Saw this from Mypaper(28th Jan 09), it was quoted from William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher trained as a medical doctor.Somehow, I can relate to this phrase; it is easier to do something than to give up something.
If a person wants to quit smoking, it will be easier for him to jog or swim or other types of sports than asking him to stop smoking all of a sudden. With other activities to distract him from the "seductive" cigarette, he will not be tempted to light up one.
Ripple from next door brushes her teeth everyday after lunch; I think it is a good habit and I have since bought another set of toothbrush and toothpaste. Not that I want to quit anything, I just want to start this Year of the Ox with new habits and hopefully things will turn out good.
I was away in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) for the past few days with the girl guides from Queenstown and Henderson Secondary School. Me, Kevin and Joshua were responsible for them, quoting what one of the teachers always said, "Vietnam is a foreign country, we have to be with the girls all the time..." Ya ya ya... I understand...
Anyway we gathered at Changi Airport Terminal One on 24th Nov morning. And boy oh boy, we were there very very very early. We were already there around 5.12am. I don't really like the idea of waking up so early... but then, I don't I have a choice.
So after we had checked in, we were all set to go to HCMC. The flight was short and within 1.5 hours, we landed at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport. And there, we saw Gary and Nhat waiting for us outside with the bus arrived shortly. The rooms weren't ready yet as we were there early; the checkout time is 12pm and we were there around 11am. So we left our belongings in the Tan Hai Long Hotel and set off for lunch at Mega Parkson where we had curry chicken that wasn't spicy, a plate of onions and some veggies that looked mashed. Perhaps I was hungry and hence I didn't mind the food that was given to me. Or maybe I found it tasty. I don't know but definitely the girls didn't enjoy it. Haha...
And after lunch, we proceeded to the Revolutionary Musuem.
The museum was actually pretty good but everybody - YES everybody - including myself and the teachers were tired, hence we were following the tour guide around without really listening to her explanation. Hence, instead of heading for Ben Thanh Market straightaway, we went back to the hotel to rest.
After an hour of rest we then headed to Ben Thanh Market which is really impressive; they sell almost everything. But personally, I would still prefer Chatuchak Market in Bangkok any time. So the girls shopped for a while before heading back to the hotel for dinner. And that more or less concluded the first day.
Last week, I went to Batam with the Amkss's badminton team. The company was called in to plan and organize the trip. I was not involved in the planning so I wasn't exactly sure what was suppose to happen here and then. Plus, I only got the itinenary the night before the trip, so I was playing by the ear all the while.
So I reached Harbourfront Ferry Terminal at 7am on 10-11-08 and I was surprised to find everybody already there. I thought somebody might be late or something but none. So I blended myself into the group and try to find something to do. Angeline then told me to bring the kids in first which I did. So it was kind of weird to bring a group of people and yet having no idea who is who; I believed they also don't know who I am and why am I leeching on to them.
After making sure everybody was seated, I got myself a seat far far away from somebody. I plugged my Zen into my ears and I dozed off. 45 minutes seemed to fly pass suddenly and we were at Batam when I opened my eyes.
A bit lazy to blog everything but I must say that each and every day was fun. By just looking at them play badminton made me feel like playing too. But I can't, I have a job to do. I have to make sure the bus is there when they need, I have to make sure there is enough water, I have to make sure lunch has been ordered and delivered in time... I have to... so many things to take charge of... And it was good to have Angeline around cause she always knew what to do. Albert was okay but I didn't like the idea that he was thrown to work with me with me knowing at the last minute.
I think I wasn't very friendly to him initially, "Sorry!"
There were so many detours that I almost couldn't recognize the original program. "Steven, do you it is possible to go here go there... " Sure, I understand that the requests were for the benefits of the students but it just create more things for me to do... with every request, I have to think and try to fulfill it. Not easy ok...
Anyway, I think the training at Banda Baru is not worth it. Too expensive!! One student has to pay $25 for one day of training. 2 days = $50!!! So the total bill came to (29+28)x$25=$1425! And come to think of it, I should have stopped the teacher from negotiating with the centre manager. I was quoted SGD$25 for 1 coach for 6hrs and 65000 rupiah for 1 court for 2 hours. So for 6hours of training, using 4 courts and 2 coaches, it will only cost SGD$154 for one day!! Oh man... too bad I was away when the decision was made.
