ATC 04/05 BBQ Gathering.

29th July 2007

This was my 3rd BBQ within one week. More or less, i got sick of the food; especially since they were all ordered from the same company, BBQWholesale.

It started to rain in the morning and i was like, “Will we be able to have our BBQ as per normal?”

Then i received sms that some will be going to Costa Sand at 4pm rather than the 1.30pm agreed earlier on. Jing-Lin couldn’t come early as well, so i asked Jeck-Sie to get the drinks as well. I forgot why but in the end, i went with them to the shop to get the stuffs together.

Peiyu was already on her way when she got my sms. So i dropped off just outside Sentosa to meet her at Vivocity. It is always great to bring people into Sentosa via the Sentosa Express as i think it is an impressive mode of transporting people into the island.

We then met up with Jeck-Sie at Costa Sand, got the stuffs into the little Kampung Hut and we settled down to play cards!!! Bridge, Dai Dee and Ugly ugly. I really missed those days when we can play card games now and then. Haiz...

Other than the BBQ, there was a secret mission, Bravo Charlie. Peiyu, Elsie and Brenda are having their birthdays in August. So we decided to surprise them with cakes, cards and mini gifts. It was exciting wor ~ ~ ~

As 5pm approached, the rest came one by one. Yvonne came, then Jacob and Junjie, followed by Yonglim, Sean and Jianda, then Jing-Lin and last but not least, Bren-Liang. It was great to see all those “old” friends, is like the good old days are back again.

The gathering turned up to be a successful one and everybody had fun. I wonder if there will be any such gathering in the future. It is tedious wor to organize and plan, let’s hope somebody else will do the job the next time.

ASES Summer Camp

First of all, ASES stands for Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society. Other than the chapter in Singapore, it has other chapters all over the world. ASES Singapore is subdivided into the 3 university – Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

The reason why i have anything to do with ASES is because of Huimin. She has just become part of the ASES family and was involved with this particular summer camp.

It was a 3 days 2 nights camp, at NCRSS country club, which aim to promote entrepreneurship among students. Company visits were included as part of the itinerary. We visited Genometric Pte Ltd, Settlers’ Cafe and Stikfas.

Back to Day 1. I was suppose to meet the rest for lunch at 12pm but i was tired so i requested to meet at 1.30pm @ Tanah Merah MRT instead. The pick up point for the shuttle bus was near to the bus stop where i can alight from. So i was quite confident to reach there in time.

And indeed, i was on time; right on the dot, 1.30pm. Just as i alighted from bus 12, i saw the shuttle bus ahead of me. I made a mad rush and managed to catch up. Huimin alighted as the shuttle bus has a schedule to follow. It turned that another friend of Huimin is late. (Note : I was on time, Haha...)

Her friend, Shao Hao appeared in about 5minutes time and the next shuttle bus will only come at 2.30pm. So, we have no choice but to take the cab. It costs us $6, and it turns out that NRCSS is not that far away just that it will take a very long time for people to walk in. Maybe 1hour.

We reached the lobby and was introduced to 3 other people, Chee Long, Penny and Yuan Man. They had checked in and we were ready to go to our chalet. Yeah!!

Our unit was 33 and it is really big. A 2 storey house with 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 2 toilets, 1 dinning area, 1 common area and 1 BBQ pit. Mahjong set is provided for free!! Now that’s the important issue here. Haha... Mahjong.

Just after we settled in, we played some ice-breakers game and Cashflow 101. It turns out to be rather interesting, getting out of the rat race and stuffs. I would say it is the closer-to-real-life-kind-of-Monopoly board game. The funny thing is, none of us know how to play. So we followed the instruction manual step by step, calling people here and there to find out more about the game.





It took us 3 hours to finish the game and it was an impressive game as we started without knowing anything to knowing something at the end. Haha... Due to time constraint, we decided that the first person to get out of the rat race wins the game. And the winner is none other than, ME!





Dinner was next. Hong Ting bought the dinner for us and conducted personality test for all of us. I was an ENTJ, same as people like Steve Jobs. Woo hoo ~ ~ after which, it was MJ time!! And i lost. Damn!

