army is back with a shout! First blood has been drawn by Arjen Robben over Serbia and Montenegro for yesterday's match. Resistance is futile against the Orange Army of Holland. Forget about messing around with the Orange revolution. Vibrance on the outside, lethal on the inside. Don't bother messing around.

Fun tip: Do you S&M is the only team without a country in the world cup? The country disbanded into 2 countries; Serbia; Montenegro respectively.

Posted @ 2:50 PM | Direct Link |

Sunday, June 11, 2006
World of Friends at Monty's Bar

3:56 PM

The World Cup is here at last! After watching Germany and Costa Rica fighting it out with a record opening score of 4-2 to Germany's favour. Many had expected the preceding matches to explode with excitement.

Getting in sync with the world cup, I was down at Monty's bar with a group of friends to catch England vs Paraguay which many expected to be one hell of a match. England, being favourites in this tie were expected to lash out the fury as potential world champions at Paraguay's expense. Prior to the match, Zhijian, Ka Weng, Caveman and myself were down at Cafe Cartel located at Plaza Singpaura for a sumptous dinner. It is always great to meet up with friends, especially after graduation. Most of us discussed with vigour on our "expert analysis" on the match preview. It was not surprising as many of us had "invested" in the match hoping to have some financial returns.

Approximately at 8pm, we headed down to Raffles MRT to meet up with Kok Teong who was already there waiting for us. Boat Quay was a stone's throw away and we headed to my favourite hangout pub aka Monty's Bar. Although there is no happy hour and such, I love that place. This pub has quite a number of native British expats who hang out there to show their support to their home country. Surprisingly, underdog fans can be found there too. There was this time during the Liverpool vs West Ham FA Cup final that KW and myself found ourselves outnumbered by WEST HAM supporters singing GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. Haha. What a surprise. Of course, another reason why Monty's Bar has become my favourite hangout place are the cute waitresses. Special mention has to be given to this attractive gal, Yvonne. Always cheery, sweet and very service orientated. She took orders with an extra smile and specially with politeness. It's rare to find hot chicks with a nice attitude nowdays. Had a short chat with her despite her hectic workload. Realised that she has been working there for quite some time and she's here on a part time basis. I guess the pay must be cool to work in a pub. Fun and always exciting. Just 30 minutes before the match kick off, Kelvyn joined us at the pub where we hung out happily catching up and soaking in the atmosphere.

When the match kicked off, I got to chat up with some British and Indian expats who were there watching the match too. Ain't it great to chat up with people who came from half the world away. Soccer matches isn't just about the andreline rush, it's always about meeting new friends and chilling out with current ones. Interesting events occur once in the while. A beer glass got shatterd while cheering the bottles and glasses. KW suffered minor cuts as a result of the accident from the collision of my Stella Artios beer bottle in the midst of the excitement which drew quite a few surprised faces in the pub. Heh. Sorry bro, never expected the glass to shatter so easily from a slight knock from the bottle. Despite high expectations, the England vs Paraguay match was a drab with the result in England's favour courtesy of an early Paraguay's own goal. Although the match ended 1-0 with all the fellow "investors" losing some financial assests, I will say it's part and parcel of having fun. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. What matters most is still treasuring friends company and sharing bonding sessions. No wonder Carlsberg has this quote on "World of friends" during boozing sessions.

Here are the standings as of 11 June 4:44 PM (GMT +8).

Bring in the goals !!!! Check out the highlights of the Germany vs Costa Rica thriller below. Ole... Ole Ole Ole...

Posted @ 3:56 PM | Direct Link |

Friday, June 09, 2006
FIFA World Cup 06

2:40 PM

Thoroughout the course of human history, spanning over multiple centuries, there have been prediction of doomsday or the end of the world whenever a major event occurs. Academics worldwide have observed that scenarios of people filled the "Passioned with obsession syndrome" (PWOS). Weary males (read: Boyfriends) and neglected females (read: Girlfriends) over the widely loved FIFA World Cup has sparked an increase in the number of reported cases of people "infected" with the PWOS.

June 2006, Planet Earth. There have been reports of sightings that certain genres of humans have started to show the above mentioned symptons. Global experts have gathered at an emergency meeting at an undisclosed boardroom to tackle this upcoming pandemonium. Despite there disagreements on many issues, reliable sources have indicated that world leaders have decided that Singapore will be used as a case study to further analyse any discerning trends.