We stayed at a budget hotel called Skyview Hotel. Really really budget... it is something like Hotel 81 in Singapore. Simple amentities and small rooms. But it is still alright for 2 small kids to share a standard room. But I have to share with Albert!! Personally I don't really like to share a room with a stranger so I requested to change the room to one with 2 beds. And we were given a Deluxe room. Haha... I am not the one footing the bill so it doesn't matter to me with regards to the cost. But the room was definitely better than the one we first got. 2 beds, bath tub, fridge, bigger TV!! The fridge was the best thing we had, nobody else in the camp has fridge other than me and Albert. Haha... Shiok sia to have cold coke to drink... ahhhh...
Having stayed at the budget hotel for 5 nights, it was a huge change for the participants when we checked into Golden View Hotel. I was glad that they liked it. I like it too. I have been hoping to stay in Golden View Hotel the first day we reached Batam. I was there during the camp a few times to meet Angeline and Gary but it was only for a while. Not shiok enough...
To sum it up, I can say that I wish I am young again. I wish I can play, study, exam, play... I wish...
I need a job. I am getting sick doing nothing; having nothing to do is torturous. If I have all the money in the world, I don't mind doing everything else other than to work. But the thing is, I do not have much money and my saving is running low. Somebody help me please....
It has been a week since I went for the cadet pilot interview. The interview was okay as not much technical questions were asked. Instead, it was more like a casual chit-chatting with the 2 interviewers - a lady and a gentleman. The lady was from HR and I didn't get her name whereas the gentleman is a captain, Captain Charlie to be exact.
I think I did well for the interview. I appeared confident, I knew what I was saying and most importantly, I stayed calm. As I said, it wasn't that hard since they were really really friendly. Oh man... how I wish I can join SIA right now. I was told to wait for them to contact me, it could take 1 week or more. The wait is killing me... slowly but definitely.
I know I should send my resumes to other companies and look for other jobs but I just don't have the motivation to do so now. My heart is with SIA. My expectation is really really getting very high and this is pretty “dangerous” because if I don't get it in the end, I will be very very disappointed.
Arghhh... who can help me???? I think I better go check Captain Lim's website to see if there is any updates.
It has been a long time since i last updated my blog. Gosh, was i really that busy or was i just lazy? Haha, i guess it is a bit of both. Working here @ the Grand Canyon is fun but the nature of my job is pretty stressful.
Being a server, or a waiter, is not easy. When i have 6 tables to handle, i have to plan my time well and make sure that each table gets the necessary attention. When the customers first arrive, i have to make sure they get water and perhaps something to drink. In a few minutes time, i have to take their order and send the order to the kitchen. Then, i have to look out for my food which might be out in a few minutes or 10 -20 minutes depending on the crowd and the cooks. Once the food is ready, i have to bring them out and serve it. Upon seeing the customers finishing the food, i have to go forward to ask them if they want dessert; if they don't i will have to bring out the bill.
Sounds easy huh? It is not as easy when the tables of customers are multiplied by 6 or more. And some times, some of these customers are really hungry and they want their food fast. Or there might be parents with nosiy kids who just want to eat and get out of the place. And not to mention some people who has high standards; they are those that will reject the food that is served to them.
A lot of people says a server earns good money. I agree totally but at what cost? Everyday i have to "entertain" so many people that i became emotionally drained each and every night. And, not to mention that there are sideworks that we have to do - they can be so tedious and dirty. Hence, i would say i earn my money with my sweat and blood. I just don't understand why some people think being a server is easy. Maybe a server @ AZ is easy, maybe a server @ ET is easy but a server @ BA is rather shitty.
I can't believe this but it is actually snowing @ Grand Canyon !!!!!!!! Snowing !!! Snow !!!!! I haven't never seen snow before and Singapore will never snow unless something goes really really wrong.
According to the people here, this is pretty abnormal too as it is suppose to be spring transiting to summer. Strange weather but the snow is really nice and cold. Very very cold...
We have settled ourself into our dorms and we successfully converted the room which was rather dirty initially into a cosy one. Real cosy man!! No doubt that it is far away from everybody else, the surrounding is pretty serene and peaceful.
Just a few more days and we will be able to move to the cabins which is at a better location - nearer to the Employee Cafe and our working places. And i heard it was suppose to be bigger than the room that we have now.
In short, things have been good and i like it this way!!!