Next morning, we rushed off to the first company, Genometric. It was interesting to realize that a Singapore company is working on the software industry and their products look impressive.



We headed for Settlers’ Cafe, the one at North Canal Road. The boss, Colin, was a good speaker and he has detailed slides for the presentation. Thru him, we learnt more about the beginning of Settlers, the competitors, their future plans. Right now, there are 3 main players, Settlers, Mind’s Cafe and PitStop Cafe. It will be interesting to see how these cafes outdo one another. Would there be new cafes coming up? Is the pie getting bigger?



Last but not least, we went to Stikfas. To those who don’t know about them, Stikfas is a stick-man kind of toy. They can be assembled and rearrange according to the users’ preference. The man behind the company is Mr. Ban, a designer himself. With US as the biggest toy market, Stikfas has successfully gained a foothold in it and not forgetting Japan and Europe, it is sure expanding.



We were showed a few home made videos which were made by fans. Very impressive i would say. The videos were well made and they are of a certain standard. Judging from these videos, we can see how much the fans liked Stikfas.

Dinner was BBQ, and it was my 2nd one for the week. Gosh...

Actually, i was rather tired throughout the camp. So, i guessed i wasn’t as spontaneous as before. I tried very hard to stay awake during the company visits. Not that the visits were boring but i was just too tired...

Overall, i enjoyed myself, made new friends, learnt new things. And i am just glad to be back in the eco-system.

The entrepreneurship eco-system.

Entrepreneur Six BBQ @ Sentosa

It is never easy to organize a gathering. Especially when everybody is busy with his or her own things and the time just doesn’t match.

On 22^nd July 2007, ETP Six had a BBQ @ Costa Sand Sentosa. Attendance was encouraging - Me, Tianhong, Eugene, Cindy, Huimin, Seth, Neo, Anubhav, Ivan and Albert.

The weather has been kind to us; it didn’t rain until we were BBQ-ing halfway through. And, it was more of a drizzle than rain, so what more can we ask for.

Food was great but there was too much. Why leh?

Because, there are people who flew our airplane. Tsk tsk, I wonder how credible they can be??

But still, we had fun. Especially towards the end when we really need help to help clear the food, we played the ever-so-much-fun game: Zhong Ji Mi Mah, Ultimate Number. The remaining food was at stake. Being a vegetarian, Huimin set the number.

And how lucky can a person get; Eugene kena 5 times wor!! Or was it more than that? Hmm, but still, he cleared 5 big premium Otahs for us!! Many thanks!!

The rest left, with me, Huimin, Tianhong and Albert staying behind. Albert was spontaneous enough to accompany us even though he has to “report” to work the next day. In the small Kampung Hut, we played Dai Dee and drank vodka. After several rounds, Tianhong and Huimin got high so we decided to go for a walk.

We walked along Siloso beach, which is rather scary at night. Even though there was music from Cafe Del Mar, the soulless beach at night is still eerie...

And all of a sudden...

Something happened.

Tianhong puked.

He did a great job imitating our Singapore’s icon, the Merlion.

Huimin remained strong although she looked reddish in the face.

We even sneaked into the Song of the Sea to take a peek. Of course, there wasn’t any more show at 1am. It was a replacement for the Musical Fountain and now we have to pay to watch it. Gosh...

Luckily for Albert, his usual Taxi uncle was willing to fetch him from Sentosa back to Woodlands. But, I think it will burn a hole in his wallet. Thanks for staying back dude.

We got back to the Kampung Hut where we could only managed one last game of Dai Dee. After which, it was lights off. Albert left at around 2.30am, i think.

I woke up at 7am.

Not wanting to disturb the rest, i headed down to the beach and was glad to have the whole beach to myself. Wa Ha Ha Ha...

Quoted from Eugene, “maybe we should not have this type of gathering in the future...”

Yes yes yes i agreed... it is troublesome to organize something like this. It would be easier if we just go to Marina South or maybe even Seoul Garden. But, let’s leave that to some other time. For now, we have the time to plan; in the future we might not.

Once again, to all who came, THANKS!!!