The FIFA World Cup.The Beautiful Game competition that comes once every 4 years. This time round, the mega scale world event will be held in Germany with the footballing elites nations will congregate for the sacred trophy and honour of being the next world champion. Passionate fan groups worldwide have already begun their preparation to worship their footballing gods. There is no doubt the world cup is not just a soccer tournament. It is the competition that binds people from all nations regardless of nationality and race. Political and national differences have been put aside to celebrate the union of the human race. Pride and passion converge, giving people not just pure sportertainment but also a time to bond people with a common dream. Afterall, it's a world of friends to be made during the month of June. Soccer fanatics will indulge in a celebration of world class soccer matches. Not surprisingly, the guys have devoted all their tender loving care (TLC) to their new love in their lives (aka the spanking brand new 42" plasma high definition television set). Never mind the girls, this is what the true breed testorone filled guys really yearn for. Check out the pics before the launch of the world cup with will commence on 10 June 2006 midnight (Singapore time) with Germany playing host to Coasta Rica. The world is waiting for the super sporting spectacle.

This is the game where legends are born.

Ladies need not feel left out. As you can see, some ladies are embracing it as well as the guys. Heidi Klum certainly has no trouble with playing her ball. (Even though it's hand ball)

Still NO? Why you so fussy? For the ladies who cannot seem to fall in love with the World Cup, here are some tips which MAY capture occasional glimpes from the guys while the soccer matches are in progress.

Tip 1: Look fantabulous while bringing the booze

Tip 2: Gather your hot gal friends to watch soccer with the guys

Tip 3: Dress in your guy's favourite team colours

Tip 4: Shock him (temporarily) with your

new hair colour during half time.

If all else fails, the ladies can always fall back on the....

Guys may/ may not notice your absence, so make good use of the time to do your shopping. One item which may catch your fancy during the shopping trip is this sexy little black shoe....

The shoes are not nice meh? No no... they are actually sassy sexy strappy shoes from the latest Charles and Keith collection. Your lady eyes must be playing tricks on you. Heh heh.

What the heck. Let the games begin!

Posted @ 2:40 PM | Direct Link |

10:35 AM

This is a test post from

, a fancy photo sharing thing.

I'm playing around with flickr, trying to host my pics in high resolution using their service. Let's see if it works out well. You may see an exodus of photos if this fun trial turns out successful. (",)

Posted @ 10:35 AM | Direct Link |

Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Graduation

11:44 PM

I've graduated from university!! Results were out on 5 July with lots of my friends sending in sms that the examination results were Hurray! At least i managed to salvage a honours degree, which I consider quite an acheivement for someone who only managed to get a hold of tertiary education only during my third year. The convocation ceremony is on 27 July 2006 (Thurs). Do let me know in advance if you are free to attend (or if you are taking leave from work)! We can take photos together! Almost 2 decades of education and this is what I have been waiting for. It feeeeels gooooooooooooooooooood. Heh Heh.

I had a good 3 weeks vacation break and I'm still looking for my dream job. I'm now officially in the Manpower Board statistic of being unemployed! Time to rock on. This is where life really begins. :)

Posted @ 11:44 PM | Direct Link |

Thursday, May 11, 2006
My daughter's wedding

12:58 AM

Alas! The day has arrived. My little girl will be finally getting married later this afternoon at 2.30pm. It has been one year since she got attached and the relationship has blossomed into an adventure filled with a mixture of fun, love, distress and sorrow. Last night, we had the rehearsal till 10pm to make sure everything was in order. The room was filled with people laughing, chatting, exchanging experiences. Everybody is elated. The long awaited ceremony will be what we have been waiting for all these time...

I'm not sure what to feel after the ceremony. The joy and sorrow of seeing your daughter leaving you. One side of my soul tells me that this is the moment of blissful union. Yet, the other side of my souls tells that I'm finally going to put her into the good hands of another man. Oh... What irony! Human emotions are indeed a concoction of feelings.

To my dearest daughter, my little FYP (Surface planarization of microstructures for biomedical applications), I'm happy for you. No words will be able to express my happiness after today's presentation at TR6 at 1430 hrs. Prof Yeo Swee Hock will be there to ensure you have been under my good guidance. I have high hopes for you and I know you will not let me down.

You have grown independent for the past 12 months. You have been the best daughter a father could ever have despite your occasional tantrums which led me to late nights down at the laboratory's cleanroom. It's time for you to build a new future with another student. I'm off to sleep now. I want to be at my best for my little girl's wedding. Now, that will be one load off my mind. :)

Posted @ 12:58 AM | Direct Link |

Monday, May 08, 2006
Another story for another time

3:12 AM

This will be my last entry that I'll blog in hostel ending my 4 year stint as a hostelite of NTU. I'll be checking out at 12:00pm and surrendering the keys to the hall office. I'm still packing some of my remaining stuff. Zhijian's stuff is all cleared. Nothing left except for a water bottle which I think he forgot to bring home.