In a week's time, i will be on flight China Airline to Taipei at this time of the day. Exciting wor ~ Come to think of it, it has been almost 10 months since we had the idea to do this trip. What a long way we have come to make it to this point. haha...
Seriously, flying China Airline is not exactly my first choice - 12 accidents in 30 years are too much for an airline to be "proud" of. Haiz... what to do? I can only now pray that everything will turn out fine.
So i have been googling around for more info on China Airline. I do get searches on the accidents but... BUT.. i also managed to find sites that led me to the food they serve and the Chi-Ling advertisement...
First of all, go to China Airline Food if you want to find out more about the food that is being served by China Airline. Remarks and photos are uploaded by travellers so I guess the remarks should be pretty frank!
Photo taken by: Ashley H. Route: NRT-TPE (Tokyo, Japan - Taipei, Taiwan) date: 06 February 2005 Ticket price: N/A Flight duration: 3hr Aircraft type & class: N/A, economy Business or leisure trip: leisure Meal type: lunch Contents of the meal: chicken Drink: OJ Comments: The flight was delayed due to the heavy fog in Taipei, so we had to stay over night in Tokyo. China Airlines offers meal tickets for dinner, and for breakfast the next morning. They also provided snacks (sandwich, juice, and etc) and announced the flight was canceled. The service was great though. Rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 Camera brand & type: Canon PowerShot S45
Photo taken by: Roger Route: TPE - HKG, 6 May 2006 Ticket price: HKD888 Flight duration: 1h 20m Class: economy Aircraft: 747-400 Meal: Lunch - Minced Pork Noodle, Almond Pudding Drink: Orange Juice, Coffee Comments: not enough for lunch, but it's ok because it's a short flight. Rating 1-10 (worst-best): 7
Not too bad isn't it??
Then, there is the advertisement featuring Lin Chi-Ling!!
To be honest, i was very nervous about the FYP presentation. It was rather unusual as presentations have never been a problem for me. I really do not know why but i guess it must have something to do with my report.
It was not exactly the best report i have done and for certain parts, there were plenty of loopholes which were problematic. Hence, i guessed i was worried about the questions that my moderator might asked.
I was in school and feeling nervous and luckily i met lots of people in school who encouraged me!! And surprisingly, Weimin didn't do his presentation in the morning; his was shifted to Tuesday afternoon instead. Since his project supervisor is my moderator, he was told to sit in during my presentation.
That was a good move for me since his presence made felt slightly better. A friendly face in the audience was really i needed. Not that there were a lot of people, only 3 - my supervisor, moderator and WM. And my moderator was really kind, the questions he posed was not too challenging and I think i answered alright.
Actually i arrived at the presentation venue much earlier, i was hoping to listen to the presentation before me. Their supervisor is the same as mine hence i was hoping to find out what comments he might give. To my surprise, the moment i entered the room, my supervisor was reprimanding them - for not being serious, for doing the wrong things and stuffs...
That gave me a fright! What if... what if... what if... what if he scold me as well? haha... that was a scary sudden thought...
But it turned out pretty good. I remembered my lines and it went on pretty smooth. Good for me!
In the midst of the presentation, my mobile phone rang. Somebody was calling me and i took a quick look at it - it was my fyp partner. She called me at least 3 times but since i was presenting i didn't pick up her calls. Then i saw message and she realized she couldn't come for the presentation as she had fell sick... again. Luckily i never wanted to do the presentation together with her. Imagine she fell sick and left me alone to present without her parts... that will be a disaster...
In all, it was a very good experience and it sure marks the end of my NTU journey. Would i miss NTU? I think i would... i would miss Nanyang Lake, Hall4, Hall15, Canteen A (which has stepped into history), Subway (that i only managed to eat there a few times), Sakae Sushi (hope to eat there tomorrow), the lecture halls especially LT7 and the tutorial rooms...
Woo hoo... for the final mug, other than the good old NIE library, we also went down to Bugis library where there is a Study Lounge.
The Study Lounge is located on the fifth level and there are limited seats. Hence, everyday there is a lot of "kiasu" people who will queued long before it opens @ 9am. And yes, we were part of this group of "kiasu" people; I don't really like to do this but then we have no choice if we want to get a table. So boh bian loh...
The Study Lounge is bright and nice, it is a good enough place for me to mug. Plus, it is centrally located which is good for all. Not to mention that the view outside is superb.