Goodbye Duffill Watts !!

Last Friday was my last day @ Duffill Watts.



Bought somethings for the rest.



And here's a cake from the boss.



Last but not least, a farewell card wor ~ ~ ~

It was definitely a fulfilling experience working in Duffill Watts, new things were learnt and new friends were made.

Singapore Bay Run

Closing date for competitive categories soon, on 22nd July.

Sign up now !!

Me vs SAO Part 2 ! !

Forgot to post this the other time, ending the conversation i had with Ms Angela Shang.

She replied,

From: Shang Angela
Sent: Tue 7/10/2007 1:59 PM
To: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Subject:
RE: looking for room in ntu

Much as I understand there are students like you who stay far away or don’t even have a home in Singapore (that is, international students), I don’t have the resources to help. What SAO would really help is to re-offer places as soon as they are not taken up. I assure you we would do so because we cannot afford to leave places idle since halls are self-financing centres.

Then i returned her mail,

-----Original Message-----
From: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Sent: Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 2:13 PM
To: Shang Angela
Subject: RE: looking for room in ntu

Dear Ms Shang,

Yes, i have heard - foreign postgrads told to move out of NTU hostels - http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,134772,00.html

It sure dishearten me to see NTU appearing in the news for the wrong reasons.

And of course, i have been told before that "what SAO would really help is to re-offer places as soon as they are not taken up".

Since you are giving me the same reason, what more can i say but to wait and wait and wait.

Thanks.

Regards,
Goh Zhixiang

She shot back,

Zhixiang,

Just to clarify, the news that you referred to is regarding the Graduate Hall and not the undergraduates’ Halls of Residence. Nevertheless, the Graduate Hall is also facing a tight demand and supply situation. NTU will be building another Graduate Hall.

Angela Shang

And that's about it. Still no room, still waiting.

::ASES Summer Camp::

Organised by Huimin and friends.

Sounds good right??

For more info, email them, info@ases.org.sg

Nine Zero Zero Zero Zero Seconds ~ ~ ~

Counting down to end of IO.

Gosh this is just too exciting, waiting for 20-07-2007, 1700hr to arrive.

By then,

i don't have to squeeze with others in the bus in the AM.

i don't have to squeeze with others in the MRT train in the AM.

i can sleep till noon.

i can swim in the day.

i don't have to wear formal.

i don't have to act busy.

i don't have to face the computer screen for 8.5hrs.

i don't have to squeeze with others in the MRT train in the PM.

i don't have to squeeze with others in the bus in the PM.

*Tick *tock *tick *tock

Appreciate what we have

Sri Lanka: JVP wants LTTE defeated in the North

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

The Military achievements during the recent weeks including the capture of Thoppigala was lauded in parliament by JVP parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (17).
Making a special statement in parliament, the JVP parliamentarian said that the de-linking of the north-east merged under the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord in 1987 on a temporary basis was possible due to the JVP’s intervention which was completed by the heroic forces by capturing the entire east.

The MP said that the east was finally and completely liberated on July 11 for which the armed forces by capturing the entire east.The MP said that the east was finally and completely liberated on July 11 for which the armed forces made huge sacrifices."

It means that there one no LTTE camps anywhere in the eastern province. The troops have proved that they have what it takes," he said.Weerawansa critiqued these who have acted like prophets of doom calling the was un-winnable. "

This belief was market by the government, the opposition, NGOs and international agents.He noted that however, if the government used the victories for political expediency, and for the same purpose, the opposition undermined the successes, both parties were wrong.

He said that the LTTE had responded to the capture of Thoppigala by killing the Eastern Secretary, H M Herath Abeyweera which was proof of their hunt."What is how required is a programme that could reintroduce democracy to the areas and to ensure t he uplift of the people making Eastern Province their home," he added.

Urging that the LTTE be defeated in the North in a similar manner, the MP called upon the nation to celebrate the military successes by holding felicitation ceremonies.

Source: http://www.sibernews.com/news/sri-lanka/-200707189020/

It may look strange having this news in my blog, especially since when do i have anything to do with Sri Lanka.