The general elections were out yesterday. Low Thia Kiang of the Worker's Party (WP) retained Hougang and Chiam See Tong of the Singapore Demoratic Alliance (SDA) retained Potong Pasir despite the People's Action Party (PAP) dangling multi million carrots to upgrade the estates in these 2 constituencies. It seems money cannot buy people's loyalty. The opposition fortresses stands out strong and I'm proud of them.

Nothing's changed in this elections despite very credible contests by the opposition. The PAP won 82 out of 84 seats in parliment. Once again, another sweep by one political party which seems to be almost invincible. Yet, it's worth nothing that the PAP's support dropped to 66% of the valid votes down from 71% (if i recall correctly from the 2001 general elections). The opposition support seems to be growing within the ranks of the younger generation of Singaporeans who are more inclined to vote of the opposition to have an alternative voice in parliment. The statistical votes seem to show a projected growth of support of the opposition in future elections.

It's the same old story. The PAP takes control of the parliment in Singapore, the opposition seems to be unable to upstage any upsets. So seriously, the political scene looks set to remain stagnant (yet again) for Singapore. What's new? Still the same old story hor? Another era for the PAP dynasty? How can we be a first world country under a one party stronghold? No doubt, the PAP has done a good job so far, but I still think an alternative voice will prove to be more beneficial for the country's economic and social growth. Just look at Japan and Korea, both these asian countries have higher GDP growth as compared to Singapore despite having opposition parties in parliment. But that's another story for another time. Let's see what will happen 5 years down the road.

Since I did not get a chance to vote, I spent by weekend in good fashion. Chilling out with friends at cafes, dining yummy food, watching blockbuster movies (at Cathay Cineplex which I rate very highly for the super duper uber fantabulous service quality), & coincidentally meeting up with avid freelance photographers and their hot models. More on that in later entries. Heh Heh. :)

Side note-
Exams are over, but I'm still stuck with work. My Final Year Project presentation is round the corner and I have to do my powerpoint slides! Time check- 3:33am, yet another sleepless night bogged with work. Bummer.....

Posted @ 3:12 AM | Direct Link |

Saturday, May 06, 2006
Polling day for general elections

12:53 PM

6th May 2006. It's polling day for the general elections where singaporeans choose and vote for their preferred party to be the parliment for the next 5 years. For the past 9 days, political parties have debated actively on many issues. From major issues to matters concerning on how James Gomez from the workers party didn't submit this minority certificate to the electorate office.

People have listened, people have seen the candidates making rallying speeches on plans to make Singapore a better place. Who will win this time round in the "hot spots" GRC/ SMC? Will the PAP prevail or will the opposition put up a strong fight? Today's the day where people will decide.

Having a chance to vote is cool and sacred, only if you get a chance to vote. As of 10 am today, Channelnewsasia have reported that almost 22% of the people have voted.

I'll still be keeping a very close watch on the election results. This is afterall, my home, my Singapore. I'm excited despite not getting a chance to vote since my home falls under the walkover GRC. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to vote the next time round. Till then, I very much remain a virgin voter. :)

Posted @ 12:53 PM | Direct Link |

Friday, May 05, 2006
First world university my ass!

3:14 AM

My dear fellow readers,

By the time you read this entry, a few hundred students would have already been claimed as casualties by the fluid mechanics paper disaster on 3rd May 06: 1200 hours @ Nanyang Technological University examination hall B.

It's ironic how contradicting the opinions are from students from universities worldwide. I recall that slightly less than 4 years ago, people once told me university life was super relaxed and relatively stress free as compared to the 'A' levels. To the super elite uber intelligent people with brains of super computers process capability, they probably say,

"I never touched textbooks/ lecture notes/ tutorials/ research papers all my life and yet I scored all straight distinctions for the exams. So easy!"

Yeah rite..... in my 4 years of university life so far.... I can only think of two words that best describes this.

BULL SHIT !!!