There are plenty of rules to follow and the most important one is that no reservation is allowed. NLB even deployed their security guards to patrol the lounge to ensure nobody reserves for other people. I guess the situation must have gotten very bad last time for NLB to do so.
YEAH!! Exam is over!!! And hopefully i will be able to clear all the modules for this semester; i am definitely not willing to return to do another semester. I want to GRADUATE!! Haha...
Anyway, i am still mugging busily. I am mugging on Grand Canyon and Taiwan !!! I am so looking forward to the trip. Gosh... and I talked to Peng Xin the other night and he went to GC in 2006. He shared many tips wor... very very helpful!!
At least, my doubts about the hostels are cleared. Expectations lowered and it is indeed possible for the 4 of us to stay together!!
So this is the chalet-type of dorm. Looks alright to me, and these types of dorms can accomodate up to 4 person. Hopefully we will be able to get one of these rooms.
Not exactly the best photo to display but hey, it looks cozy enough!!
With 3 more weeks to exam, stress is indeed building up. What really bothers me are 3 things - FYP, final exam and WATUSA.
With more and more people around me finishing their FYP, i am really stressed that i have not. My tutor has not got back to me with regards to my first draft. Seriously, i don't think i have done a good job for it, so i am worried about that.
Then, the exams are coming; although there are only 3 papers, it felt like there is 30 papers. Probably it is because this will be the final one.
Last but least, WATUSA is kind of stressful also. Especially the part that concern the $$. The whole thing sounds expensive and it is really expensive. And it doesn't helps that Speedwing and Gasi Travel's staffs have ridiculous attitude problem. One thing for sure, i am never going to buy any travel package from Gasi Travel. Never.
Yes, that is right, in a few hours time, i will be Category X no more. Ever since i entered army, i was sorted to cat X because of my age. With almost 6 years being a cat X person, i don't really want to change it.
I was at Khatib FCC for my IPPT just now and i felt like i was home once again. This happened last saturday also when i was back at Bedok FCC for the same reason. But it rained so heavily that the test was canceled and the test was voided and considered failed. First time i fail my IPPT wor... quite a big impact...
Well, the weather was better just now and i could say there isn't a lot of changes in KFCC or rather Khatib camp. It was still the same when i ORD and some of the old buildings were still around. But then, i was still 19 sec short to hit below 9:44 min. No $400 but i guess i should be happy with $200. For all the stations other than SBJ i got 5points - SBJ i got 4points. Just that my 2.4km timing was 10:03 min. What a waste... it is almost $10 for each sec that i have took more...
Haiz... never mind, i am entering the era of cat Y very very soon. Haha... by then, the 2.4km timing to hit will be 10 min for the $400. Wa ha hah a ha....
Just before i left, i met MWO Vincent. It was definitely great to see him, especially after so long. He still smokes but i find him more approachable; i don't know why but i actually had a good talk with him. Talking about the past and finding out what some of the other regulars are doing.
Thank you YES933 for giving me the chance to go the studio to meet Kelly Chen who was in town to promote her new movie, <<江山美人>>!! And a very big thank you to the DJ, WeiBin who gave me the chance to interview Kelly!! I still remembered what WeiBin said to me before Kelly arrives, "要保握机会啊!!"And that was what i did, "保握机会"!!
Me and WeiBin.
As the others were too shy to ask, i went ahead and secured the chance. It has been a long time since i hosted events, and suddenly i almost felt like i am going to host one. Even though WeiBin asked me to prepare one question, i was already squeezing my brain juices to come up with a appropriate one. You know lah, celebrities are sensitive to the questions people asked them. If something that he or she don't like was asked, he or she might show you a black face.
YES933's studio.
So, i settled with a very very very safe question: "What are your plans after this movie? New albums? So with that, i was pretty comfortable. At this moment, Kelly arrived and gosh, my impression was that, she is really tall. I heard from Kev she was 1.73m and with that high heels that she worn, i bet she was taller than me. No fair!!!So she came in, and there were a lot of people who followed her. I can see that included her manager, assistant A, assistant B... and they were speaking in cantonese... so cool!! She was friendly; she waved and smiled at the 6 of us.
The interview was carried out shortly after WeiBin briefed her.And it was really cool to see how a DJ operates the machines, the computers and stuffs. Normally, we could only their voices but yesterday, i could see how they work!! And WeiBin was adjusting here and there as she interviewed Kelly. WeiBin can really multi-task !!As the first segment of the interview finished, WeiBin played "Lovers' Concerto" and I moved forward to take a seat besides Kelly.