But the thing is, the man who was killed was my colleague's father.

On Tuesday, she didn't come to work; we were told her father had passed away.

It was sad to hear this and normally, i would link the death with illness, accidents, etc

So, she rushed back to Sri Lanka immediately on that day.

But, it was only until today then did i realise that her father's death was not a normal case.

In Singapore, death would rarely be linked to gun shot as it is almost impossible for the commoners to own a gun.

Over here, we enjoy peace and stability.

Everybody has a stable job, a house to stay in, food to eat, TV to watch, malls to shop...

Let's appreciate and be thankful for the things that we have taken for granted and not complain and complain... ok?

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) 2007

The race of the year is back again for the sixth time !!

And yes, our beloved Adidas is the main sponsor once again. Woo hoo !!

Early Bird registration for the running event of the year begins from 16 July to 12 August.

Sign up now to enjoy special Early Bird rates!

And if you have the time, you can dropby the event launch on 23rd July 2007

Event Launch on 23 July 2007!

Look out for us at the Raffles Place Park from 12noon to 2pm (in front of the Caltex House) on Monday, 23 July 2007
as we officially launch the 2007 event!

Register on the spot at the event launch road show from 11am to 5pm, and check out the promotions and activities onsite.

"you live to challenge your limits, we give you the race of your life"

IO finishing soon.

Gosh, my ntu tutor came yesterday.

So, after a good talk with my company's supervisor and "interviewing" me, she collected my report. Before she left, she read my logbook.

Now it seems that i am 95% done with IO.

Just waiting for friday to come.

To be exact, Friday 20-07-2007, 1700hr

Hmmm, still have no ideas what to buy for my colleagues. *Headache*

Old Spore

How many landmarks can you identify from these photos ?

36 years of development has transformed our beloved Singapore into this:

What will Singapore be like 40 years
from now ?

Gosh, is Me against SAO once again.

It all started with this email. Note that this guy is Onn Zhi Xiang, not me. I am Goh Zhixiang.

----Original Message-----
From: #OON ZHI XIANG#
Posted At: Thursday, 05 July, 2007 11:08 PM
Posted To: Rent
Conversation: looking for room in ntu
Subject: looking for room in ntu


Hi there

I am looking for single room for rent in NTU

pls feel free to list out yr terms n conditions and get back to me

cheers!

Then, Angela Shang from SAO replied him,

From: Shang Angela
Posted At: Mon 7/9/2007 12:03 PM
To: Rent
Posted To: Rent
Conversation: looking for room in ntu
Subject: looking for room in ntu

Please do not post such notice to source for student rooms in halls. Tenancy is not transferable. Should any student be found to be an illegal occupant, Student Affairs Office/Hall Office will not hesitate to take serious action such as eviction of the rightful occupant from the hall and fine the illegal occupant a minimum of one weeks’ stay at $40 per day.



Please remove such notices from all folders you have posted immediately.

Angela Shang (Miss)
Deputy Director (Student Accommodation)
Student Affairs Office
Tel: 6790 5159
FAX: 6791 7801

I sent an email to Angela Shang,

-----Original Message-----
From: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Sent: Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 9:01 AM
To: Shang Angela
Subject: RE: looking for room in ntu


Hi,

Have you ever wonder why such ads appeared here?

Would people resort to this method if there are enough hostel rooms?

By promoting legal squatting is not the solution; the original occupants would be disturbed more or less.

I know it is not your fault for the "wonderful" system but i am really disappointed by the response i have got from your department.

By now, you could have realised i am one of those on the waiting list, and yes, i am still waiting.



Regards,

Goh Zhixiang

She replied me,

From: Shang Angela
Sent: Tue 7/10/2007 10:47 AM
To: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Subject: RE: looking for room in ntu

Zhixiang,

By doing what you have done, you are jeopardizing your own position as well as those who answer to your ad.

There will definitely be students who could not get accommodation in halls no matter what system is adopted since demand is always greater than supply.


Mistaking me for the other guy, i replied,

-----Original Message-----
From: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Sent: Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 11:19 AM
To: Shang Angela
Subject: RE: looking for room in ntu



Dear Ms Shang,

If you don't mind, please take a closer look at the person who posted the ad in the folder.