No such thing! As a fellow student, I sympathise with your situation. The administration has always made everything sound so easy. Despite being the incumbent, the university's top heads have failed to comprehend the situation on the ground. Where are the creme la creme when the students need them. I can safely assure you that 8 out of 10 professors suck in teaching despite their "amazing academic track record". So what if they have the best qualifications, it doesn't mean a thing to the students if they cannot relate, speak or teach properly. Go ahead and ask the students down the lecture theatres. Oh... then again, does the top administration go on the ground the relate to you the fellow student? I've never ever seen a top head walking around checking on the state of the student population. Not convinced? Go ahead and sue me for defamatory remarks. I challenge you to do so.

Forget about all that "hoo ha" imagery that the media has painted on television. No where in Singapore do you see students sitting on a big green field staring at the clouds after a hectic day of lessons. Forget about the idea of enjoying a good cup of ice blended mocha every now and then grooving to the background music while chilling out in between lectures. Going out to play and shop whenever you feel like it? If you do lead such a lifestyle, there can only be 3 possibilites.

You are not a student from NTU/NUS/SMU.
You forget that you are even a student.
You skip lessons 5X daily, 5 days a week.

If you wanna know the extent of madness that goes on in university, think of it this way.

If you thought PSLE was hard,
'O' levels is 5X more difficult,
'A' levels is 10X more difficult than the 'O' levels.
University education is magnified 15x more than the 'A' levels.
Question: How much more difficult is university as compared to PSLE? (15 marks)

University education is ...
5*10*15 = 750x more difficult than your PSLE standard.

Simple right?

But wait... academics in universities never like making things simple. This is how they will pose the simplified hypothetical question to you.

The degree of difficulty can be modelled as the rise in water level in a tank. The water level rises under a steady state for 5 seconds before overflowing from the tank. Assume only frictional pipe loss f , DERIVE an expression of the rise degree of difficulty of university h(x) with respect to time using the following equations. (15 Marks)

Function of PSLE : f(w) = 6wy + 3t
Function of 'O' levels g(u) = tan (4u+7w)/ dt
Function of 'A' levels h(t) = (dy/dt * dt/dz ) 4xu * cos (5wt) + du/dt

Hint: You may find the following formula useful...
[P1/pg + V1^2/pg + z1] = {P2/pg + V2^2/pg + z2+ (fLV^2/2gD)] + K(V^2)/2g + (l/g)dv/dt}
The displacement of overspill is z(t)= (z2 - z1).

Or something like that. WHAT "USEFUL" hints. Which doesnt really make sense to the common man on the street. WTF?! Why must derive? 3/4 of the paper is based on DERIVATION. "Siao leh!" Cannot ask application type of questions found in the tutorials is it? After the professors drill the students with lots of graphs, complex formulae and application questions throughout the entire semester for the module, they examine the unexpecting student on DERIVATION? Curses to you and your freaking overdeveloped brain. Thanks to you my dear professors, many final year students with hopes of graduating in 4 years are now living in morbid fear that graduation may never be a possibility.

Assuming that some student will send an email to the administration complaining about the many matters which are considered "trivial" to the top heads, they will probably detract the student that he/she did not have his papers (lecture notes) in place, and say the student is a liar and a person who lack of integrity. How dare they accuse the top heads of the administration of such atrocities. The administration is FIRST WORLD ok? Our professors are also FIRST WORLD ok?

To to first world, we must have first world professors who will produce first world students. Nothing but NATO (No Action, Talk Only). Even all those evaluation forms are darn useless. The same old dogs still come biting you semester after semester. Who says life in university is wonderful? A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? I don't think so. Stop dangling the carrot with advertisements like.... "I can clinch a deal anywhere, I can address the world and what not...". Nothing but hot air and bullshit. Academic theories rarely apply in real life. First class university education? I don't think so!

Posted @ 3:14 AM | Direct Link |

Saturday, April 29, 2006
Exams are ending soon

2:46 AM

My last university paper will be on 3rd May 2006, where I will contest and conquer the final boss code named "M463: Fluid Mechanics". Hopefully, I will graduate and convocate this semester. Till then, no new blog entries until the end of my papers.

With the GE round the corner, let's see what events will unfold. Till then, stay tuned. I'll blog again after 3rd May 06.

Posted @ 2:46 AM | Direct Link |

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Political Apathy in Singapore??

4:37 PM

With the General Elections coming up, many Singaporeans are eager for a chance to vote. In order to create a greater awareness of political issues amongst the younger generation in Singapore, Channelnewsasia broadcasted a talkshow called "Why my vote matters- a dialogue with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew". I had to watch it online via google video as I rarely watch television (about 10 hours of TV a year). You can watch it and recap the major issues that were brought up below.