Yes, Besides her !!! It was definitely exciting for me at that moment, i was so star struck. And yes, she still looks good for her age, and she really has very big eyes and sharp nose.Then, WeiBin raised her hand to signal that we are going on air soon. As the song ended and WeiBin started to speak again. WeiBin asked Kelly a few more questions and one particular one shocked me. WeiBin asked Kelly what were her plans after the movie!!!!!
Gosh and that was the question i had prepared, i gave WeiBin a shocked face and I turned and looked at Kelly. I think she was shock to see me shock. Kind of hilarious actually. WeiBin then gave me a signal to tell me to relax and i was like, "are you sure or not..." In the end i still asked the same question but i added slightly more, " do you plans to open a concert in Singapore?" I guess this addition makes my question slightly different from WeiBin's. Cold sweat wor...
And that was not the end, i got to talk about the movie and theme song as well. So, it was like a chit chat session with Kelly and WeiBin. And that was fun!!!!As the interview ended, Kelly was brought to another room. The 6 of us were wondering if we could take photos with Kelly as the people who came with her wasn't very friendly. Or maybe they were just tired, i don't know...But in the mean time, i got to talk to WeiBin and she was really really very friendly and nice. She even suggested to us to wait outside so that we can "catch" Kelly when she leaves. And that what we did.
One funny thing happened next.I asked Kelly if we could take a group photo with her, she looked like it is ok but at this moment, there were 2 voices. Her manager said YES, but one of her assistant said NO. Kind of funny because the answers came at the same time. Well, the manager has more powerful and so we managed to have a picture with Kelly.
Me and Kev, the 2 excited fans.
Overall, it was a great experience as it was my first time going to YES933's studio. And of course, it was 1st time meeting Kelly Chen. Marvelous experience !!!
The sun is out and the weather looks good. But i think i will just stay at home and rejuvenate from a week of work. I have borrowed a few good books from the library and i guess i can spend my day happily reading them.
By the way, i would like to introduce to all a new search engine - REDNANO. It is started by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and will focus all the searches for Singapore. I think it is a good alternative to other search engines, especially like Google. With majority of internet searches done via Google, they have more or less control over the information. They can show us what they want and seriously, this isn't the best thing - we could have been "brainwashed" without knowing it.
But then, it is such a fast and easy search engine that i have personally grown to get use to. Probably i will try out Rednano for a while and see how it goes.
Yes, I met Kelly Chen yesterday evening @ YES933's studio. It was a very cool experience; first time into YES933's studio, first time meeting Kelly Chen !!!
Stepping into the studio was like a dream came true... the place where all the familiar voices came from, I felt like i am home or something. Haha... ok lah, i better go to bed before my headache become worse. Will take about this experience very soon...
Long time no blog ~ ~ gosh, FYP is indeed a killer. I am busy with it, everybody is busy with it... some pimples popped out on my face... and that is a good indicator that i am stressed. And to add oil to fire, i am also down with a cold, or is it flu... 傻傻分不清楚... in short, i am having a running nose, slight cough and headache now and then...
Then, the WAT USA paperwork is really troublesome. SW, as usual, sent emails late at night and they were filled with many things to do... form A, B, C... and we have to go down to their office to submit them... and next week we have to go to the US Embassy for the visa application.
I still have to take my IPPT before my birthday and that will be this saturday. so many things to do, so little time.
Mas Selamat Kastari, a Jemaah Islamiyah leader, escaped from the Whitley Detention Centre on Wednesday. And this was only made known to the public 4 hours later. Ok, during this period, the police officers, Special Operations Command officers and gurkhas were deployed, so it isn't really a big issue. But, this is Singapore, how could this happened here? Why?
Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng who apologised for the incident said Mas Selamat was being taken to the toilet before a meeting at the Family Visit Room when he escaped.
And Mr Wong was humorous - how could a terrorist who has plans to attack foreign and local establishment be "no imminent danger to the public"? And how much is he paid annually?
The Singapore Airshow wasn't exactly that fantastic - too many people too little things.
There was also a huge screw up for the ticketing of The F1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.
Gosh, isn't this city suppose to be efficient?
I wonder what Lee senior will have to say about all these...