He is Onn Zhi Xiang, i am Goh Zhixiang.

This is an unforgivable mistake that one can make.

I am not indicating that what Onn Zhi Xiang has done is the right thing but rather, i am trying to raise the point of solving the problem.

I agreed that no matter what system is adopt, there bound to be some problems. For this case, has plans for new hostels been discussed?

As more students are predicted for the next few years, is this "demand is always greater than supply" scenario going to repeat itself again and again?

I am not trying to challenge you but rather, trying to obtain more information to convince myself that NTU is sincerely looking into this problem.

Regards,

Goh Zhixiang


Realising her mistake,

From: Shang Angela
Sent: Tue 7/10/2007 12:22 PM
To: #GOH ZHIXIANG#
Subject: RE: looking for room in ntu


Dear Zhixiang,

Sorry, I did make a mistake in that. Unforgivable? You seem to support what Onn Zhi Xiang had done and I wish to point out that it would not be correct to solve the problem that way.

Certainly NTU has plans for building new halls but new halls cannot be built within a short span of time.


I replied once again,

Dear Ms Shang,

I do admit that 'unforgivable' is a too extreme a word, since to err is human nature.

As i have mentioned in my previous mail, i said, "I am not indicating that what Onn Zhi Xiang has done is the right thing but rather, i am trying to raise the point of solving the problem." Please don't put words into my mouth.

The reason that i replied your ad in the folder was to hope that you can understand students like me who are desperate for a room within the campus. In the coming semster, i will be going into my final year; i will definitely be busy with projects and reports. Staying at Tampines is certainly not going to reduce the burden and renting a room in the West is definitely too expensive.

I am glad that to hear that NTU has plans to build more halls but of course not within a short span of time. By the time they are built, i would have graduated.

Last but not least, I hope that you can view this issue from the point of a deputy director as well as from a student without hall.

Regards,
Goh Zhixiang

I'm not trying stir up trouble but rather, informing Ms Angela Shang that we all know that supply exceeded demand for the hostel rooms.

And i want to know what are the things that are being carried out to solve it.

Telling students that they can squat legally with their friends is not a long term solution. The original occupants might be derived of the convenience they should have and the squatter could find it "pai sei".

SOS Live Earth

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.

"I am really afraid that my children growing up being not able to see a blue sky or green grass... if i don't do something, who will?"

"If we protect the world, the world will protects us..."

Adidas Warehouse Sales !!!!

Impossible is Nothing !!

Good news to all who "prayed" to this motto, there's an ongoing Adidas Warehouse Sales from now till 8th July (sunday). Thanks to the HWZ forum for this info.

Do not missed this chance if you want to grab some bargains!!

Buses that will bring you there.

Pirated DVD Sniffer dogs?

Interesting piece of news that i wasn't aware of until my colleage told me about it. That explains what happened to the pirated dvds in Holiday Plaza... Hmmm...



March 21, 2007

'DVD dogs' sniff out 1m illegal discs in Johor

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S latest weapon in the fight against DVD pirates - a pair of labradors named Lucky and Flo - have sniffed out nearly RM10 million (S$4.37 million) in illegal discs in Johor Baru.The dogs helped uncover nearly one million DVDs and compact discs hidden in offices housed within JB's Holiday Plaza shopping mall.

After roaming the building, they drew officials' attention to locked doors on the sixth, ninth and 10th floors of the 18-storey building.Johor Domestic Trade Ministry enforcement chief Fahmi Kassim said the officials then broke the doors down with crowbars and found the discs. Five Malaysians and a Vietnamese man were arrested.

'We suspected there were pirated discs in the building, and sure enough, the operation proved to be very successful,' Mr Fahmi added.'The dogs were a big help.'

The black labradors are on loan to Malaysia for a month from the United States-based Motion Picture Association (MPA). The MPA says it is the first time dogs have been used to detect contraband discs.Lucky and Flo began work in Malaysia last week, sniffing out shipments at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The Johor operation was the first time they had worked in another area, said Mr Neil Gane, the MPA's Singapore-based senior director of operations.The dogs have been trained to detect polycarbonates - chemicals used in the disc manufacturing process.