(FAST Broadband connection recommended to watch the streaming video)

After the show was broadcasted last week, there is now a major stir that the younger generation of Singaporeans do not show adequate respect to the Minister Mentor (MM Lee). The dialogue session was harsh and direct with normally shunned questions being brought up directly to MM Lee. The "panel" of 10 Singaporeans, below the age of 30 brought up almost every single issue that was brought up by the opposition parties with regards to the upcoming elections and Group Representative Constituency (GRC). Questions like the People's Action Party (PAP) were depriving the opposition of a level playing ground. Controversial topics like the PAP being arrogant and power crazy were brought face up to MM Lee himself. Of course, the big question of whether the PM Lee Hsien Loong was backed by MM Lee in parliament. Questions like the PAP being seemed as intimidating were also hung up. Unfazed by the barrage of direct and blunt questions, MM Lee remained sharp and gave back authoritative and candid replies. No stone was left uncovered and statements with the lack of evidence were shot back firmly.

After the broadcast, public opinion was hugely divided. One school of thought consisting predominatly of the elder generation (1st and 2nd generation) of Singaporeans claimed that the younger generation showed a lack of respect for the man behind Singapore's remarkable progress in nation building. The other school of thought, consisting of the 3rd generation of younger Singaporeans rebutted back claiming that the questions were not provocative but was meant to voice out the opinion of people and to bring up issues which were normally considered taboo.

I agree that it took courage to bring up senstive issues face on with a man of MM Lee's stature. Afterall, MM Lee has tasted more salt than what most younger singaporeans have encoutered. Thumbs up to those who brought up taboo topics, this is how society operates. The truth is never sweet tasting, and most of the time, it's sensitive to mention anything openly. I believe that this is a sign that people believe strongly in democracy. People should always have the right to say and bring up constructive criticism. This is the only way for us to strive forward. If Singapore is to maintain her worldclass standards in many aspects, locals should be more broadminded and critical on national issues. Kudos to those who braved the mental fear to voice the public's opinion.

It's ironic that despite the objective of the dialogue session was to provoke a sense of political awareness, people are complaining that the younger generation who is "politically ignorant" are being too hard on in criticising the government. I see these behavoirs as a sign of different cultural upbringing. The english educated generation is more direct and open, while the chinese educated generation believe more on moral and social values. Either way, both parties win despite their differences on opinions and thoughts. Singaporeans are now talking about politics in their daily lives. The public apathy on national issues and politics have suddenly been given an upheaval. People are now better aware on the issues like the importance of elections, government and the political systems of Singapore.

For more information, read up on news articles on this recent issue. Here's the side of the story from the people who were involved in this dialogue. Channelnewsasia will be broadcasting another episode on the aftermath of the dialogue session.

Here's what to expect from channelnewsasia

That Dialogue
Was I Rude Or...?
A discussion on "Why My Vote Matters - A Dialogue with the Minister Mentor" created a stir after the programme went on air. One camp applauds the young Singaporeans for daring to brave MM Lee. The other found their manners wanting. Hear their takes on the issue. Thu, Apr 20 @ 2030 SST.

I'll catch the upcoming episode (online) if possible [even though I'm in the midst of my exams]. A good debate stimulates my inner burning desire all the time. Let the sandstorm begin and stir up some dust! Who says there is political apathy amongst the younger generation of Singaporeans?

********
(Updated 8:45 pm)

On a lighter note... Check out what Mr Brown has for his latest podcast. Simply hilarious!!! Here's a spoof , tastefully done via Star Wars style.

Better Man(R) : So you wanna contest me in the
upcoming jedi election eh? Feel my lightsaber!!!

Browncast: Jedi elections special (Click to listen)

Editor's note-
*In yoda speak*
Mr Brown and Mr Miyagi - Funny... you people are. 2 thumbs up! Like podcasts... I do. Heh Heh.

Posted @ 4:37 PM | Direct Link |

Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Exam grades spoof

7:18 PM

Report card day spoof. "What?! You got a B+ ?!"

*Sobs* Don't scold me.... *Sobs* I promise to score all 'A's the next time round...

Posted @ 7:18 PM | Direct Link |

Sunday, April 16, 2006
Nervy jitters

8:15 PM

Just came back from Eugene's hall for revision. It's ironic that the more we revise, the more worried we become. Starting to have the tingling nervy jitters for my first paper (M481) tomorrow. I hope the paper will be managable. This prescribed elective seems a little too taxing for my liking. No chances for any mistakes this semester. Everything must be cleared at all cost.

13 hours & 15 mins to go. The clock is ticking.

Posted @ 8:15 PM | Direct Link |