The MPA, which includes Hollywood studios Warner Bros and Universal, estimates its members lost US$1.2 billion (S$1.83 billion) to movie pirates in the Asia-Pacific region last year.Malaysia is one of 36 countries on a US watch list of serious copyright violators.Officials say five million discs were seized in more than 2,000 raids in Malaysia last year, and 780 people arrested.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, BERNAMA






Then 1 day later...






Thursday March 22, 12:28 PM

Malaysian DVD pirates want sniffer dogs dead

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Reuters) - Malaysian movie pirates have put a bounty on the heads of two sniffer dogs who busted a fake DVD ring with a seizure of discs worth about $3 million, media and officials said on Thursday. Lucky and Flo, two female black Labradors deployed by Malaysian authorities in their crackdown on pirated movie DVDs and music CDs, carried out their first major successful operation in Johor state on Tuesday.

The New Straits Times said syndicate bosses had offered an unspecified reward for the killing of the two dogs. "As a result of the extent of loss to the pirate syndicate, we have information from the domestic trade ministry that the Johor syndicate is intent on killing Lucky and Flo," said Neil Gane, an official of the Motion Picture Association. "The Malaysian authorities are taking this threat seriously and the security around the dogs' current location has been beefed up," he told Reuters.

In Tuesday's raid, the two dogs helped seize a cache of around a million pirated game and movie discs in the southern city of Johor Baru, neighbouring Singapore. At least six people were arrested. The fake DVDs, replicating machines and other tools used to make and sell discs were hidden in concealed spaces and secret compartments spread over four floors of an office building. Malaysia, which figures on a U.S. watchlist on piracy, has dramatically stepped up efforts to rein in copyright pirates as it negotiates a free-trade pact with the United States.

The dogs are being given a month's trial by Malaysian officials in a joint effort with the Motion Picture Association, which groups six major Hollywood film companies. The dogs are trained to sit down when they smell plastic. Until now, the animals have been used mainly to check containers in cargo hangars.

Autobots! Transform and Rollout~!

Transformers deserved 4 stars out of 5 !!

So what if the storyline is weak ?

So what if the robots transformed too fast ?

The CG + sound + jokes (= Great Entertainment !!) saved the show.


Some quotes from the movie:

"we learn ur languauge thru the world wide web"

"Sam's Happy time"

"The parents are very irritating, shall I take them out?"


One thing that i can't understand: why is Starscream translated to 星星叫?

Despite that, i enjoyed the movie a lot; now i feel like watching it again !!

With the second part scheduled to be out in 2009, that is something we can all look out for !!

Re-CPR-ed

I retook my CPR last saturday @ Red Cross.

It cost me $80 but i think it was a good refresher course; especially since i am still a FT with E1. And of course, a young triathlete's death brought CPR into the limelight once again.

From wikipedia,

What is CPR ?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency medical procedure for a victim of cardiac arrest or, in some circumstances, respiratory arrest.

What is the purpose of CPR ?

CPR is unlikely to restart the heart, but rather its purpose is to maintain a flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart, thereby delaying tissue death and extending the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage.

And here's a post that i discovered from the Straitstime Forum: Click here

Quoting a paragraph from the article :

"Having officials being trained in First Aid and CPR is insufficient. While I am confident that these officials have undergone their training successfully, I must highlight that performing CPR on a mannequin and performing CPR in a life-threatening situation is definitely different."



Indeed, this statement is very true. It is very different when one tries to perform CPR to a mannequin and to a real person. For first timer, trying to perform CPR on a real person, might get all tense up and forget the proper procedure. This is crucial, by compressing at the wrong part of the body other than the sternum, the victim might end up with other internal injuries.

But still, with the number of cases of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) going up, it will be beneficial for as many people as possible to take up CPR.

So next on my list, i will be doing my first aid course again in August. It costs $80 but i believe it will be worthy of my money.

How about you?

Singapore Red Cross website: http://www.redcross.org.sg/courses.htm